I am on the Hogwarts Express looking out the window, but not seeing what is outside. We have ten minutes until the train leaves, but mum and dad have already left, they have somebody to meet. I am wondering what Hogwarts will be like, even though I have heard about this school from my parents since I was little. I wonder who I will be friends with, who my teachers will be, and if I will fit in. A knock sounds on the door, and it opens before I can answer. An average height boy with tanned skin and dark, curly hair walks in. He has a smile plastered on his face, but the smile does not reach his eyes.
"My I sit in here? The other compartments already have a few people," he tells me, and his voice is steady, even, and clear. I nod my head, and he sags with relief. "I'm Sirius, Sirius Black, and you are?"
"James, James Potter. That name is familiar, are you a pureblood?" I ask, feeling self conscious since mum and dad have taught me not to judge based on such things.
"Yeah, I am heir to ancient and most noble house of Black, are you a pureblood?" He asks me, and the way he answers sounds rehearsed.
"Yeah, descended from the ancient and most noble house of Potter, but I normally don't go by my title, since I need to judge people based on their actions, not what house they are descended from."
He looks surprised at my words, but he smiles quickly, "I like you. I wish my parents let me do that, but if I did that I would have it for sure." I'm about to ask what he means when a tiny knock from the door interrupts me.
"Come in," I tell whoever is on the other side. The door opens, and a tall, skinny boy with brown hair that covers his forehead stands on the other side.
"I was wondering if I could join you, the other compartments are full and I won't bother you," he says in a small voice as if he is scared we will turn him away.
"Nonsense!" Sirius tells the boy, and he must take a different meaning that I do, for he turns away and starts to leave.
"I think Sirius meant you could stay. Come on in and close the door, what's your name?"
"Remus Lupin," he tells us in that small voice.
"I'm Sirius Black, and this is James Potter," he says introducing both of us. "Are you a first year?" He asks both of us, and Remus and I nod our heads. "Cool, how much do you two know about Hogwarts then?" He asks in a cheerful voice, and the smile has finally reached his eyes.
"Not much," Remus admits.
"Are you a muggle born?" Sirius asks.
"My father is a wizard, my mum's a muggle," he tells us, a hint of worry in his voice.
"Oh, okay, both Sirius and I have parents who are both magical," I tell him, "but that does not mean anything to me. Blood status does not make a person, their choices do. What house do you want to be sorted into?" I ask nobody in particular.
"Well, I don't want Slytherin, my whole family is in that house, always have been, and I want to be different. I don't think I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw, so that leaves Hufflepuff and Gryffindor," Sirius tells us.
"I don't think I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw either, I'm not brave enough for Gryffindor, and I don't think I would be accepted in Slytherin, so I guess I'm going to Hufflepuff," Remus tells us.
"My parents want me in Gryffindor, that's where they were. I'm pretty smart, so I guess Ravenclaw is an option. I don't think I am quiet enough for Hufflepuff, I hear they are quiet, and I wouldn't be accepted in Slytherin," I tell them.
We talk about school, and life at home, and Remus is strangely quiet during that conversation. We are interrupted when the compartments door opens and a boy falls in. He is quite short and a little overweight by the looks of it, but he scrambles to his feet and the door slams in his face. He has tears streaming down his cheeks when Remus asks, "What happened? What's your name? Do you want to stay in here with us? Are you alright?"
The chubby boy looks at us and answers in a high pitched voice, "I am Peter Pettigrew, I would like to stay if it is alright with all you," he pauses, and we all nod, "I'm fine, just a little prank."
"A prank, we should get them back, do you remember what they look like?" Sirius looks excited now. Peter nods.
"We should think this through," Remus says timidly.
"Of course, we don't want to be caught," Sirius replies, and I don't think that is what Remus meant.
"We will arrive at Hogwarts in ten minutes, leave all belongings on the train, and make sure you are in your robes," a voice says from nowhere and everywhere. We all get our robes out of our trunks, and take off jackets and sweaters. I see Sirius' robe is brand new like mine, Peter's looks second hand, or maybe it is just not as good quality, and Remus' robe looks third, maybe fourth hand. When Remus lifts his sweater off his head, his shirt goes with it, and I see a scratch on his lower back.
"Hey Remus, how did you get that scratch?" I ask, and Remus looks at the ground.
"I fell," he tells me, and though I know he is lying, I don't push.
When we arrive, we get off the train, and a booming voice yells over it heads, "Firs years this way. Is this all the firs years? Good, let's go," he tells us. This man is huge, must be half giant. He leads us to the edge of a lake, and across the water is a castle, the school. There are boats in front of us, "No more than four a boat, don't need ya taking a dip in the lake."
Remus, Sirius, Peter, and I share a boat. I see a red haired girl and a black haired boy sit alone in a boat. We glide across the water, and everybody is silent. When we make it to the school, the giant takes us into a small room with only one door. A stern faced lady with gray hair walks in, "I am Professor Mcgonagall, I teach transfiguration. This is Hagrid, he is the grounds keeper. In a moment, we will file into the room across the hall, and when I call your name, will come forward and be sorted into a house, understood?"
