Chapter One

"You'll make us proud, James," Mr. and Mrs. Potter had said to their son.

"Stay safe, Remus," the Lupins warned worriedly.

"Make some friends, Peter," the Pettigrews suggested.

The Blacks said nothing to Sirius. They weren't there to see Sirius off at Platform 9 ¾ as the rest of the boys' parents had. So Sirius just told himself, "Don't be a disappointment." And he stepped onto the train.

The Hogwarts Express left the station at exactly 9:00 am on September 1st, 1971. It was the first year for the four boys, as well as many others. James had already situated himself in a train car alone when the lankier, shaggy-haired boy, Sirius Black, entered the car.

"Is anyone sitting here with you?" he asked James. "My cousin won't let me sit with her and her friends, and I don't know anyone else."

"Go right ahead," James responded, motioning to the empty seat across from him. He had a chocolate frog stuffed in his mouth. He quickly swallowed it before continuing. "I wasn't sure if anyone was going to sit in here."

Sirius smirked. "Maybe not with you hoarding all of those chocolate frogs," he joked.

James grinned slyly. "They'd only come to steal them from me," he snickered. Then he sat up straight and took a bite out of another. "They're my favorite candy, you see. My mum would always give me chocolate frogs when I was feeling sick. So I'd fake getting sick a lot just so I could have them."

"You'd think she would've caught on," Sirius rolled his eyes.

James shrugged. "I think she has," he admitted. "But I'm their only son, and they only want what's best, you know?"

Sirius pursed his lips and sighed through his nose. "I wish I could say the same," he responded, remembering what he told himself on the platform.

Wiping his hands on his shirt, James finished his most recent chocolate frog. "Where are my manners?" he fumbled, stretching out his still slightly chocolate-covered hand. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm James Potter."

Shaking his new friend's hand, Sirius cracked a small smile. "I'm Sirius Black," he returned.

"Whoa, from THE Black family? You guys are famous in the wizarding world!" James exclaimed.

Before Sirius could reply, there was a knock on the door. "Excuse me," said the blonde-haired boy. "D'you mind if I sit with you? No one else has been quite agreeable." The other two nodded and he sat next to Sirius. "I'm Peter. Sorry to intrude."

James shook his head. "It's fine," he assured him. "We were actually just introducing ourselves. I'm James Potter, and this here is the one-and-only, famous Sirius Black. We're among royalty!"

Sirius grunted. "I'm nothing like my family," he muttered.

"Aww, come on, you have to have some of that Black blood in you!" James prodded. "You'll be in Slytherin like the rest of them soon enough."

Peter shrugged. "I dunno, I could see him being a Hufflepuff, honestly," he offered, seeing that Sirius was uncomfortable.

James chortled at the mere idea of this. "A Hufflepuff? You aren't giving this guy enough credit!" he laughed. "What about Ravenclaw? Are you smart, bud?"

Tears started welling up in young Sirius' eyes. "All I know is that no matter where I'm sorted, I'm going to disappoint my family!" he blurted out. "If I'm put in Slytherin like the rest of them, I know I'm not going to be good enough to live up to the family name! And anywhere else, they might as well disown me!"

This silenced the other two. Peter leaned over to Sirius. "You know, Sirius, there's nothing wrong with being different," he assured him. "You should live up to your own expectations. Not your family's. So what if you're not in Slytherin?"

"And if your parents disown you, you can be a part of my family," James told him confidently.

"I just met you," Sirius sniffled, wiping his tears away.

James shrugged. "So what? My mum would love another son. She always said she wish could have had another, but it just never worked out."

It was quiet again. "My cousin, Narcissa," Sirius started again. "She's a fifth year this year. I was hoping she could protect me, you know? I'm afraid she won't ever talk to me again."

Peter placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "You know what my mum always told me about family?" he began. "She told me, 'family isn't whose blood you have running through your veins. Family are those who love and care about you the most.'"

Looking back, Sirius believed that that's when he decided that those two were his real family.

Just then, two others walked into the car. A young red-headed girl and a black-haired boy.

The girl smiled at them. "Sorry, I guess this car's full."

James flashed a smile back at her. "You can take a seat if you'd like, miss," he invited her. He sneered at her friend. "Might not be enough room for your friend though. Sorry."

The girl frowned. "I don't really want to leave Sev alone," she said.

The boy, Sev, shook his head. "It's fine," he told her.

She put her hand on his arm. "No, I'm staying with you, it's fine," she assured him. "Maybe make conversation?"

Sev scowled and turned back to the boys. "So," he started awkwardly. "Where are you hoping to be sorted?"

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad!" James announced boisterously. "Got a problem with that?"

Sev shook his head. "No. If you'd rather be brawny instead of brainy-"

"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius joined in, deciding to tease this boy as well. Hearing his friend's confidence gave him some spirit as well. Peter frowned at the other two.

With this, Sev left the door. The girl practically growled at them as she left as well.


"Black, Sirius!"

A young Professor McGonagall called out names from a scroll to step forward and be sorted. A couple of students had already been sorted, and now it was young Sirius' turn. As he walked up the steps to sit on the stool, he felt a rock in his stomach. Those four steps felt like four thousand.

But he finally sat down and the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. He heard nothing at first - maybe he wasn't magical after all, and his family was right about him being a Squib. He would be just like Marius Black, so many years before him. He couldn't bear it. He just couldn't. He-

"Sirius Black!" the Hat bellowed out. Sirius was startled by this big, booming voice. "A little jumpy, are we? Let's see...let's see...you've got a bit of history here. I sorted your sister Narcissa into Slytherin about five years ago. I sorted the whole family into Slytherin, too. Ready to carry on the family line?"

"No," the young boy murmured.

"What's that?" the Hat whispered back. "Did you say no? But don't you want to continue the legacy?"

"I'm not like them," Sirius breathed. "I'm not a legacy. I'm not. I'm different. I want to be different. So please, anywhere but there. I don't care what happens to me with them. Just anywhere else."

The Sorting Hat chuckled. "You think you can choose where you go?" he teased. "Only I know where you go." There was a pause. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Exhale. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. As the entirety of the Gryffindor tabled burst into applause, he caught a peak at his cousin across the hall. She refused to make eye contact with him, her arms folded across her chest. But at that moment, he didn't care. He felt a little safer here.

"Evans, Lily!"

James leaned over to Peter. "She's cute, don't you think?"

Peter nudged his new friend. "You don't even know her! You insulted her on the train!"

"I just said she was cute!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

A few more students later. "Lupin, Remus."

A frail, sickly-looking boy made his way up to the stool. He looked as though he hadn't slept in days. He seemed more afraid that many of the other first years.

Peter leaned over to James this time. "You know how you said your mum would give you chocolate when you were sick?"

James nodded. "Yeah?"

Peter pointed at Remus. "Maybe you should give some to him," he suggested. "Might do him good."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Not long until both Peter and James were both sorted into Gryffindor as well. They joined Sirius and Remus, who had situated himself with him as well. Lily Evans sat a few seats down, looking attentively at the next student.

"Snape, Severus!"

"Hey, it's that boy from before," Sirius said to James, both of them now interested.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The two boys snickered as Lily sounded disappointed.

And the feast began.