CHAPTER TWO

~The Meeting~

James Potter

"C'mon mum! Hurry up dad!" James called to his parents, while he sat impatiently in the family car, waiting.

"Yes, yes, coming dear." Mrs Potter emerged from inside the house putting on her high-heeled black sandals.

She looks funny, thought James as he watched her mother bunny hop with one foot because she was trying to shove her sandal on the other.

After several minutes of impatient waiting, they were all in the car and driving on the road to London. Arriving at the London Mall, the three of them walked to the Leaky Cauldron (unseen to those who haven't got any magical blood, otherwise called as "muggles") and stepped inside the grubby pub. They walked straight through to the back door and tapped the bricks. Diagon Alley materialised before them.

They had reached a shop which looked extremely old and battered but as James looked at its front window and saw what was there, he didn't care what the shop looked like. He kept staring hungrily at the thing in the shop. It looked sleek and wonderful, its tail in one straight line, no twigs sticking out. Its beautiful handle glistened as it lied there, beyond the window-glass, untouched. It was a broomstick. It was the new Silver Meteor.

"Wow," said a kid beside James, goggling just like him at the broomstick, "isn't it beautiful? It's the latest model and its perfect! Can I pleeeease get one, mum?" and the boy ran off, calling to his mother's back. James turned to his own mother, tearing his eyes from the Silver Meteor.

"Can we buy it mum?" he asked hopefully.

"No," said Mrs Potter sternly. "It says on your Hogwarts letter that first years aren't allowed broomsticks."

"Oh," James muttered to himself, bowing his head in disappointment. He always loved the vision of him flying. He knew, though he had never felt it, that flying would drive away his worries; send him in a blissful world and just let him appreciate everything. But now, it seems, he would not get to feel that feeling for a long time.

* * *

Sirius Black

"Look, Jamiel, frog brains," said Sirius, scooping up a spoonful and shoving it under his brother's nose.

"Eew! Muuuum!" Jamiel cried.

"Oh, c'mon, it tastes just like chicken," joked Sirius, pretending to sniff the frog brains but not really breathing at all.

"You're an idiot, Sirius," said Jamiel, scowling at his older brother.

"Why thank you. That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," smirked Sirius, now grabbing some powdered beetle.

They were in Potions For You, a tiny shop that sold potion recipes, potion ingredients and already made potions. The front door bell tinkled and a boy that looked about Sirius's age walked in with what seemed like his parents. The boy walked over to the same shelf as Sirius and started to examine the different bottled animals. Then the boy spoke.

"Hullo," he said, giving Sirius a friendly smile, "Are you a Hogwarts student?"

Sirius stared. How had this boy guessed that he was going to Hogwarts this year? He looked into the boy's deep brown eyes and smiled as well. "Yeah, my first time this year, how about you?"

The boy scratched his head, making his already messy black hair even scruffier. "Same as you. First year."

"Oh ok…" Sirius couldn't think of anything else to say. Then, feeling as though he might use some friends at school, he said, "Sirius Black, at your service." And with that, Sirius grinned and did a sweeping bow. The other boy laughed.

"James Potter, at your service," he said, bowing, but, as a result, his glasses fell off. "Oops," he said, blushing slightly. "Forgot about that…" Sirius laughed. "Have you seen the new Silver Meteor?" James asked.

"Um, no." Sirius admitted.

"I have!" came a sudden squeal. Jamiel was back. "I've asked mum if I could have one, but she said no."

"James, this is my brother, Jamiel."

"Hi," James said politely.

"You know why mum said no, Jamiel?" said Sirius, bending over so his face was level with his brother's.

"No, why?"

"Because she knows that the broom will fly off before you even get to ride it," replied Sirius.

"Oh yeah?" Jamiel retorted defensively. "And why's that?"

"Cause you stink and it won't be able to bear your smell."

"Muuuuum!" Jamiel cried once again, running to his mother to tell on Sirius.

James and Sirius laughed, unaware that their first meeting was the start of their ever-lasting friendship.

* * *

Remus Lupin

"Wand first, I think dear," Mrs Lupin said to her son, looking around and catching sight of Ollivander's Wand Shop: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC. They entered the dusty shop and peered inside. Mr Ollivander saw them and dashed to them at once.

"A wand for this young lad?" he said, putting his face close to Remus's.

"Y-yes," replied Remus, startled.

"Stay there then and we'll take a few measurements." The magical measuring tape came whooshing out of nowhere and started take measurements between Remus's nose, eyes, shoulders, legs and arms - all by itself. Once finished, it rolled itself up into a ball and landed with a soft thud on the dusty floor.

"Right, now," Mr Ollivander gave Remus a wand with a neat handle. "Seven and a half inches, yew, unicorn tail hair…give it a wave," he said looking expectantly at Remus.

He took the wand and - without knowing what to expect - gave it a small wave. Nothing happened.

"Nope, not that one, obviously," muttered Mr Ollivander. "Try this one: oak, nine inches, dragon heartstring, good for charm work."

Remus tried the wand and nothing happened again.

After trying what seemed like about twenty wands, the Lupins walked out of Ollivander's with Remus clutching the bag that contained his destined wand. It was eleven inches, mahogany and contained a phoenix feather along with a dragon scale. Feeling thoroughly excited on the idea that he will at last get to do some of his own magic, he and his parents headed off to Flourish & Blotts, the book shop, to buy the rest of his equipment.

* * *

Peter Pettigrew

"Stop tugging, Tommy!" Mrs Pettigrew shrieked at her son.

"Mum! Let's go to that place first!" Tommy asked eagerly, giving Mrs Pettigrew puppy-dog eyes. "There's a broomstick in there!"

"No," Mrs Pettigrew said firmly and in reply the twins both said, "Awwww!" at the same time.

"Don't 'awwww' me like that, you two," she said, giving the twins an evil eye, "we do what I say and no complaining."

They headed to a shop that displayed a number of books with titles such as: Learn the Curse of the Bogies, Take Revenge on Your Evil Friends and Love, Like and Hate: Tricky Curses for Brilliant Minds.

As the Pettigrews walked up to the shop, Peter looked up. Overhead, a wooden sign attached to the entrance door read: Flourish & Blotts.

"What books do you need?" Peter's father asked, spitting the words bitterly.

"Erm…" Peter consulted his list, "Starting Transfiguration, Are You? by Juyius Jolibuy. C-can we get that f-first?"

"Whatever," his mother said, sounding pathetically bored.

Peter ran to the Transfiguration section and grabbed the book fervently when he spotted it, admiring its handsome leather cover. Then he read the next thing on his list, "N-next is: Charmy Charms by Restus Liplen." He ran to the next isle and there, he found a boy slightly taller than him with very light brown hair and ocean-blue eyes. He seemed to be searching for a book too.

"Peter?" his mother asked from behind him. "We'll leave you here to buy all your wizard books. The twins want to go somewhere else -they're bored." Under her breath she added, "Not that I blame them." With that she turned around, motioned the others to follow her and with a tinkle of the entrance door, they were gone. Peter now turned to the other boy, who was looking at him with interest.

"Your family?" he asked, smiling.

"Y-yeah," Peter stammered. Then, choosing to ignore the boy, he turned to face the bookshelf and started to look for Charmy Charms.

"This what you're looking for?" the boy spoke once more. He held up a copy of Charmy Charms. "Cause, if it is, they're over here." He said, gesturing to the shelf in front of him.

"Th-thanks," Peter said and walked over to the shelf.

"What's your name?" the boy said.

"Peter Pettigrew."

"I'm Remus Lupin, nice to meet you."

Smiling, they both shook hands, Peter's face not even quivering.