NOTICE: SO SORRY THAT THIS IS SO LATE! IT IS EXTRA LONG SO MANY THAT WILL MAKE UP FOR IT! ;)

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We are finally at Hogwarts!


Chapter Four: Hogwarts

September 1, 1971

MAJOR MUGGLE VILLAGE DESTORY; DEATH EATERS TO BLAME

An entire Muggle village burnt to the ground yesterday and Ministry officials are working to apprehend the culprits of the attack. As one Muggle said yesterday before having her memory erased, "There were these green flashes of light, coming from sticks of the people in long black robes. I was so scared that I hid under my bed until you found me…" Ministry officials believe that Death Eaters, followers of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort are to blame….

Eleven-year-old James woke with a start. His mother, Euphemia, had waved her wand at James's alarm clock. The blaring rock music had not made a difference so she changed the sound to the cry of a dying cat.

"Mom!" James moaned and pulled the covers over his head. James was not a morning person and today was no exception. It didn't matter that he was starting school today at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He didn't care. He just wanted to stay in bed. But, with one swish of Euphemia's wand, the covers were gone, James was freezing and his dreamy state was over.

"James, you must get up. We are going to be late on your very first day at Hogwarts," his mother squeaked. "How would that look to Dumbledore? Don't make me ask Kipper to dump ice water on your head."

"Yeah, yeah…I am up," James said as he rolled his eyes, sat up in his bed and ran his fingers through his messy black hair. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the clock and glared at the time.

Seven thirty in the morning. Bloody hell.

"You are going to kill me, women," James said, glancing from the clock to his mother with a crooked smile on his face. Euphemia smiles widely at her son and winked. "Really, James. Everyone knows that you will kill me first." She shuffled out the door and James heard the stairs creak as she descended them.

James fell backwards back onto his pillow and threw his arm over his eyes.

"JAMES POTTER!" James flinched and shot back up into a seated position as his mother screeched from the bottom of the stairs. "I THOUGHT I ASKED YOU TO PACK YOUR TRUCK LAST NIGHT. Fleamont, I swear, that boy…" Euphemia voice faded as she moved away from the stairs.

James' owl, Caesar, tooted and flapped his wings from his cage. James rubbed his eyes one last time and begrudgingly slid on his slippers.

Today was not going to be a good day.


"Today is going to be a great day," said eleven-year-old Lily Evans, as she brushed her fiery red hair in her bathroom mirror. She eyed her bright green eyes in her reflection, as if she was trying to convince her herself of her words. She repeated again, "Today is going to be a great day." She was nervous. There was no denying it. She had been up since five that morning, checking and double checking her truck to make sure she had packed everything she needed on her school list. Today was her first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She remembered in detail the day a woman by the name of Mineva McGonagall, dressed in long black flowy robes (Lily now knew what those were thanks to her friend Severus Snape), had hand delivered a special letter to Lily's parents and explained that Lily was a witch.

It was also that day that Lily's older sister, Petunia, quit speaking to her.

Petunia had been Lily's best friend. That is, until Lily found out she was indeed a witch. Being a witch was something Lily knew much about thanks Snape; he taught Lily a great deal about the wizarding world while the two eagerly awaited the time when they could attend Hogwarts together. Petunia hated Severus and always begged Lily not to see him. Petunia hated even more when Lily used magic. So when Lily received a visit from Professor McGonagall, along with her letter to Hogwarts, Petunia saw this as the last straw.

Now, as the time was nearing seven thirty, Lily laid the hairbrush down on her pink countertop and proceeded to braid her red hair in a single plat down the back of her head. She had just finished putting the hair tie at the bottom of her braid when the bathroom door was nearly thrown off its hinges. The massive sound caused Lily to jump, nearly knocking over the hairspray can that stood nearby.

In the doorway stood Petunia, who's long, horse-like face was screwed up in an uncomfortable fashion, as if she had just smelt a pile of dung.

"Lily! You have been in here forever. I don't care that you start that freak school today with your freak friend. I need to use the bathroom!" And with that, Petunia forcibly grab Lily's wrist and drugged her out of the bathroom, slamming the door with a snap. Lily's wrist throbbed with pain, and she slowly rubbed it to try to relieve the sting.

