Chapter 1: The Journey to Hogwarts
The compartment door slid open. This was the only space left on the Hogwarts Express, and she intended to take it. Hauling her hand luggage in, she beckoned the boy behind her to join her inside. It was only then she noticed she wasn't alone. Two other boys, both new first years like her, had already gotten comfortable there. One of the boys turned their head towards the door. She started. The boy had jet black hair, which was so messy she had to hold back from attacking it with a hairbrush, round glasses and muddy brown eyes. James Potter stood up, and offered the girl a hand.
"Here, let me take it."
"I'm fine thanks," She insisted, and heaved it up onto the luggage rack. Finally with one last, almighty shove, the trunk rested on the railings, and she collapsed into the seat, expelling a great sigh. James drank in every detail of her. Something about her just made him go weak at the knees, and his stomach felt like it was knotted into a million knots. He had never seen anyone like her. She had red, long hair, flowing like a waterfall, yet blazing as if it was on fire. Her lips were plump and rosey pink, and looked so kissable, he had to resist from placing his mouth on hers. She had a cute, button nose, which set of her face nicely, but it wasn't any of these features that had captured James' attention. No, it was her eyes. Although completely clean of make-up, they looked as if they were outlined in a soft gray pencil. She had long, larger than life eyelashes, which almost matched the colour of James' hair. And the pupils! They stared at you with such intensity, you felt as if she was watching your every move, and they seemed to glow green, like emeralds. The boy she was with, however, seemed sullen enough for the pair of them. He had long, dark, greasy hair which matched his coal black eyes. His nose was long and crooked, and his skin sallow and olive in colour. James allowed himself a small chuckle, as he wondered if he might be a vampire. The boy across from him was already in the compartment when James entered. He had wildly out of control chocolate brown hair, which seemed to spiral of at every opportunity. James did not see most of his face. He had his entire figure shifted towards the window, watching as hedge after hedge, cow after cow, sped past them. Time passed in a strained silence. The girl seemed to be upset over something, or someone as she kept referring to a Tuney, but the boy she came with seemed determined to cheer her up. He struck up a conversation about Hogwarts with her. She didn't seem to know a lot about it, and the boy appeared to be filling her in on most aspects. She must be a muggle-born, thought James. The discussion soon turned to the four houses of Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. James, who had not paid any attention to them whatsoever whipped around at the boys next words. The curly haired boy also seemed to have more of an interest in the conversation.
"You'd better be in Slytherin." The boy said brightly, with a keen smile on his face. James was appalled that he would say such a thing, especially to this girl, this vibrant, amazing girl.
"Slytherin?" James was aware he came across a little haughty taughty, and well cared for, but he couldn't help it. The girl made him want to impress her in every way possible. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James directed this next question to the curly haired boy sitting across from him, aware he had taken a sudden interest in the conversation.
"My whole family have been in Slytherin." He said. He wasn't smiling. James was taken aback by this.
"Blimey, and I thought you seemed all right!" James hated Slytherins, more than anyone else he knew. He was a proud Gryffindor, as had been his father before him, and his father before him, and his father before him and so on. The curly hair boy looked at him and grinned.
"Maybe I'll break the tradition." He seemed more than happy to do so. "Where you heading, if you've got the choice?" James, always one for the dramatics, mimed drawing out a sword and lifted it high above his head.
"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad." He mimed placing the sword back in his sheath and then sat back down on the seat. The Slytherin boy made a small, disparaging noise, as if disapproving of his choice of house. James turned to him, his eyes blazing, ready to challenge him. "Got a problem with that?" He asked him.
"No." He said, his long crooked noise more prominent than ever. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-" James had risen from his seat, disgusted with the boy, ready to attack him, when the curly haired boy cut across him, and stopped James from harming him.
