"Bye James, don't forget to write!" called Shaun and Max Potter.
James just waved from the window of the train. As the scarlet engine pulled him out of veiw, he turned and flopped into his seat. All of his friends sat queitly in the compartment, some reading books and some writing. "Hey, Micheal, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, James, just homework..."
James fidgeted in his seat. He looked down at the book in his friend's lap to his right. Avada Kedavra is known as the Killing Curse, but many don't realize that- "Can I help you, James?"
"No, no, I was just wondering if you wanted to play Exploding Snap?" James offered hopefully.
"James," he stated disdainfully, "I'm busy. You should be cracking those books too."
James leaned his forehead against the window. My whole life, they have been this way. All of my friends find no exitement in the fact that we are on our way to Hogwarts! Away from our parents! To do something new! They never want to play games and take no interest in Quidditch, amazingly enough... What am I doing? Really? James thought along these lines for quite awhile. They are my friends, the only friends I've ever had, but... they aren't what I want, he realized. They are everything that my parents want for me, though. They are all nice enough, and we have had fun - but wait! Why should I be held back when I am starting in a new place? I am away from my parents, my siblings, and everything that I know - so why shouldn't I start new too?
He made up his mind. He stood, grabbed his luggage out from under his chair and his puppy from the rack above the seats. Just as he was struggling with the door to the asile, Micheal drawls "James, you're much too restless. Get out your textbooks, and settle down," all the while never looking up.
James just shakes his head in wonder as the door slides shut behind him.
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SMACK!
"Ooof!" James exhales.
"Sorry!" yells the boy.
James waves it off and stoops to pick up his stuff.
"Hey, what are you doing with all your stuff out here?"
"Oh, I was just..." James began to feel his ears get hot. Great first impressions, it looks like you're a loner.
The other boy picked up his puppy's cage. "Wow, I didn't know we were allowed to have dogs! I wish I could've brought mine... Does he fetch?"
"Yeah, he's a bit clumsy cuz he's so young, but he's really smart." James rambled on while trying to collect all of his belongings off the corridor floor. "You have a dog? What kind?"
They talked for quite awhile, backs against the compartment, until a beautiful young woman came upon them. "Boys, you need to go in your compartment. Blocking the hall isn't safe." She helped them move everything into a compartment one door down. "By the way, I am Prof. Mignôn (Mih-n-yon, translates to cute/sweet in French), the Foreign Language teacher. I'll be seeing you both in class, I expect." With that, she flashed a sparkling white smile and dissapeared into the corridor.
The boys stared after her. "Since when was there a Foriegn Language class at Hogwarts?" mused the boy. "I don't know, my parents never said anything about it..." James sounded just as bewildered.
"So... do you have MacMuland's rookie card?" With this, the boys got lost in another discussion. James was so exited, the boy traded his favorite Chaser's card for a Goalie card. They talked for the entire day, the entire time it took to get to Hogwarts. They even waved off the lunch lady when she came by with the cart.
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"First year students will be taking the lake entrance into the castle. For everyone else..." A voice filled thier train compartment. "...and make sure to leave all personal belongings on board. They will be taken up to your dormitories."
James and the boy were plastered to the window. The fog intertwined the forest in a seductive way and the heavens reflected on the lake. The frosted mountains seemed to gaurd it all, though. "You coming?" the boy beckoned James to follow. He eagerly got up and joined the queue of first years out on the docks.
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The Sorting Hat tsked and sighed. Well? It asked. Well what? James replied. He was a little put out. He could feel the hat examining every moment of his life. You are teetering, it answered. You are confused right now, trapped between yourself and your family and friends. I've never said this before, but good luck... Slytherin... hmm... or GRYFFINDOR!"
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James woke up to the curtains of his bed being ripped open and the most blinding light coming into his cloudy eyes full force. "Wha..."
"Up! All first years need to go down to the Hall of Memoirs. You have to meet your orientation group leader. James, because there are five people in this dormitory and there are only four in each group, you have been put with another Gryffindor group with only three people," he glances at his roster, "Remus, Sirius, and Sari. Your group leader is the Head Girl, Meghanne MacDermott. The rest of you..."