Well, even though it wasn't the nicest comment and did have the word freak in it twice, at least Petunia spoke to Lily.


"Maybe today might not be a bad day after all," thought Lily.

The Potters moved silently through King's Cross station as the traffic of people flew past them at a rushed speed. "We are late. Fleamont, you don't think the train will leave without him, right?" said Euphemia, her voice shaking with nerves as they walked hurriedly through the station. Being in their 70s, the Potters moved as fast as they could, which wasn't very fast. James strolled at a casual pace to match theirs.

"Please, dear, don't worry. We will make it. If not, I will Floo him there myself," said Fleamont, as he gave his wife a wide, crooked smile. This comment seems to not calm Euphemia's nerves as her face continued to show a worried expression.

James ignored his parents' conversation. He was focused on pushing his trolley through the parade of people moving on and off the platforms.

"Ah, here we are. You go first, James, with your mother."

James stared at the blank brick wall between platforms nine and ten. His parents had told him how to get onto platform 9¾ as they were Hogwarts students once, so James knew what to expect. He gripped the trolley with both hands so hard that his knuckled whitened.

"Ready dear?" asked his mother. With a nod, together they raced toward the wall and at once, James was blinded by smoke and deafened by people's voices.

When his eyes recovered, he saw many parents hanging around the platform, kissing their children goodbye or waving at them through the tinted windows of the red train, with the writing "Hogwarts Express" inscribed in the side in gold lettering. Children were darting by and forth, waving at friends they haven't seen all summer.

"Here we are, James, my boy," said Fleamont, who had just come through the brick passageway after James and Euphemia.

And that is when James saw her, standing on the platform, kissing her mother and father goodbye. Her fiery red braid seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. She was shorter than him, and thin, and wore a pretty yellow dress with a white cardigan. James felt his knees give a little as she turned toward where he was standing and started to move up the train. She had the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Her pale skin was marked with a handful of freakles, redish-pink lips and a delicate nose. At that moment, James reasoned that she must be the most beautiful girl in the world. She glanced at him and stared. Their eyes met, and James's hazel eyes were pierced with the redhead's bright green ones, and he saw she had tears in them. What was she upset about? But then, just as quickly she smiled sweetly and waved. Was she waving at him? James grinned widely and went to wave back when he was knocked sideways unknowingly by a boy with greasy black hair. This greasy haired boy walked up to the red-headed girl, and together, they made their way onto the train.

"James….James, are you even listening to me?" said Euphemia and James was brought back to reality. He glanced up to his mother's face and she put both of her wrinkled hands on his shoulders. "Don't forget to write every day. And don't get into trouble. I don't want a letter from the Headmaster every week describing the mischief you always seem to always find!" Although her tone was serious, Euphemia was smiling. She engulfed her son in a large hug, and James, feeling a tug at his heart, gladly hugged her back. They pulled away and tears were rolling down her mother's checks. "Please stay safe," she muttered.

"Make friends and have fun, son. Write us as soon as you get sorted into Gryffindor, ok? Just like your old man," Fleamont winked at James and engulf him in another warm hug. "We love you very much."

Their conversation was interrupted by the blaring of the train's horn, sounding the last "all aboard" call.

"Back 'atcha," said James through a forced smile. Giving them both one last wave and dragging his heavy truck, James took a deep breath and walked toward the Hogwarts Express, his mind not on leaving his parents behind, but on the redhead girl and why she made his stomach flip flop.


Lily had settled in her compartment with Severus, with her truck stowed and her mind wandering out the window as the scenery passed by like a moving picture. Severus sat beside her reading "Potion Making: Mastering the Art" while she daydreamed out the window.

"...I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen — Maybe once I'm there — no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!" Lillie said, pleading with her sister.

"I don't — want — to — go! You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a — a — you think I want to be a — a freak?" Petunia squealed at her and stormed off, leaving Lily and Mr. and Mrs. Evans standing on Platform 9¾.

As the memory from just a couple of hours ago filled her head, Lily's eyes filled with tears again, and she quickly wiped them away.

"Lily, it is ok. She is just jealous," said Severus in what he considered a soothing voice that didn't make Lily feel better. "She knows she is not special like you. Soon we will be at together Hogwarts. It will be fun and you will forget all about her!" Severus had already changed into his school robes.

