Disclaimer: I don't own Lily and James Potter or any other Harry Potter characters. J.K. Rowling owns them.

A/N: Okay this is going to be the first of Seven Lily and James stories. One story per year! I hope you like it! I tried to stay true to the books!

Hogwarts, 1971: A Time for Friendships
Chapter 1
A Feudal Journey

It was September 1st, the day that all students went back to Hogwarts. James Potter, a student just starting Hogwarts, got up fairly early that morning. He was very excited.

Or not.

It was September 1st, the day that all students went back to Hogwarts. James Potter, a student just starting Hogwarts, didn't seem to want to get up that morning.

"JAMES!" cried his mother at half past ten. "James! You have to get up NOW! You can't be late!"

"But Mum!"

"NOW JAMES!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

They left the house twenty minutes later, with James's mum screaming that he was always late and that she wasn't going to tolerate him if he was late and couldn't get to Hogwarts this year.

"James, you have to be more responsible! Really, I'll tell you! You'll never become head boy if you keep this up!"

At this James gave a slight grin. All his mum seemed worried about was that he become Head Boy, like his father before him and before his father his grandfather. The list went on and on until finally it got to Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts. James was one of the two only living heirs with Gryffindor's blood in their veins. He was a sure match to be in Gryffindor House this year.

The shrill whistle of the Hogwarts Express suddenly interrupted James's thoughts. Before he knew it the train had started moving, and James wasn't on it. His mum came rushing toward him, wand in hand. She used a tricky spell to transport James's trunk to a compartment in the train. James closed his eyes and waited for his mom to do the same for him, but all she did was wish him a good year and disapperate. Before James knew it, the train was rushing out of the station.

It was by mere instinct that James started running. He was fast for such a skinny twelve-year-old. When he finally caught up with an entrance, he hopped on. Then, he looked back and saw that he wasn't the only one who was late that day. There was a girl, only about a year younger than he was, who ran fairly fast. James held out his hand to help her up, and she gladly accepted it. James pulled her up, and got his first close up look of her. She was rather pretty. She had medium length dark red hair, and gorgeous green eyes. *Funny,* he thought, *My mind kind of went blank when I first saw her.*

"Thanks," she said, relieved. "My name is Lily Evans."

"James. James Potter."

"What year are you?"

"Just starting at first year, you?"

"Oh, I'm just starting too. You see, I'm from a muggle family."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well-"

But James was cut off by another first year girl, one he knew pretty well actually. Her name was Ashley.

"Lily! Lily Evans! Is that you?"

"Ashley!"

"Yeah, I didn't know you were a witch!"

"Like I knew you were one?"

"Well, I'm half and half. Me mum's a muggle. Dad's a wizard."

"Cool!"

Both girls left, without a single side glance at James.

"So has the famous James Potter have a new girlfriend?"

James turned around to see his next door neighbor, Severus Snape coming toward him. "She's not my girlfriend Severus."

"Oh, she's not?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Oh, good! That way if she's in Slytherin, she won't be bothered with Gryffindor trash like you!"

"She won't be in Slytherin, Snape! And how exactly do you now you'll be in Slytherin"

"It's in the blood, Potter. Not as much as yours but still strong."

"Whatever."

"Want her to be in Gryffindor do you?"

"What Oh, her again. Anything is better than Slytherin, for such a pretty flower like her. O my God!"

James had just realized that he had let Severus Snape, his mortal enemy, know that he was coming on to Lily Evans.

"So James Potter does have feelings for the red head? How interesting!"

"Hey Severus, why were you so interested in which house she would be in?"

"I.I.."

"Does Severus Snape have feelings for a pretty girl? I thought he only like slime balls."

"Shut up about Jessica!"

"So Severus Snape wants to go out with a new first year, when he already has a girlfriend?"

"No Potter! It's not like that! Jessica's not my girlfriend!"

"And this new girl just happens to be a muggle born."

"What!?!"

"Yep, she told me when I met her. So she can't be in Slytherin."

"Well, no one ever said that."

"But-"

"But nothing. No one ever said that a mudblood can't be in Slytherin."

"Well, that's true, but still! And hey, you, Severus Snape, are coming on to a muggle born. I never thought I would see the day."

At this Lily walked in with her friend, Ashley. Both of them were giggling extremely hard.

