He hugs his mother, but not too tightly—there are other kids there. "Bye mum, bye dad."

Suitcase proudly in hand, he boards the train and heads to the back where the cool kids are, passing fellow nervous first-years.

But Sirius and his friends are in the second-to-last compartment. "Can I sit here?" Regulus nods at an empty seat.

"Nah," says Sirius, "we're saving that."

"For who?" he challenges.

Sirius glances nervously at one of his Gryffindor friends, who says "Peter."

"Sorry!" Sirius calls as Regulus proceeds to the back. The last compartment is fully occupied by seventh-year Hufflepuff girls with whom he does not want to spend any time.

He turns towards the front of the train. But while he has been questing backwards, the train has been filling up. Walking head-down, only needing one open seat, he can feel his schoolmates' eyes.