"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" He interjected, and watched the boy's face drop into one of malice and anger. James, on the other hand, roared with laughter, so hard that he had to sit down again and double over, his hands clutching his stomach. The girl looked at the two boys in disgust. She seemed to be deciding that she disliked the pair of them, as, rather flushed, she made to leave the compartment.
"Come on Severus, let's find another compartment." So that was his name. The girl and Severus heaved her trunk down from the luggage rack and carried the weight together, as they stumbled down the train.
"Ooooooo…." James and the boy called after them, and grinned at each other, imitating her lofty voice. James tried to trip Severus as he passed, and the boy shouted behind them,
"See ya, Snivellus!" He called, as the compartment door swung shut. James leant forward to hi-five the boy and they grinned at each other, their laughter ebbing away. James stuck out his hand to the boy.
"James Potter." He said, still grinning like a mad man.
"Sirius, Sirius Black." The boy said, grabbing his hand and shaking it wildly.
"Black? Blimey, so that's why your family have all been in Slytherin…" James said, realising that Sirius came from one of the oldest pure-blood families ever to exist.
"I've never gotten on well with my family. I guess I'm just… different. My younger brother Regulus, he fits in perfectly with them, all interested in the dark arts and ready to follow You-Know-Who in a second. But I just don't think that's the right way to live, you know?"
"Yeah. I knew you'd be all right" James said with an air of distinction. "Who knows, the Sorting Hat might even place you in Gryffindor with me!"
"What makes you so sure you'll be in Gryffindor?" Sirius asked
"My whole family have. And unlike you, I don't want to break the tradition of such a noble house."
"What would you do if you weren't put in Gryffindor?"
"Well I'd probably just come straight back home if I was a Slytherin. Ravenclaw might be all right, it's the next best thing. But…"
"Anything but Hufflepuff!" They both chimed in together. It was a wonderful feeling, being with Sirius, and James knew he had found his lifelong best friend. They talked about all sorts, Quidditch, Hogwarts, Quidditch, lessons, Quidditch, wizard wrock bands, Quidditch, their families, and Quidditch. It was a while before they realised it had grown dark outside, and that they would be there soon. They pulled on their school robes, both black emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest. James looked out the window as the halted in the Hogsmeade train station, and clambered out into the night air. A man, taller, much taller than any average man was standing on the platform, beckoning people over.
"Firs' years this way. Firs' years! Yeah you, yer a firs' year aren't yeh."
James realised the man was talking to him and called to Sirius. Together they made their way over to the man, and stood in the cold September night, watching their fellow classmates surround them. Out of the corner of his eyes he spotted the girl's fiery hair, and looked at her. She was still with that boy Severus, and they were struggling to take her trunk of the train.
"Be back in a sec." He called to Sirius, and he clambered over to them.
"Here, let me take it for you." He offered his hand to take the trunk off the girl, but she pulled a horrified face and yanked it away from him.
"I wouldn't accept your help if you were the last man on Earth." She spat at him, and shoved it off the train and carried it over to the giant man. James was left standing there, disbelief spattered all over his face, as he watched the girl practically sprint away from him. She probably would have, had she not had that trunk. James pivoted on the spot and walked over to join Sirius. He was laughing at him.
"Don't waste your time mate, girls like that, they're just not worth it."
James nodded, still shocked at his dismissal, and turned to have one last look at the girl. She was easy to spot, her red hair stood out like a blazing inferno amongst the mundane brown and blonde hair that surrounded them. She really was amazing, unlike any girl he had ever seen. He had to tear his gaze away from her when he noticed Severus staring at him with such intense hatred. James frowned, wondering how anyone could be so hostile. He trudged along as they started to walk, following the man to the lake.
"Hello students, my name is Hagrid. I'm the keeper of keys and grounds 'ere at Hogwarts. I'll be taking yeh all to the lake, and yeh'll be taking the boats in. Firs' years need to wait before they get sorted. Now follow me, everyone, mind yeh're step! You're almost there. Oh! I almost forgot. Welcome, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"