Lily and James quickly boarded the Hogwarts Express, along with dozens of
other children. Most, especially the older kids, were laughing and shoving
each other, while the younger ones were trying to remain unnoticed as they
boarded the train. James and Lily pushed their way through the thick crowd,
finally making it to one of the middle train cars.
They had only just sat down when KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! The door jerked open a crack, rather hesitantly. "Hello?" A boy about their age peeked his head through the door. He had mousy brown hair to his chin and delicate grey eyes. "There's no cars left on the train, and-" the boy was suddenly jostled out of the way by another boy. This one was much taller and broader, though still only their age, with laughing brown eyes and almost black hair. "Hey, can we share this car? There's no room left."
James just grinned and nodded. "Go ahead, plenty of room."
"Thanks," both boys said in unison, quickly climbing into the car. Both sat in the bench seat opposite the one James and Lily were in.
James reached out his hand to shake with both of them. "I'm James Potter, and this is Lily Evans."
The taller boy with the darker hair grabbed James' hand first. "I'm Sirius Black."
The other boy took Lily's hand and smiled sweetly. "And I'm Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you both." He got up and made sure the car door was open, "in case anyone else needs a seat."
It turned out two more people did. Arabella Figg came in a minute later, her long blonde hair billowing behind her. She sat next to Lily, and the two immediately engaged in girl talk. Next was Peter Pettigrew, a short, rotund boy with freckles and a dark buzz cut. He sat on the other side of Sirius, and he always laughed too hard for too long at the other boys' jokes.
After a little while, the six engaged in conversation. It was the first year at Hogwarts for each. "I'm a half muggle," James said, then added with a grin, "I think it's to blame for my hair!"
"Half muggle?" Lily asked.
"Muggles are the humans who don't know about magic."
"That's my parents, then," Lily replied.
"My folks on both sides are witches and wizards at least ten generations back," Arabella said with pride.
"No muggle in me either," added Peter. "I ain't no mudblood!"
James's jaw dropped; Arabella gasped. Sirius's eyes grew big in his skull, then he punched Peter on the arm, hard. "Don't ever, EVER, say anything about mudbloods again!"
"Honestly, Peter," Remus added. "We have at least one muggle born and two halves in the car, including me, and you talk about mudbloods!"
"I'm sorry, guys. I was kidding, honest!" Peter faded quietly into the background for most of the remainder of the trip, possibly due to Sirius's occasional glares in his direction.
"So, Remus," Lily said after an uncomfortably long silence, "you are a half muggle?"
"Yeah," he said, "my dad left my mum when he found out she was a witch, but she didn't tell him until after they had me. Her line is witches and wizards all the way back to Salem over in the States, though. What about you, Sirius?"
"I'm 100% wizard."
Their conversations continued for quite a while, until the train screeched to a stop. Everyone clamored off the train, and a huge voice rang out, "Firs' years! This way! Follow me!"
All six turned and stared in shock at the man who had spoken. He was fairly young, only about eighteen or nineteen, but he was huge! He stood over seven feet tall, his shoulders reaching about four feet across. A thick mat of dark, unruly hair and a matching beard fell down his shoulders, and his ruddy face was even redder from shouting. "All firs' years, follow me! Yeh all come along, firs' years!"
The children clamored behind him. A dozen or so rowboats stood awaiting. "Four 'o a boat, come along! Hurry up, they're awaiting for yeh!" The six friends got split up. In the end, Peter, Remus, Arabella, and Sirius got on one boat, while James and Lily got herded onto another. They were with two other boys. One was short and slender, with blonde-white hair and cold grey eyes. The other, tall and thin, had almost feverish emerald eyes and lank, greasy black hair. The short blonde quickly shook Lily's hand. "I'm Lucius Malfoy. Who would you be?"
"Lily Evans," she said hesitantly. Something about those two didn't sit well with her.
"Evans," the tall one hissed.
"Sounds like a mudblood name to me, eh Severus?" Lucius said coolly.
"Don't call Lily a mudblood. DON'T," James said. He was just as brash as ever, but there was an angry glint in his eye.
"And who are you to stop us?" The other boy, Severus, said with a nasty glint in his eyes.
"James Potter, and I'll stop you! Don't say that about Lily!"
Before the boys could come to blows, the boats pulled into the docks. The argument stopped abruptly as they all stared in wonder at the castle in front of them.
Hogwarts, for it had to be Hogwarts, was massive, looming high over their heads. Lily vaguely remembered seeing Buckingham Palace once a few years back, and this building was much larger, more imposing. It was really a medieval castle, with turrets and catwalks and arrow slits, all made from stone. Everyone gaped at it as they climbed onto the dock, and their jaws dropped steadily lower as they approached it.
A woman, a witch, stepped out in front of the first years. She had raven black hair pulled up into a stiff bun, and she wore deep hunter green robes that matched her eyes. Though she was only about forty, her presence commanded respect, and every student was silent when she began to speak.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. You are all here because you have aptitude for the magical arts. For the next seven years, you will study many forms of magic. Hopefully, you will all graduate with some degree of proficiency in each.
"Within a few moments, you will all be taken into the ballroom, where you will be sorted into houses. Each house has certain virtues. Ravenclaws are the most studious, Hufflepuffs are the hardest working, Slytherins are the most cunning, and Gryffindors, my house, are the bravest. Once you are sorted, your educations will begin."
