Hey hey hey! Here's another chapter for you all! I don't really have a lot to say today, just because I said so much in the last chapter. But just to give you an update on my progress, I'm into chapter 32 right now, halfway through their fourth year. I really hope you guys stick around with me for that long lol. I have a pretty decent plan for how things are going to go up to halfway through their fifth year, but then I've got to make a big decision which will determine the rest of the story and beyond. I'm still on the fence, but I know I have to decide soon. Ah, the creative process. TvT
Anyway, I won't ramble anymore. Here's the chapter and I hope you enjoy it! See you in two weeks. Love ya!
~SXS
FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMER, SEE FIRST CHAPTER AN
By the time the train arrived at Hogsmeade station, Sirius and Remus were acting as if they had known each other for ages. Their friendship seemed to come naturally. The ride had been a sharing of information, Sirius explaining many different aspects of the wizarding world and Remus enlightening him about the Muggle world. Remus was surprised how little his new friend knew about non-magical people.
"My family hates Muggles," he had explained. "That's the way most purebloods are. Except for maybe the light ones like the Potters. Though that doesn't make them good people." He rolled his eyes, obviously remembering the obnoxious James they had seen earlier.
The two were the last off the train, after Severus and Lily. They watched the older students board carriages as they instead were led with the rest of the first years towards the edge of the lake.
"Merlin, Remus, look at that! Isn't it a sight..." Sirius marveled and Remus turned to face the same direction. There in the distance was Hogwarts Castle, tall and magnificent against the starry sky. The windows, lit by candlelight, twinkled, making it look as if it were capable of magic itself.
"You're right, Sirius. It's beautiful," Remus breathed in wonder.
"Are you sure we're seeing the same thing?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Aren't we talking about Hogwarts?"
"No! I'm talking about the big hairy guy at the front of the line. He looks like he must be four meters tall!"
Remus looked again and saw the person who Sirius was talking about. And when he did he wondered how it was possible that he could have missed him before. Leading the trail of first years was an enormous man with enough hair to, Remus guessed, make himself a fur coat. He turned around for a moment to speak to one of the children behind him and all that could be seen of his face were his small, black eyes.
"Well...There's something you don't see every day," Remus said.
"I have a feeling that this is going to be the best seven years of my life," Sirius said with a cheesy grin.
When they made it to the lake's edge, the giant man turned fully around and spoke in a surprisingly kind tone. "A'right kids. Ever'one get in a boat. Four's the max." The children scattered, trying to get boats with their new-found friends before they were all full.
"Come on, let's try to get in that boat with Lily and Severus," Remus said starting to walk in that direction. But before they could make it over, two other students had already climbed in and it started off into the dark waters of its own accord.
"Look, there's one more boat open," Sirius said. The pair walked to the last available boat and found that it already had two occupants. "Mind if we- Oh no..."
When the two in the boat looked up, Sirius almost kicked himself. James Potter stared back at him and a scowl spread on his face. The boy next to him was one neither Sirius nor Remus had seen before. He was a bit pudgy with dirty blonde hair and murky blue eyes.
"Everyone else afraid to let a Black in their boat?" James sneered.
"Less afraid than of you sinking one with your giant head," Sirius shot back. The nameless boy was looking nervously between the two purebloods. Remus felt himself tense, unconsciously preparing to break up a physical fight, but he didn't get the chance before someone spoke from behind.
"What's goin' on here?" the large man said, moving to stand between the two dark haired boys.
"Black started it, Mr. Hagrid!" James pointed accusingly at Sirius and tried to adopt an innocent expression.
"Oh I did, did I? I only wanted to share the boat but you had to go and open your bloody mouth!"
"Now hol' on there you two. I realize ye may have yer differences, but ye'll have ter be puttin'em aside for now. There aren' any boats left so you lot are goin' ter have ter get along until we reach the castle, a'right? I don' want no trouble on the way there. Un'erstand?"
