Chapter One
James Potter was a young, messy haired boy of ten when he finally received his long awaited Hogwarts letter. He remembered the day with utter clarity. It began quite gloomily, with a clouded and grayed sky and absolutely nothing to do. His parents had been off doing some holiday shopping, something James had not wanted to attend. He didn't find shopping with his parents to be an entertaining past time and therefore stayed home. However, he largely regretted this decision as he gazed out of his bedroom window, fixated on his own boredom.
But then… something extraordinary happened. His charcoal colored family wizard, Temziny, flew straight to James' window and sat on the ledge until he opened the them. It flew straight in and shook its feathers off from the rain, disregarding all of James' new summer sheets. But he had hardly noticed this. His eyes were glued to one thing. The alabaster envelope Temziny had dropped upon arriving in his room. It now sat on the floor, just next to his bed.
He didn't even have to open it to know what it was about. But he did anyhow and reacted with the same excitement as if he hadn't known it would be coming. And when his parents came home, he practically tackled them to the ground as he swung the letter over their noses. They had reacted with the same joyous expressions as James had hoped and had taken him to Diagon Ally to retrieve all of his supplies almost immediately.
Now, time had passed and he stood in the middle of Platform 9 ¾, gazing in awe at the Hogwarts Express. He hardly noticed the young witches and wizards who passed him in a hurry, pushing their supplies along on a cart identical to his own. His excitement from the letter was rebuilding as he acknowledge his near future involved Hogwarts, the school of his dreams.
"Well, you coming, mate?"
James turned on his heels to see a tall boy with trimmed black hair, grey eyes, and a seemingly permanent grin. The boy was also pushing along a cart. Upon it was a cage with a grey owl and green eyes. James had brought a snowy looking owl with sharp silver eyes.
"Sure am," he said, a smile coming upon his own lips.
"Guess we better be off then," said the boy.
James began pushing his cart forward, the boy coming along beside him.
"Name's Sirius Black," said the tall boy.
Black? The name sounded familiar, but James had so much on his mind he barely registered it.
"James Potter!"
The boys grinned as they each gleefully climbed upon the Hogwarts Express. Nearly the moment they stepped on, the doors closed and the train went in motion. The boys searched for a seat amid countless young witches and wizards. many of them were a lot older than James and Sirius and already friends. They searched for some time before finally coming upon a seat toward the back of the car.
"Hello there," said James, popping his head into the mostly empty seating area. "mind if we join you?"
A boy was seated on the edge of one of the seats, gazing out the window. He turned to the other boys and a look of astonishment brightened his dark eyes.
"Ah, no," he said, scooting even closer than the edge before, even though it certainly wasn't necessary.
James and Sirius both piled into the seat across from the boy who was avoiding eye contact and squirming rather nervously.
"What's your name then, mate? mine's Sirius Black."
"And I'm James Potter!"
The boy took a glance at them beneath golden brown waves. He seemed to calm down after a moment and straightened up. He took Sirius' out-stretched hand and smiled.
"Remus," he said, his voice softer than those of the other two boys. "Remus Lupin."
"Glad to meet you, Remus!" Grinned Sirius. "Got yourself a wand?"
James' insides churned gleefully at the mention of his wand. "I do!" he said, whipping it out at nearly the same time as Sirius. "Know any spells?"
Sirius squinted at his wand as he held it out in front of him. It was darker and longer than James, but not by much.
"Not that I can think of."
Remus pulled out his own wand, lighter and shorter than that of James'.
"I know a spell," he said, glancing around their seating area. "Though I haven't
a clue what to use it on."
"What is it?" Asked Sirius, his eyes wide with excited curiosity.
"A severing charm," replied Remus. "It is used to cut things-"
"Cut things?" Sirius repeated, a strike of amusement to his voice. "Hm…"
He stood up and wandered outside of their seating area. He appeared for a good
fifteen seconds before appearing with a newly adorned joy to his features.
"Got just the one," he said. "Look here!"
Both James and Remus stood up and followed Sirius to the isle outside of their
seating area.
"There," said Sirius, pointing to a group of seats a few rows down. "That slimy git."
James followed Sirius' index finger to find a stringy black haired boy with pasty skin and a rather long nose. He was already dressed in his Hogwarts robes, a chore all three of them had yet to complete. But James' eyes quickly passed over this boy and moved to the girl sitting across from him. James hadn't ever taken special notice to girls. But this one, he knew instantly, was different. With dark red spirals of hair and bright, emerald green eyes, she was most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
"You want me to cut him?" Asked Remus, gazing at Sirius in horror. "Are you mental?"
