"Honey, I think someone's at the door." Too early in the morning, Richard Potter mumbled.
His wife swung her legs over the side of the bed and rubbed her eyes, only taking a few seconds to be in a state to function. She put on her dressing gown and it billowed behind her as she went down the stairs. She turned on the entrance light and the one outside the front door to illuminate the guest, but she had to squint at them when she opened the door while she adjusted to the light. When she recognised their guest she was wide awake.
"What are you doing here?" Emily Potter was all enraged, nostalgic and disappointed.
"Please, i have nowhere else to go." She pleaded.
"I have a son now Claire, you can't be coming around to my house! You've made your choices pretty clear."
"Emily, I.. I've been naive. I've made mistakes and they are mine but he changed. I don't even recognise him anymore. I have no one else, you've got to help us."
"Us?" As she had said the words a sleeping baby was thrust at her from under her unwanted guest's arms. At the sudden movement it awoke and started to cry. Emily just looked at her old friends pleading eyes then looked away.
At the commotion Richard followed his wife's footsteps and joined her at the door but didn't get to say a word before Emily ended the meeting.
"I'm sorry Claire. I really am." Their eyes didn't meet again. Claire tried to beg her former friend to reconsider but she had already closed the door by then. Emily walked straight past her husband and up the stairs. Mr Potter looked at the shadow through the hazed window in the front door but knew it was not his place to object to his wife's decision. They had all gone to school together but he wasn't as close to her as his wife was. He walked up to their bedroom expecting to find her sitting there but she wasn't in sight. He walked down the narrow hallway to one of the spare bedrooms which had been converted into his son's nursery and found her standing still just gazing into the crib. Richard took a spot beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder and slowly slid it down her arm to pull her closer to him. He looked at his son's sleeping face and couldn't help a small smile.
"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him." He didn't expect her to speak.
"And if it were something I'd done.." She started crying and Richard tried to pull her into a hug.
She pulled away. "She wanted us to take that thing in! We warned her! We begged with her and what treatment did we get?" She looked at her husband with pleading eyes but he didn't know what to say.
"I mean, why did she even keep it? I don't even want to know what was going through her head." She threw her arms up in frustration and sat on the big chair she used for lulling their son James to sleep.
"I spent years letting her walk over me. I was the one that had to clean up whatever mess she got herself into. This is right isn't it?" She spoke to the floor but Richard knelt down in front of her.
"I will stand by you with whatever your decisions may be but I don't want you to carry guilt around for them. We can pray to Merlin for them if you want but you need to promise me here and now that this is what you want or you walk out that door and bring them back."
Emily wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at her husband.
"I promise."

11 years later.

"James you're as bad as your father." Distraught and frantic, Emily Potter was running around the house trying to piece together the puzzle of preparing her son for his schooling at Hogwarts and sorting out her husband for work.

"Honey have you seen my shoes?" Richard stood at the foot of the stairs looking as puzzled as his son.
"I haven't. Have you tried looking where you took them off when you last wore them?" She said as she hurried into the kitchen.
"James! What are doing still in your pyjamas? Quick go get dressed! Between you and your father we're never going to get out of here!"

The whole family arrived at 10.30am at Kings cross station although Emily was acting as if it was 10.59am.
"James come on!" She grabbed her son's hand and pulled him to a pace as fast as hers.
"Emily slow down, we've got plenty of time, just relax." Mr Potter always knew what to say and James gave him a quick smile of appreciation for that.

All together they passed through the gateway of 9 ¾ and the parents laughed at the gasp of their son. They walked down the platform together more reminiscent than anything else.
Mr Potter was remembering the first time he saw the Hogwarts express and was so in awe of it that he walked into the back of a very grouchy old wizard. He faintly laughed, but Mrs Potter on the other hand had a quite different memory play out in front of her. She remembered the first time she met her former best friend.
She saw the small blonde girl walking through the crowd of people with her nose in a book. She remembered laughing at her one moment then suddenly she was gone. Emily rushed over to where she saw the girl and saw her on the floor of the platform, books all around her. Picking them up in a stack she then leant over to help her up. The girl looked terrified and Emily just laughed at her again. This seemed to relax her and they got on the train together. The whistle of the humongous train blew and pulled her back into reality seeing a lot of children's faces out the windows waving to their parents.
Richard took James' trunk to get loaded onto the train while Emily took a moment to say goodbye.
"You know you can come home at anytime if you want to.. and we'll come and pick you up night or day,"
James just laughed at his mother.
"I know Mum,"
"And focus on your studies, don't get into too much mischief!" Her son just gave her a smile to that.
"But have fun, James, Hogwarts holds some of my and your Dad's best memories, I hope you make some great ones too." She pulled her son into a tight hug.
"I love you sweetie. Promise me you'll take care of yourself," She started tearing up at the thought of waking up in the mornings without her son or having to make his breakfast even.
"I love you too Mum, but you're crushing me."
"OH! I'm sorry James," She sniffled as Richard rejoined them at the train.
"Well you better get on son, don't want it to leave without you,"
"Yeah, well I guess I'll see you in the holidays."
"Look after yourself." He just put his hand on James shoulder, squeezed it then let go and James stepped onto the train.