James and Sirius glared at each other but nodded with sharp jerks of their heads. "Good. Now you two get in. Go on now." Hagrid gently nudged Remus and Sirius towards the boat and they carefully stepped in and sat on the bench across from James and the other boy. He then stepped in himself and the small boat rocked, threatening to tip.
The vessel started its journey as soon as Hagrid had sat. Remus was feeling slightly nauseous, though whether it was from the motion of the boat or nerves he couldn't tell. He wished that someone would speak so that he could distract himself from the whole ordeal.
The boy across from him made eye contact and smiled shyly. "Hullo. I'm Peter Pettigrew."
"Remus Lupin." He extended a hand politely and Peter's smile grew as if being offered a handshake was something magical that he had never experienced before. He lifted his own hand but before he could make contact with Remus's, James slapped it away.
"Don't do it, Pete! He's friends with Black. That means he must be Dark."
"D-Dark?!" Peter pulled his arm back close to his chest for safety and his eyes widened in fear.
"Now wait a second! I may not have a great reputation from my family, but you don't even know Remus!" Said werewolf had bowed his head.
"Anyone who would hang around the likes of you must be Dark themselves. We've got to stay away from them, Pete. Don't you worry. I'll make sure you're safe and well-informed. My family doesn't hate Muggle-borns like some." James shot a look at Sirius that made his blood boil.
"And I suppose because of that you think you're better than everyone else?" Sirius spat.
"I don't think, I know!"
"Now, now, cut it out! I told ye, no trouble. Don't want ter get a detention with Mr. Filch on yer first night here, do ye? We're almost there." Hagrid gestured to the castle which was now much closer and looking more spectacular than before. The two boys crossed their arms over their chests and settled down grudgingly.
The rest of the ride passed in silence with the occasional sneer from James to Sirius and vice versa. Finally they reached the shore and the four boys got out and split into their two separate groups. James and Peter scrambled up the steps quickly while Sirius and Remus trailed behind.
"Merlin, Rem. I think I might kill that prick by the end of the year," Sirius said, clenching his fists as they walked up the steps to the front doors.
"The way you two keep butting heads every time you see each other, he'd be lucky to last for the rest of the night," Remus said.
"I just hope that wherever I get Sorted, he doesn't. I don't know how I would survive if we were in the same House." By this time the boys had made it to the main entrance hall where the rest of the first years had already congregated. Standing in front of them near another tall set of doors was a witch in forest green robes, an old brown hat, and square spectacles perched on the tip of her nose.
"Welcome students to the beginning of your seven year career at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall and I will be your Transfiguration teacher, as well as your Head of House should you be Sorted into Gryffindor. And along the line of Sorting, we will now be going into the Great Hall where you will be placed one by one into your Houses by the Sorting Hat. The easier you make that process the sooner you can sit down and eat, as I'm sure you are all hungry after your ride here."
There was a rumble of assent among the students and Professor McGonagall turned to open the doors to the Great Hall. They all followed her in and the sight that met their eyes made all their chatter cease.
Immediately the eyes of the first years were drawn upward and there was a chorus of 'ooh's and 'ahh's. It looked as if the ceiling was non-existent. The gorgeous night sky could be seen above them, looking more clear and bright than it had outside. Lining the walls were floating candles gently flickering. Extravagant tapestries hung around the room and intricate carvings covered the beams supporting the walls.
Four long tables ran from back to front, covered in silver and gold plates and utensils, and each had a large centerpiece in the colors of the respective Houses. Their benches were almost completely full with students of second through seventh year, leaving just enough space for the new arrivals. At the front of the Hall was another table running the perpendicular where all the professors were seated. Directly in front of its center stood a stool.
In the middle of the table sat an old wizard with long white hair and a matching beard. His robes were purple velvet with silver stars and moons. Bright blue eyes peered out from behind half-moon spectacles. By his looks alone, Sirius and Remus could easily tell that this man was none other than the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Both had heard much about him from their parents, though the respective descriptions were quite different.
"Good evening students new and old!" he began, standing up from his chair. "It is my pleasure to now announce that the Sorting is about to begin. Each of you will be called up to sit on this very stool and have the Sorting Hat placed on your heads. From there I'm sure you'll know what to do. Professor McGonagall, if you would."