She gathered her robes about her, then spun and ascended the stairs. "First years, follow me."
They had only just sat down when KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! The door jerked open a crack, rather hesitantly. "Hello?" A boy about their age peeked his head through the door. He had mousy brown hair to his chin and delicate grey eyes. "There's no cars left on the train, and-" the boy was suddenly jostled out of the way by another boy. This one was much taller and broader, though still only their age, with laughing brown eyes and almost black hair. "Hey, can we share this car? There's no room left."
James just grinned and nodded. "Go ahead, plenty of room."
"Thanks," both boys said in unison, quickly climbing into the car. Both sat in the bench seat opposite the one James and Lily were in.
James reached out his hand to shake with both of them. "I'm James Potter, and this is Lily Evans."
The taller boy with the darker hair grabbed James' hand first. "I'm Sirius Black."
The other boy took Lily's hand and smiled sweetly. "And I'm Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you both." He got up and made sure the car door was open, "in case anyone else needs a seat."
It turned out two more people did. Arabella Figg came in a minute later, her long blonde hair billowing behind her. She sat next to Lily, and the two immediately engaged in girl talk. Next was Peter Pettigrew, a short, rotund boy with freckles and a dark buzz cut. He sat on the other side of Sirius, and he always laughed too hard for too long at the other boys' jokes.
After a little while, the six engaged in conversation. It was the first year at Hogwarts for each. "I'm a half muggle," James said, then added with a grin, "I think it's to blame for my hair!"
"Half muggle?" Lily asked.
"Muggles are the humans who don't know about magic."
"That's my parents, then," Lily replied.
"My folks on both sides are witches and wizards at least ten generations back," Arabella said with pride.
"No muggle in me either," added Peter. "I ain't no mudblood!"
James's jaw dropped; Arabella gasped. Sirius's eyes grew big in his skull, then he punched Peter on the arm, hard. "Don't ever, EVER, say anything about mudbloods again!"
"Honestly, Peter," Remus added. "We have at least one muggle born and two halves in the car, including me, and you talk about mudbloods!"
"I'm sorry, guys. I was kidding, honest!" Peter faded quietly into the background for most of the remainder of the trip, possibly due to Sirius's occasional glares in his direction.
"So, Remus," Lily said after an uncomfortably long silence, "you are a half muggle?"
"Yeah," he said, "my dad left my mum when he found out she was a witch, but she didn't tell him until after they had me. Her line is witches and wizards all the way back to Salem over in the States, though. What about you, Sirius?"
"I'm 100% wizard."
Their conversations continued for quite a while, until the train screeched to a stop. Everyone clamored off the train, and a huge voice rang out, "Firs' years! This way! Follow me!"
All six turned and stared in shock at the man who had spoken. He was fairly young, only about eighteen or nineteen, but he was huge! He stood over seven feet tall, his shoulders reaching about four feet across. A thick mat of dark, unruly hair and a matching beard fell down his shoulders, and his ruddy face was even redder from shouting. "All firs' years, follow me! Yeh all come along, firs' years!"
The children clamored behind him. A dozen or so rowboats stood awaiting. "Four 'o a boat, come along! Hurry up, they're awaiting for yeh!" The six friends got split up. In the end, Peter, Remus, Arabella, and Sirius got on one boat, while James and Lily got herded onto another. They were with two other boys. One was short and slender, with blonde-white hair and cold grey eyes. The other, tall and thin, had almost feverish emerald eyes and lank, greasy black hair. The short blonde quickly shook Lily's hand. "I'm Lucius Malfoy. Who would you be?"
"Lily Evans," she said hesitantly. Something about those two didn't sit well with her.
"Evans," the tall one hissed.
"Sounds like a mudblood name to me, eh Severus?" Lucius said coolly.
"Don't call Lily a mudblood. DON'T," James said. He was just as brash as ever, but there was an angry glint in his eye.
"And who are you to stop us?" The other boy, Severus, said with a nasty glint in his eyes.
"James Potter, and I'll stop you! Don't say that about Lily!"
Before the boys could come to blows, the boats pulled into the docks. The argument stopped abruptly as they all stared in wonder at the castle in front of them.
Hogwarts, for it had to be Hogwarts, was massive, looming high over their heads. Lily vaguely remembered seeing Buckingham Palace once a few years back, and this building was much larger, more imposing. It was really a medieval castle, with turrets and catwalks and arrow slits, all made from stone. Everyone gaped at it as they climbed onto the dock, and their jaws dropped steadily lower as they approached it.
A woman, a witch, stepped out in front of the first years. She had raven black hair pulled up into a stiff bun, and she wore deep hunter green robes that matched her eyes. Though she was only about forty, her presence commanded respect, and every student was silent when she began to speak.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. You are all here because you have aptitude for the magical arts. For the next seven years, you will study many forms of magic. Hopefully, you will all graduate with some degree of proficiency in each.
"Within a few moments, you will all be taken into the ballroom, where you will be sorted into houses. Each house has certain virtues. Ravenclaws are the most studious, Hufflepuffs are the hardest working, Slytherins are the most cunning, and Gryffindors, my house, are the bravest. Once you are sorted, your educations will begin."
She gathered her robes about her, then spun and ascended the stairs. "First years, follow me."