Hogwarts Express, Monday, 1 September 1975
Laz sat quietly in his otherwise empty compartment, absorbing his year five transfiguration text. Though it was the fifth time he'd done so, he was determined to wring every single nuance and erg of knowledge out of it he possibly could. He wasn't taking the last three years offered by the Scottish school lightly. With the current troubles, every single drop of knowledge and expertise he could extract from the faculty could mean life or death down the line.
He boarded the Express at 9:45, the earliest the platform was open, and found an out-of-the-way compartment at the back of the train and settled in. The Express had barely left the station, when the door opened and a girl about his age dragged her trunk inside.
"I hope you don't mind sharing," she said as Laz stood, and stowed her trunk, hefting it with an ease belying his short and rather scrawny appearance.
"Never in life, please take a seat, be comfortable." Laz took a good look at his compartment mate. She was of medium height, perhaps six centimetres taller than his own 1.66 metres. Her figure wouldn't be considered voluptuous, more like a gymnast's, though stronger looking. She had defined, lithe muscles, without leaving anyone in doubt that she was a girl. She might have been about 70 kilograms, some nine kilos heavier than Laz. She was the classic 'English Rose'; dark strawberry blonde, nearly red hair; pale, fair skin noticeably without freckles, cerulean eyes. There was a bit of bulldog about her frank, friendly and open expression. She was quite attractive, in his opinion, and Laz found himself glad for her company. She was wearing school robes and wore a badge with a big 'P' on it. "I'm Lazarus Long, call me Laz. Glad to meet you."
I'm glad to meet you too; I'm Amelia Bones. . ." Her voice, a bit low-pitched, but with a lilt to it, trailed off as she got a good look at her new acquaintance. He was shorter, and lighter than she was, though not lightly built, he was closer to a medium build, with the promise of some real muscle if he gained some weight and trained. He had wiry muscles, his movements were graceful and light of foot.
His face gave her pause. Despite a pinched look to his features that made her wonder ifhe'd known privations in the past, they were regular, pleasing,with more than a hint ofstrength along his jaw. The young man impressed her as someone who might give a smidge, but then dig in and give you a fight; she thought a schoolyard bully would think twice about accosting him, his height and weight notwithstanding.Oddly, he was practically a younger and smaller version of one of the flamboyant students in the year below hers; but his eyes looked much like those of one of her best friends.
The similarly to people she knew wasn't what gave her pause; it was the look in those eyes that had caused her voice to trail off. There was seriousness in them, determination, high intelligence. But she didn't know how to react to other things in them she saw.
First, he had to be new to Hogwarts; he'd been reading a fifth year textbook, but she knew she'd never seen him before. So, he must be new to the school, but he didn't have that combined look of wonder and trepidation expected from someone in an unfamiliar situation, rather, she saw expectation, along with a hint of impatience, a desire to get on with it.
She noticed something else in his gaze she didn't expect. There was a feeling of experience, beyond his years, paid for with a price of pain. Some of her dad's friends, veteran Aurors who'd fought Grindelwald and now He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had this look in their unguarded moments, when they forgot she was in the room too.
Both teens found the other intriguing, with the promise of a friendship (and more than a hint of something more... interesting perhaps, in Amelia's mind) in the wings.
"Please, forgive my lack of manners, Lazarus, it's just that your looks reminded me of a couple of people I know, actually people on the Express and you'll meet at school. It threw me off a second, I'm Amelia Bones, as I said and I'm starting my sixth year. I noticed your book, so I'm imagining that you're starting fifth year."
"That I am. I hope to just fit in, but coming in new this far along, I guess I'll be the nine days' wonder before hopefully becoming obscure. I hear the last three years up to the NEWTs are intense and I intend to be very focused. I've learned that what you know and don't can make a big difference in your own life and that of those you're around. I'd been too lax and it cost me a bit, so I've turned over a new leaf, I guess." He couldn't have told you why he'd abandoned his usual habit of walling himself off, but there was something about her that made him take a chance. "What about you?"
"I'm beginning sixth year and I can tell you that there is a lot more pressure on you in fifth year than in the first four years. I'm told sixth year is even harder, but I don't know if it is because the material is so much harder, or because you have to learn to cast spells silently and all the time, except when you're actually learning a new spell.
The professors are supposed to help ease you through it, but some of them are rather shirty, so I'm not so confident about that." She shrugged and made a disgusted sound. "I tried to get my family to help me learn this summer and they were no help at all. They all said not to worry about it, that I was sure to pick it up quickly."