The witch nodded and took the hat off of her head to place it on the stool. Everyone watched in awe as it began to move as though it were living. The space between the brim and the top opened and a voice came out.
"I am the Hat of Sorting you see
To find out your House just come talk to me.
I'll put you where your personality fits best,
Then you'll sit at their table and I'll Sort the rest.
Will you be brave and daring wielding Gryffindor's sword?
Or witty in Ravenclaw and by books never bored?
Maybe like Hufflepuff, loyal to the end.
Or Slytherin-cunning, trusting very few friends.
All possibilities, but I'll choose the one
Where you'll excel and succeed and have the most fun.
So sit on my stool, put me on your head
To find out if you're yellow, blue, green, or red.
But wait! I sense something different this year.
Please listen, it's something you all should hear.
A friendship unlikely in times gone by;
Lions and a snake and a raven who flies.
Perhaps we will see if they can be friends.
For the sake of your futures I hope it won't end.
Times are coming where you'll need love the most.
So make ties that last, the kind you can boast.
Together you'll find ways to make it through,
But that's all I can say, the rest's up to you."
Remus and Sirius looked to each other when the poem had finished, both a bit bewildered by the strange rhyme as most of the first years were. Even some of the older students looked confused. The latter eventually shrugged, but the last piece had caught the former's attention. Remus wondered what it could possibly mean and why it was so important.
"Harker, Anjanette!" Professor McGonagall called, breaking Remus out of his thoughts. The first of the first years stepped up to the stool and sat. She looked out around the Great Hall coolly with blue eyes that were closer to violet. McGonagall placed the hat onto her dark, blonde-highlighted head and everyone waited with baited breath to see what would happen.
There was a moment of silence, then the Hat opened it's 'mouth' and shouted. "Ravenclaw!" There was a storm of applause from the blue and bronze table and Anjanette rose calmly to join them.
It didn't seem like too terrifying a process. But nevertheless, there was a nervousness among the line that just couldn't be shaken. Sirius was ashamed to admit that these feelings did not pass him by. He knew he was different than the rest of his family, but so was Andromeda and she was in Slytherin. He couldn't bear the thought of being trapped there for the next seven years. But somehow, he felt that his fate had been sealed. He could only hope for a miracle.
"Potter, James!" McGonagall's voice jarred him from his reverie.
Sirius watched as the egotistical boy strutted to the front with swagger and took the stool with confidence. "Prat," he muttered.
No sooner had the brim brushed his messy hair than the hat cried loudly, "Gryffindor!"
James smirked, not at all surprised. He hopped down from the stool and went to sit with his new House, shooting a wink towards Lily as he went. She rolled her eyes and turned away.
Remus was now starting to feel the nerves as well. What would happen when the hat was put on his head? Would it know what he was and if it did, would it automatically put him in Slytherin? What if it wouldn't Sort him at all? It could shout out the truth to the entire Great Hall for all he knew. He felt the nausea return.
More and more names were called and Professor McGonagall eventually made it to, "Evans, Lily!"
James watched her in hope, as did Severus. The Sorting Hat was placed on her scarlet head and there was a pause before it shouted, "Gryffindor!"
Severus's heart dropped into his stomach as he heard the results, while James stood and clapped enthusiastically. Lily, however, completely ignored him and took a seat at the opposite end of the table. As she walked by the line of unsorted students, she shot her friend an apologetic look to which he responded with a disappointed stare.
"Snape, Severus!" He slunk up to the stool and sat with his shoulders hunched over. The Hat was still hovering over his head when it said, "Slytherin!" It almost seemed like it was afraid of touching his greasy hair.
Severus looked to Lily one last time before going to the other side of the Great Hall to sit with the Slytherins. A platinum blonde boy offered the seat next to him and Severus sat quietly.
"Pettigrew, Peter!"
Peter looked as though he might lose his lunch, he was so nervous. His eyes darted around the room when he turned to face it and he shook all over. The Hat was placed upon his head, and the longest pause of all initiated. After a good two or three minutes, the Hat finally called out, "Gryffindor!"
