Author's Note: This one's a bit shorter than the others because I had it as part of the chapter on the Sorting Ceremony that I'm writing, but it was just coming out to be too long, so I split them. Hopefully it won't read oddly now!

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"Oh it's so beautiful!" Lily cooed as they slipped off the train amidst the crowd of other students who were happily chattering about the year to come.

"I wonder what speech Dumbledore's got cooked up for this year?"

"It'll be rich, whatever it is."

"I hope it's short," another older student piped up, "I'm starving!"

"Of course you are, Ed," one of the girls giggled and elbowed the boy in the side jokingly as she walked past him.

"Oi Emm, wait up!" he called, a goofy smile plastered over his features as he set off after the tall, wispy, girl.

"Poor Edgar," one of the boys from the group muttered, shaking his head as he stepped off the train. "She's out of his league."

Lily rolled her eyes and caught sight of Alice standing a bit confused in the middle of the slimming crowd. "Alice!" she and Severus quickly made their way over.

"Firs' years this way! Firs' years over here, please!"

Remus didn't have far to look, a giant of a man was wading through the crowd, beaming at the students that surrounded him, a great lantern bobbing in his meaty hand.

He cast a look around for the smaller boy and set off toward the big man, calling, "This way, Peter." He felt sorry for the small boy, but he wasn't about to crack his defenses for anyone-least of all a boy two-thirds his size.

"James, wait up!"

"Come on, Sirius. I am not going to let you make me late." James tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his new friend outside the bathroom. What in the name of Merlin's briefs was taking him so long?

James smothered a laugh in his hand as he thought of his mother's face if he'd ever said that out loud in front of her. His dad would find it funny but his mum…she'd probably tell Astrid not to make him any more cookies. The thought was instantly sobering-as was the appearance of the two sisters he'd run into earlier.

Still apparently blind to his presence, they banged on the door to the boy's lavatory. "Sirius, are you in there?"

"You're making us late," the blonde whined, twirling her hair about her finger nervously. "I was supposed to meet Lucius at the carriages."

"Then what are you doing out there?" Sirius asked irritably…he was only still in the bathroom trying to avoid them...oh how well that had turned out.

"Honestly!" Bellatrix Black rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand. "Uncle asked us to look out for you, Sirius. Now be a good little boy and come on out."

"Leave him alone," James said coldly, wand raised at her.

Narcissa giggled. "Oh look, Bella. The little fool thinks he can keep us from having our way. We're Blacks, first year…we get what we want."

"Everything we want," Bellatrix reinforced, choosing to point her wand at him instead of the doorknob. "But if you'd like a lesson, I'd be happy to teach y-"

The door flew open and Sirius appeared, fully clothed with his wand in hand, an angry gleam in his eye. "Leave him alone, Bellatrix," he said flatly, ignoring her amused cackle. Rolling his eyes, Sirius seized James' arm and headed out onto the platform, his eyes struggling to adjust to the semi-darkness that awaited him.

"Any more firs' years?" Hagrid called, swinging his lamp as he tried to illuminate the pathway.

"We're coming!" James called and both of them broke out into a run, nearly colliding with the big man who merely laughed and set them gently on their feet again.

"Well hello!" he boomed brightly, offering his hand to each of them in turn. "I'm Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid-Keeper o' the Keys at Hogwarts. And yer a Black, if I'm not mistaken?" Sirius nodded and Hagrid's smile widened. "Thought not. And yeh are-?"

"James, James Potter."

"Well Mr. Potter and Mr. Black-welcome ter Hogwarts. And," he added, tipping them a large wink. "Try an' be a bit more on time for yer classes. The teachers don't like it much when yer late."

They both nodded and Hagrid grinned. "Well inter the boats with you lot, not more'n four to a vessel. That's a lad," he added encouragingly as Peter, on his third attempt at hefting himself over the side of the wooden boat, finally managed it.

"Right well, now all we've got is to pick one," James said, starting for the boat with Lily in it.

"Hold on, mate, I don't fancy a ride across waters infested with who knows what with Snivellus over there."

James looked at the boat again and saw, once more to his surprise, Severus seated calmly in the boat with his girl. That boy had it coming to him, hanging out with the girl of his dreams so brazenly. As a third, sort of round girl joined them, James resigned himself to the fact that a different boat was, indeed, in order.

Glancing over his choices, James settled on the boat that contained the small boy they'd helped onto the train earlier that day. "How about that one?"

Sirius' grey eyes scanned the contents and he nodded his assent, wondering how a boy that small could possibly be eleven. And why was his companion so pale, his mind contemplated as he stepped gracefully over the side. Surely they didn't let part vampires into Hogwarts? Did vampires have children?

Sirius shook his head as the boats began to move, some introduction was in order. "I'm Sirius, Sirius Black. And this is-"

"Oi, why d'you get to go first, mate?" James asked, a mock frown descending over his features. "Either way," he added, grinning. "I'm James Potter."

"Nice to meet you," the pale boy said airily, his blue eyes focusing on them for a moment before looking away. "Remus Lupin."

"And I'm Peter." The small boy they'd rescued earlier squeaked. "Peter Pettigrew."

"Pleased to meet you," James said politely.

Sirius only grunted, trying to catch the Lupin boy's eye.

Remus flushed, meeting Sirius' gaze for the first time. "Can I help you?"

Sirius shrugged, looking behind the other boy at a point just above his head, a small grin blossoming on his face.

Remus too turned around and instinctively he knew what it was that he was seeing, even before Peter shouted, "It's Hogwarts!"

"No," Sirius whispered. "It's home." Already he knew that it would mean much more that to him than No. 12 Grimmauld Place ever could.

"Look mate," James added, tapping Sirius lightly on the shoulder. "Something in the water."

Sirius sighed and leaned over the side of the boat, hoping that James wouldn'tve pointed it out if it wasn't something good.

And good it was! A large pink tentacle had risen out of the lake just beside their boat, its' slender tip stroking the side of the boat gingerly.

"It's going to flip us!" Peter squeaked and a girl in one of the nearby boats screamed in horror as James reached out to touch the soft pink flesh.

But just as his fingertips brushed the surface, the tentacle withdrew, straightening until it towered over both their boat, and the boat next to them before it crashed into the water with a mighty splash, effectively soaking the four of them.

As they all swept their wet hair out of their eyes, the four boys looked at each other and shared a good laugh, quickly joined in by Hagrid and the rest of their class.

"What was that thing?"

"It's going to flip us!" Sirius mimicked, shaking his head forcefully, showering his companions with water yet again. "Honestly Peter, lighten up, would you?"

"Y'know, I reckon that was the giant squid my Dad was telling me about!" James remarked excitedly.

"I don't doubt that, James, that thing was gigantic," Remus said, his voice warm.

The three other boys turned to look at Remus, Sirius lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"You actually said something, mate," he said, disbelievingly.

Remus only laughed again and said, "I can talk you know…I just…choose not to most of the time."