CHAPTER ONE

~The Invitation~

James Potter

Eleven year old James Potter stretched luxuriously on his Quidditch-patterned bed. He opened his heavy eyelids and contentedly smiled to himself. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and felt around for his black-rimmed glasses. Finding them, he got out of bed and looked into his mirror. His reflection looked back at him.

"Looking good, Potter," he said, grinning at the black-haired, brown-eyed, skinny, rather cute looking kind of boy in the mirror. He picked up his blue-silver comb and ran it through his messy and tangled black hair. He knew this was absolutely pointless since his hair never liked to be sleek and neat, but his mother and father had instructed him to do it every morning.

He sped downstairs and found his parents, Tanesia and Hendrick Potter, sitting down at the enormous, marble breakfast table, having a cup of hot tea and reading the wizard paper, Daily Prophet. He also noticed a thick envelope sitting on top of the smooth surface of the table. Sapphiress, the Potter's large, female and very reliable owl was sitting perched on a piece of wood near the kitchen, munching on some bones. James joined his parents.

"Morning, son," greeted Hendrick Potter, setting down his newspaper to have a look at James. "Combed your hair, I hope?"

"Yes, dad, I did. No need to worry," James answered, laughing.

"You have a letter, too, dear," piped in Tanesia Potter, "from Hogwarts."

"Oh, wow!" exclaimed James, grabbing the thick and heavy envelope. Everyone knew that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was the best wizard school in the whole of England. Eleven year old wizards and witches always receive a letter inviting them to attend. James read the letter aloud:

Dear Mr Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of your new school books and other equipment required. We hope to see you at King's Cross Station, at eleven o'clock on the first of September on Platform nine and three quarters. The Hogwarts Express will be waiting for you there.

Deputy Headmistress,

Professor M. McGonagall.

"When and where will we buy all this stuff?" James asked his mother and father, turning the pages and scanning the equipment list. "Diagon Alley, I s'pose?"

"Yes," answered Mrs Potter. "We might as well go there tomorrow - I still need some Potion Ingredients to make that stove cook all by itself."

"Brilliant," said James excitedly. "I can't wait to get my own wand!"

* * *

Sirius Black

Sirius Black's brown, tawney owl came speeding through the lounge room window and whacked him squarely on the back of the head. He yelled an annoyed "Ouch!", went keeling backwards and landed heavily on his back. He could hear his mother chuckling at him. Drawing back the black curtain that had come across his face - which was his shoulder length hair - he saw his younger brother run in the room, screaming "Whoosh!" as he held a miniature broomstick on one hand. Spotting the letter on the owl's foot, he grabbed it.

"Look! Sirius has got a letter, mum!" he yelled.

"A letter?" Sirius asked, getting up and rubbing his sore elbow. "Give that here then, Jamiel."

"No!" answered his nine year old brother, dancing out of his reach. "If you want it, you have to try and get it!" Then he ran around once more yelling once in a while, "Come and get it, Sirius!"

"Jamiel!" Sirius said threateningly. "Give that here now."

"No!" Jamiel stuck out his tongue.

"Why you little git!"

"Sirius, Jamiel…" Roanna Black said. "Stop bickering and give that letter to Sirius, Jamiel - as it is his. Sirius, don't insult your brother."

Jamiel threw the envelope at Sirius and once again, he got hit in the head. Sirius opened his mouth to mock his brother but he caught his mother's angry glare and he knew that it was a wiser choice to stay quiet and rub his throbbing head without complain.

He began to open the letter and recognised with a funny jolt in the pit of his stomach that it was from the famous Wizardry School.

"Mum! Mum!" he called excitedly. Mrs Black turned to face her skinny son. "I got accepted, mum! I'm going to Hogwarts!"

"Oh, well done, dear!" Mrs Black exclaimed, giving Sirius a cuddle while Jamiel pouted and scowled. "When does the Hogwarts Express pick you up?"

"Um…" Sirius looked over the page, "eleven o'clock on the first of September." He finally answered.

How come he gets to go?" his brother asked sulkily. "Sirius always gets to do fun stuff."

Sirius grabbed his little brother and ruffled his identical black hair. "I know I do, Jamiel," he said. "See, they know who's smart and who's not. Therefore, I'm the smart one, and, well, you're the dumb one." He grinned at Jamiel, ruffling his already knotted hair.

"Muuuuum!"