His shoulders dropped and across his face spread a huge grin. Peter ran, mouth open wide, over to James who clapped him on the back.
At this point, there were only five students left, including Sirius and Remus. As the line wound down and they approached their big moment, the dark-haired boy turned to his new friend and put out his hand. "Good luck, mate. Here's hoping everything works out for both of us."
Remus took his hand and shook. "You too, Sirius."
"Lupin, Remus!" Said werewolf swallowed the bile rising in his throat and stepped up. The Great Hall looked so much bigger from his perch on the stool, and all eyes were upon him. Professor McGonagall put the hat down onto his head and he felt as though someone were rummaging through his thoughts.
"Hm, very interesting," a voice spoke inside his head and he realized that the Hat must be speaking to him. "Your kind are not usually allowed here at Hogwarts. But I suppose Dumbledore will be Dumbledore. I really should put you in Slytherin...No, I suppose not. I don't think your heart belongs there. Certainly not Hufflepuff. Perhaps Ravenclaw. Then again, you are quite brave to go through what you have at such a young age. And quite loyal as well. I believe the only logical place would be,
"Gryffindor!" The Hat cried aloud.
Remus's eyes shot open. He hadn't even realized he had closed them in the first place. He stared around at all the applauding students and couldn't help but smile. Stepping down from the stool, he saw Sirius give him a thumbs up which he returned before sitting down next to Lily.
"Thank goodness there's at least one sane person in this House," she said, glancing nonchalantly in James's direction. He wasn't paying attention, too busy watching the next, and final, person to be Sorted.
"Black, Sirius!"
Sirius tried to act as cool as possible going up to the stool, but he still felt like this was the end. His new friend had been put in Gryffindor, the one House he wanted to be in most and the one House he was probably least likely to get into. Now all he had to look forward to was a dark and dingy dungeon and to be surrounded by crazy people.
Professor McGonagall put the Hat on and its voice swam into his mind. "Ah yes, another Black. Naturally that should mean...but wait a moment. You are quite different from the others. Yes, yes, perhaps you can break the chain. You are bold and daring indeed, and even intelligent. But I don't see you as the kind to work very hard. Hmm...It will be quite a surprise to all but I suppose the right place for you is...
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Some who didn't realize the significance of this event started to clap, but when most others did not join, they slowed into a silence. Sirius stared at the Gryffindor table, unsure what to do. He didn't dare to look at the Slytherins, feeling their death glares on the back of his neck. He was sure they matched the one that James Potter was currently giving him, squinted eyes, scowl, and all.
Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat off of Sirius's head and whispered, "You may sit down now, Mr. Black." Sirius nodded and slowly got up to join his less-than-welcoming House. He took the spot on Remus's other side and the girl next to him shifted away as if she were afraid.
"Hey, don't worry about it, Sirius. You belong here," Remus said trying to reassure him. "My parents have always said the Hat is never wrong."
"Yeah I guess," he said. He wasn't sure what to feel. He had wanted to be in Gryffindor more than anything, and yet now that he was, he almost didn't want to be anymore. At least if he had been in Slytherin like everyone expected, there wouldn't have been such an uncomfortable reaction.
Dumbledore rose from his seat again. "Once again, I welcome everyone to a new school year at Hogwarts. Certainly this Sorting was one that none shall forget for many years to come. Now I know that you are all quite famished, but I have a few things to go over for the benefit of our new students before we can eat.
"First and foremost, no one is allowed into the Forbidden Forest for any reason unless accompanied by a Professor and with the expressed permission of myself or your Head of House. And in case you did not know, the Heads of Houses are as follows: Professor McGonagall is Gryffindor's, Professor Flitwick to Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff has Professor Sprout, and Professor Slughorn for Slytherin.
"Also, a new tree has been erected near the edge of the Forest; the Whomping Willow. Unless you want to have your heads cracked open by large and powerful branches, I suggest you stay away from it." The pleasant way in which he said this made Remus feel skeptical about the man's sanity.