James had the confidence of his father. He was proud of his heritage and loved having a laugh but also stood up for himself and his family. Walking down the train he looked into various compartments seeing friendships commencing and boundaries being made clear between the 1st years and all the other years above. The first years stood out, being the only ones not in their Hogwarts uniform on the train which caught James' eye. In a door on the left side of the train was a reflection of a boy trying not to laugh while James walked down the aisle. Confused he looked around and there it was. Classic. Almost working from the front of "Mischief 101"; The trip and drop.
Somewhere along here there should be an almost invisible wire. He spotted it and kicked up his step over the top of it. Landing on the other side the boy in the reflection's grin dropped in disappointment.
"Hey! How did you know that was there?" He questioned James
"You might need to work on the invisibility charm, doesn't hurt to double the boost you know?" The boy nodded and laughed along with James and he stuck his hand out for him.
"I'm James Potter by the way."
"Sirius Black, pleasure to meet you." Not sooner than the boys releasing their grip did they hear a yell and a thud coming from the hallway. Their eyes widened at the same time and turned in a split second, heads out of the doorway to see a slightly chubby 11 year old face down and his trousers stuck to the wire tangled around his ankles. The boys had a second shock before they started cracking up and gasping for air like the rest of the students in surrounding compartments. Sirius and James tried to break out of the fit but couldn't. Luckily for them a mousey brown haired, worried boy walked down the corridor to their victim and helped him up. The poor lad was released from the sticky charm but still retained a tomato red face looking at the two boys in front of him.
"Oh I'm so sorry mate; we got distracted and forgot to disable the trap." Sirius still said with a smile on his face.
"Oh that's ok.. I'm usually falling over something, somewhere anyway." He spoke quietly but still audibly and James gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder.
"Why don't you come in here and sit with us.. uhh,"
"Peter."
"...Peeeeter, Yes come here, least we can do." The three boys sat down, the first two still smiling, half at the success of the prank, half at the find of hopefully two new friends. They all looked to the doorway again which had the boy that helped peter up in the hallway.
"Uhm... everywhere else is kind of uhm.. full, do you mind?" He had worry in his eyes but none of the boys seemed to care.
"Sure, The more the better. What's your name?"
"Remus, Remus Lupin."

At the other end of the train, past the older students of every house came the older Slytherins. A quite tall, white blonde boy was sitting with his arm over the top of the cushioned chair and his feet stretched out and over the other side of it. 3 other boys and 2 girls were also in the compartment, all the boys supporting dark hair, pale faces and cold expressions. The girl who matched all the boy's ages had dark red hair and wore a face that said she owned the space. The girl remaining was the only one out of uniform and was considerably younger than all the other occupants of the booth. She sat counting the threads that had come out of the shallow cushion covering the base of the overhead storage space. Her fellow companions were talking but it just sounded like annoying numb fuzz in her head. The tall blonde one nudged her and laughed. She sighed and looked over to him to see him grinning at his 'buds'.
"This is going to be the year Evelyn. The year it all starts, there's nothing but up and I see a dark sky ahead." The boys sniggered and she just stood up to reach her bag.
"Here, allow me." He stood up almost a second after she did and didn't even reach his full arm length to get the bag down from its place. He smirked as he passed the bag to her.
"Come off it Lucius. I may be at Hogwarts now but that doesn't mean I wish to see anymore of you then I already have to." It was the first time she spoke on the ride and pushed past him after she did.

