CHAPTER THREE

~The Journey~

James Potter

On September the first, James and his parents travelled to King's Cross Station, James finding it very difficult to keep still. He was about to go to Wizardry School and he'd already made a friend. He and Sirius had planned to meet up in Platforms nine and three quarters. Once he had gotten out of the car, James wheeled his trolley around and burst through the apparently solid barrier to the hidden platform. His face broke into a wide smile as he spotted Sirius with his brother and mother.

"Sirius!" he called waving his arms madly. Sirius turned and waved back. James pushed his trolley over to him, his parents following at his heels. "Figured out how we're going to get these trunks into the train yet?" he asked once he was by Sirius's side.

"Um, push them?" Sirius answered, looking at James weirdly. "Isn't that obvious?"

"No!" James said, then, "Well, yes…but another way? Without us breaking into a sweat?"

"Oooh! That's what you mean," Sirius exclaimed dramatically, nodding his head slowly. "Why didn't you say so? I don't have answer for that one, sorry."

"Don't worry, dear," Mrs Potter said from behind James, "we'll just make them lighter."

"What?" said James. "Take stuff out of it you mean, mum?"

"No, silly. A charm."

"Oooh!"

"Yes," Mr Potter said, "finally he gets it." He winked at the Blacks and laughed. Mrs Potter took out her wand, gave it a small swish and muttered, "Fulgere," and James's trunk glowed yellow then became normal again except for the fact that it was floating. "There we go, honey!"

"Thanks, mum," James said pulling his trunk and loading it onto the train. "C'mon Sirius! We haven't got much time left."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

Once their trunks were safely in, James and Sirius hopped out and said their goodbyes. Mrs Black looked quite sad to see her son go. "Do take care, won't you, Sirius?" she said, wiping her eyes on a hanky. "And don't play any pranks. Be a good boy."

"Yes mum. I'll be a good boy."

"I mean it Sirius."

"Okay, okay, keep your knickers on."

"Excuse me young man?"

"Nothing, nothing…"

* * *

Severus Snape

Severus walked through the enchanted barrier looking sour. He wouldn't have looked so angry if his mother and father escorted him to the Hogwart's Express, but they hadn't even bothered. They just apparated without even saying goodbye.

Severus looked around the Platform. Then turning to his trunk, he said, "Mobilicorpus," and his trunk rose slowly and started to float behind him as though someone invisible was holding it up, and following him.

He reached the train door where a short, fat boy was helping another boy with his trunk. Oh, hurry up. Severus impatiently thought to himself, watching the two boys heave.

"Nearly there, Remus," said the fat boy.

"One more heave," panted the brown-haired boy.

"Heave!" they cried together and the trunk slid inside. The two boys swapped high fives, grinning as though they had won some type of competition. Pathetic. Severus thought. He ran one slender hand through his greasy black hair, making sure it was still perfect. Finding out that it was, he smiled.

Then he spotted her.

She was the most beautiful girl Severus had ever seen. She had amazing emerald green eyes that shone whenever she smiled; her dark red hair was wavy and landed elegantly just above her waist. She had the most beautiful smile too, for whenever she smiled, her straight, white, perfect teeth gleamed.

The girl turned and their eyes locked for one second. Severus looked away and shook his head vigorously trying to clear the girl's face away from his mind.

* * *

Remus Lupin

"Seems like all the compartments are full," Remus said to Peter.

"I knew we shouldn't have taken so long with that trunk," Peter sounded worried.

"Oh, wait," Remus had just found out that there was one more compartment at the very end where only two boys sat, talking to each other. He knocked on the door to get their attention. They looked at him.

"Erm, mind if we sit here?" Remus asked, trying his best to sound polite. "Everywhere else is taken."

"Sure," the boy with the glasses answered, nodding.

Peter and Remus sat down opposite the two boys. There was a pause only to be broken by another knock on the compartment door. Remus swung his head and found a pale faced boy looking nervously down at them. He recognised it as the boy who had been waiting behind them when they were trying to drag the trunk into the train. "Yes?" he said.

"Can I sit here?" the boy grunted, not even looking at them. He looks friendly. Remus thought sarcastically to himself.

"Sure, we always have room for one more," the boy with the glasses said cheerfully.

* * *

"I'm James Potter, by the way," James said. "We might as well introduce ourselves now we're all here." He smiled.

"Sirius Black, at everyone's service."

"Remus Lupin."

"P-Peter Pettigrew."

"Severus Snape."

After that, everyone seemed quiet for a while. Sirius, in particular, was never a big fan of awkward pauses. Deciding to break the silence, he said, "I want to be in Gryffindor."

"Huh?" Peter said, looking from one boy to the other, his face confused. Perhaps his brain too.

"Slytherin is where I want to be," Severus said in a calm, icy voice. "Everyone from my family was in Slytherin and it would bring shame to the family if I wasn't one."

Peter still looked confused.

"Gryffindor sounds the best though …" Remus said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Severus shot him at angry glare.

"If I ever do become a Slytherin, I'll show you all that it's the best house in the whole of Hogwarts."

"No chance, mate," Sirius said, glaring back at Severus. "Lions over snakes."

"Gryffindor for the Cup … woohoo!" James cried suddenly that everyone jumped. Then the compartment door opened and three girls stood on the doorway.

"Hi," the middle one said. Severus recognised her as the girl who he saw earlier. "I'm Lily Evans and these are my friends, Paige and Felice," she said, gesturing to the girls either side of her. One of them – Felice – had blonde, curly hair that sat perfectly on her shoulders; she also had hazel coloured eyes. Paige on the other hand, had dark mahogany hair that came up to her chin and her blue eyes were warm … quite similar to Remus's.

"Er … hi?" James said looking puzzled. "Is there anything we can do for you ladies?"

Lily answered him, "No, we just wanted to meet everyone before we actually get to Hogwarts. But we might get going now, we still need to change into our robes." And with a brief smile at the five, goggling boys, the three girls turned and left.

"I like the blonde one," Sirius said, still looking at the door. The others except Severus laughed. He liked to keep his face grim and expressionless.

"I don't know …" Remus said, smiling slowly, "I think the dark haired one looked kinda cute."

"Well, the red head's for me," said James. "How about you Peter?"

"Um … I'm too young for girls," Peter muttered staring determinedly at the floor.

"The train is slowing down," Severus said suddenly.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"I said the train is slowing down," snapped Severus.

"Alright, alright, I was only asking."

The Hogwarts Express certainly did seem to be slowing down. Remus, Peter, James, Sirius and Severus stood up, grabbed the remaining bits of rubbish they had left and made their way to the exit door. The sign nearby told them that they were in Hogsmeade Station. A deep, loud voice boomed over the top of the excited babbles, "Firs' years, this way!" it said. And so the first years followed the giant silhouette of the man, shivering once in a while whenever a cold gust of wind hit them. After a few minutes walking, an astonishing sight met their eyes. It was the splendid castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.