"Any specific questions that you would like answered can be done so by older students, or you Heads of Houses. With that, I conclude my opening speech for the year. Just remember this small tidbit of advice. The ties you make here are ones that can last a lifetime and beyond. Make sure that you make the right ones." He paused to survey the room, as if he were trying to pick out specific people to direct this comment to. From this far away, it was hard to tell exactly who he was looking at. "And now, we feast!"
With those words, the tables magically filled with wonderful foods, steaming hot and delicious. Their smells wafted up to the ceiling of the Great Hall, making everyone's ravenous stomachs growl harder. Most people didn't bother to stop and put their portions onto plates if they could help it, just stuffing the lovely cuisine into their mouths.
Remus was careful to avoid all the silver platters, only taking off the gold ones. Luckily for him the utensils were made of steel and though they made his hands tingle slightly, he was able to use them.
Sirius perked up a bit as they ate, and he, Remus, and Lily began chatting idly. "I really hope that stupid Potter isn't in the same room as we are," he said with his mouth full of chicken.
"For my sake, I hope so too," Remus agreed. "I wonder if there's a way to request a room."
"At this point I don't think so. They already took our luggage up to the dorms and put them in our rooms," Lily said. "And you know, you two aren't guaranteed to be in the same room either."
Sirius's expression became horrified. "She's right! Oh Merlin, Rem, we have to be in the same room. If I have to be with that git all by myself I think I might switch into Slytherin!"
"You're being a little overdramatic about this," Lily said.
"Hey, this is serious. And I would know because so am I!" Sirius grinned, proud of his joke.
"Is it strange that I've been waiting all day for you to say something like that?" Remus asked. The three of them laughed at the pun and continued with their dinner.
Soon the food on the trays had turned from savory to sweet as dessert started. Remus had never been one for sweets, but he didn't want to look strange not having anything at all. He looked over the plates for something interesting and saw some brown squares on one of the gold platters.
He looked it over quizzically and Sirius looked at him funny. "What's wrong, Remus? Haven't you ever seen a brownie before?"
"Oh...actually no." He took a bite through the soft, moist treat and his taste buds rejoiced. Never before had something ever had such an effect on his senses. The texture, the flavor, the smell, all were hypnotizing. "This is...wonderful! What are these brownies made of?" he asked, while stuffing more into mouth.
"No clue. I don't cook," Sirius said. "That's a girl thing."
"Ignoring that completely sexist comment," Lily drawled, "they're usually made of flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and of course chocolate."
At the last ingredient, Remus froze. He had just inadvertently killed himself. Being a werewolf he was technically part dog.
Chocolate was poisonous to dogs.
His parents only kept a few sparing types of chocolate in the house for themselves and didn't talk much about chocolatey things. They didn't want to make him feel like he was missing out. Now he wished they had.
"Uh...excuse me a minute." Remus ran out of the Great Hall, not worrying about the confused looks that he was receiving from all the other students, and looked for a bathroom. Luckily there was one in the Entrance Hall, and he dashed inside.
He spit the remnants of the brownie into the basin and began to rinse his mouth out, but that would do nothing to save him from the part that had already been swallowed. Remus examined himself in the mirror and couldn't see any changes yet, but knew it would only be a matter of time before the chocolate started taking effect.
The tawny-haired boy leaned against the wall and sunk to the floor, curling into a fetal position. How could he have been so stupid? His parents had warned him about chocolate ever since he had been bitten. He should have asked someone before he ate an unidentified dessert. Now, when he finally had made it to Hogwarts, he was going to die.
Remus sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting for something to start hurting, or for his breathing to get shorter, or his heart to start beating rapidly. But though he waited, nothing happened. He would have thought that the effects would be quicker than this, but perhaps it was different when one was only partially canine. He didn't want to take his chances by getting his hopes up so he didn't move a muscle.
A few more minutes passed before there was a creak as the door opened. "Remus?" a voice called. Sirius's head peeked around and when he spotted his friend he fully entered the bathroom. "Are you ok? Did you get sick or something?"
