Life's Many Challenges

Author: Steph aka Datakenobi05

Summary: Year 1 at Hogwarts is new and exciting for Harry, while Sirius stays home and worries. For good reason. Chocolate Frogs, Magic around every corner, angry and bitter potions master, and the Sorcerer's Stone are all quite overwhelming. Non-Slash.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything having to do with Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the master.

Series: The Boy Who Lived

1. When it's all Black and White

2. Life's Many Challenges (year one)

Chapter 1 Good Morning Sunshine

"Life is a test and this world is a place of trial. Always the problems--or it may be the same problem--will be presented to every generation in different forms."

Winston Churchill

Number twelve Grimmauld Place was in an uproar. Sirius Black was downstairs in the kitchen trying to cook his eleven-year-old godson breakfast before his first day of school while trying to make sure they had packed everything the night before. Harry had thought it was a good idea to make a list and pack before the actual day. Sirius, who was new at the whole 'being responsible' thing, had thought it was a waist of good 'playing' time. Luckily he had listened to him and they had gotten everything packed and marked off of the list. Now, Sirius was trying to double-check the list for the tenth time that morning and trying to think of something else they could pack.

Heading back into the kitchen Sirius was strangely remembered of his first time going to Hogwarts. He had gone to bed sick to his stomach thinking how he would be alone for the whole school year. He was terribly wrong however when he found the friends he thought he would have for the rest of his life: Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter. The last one giving him the gift that no matter how many thank you's he said he would never be able to repay him for. Harry. When James had come to him saying how he would want Harry to grow up around people who would care for him and protect him, and not necessarily be a good influence on him, Sirius thought it was a good idea and agreed, but what he didn't know was that he agreed to be the baby's godfather. It was the best thing he had ever done.

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Harry Potter woke up in his bed, in his room, in his pajamas, but something was missing. It was the usual dead weight at the foot of his bed that was different, it wasn't there. Sirius was either awake or sick, or possibly both. Every night since he had been living with his godfather Sirius would turn into a dog and curl up at the end of Harry's bed as if to protect him. Not that that bothered him, but Harry wondered if it was because Sirius was worried about him. His godfather had told him that Voldemort would most likely come back to power in his life time and that fact scared him however many times Sirius denied it.

Pushing unpleasant thoughts out of his head Harry brushed some stray black locks of hair out of his face before smelling the breakfast that was waiting for him downstairs. Pleasantly, Harry had the stray thought that at least Sirius didn't burn down the house.

Putting on his scarlet slippers Sirius had picked out for him, Harry walked down the stairs and wandered into the kitchen where, infact, his godfather was setting the table looking panicked. Harry knew it was his first day of school and that he wouldn't be seeing him every day and he wouldn't be comforted by him every night, but Sirius was undoubtfully more worried, excited, and nervous than he was.

"Good morning Sirius."

Looking up, a smile on his face Sirius replied with his usual "Good morning sunshine."

Harry sat on one of the high chairs that sat around the table and waited patiently while he was given eggs, bacon, toast, and some apple juice. Sirius sat on the opposite side of the table and barely touched his own food.

"Excited?"

Harry nodded while chewing his eggs. "Very." He said after he had swallowed, "But I think you're more excited then I am."

Sirius smirked a little and pushed some egg around his plate. "Excited isn't the word I would use."

Harry tried to reassure Sirius that he would be fine and that he would have a great time roaming the halls late at night while trying to dodge teachers. Sirius had smiled at the comment but didn't respond. Harry had the feeling that his godfather wasn't 'nervous' either.

Giving up on the food in front of him Sirius stood and walked toward the front room where that bloody list and Harry's trunk sat. "When you finish we need to get going. King's Cross will be packed today with muggles and magic people alike. You don't want to be late."

Harry nodded, this time while drinking apple juice. Sirius was just happy that Harry hadn't changed out of his pajamas yet.

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Sirius and Harry used what looked like a normal car to get to the train station, but when Sirius got in the back seat with Harry and the car started to drive itself something was not right.

"Um Sirius, I know this car is magic and everything, but muggles drive their cars. It would probably scare people to see no one driving." Harry explained to his godfather who sat in the drivers seat and hung on to the wheel while muttering something about 'paranoid muggles.'

The rest of the drive was spent in silence; both Harry and Sirius were lost in their own thoughts.

Harry was perfectly content while he watched the double decker busses and tall buildings pass by and he felt a flitter of anticipation start to grow in the pit of his stomach.

Sirius, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. His mind kept going back to the list, Harry, the trunk, Harry, Harry, and finally 'what if Voldemort attacks Hogwarts?' Every possibility was ridiculous and Dumbledore was there. No worries. Yeah. Right.

Too soon the car stopped and pulled into a parking spot where it would wait for Sirius's return.

TBC

Just the beginning of my new story, hope you like it.

Review!

Steph