Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot of this fan fiction, and any new characters I might create. Short & sweet…lol.

Affection or Adventure?

Chapter 2: New Additions To Hogwarts

The train skidded to a halt as Sirius was pulling on his school robes. He looked around at his three best friends as he gathered his belongings. "Well," He said with a laugh. "That was definitely the prank of all pranks. Did you hear them squeal?"

"Yep, we'll remember that one, Padfoot! We need to think of more, though…we really need to make any imprint this year. It's our last!" James said with a slightly sad tone.

"Yeah, some major stunts must be in order! The school will remember us forever…" Said Remus wistfully.

The train began to unload as Peter spoke. "We should discuss it tonight, Merlin knows it will probably be the only night we will have without homework."

"Good idea," Said James. "But do you really think I'm going to do most of it?"

"Prongs! Our N.E.W.T.'s are coming up at the end of this year! You know, the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests? You want to pass them and get a good job when we leave this place, right?" Remus said.

"Moony, how can you be so thick? It's usually Wormtail with those comments! We…well, Prongs and I, at least…know everything we need to! Becoming animagi didn't teach us nothing, you know! You, Prongs, and I are probably at the top of our class! Sorry I can't say anything of the sort for poor Wormtail, here…" Said Sirius, as though he was stating the obvious.

Peter scowled. "I'm clever, and you know it."

"Whatever…" Sirius muttered under his breath. There's something bad about him, I just can't figure out what… He thought to himself.

They stepped out of the train into the cool, clear night and heard a familiar voice.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here, please! Firs' years!"

"Hello, Hagrid!" Said James. Hagrid was the Hogwarts Gamekeeper, and he was also the biggest man that Sirius had ever seen; he was at least twice as tall as an average person, and probably three times as broad. One of his hands was alone about the size of a trash can lid, and his feet the size of baby dolphins.

"Hey there, James! Got yer whole gang with yeh! 'Lo Sirius, Remus, Peter…how are yeh all doin'?"

"Great, thanks Hagrid!" Remus replied.

"So, what do you think Moony?" Sirius asked as they walked away from Hagrid. "When's the next full moon? I'm in the mood for an adventure…"

"Keep your voice down! I think it'll be in a week…sound good?" Everyone nodded as they stepped into a carriage. It started moving immediately, as if it was drawn by invisible horses. "Anyway," Remus continued. "We need to be more careful this year. We almost got caught last year. You have to remember that what you guys do is illegal! You're unregistered!"

Sirius, James, and Peter were all unregistered animagi, which meant that they could change into animals at will. They would be in serious trouble if anyone ever found out, but they were clever enough to watch out for themselves…most of the time. They had to be probably the cleverest boys in their year to even become what they were. Sirius could turn into a dog, James could turn into a stag, and Peter could turn into a rat, hence their nicknames. As for Remus, he was a werewolf. He had gotten bit by one when he was younger, and his friends found out about it. Instead of running away from him, as most people would, they became animagi at great personal risks.

Sirius said, "We know, we know, Moony! Come off it. The joke that we played on old Snivellus was-"

"Extremely dangerous! Do you know what would've happened if you had been caught? Do you know-"

"We know, Moony!" James piped up. "We know, okay? We'll be more careful. We promise. Right guys?"

"Right, right…" Sirius and Peter mumbled. The carriage stopped, and they hopped out. Sirius looked sideways at who was exiting the carriage next to them, and his eyes fell on Chloe Williams.

Wow…he thought to himself. She's gotten so pretty…how come I haven't realized it before? …Because you've been too busy flirting with all of the other girls that eye you hopefully, you stupid prat! …Well, at least she doesn't swoon over me…that is so annoying. Sirius was still watching Chloe when she looked up and saw him. He quickly shifted his gaze and started to listen to what his friends were talking about as they walked through the castle doors and into the magnificent Great Hall of Hogwarts.

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Am I just imagining things, or was Sirius Black just looking at me? No…not just looking…but from what I observed…staring. Now why on earth would he do that? …Maybe he's beginning to notice me! No…no way…he's so handsome, he could have his pick of any witch in the school…why on earth would he choose me? …He wouldn't…

"Chloe? Are you alright?" Chloe heard Lily speaking to her.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, thanks." Chloe replied with a smile. Just a coincidence, she thought.

They walked past the statues of winged boars and proceeded to the open doors of the school.

"It's good to be back." Chloe sighed as she walked through the doors. The others around her agreed.

When they reached the Gryffindor House table, they sat down and started to chat merrily with each other, waiting for the first years to arrive and be sorted into their houses. Professor McGonagall, head of the Gryffindor House and the Transfiguration teacher, came from behind a door and placed a stool on the middle of what appeared to be a stage of some sort. On top of the stool sat an old hat; the Sorting Hat. The hat would sing a song to welcome the first years entering Hogwarts. Then, it would be placed on every child's head, in turn, as it called out the house to which they would belong for the rest of their years at the school. The different houses were Gryffindor (Chloe, Lily, Penny, Natalie, and the Marauder's house), Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindors were brave and bold, Hufflepuffs were loyal, Ravenclaws were clever, and Slytherins were sly and cunning. I wonder which house my brother will get into, Chloe wondered.

She had been sitting for no longer than a minute when a voice called out her name.

"Chloe! Chloe!" Her little brother, who was about to begin his first year at Hogwarts, was racing toward her.

"Oh my goodness, Ryan!" She got to her feet and ran over to him. He hugged her waist, and wouldn't budge when she tried to pull him off of her. "Ryan, you are supposed to be with the other first years."

"B…b…but I'm s…sc…scared!" Ryan whispered, his innocent blue eyes staring up at her.

"You really shouldn't be. Come on, let's find them…" She dragged him out of the Great Hall. Chloe could just see some straggling first years, looking just as scared as Ryan, walking into a room.

"Now Ryan," Chloe said to her brother. "You're to go in that room and listen to the witch in charge, alright? I have to get back." She added as she heard the Sorting Hat begin to sing. "You'll be fine, Ryan, I promise."

Chloe watched her brother enter the room, and she walked back to the Great Hall. The Sorting Hat had stopped singing, and the sorting began. Chloe quickly ran to her table and sat down next to Lily.

"Applegate, Christopher!" called Professor McGonagall. A clumsy, blonde boy hobbled over to the stool and put the Sorting Hat on his head. It immediately shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" and the Hufflepuff table cheered while the next name was read.

And so it went on, until all of the names had been called except for one.

"Williams, Ryan!" Shouted the Professor, and Ryan tried to walk confidently over to the middle of the stage. He sat down and placed the hat on his head. After a moment, the hat yelled out "GRYFFINDOR!" and the table Chloe was sitting at erupted with cheers. Ryan ran over and sat next to his sister.

"I told you that you shouldn't have been scared! It's wonderful here, in the wizarding world. Everything is-"

"So, Williams, had to help your little brother overcome the terrible fear of being a first year?"

"Shut it, Potter, or I'll hex you in front of everyone!" Chloe shouted to the boy sitting diagonally across from her, in front of Lily. She was just taking out her wand as heaps of food suddenly appeared on the golden plates before them. Everyone at the table started helping themselves to chicken, mashed potatoes, and plenty of other foods.

"You got lucky this time, Potter." Chloe said menacingly, sitting back down. She heard James mutter something under his breath, and she thought she saw Sirius elbow him out of the corner of her eye.