"Just on first impressions, I think I'd bet on you to do great." She blushed faintly and smiled. "I remember I read somewhere that if you think the incantation strongly, really shout it out in your mind while you move your wand, you'll cast fine. It also said that, if you're strong enough, your will can make the magic you want happen, even if you don't have a spell. Try a Lumos, just thinking and don't move your lips at all."
Amelia held out her wand and thought loudly Lumos. She laughed when her wand lit up.
"Knew you could do it! Now it's practice, practice, practice! Even if you're in your house rooms, only cast silently. I bet your professors will love you. So, what career do you plan to pursue?"
Amelia didn't get a chance to reply. The door to the compartment opened. An older-looking boy and a girl his age stood there. The boy was 180 cm tall, a bit stocky, with brown hair and eyes and a friendly, open look. He wore a badge emblazoned with 'HB'.
The girl was tall, 178 cm, with red/auburn hair. She too was a classic English rose. The school robes she wore hid any details nicely, but Laz thought she was likely curvier than Amelia, even allowing for their respective differences in height. Contrasting with her pretty face was a closed and analytical expression on her face and in her eyes. He thought she would consider any and everything before committing herself. She wore a thin smile that didn't get to her eyes. She wore the same badge Amelia did.
Amelia stood and Laz followed suit. "Laz, this is Frank Longbottom and Lily Evans. Frank is a seventh year prefect and Head Boy, Lily is a fifth year prefect. Frank's been showing Lily how to patrol the train. Frank, Lily, this is Lazarus Long; he's a new student, starting his fifth year". Laz shook their hands. Frank gave him a friendly, welcoming smile. Lily didn't smile and the look in her eyes convinced him that at best she was leery of him. He'd also seen that she had given him a double-take on seeing him.
Laz smiled. "I'm glad to meet you both, particularly a new year mate."
Amelia told him apologetically, "I'm sorry you'll be left alone for an hour or so, but it's my turn to patrol."
Lily said, a trifle too quickly, "I'll be happy to keep him company while you're gone, Amelia. Would you let Marlene, Pandora and Stephanie know I'll join them later?"
"Sure Lily, when I pass their compartment, no trouble." Lily entered after Amelia left; she and Frank went different ways.
–LL–
When Lily sat down across from him, all cordiality vanished. Laz thought she would be a formidable enemy noticing the hard, unyielding mien she'd adopted. "OK, Long, what's your game? What is your real name? Amelia is a friend of mine and she's rather naïve, for all that she wants to be an Auror and I'll be damned if I'll let you hurt her. For that matter, why do you look like atrophied James Potter? Are you related to him? I'll bet you're just as big a toe-rag as he is."
Laz chuckled, hoping the enormous flash of anger he felt towards this girl hadn't bled through his defenses." "Wow. Miss Evans, if you could long jump as well as you jump to conclusions, you'd be in Montreal next summer for the Olympics! Where do I start to answer that spread of charges?
"First," and here he let a bit of himself out, knowing his verdant stare was as frigid as Antarctica. "I want an apology for calling me a 'toe-rag'; you've no warrant to say that on a less than five minute acquaintance, otherwise, I'll thank you to leave when I'm finished.
"Second, I've never met this 'James Potter' in my life.
"Third, people have regularly mistaken me for their brother, son, or nephew. If you think Ilook like another person, it's surely not a plot on my part.
"Fourth, 'my game' as you've termed it, is no more than to wring every drop of information, knowledge, wisdom and experience out of our professors in the three years I'll be at Hogwarts.
"Fifth, I was in here first, and Miss Bones came in. We may have been on our way to becoming friends when she had to leave. I like her and I have no reason to hurt her.
"Finally, why wouldn't Mr. and Mrs. Long, fans of Robert A. Heinlein, not name their child after one of his characters, and give him her maiden name, which happens to be Smith? Yes, my full name is Lazarus Smith Long.
"Now, Miss Evans, I've answered you and frankly better than you deserved. You can apologize and we can try this again, civilly, or you may leave and go back to Marlene, Pandora and Stephanie."
Laz had spoken softly, but the force behind his words was terrific. Lily suddenly had no doubt that he could easily make her leave the compartment if she refused. She also kenned that he'd fairly answered her questions and if they were not off to a brilliant start, she'd only herself to blame. She began to frame an apology when the door burst open and four boys crowded in. The gang, just what I needed.
–LL–
"Hey, Lils! How was your summer! Why are you hiding? Marlene told us Frank took you patrolling; you get into fifth year, become a prefect and you're on your first date and not with me, alas. Don't let Alice know about this yen for Frank, she's not a sharer I think. For that matter, why Frank? Don't get me wrong, he's a nice enough fella, but a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, you know. You two would just drag yourselves down. You'd know what I mean if you'd just go to Hogsmeade with me. I'm just the chap to liven you up."
