Chapter 3:
James awoke the next morning before the sun had even tried to spy on the massive castle that rested in the plush green surroundings. Before he even opened his eyes he stretched himself fully until his toes just barely grazed the end of the bed. Then he opened his eyes and just stared up. That's nice. He thought while looking up where the four-poster bed was connected at a central point above him with velvety smooth crimson fabric that cascaded down to the floor. His bed covers were gold intertwined with the same crimson color and a big 'G' for Gryffindor on the center of his comforter. He shut his eyes for a few moments pausing to think about the rest of his life. Wow! Hogwarts! I can't wait until we can do stuff. Why can't we just start right now?! There are so many people to meet! With that he opened his eyes and look to the bed to the right of his own.
Sirius was lying in bed on his side facing James. James smiled and turned over to look out the window. He just sat there thinking about random things that popped into his head.
About fifteen minutes later he sat up and tiptoed over to the ledge along the window, sat down, and opened the window. The breezed whipped him awake as he breathed in the fresh cool air. He shut his eyes and imagined he was flying.
He was flying with the little black birds down below beating his wings quickly to catch the next current. Its almost there...James thought as he stood up on the ledge. I can feel it...James put either foot against the window frame and pressed his hands on either side of the frame near the top. Here it is...With a giant leap James jumped out of the window. Got it! James was falling rapidly towards the ground but he was too wrapped up in his dream that he didn't even realize the potential peril that awaited him only 100 feet away...90...80...James opened his eyes...70...He looked down and up again...60...He felt himself for his wand...50...it was in his robes, so he started flapping his arms frantically...20...CRAP...10...9...8...7...
"IMOBULUS!"
James froze in mid-air. He turned around, after a lot of flapping, and squinted to the window. Sure enough, Sirius was leaning half way out of the window with a wand in his hand and Remus by his side.
James stopped squinting and started laughing. James started wriggling in the air like a dying worm writhing for life. Sirius and Remus just stared for a few moments before Sirius started laughing his head off. Remus looked at both of them with a convoluted expression before whipping out his wand and screaming something too inaudible for James to hear. But James knew what it did.
James' body hit the ground with a loud THUD. He was still wriggling, except Remus and Sirius weren't sure whether it was in pain, laughter, or both now. Remus nudged Sirius and they both backed away from the window. James couldn't see them anymore but he realized they had shut the window.
"What are you going to do, just leave me out here? Man are you two weird!" James yelled as he painfully turned on his side to sit up.
Moments later Sirius and Remus were hoisting James up and walking him back to the castle.
"What were you doing? Other than trying to get yourself killed?" Remus asked while prodding at a sore spot on James' side.
"Well, OUCH!" James yelled in response to the physical tease. "If you would stop making fun of me long enough for me to tell you, I would." He paused for a second while the other two snickered.
"I was dreaming. I was sitting on the ledge of the window, and I was dreaming. Okay?" James said with a brutish look on his face trying to muster any resemblance of untarnished confidence still in him.
"Oh! I saw what happened," Sirius stated still chuckling. "I woke up because it was freezing. I saw you stand up, put your body along the window frame, shake your butt a bit, and then jump, as if you were trying to catch something. So, that leaves one thing left."
James and Remus stared at him blankly waiting for his obviously logically thought out explanation of the events.
"What in bloody hell were you dreaming about?" Sirius, James and Remus exchanged momentary stares before bursting into laughter. Remus doubles-over causing James to slide in between Sirius and Remus which caused the domino effect of Sirius colliding into Remus who then hit the ground.
At first the three of them weren't laughing that hard, but whenever James moved he moaned which of course led to a great laughing fit among the three new first years.
An hour later they donned smirks as they entered the Great Hall for their first breakfast with the rest of the first years. As Sirius, Remus and James sat down James was looking around for the girl, Lily. He didn't see her, so he started talking with Sirius and Remus again.
"Whoa! What is she wearing?" Sirius whispered, mocking the tall stringy teacher who sat down. She was in a rather superfluous robe of enough colors to give Joseph a run for his money. She had a long stride and big purple earrings that matched her extremely high purple heels. She strutted over and sat down five seats away from where professor McGonagall sat patiently staring at all of the students at the Gryffindor table.
James, Sirius and Remus laughed for a moment before Sirius and James started making more jokes about other people in the Great Hall.
"Look at that bloke!" Sirius yelled enthusiastically while flailing his finger in the direction of a rather large boy with very big ears, very tight fitting dress robes, and a diamond stud in his ear.