"Don't listen to your brother, dear, he's only joking –"

"No I'm not!" Sirius cried innocently.

"Anyway," Mrs Black continued, ignoring Sirius, "We'll bring you with us to Diagon Alley when we buy his school things. You'll like it there." Then she sighed. "Your father would have been very happy, you know Sirius," Mrs Black turned to him, eyes slowly welling up with tears, "he used to love Hogwarts too."

* * *

Remus Lupin

"Are you sure you want to go, Remus? I'm just a bit concerned, sweetie…you know what happens every month - what if some people caught you? What if - what if, you bit somebody?"

"Mum," Remus Lupin sighed exasperatedly, "Nobody will find out what I am. Look," he showed his mother the letter, "Dumbledore's got it all planned out -"

"Dumbledore?" Mrs Lupin interrupted, looking puzzled. "Who's Dumbledore?"

"The Hogwarts Headmaster, mum," Remus explained impatiently. It wasn't that he was mad, it was just that he had explained this to her countless times before.

"Oh! That Dumbledore."

"Here, read the letter…go on…" Remus passed the piece of parchment to his mother and she began to read aloud:

Dear Mr and Mrs Lupin,

Your son, Mr Remus Lupin, has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are aware of his situation but we assure you that he will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts - as so will other students - on the hands of Albus Dumbledore. A magical tree will be planted on the school grounds for the use of your son. He shall be brought there every month by our matron, Madam Pomfrey. There, he is to stay alone until he is safe. We ask you not to worry about him - he will be well cared for at school.

If you wish to send Remus to Hogwarts, please send us an owl by the 28th of July saying so. An equipment list and a Hogwarts Express ticket has been enclosed with this letter.

Deputy Headmistress,

M. McGonagall

"See mum?" Remus said gently, placing a hand on his mother's arm. "They've got it all planned out and I'll be able to go to school!""Well, I suppose we'd better send them an owl then," sighed Mrs Lupin. "Go and ask your father for Oscar - we can use him."

Letting out a whoop of joy, Remus ran outside to the garden where his father was persuading the pesky gnomes to leave his vegetable patch alone.

"Dad?"

Mr Lupin turned around and heaved a sigh. "They're wrecking the whole place, honestly," he said. "I've already sprayed some Wally Wasfast's Gnome No More Garden Solution but they just won't go!"

"Er…" Remus said, wondering what to say. "Maybe if you try another brand?"

"Maybe…"

"Anyway, dad," Remus said, wanting to change the subject, "can I borrow Oscar? Mum wants to send a letter to Hogwarts to say that I can come."

"Hogwarts?" said Mr Lupin. "Oh, I see! You've been accepted, have you? Okay, then, well, Oscar's just upstairs having a nap…you can go wake him up - mind you, he hasn't had a job for ages."

* * *

Peter Pettigrew

"Peter!" called Mrs Pettigrew sternly. "You have an owl!"

"Peter's got an owl, Peter's got an owl," chorused the twins, Tammy and Tommy.

"I-I do?" Peter Pettigrew stammered. "Who from?"

"I don't know!" his mother threw up her hands in frustration. "Maybe if you open it, it'll say."

"Oh-oh…right," Peter said, embarrased. He grabbed the letter from his mother and started to open it with trembling hands.

"Read it then, boy!" his father barked.

"Okay," Peter unfolded the pieces of parchment and saw a neat and loopy handwriting in emerald ink. He read, "D-dear Mr Pettigrew, we are p-please to inform you, that you have been-been accepted to Hogwarts S-school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He stopped and gulped.

"Accepted to what?" Tammy asked out loud.

"Shut up, Tammy!" their father snapped. "Keep reading, Peter!"

"Okay then…erm… Please f-find enclosed a-a list of your new school books and other equipment re-required." Peter kept reading and stammering and finally he looked up from the letter to meet the annoyed faces of his parents. Since they said nothing, he decided to say something himself - which took a lot courage. "So-so, can I go then?"

"Suppose you should," said his mother, scowling at him.

"Can we buy my school things tomorrow?"

"I guess."

"Can you dr-drop me off at the Station?"

"Alright, already!" growled his father.

Yes, thought Peter happily. I won't have to put up with my family for a whole year! Peter never liked his family. They were always mean and unkind to him; treating him like some slimy worm that they were tempted them to squash. That's what caused him to stutter so badly. But it was his family. He could do nothing about that. And if he could, he would.