A Bathroom would suffice but she really just wanted a compartment to herself. She had no siblings and was used to having no one to communicate with. It didn't bother her and she really had no intention of going out of her way to change her habits. She didn't look any different to the other members of the group she had just come from; she had thin short hair that only touched her shoulders which, with the light complexion made her look a little gaunt but she really never was a kid who played in the sun. She had only ever lived with her Dad. Her brown eyes she assumed she got from her mother because her father's looked as black as her hair. She had no memories of her supposed mother. Her father told her she was abandoned at birth and she saw no real point in trying to find answers from a woman who didn't want a role in her theatrical production. She was excited to be at Hogwarts though. Evelyn Usher was always trying to decide on definite feelings and thoughts in her head. She may not have riveting conversations with other magical beings but the things racing about within her mind were entertainment enough for her. She had been preparing for her stay at Hogwarts ever since she could remember. Learning magic, proper language, control and behaviour. The only other people she came into contact with were her Father's friends and their children, never any close to her age so they were all she had to learn off for interaction with others.

Evelyn walked down the corridor of the train bewildered by the noise. She felt a little pathetic. She was hoping being here would give her a chance to learn how to embrace a childhood even though she would never admit out loud or to her father for that matter. All of the bathrooms had been engaged on her walk along the length of the steam train and she was beginning to get to the other end of it. She walked past a few compartments looking in to observe the other students in her year. While looking to the left she jumped at a loud bellowing laugh coming from the right. She stopped and looked in to find 4 boys slapping their legs, stomping their feet and faces going red with laughter. Looking closer one of the taller boys with glasses and black hair was still telling a story that seemed to be the source of the excitement. She thought hard to try and think of a time she laughed like that and couldn't. It made her angry and she just resumed her search.

"Hey did you see that?" Remus looked at the compartment door. "I thought I saw someone."
"Well we are on a train full of people Remus; it'd be weird if you didn't see someone." Sirius Black responded. He got up and opened the door just to see the back of some first year girl disappearing into a compartment and shut his door again.
"Just a girl."

The four boys were almost the last to get a boat for the voyage to the main castle. By the time they reached the top of the main hall, a tall lady was opening the doors to let all the first years in. Sirius Black was looking around to the sea of people just staring at them all. He looked in front of him and saw Peter fidgeting. Remus was fascinated by the enchanted ceiling above them. He suspected Remus wasn't from a strong pure-blooded family like he and James were, just in the comfort when they spoke about magic and their lifestyle. James looked like a dork with a big grin on his face walking down the centre of the hall; Sirius took a silent sigh of relief to just be in contact with other wizards. The main teacher that let them in introduced herself as Professor McGonagall and said some welcome speech he didn't listen. She started calling students up to the front to get sorted into a house, named after each of the founders. He was torn. In his heart and mind he knew he wanted to be anywhere but Slytherin; but If he wasn't placed in it, he knew the family would have his head.
"Mary Bickford" 3 minutes, Hufflepuff
"Claude Bines" 4 minutes, Hufflepuff
"Wyatt Bishop" 1.5 minutes, Slytherin
"Sirius Black" 6 minutes, long conversation, to and fro. Gryffindor.

He couldn't remember a time of more relief. It gave him the strength to not care about his family for once. This was what was meant to happen for him.
The event rolled on pretty quickly, and Sirius found himself getting into it. Every time a new Gryffindor was founded he would cheer and welcome them with everyone else. He cheered especially hard when all the friends he met on the train were sorted into the house of bravery as well.

"Evelyn Usher."
"Hey Sirius, is that the girl that I saw on the train?" Remus leaned over to ask him.
"Yeeep."
"Thought so."

The old sorting hat didn't seem to take long to make up his mind. It was placed on her head, let out a grunt, and yelled Slytherin.
There were cheers from the table the most further away from theirs and she sat down next to a place made for her by an older boy. He believed his name was Lucius Malfoy. He had been over for dinner at his house once or twice for a pure-blooded gathering. He was so full of himself. Sirius was glad he was put in the house where he belonged and not the one that was programmed for him in his bloodline.

The feast was like no other. It really was the best welcome. James and Peter sat opposite Sirius and Remus and they joked around like friends that had known each other for years.

