September 1st drove Peter to the brink of tearing his hair out. His Mum hadn't helped matters when she forced him to study the textbooks. Grumbling, he set down An Introduction to Magical Theory and began to read it. That was two hours ago and he was running out of ideas to convince her that he really was studying. His dad was a great help in this regard—telling Dexter the house elf to bring up snacks every fourth minute. Basically, this was how it went until they had to pack up.

'Peter, your owl!' His mum yelled, dragging the bronze owl cage. His dad shuffled besides him, shutting the trunk tightly. They left the house, amidst tearful farewells from Dexter. Peter held his parents' arms firmly. He never wanted to let go—the past month had felt like one of the best days of his life.

So will Hogwarts. A little voice in his head whispered. He wasn't too sure about that, and tried not to think about it as he was swallowed in apparition. His eyes watered momentarily as he adjusted his balance. They walked a fair distance to the entrance of King's Cross and found a trolley for the trunk. Dad pushed it while he and Mum followed closely. They reached the portal, amidst strange looks from other commuters.

He had changed, he knew that much. Peter was no longer stuttering or hesitant in front of his parents. He had got quite used to them, and his dad being very uplifting made him break out of that shell. He wasn't timid, but he wasn't sure if he was weak.

Platform 9 and ¾ bewildered Peter. It amazed him that an entire secret society could be hidden out of plain sight. His dad stopped the trolley in front of the barrier. 'Now Peter, be careful. The wall in front of you swallows boys who have too much sweets to eat.' His mum clucked her tongue.

'That's quite enough, Ric.' She admonished, then said sweetly to Peter. 'We just have to go together through the wall. It's a magical barrier.' Peter closed his eyes as he felt the strange touch of the barrier. When he opened his eyes, the Hogwarts Express shone in scarlet belching thick fumes of smoke. He stared at it for a few seconds before he rushed through other students next to the carriage doors. His parents stood on either side of him helping him lift his belongings up the coach. He turned to look at them.

His throat seemed to have lodged something bitter in between. He needed to tell his parents goodbye, but he couldn't seem to say anything. His mother's eyes looked misty as she kissed him on his cheeks. 'Be good alright?' She said. 'Write to us soon.'

His dad just smiled fondly at him. 'Enjoy Hogwarts, Peter. It's going to be some of the best days of your life. And have fun while you're at it.' Peter couldn't help feeling a little too young when his lips quivered.

'I-I will Dad.' He said, hugging him. 'I'll miss you.'

'I know.' He said. 'But you aren't going away from me forever, are you?' The steam engine blew a shrill whistle. Peter broke away from the embrace. His hands were shaking badly.

'I have to g-go.' He managed finally. His mother and father nodded, and standing on the threshold of the coach, he waved a final wave before heading inside through the compartments. He found a mercifully empty room and plopped himself into one of the seats. The station slowly vanished into a countryside of greenery. He glanced the window idly before perusing his trunk and taking a book to alleviate the boredom.

Just then, the door opened and a boy popped his head in. 'I'm terribly sorry, but everywhere else is full. You don't mind, do you?' He said shyly, as if he didn't really want a seat. Peter shrugged.

'I don't mind really.' He said, and the boy sat slowly in the seat opposite his. He looked very familiar for some reason, and when Peter took a look at his eyes, the hair and the robes, he pieced together who it was.

'I'm Peter.' He found himself saying to the other boy. 'Peter Parker.' The boy shook his extended hand, and replied, 'I'm Remus Lupin.'

'You should have realized,' said Lupin quietly, 'if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter.'

Peter blinked furiously. So much for trying to avoid his future friends. Remus looked concernedly at him. 'Are you all right?' He asked. Peter shook his head to clear the thoughts.

'M' fine.' He said, looking interested in his robes. 'So, are you ready for Hogwarts?'

'I guess so.' Remus said, hunching his shoulders. Peter understood why—he felt as much as an outsider as Remus Lupin currently did. He opened his trunk to take out a snack, then gave another one to Remus. The boy took it with an expression of wonder.

'What is this?'

'Cauldron cake,' Peter said, now nibbling on said confectionary. 'It tastes quite good, you know.' Remus took a bite and smiled. Peter decided he needed to prod Remus further. 'Have you read Hogwarts: A History?'

It was as if Peter had uttered the magic words. Remus began excitedly chattering about the staircases and ceiling of the castle. He smiled at the friend he once had. Perhaps they would all be better off without him, the rat nosing around their posse.

