BANG!

James felt himself fall down some stairs.

"Dad I'll get you back in a moment" James said slowly getting to his feet rubbing his head he felt a little lump being to surface. James didn't belong to a normal family, he wasn't even remotely normal. James was a wizard about to start his first year of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry.

As he looked in to the mirror in the hallway, he tried to flatten down his jet black hair. But it always seemed to stick up at odd angels he took his glasses off wiped them clean and placed them back on his nose and looked at his big brown eyes, he thought they kind of looked like mud, or something more disgusting.

James looked up on to the landing and saw his dad looking down at him, smiling. His father looked exactly like him, from his scruffy hair to his round thick rimmed glasses and even their eyes were the same. James pointed his wand at him "patrificas totarlus". Mr. Potter toppled down the stairs and hit the bottom step with a great thud.

"Ha. Very funny. Why did you do that?"

"You started it." James replied.

"Would you to stop that" James mum had appeared in the doorway that lead to the kitchen, she was wearing a pink cardigan and a black skirt. She had black hair that showed signs of graying, her eyes were a deep brown and she was looking down at them with a stern look on her face.

"But…but…" they both started to say

"Really you're both as bad as each other, sometimes it's like I married a teenager and he's never grownup"

Mr. Potter carried James trunk down to the car that was parked in front of their London town house that the Potter's had inherited from Mrs. Potter's parents and put it in the boot. James's father garbed his shoulders looking straight into his eyes.

"I have something for you" he said walking over to the driver's seat and opening the door sat on the seat was a small brown package. James picked it up excited and opened it, a silvery material slid out of it, James was looking at it in utter amazement.

"My father gave this to me when I started Hogwarts and now I'm passing it down to you"

"What is it?" James asked looking up at Mr. Potter in amazement.

"It's an invisibility cloak, but please don't tell your mother I've given it to you. She will kill me"

"Your secrets safe with me dad"

Mr. Potter smiled at his son "now no getting in to trouble"

"I'll try not to" James replied cheekily.

They heard the door close behind them "come on you two otherwise James will never get to Hogwarts"

James practically jumped into the back of the car he couldn't suppress his excitement. His parents got into the front, his father in the driving seat and mother in the passenger side, his father had learnt to drive when James was eight. Mr. Potter believed that this would prove useful and make them less noticeable to the muggle community.

They arrived at Kings Cross station at quarter to eleven and made their way to platform 9 and 10, James's father was pushing a trolley with his trunk on, Mr. Potter liked the way muggle's done things. James looked up at his parents confused and asked "where's platform 9 and ¾?"

"Just watch your father" Mrs. Potter replied.

Mr. Potter stepped away from the trolley and casually looked like he was checking his watch leaning against the wall separating platform 9 and 10 he then disappeared in a blink of the eye. James gripped his trolley tightly and ran at the wall he closed his eyes and braced himself. He opened them to see a gleaming scarlet stem engine with smoke billowing from it. He looked up to see a sign reading platform 9 and ¾.

His mum soon appeared behind him Mrs. Potter grabbed her son and gave him a hug and a kiss on his forehead. "Your father and I are so proud of you, we'll see you soon." she said pulling a handkerchief out of her coat pocket and started to dab her eyes. James looked up to see his dad beaming down at him.

"See you soon" he said while ruffling up his hair and winking at him.

"ahhh dad I just got it flat again"

"Believe me the girls will love it" Mr. Potter said smiling down at him while his mother hurried him on to the train.

James clambered into the train and sat in the first compartment he found, it contained a girl with dark red hair who was staring out of the window. When he entered the girl looked up then went back to staring out the window. James took a seat; he was shortly joined by a young handsome boy with short dark hair, grey eyes and pale skin.

"Can I sit here? There's no were else to sit"

"Sure" James said interacting to the seat opposite him.

"I think some inductions are in order, I'm Sirius Black" the boy said.

"I'm James Potter" he felt himself say while shaking the boys hand.

"Who's that?" Sirius asked cocking his head towards the girl beside the window.

"No idea" James whispered so he wouldn't be heard by her. They sat there in silence for a few minutes then there came a knock on the compartment door and it slid open to reveal a boy.

"Excuses me is that seat taken?"

"No, do come in" James said looking up from his knees. He walked past James and took the seat next to him.

The boy had light brown hair with a hue of ginger to it. He also had bright blue kind eyes and a pale face he looked ill and slightly tired. There were also several long scares across his face. Maybe, James thought had they not been there he would have been very good looking. There was another long pause.

"What?" the boy asked obviously he had noticed the way they were staring at him.

"What happened to your face" Sirius blurted out, and then he quickly looked at his shoes.

"Sirius, shut up" James said looking at Sirius disapprovingly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean…I mean…"

"No it's all right. I had an accident when I was younger, I deal with it" the boy said carelessly.

"What's your name?" James asked

"Remus Lupin, but everybody calls me Lupin, well most" he replied.

"What like Remus and Romulus from Roman mythology?" James asked.

"Yeah, my mum likes all those old stories; she's Portuguese you see and works at a university as a teacher of mythology"

"That's really cool" Sirius erupted putting his feet up on the seat to get more comfortable, he want quite sure what a university was but it sounded interesting.

The door of the compartment slide open once again to revel a boy with greasy lank hair that hanged around his face, and at first glance his eyes looked black. He was already wearing his school robes. The boy caught sight of the girl beside the window and sat down opposite her. Lupin got out a news paper and began to read it. James and Sirius looked at each other and listened in on what was going on.

"I don't want to talk to you" the girl said.

"Why not?" came the voice of the boy.

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what"

"so she's my sister!"