She didn't want to cry in front of Severus. She didn't want to be seen as weak, when she knew she wasn't. She had been so embarrassed when she looked up on the platform and saw a boy with messy black hair staring at her as the tears fell down her face. Why was he staring at her anyway? He looked as though he had just had just rolled out of bed. He was tall and skinny, wore round glasses that seemed to make his hazel eyes shine. Why was he staring at her, there on the platform? Maybe he recognized her? No, that can't be it or she would have known him. But she never seen this boy in her life. Who was he?

Ugh, why did that boy have to see her cry? Why did she let Petunia make her so upset? This was supposed to be a happy day, a day she had been looking forward to all summer.

Just then, a loud crash broke up her thoughts. Lily felt Severus jump beside her at the sound.

"What in Merlin's beard was that?" Severus asked as he and Lily exchanged weary looks.

Lily moved to the compartment door and opened to see four boys lying in the train's hallway laughing. The boy on top she recognized as the one who saw her crying on the platform, his messy black hair untidy as ever and his glasses askew on his face. He was holding his ribs because he was laughing so hard. Beside him, Lily saw another boy, with long dark hair that hung near his shoulders and handsome face. He too, was laughing uncontrollably. Two more boys laid laughing on the train floor. This commotion had stirred many people to poke their heads of out of their compartments too. Lily saw smoke leaking through the compartment door the boys fell out of and was about to see why it was smoking when Severus had joined her at the door, grabbed her arm and directed her back inside.

"Don't go out there and get in trouble with them. Stupid gits," said Severus, who returned to his book like nothing happened. Lily sat down beside him and again transfixed her gaze outside the window. Whoever that boy was with the messy hair and glasses, he seemed to be nothing but trouble.


James made his way onto the train, determined not to look back at his parents as the train departed from the station. Where was he going to sit? He passed by compartment after compartment full of chatty kids and laughing teenagers when he finally came to a compartment where three boys sat. One boy sat shuffling a deck of cards in his hands. James saw the boy had on a t-shirt, ripped jeans and wore his hair down to almost his shoulders. The other boy, who was sitting by the window, was tall and thin. He had dirty brown hair that laid in his eyes, which had dark circles around them. His longer than normal nose was crammed into a book. The other boy, short and round with bright blonde hair, glanced up at compartment door as James opened it.

As James stepped in, he heard the boy with the long hair exclaim "OUCH" and put him pointer finger in his mouth. He looked up at James when he heard the door open.

"Oy, mate. How's it hanging?" said the boy. James watched as the boy tucked his long dark brown hair behind his ears. "Fair and square. How's your pair?" asked James with a smirk. The long haired boy smiled a huge grin and gestured to the seat beside him.

"Here, you can sit me with us. My name is Sirius, Sirius Black," said the boy named Sirius. "And yours…?"

"James. James Potter," said James as he heaved his truck over his head into the compartment above. He sat Caesar's cage on the seat across from him. He knew little about the Blacks, that they too were a pure-blood wizarding family that dated back centuries, much like the Potters.

The tall boy by the window put his book away and faced James. He put out his hand and when he spoke, his voice was calm and soft, "Hi. I am Remus Lupin."

"But like I said, I am calling you Lupin, mate," said Sirius.

The plump boy smiled at James, "I am Peter Pettigrew." He smiled a cheesy grin and James noticed that he had something in his teeth.

"Yeah, you need a nickname, too," said Sirius smirking. Peter blushed with a slight embarrassment.

The boys sat in silence for a moment, James staring at Caesar cleaning his feathers and Sirius shuffling the cards once more. Peter glanced between the two. Remus has gone back to his book.

"You…you excited about starting Hogwarts?" asked James, trying to get a conversation going.

Peter started first, "Oh yeah! Have you heard about the food there? They have these house-elves that make anything you want. ANYTHING," he said, licking his lips.

"And the professors seem to know what they are doing. We are there to learn, correct?" said Remus not looking up from his book.

