Marauding: The Story Of Sirius Black
Sirius woke up just as the light had begun to filter into the room. He, the feeling of excitement growing in the pit of his stomach, reached under his pillow, pulling out a well worn parchment. His grey eyes darted reading the letter quietly reading to himself the letter.
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY. Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE. Order of Merlin, First Class - Blah, blah, blah" his eyes scanned down a bit further finger tracing the letter. A smile crossing his face as he whispered, "Dear Mr. Black, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Term begins on September 1st. You will find enclosed a list."
Coming from a pure-blood family, he knew on his birthday, he'd get that letter of acceptance to Hogwarts, but it was nice to have it all the same. No more teasing from his younger brother Regulus with the prospect he wouldn't get a letter. There was an excitement about finally being able to leave this house, even if it was for a little while.
Sirius flipped to the next page knowing tomorrow he'd be away from his parents. He shook his rather curly hair slowly not wanting to think about it. He turned his attention back on the parchment.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. UNIFORM First-year students will require: Three sets of plain work robes (black)-Triple Check"
He said smiling smugly, remembering a few days ago when he had gone to Diagon Alley.
"One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear-check" Sirius glanced back at the disarrayed pile. "One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) -Check - One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings) -and, check."
Sirius glanced over at the pile of books that sat next to the Hogwarts uniform and went back and forth between the parchment and the book titles. He wasn't about to forget anything to make his parents send stuff to him for Hogwarts. Unless that was he wanted a howler.
"The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk. Got it. A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot. Check. Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling. Yep. A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch. Got it. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore. Check. Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander. Yep. The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble. And, check mate."
Sirius then looked a the last smaller pile.
"OTHER EQUIPMENT," Sirius smiled, "1 wand. Yep, 15 inches and looking forward to using. 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2). Check. 1 set glass or crystal phials. Check. 1 telescope. Check. 1 set brass scales. Check. Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad. Oh, not all three… though I suppose that wouldn't work to well."
Sirius rolled his eyes as he got to the last bit and with as much of a proper tone as he could muster he said, loudly. "PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK!"
Sirius fell back on his bed, snorting with annoyance. "That is stupid. What do they think, we are just going to fly away on them?"
In any case he was excited to go to Hogwarts. His eyes closed daydreaming of for what tomorrow would bring, however his time alone in his room wasn't as as long as he'd hope. The door to his room opened suddenly and Sirius snapped up only to see Regulus. The younger Black hovered near the doorway.
"Get out."
"Mum says to get up." he stated.
"I said get out,." Sirius said, with a growl as he got up, leaving his Hogwarts letter on his bed and chased after his brother only to stop quickly when he spotted his mother with a look of disappointment.
Sirius lowered his head quickly back into his room, ignoring the looks from his mother. He quickly got dressed and quickly finger combed his hair. He then made his slow descent down the stairs to where his family was waiting.
He already knew it was going to be a long day.
Today was the day, Sirius couldn't help but smile. Today he'd be on his way to Hogwarts and not even the more then likeliness of him winding up in Slytherin - as his parents and grandparents had been - could damper his mood.
He was going to be on the train to Hogwarts. He was going to get away from the strain of his parents' eyeing him up as one big disappointment. He'd be able to learn magic and be able to fly. And be able to do whatever he wanted.
"Go on through, with your father," said his mother nodding towards the brick wall. "I'll follow with Regulus."
He grasped his trunk his stomach so jumpy and excited it felt as if there were butterflies in his stomach. Sirius felt a jolt of relief as the two of them entered 9¾ with his mother and younger brother appearing behind him not too much later.
Sirius glanced around, seeing the buzz that surrounded the waiting train. He glanced around and then back at his mother whom was instructing him on good behavior or something, Sirius wasn't really listening.
He felt a smack on the back of his head, and Sirius looked up to find it was his father whom smacked the back of his head.
"Listen to your mother," he scowled, and Sirius rolled his eyes only to get another hardy smack from his father.
"Fine," Sirius grumbled and Regulus hid his laughter in a poor fake cough.
His mother straightened his robes, muttering. "Don't be hanging out with any mudbloods, you hear. Nasty lot, the bunch of them. Make sure to find your cousins right away, they are sure to already know some pure blood families for you to hang out with. "
The train let out a whistle and Sirius sighed in relief. "Gotta go."
Sirius then quickly boarded the train without so much as waving farewell to his family. Finally. A small smirk crossed his face, feeling as if a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He wheel his luggage past a few filled compartment. When he saw his cousin, Narcissa Black, Sirius moved quickly towards the back, on the look out for perhaps and empty compartment.
The train lurched forward and Sirius continued forth to find either an empty compartment or one that just had one or two other people. It was only when he was at the third to the last one did he find only one person inside.
Figuring it be the best, Sirius slipped inside, looking unsure at the other boy. Glanced over seeing where the first boy had placed his things as not to look too silly, Sirius pulled his trunk into the compartment. He asked, "Are these seats taken?"
"No."
The boy's voice was a quiet one, barely above a whisper. Of course Sirius would get stuck in a compartment with some scared mudblood! Wait, some unknown voice in my mind said, as he was about to go to the other side of the compartment. Talk to this guy. What better way to annoy mum and dad then to make friends with a mudblood? It's not like he CHOSE to be filth, anyway...
One thing Sirius didn't understand about his parents is why they hated non-purebloods so. Of course, muggle were dangerous, always ready to 'burn a respectable witch or wizard at the steak,' whatever the hell that meant. But, why were muggleBORNS? They would either accept the fact that they are magic, thus eliminating a family to hate magic-kind, or go on their merry way, ignoring the signs that magic is all around them. It was stupid, really...