"Oh, James! I've been looking all over for you. Thanks for helping me get on the train," said Lily.

"No problem," said James blushing furiously.

"Hey! Is this a friend of yours?"

"Oh, he's not my friend. His name's Severus," said James trying not to laugh at the stunned look on Severus's face that he had been noticed by Lily.

"Oh hi," said Lily sweetly.

"Get away from me you filthy little mudblood," said Severus.

Ashley shrieked. James immediately took out his wand and pointed it at Severus. Lily just looked bewildered.

Then James uttered something under his breath and there was a bright flash of light.

Severus Snape was running around the compartment, with his hands on his rear end, but nothing could cover up the feathers that now made up his butt. And there was James, holding himself up by the seat, wand in hand, laughing hysterically at Severus's new "duck butt".

"Stop it!" screamed Lily. "Stop it!"

"Lily," said James, "Do you know what he just said to you?"

"I don't care," screamed Lily, "Stop it!"

James then did the counter curse. Snape stayed just long enough to curse James with a slash across his arm. James quickly grabbed his arm, but didn't say anything. He wanted to keep his cool around Lily and her friend. He then turned toward them and bowed. "Happy, Evans?" he asked with a slight amount of attitude."

"Stay away from me Potter," said Lily with just as much attitude, and with that she and Ashley walked out the door."

James sat down in the compartment trying to think about what went wrong when suddenly he heard from the outside corridor, "-and don't you ever talk to me again, Snivellus."

James hurried and opened the door to see a boy his age yelling after Snape. The boy was husky, with slightly longer hair then his.

The boy then turned and looked at James. James looked back at him. They surveyed each other for about a minute in silence.

Then Sirius said to James, "You must be a Potter."

James responded with, "Yeah, who are you and how do you know my name."

"My names Sirius. Sirius Black. My dad works for the ministry. He's had.er.sort of a run in with your dad. I was with him that day. All he talks about is Potter this, Potter that, but not in a good way. He doesn't really like your dad."

"Uh-huh," said James, "And why are you telling me this?"

"You asked how I knew your name. Now I need to ask you something. First of all, what's your first name."

"James."

"Second of all, how do you know the Snapes? I didn't think you or your family would like to be in acquaintance with a family that likes the dark arts that much."

"They're our next door neighbors. And how do you know him?"

"His family and my family go far back in the dark arts. A whole bunch a rubbish if you ask me. I loved that trick you did with the feathers."

James laughed. "You saw that?"

"Yeah," said Sirius, "I was watching from outside the compartment. Who were the girls in there?"

"Well," said James, "The one with the dark brown hair was Ashley, and the one with the dark red hair was Lily, Lily Evans."

"Ashley's hot."

James looked at Sirius and laughed. "Kind of girl crazy aren't you?"

"Yeah," said Sirius, "But it seemed like you had the hots for that Lily."

"Yeah, well, she kind of thinks I'm a jerk for cursing Snape."

"Eh, she'll get over it. You know, once she sees what he's really like. Why did you curse him anyway?"

"He called Lily a mudblood."

"And she was mad at you? She's a weird one."

James suddenly took out his wand a placed it at Sirius throat. "Don't you ever say that again!"

Sirius was so shocked at what James had done all he could do was nod. When James put away his wand he said, "So you really do have the hots for her."

James stared at him and they both started laughing. The rest of the trip went on with them laughing in their little compartment.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Firs' years over 'ere!" called a voice with a lantern. The figure was huge!

James and Sirius made their way over to the figure, followed by Lily, Ashley, and the rest of the first years.

"My name's Hagrid. An' if yeh wanna get to 'Ogwarts yeh'll hav'ta follow me."

He led them to the river where boats awaited them. James and Sirius each went into a boat and were followed by a kid almost their height who was reading a book and looked anxiously at the crescent moon. The other kid who followed them was a short little kid who had surveyed each boat as if he were trying to pick which one would lead him to power, before he got into the boat.

"An' go!" shouted Hagrid. The boats began to move forward.

"'ere yeh'll get yer firs' glimpse of 'Ogwarts." Just as they turned there was a lot of ooh's and ahh's.

Once they landed they got out of their boats and followed Hagrid to the front door. He then knocked three times.

A/N: So I hope you liked it. I know it's not the best, but please tell me what you think!!!