Suddenly, there was a sharp thump on the door. Without warning, two boys lurched into the compartment and fell down in the empty seats. One of the boys laughed and said, 'By Merlin, where did you even learn that Potter?' The bespectacled boy smirked.

'When you've been as long in the field as I have Black, you'll pick up a few things.' James looked younger than Peter had ever seen. Then again, they all were. The duo seemed to realize they had intruded into someone else's compartment. 'Hello there! I'm just your awesome James Potter passing through. That's Sirius Black,' Sirius smiled toothily. 'And what are yours?'

'Just your friendly neighborhood Peter Parker.' Peter replied, a little miffed that no one got the reference. It was now very disconcerting to see all of them surrounding him. 'And that's Remus Lupin.' The mature boy waved a hand. 'Sit down.' Peter hesitated for a moment. 'Uh—you haven't got any Chocolate Frogs do you? My mum doesn't allow me to have them.' So they all sat together, still cordial and distant. James and Sirius were amusing themselves with the prospect of setting off the castle with dungbombs. Huh, and they were already off to the great start.

When the compartment door opened once again, Peter resigned himself to the fact that even though he wanted to flee to the edge of the magical world, fate always finds a way to bring him back in. Lily and Snape, the latter bitter as he always was, and the former extremely curious were peeking into the compartment. Peter made it his personal mission to avoid incident 'Snivellus Pants'. 'May we come in?' James stared at her with so much mushiness that it was Sirius who ushered them inside. By now, the compartment was full and space was mildly crammed. Lily sat beside Peter and Remus, while Snape and Sirius looked unhappy at sitting next to each other. And James? He was too busy gawking at the redhead. Lily started the introductions after Snape told them his name quietly.

'I'm Lily. Lily Evans. I've heard about the castle, and I only got my letter a month ago. I'm so interested to be learning magic, you know? I read the theory behind magic, and it's just so fascinating…' The conversation was going way above Peter's head, so he decided to quell Lily's pent up steam.

'I'm Peter Parker.' He said his surname with a grimace. Lily giggled while Snape smirked. James frowned at them.

'Think his name's funny, do you? Snivellus.' He said. Peter inwardly sighed—while James was a good friend, he was always a little headstrong.

'It's no problem, James. We all need a little humour sometimes.' Snape glared balefully at James. Oh, this wasn't going to help matters resolve at all. Peter redirected their conversation to Hogwarts, and was inadvertently caught in the debate of house sorting.

'I'm going to Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' James said, holding an imaginary sword. 'Like my dad.'

Snape coughed. Sirius rounded on him. 'Got a problem with that?'

'No,' Snape sneered, 'but if you'd rather be brawn than brains-'

'Where're you going, seeing as you're neither?' James laughed a little too loudly, and Snape flushed red.

'All houses have their qualities, good and bad.' Remus said in a mellow tone. 'There isn't really a best or a worst house.' He shrunk under the stares of everyone else in the compartment. Peter clapped his shoulders.

'He's right, you know.' Peter said. Remus shot him a grateful look. 'Where do you want to be sorted?' He asked to the group.

'Ravenclaw sounds good to me.' Lily mused aloud.

'Likewise.' Remus said. Peter had a go at it.

'Don't know. I really am not fussy about my house, but that's just me.' In actuality, he wanted to be away from them but he couldn't really say that without telling a preferred house, and how well would that go down with the gang?

'Slytherin.' Snape said with a hint of pride. Sirius smiled wryly.

'My entire family's been in Slytherin.' He said. James looked at him with something akin to wonder.

'Blimey, and I'd thought you were alright!' He said. Sirius shrugged.

'Yeah. Maybe I'll break tradition and head to Gryffindor. Who knows, right?' Sirius said. Peter broke the ice.

'Have you lot heard of Exploding Snap?'

Once Lily had learned the rules and committed them to memory, James got down a set of cards he 'borrowed' from his father, and they all piled up the trunks to make a playing deck. The snacks trolley soon rolled in, and Peter pitched in money for the sweets. He did not want to attract too much attention to himself, but he didn't want to be a wallflower either. Sadly, the only incident of significance was Snape's burnt eyebrows, and when Sirius laughed at him, Snape promptly paid him back in kind by flinging a pack of quivering cards that made the wavy haired boy howl in pain.

That had brought up a few laughs, and when Sirius asked Snape his secret recipe for greasiness and eyebrows, everyone lost it. When they had mellowed down, Lily reminded them that they were due to change into the uniforms. Peter and the boys promptly changed theirs and waited outside for Lily to do so too. The train came to a stop when they were done discussing quidditch, (Although how Snape was a Quidditch nut was beyond him. Did he notice this back in his old world?) and they followed a huge giant of a man that Peter knew was the friendly gamekeeper Hagrid.