"N-no..."
"Well, what's the matter then? Why'd you suddenly run away?"
"Uh..." Remus tried to think of some sort of excuse. "I thought I was...allergic to chocolate. Runs in the family...So I didn't want to have a reaction in there and scare everyone." One skill that Remus had developed thanks to his lycanthropy, besides his heightened strength and senses, was the ability to lie. He didn't like it that much, but it came in handy.
Sirius glanced him over and shrugged. "You look fine to me. Maybe the allergy skipped you. Anyway, everyone's heading up to the Gryffindor Tower right now. Don't want to get lost in this place." The other boy extended his hand and Remus grabbed it gratefully, standing up. As the two left the bathroom, he took one last glance at his reflection just to make sure everything was ok. When he saw that his face still seemed normal, he decided not to worry unless there was a drastic change in his health later on. And he hoped that there wasn't because he had discovered that chocolate was actually very good.
The boys ran up the steps to catch up with the rest of the first year Gryffindors who were following the Head Boy and Girl. The group climbed what seemed like thousands of steps. On the way they passed many portraits on the wall, and to Remus's surprise, they were all moving. The subjects of the paintings were traveling from frame to frame, and some of them were talking to each other, commenting on the new set of students.
"There's a strapping young lad. He'll be a fine Quidditch player."
"That one looks a little odd."
"Another Potter. Though it's certainly not a surprise!"
Finally they came to a portrait that was larger than the rest on which there was a rather portly woman dressed as though she were an opera singer. "Alright boys and girls, this is the entrance to our common room. You will need to give the password to the Fat Lady and she will open the door for you. This year's password is felix felicis."
And with those words, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung aside, revealing a hole in the wall. The Head Boy and Girl led them through it into a cozy common room decorated in red and gold. All around were plush chairs and couches, with a roaring fire on one wall. There was also an area with a few tables and chairs and tall windows out of which you could see most of the grounds.
The Head Boy took a place in front of the small group of first years and began to speak. "This is the common room. You will find yourselves here during most of your breaks and at night. You may stay up as long as you like here, though it is preferable that you do go to bed or you won't be awake in time for breakfast. Also, once you are here for the night after curfew, you are not to leave again till morning. If you do try to leave, you'll have to deal with Argus Filch, the caretaker. And believe you me, that is an experience you should avoid.
"Now, on either side of the fireplace here are the steps to the girls' and boys' dorms. Boys, I do not suggest trying to enter the girls' dorm, as you will not like the consequences. Something I learned the hard way."
"And rightly so. Trying to sneak in and plant a dung bomb in our bathroom. I'm surprised that they didn't revoke your title as a Prefect," the Head Girl said.
"Yes, well...we all make mistakes. But as you can see I've changed my ways. Anyway, if the boys would please follow me up these stairs to their rooms." He led the way up the steps and only the boys followed, while the Head Girl took the girls up the opposite staircase.
"This room on the end is mine, as well as the other seventh year boys'. If you should need anything then this is where you can find me. And further down we will find your rooms." He took them to the very end of the hallway. "Here on the right will be Frank Longbottom, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Fabian and Gideon Prewett. And on the left, we will have Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew."
Sirius and James looked at each other with sneers. Peter swallowed, eyes darting between the two. Remus sighed and tugged on Sirius's sleeve, trying to get him to listen as the Head Boy finished his speech.
"Your trunks are already inside. I suggest that you go to sleep early, as tomorrow is your first day of classes and you want to be well rested. You will receive your schedules at breakfast, which will be in the Great Hall. If you fear getting lost, follow one of the older students.
"Goodnight boys. And once again, welcome to Hogwarts! Remember, my door is always open." With that, the Head Boy left the eight boys to explore their new rooms.
"Well Giddy old boy, let's get settled in," Fabian, one of the orange-haired twins said. He and his brother were both quite well-freckled with light blue eyes.
"Right-o, Fabby. Night boys. Good to meet ya." Fabian opened the door and bowed to his twin. Gideon gave him a nod and stepped through, Fabian following.