"Alright, alright, First time I accidently did magic was at home. My mother had made my favourite; Touli fruit Pie. Of course I wasn't allowed any before breakfast, I was 4 at the time mind you; and I summoned it somehow. Not just one though, got the whole plate over to my playpen." James started laughing
"I remember the look on my mother's face when she came down stairs seeing the pie she had made for Grandma all over my face. We have a photograph of it in the sitting room, I have the biggest grin on my face and it is covered with purple juice here to here." James put one of his hands at the top of his forehead and one under his chin and the others laughed. They had chosen their beds in the 1st boy's dormitories on the right. When they walked in the door Peter's was the first. Then James, Sirius and Remus going around the circular room anti-clockwise. They were lucky enough to get the smallest dorm in the Gryffindor building, only housing 5 beds; the last one remained empty. Remus had moved next to Peter on James' bed to sit across from Sirius and James on Sirius' bed and even though were advised to go to bed early for the first day of school stayed up almost all night getting to know each other, exchanging stories and realising the interests they shared.

Contrasting the warm building of Gryffindor tower, the Slytherins were down in the cold dungeons catching up with one another. The head prefect was a 7th year girl but Evelyn didn't catch her name. She was telling the 1st years to remember the way they were walking to the dungeons because it's the most far from the great hall of all the house common rooms. The password was dragonroot behind a painting of an old grouchy man. It's going to be a pleasure dealing with him every day. Most of the older years stayed in the downstairs area to keep talking while all of the first years went up to pick their rooms. Evelyn chose the last dormitory on the left and found 4 girls already making connections with each other. She got the only bed left which was 2nd on the left from the door she walked in. All of her things were already arranged on her bed and in a dresser in between her bed and the one directly across from the door into the room. She knelt down, opened the door and sighed. Taking all the contents out one by one, refolding them and arranging them the way she had them at home. All 3 of the girls on her right were looking at her when she stood up again.

"Why did you do that? You a freak or something?" The one in the middle of the three asked her. She had blonde hair that was quite long and tied back.
"I'm not a freak. I just like my things to be organised. One should take pride in their presentation whether it be for others or themselves." Her father's rulebook might have been a little strict but she did prefer her things this way now.

"I'll take that as a yes to the freak then." The other two girls laughed at her reply; the girl on Evelyn's other side hadn't made a sound.

"What are your names?" Evelyn ignored the response to why she rearranged her things and decided to keep the interaction going.
"I'm Parker, and this is Jeanette and Anke." She pointed out Jeanette as the one near the door and Anke, the one in the bed next to Evelyn's. Anke had dark skin and big brown eyes; she was quite attractive and was the shortest out of the three. Jeanette had lighter brown hair then Anke's and had ordinary features; glasses that suited her.

"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Evelyn Usher. I'm a Cancer and my birth date is the 8th of July. I like history and charms and my favourite colour is red."

"Ok you are seriously weird. Just stay out of our way and we'll be fine; alright?" Parker was still the one speaking and walked into the bathroom after she spoke. The bathroom door was in between her bed and Anke's and divided the room.
Evelyn showed no reaction and turned back around to put away the things that were on her bed.
"You don't even need to bother with her." The last girl closest to the door next to Evelyn spoke for the first time but didn't look at her, just laid on her bed looking at the top of her four poster bed.
"Pardon?"
"I went to grade school with her. She's a snob. Be best to just not acknowledge her." She remained in her position.
"I'll take your word for it." Evelyn stood still looking at the girl after she spoke.
"What's your name?" The girl's skin was tanned, but not as dark as Anke's. She had waves in her hair which was a mixture of dark brown and natural blonde. She couldn't place her accent. It sounded European, though when she turned her head to look at Evelyn, she noticed her blue eyes which looked a little odd with her skin colour but made her look quite intriguing.
"Sophia Bucolo." She added a small but noticeable smirk after she said it and turned back to look at the ceiling again.
Italian, of course. Between France, Croatia and Slovenia, beneath Switzerland. Known for its food, particularly pizza and pasta and is in what looks to be the shape of a boot.
Sophia moved again to pull her curtains all around her and from the shadows she had gotten into her bed linen.
Evelyn took that as the end of their conversation and put her pyjamas on.
"Goodnight Evelyn." She heard just as she had gotten onto her bed. She got under the covers and laid on her side towards Sophia.
"Good.. night, Sophia." She picked up her wand from her night stand and pulled her curtains around her with a simple unspoken charm. There were so many things she wanted to learn at Hogwarts and she knew she didn't want to miss anything, but she didn't anticipate social evening rituals to be one of them.