"I am just glad to get away from my parents. They are crazy," said Sirius, laying the cards to one side, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back on the seat. "They have these crazy ideas about how the world should be. I don't believe in all that bullshit." James couldn't tell if Sirius was showing off with his choices of words or if that was just his nature.

"What bullshit?" said James, not wanting to be outdone, just in case it was not the latter.

"That whole "pure-blood" mentality. That anything less than that is disgraceful." Sirius's voice deepened and moved to almost a whisper. He eyed his hands nervously, like he may have said the wrong thing.

James looked at Sirius. He knew that many pure-blood wizards shared that same idea. But not his family. Although his family was considered "pure blood," his mother and father always taught him the importance for respecting others. And now that Voldemort was rising to power, James knew it was important to find people who share what you believe in too. James smiled. "Very disgraceful," said James. Sirius glanced by up at James and smiled. Peter and Remus both looked at them and nodded their heads. It seemed that the four were off to a good start.

"Hey you want to play Exploding Snaps?" asked Sirius, reaching over beside him and grabbing the deck of cards from the seat. "But we have to play by my rules." Remus laid his book beside him and scooted over to Peter, who looked like he was about to jump out of his seat with excitement.

"Oh yeah? And what are those?" asked James, turning in his seat to face Sirius.

Sirius grinned. "We have to play with real fire." James laughed a hearty laugh. "You are on," he said.

Game one of Exploding Snaps was harmless as it could be when playing with fire. Sirius's rule was that when you found two matching pictures, you had to set them on fire before they exploded or before your partner could set them on fire.

It was on the second game that things got interesting.

It was a competitive game, with winner being treated to candy from the trolley. James was concentrating so hard that sweat beads were popping up around his brow. He unconsciously ran his hand through his messy hair. Peter nervously rubbed his hands together. Remus, although calm looking, seemed to frozen in his seat. Just then, Sirius flipped two cards and instantly made a match. James and Sirius were too quick for the other boys and reached the match first, grabbing a card on either side and trying to steal it away from the other. It seemed both James and Sirius were thinking the same thing at the same time. Both boys used their other hand to grab their wand and in unison cried "Incendio!"

This would have been fine, expect, at the same time, the card in their hand exploded.

The fire from both wand maximized the explosion and the compartment resonated with a loud boom. Smoke filled the small compartment, and James, Peter, Remus and Sirius, choking and laughing at the same time, struggled to find the door. James reached the handle first, and with the other boys close on his heels, he pushed the handle down. The four boys tumbled out of the compartment, laughing and coughing as smoke pushed out of the small room and into the train's hallway.

James's eyes and lungs burned, but his laughter didn't cease. He struggled to get to his feet and opened his eyes slightly to get his bearings.

It was then he saw a glimpse of fiery red hair.

Scrambling off of Sirius and trying to catch his breath, James stood and leaned against the walls of the train. One by one the boys climbed to their feet, leaning on the wall beside James. They exchanged glances and the laughter continued.


Lily was staring out the window, and Snape was involved in his book when the compartment door open and four boys wandered inside, laughing loudly and deep in conversation.

As they set down across from her, hearing the words "fire" and "smoke," Lily realized it was the four boys who had fallen out of the compartment next door. The boy with the messy hair and glasses was with them, and Lily was glad that he didn't realize she was sitting across from him.

"Have you thought about which house you want to be sorted in?" Snape asked, breaking her train of thought.

"Huh? House? What house?" she asked. Snape smiled, "You know the four houses I told you about. You'd better be sorted into Slytherin," said Snape.

"Slytherin?"

A voice from across the compartment made both Lily and Snape turn. The boy with the messy hair and glasses was staring at them.

"Why would you want to be in Slytherin? I'd leave, wouldn't you?" The boy named James turned to another boy with long dark hair, whom Lillie did not know.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he said gloomily.

"Blimey, Sirius," said James, "Here I was thinking you seemed all right!" Sirius smiled widely at this comment. "Maybe I'll break the tradition," he said "Which house do you want, James?

James stood up and slashed an invisible sword in front of his body. "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Just like my dad."

A snorting sound came from beside Lily. She turned to look at Snape smirking.

James eyed him suspiciously. "Got a problem with that?"

"No," said Snape, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy—"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" laughed Sirius. All the boys roared with laughter. Lily had had enough, and she stood up, eying both James and Sirius with disgust.

