Chapter One: September 1st, 1971
Remus Lupin could not help but worry as he strolled toward the train on Platform nine and three-quarters. He was alone. His family was too scared and disappointed in him to see him off, and he couldn't blame him. He thought of the fading scars on his face and felt the curious stares of other students who wondered where they were from.
Though he was excited to have been allowed into the school, his biggest fear was that he would not have a single friend at Hogwarts – or at least one who accepted him for who he was. He had never had a friend before, never. His parents wouldn't allow him out of the house, they didn't want people to suspect anything weird about him.
Remus Lupin was one of the first students on the train. He pulled himself into the first empty compartment he could and watched enviously as other young witches and wizards talked gleefully with their family. He hadn't had a conversation with his own family since he was six years old.
"Hello, is anyone sitting here?" A small, plump boy with mousy brown hair asked timidly. Remus was so shocked that someone was talking to him he couldn't speak, so he just nodded. The boy was not handsome, but he was not ugly either. He looked scared but excited. He slouched in his seat and played with his hands idly, not wanting to be the person to start a conversation. His grey clothes told Remus Lupin that the boy preferred to be in the background, he was shy, and he was afraid. Soon he learned the boy's name was Peter, Peter Pettigrew.
After Peter came a skinny boy with jet black hair and round glasses, his brown eyes twinkled mischievously. He held a beautiful cloak in his hand, but stuffed it into his trunk quickly. The boy wore a red and gold long sleeve shirt even though he had not yet been sorted into Gryffindor. His hair was crazy, sticking out wildly in random spots. Remus Lupin could see the boy was crazy and probably arrogant, he had a sense of pride about him and he enjoyed causing trouble. This boy was well loved and had not a thing in the world to worry about. The boy would introduce himself as James Potter, and take a seat next to Peter, not even thinking that either of the two would reject his company.
Finally came a boy with shoulder length black hair, he was taller than the others, and carried himself with a sort of pride, but that did not stop Remus Lupin from seeing the bright red slashes on the boy's arms and the bruises on his face. The boy's grey eyes looked angry and scared, his black jumper had strings hanging loose from where the boy had no-doubt pulled at his sleeve. He was not well loved in his family. Remus Lupin felt for this boy at once, wanted to hug him, but he restrained. He quickly introduced himself as Sirius Black, and Remus shuddered involuntarily. He knew of the Blacks, he knew what they had done and knew what they had caused, yet he also could sense that Sirius was not a traditional Black.
During the ride Remus Lupin enjoyed talking to the boys and laughing with them. He liked being part of the group, and he realized for the first time that he may have a friend – or three.
At the sorting, Remus Lupin hoped that he would be sorted into the same house as his new friends – he got his wish. They talked more throughout the feast and stayed up in the Gryffindor Common Room for most of the night. They didn't mention his scars once.
Peter Pettigrew practically ran to the train on platform nine and three-quarters. He was with his mum – his dad had left them when he was very young. His mum would point out nice looking witches and wizards and spoke fondly of her Hogwarts experience as she fastened her pace to catch up to her son. He was excited that he was leaving for Hogwarts, but he was also nervous. He wondered if people would like him even if he wasn't particularly attractive or particularly brave, he wondered if the sorting hat would sort him into the wrong house and his next seven years would be miserable. He hoped that everything would be alright.
Peter Pettigrew walked into a compartment that had only one other occupant – a boy of about eleven who had long, deep scars on his face. Peter Pettigrew nervously introduced himself, then observed the boy. He was poorly dressed and looked uncared for. Peter figured he came from a poor family, maybe even a muggle one, but he didn't know if anything in the muggle world could cause those scars. The boy didn't speak just then, but hours later Peter would learn that his first friend at Hogwarts was named Remus Lupin.
His second friend strolled into the compartment wearing a red and gold striped shirt. Peter Pettigrew's first thought was proud, his second was "this boy could protect me". He was introduced almost immediately to James Potter.
The next boy who came in also seemed full of pride, he was handsome and looked like he would be able to rule the school. Peter Pettigrew grinned, not being able to believe his luck that he was going to befriend such powerhouses. The boy introduced himself as Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew's smile grew. The Blacks were a rich pureblood family and had loads of power. This was a good move.
During the ride, Peter Pettigrew mainly listened to his new friends talking around him, as he could not yet believe his luck. He was amazed at how wonderful these people were and knew he was in good hands.
Peter Pettigrew was delighted when he and his new friends were all sorted into Gryffindor, and he was amazed at the endless foods at the feast. His mother did not exaggerate about this place at all; it was perfect, it was wonderful, and it was home. Peter Pettigrew could not believe his luck.