'No mor' tha' four in a boat!' He said, and James feeling good enough to sit with Lily, Peter had to bunk with an unwelcoming Snape. Peter noticed him glancing at Lily out of the corner of his eyes, and almost smacked his forehead. Of course! He fancied her.

'You like her don't you? Lily, I mean.' He said. Snape turned even paler though Peter suspected this was a blush.

'What? No, of course not!' He said rather quickly. Snape at age 11 really wasn't as blank as his older self.

'Why not Gryffindor?' Peter asked. Snape turned to look at the lake.

'It's for fools like Potter.' He muttered, watching the waves shimmer. 'Besides, my mother wants me to be in Slytherin—to live up to the Prince family.' He glared piercingly at Peter. 'Why do you care which house I go to?'

'It-It isn't really about foolishness. Gryffindors are daring and chivalrous. Do you really want to go to Slytherin with what's happening in the wizarding world? I thought you were smarter than that.' Peter finished with a sad look on his face. 'And why shouldn't I care? You're just someone like me.'

'I understand.' Snape said. 'But I need to go to Slytherin. You wouldn't understand—you don't have a house you really want.'

'Just know this Snape,' Peter mumbled, 'Lily won't be in Slytherin like you think she will. If you really like her, you can go where she goes too.' Hagrid bellowed when Peter was finished, telling them to 'Keep your eyes out fo' this one.'

Past the ivy leaves, underneath the bridge lay a sight Peter was already accustomed to, but not ready for. A huge castle, with gleaming jet black towers and pale yellow lights shining out of little windows came into view. Peter was well aware of Snape's jaw dropping like his already has. Hogwarts would always be magnificent, whichever reality it was.

The boats landed with a soft thud against the wood. Peter got down with Snape's help, and they gathered around Hagrid, who rapped on the doors three times. An elder witch with a stern look and tartan gowns answered. McGonagall was still as scary as she was. How time flies… 'Inside, all of you.' She said, and they scurried inside the entrance hall. Several students pointed and muttered at the grand staircase and the moving portraits. McGonagall cleared her throat and all the students (including James, doing an uncanny impression of the great squid) were silenced.

'Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration professor.' She said, gesturing to a great oak door. 'Inside the Great Hall—the door behind me—The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

'The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarted yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.' Peter stood there dumbly while everyone adjusted their ties. McGonagall reappeared a few minutes later, whispered, 'Quickly, inside now.'

The light was what blinded Peter. Besides him, the students fell into a strange hush, all in awe at the floating candles and the pale, wispy ghosts drifting around. At the end of the long hallway, a hat was placed on a stool. He waited for it to start singing, and it did.

Peter wished he had paid more attention, because he had drooped his head as soon as it started singing. Blame it on his nerves. Remus woke him up when the hat ended the song, 'So put me on, before I sleep/Your House is what you need/Don't wreck yourself like a beater's bat/ For I'm your Sorting Hat! Peter drowsily clapped before he could finally see his surroundings more clearly. It was a long time until he was keenly alert.

'Black, Sirius.' Sirius sat down with easy grace onto the stool and the Hat placed on his face. He sat there for a long time, and Peter could see the older boy's lips pursing tightly. 'GRYFFINDOR!' The Hat yelled, and there was stunned silence in the Slytherin crowd. Only the Gryffindors clapped for Sirius, mixed with other houses. Then there were a lot of names before, 'Evans, Lily.'

The girl sat herself down, and two minutes later the Hat shouted, 'GRYFFINDOR!' Lily joined the Gryffindor table, while Peter glanced at Snape with a look that said plainly, 'I told you so.' Snape's face twisted into a scowl. Remus went to Gryffindor, so that was no surprise there.

It was another long wait before his name was spoken up. He mouthed, 'Remember Lily.' To Snape before Flitwick announced.

'Parker, Peter.' His name sounded even ridiculous than it was normally, but he ran to the stool and popped the hat down. He could feel the hat humming inside his mind. 'Ah hah! What's this here? You, young man, have an interesting set of memories, half of which I fear aren't even yours!'

'Just get on with it.' Peter muttered mentally. 'There's no need to go blabbering about a secret dimension traveler.' The hat gave the equivalent of a smile.