"He doesn't look like a regular wizard." James stated plainly. "Maybe he has Muggle parents and hasn't ever really heard of wizardry. "Looks like he could cause a lot of damage. I bet he plays Quidditch some time, he would be a wicked beater," Sirius commented while his attention was drawn to a rather pretty brunette girl walking over to the Ravenclaw table. "Ohh...she cute!" He said perkily as he continued to stare at her.
James glanced at the girl Sirius was talking about before he turned back around and peered down the length of the table at Lily. Now, she is cute. He stated to himself just before Remus tapped him on the shoulder. James turned around to a rather inquisitive looking Remus. "What's with McGonagall?" Remus whispered to James while motioning to the table she was sitting at. "I don't know, but I would say that she looks...well...I don't know. She sure does have really weird facial expressions. Why?" "Well, when we were looking at that other lady, McGonagall was reading something, her face twisted, her lips pursed, and then she got this look on her face. I don't know what it is either." Remus stated. James and Remus just both stared at McGonagall for a minute before Sirius realized he was talking to himself. "Hey! I am talking to you two you know? What are you doing? Are you two just going to ogle at McGonagall all night or what?" Sirius questioned in disgust. "You look like you are checking her out!" "YUCK!" James said loudly. "No, we are trying to interpret the look on her face you git! That is gross." "Well, you should have just asked me. I am a master of the ladies. Let me interpret." Sirius' fingers intertwined as he stretched his hands forward, adjusted his shoulders, and leaned in staring at McGonagall. James didn't want to say anything, but after a moment of hysterical indecision he decided he would act. "Are you checking her out?" Remus burst into laughter while Sirius turned around slowly trying to hold a glaring face after a short look at Remus and James in laughter he joined them. "No! I do know what she is thinking though. Or at least what her mood is right now." Remus and James stopped laughing and Sirius continued until he faded with their pensive looks. "What?" "Well, I looked at her for about twenty minutes without being able to figure out exactly what emotion she is showing and you come in and after one minute are able to tell us what is wrong, aye? Well, let's have it." James nodded, collaborating with Remus' conclusion and they stared at Sirius for a moment. "Well, she looks like she has gotten bad news of some sort and is really worried and confused. It is either that, or..." "Or what?" Remus asked with James nodding in concurrence once more. "Well, it is either that or she is constipated. Which could be possible. I mean she didn't look to well when we first saw her, but that was a day ago and we don't know her all that well, so this could be a norm..." Sirius continued to ramble on as James and Remus nudged him into laughter. "How did you come to that conclusion?" James questioned with a smirk. "I am just good with the ladies that's all. Just good with the ladies," Sirius calmly states with the demeanor of a fully-grown suave bachelor. "Are you sure you want to be known as master of the ladies while looking at McGonagall?" James questioned sarcastically. Sirius looked at James with total loathing before Remus broke into the glares. "Well, what do you think she read?" Remus asked Sirius. "I don't even know if she read anything, but if she did I bet you anything it is about the school, or Dumbledore. But, who cares, I am sure the more we get to know her, we will really be able to tell if she always looks like that." They had just started to laugh again when a very pale skinned, greasy haired, big-nosed boy tripped in the front of the Great hall. Sirius burst into laughter, Remus ran over to help the boy, and James just sat there with a slight smirk on his face. Remus came back with a morbid look on his face. "What happened?" "Well, he looked at my hand, pushed it out of the way, glared at me, stood up, flicked his robes in my face, and walked to the Slytherin table." Sirius and James just looked at Remus. "Well, I heard that only evil, untrustworthy, slimy people come out of Slytherin and he seems to fit that type to a T. Especially, the slimy part. Look at that hair!" Sirius said laughing again. Right then, Dumbledore entered the room. With the mystical grace of a poignant swan he seemed to glide to his chair where he sat down and gazed through the top of his half moon spectacles. He made no announcement tonight. He just clicked his fingers together and food magically appeared on the table. Sirius, James and Remus all started grabbing food when Sirius motioned over once more to the professor's table where McGonagall and Dumbledore were in intense discussion. The other teacher's seemed to not notice, and the rest of the school didn't seem to notice either. "So." "Yeah," James said, both he and Remus looked dumbfounded. "Something must be really wrong," Sirius said as he looked back at James and Remus. "He seems content, but McGonagall looks a little upset now. I don't know what has them upset, but it must be big." "Yeah. Look at McGonagall. Very ten seconds she looks worriedly around the room." For the second time in the short day they had known each other, Remus had pointed out another teacher's physical movements. The three of them all looked at each other impressed after watching her for about a minute. "Well, we better eat before our classes start," Remus said as he reached for some fried tomatoes. The three of them decided to eat and talk about other things during breakfast until the owls came swooping into the Great Hall. "My mom told me about this. She said that they just deliver mail like normal owls. It is startling the first time though. Look it. There are a thousand of them." James said proudly, finally being able to offer some sort of explanation for something, whether or not it was needed. The owls left in a hurry and hoot as the children of all ages apprehensively opened their mail. After the mail post the three boys joined the exiting crowd of the cafeteria, but not without a second look at McGonagall and Dumbledore. Dumbledore still donned a slight smile, but McGonagall looked a bit more aggravated now. As the boys were pushed out of the room unaware of what was taking place outside the security of the school, Dumbledore and McGonagall rose and quickly walked to the nearest window and sent an owl posted to the 'Ministry of Magic'.