"This is going to be interesting..." Frank said. He was a little thinner than average with chestnut hair and brown eyes. Kingsley, who was quite tall and bald for their age, merely nodded wordlessly. Both of them then stepped into the room and shut the door.
Remus turned back to look at Sirius but found that he was gone, as well as James. "Oh no..." He opened the door of their room and saw the two purebloods fighting already. Again.
"I get the bed by the window!" Sirius growled.
"No way! I'm the true Gryffindor here, so I get the bed by the window!" James retorted.
"How about we duel and whoever isn't dead gets the bed?"
"STOP!" Remus cried, surprising even himself. Normally he didn't raise his voice like that, but he was tired and annoyed that the two kept clashing. He cleared his throat and stepped between them. "This fighting is ridiculous. We're stuck like this for the next seven years, so we have to make the best of it."
Sirius sighed. "Remus is right. Here's what we'll do. Whoever's chest happens to be at the foot of the bed gets it. No complaints or changing."
"Fine. Deal." James went to one of the chests and opened it. Remus recognized his own chest quickly due to its worn appearance, on the opposite side of the room from the window. He sat on the bed and watched James, Sirius, and Peter look through the rest of the luggage.
Peter opened the trunk by the bed next to Remus. "Well, this isn't mine." He went across the room to where James was standing over the one he had opened. "Hey, here's my stuff!"
"Okay, Pete, then that's your bed. What about you, Black? Is that your trunk over there?"
Sirius was at the bed next to Peter's and rummaging through the trunk. "Sorry, Potter, but it looks like-...Oh unicorn turds!" He picked up a pair of underwear that he didn't recognize. James went over and snatched them out of his hand.
"This is mine! That means I get the window!" The messy-haired boy stuck his tongue out and Sirius huffed moving to the other side of the room.
"If you like the window side that much then you won't mind if I do this." He pulled out his wand, went over to the bathroom door, and waved it once saying, "Tractus Scindo." He then pointed his wand at the floor as what looked like red ink spouted from the top. Sirius began to draw a line with the ink, making a pathway to the bathroom and then drawing a line between the two sets of beds, cutting the room perfectly in half. He left a small space in front of the door.
"What's this?" Peter asked.
"And how did you know how to do it?" Remus asked, impressed.
"It's a Territory Splice. I've seen my mum use them so often in front of me that it's a no-brainer," Sirius explained. "It makes a boundary that's impossible to cross."
"What happens if you try?" Remus got up curiously and stepped towards the line.
"No, Remus don't-!" But the warning came too late. When his hand made it above the line there was a flash of light and a zapping sound. Remus jumped back with a yelp and clutched his hand to his chest.
Peter looked from the line to Sirius and back again with eyes full of terror. Even James looked wary seeing what the border was capable of. "Alright. At least I know there's no chance of you coming over here and charming my stuff or hexing me in the middle of the night."
"You're such a prat. Like I would waste my time pursuing you." Sirius jumped onto his bed and pulled the curtains closed around him. A second later his head peeked back out through the opening. "Oh, by the way Remus, sorry about your hand."
"Yeah...thanks." Remus went back to his trunk and pulled out his pajamas, then headed over to the bathroom to change, careful to avoid the red line.
"Come on, Pete. Let's get to sleep early so we can get in the bathroom first tomorrow, before Black can get his germs all over it," James said as he was walking away.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that!" came Sirius's muffled reply.
After Remus was changed, he made his way back to the bed. As he laid down trying to get to sleep, he thought over all the events of the day. He couldn't believe that he had actually made it into Gryffindor, after all of his worrying. Not only that, but he had found a friend who wound up in the same House. To think, that if it hadn't been for his mother's mistake this morning, he might not have met Sirius at all.
His mother! In all the excitement he had forgotten that he hadn't been able to find his parents before getting on the train. They were probably worried sick. He resolved to write to them as soon as possible to let them know he had arrived safely.
Slowly but surely he drifted into sleep, dreaming about the possibilities of the next day.