'But of course! Your secret is safe with me till my non-being. Now, where to Sort you? I feel Slytherin would be better for you given the majority of your thoughts, but,' the hat hmmed, 'Perhaps Hufflepuff would suit you?'

'Just put me in a house they aren't in.'

'And why should I, Mr. Parker? You have changed many things since you've been here. That takes a lot of determination, and Slytherin is right up your alley. Unless…but then why not?' Peter looked aghast at the Hat's line of thought. 'Better be—GRYFFINDOR!' The Hat roared and Peter savagely picked a few choice words for that inanimate devil. He caught Snape's eye when he joined Sirius at the table, and nodded discreetly. Snape gave a single twitch of his eyebrows.

James went to Gryffindor—the hat hadn't even bothered in asking him his choice, he just seemed naturally suited to it. When it was the grouch's sorting, Peter abandoned his meal in favour of watching the exchange between boy and hat.

Snape took a long, long time—longer than anyone Peter could remember. He seemed to give the hat a look of deepest loathing while saying something quietly to it. Peter watched the expressions in the teachers. Dumbledore's eyes seemed to twinkle mysteriously, while Sprout watched fascinated. He caught words like 'Lily' in Snape's lips, but it was a full 12 minutes before the boy's clenched hands seemed to release. Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin. Peter chanted. The Hat yelled.

'RAVENCLAW*!' and Peter sank in utter relief. Snape cast a wistful glance in Lily's direction, but proceeded to the Ravenclaw throng, where a prefect greeted him. Peter returned to his food, and was very much annoyed when Dumbledore decided to give his address.

'To our old students, welcome back! To our new students however, welcome to Hogwarts! The school of witchcraft and wizardry you will enjoy for the years to come. It pleases me how you all stand here, young and healthy before me, but we must remember to always stand united, for Hogwarts is not a school without unity, and is not a castle without its inhabitants. Quite a departure from my usual speech though—I am pleased to welcome our most recent addition to the teaching staff- Mr. Owen Fitzgerald. He will be teaching for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, after the unfortunate incident of Mr. Brewster suffering from prolonged diarrhoea!' A foreign looking man waved at the students while the teachers politely clapped. James looked at the new teacher.

'He looks fishy.'

'I'm sure it's probably your imagination, Mr. Potter.' Sirius mocked, reaching for the chicken drumsticks. Remus tutted.

'D'you always have the habit of talking like that, or is it inherited?' Lily said, wiping her mouth with the napkin. James raised an eyebrow and smiled dashingly.

'Why my dear Lily flower, you do want to see what else I've inherited!'

Thus began the mutual dislike (well, partial discounting James) between Lily and James. Remus and Sirius on the other hand pretended as though Lily had not slapped James squarely on the face. The boy in question himself was looking dazedly at Lily before smiling soppily. Peter gagged. Sweet Morgana, was James always this bad at pick up lines?

Dumbledore looked curiously at their end and Peter flushed. Interrupting the headmaster's speech wasn't something he wanted to do, in first term of all circumstances. 'As I was saying, the Forbidden Forest is exactly that—forbidden and out of bounds. Mr. Filch has stressed to remind you of that fact as he informs me that it is home to all sorts of dangerous creatures including demons that can harm you with their twelve*—um, ah, just dangerous creatures. Off you go to your beds!'

Then they began filing to their dorms. Sirius and James amused themselves by blowing raspberries at every portrait in sight. Remus sighed with an expression of long suffering, and judging from the contemptuous looks that Lily gave James, it was highly unlikely that she would ever warm up to him. Nevertheless, they all plopped to their beds, besides their trunks. James claimed the bed next to the window, but Sirius wanted it. The result was a scuffle between the two that ended in a compromise—neither of them should have it. Remus politely refused and Peter guessed correctly why he did not want the bed.

In the end, Peter was the one who bagged the spot. As he lay in bed looking over the grounds he couldn't help but feel that he'd gotten all of them to great starts. And if push came to shove, he definitely will not the one to be shoved.

Whew! That's a 1000 words more than the last chapter. And now, time to clear stuff up-

*- Snape could have been in Gryffindor, but even then his bravery was shown to be for Lily. I could be wrong, but Ravenclaw fits Snape. If I remember correctly, his protection in the Philosopher's Stone was a logical riddle that could only be solved by Hermione Granger.

*-Reference to ragingfilms 'Welcome to Hogwarts'. Watch at the risk of severe trauma and dirtiness. It's also hilarious, in a twisted sort of way.

Thanks to the Guest, and Alicia Mirza for reviewing!

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