THE MEETING

Well, I met them on my first train ride to Hogwarts in our first year. I was at platform nine and three-quarters with my mother, who is the witch in my family. I was very nervous, because it was my first year, but most importantly because I was much different that the other children. I'm not half Muggle like most think that I am. (Harry knew she was talking about Draco Malfoy whose family disgusted Muggles.) I am half vampire, but I would ask that you not tell anyone about that just yet.

My mother knelt down to look my in the eye and tell me that everything was going to be just fine, that I was going to get through my first year without any problems. I believed her, of course, so I gathered my pack that I had set on the floor and only carried a single book; my father's favorite book that he had given me for my birthday, and I climbed onto the train.

I heard people murmuring as I walked by them and I immediately knew they were talking about me. I was used to it, so I paid no attention to them. I walked by every compartment and every one of them seemed to be full or at least had a person who wasn't sure they'd want to sit with a vampire.

I walked to the back of the train where I saw a compartment with no one in it, so I thought it would be perfect for me. I was used to being alone and I was almost sure that no one would enter the compartment. So, I went in and I took a seat in the very back corner and I pulled out my book. As I was reading it, I heard the door slide open and people began to walk in. I peered over the top of my book to look at them because they didn't really seem to notice me at first. And since they didn't I went back to reading my book.

But, then I heard them stop talking and I felt like all of their eyes were suddenly on me. "Who're you?" One of them asked, it was your father, James. I looked up from my book to see four boys staring at me. James stood closest to the door and next to him was Sirius. Next to him was Remus and next to him was a trembling boy by the name of Peter Pettigrew.

I didn't answer your father at first, because I wasn't really sure if they would have wanted me to leave or not. Then, Remus stepped up. "You'll have to excuse him; he had no manners at all. Are you just starting Hogwarts?" He asked, kindly. I just nodded my head shyly. "I'm Remus Lupin. That's James Potter, this is Sirius Black, and this one here's Peter Pettigrew. What's your name?"

"Nikolett." I said, finally speaking up. They each said their 'hellos' except for Sirius who had not said a word whatsoever since they had noticed me sitting in their compartment. I felt uncomfortable and I quickly stood up. "You probably don't want a girl in here, so I'll just go sit out in the hall, since all other compartments seem to be full." I was ready to leave the compartment when I noticed that the four boys had gone into a huddle. I heard a loud slap, realizing that someone (meaning James) had hit Sirius over the head for staring. He later told me that he couldn't stop staring at my eyes, because they were so different, but I think that was just a line.

They finally came out of the huddle and Sirius had been pushed to the front of them, so he would actually say something. "You can stay." Was all he said. I asked if it was a joke and they reassured me that it wasn't. I went back to my spot in the compartment and began to read again.

As we were getting ever closer to Hogwarts, they had the conversation of what house they thought they were going to be in, and they all had different ideas for each other, though they were just joking around. "I think Sirius will be in Slitherin." James spoke up. "Especially since he played that joke on that muggle woman in the train station."

"She deserved it! Who in their right mind would wear a hat like that?" Sirius spoke up, describing the awful-looking, olive green hat with what looked to be a very old feather sticking out of the top. The four boys laughed and they actually got a small giggle out of me. Now it was Sirius' turn to make a guess. He put Remus in Ravenclaw, because he was looking very sickly that day and he looked like he belonged to what he called them "a bunch of ugly lollygaggers" .

Remus put Peter in Hufflepuff, because they would at least teach him to get a little more spine. Peter took slight offense at this, but then he put James in Gryffindor because he said it would fit his ego. There was this huge roar of laughter as the other two agreed.

They didn't try to place me, which I was very happy about, because I didn't really care which house I went into, just as long as I got into one.

As I got to know them more and more, I began to think that my first year at Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad.