Sirius Black sat alone in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express looking
out onto the now emptying platform where the last few students waved
goodbye to their families and boarded the train. His parents had brought
him to Kings Cross station with his cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa and
their mother, his Aunt Elladora. Bellatrix had been at Hogwarts for three
years now but him and Narcissa would be starting this year. They were both
expected to be in Slytherin, like the rest of the family had been, so as
not to bring shame upon the family name but unlike Narcissa, Sirius would
rather be in any house other than Slytherin. Even Hufflepuff.
Sirius Black was a black sheep. His whole family were pureblood maniacs
and in their opinion anyone who wasn't pureblood was likely to carry an
extremely contagious disease. This was one of the many reasons Sirius hated
his family but he would be different. He didn't care if they used all the
hexes in the world on him, he would never be one of them. In his opinion
they were pure evil.
Suddenly Sirius heard a faint coughing and turned to face a boy about his age standing in the doorway. The boy had brown eyes and wore glasses and his dark black hair made it look like he had been pulled through a hedge backwards.
'Um, excuse me, could I sit here.' 'I suppose,' Sirius replied, 'if you must.'
The boy sat down opposite Sirius and held out his hand.
'I'm James Potter.'
Sirius stared blankly at the hand and James was just about to remove it when Sirius shook it.
'Sirius Black.' Said Sirius rather reluctantly, before returning to gazing out the window.
James asked Sirius a few questions but was rewarded only with grunts and slight movements of the head. Eventually he gave up. About 40 minutes later a tall boy appeared in the door of their compartment. The boy had extraordinarily greasy hair and a very large nose. Sirius looked up and saw him standing there.
'What do you want?'
'Nothing,' the greasy boy snarled. ' I have every right to stand here if I want. You're not mudbloods are you? Cos I'm leaving right now if you are.' James looked up, a look of utter disgust on his face. 'No we're not and don't say that.that word either. It's horrible.' James replied, 'You can go now if you like.' 'I don't like. I'm staying here. And anyway that's what they are so why not call them it. Oh god your not one of those freaks who think they should be treated the same as us.' James clenched his fists, anger boiling up inside him. He didn't know why it made him feel like this. He didn't know any muggle-borns. The boy was still talking. 'You lot disgust me. You're a disgrace to our..' James lunged forward and sunk his fist into the boy's stomach and the boy howled in pain. Then he straightened up and hit James square on the nose before reaching for his wand but Sirius was to fast for him. 'Expelliarmus,' shouted Sirius and the boy's wand flew up in the air in to Sirius' open hand. 'Who are you?' 'Sirius Black. This is James Potter. Who are you?' 'None of your business,' the boy snarled. 'May I remind you that I have your wand and my friend over there is blocking your way out of this compartment,' Sirius smiled,' so I'll ask again. Who are you?' 'Severus Snape,' the boy muttered. 'Pardon?' 'Severus Snape. Now could I have my wand back?'
Sirius, obviously satisfied, threw back Snapes wand. 'There you go Snivellus. Now get out of this compartment.' Snape shot Sirius a look of pure loathing before stalking out the door.
Just as Snape left the food cart appeared outside their compartment. Sirius got up and brought a couple of boxes of Bertie Botts every flavour beans and a handful of chocolate frogs.
'Here, Catch,' Sirius threw a chocolate frog at James who caught it easily and looked up at Sirius.
'Thanks for that,' James said.
'It was nothing. So.d'you like Quidditch?' Sirius asked, trying to hide the anxious note in his voice. 'Who doesn't?' James replied eagerly.
The ice now truly broken the two boys talked for ages about Quidditch but when they'd exhausted that topic they moved on to talk about their families and school. The train slowed and Sirius looked out the window. It had grown dark whilst they had been talking but they could see the huge silhouette of the castle rise high above them as they drew closer to it.
'We'd better change into our robes.'
The boys stepped off the train into the crowd of chattering students and were met by an enormous man.
'First years this way. Right are you all here. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper at Hogwarts. It's traditional for first years to row across the lake. No more than four to a boat. Be careful and follow me.'
The first years followed the giant man to the edge of the lake where a red-headed girl followed Sirius and James into a boat. James turned to tell her to find a different boat, he wasn't in the mood to talk to girls, but stopped when he saw her.
'Do you want me to find a different boat or something,' she asked, 'its just you've been staring at me for the last 5 minutes.' 'N-no, stay here if you want,' James managed to stutter.
The girl sat down as Sirius whispered so only James could here, 'I think someone has a little crush on a certain redhead.'
'Shut up.'
After what seemed like hours they reached the other side of the lake and followed Hagrid up the hill towards the school. He hammered on the door then stepped back. The door creaked open and a tall women with a very strict looking face emerged from the shadows. 'The first years Professor.' 'Thank you Hagrid,' she said. Then she turned to the group of unnaturally silent students. 'Follow me.'
Suddenly Sirius heard a faint coughing and turned to face a boy about his age standing in the doorway. The boy had brown eyes and wore glasses and his dark black hair made it look like he had been pulled through a hedge backwards.
'Um, excuse me, could I sit here.' 'I suppose,' Sirius replied, 'if you must.'
The boy sat down opposite Sirius and held out his hand.
'I'm James Potter.'
Sirius stared blankly at the hand and James was just about to remove it when Sirius shook it.
'Sirius Black.' Said Sirius rather reluctantly, before returning to gazing out the window.
James asked Sirius a few questions but was rewarded only with grunts and slight movements of the head. Eventually he gave up. About 40 minutes later a tall boy appeared in the door of their compartment. The boy had extraordinarily greasy hair and a very large nose. Sirius looked up and saw him standing there.
'What do you want?'
'Nothing,' the greasy boy snarled. ' I have every right to stand here if I want. You're not mudbloods are you? Cos I'm leaving right now if you are.' James looked up, a look of utter disgust on his face. 'No we're not and don't say that.that word either. It's horrible.' James replied, 'You can go now if you like.' 'I don't like. I'm staying here. And anyway that's what they are so why not call them it. Oh god your not one of those freaks who think they should be treated the same as us.' James clenched his fists, anger boiling up inside him. He didn't know why it made him feel like this. He didn't know any muggle-borns. The boy was still talking. 'You lot disgust me. You're a disgrace to our..' James lunged forward and sunk his fist into the boy's stomach and the boy howled in pain. Then he straightened up and hit James square on the nose before reaching for his wand but Sirius was to fast for him. 'Expelliarmus,' shouted Sirius and the boy's wand flew up in the air in to Sirius' open hand. 'Who are you?' 'Sirius Black. This is James Potter. Who are you?' 'None of your business,' the boy snarled. 'May I remind you that I have your wand and my friend over there is blocking your way out of this compartment,' Sirius smiled,' so I'll ask again. Who are you?' 'Severus Snape,' the boy muttered. 'Pardon?' 'Severus Snape. Now could I have my wand back?'
Sirius, obviously satisfied, threw back Snapes wand. 'There you go Snivellus. Now get out of this compartment.' Snape shot Sirius a look of pure loathing before stalking out the door.
Just as Snape left the food cart appeared outside their compartment. Sirius got up and brought a couple of boxes of Bertie Botts every flavour beans and a handful of chocolate frogs.
'Here, Catch,' Sirius threw a chocolate frog at James who caught it easily and looked up at Sirius.
'Thanks for that,' James said.
'It was nothing. So.d'you like Quidditch?' Sirius asked, trying to hide the anxious note in his voice. 'Who doesn't?' James replied eagerly.
The ice now truly broken the two boys talked for ages about Quidditch but when they'd exhausted that topic they moved on to talk about their families and school. The train slowed and Sirius looked out the window. It had grown dark whilst they had been talking but they could see the huge silhouette of the castle rise high above them as they drew closer to it.
'We'd better change into our robes.'
The boys stepped off the train into the crowd of chattering students and were met by an enormous man.
'First years this way. Right are you all here. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper at Hogwarts. It's traditional for first years to row across the lake. No more than four to a boat. Be careful and follow me.'
The first years followed the giant man to the edge of the lake where a red-headed girl followed Sirius and James into a boat. James turned to tell her to find a different boat, he wasn't in the mood to talk to girls, but stopped when he saw her.
'Do you want me to find a different boat or something,' she asked, 'its just you've been staring at me for the last 5 minutes.' 'N-no, stay here if you want,' James managed to stutter.
The girl sat down as Sirius whispered so only James could here, 'I think someone has a little crush on a certain redhead.'
'Shut up.'
After what seemed like hours they reached the other side of the lake and followed Hagrid up the hill towards the school. He hammered on the door then stepped back. The door creaked open and a tall women with a very strict looking face emerged from the shadows. 'The first years Professor.' 'Thank you Hagrid,' she said. Then she turned to the group of unnaturally silent students. 'Follow me.'