Chapter 1

The Scarlet Steam Engine

The Hogwarts Express bore no signs of activity whatsoever as it sat quietly in the deserted magical train station. The gateway onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters would remain sealed for a few more hours yet.

If one who was more accustomed to seeing the train and this platform teeming with life were to stand in the empty station, he or she might have said it was eerie.

The abandoned train would not remain that way for very long, however. Soon there would be so much magical activity going on on this platform that one might wonder how the magical world had managed to stay hidden for so long.

Students, parents, friends, and relatives would be coming and going; cats and rats and owls would be meowing and squeaking and hooting at each other; and excitement would be the popular emotion.

A solitary ray of light shone on the train: the sun was just coming up.

And by the time the sun fell again, this train would be gone, depositing its occupants at the legendary school of witchcraft and wizardry, Hogwarts.

James Potter burst through the barrier onto the Platform Nine and Three Quarters, very flushed and out of breath. He caught sight of the scarlet steam engine ahead of him and he almost forgot to breathe. He was so caught up in his excitement that his mother and father walked right into him as they came through the barrier.

"James, you might want to step out of the way," Mrs. Potter said, smiling at her son's wonderment.

James only half-heard her. He could not remember a time in his life that he was more excited than he was at this very moment. The stories he had heard about this train before him and the mystical place the tracks led to were enough to make a young child anticipate his or her eleventh birthday more than humanly possible.

After all, James had grown up listening to such stories: tales of mischief, mayhem, and magic. And finally, after what seemed like centuries, it was his turn to take part in it.

"Come on, son," Mr. Potter said, prodding James. "Let's get you a nice compartment."

But James had no interest in boarding the train just yet. He wove in and out of his fellow students, who were milling about, chatting unconcernedly, some already changed into their school robes. He spotted a few of his childhood friends climbing onto the train and waved cheerily at them, but his overwhelming curiosity of the events happening on the platform prevented him from joining them.

All around him people were swapping stories of their summers with their friends, showing off new gadgets and things, talking about the school year ahead and the magic they wanted to learn. Even Mr. and Mrs. Potter seemed wrapped up in the goings on of the platform.

It was only when the train whistled loudly and last minute stragglers were boarding did James allow himself to be shepherded onto the train.

"Have fun, dear," his mum said, her eyes oddly overbright.

"Write us once in a while," his father said, beaming up at him.

"Study hard --"

"Don't get in too much trouble, not for first term at least --"

"Richard!"

Grinning wildly, James waved at his father, blew his mum a kiss and disappeared as the train began to move.

Fifteen minutes later he was presented with a problem...

Well, this is what I get for lollygagging, he thought miserable to himself. He was nearing the end of the train and every compartment he had passed was full. There were just two left now.

He pulled his trunk forward a few feet, panting a little and cursed himself once again for fooling around on the platform. There's gotta be one that's not empty, he thought desperately.

"Oy!"

James turned.

A boy about his age was moving slowly towards him, also dragging his trunk behind him. As he drew closer, James saw that he had shaggy black hair and stormy gray eyes. He was wearing a set of black robes that had a family crest -- presumably his own -- embroidered over his heart.

James's eyes lingered on the crest. It seemed oddly frayed around the edges, as though someone had desperately tried to remove it, to no avail. The crest itself stirred something in James's memory, but he could not remember for the life of him where he might have seen it.

The stranger came to a stop when he reached James's trunk, shaking his hair out of his eyes and offering James a smile. "I take it that you've had the same luck I have. That, or you're so desperately dull that you've already been chucked out of a compartment."

James wasn't sure whether to laugh or not.

Taking no notice of James's awkward silence, the boy stepped forward and peered into the left-hand compartment. His lip curled in distaste at once. "Slytherins," he said, his voice full of dislike.

James smiled. As a born Gryffindor, he wasn't fond of Slytherins either.

The boy watched the occupants of the left-hand compartment disgustedly for a moment, then scoffed and turned his attention to the right. His expression lifted at once. "We're in luck, mate!" He said brightly to James. "This one's only got one person."

James let out a sigh of relief. He really didn't fancy the worst case scenario: sitting on his trunk in the walkway until the train arrived at Hogwarts.

The boy threw open the door, flashing a charismatic smile to the occupant of the compartment. "Mind if my mate and I sit with you?" He asked. "There isn't enough room to swing a kneazle everywhere else."

A vulnerable and haggard looking boy stared back at James and the dark-haired boy with what appeared to be a hopeful smile on his face. "I don't mind," he replied, his voice soft.

"Brilliant!" the dark-haired boy exclaimed, heaving his trunk into the compartment and beckoning to James, who followed suit.

Finally settled in, James looked at his two companions. "I'm James Potter, by the way," he introduced. "I'm a measly first year."

The dark-haired boy grinned. "So am I! The name's Sirius Black."

James instantly remembered where he had seen Sirius's family crest. The Blacks were a well known, ancient pure-blood clan, with a reputation as dark as their name.