"Not him, Remmy!" Sirius declared, looking all too satisfied with himself. "His robes. Cut his robes."
"Why would I do that?"
"It would be funny, don't you think James?"
He turned toward the two boys immediately and slowly processed what they were saying. After a moment, he nodded vigorously.
"Hysterical actually," he said as he imagined the stringy haired boy having to abandon his seat to go take care of his torn robes.
The redhead would be sitting all alone, and who better to join her than James?
"Brilliant, you see?" Sirius said, wiggling his eyebrows at an unconvinced Remus.
"I don't think so," he said, taking a step back. "He hasn't done anything to me-"
"It would just be a joke, Remus," James said, unable to wipe the grin from his lips. "But you don't have to if you don't want to."
"I'd really rather not," he replied, backing back into their seating area.
"Wait, Remmy!" Sirius said and drew up right next to Remus. "Why don't you tell me the charm and I-"
"It would be just the same," said Remus, shooting Sirius a look.
"Well…" James drawled, coming up on the other side of Remus. "It wouldn't be the same if you magically forgot what we were going to do. No need to feel guilty then."
Remus seemed to consider this. James could see immediately that this boy was a rule follower, but there was an adventurous streak in him as well. He knew he would find the joke on the stringy haired by just as amusing as James and Sirius would.
"Perhaps," he whispered, though he was still hesitant. "But… maybe you should just rip his seat instead of his robes."
James was about to argue with this, declaring the joke would not be nearly as funny, but Sirius beat him to the chase.
"Brilliant, Remus. Tell me then."
Remus had to stand on his tiptoes to whisper it in Sirius' ear.
"Diffindo," he said, just loud enough for James and Sirius to hear.
James, Remus, and Sirius all quickly gathered back in their seating row. Sirius took a slight step out so he was still half concealed from the stringy haired boy and the red haired girl. James and Remus came up behind him, waiting anxiously.
"Diffindo," Sirius said, aiming it directly at the boy's back side.
A rip ran from the middle of his back to halfway down his legs, exposing his breeches. The boy hopped up immediately as if something had bit him, glancing around quickly. Sirius and James tried desperately to conceal their wild laughter
Sirius instantly hid his wand, but not fast enough. The red haired girl had seen it and now she was gazing at him furiously.
Everyone around there row was laughing and pointing at the boy's navy blue breeches. The boy, upon finding the cuts, quickly sat down, scarlet falling over his cheeks.
"Sirius," Remus hissed, looking more worried than angry. "You said you weren't going to hit him!"
"I know," Sirius said, offering a sheepish grin. "my aim must be bloody awful."
But before an unconvinced Remus could reply, an infuriated red haired girl was standing in the entranced of their seating row. She was glaring daggers at Sirius, her emerald eyes burning like green fire.
"How dare you!" She snapped, her small hands curled into tiny fists. "Apologize right this moment!"
"Apologize?" Sirius asked, gazing at the girl as if she were mad. "For what?"
"For doing that to Severus!" Her voice sounded more like a growl than a little girl. "You simple-minded, idiotic-"
"Calm down," James said, trying to suppress his smile. "I'm sure Snivellus will be fine. Just a rip is all-"
"Severus!" The girl corrected pointedly.
"Certainly," said James. "And you're name would be…?"
"Fix it!" She demanded. She glanced back at her friend, still red in the face and trying to avoid the eye contact of all the laughing students around him.
"And how would we fix it, James?" Asked Sirius leaning back in his seat.
"Not sure, Sirius," replied James. "I'm not exactly a professional in that area of expertise. Any ideas, Remmy?"
Remus shook his head, looking exceptionally guilty. This, in turn, made James' stomach swell with guilt of his own. He tried to push it aside however, as the joke had been too funny to pass off.
The girl eyed the three of them coldly before turning around and marching off back to her seat with the stringy haired boy.
"It's okay," she said to him as he stared at the floor, stricken with embarrassment. "I have an extra pair of robes."
"Poor Severus," sighed James. "Forced to wear girl robes."
Sirius grinned. "I liked Snivellus."
Remus glared at them both, before promptly turning his gaze toward the window and folded his arms across his chest.
"What then, Remmy?" Asked Sirius.
"You should apologize," the brunette said, almost under his breath.
