The early rays of sunlight fell unto the Black's home of 12 Grimmauld Place. The muggles next door were unaware of the screaming match between 16 year-old Sirius Black and his mother in their lavishly decorated foyer.

"I've never wanted to be a part of this family anyway!" Sirius shouted as he aimed a stunning curse towards his mother. Mischievous, reckless, brave, and a Gryffindor, Sirius was the opposite of his Slytherin family. He had dealed with his mother's torturous, controlling attitude for too long.

"That's fine, because I haven't wanted you either!" Walburga Black shreieked as she deflected Sirius's curse with a flick of her wand. Walburga's graying hair was pulled back into a loose, frizzy bun. Her usual cold, cruel looking expression was now livid with anger.

A large vase behind Sirius shattered into hundreds of pieces with a crash. His mother's counter-curse has missed him by barely an inch.

Sirius let out a mocking laugh. "Ha! You stupid old bat, you can't even curse proper-" Bang! Thin, twisting cords shot out of Walburga's wand and wrapped around Sirius's body. He fell to the floor with a thud. Sirus' mother laughed cruelly.

"You were always to thick-headed to ever learn to duel properly! You have no idea how ashamed I am of calling you my son, you terrible treacherous boy! Sirius Black, heir to the ancient and most noble House of Black, socializing with filthy Mudbloods! Do you find it amusing to bring shame to our pure family? Do you? DO YOU?"

Walburga was screaming louder than ever. Her eyes were bulging and her face was flushed a deep shade of red. Sirius could feel the body-binding curse wear off.

"Could never be like the rest of us!" she panted, "Could never become a Slytherin, and be how a real pure-blood child should be! You could never be a decent son!" she shrieked.

"I'd rather give up magic than become what you consider 'decent'!" Sirius shot back as he stood up. "I will never support pure-blood elitism! Ever! Everyone knows there are no pure-bloods left! But you just can't handle the truth can you? Can't handle that you're blood is as far from pure as any other Muggle-born wizard!" There was a silence, and Sirius could tell he won. His mothers face was twisted with rage, her teeth were bared and her fists were balled up. She was trembling with anger. "Touched a nerve there, didn't I mother?" Sirius said calmly. Her anger exploded.

"GET OUT, GET OUT! I WILL NOT HAVE YOU DISGRACE THIS FAMILY ANY LONGER!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. And then, in one fluid motion, she spun around to the wall which listed the Black's family tree, pointed her wand at Sirius's name, and blasted it off with an angry scream, as Sirius walked out the front door.

***

"Oi! Padfoot!" exclaimed James as he opened the door. 15-year-old James Potter was smiling broadly and, as usual, his black hair was sticking up in all directions.

Sirius grinned. "Who'd you expected James? Lily perhaps?"

James's face fell into a frown.

"Perhaps you should get inside before I slam this door on your face."

"Oh alright, since you said it so politely." Sirius stepped inside. From what he could see from the dim firelight he was in a welcoming-looking room with beige walls that included a few comfortable-looking maroon sofas and a throw rug with the Gryffindor symbol on it.

As James closed the door behind him he asked, "Not that I dislike you, but what are you doing here anyways?" Sirius's happy expression quickly turned solemn.

"I did it Prongs. I walked out."

James's face flicked with surprise. "Really?"

Sirius nodded.

"You walked out - just like that?" James asked, looking quite impressed.

"Yeah." Sirius said. He was starting to feel uncomfortable at James's gaping. Sirius wasn't really up to talking about the fiasco that happened earlier that day at 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius glanced down at the floor and asked awkwardly, "Listen, James – do you think I can maybe …err… stay here for a while?"

"Well of course Padfoot. My home is your home." James said in a tone of obviousness.

Siruis was surprised at the quick answer. "Are you sur-?"

"Yes." said James in a tone of finality, nodding.

"Wow… Thanks Prongs," Sirius flashed a grateful smile. "You're great."

James shrugged.

"I know," he said. Then he yawned, stretched his arms above his head and rumpled his hair again. "Now let's get to bed," he said, "I'm exhausted, and we'll need our energy to cause mayhem at Hogwarts tomorrow." Sirius's face lit up with a mischievous smile.

"Well said, Prongs."

***

The muggles at King's Cross Train station were surprised and perplexed to see two teenagers – one with messy black hair that stood up all over, and one with very dark brown hair that fell casually – sprinting at top speed across the station, only to disappear somewhere in the crown between platforms nine and ten.

"Hurry, James!" called Sirius to James. They were only twenty steps away to the Hogwarts Express entrance way. Suddenly, James' footsteps stopped. Sirius spun around quizzically. James was standing unnaturally still in mid-stride, his arms pumped up and his mouth frozen open in a pant. James swayed on the spot, and Sirius caught him just before his head hit the floor. Sirius felt a hot anger boil up inside him. "Snivellus," he growled and turned his head around to see Severus Snape's gleeful face sticking out the window, only to pull back in when he saw Sirius glaring at him.

Sirius glanced up at the clock and groaned. He had thirty seconds to drag James (who was about the same size of Sirius) to the train. Sirius panicked, mentally running through all the things he could do. He found nothing. So he screamed, "DAMN YOU SNIVELLUS! NEXT TIME I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, I'LL KILL YOU!" Some students on the train laughed. Sirius hoped Severus was scared.

All of a sudden, a boy with wispy, light brown hair bounded off the bus. Sirius recognized his shabby grey robes.