"Ah, I know what you're thinking," Sirius said, his grin fading and assuming the disgusted look again. "The famous Black family, obsessed with blood; the whole lot of them into really dark magic? I think it's a load of bollocks." He paused, lost in his thoughts. "In any case, I don't consider myself a Black by morals. Just by name." He suddenly grinned again. "I'm hoping to be in Gryffindor."

James smiled widely. "That's my house!" he exclaimed. Then he added, sheepishly, "Or at least I hope so. My whole family was in it. Though I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad..."

Sirius nodded his agreement. "What's your house," he abruptly asked the other boy.

Their third companion had shyly reimmersed himself in "A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration," which he had apparently been reading before James and Sirius came in. However, when spoken to, he slowly dog-earred the page he was on and closed the book. He opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it again. He smiled apologetically. "I'm not sure..."

Sirius cocked an eyebrow. "What's your name?"

"Remus Lupin."

"Hmm, that doesn't really ring a bell." Sirius glanced at James for help, who had none to offer.

"I can't say I've heard of any Lupins..."

Sirius directed his attention back to Remus. "Are you a Muggle-born or something?"

Remus pinked slightly. "Half. Mum's a Muggle." He paused. "I might've heard Dad say something about Gryffindor..."

James and Sirius grinned at this statement, just as the door slid open.

A short, pudgy boy was standing in the doorway, very pink in the cheeks and wheezing. "D'you mind - if I - sit here?" He asked breathlessly. "Everywhere else - is full."

Sirius glanced at James, who shrugged.

"Sure, come on in."

The boy looked delighted and started to tug his trunk inside. When it was safely in the luggage rack, he flopped down next to James, mopping his sweat face.

"Thanks," he said, still slightly winded. "I'm Peter Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew..." Sirius repeated, thinking hard. "Mainly Hufflepuffs in your family, right?"

"Yeah," Peter replied appreciatively. "How d'you know that?"

"Ahh, see, when your family is as blood-obsessed as mine is, they start shoving useless information about other families' lineage down your throat."

James, who had begun to detect a dangerous note of bitterness in Sirius's voice whenever he talked about his family, hastily changed the subject. "Any of you follow Quidditch much?"

The rest of the afternoon was fairly enjoyable. Talk wandered from Quidditch, to expectations of the school, to how much magic they had learned already. James and Sirius dominated the conversation mostly, though Remus piped up every now and then, while Peter simply listened in awe.

Meanwhile, James was liking Sirius more and more. It seemed that both of them were fond of pulling pranks, both were exceptionally gifted in Transfiguration, and they even liked the same Quidditch team.

Their pleasant afternoon was punctured only by the arrival of someone who instantly explained why Sirius disliked his family so much.

The boys were laughing and sharing the candy they had bought from the food cart, and there was talk of playing Exploding Snap with James's deck, when the door opened again.

In entered a tall, thin girl who had dark hair and even darker eyes that James suspected had nothing to do with their color. Accompanying her was a younger girl with blonde hair and a pale complexion. Both were wearing haughty, holier-than-thou expressions.

"Sirius, I've been looking all over for you," the older one said. "I told you Cissy, Lucius, Rodolphus, and I were saving a seat for you down near the front."

The laughter died from Sirius's face at once. "And I told you," he replied indignantly, "that I would rather kiss an acromantula."

Her lip curled at this statement. "How dare you? You should be grateful that I would even consider helping guide you after all the heartache you caused your dear mother. And yet you choose to fraternize with this --" her eyes lingered on James, who she undoubtedly recognized as a Potter, and Remus's shabby robes. "-- filth."

"That's right," Sirius replied coolly. "So you can save your 'guidance' for someone who gives a damn."

A shocked silence fell over the compartment. The older girl stood there furiously for a moment, then said, "Come, Cissy," and left, slamming the door behind her.

For a few minutes no one said anything...

"Who was that, Sirius," Peter asked timidly.

"My cousin Bellatrix and her sister, Narcissa," Sirius said in a deadly tone. "I'm supposed to be setting an example for Narcissa 'cause she's a first year too." He let out a laugh that was more like a bark than anything.

The uncomfortable silence lingered a bit more.

James cleared his throat noisily. "So about that Exploding Snap game."

Sirius gave a very forced smile, his cousins' visit still occupying his mind. "Deal 'em out, mate."

They played several entertaining rounds of cards and were on the verge of starting a betting pool, when Remus's quiet voice took their minds off the game.

"We're nearly there."

Remus was peering out of the window, his pale face reflecting off it.

No one spoke while they each changed into their school robes and packed away their things, and Sirius had taken to pacing his way around the small compartment when the train finally began to slow.

James looked excitedly at his other companions and was a little surprised to see that they did not share his sentiments: Peter looked as though he wanted to vomit, Remus was (if possible) paler than ever, and even Sirius had lost the confident glint in his eye.

James smiled weakly at them all and the train came to a stop.