Disclaimer; umm.. lets think. 'Harry? Do I own you or anything to do with you?'
*For the last time, NO*
The Marauding Days Of The Marauders
Chapter 2, Newbies and More Firsts
The three boys exited the train with all the other years but were collared, literally, by a huge hand that was attached to an equally huge arm, and therefore, huge person.
"Firs' years wi' me, please!" his booming voice cried after he had introduced himself as Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Most of the tiny first years looked absolutely petrified by the enormous man; but Sirius, James and particularly Remus, who suddenly felt very normal and uninteresting, seemed awed and mightily impressed and weren't at all intimidated by the oversized man with the kind, beetle-like eyes.
"On'y four to a boat!" Hagrid said and showed the new students a line of small, boats, which were apparently waiting to take the across the black, glass-like lake.
Remus and Sirius sat in one boat with two girls whilst James ended up in the next boat with Lily, who had started to chew one pigtail due to nerves. They were also accompanied by a small chubby, red-faced boy, who soon became known as Peter Pettigrew, and a greasy kid with an oversized nose.
The small boats set off across the lake unsettling many students, as the boats seemed to have neither oars nor engines. As the boats left the shore the new students became more and more uptight. With the exception of Mr Greasyhead.
"Oh look, it's Pettigrew!" he sneered down his hooked nose at Peter. "Found your teddy bear yet?"
Peter looked afraid and tried to shrink as small as possible under the malevolent stare.
"Hey, lay off him! He's done nothing to you!" Lily objected.
"What do you know Evans? You're a Mudblood, too thick for your own good!" Lily had asked the hook-nosed one for help on the train and unknowingly gave him future 'ammunition' to use against her.
"And who might you be to make those sorts of claims?" said James, who looked livid at the mention of such a word and was not about to sit there and let Lily, and Peter, take insults by themselves.
"I am Severus Snape!" he answered with an air of utmost importance.
"Well then, what was it, Snivellus? Leave these two alone and go wash your mouth out, and your hair!" James said casually.
Snape, irked because James had insulted him, with such ease, thrust out his hand and shoved James, hard. James dodged easily, but forgot Peter was behind him. Snape's hand went flying straight into Peter's chest. He toppled out of the boat with a shriek and splashed into the black lake.
James seized his shirt collars and tried to tug Peter back in the boat before Hagrid noticed the commotion. With much scrambling and wobbling of the boat he was dragged back and immediately proceeded to shake and shiver in the corner of the boat whilst water dripped off him into a puddle.
James however was practically burning in anger. He growled at muttered to himself about 'revenge', 'at school' and 'not getting caught' whilst he shot daggers at Snape.
Upon reaching the opposite shore a furious James, a very wet Peter and rather upset-and-still-nervous Lily –whose pigtail was very wet-, informed an intrigued Remus and Sirius what had occurred at the centre of the lake.
"That bastard!" James ranted as the huge man named Hagrid led them into an entrance hall. "He called, he called Lily a…a…" he lent over and whispered in Remus' and Sirius' ears, "Mudblood!" The both of them gasped. They may not have known Lily long but that was one of the worst insults a wizard could utter.
"Why is Peter all wet?" Sirius asked. James had introduced Peter as his teeth were chattering so hard he couldn't talk.
"Snape tried to push me out the boat when I tried to defend Lily, but he missed and Peter fell out. Stupid slime ball!!" James sounded indignant.
Their attention was brought back to Hagrid who was speaking to a stern looking witch, who one could have said appeared to be quite young, but you really never could tell with wizards.
She walked over to where the 5 stood and muttered a spell under her breath as she waved her wand over Peter. He, and his clothes, dried instantly, leaving a puddle of water on the floor. Murmurs of 'cool' and 'wow' rippled through the new students who had never seen that charm, or any other, before.
Professor McGonagall, as Hagrid had introduced her, was explaining to the pupils what was about to happen, something which scared the shit out of most students.
"In a few moments, you will be taken through these doors and into the Great Hall. But before you can join your classmates you must be sorted into your houses," she continued to explain about the houses and rules but Remus had tuned out and was currently gulping and trying to calm down.
McGonagall turned to a pair of huge oak doors, which swung open with a creak to reveal a huge hall. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" McGonagall smiled and walked into the magnificent room.
The five new friends stayed together as they walked between long tables decorated in different colours to the front of the hall where they assembled before the entire school. Sirius, who had until now appeared to be confident and jovial, paled as he prepared to be sorted. James gulped, shoved his glasses up his nose and pulled a hand through his disobedient hair.
"Do you know what we have to do?" he asked with another gulp.
"No, I heard something about trolls but I'm trying not to think about that!" Sirius said with a slight tremor in his voice.
"Remus? You OK?" James leant over to Remus who had turned ashen, even his lips were grey.
"Fine, you?" he lied, keeping his words to a minimal for fear that if he opened his mouth any more than necessary he would throw up.
"Completely terrified!" James replied honestly.
In front of them Professor McGonagall had placed a stool on the floor and a rather dirty and battered old hat on it. Many of the first years hadn't noticed the old hat as they were in total awe of their surroundings. But when the Hat suddenly started to sing, the first years couldn't very well ignore it. Every other year, teachers too, looked on as if was a completely normal thing for a hat to do, but, of course, at Hogwarts, it was.
When the hat was done with its song, which was quite clever as it all rhymed, the professor looked over the petrified children and said;
"You will come forth, place the sorting hat on your head, and it will then sort you into your houses so you can then join your classmates." She smiled as she indicated which table was which house and began calling names off a long scroll.
"Aldeary, Hannah!" was soon made a Ravenclaw and Remus, for once, thanked the lord for his the letter his last name began with.
Jonathan Alnick became the first Slytherin, and following him, Hannah the Ravenclaw was joined by Thomas Artherton at the Ravenclaw table.
All to soon for Sirius came the words, "Black, Sirius!" he forced his legs to cooperate and walked, somewhat awkwardly, to the stool.
A/N 'k, weird place to stop but it's not exactly a cliffhanger so you'll live. Please review, even if it's bad. If you want you can make suggestions about what you would like the hat to say to each of the characters. Aannyyway, *herds mouse pointers to review button*.