Laz was considering this newcomer. They did look rather like twins, if you forgot that he was Lily's height and rather more full featured, even taking the size difference into account. He seemed brash, even a bit arrogant in an almost innocent way. He didn't consciously project it, it was more simple self-unawareness. Laz didn't find himself disliking Potter or liking him. He was too naïve, too immature. Deciding about him would have to wait until some time passed.
While he thought, he heard the girl sigh in exasperation. "James Potter. Patrolling the Express is not a date, Frank is a friend and so is Alice. We won't go to Hogsmeade together because I can't stand you for more than five minutes at a time."
"Jimmy, you're too hard on Evans; look, she glamoured this guy to look like he's the Evans/Potter third year lovechild." The boy who spoke was perhaps four cm taller than Potter or Evans, with a thin, hard build. His face was aristocratically handsome and his hair was even darker than Potter's or Laz's own, if that was possible. It was the boy's laugh that gave away the game; he was a bully who enjoyed making others uncomfortable. Bullies cut no ice with Laz, he'd too much contact with his sort for him care much anymore, except to let the fella know he wouldn't be a mark.
"Sirius, back off. It's pretty clear he's new and you're not making a good impression. For Merlin's sake, try not to talk about him like he's not even here!" The third intruder was four to five cm shorter than Potter and also wore a Prefect's badge. Somehow, he seemed both stockier and leaner than the others. He was soft-spoken, belying the heat in his words. When he glanced at Laz, he saw brownish-amber colored eyes, with their own share of a hard-won history and pain. Laz could feel a certain connection and understanding there.
"Don't be a sissy, Lupin. Are you a Marauder or not? You know Siri was just messing with the tyro, doesn't mean anything by it." This last intruder is a scant two or three cm taller than Laz, fubsy, with indistinct brown hair and a sort of whiny voice. Laz might term his features as weak, but he'd gone past making that sort of judgment. However, his radar for threats identified this young man as a follower; not a danger by himself, rather the sort who'd jump your back if someone bigger, stronger were near and would approve. The type who needed the approval of someone, anyone he thought was king of the hill and would do about anything to get that blessing. He'd keep this one filed away as someone not to take lightly, nor to underestimate.
–LL–
He'd seen and heard plenty. They'd had a turn, now it was his in this dominance tango. He stood, fixing his gaze on the one named Sirius. "Ya know, Mr. Lupin is right. Ain't polite to talk about anyone present like they're not there. Can't say I cotton to it much."
He turned to Potter, extending his hand. "Lazarus Long. Just to be clear on things, there's no glamour on me; the equipment's original. Got it the same way you did, I fancy; from my parents. Likely the same way your folks went about it too, I'd suppose." Laz's lightness of tone somehow carried more bite that if he'd been overtly annoyed. The message it carried reached the other three and the girl too.
His doppelgänger claspedhis hand in a firm and friendly grip. "James Potter, nice to meet you; you're new, so what year will you be in?"
"I'll be in fifth year, you?"
"The same for this lot too. You've met Lils, let's get you properly introduced." James indicated his taller companion. "This is Sirius Black, named after the star, hardly because of his earnestness." The reactions of the others told him he'd just heard a long-standing joke and he better resign himself to endure any number of repetitions, in various forms. "He'd be the first to tell you, his family considers him to be their white sheep."
Laz smiled, a trifle thinly at James' joke, one that told him somethingabout both its teller and its object. He saw the fleeting bit of annoyance in Black's eyes as he extended his hand, and knew exactly what to expect.
"Laz."
"Sirius." Their hands met and the combination of Black as a bully and his irritation at Potter meant he tried to crush Laz's hand in his own, to let the newcomer know both their spots in the pecking order. Laz was amused at the startlement in his eyes as Laz matched his grasp and exceeded it. He was careful not to allow the amusement to show in his regard, that would only have incited him more. Also, he was careful to keep the pressure on Black's hand high enough to let him know he could have the tables turned on him, but not enough to let the others know he'd been outmatched. The flash of gratitude in his eyes as they let go told Lazhe'd hit it right and this boy would not be a problem, at least for now.
James smoothly introduced him to the bloke who had taken his part earlier. He found that of the five fifth year students he's met so far, he felt far more simpatico with his defender than the others. It wasn't because or primarily due to his attempt to shield him from Black, Laz could feel in him struggles reminiscent of his own. It gave them a point of contact they didn't share with the others, even if it was never overtly acknowledged.