"Remus!"

"Come on, let's get him on the train!" Remus said. Sirius and Remus each lifted up one of James's arms and They carried him to the train. The students began to cheer wildly. When they stepped onto the train, they quickly set James down. A crowd of students surrounded them. "Is James all right?" asked a frantic second-year Gryffindor who was obviously in love with James.

"Yes he'll be fine," said Sirius as he pulled out his wand. Remus did the same. "Now please excuse me. I need to meet with a certain slime ball. And please look after James while we're gone."

The students made a path for Sirius and Remus. They walked down to Snape's compartment and slammed open the sliding door. Snape was standing up with his wand pointed at them. He had been expecting them.

"Stupefly!" Suddenly, Remus fell to the floor. He had been knocked out.

"Incarcerous!" Sirius yelled. Instantly, thin ropes burst out the tip of Sirius's wand and wrapped around Snape's body. Snape lost balance and fell forwards by Sirius's feet. Sirius was about to kick Snape in the gut, but then a shocked, angry voice said,

"Sirius! What is the meaning of this?" Sirius turned around slowly. Professor McGonogall was standing behind him, looking furious.

"Sorry Professor, but you saw what Sniv- er, Severus did to James-"

"Yes I did Sirius, but you do not have the right to punish students!"

"But-,"

"Not buts. You and Severus will serve detention tomorrow. Be in my office at five o' clock sharp."

"Yes Professor," Sirius murmured glumly. Professor McGonogall nodded, and then flicked her wand. The ropes binding Severus disappeared instantly. He stood up hastily and pointed his finger at Sirius,

"Proffesor! He-he used a body-bind curse against me! He should be punished!"

"And you used a petrificus curse against another student," said McGonogall smoothy, "So you will also receive detention with Sirius."

"What?" he snapped. But then he quickly said, "Er, of course Professor,"

"Now Mr. Black and Snape, please put yourselves to good use, and carry Remus over to the hospital compartment. I trust you know where to find it."

They both nodded slowly. Profesor McGonogall nodded, then turned around and walked out of the compartment.

Sirius picked up Remus from under the arms. Snape glared at him.

"Well come on then Snivellus. Or should I call McGonogall back here?"

Snape reluctantly picked up Remus's legs, all though he looked like he would rather not be touching him at all. Together, they shuffled out into the hallway and started towards the hospital compartment.

"Thought you'd get away with that, didn't you Snivellus?" Sirius whispered, aware of the curious students walking by. "You're gonna pay for this one,"

"I'm terrified," Snape sneered. "Maybe for once you won't be scared to try to duel me one on one, but of course, you always need your measly friends around to back you up."

You want to duel one on one?" Sirius snapped, "Fine. Meet me at the Whomping Willow after the sorting ceremony,"

"Keep your voice down," Snape hissed as two students stopped talking to listen. When they passed by them, Snape smirked. "Wonderful. I'll meet you there."

Sirius and Snape entered the hospital compartment. Two white beds were there, and James was lying awkwardly on one, still frozen in a running position.

"Another one?" shrieked Madame Pomfrey, throwing her hands up.

"He was stunned," Sirius mumbled as Madame Pomfrey took Remus and laid him in the other bed. Sirius looked at James's frozen body with concern.

"Will James be all right?"

"Yes, yes, he'll be fine," she snapped as she rummaged through a drawer for an antidote. "I'm just missing some Anti-Petrificus drops. I'll take care of James as soon as we arrive in Hogwarts." She glared at Snape and Sirius with annoyance. "Well, off you go!" she snapped. Snape and Sirius quickly shared a hateful glance before Snape turned and walked back to his compartment. Sirius walked the opposite way and chose a random compartment.

He slid open the door, and sitting on the seats were Cassiopeia Brachion, a fifth-year Ravenclaw, Randall Johnson, a seventh-year year Hufflepuff, and, to Sirius's annoyance, Peter Pettigrew, a sixth-year Gryffindor like Sirius.

"Oh h-hi Sirius," said Peter, "Where is everyone else?"

"James has been petrified and Remus is stunned,"

"How did that happen?" asked Cassiopeia timidly.

"Snivellus decided to petrify James, and Remus got stunned when we went to go kick Snivellus's a-"

"So you gonna teach Snape a lesson?" interrupted Randall.

"Well yeah," said Sirius in an annoyed voice. He didn't want to mention the duel between him and Snape. He was sure he would win, but he decided not to say anything, just in case.

The train stopped at Hogsmeade station. Hogsmeade was the only community in Britian that had magic-only residents. Sirius, Cass, Randall, and Peter sat in one of the hoseless carriages that would take them to Hogwarts. When they arrived, they all shuffled into the Great Hall.

"Hey, Sirius!" Sirius turned around and saw Remus running towards him.

"Hey Remus, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, but James is still stunned. I hope he won't miss the opening ceremony,"

"Oh, don't worry Remus, we'll get Snivellus soon enough," Sirius spat loudly. Some students tittered. The students at the Slytherin table glared dangerously.

"What are you playing at?" Remus whispered in an annoyed tone. "Do you want them to curse us?"

"I'm just fooling around Remus. They won't do anything."

"They're Slytherins, Sirius. I strongly advise you don't agitate them any further."

"Okay, fine," said Sirius wearily. He shot one last glare at the Slytherins before sitting down at the Gryffindor table.