"Come on, Severus, let's go."

"Oooooo. . . " Showing off, James stuck his foot out to try and trip Snape as he exited the compartment.

"See ya, Snivellus!" a voice called and laughter erupted in the compartment.


After the boys watched Lily and Snape leave, James, Sirius, Peter and Remus sat on the padding bench, with treats from the trolley spread out between them. Between the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Jelly Slugs and Pumpkin Pasties, the boys talked and laughed as the train traveled through the countryside.

"You know, if we can get into that kind of trouble every day, I think I am going to like Hogwarts," said James through a mouthful of Pumpkin Pasties.

"Yeah, mate, I was thinking the same thing," said Sirius grinning. The boys laughed again. And just like that, James thought, it seemed he had found some friends. And he got to see the girl with fiery red hair one more time.

Today was turning out to be a good day.


Lily stared wide eyed as she moved into the Great Hall at Hogwarts. When she first saw the castle, she was amazed, but standing here, under the bewitched ceiling, she was in awe.

Lily marched down the center aisle with the rest of the first years behind Professor McGonagall, an older witch with dark brown eyes and a serious stare. They gathered at the front of the Great Hall in front of the staff table with the faces of older students looking on from the tables behind her.

Lily was nervous. More nervous than she had ever been in her life.

Profession McGonagall stood facing the first years, and Lily noticed an old hat sitting on a rickety old stool.

"Black, Sirius"

Lily watched as the long hair boy she met on the train slowly make his way up to the stool, and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head. Second ticked by. No sound was made until finally the Hat cried "Gryffindor!"

There was a audible gasp from the Sytherian table as Sirius jumped off the stool and practically ran over to the cheering Gryffindor table, grinning from ear to ear.

Professor McGonagall continued down the list of names. Lily's nerves grew and grew the closer Professor McGonagall got to her name until "Evans, Lily!" rang across the Great Hall. Lily walked forward on trembling legs and sit down upon the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto her head, and barely a second after it had touched her head, the hat cried, "Gryffindor!"

Lily handed the hat to Professor McGonagall and moved off the stool to head toward the cheering Gryffindor table. As she passed Snape, she gave him a sad smile. Lily sat down on the bench and looked to her right, realizing that she had accidentally sat down by Sirius Black. She glared at him and turn her attention back to the Sorting Ceremony.

Professor McGonagall continued calling out names.

"Griffen, Alice." "Gryffindor!"

"Harris, Michael." "Ravenclaw!"

"Jefferson, Maya. "Hufflepuff!"

"Little, Grace." "Ravenclaw!"

"Longbottom, Frank." "Gryffindor!"

"Lupin, Remus." "Gryffindor!"

"Mathis, Rachel." "Hufflepuff!"

"McDonald, Mary." "Gryffindor!"

"McKinnon, Marlene." "Gryffindor!"

"Pettigrew, Peter" "Gryffindor!"

"Potter, James." Lily turned her attention to the messy haired boy with glasses that saw her crying on the platform, who was mean to Severus. He cockily strolled over to the stool and swung one leg over with ease. He smiled a crocked grin, and Lily's stomach did a flip flop. The feeling seems odd, considering she had decided that she greatly disliked him. Lily watched as Professor McGonagall placed the hat on James's head. Instantly, it sang "Gryffindor!," and the table once again erupted. James jumped down off the stool, bowed to Professor McGonagall and strutted to the Gryffindor, high-fifing people as he went. Lily rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the boy named James as he tried to get her attention for a high five.

Finally, Lily braced herself for Professor McGonagall to cry out "Snape, Severus." Around her, she heard James and Sirius snigger.

Lily watched as Snape walked to the stool and had the hat placed upon his head. Not even a second past before the Sorting Hat cried "Slytherin!"

Severus Snape walked to where the Slytherins were cheering him. Snape felt a slap on his back and looked up at a teenage with a pale face, pointed nose and long white hair and a prefect badge gleaming upon his chest. Snape glance from the boy back to Lily and she could see that he looked down right miserable.

No Severus and now she had to deal with that James Potter and his gang of gits.

Lillie sighed. Today turned out to be a not-so-good day.