"She's only a-"

There was a long pause. James looked up to see the girls face was stained with tears. She caught his eye and James looked down again.

"But we're going!" he said, unable to suppress the excitement in his voice. "Were off to Hogwarts! You'd better be in Slytherin" the boy said.

"Slytherin?" James turned round with a sound of disgust in his voice "who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave wouldn't you?" James said turning to Sirius who was lounging on the seats opposite him.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin" Sirius replied.

"Blimy, and I thought you were all right!"

Sirius grinned. "Maybe, I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Sirius added. James lifted an invisible sword.

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad."

The boy made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him "got a problem with that?"

"No" the boy said though his slight sneer said otherwise "if you'd rather be brawny than brainy"

"Where are you going, seeing as though you're nether?" interjected Sirius.

James roared with laughter. Lupin's eyes darted up from his newspaper. The girl sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooooo…"

James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice: James tried to trip Severus as he passed.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called after him.

"Hi Severus what's…Hummm" came a voice from outside the compartment.

"Hay I know that voice" Sirius said.

The compartment door flew open and a voice said "what's going on in…oh Sirius it's you" the girl went over and hugged Sirius let go of him then took the empty seat next to him, opposite Lupin. On closer inspection James realized that she too was dressed in her school robes. She had mid-length dark curly hair, big brown eyes that twinkled, and she seemed to have pale skin but that was because she had bright red lips.

There was an odd silence in which Lupin put his paper down and looked at the girl.

"Well Sirius, aren't u going to introduce us to your friend?" Lupin said still looking at the girl even more closely than before.

"Ok ok this is Fang" Sirius said.

"that can't be your real name" Remus said intrigued.

"Don't call me that, you know I hate It." there was fire in her eyes as she said this. "My name is …"

"Minerva Dalca" Sirius interjected.

"Why Fang?" James asked wondering why Sirius called her that.

"Don't really know, but it's what I've always been called and I hate it"

"Its cus that's what Bellatrix has always called you, ever since you were really little. It was little Fang this and little Fang that." Sirius replied.

"Shut up" She Said in a playful way.

"Who's Bellatrix?" James asked totally perplexed.

"She's one of my cousins or something I can never keep up with them. They breed like rabbits." Sirius replied. Then him and Minerva both looked at each other and both giggled.

"Well Sirius I find it highly rude that you have not introduced me to your friends" the girl said suddenly. Sirius looked at her then pointed at James "this is James Potter" Minerva looked at him and nodded. "Nice to meet you…Gryffindor perhaps"

"Well that's what I want to be in" James replied.

Sirius then pointed to Remus and said "and that's Remus Lupin" she didn't nod but shook his hand. It took a long time for their hand to part but as they did she said "don't you think the full moon is so beautiful Remus?"

"Yes they are" he Replied.

"So who was that boy who was in here when you arrived you seem to know him" Sirius asked.

"Well his names Severus Snape and he lives up Spinners End" Minerva replied

"Spinners End. What that horrible dingy place near where you live?" Sirius replied.

"don't it's a nice place up there, well I like it and I hope you're not giving him any trouble, he's my friend and he's got problems" she said sternly.

"Well don't we all" Sirius remarked.

"Some of us more than other's Sirius" Minerva retorted looking at him.

"So how long have you two known each other" James asked as his stomach done a summersault as she spoke.

"Since we were born practically, I used to live round the corner from him in London. Well I still do but not all the time."

"Were do you live now" Lupin Asked

"Well my summer home is a cottage near Spinners End but like a few miles away. It's in a little village" she said.

"That sounds nice" Lupin said "I live in the country but it's near the sea and I live there with my mum and dad."

"Wow wonder what I'd be like to have some of those" Minerva said but then Sirius shout her a look of keep quiet and he said "she's just trying to be funny"

"Hay look were nearly there, you'd better change in to your robes I'll c u in a minute" she said opening the compartment door and closing it behind her.

Minerva re-entered the compartment just as the train started to slow down. They all herd the rumble of people making their way into the corridor outside the compartment.

"this is it, let's go" Minerva said sliding the door open and jumping out of the train on to the platform that was now full of students. In the middle of all this confusion there was a giant of a man wearing a moleskin waistcoat and a long brown overcoat that looked like it was made out of dragon hide or something similar. He also had black beetle eyes that looked kind and welcoming and a straggly brown beard. He was calling "first years, first years this way. Come on we haven't got all day" spotting them. They made their way over to him and waited for others to join them, there group already consisted of the red haired girl who was in the compartment with them she was standing next to Severus Snape whispering about something, they then both shot Sirius and James dirty looks. And there was also a short fat boy looking nervously around, a girl with light blond hair who was looking dreamily up at the sky and two girls who were giggling and pointing at the blond haired girl. Soon they were joined by more and more people, in till the platform was completely clear apart from them.

"Ok, that's everyone follow me" the giant of a man said.

They passed through a golden arch way that had been hidden behind a wall of ivy just to the left of James and Sirius. They all made their way down a set of stone steps, which lead to about half a dozen boats sitting at the edge of a giant lake.

"Everyone four to a boat" the man called, settling himself in to a single boat to himself.

Sirius and James clambered into the boat nearest to them and sat in the front, Lupin and Minerva followed and sat in the back.

"Now forwards" the giant of a man said pointing forwards and the boats started to move forward towards the far end of the lake. They passed through another golden archway, and James felt himself 'ooooo' and 'ahhh' along with everybody else as Hogwarts came into full view. The boats hit the edge of the lake in front of a dark tunnel in the side of the rock the castle was placed on. They followed the man through the tunnel, up an old wooden ladder which lead to a trap door in the ceiling.