The Marauders at Hogwarts
Chapter 1
Prongs
Mr and Mrs Potter, of number 10, Blackthorn Way, were wealthy wizards, who, despite their pure bloodline, were kind and well-liked by their unsuspecting Muggle neighbours in Tinworth. Having both enjoyed successful, though not prominent, careers in the Ministry of Magic, they weren't young by the time their first and only son was born on the 27th March, 1960.
From a young age, James Potter looked very much like his father, with an untidy mop of jet black hair and hazel eyes. As an only child, James was pampered by his adoring parents, and consequently he grew up as a proud and arrogant boy. During his childhood, he often used his magic as an assistant in his mischief-making, which was his principal pastime for his first eleven years.
On his eleventh birthday, a letter of thick parchment was delivered, addressed to James in emerald green ink. This was an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the most prestigious of magical institutions, run by the great wizard Albus Dumbledore. It was also on this day that James Potter was entrusted with his father's most prized possession, a cloak of invisibility. This cloak had been in their family for hundreds of years, passed down the generations from father to son, mother to daughter.
On the 1st September later that year, James Potter was to be found standing on platform 9 ¾ next to the scarlet steam engine, the Hogwarts Express, his Invisibility Cloak packed carefully into his trunk, along with all his brand new school books, robes and equipment. After several futile tantrums, he had grudgingly agreed to leave his top-of-the-range, Nimbus 1000 racing broom at home in accordance with the Hogwarts policy of no first-year's being allowed their own broomsticks. Because of this, he was still sulking and refused to respond to his parents' requests for him to promise to write home every week.
James dodged his mother's attempt to hug him goodbye, and instead moved along the platform towards to train, for the first time in his life wishing he had a brother or sister so he wouldn't be alone. Not focusing on where he was walking, James collided headlong with another first-year boy who appeared to have just stormed off from his own parents, who were giving him mutinous glares.
"Sorry," James muttered, turning to glance back at his own parents as he made to carry on walking.
"So, your folks pissed you off as well then?" said the other boy, grinning.
"A bit," he admitted, smiling back. "I'm James, James Potter." He held out his hand.
"Sirius Black, nice to meet you," he replied, shaking James's hand. "What do you say to finding a compartment on the train?"
"Sounds good, I'd better go get my trunk and stuff from my parents." James headed back down the platform as Sirius went back to join his family, filled for the first time with the warmth of true friendship.