A small girl with dark hair raises her hand, "What if we don't belong in any house?" She asks and she sounds terrified.
"Everybody belongs in one of the houses, your house will be your second family. Follow me," she tells us, and we do. We walk across a grand entrance and through a set of double doors. Inside are four long tables, with a banner over each table. The one on the far right has a lion, over red and gold, Gryffindor. The one to the left has a badger over yellow and black, Hufflepuff. The one of the far right has a snake over green and silver, Slytherin. The one to the left of it have an eagle over blue and bronze, Ravenclaw. We walk between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff up to the front. I see hanging in front to the professors is the banner of Slytherin, they must have won the house cup last year.
Us first years stand as a group at the front and Professor Mcgonagall places an old, battered hat on an equally old three legged stool. The hat seems to puff up, then a line opens up, and the hat begins to sing,
"On this old stool you can see,
Is just amazing old me.
I am a hat that can look,
I have more knowledge than any old book.
I place you into a house,
You might even sleep with a mouse.
Do you belong in Ravenclaw,
People see them as very smart.
They value knowledge above the law,
And this is a start.
Maybe Hufflepuff is where you want to be,
Where they are loyal and hardworking.
If I place you here, you will see,
You might even want to sing.
Slytherin is where those who are cunning dwell,
Some people believe they are all have blood that is pure.
Others believe they are evil as hell,
But this is where your friends are sure.
Or maybe even Gryffindor,
Where the brave are sorted to.
They always fight for more,
But they will always fight for you.
So come on over and take a seat,
And rest your tired, little feet.
I will place you will you will belong,
And you will graduate before too long."
The hat stops singing, and everybody breaks into applause. Then Professor Mcgonagall unrolls a sheet of parchment and reads off names.
"Abbott, Mary," the girl from before, with dark hair goes forward, and before the hat can settle on her head, it shouts "Hufflepuff," and she runs to her table.
"Black, Sirius," the hall grow deathly silent, I whisper a good luck, but I don't think he heard me. He sits on the stool, and the hat is placed on his head. We wait, and wait, and wait, I can see Sirius talking to the hat, and finally the hat shouts "Gryffindor," and the hall is quiet, until Gryffindor starts to cheer. Sirius walks down to the table, and he has a huge grin plastered to his face.
"Evans, Lily," and the red haired girl walks up, she turns and flashes a thumbs up to the black haired boy, then sits on the stool. The hat is on her head for a minute, then shouts "Gryffindor," and she walks down and shakes hands with Sirius. The black haired boy looks sad, but I do not know why.
Several names pass until, "Lupin, Remus," is called and I pay attention. He crosses his fingers and sits on the stool, the hat is placed on his head and immediately the hat shouts "Gryffindor," and he runs off with the hat on his head. He has to walk back and give the hat back.
Several more names pass and "Pettigrew, Peter," is called. If I thought Sirius took long to be sorted, then Peter took an eternity. The hat was on his head for at least five minutes, and then the hat shouted "Gryffindor," and he walked off.
"Potter, James," is called, and I walk to the stool. I wonder where I will go. The hat is placed over my my head and face. The hat whispers in my ear, "where should you go. You are clever, and brave, but loyal and cunning. You could go anywhere, but what would suit you best. Let's see, you are more cunning than you are loyal, so Hufflepuff is gone, and you are braver than you are clever, so Ravenclaw is gone. Slytherin or Gryffindor. Here's what it will be, Gryffindor," the last part is shouted, and I make my way to my friends, and shake hands with Lily.
I hear "Snape, Severus," and I hear Lily complain when he is sorted into Slytherin, apparently they are friends. Professor Mcgonagall takes the stool and hat away, and food appears on the table in front of us. We eat until we are full, and the headmaster tells the prefects to take us to our dorms. All the houses except Slytherin head up the main staircase, their dormitory is in the dungeons. We walk up and up until we feel we can walk no more. We stop at a painting with a very fat lady dressed in pink.
"Password?" she asks and she sounds bored. She looks down at us, then looks at her hands.
"They move, they talk, how?" Lily gasps. I hear small whispers in her ear and she nods.
"The password for this month is Rubrum Ranam," our male prefect says and the portrait swings open. We all climb through, and he continues, "We change our password every month, look at the notice board to know the next password. Never tell anybody else our password, and no other houses are allowed in ours. I am Richard Brown, and our female prefect is Abigail Smith. Any questions?" He asks, and we all shake our head, "Then males follow me, females follow Abigail, we will show you to the dormitories." We follow him up the spiral staircase and stop at the door that says First Years.
We walk in and there are seven four poster beds arranged in a circle. Our belongings are in the center of the room. We all claim a bed, and I end up between Sirius and Peter. We introduce ourselves and I learn that for the next seven years, I will share a room with Sirius, Remus, Peter, Antony, Sam, and Alexander. We get ready for bed, and as soon as my head touches the pillow, I am asleep.