James Potter walked to the train on platform nine and three-quarters with his mum and dad. His dad joked with him while his mom fussed over him and tried to make sure he had not forgotten anything. When the trio got to the front of the Hogwarts Express, his dad pulled him over, tears of pride were streaming down the man's face. "James," he smiled down at his son, handing him what looked like an ordinary cloak, "this has been in our family for generations. My father gave it to me my first year at Hogwarts and his father did the same, so I guess that means that it's your turn now. Use it wisely," James smiled, thanked his dad and ran onto the train, excited to be the new owner of his family's invisibility cloak.
He opened the first compartment that he saw, and stood in front of two young students – first years, like him. He smiled as warm as he could while shoving his prized possession into his trunk then introduced himself.
The boy with the scars nodded at his introduction. The boy wore a tan jumper with holes and lemon-colored elbow patches. His sandy blond hair hung down past his ears and his green eyes shone with sadness. Instantly, James felt for the boy, he saw the boy – not as a poor child with hideous scars – but as a brave man who fought an unwinnable battle. Remus Lupin was his name, and James would rarely see him without his nose in a book. He often wondered if that was his way to hide his scars.
The plump boy reminded James of a rat. His teeth, his hair, his face, everything. All he saw was rat. But the rat he saw was timid and afraid, and didn't know how to care for himself. James liked him though, he was nice and he was eager and he was different. He was named Peter Pettigrew.
Minutes after James had sat next to Peter, a fourth boy walked in. He held himself a way that only someone from an important family would, James noted, looking at the boy's long black hair. James smiled at him, he imagined that they were going to become a fearsome twosome. When the boy introduced himself as Sirius Black, James Potter's smile did not falter, his father had taught him that a name meant almost nothing in terms of who a wizard grew up to be.
In the compartment, James started most of the conversations and added most of the input, the other boys laughed at his jokes and added some of their own, and James smiled. This is what friendship is supposed to look like, he looked at Remus breaking off pieces of chocolate for Sirius while Peter spoke excitedly to the two of them about one of his trips to Bulgaria.
James Potter already knew that he and his new friends would not be separated, but was absolutely ecstatic when everyone – including Sirius – was sorted into Gryffindor. During the feast he sat beside Peter Pettigrew and a redheaded girl with beautiful green eyes.
"I'm James Potter," James's mouth was full of mashed potatoes when he said it, but the girl smiled anyway.
"I'm Lily, Lily Evans. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Sirius Black obediently followed his sister to the train on platform nine and three-quarters. He knew Narcissa didn't like him – he was too different – and was not surprised when she completely ignored him. When boarding the train, Narcissa found her boyfriend, Lucius, and ditched Sirius Black. He didn't want to be in the hall any longer and he most certainly did not want to run into Lucius Malfoy and his friends – he'd seen enough of that crowd during the summer –, so Sirius Black opened the first door to the first compartment he could see and strode in.
Inside the compartment sat three other first years. Sirius introduced himself. He saw some smiles falter and frowned, he was the black sheep of the Blacks; he wasn't that bad. After their initial shock, the three boys smiled at him, and he smiled back, looking at them more closely.
The first one he noticed was the one with the scars. They were long, pink lines running down his face and probably weren't going to fade any more than they already had. Despite his scars, the boy was beautiful, he was poor and a bit malnourished – possibly by his family – his face too skinny for a healthy eleven year old boy. His jumper had holes and ugly yellow elbow patches, but he made it work. His sandy blonde hair was long, not as long as Sirius's, but still past his ears. His hair was mostly straight but it looked poorly groomed. His eyes were what some people might call his best feature – they were piercing and green and strong and beautiful. At that moment Sirius would argue that the scars were the boy's – Remus Lupin's – best feature.
His eyes darted across the compartment to a small, plump boy who looked oddly like a rodent. He was boring to look at and seemed helpless and harmless. It was almost as if he wanted someone to protect him, Sirius thought, looking away at Peter Pettigrew with a feeling of pity.
Lastly, he came across a boy with round glasses who had the nerve to wear a Gryffindor themed jumper even though he had not yet been sorted, Sirius smirked, this boy was bold and brave, probably. He's prideful and probably extremely arrogant. Sirius took a liking to the boy immediately. His name was James Potter, he learned within seconds of sitting down.
The train ride made Sirius forget he was a Black and forget his family problems for a while, he felt as though after the eight hours they had marked each other as a group, a gang, a family. There was no stopping these boys, he knew.
Being sorted into Gryffindor was a hard thing for Sirius Black. He knew he'd be beaten for it. The Blacks were Slytherins – they were always Slytherins. Until Sirius.
After the sorting, Sirius and his new friends talked and talked while they ate at the feast. Sirius Black sat by Remus Lupin and they joked together. Remus was extremely witty and Sirius enjoyed that.
"Hey Sirius," Remus spoke, but did not take his eyes off the ceiling, Sirius looked up to where Remus was staring and could see the brightest star in Canis Major, "it's your star."