As for Half Bloods and the like, they can't help that some parent had the misfortune of falling in love with a muggle. Sirius actually thought it was pretty funny, how some witches or wizards would marry a muggle, shag them, and THEN tell them about magic. It seemed like an amazing prank!
So, fortunately for Sirius, as he would exclaim later, after going to the point of ignoring his dear old mum's incessant Howlers, he stayed, and (dear Merlin!) talked to the child- or at least he TRIED to.
"Who are you?" He asked, thinking of his mum's scowling face when she found about about his new friend.
"No one important." Was the reply. He tried again.
"Are you a First Year, too?"
"Yeah."
This was getting a bit annoying. Why wouldn't this kid talk?
And then (Oh, so fortunate for us, dear readers) the child, thank Merlin, asked Sirius something!
"What er- house do you thing you'll be in?" The boy asked, timidity making his voice quiet and almost hard to hear.
"My family's always been in Slytherin. I kind of hate them, though. Hope I won't have to spend every ruddy day with them." He smiled, having a delicious thought. "Oh, wouldn't it be grand to be sorted into some other house, 'disgracing the family name?'" He said, the last words a falsetto, nasally imitation of Walburga Black.
"'Disgracing the family name?' Oh, you're a Pureblood, aren't you?" The boy asked, seemingly frightened of Sirius now.
"And the only one of them that doesn't hate... er.. muggleborns," the name sounded odd in his mouth.
The boy seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He extended his hands, gaining back his composure and a little courage, as time would tell.
"Remus Lupin."
He shook the Remus's hand, perhaps holding contact for a second longer than the usual. (And oh, the poor child, he didn't make note of that )
Now that the child was actually being civil, Sirius took the time to get a closer look at the boy. He had warm skin, like someone who spent a lot of time in the sun. His dirty blonde hair fell just below his ears, and his eyes were light brown. (Caramel, as Sirius would later correct himself.) He had a slightly rounded nose, with a cut on the bridge. It seemed this boy had quite a few marks on his body, to say the least, and his clothes hung loose off of his body.
Lupin... I've heard that surname once... but, where? I know there was some Lupin family, a great Pureblooded man ran off with some muggle... So, this boy is a half-blood. He smiled, knowing how badly that would bother his father.
And then, suddenly, the compartment doors flew open, and another boy came in. His black hair was sticking up at odd angles, his glasses were askew, and his hazel eyes were filled with tears of mirth. He scrambled to the window, grinning all the while. Trailing after him, another child, plump, short, mousy-brown hair, and searching blue eyes, entered the compartment.
"James!" The boy whined to his bespackled friend. "You made me forget my candy!"
The boy with the glasses, James, just laughed.
"Oh, come on, Pete. I'm just taking the mickey!"
He pulled out a small parcel, and threw it to the boy, who seemed to be close to tears.
Oh, good, a whining, sniveling mud- No, I musn't think like that. The parents are rubbing off on you, old chap, Sirius thought.
The two boys sat down in the compartment. And, yet again, the doors flew open, revealing a red haired girl with tears streaking her face. Remus took one look at her, looked to Sirius, who was going to talk to her, and shook his head. Sirius sat down.
The girl sat in the far corner of the compartment, staring out the window. Once more, the compartment doors creaked open. Who's next, Dumbledore?
A boy with greasy black hair and a fairly large nose came in and sat down next to her. She glanced at him, then looked away. Wonder what's got her miffed? An awkward silence filled the compartment, as the boys tried to ignore the crying female and her friend.
"I don't want to talk to you," She said in a whining voice.
"Why not?" The boy asked.
"T-Tuney hates me, because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."
Trying very hard not to look like he was eavesdropping, Sirius vaguely wondered who Tuney was.
"So what?" The boy dared to say, as Sirius tried not to chuckle at his audacity, the poor bloke.
The red haired girl glared at the greasy child.
"So, she's my sister!"
"She's only a-" the boy said, catching himself mid-sentence. A muggle?
"But, we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!" The boy exclaimed, excitedly.
She nodded, half smiling.
So, these two are friends. And magic. and Tuney, whoever that may be, can't come. So, a muggleborn and.. a half-blood? I've never seen this boy before... Can't be pure, then.
"You'd better be in Slytherin," The boy ventured.
"Slytherin?" The James bloke said. Definitely a Potter, noted Sirius, as the boy said the name with disgust.
"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James asked Sirius.
"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he said.
"Blimey, and I thought you were alright!" James offered.
Sirius grinned.
"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"
James lifted an invisible sword.
"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."
The greasy haired boy made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him.
"Got a problem with that?"
"No," said the boy, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy – "
"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius.
James roared with laughter. The girl sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike.
"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."
"Oooooo…"
James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; James tried to trip Severus as he passed.
"See ya, Snivellus!" Siruis called, as the compartment door slammed.
He leaned back in the seat smirking at the other compartment mates. This was defiantly going to be an interesting year at Hogwarts.
Author Notes:
Hello there. This is my chapter for the co-writings of me and Oh-My-Dead-Wizarding-Gawd, and I can already tell it shall be a beautiful. :D
Now here be the link for her side of this story (Please tag along with both stories, if you please):
.net/s/7564274/1/Marauding_The_Story_Of_Remus_Lupin
And here is her page for you, if you get the urge, to read some of her other stuff:
.net/u/2971250/
Seriously, though keep track of both these stories cause depending on how things go, like these beginning chapters may reveal different things or could even be the same event through the eyes of each of them.
Can't think of anything else, so until next time!