When he was formally presented to the final guy, who Potter called Peter Pettigrew, Laz gave him a firm, moderately friendly handshake. He saw jealousy gallop through his eyes and knew Pettigrew and he would be at best somewhat wary acquaintances.
Now that the ice was broken, the boys seemed to be eager to give Laz the full story of Hogwarts, from their vantage anyway. Professors, students, staff, traditions, the food, homework; all were touched on, weighed, balanced and then dismissed, all at breakneck speed. He noted that Evans seemed to disagree with most of what was said. He couldn't tell if it was the opinions, the frenetic way they were given or just the boys who gave it to which she objected.
He found his assessment of James Potter changing too. The jury was still out on him, would be for some time too, he thought; still he'd shown both leadership and some soupçon of empathy too (the latter towards Lupin) and that raised his opinion of his double.
–LL–
As all this went on, he found he wanted a sounding board for the impressions he had of these people and their opinions. When Amelia finally returned to the compartment, he found himself inexplicably relieved. He wondered why. He thought it was mainly due to her not seeming to have any agenda; neither in protecting someone, nor in asserting her position and opinions. He guessed it was because she truly seemed to wish to share with him; in any event, she didn't trigger his alarms the way the others had. Evans said she would return to her friends, while the 'Marauders' left for wherever they'd emerged from. Amelia laughed at the look of ill-disguised relief she saw on his face when they were alone.
"Looks like you ran the gauntlet. Lily is one of my closest friends and she thinks the world of me. I'll be the first to admit that she will go to extremes sometimes."
Laz thought she'd just called a raging bull a baby calf. "Noooo. Realllly?" He smiled when she snorted. "She acted like we were dating and she was your father. She did go overboard – and about a mile away from the boat. I called her on it; I didn't get an apology yet either. I thought she might have been ready to, then someone sent in the clowns."
Amelia laughed at that and they started to talk about those he met and what they had to say. She agreed that Lily had gone too far and she hoped they'd be able to mend fences. She thought his assessment of the Marauders was astute and added her opinions. That included an explanation of the situation at Hogwarts and the stresses that the war had placed on the people there.
By the time the Express arrived at Hogsmeade, he knew a fair lot about Hogwarts, and the people he'd encounter. He also knew he'd made a friend.
–LL–
They parted, she to the carriages and he to the boats. He shared with three first-year students who didn't seem relieved to find that he was new too. Sorting seemed to go about as he thought it would. He told the Hat to put him where he'd do the most good and ended up in Gryffindor. Dinner was OK, he talked to the girls in his year he hadn't met, had a huge meal (He would have to remember to arrange for something to eat on the Express next time, since the trolley only offered candy). Evans and Lupin led Laz and the other newcomers to the Gryffindor common room, gave them the password and ushered them inside, except for Laz, whom Lily held back.
"Long, this afternoonI was about to apologize when the Marauders found me. I was completely out of line with you today. I have a tendency to jump to conclusions because my mind works so fast. I'm the first in my family with magic too, and this world is so strange! There are things I can't quite put my finger on; I think there are things don't addup and it kind of drives me to distraction at times. I'd blame the fact I have a temper on my hair, but myparents are easy-going, so I guess it's on me. I'm sorry you heard the rough side of my tongue. Also, I indirectly inflicted Potter and the rest on you. Can we try again? I can't promise 'Mt. Lily' won't erupt at you again, but I'll do my best."
Laz smiled inwardly at her earnestness. He suspected they were more alike than she knew and that had something to do with their friction too. "S'OK. Hi, I'm Lazarus Long. Pleased to meet you."
Lily smiled in relief. She shook his hand. "I'm glad to meet you, Laz, My name's Lily Evans. I hope you'll like it here."
A/N: While my main character is named Lazarus Smith Long, there is no connection at all to the creation of Robert A. Heinlein. I (and his parents) simply like the name.
It's never spelled out in canon, but there are twenty-six prefect slots: ten in seventh year (Head Boy and Girl, two additionally from each house), eight in both fifth and sixth years. That suggests that four prefects patrol during any given hour, or each prefect patrols once, except the Heads who take two shifts. When you think of it, it seems top-heavy; Hogwarts in canon has only about 280 students. There well could be more students in this time, but it would have to be north of 500 before prefect numbers would be a concern.
Story recommendation: A Baby Changes Everything, by PokePotterfan93. What happens when 16 year old James and Lily find a baby calling them Dada and Mama? M. id: 9011622
Grateful thanks to my beta, Alix33 on this venture.
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Posted: 04/0/2017 Repost: 06/04/2017 Final Repost: 11/08/2017
Words: 3,988