"It was only a joke," said James, though he only half believed this. "No need to apologize for a harmless joke."
Remus turned back, shooting him a look of disbelief. "It didn't seem all too harmless to me."
Sirius' grin merely widened, as he seemed to replay his moment of glory over and over again in his mind. "Oh, but the look on Snivellus' face…"
The guilt in James' stomach seemed to grow as he imagined the redhead's dagger eyed glare. He supposed Snivellus really didn't deserve the treatment.
"I'll go on and apologize then," James said with a sigh.
"No need, mate," said Sirius, giving him a questionable look. "Just a joke, yeah?"
James shook his head and heaved himself up from the seat. He walked out of their seating compartment and walked hesitantly over to the redhead's seat. She went exceptionally rigid when she saw him and quickly turned away. The stringy haired boy hardly paid him any attention.
"Sorry about your robes, Sniv-Severus," he said, trying desperately to sound genuine. "Sirius missed, you see-"
"You ripped my robes?" Sirius asked, staring at James with a newly refined rage.
"No," he said quickly, taking a step back. "I didn't. my friend did, but he didn't mean to."
"Didn't mean to?" Snivellus scoffed. "Right then. I'm sure of that."
James grimaced. He didn't like this stringy haired boy. He really did look like the slimy git Sirius had described him as. He had a permanently sour expression on his greasy face and he looked as though he could take a good washing up.
"Look here," James said. "It was an accident. And it wasn't meant to be mean, just a joke."
"So was it an accident or a joke?" Demanded the redhead, turning back from the window.
James felt his face go hot and he glanced to the floor. Right then he could feel Sirius and Remus coming up behind him.
"Why should it matter?" Asked Sirius. "We're sorry. No need to get all upset over it."
Snivellus glared deeply at Sirius, his coal colored eyes hard with loathing. He then turned away from them and pointed his long nose up in the air.
"I've had quite enough of you pea brained idiots," he said.
Sirius snorted. "We're the pea brained idiots? You clearly don't even know how to wash-"
"Sirius," Remus hissed in a warning tone.
"No need to waste your time over it, Sirius," said James, trying desperately to avoid the redhead's glare. "Let's go have fun someplace else." And then he turned and walked back to their seats.
The boys didn't do any more spells for the rest of the ride. much of this was due to the fact Remus was the only one who seemed to remember any and he no longer felt took keen on sharing. Instead the boys bought loads of candy from the trollie and discussed which houses they hoped to get into.
"Gryffindor!" Declared James, proudly. "Just like my father."
Sirius grinned, stuffing a chocolate frog in his face. "Probably a good one. That cowardly git sure won't be getting in there," he said, casting a glare toward the stringy haired boy. He was now talking animatedly to the redhead who was smiling gleefully.
"Probably end up a Slytherin," James smirked. "He deserves the worst one after all."
A grey sheen appeared over Sirius' fair face and his grin disappeared. He glanced toward the floor and ran a hand through his hair.
"my entire family is in Slytherin," he said, rather uncomfortably.
James and Remus both stared at him in astonishment, neither had been expecting that. Sirius certainly didn't seem like Slytherin material. But then it all came back to James. He had said his name was Sirius Black. Ah yes. Infamous enemies of James' parents.
But Sirius wasn't like his parents. He knew that for certain. And he couldn't be any Slytherin either.
"You seem like a Gryffindor to me," he said, smiling widely at his friend.
Sirius' spirits instantly rose and his grin returned. "You think so?"
"Certainly! Wouldn't you say so, Remus?"
Remus nodded vigorously, a genuine smile playing on his lips.
"I bet all three of us will be in Gryffindor," James continued, absolutely adoring the idea.
"Don't know," said Sirius, giving Remus a once over. "Remmy is certainly smart enough to get into Ravenclaw."
A look of concern suddenly grew in Remus' eyes and he played nervously with his fingers. "Hopefully I get into a house."
Sirius cocked his head to the side, giving Remus a confused look. "Sure you will! You're a wizard, aren't you?"
Only after Remus didn't answer for several moments did it become a genuine question.
"Oh," he said, when he noticed their curious gazes. "Yes. Of course."
"Good then," said James. "You haven't a thing to worry about!"
It was not long before the train came to a stop. A relentless cheer hovered over James as he stood up, grabbing his cart and pushing it toward the train's doors. Remus and Sirius were just behind him and he could practically feel the same excitement hovering around them. Alas, he had made it to Hogwarts.