James awoke the next morning before the sun had even tried to spy on the massive castle that rested in the plush green surroundings. Before he even opened his eyes he stretched himself fully until his toes just barely grazed the end of the bed. Then he opened his eyes and just stared up. That's nice. He thought while looking up where the four-poster bed was connected at a central point above him with velvety smooth crimson fabric that cascaded down to the floor. His bed covers were gold intertwined with the same crimson color and a big 'G' for Gryffindor on the center of his comforter. He shut his eyes for a few moments pausing to think about the rest of his life. Wow! Hogwarts! I can't wait until we can do stuff. Why can't we just start right now?! There are so many people to meet! With that he opened his eyes and look to the bed to the right of his own.
Sirius was lying in bed on his side facing James. James smiled and turned over to look out the window. He just sat there thinking about random things that popped into his head.
About fifteen minutes later he sat up and tiptoed over to the ledge along the window, sat down, and opened the window. The breezed whipped him awake as he breathed in the fresh cool air. He shut his eyes and imagined he was flying.
He was flying with the little black birds down below beating his wings quickly to catch the next current. Its almost there...James thought as he stood up on the ledge. I can feel it...James put either foot against the window frame and pressed his hands on either side of the frame near the top. Here it is...With a giant leap James jumped out of the window. Got it! James was falling rapidly towards the ground but he was too wrapped up in his dream that he didn't even realize the potential peril that awaited him only 100 feet away...90...80...James opened his eyes...70...He looked down and up again...60...He felt himself for his wand...50...it was in his robes, so he started flapping his arms frantically...20...CRAP...10...9...8...7...
"IMOBULUS!"
James froze in mid-air. He turned around, after a lot of flapping, and squinted to the window. Sure enough, Sirius was leaning half way out of the window with a wand in his hand and Remus by his side.
James stopped squinting and started laughing. James started wriggling in the air like a dying worm writhing for life. Sirius and Remus just stared for a few moments before Sirius started laughing his head off. Remus looked at both of them with a convoluted expression before whipping out his wand and screaming something too inaudible for James to hear. But James knew what it did.
James' body hit the ground with a loud THUD. He was still wriggling, except Remus and Sirius weren't sure whether it was in pain, laughter, or both now. Remus nudged Sirius and they both backed away from the window. James couldn't see them anymore but he realized they had shut the window.
"What are you going to do, just leave me out here? Man are you two weird!" James yelled as he painfully turned on his side to sit up.
Moments later Sirius and Remus were hoisting James up and walking him back to the castle.
"What were you doing? Other than trying to get yourself killed?" Remus asked while prodding at a sore spot on James' side.
"Well, OUCH!" James yelled in response to the physical tease. "If you would stop making fun of me long enough for me to tell you, I would." He paused for a second while the other two snickered.
"I was dreaming. I was sitting on the ledge of the window, and I was dreaming. Okay?" James said with a brutish look on his face trying to muster any resemblance of untarnished confidence still in him.
"Oh! I saw what happened," Sirius stated still chuckling. "I woke up because it was freezing. I saw you stand up, put your body along the window frame, shake your butt a bit, and then jump, as if you were trying to catch something. So, that leaves one thing left."
James and Remus stared at him blankly waiting for his obviously logically thought out explanation of the events.
"What in bloody hell were you dreaming about?" Sirius, James and Remus exchanged momentary stares before bursting into laughter. Remus doubles-over causing James to slide in between Sirius and Remus which caused the domino effect of Sirius colliding into Remus who then hit the ground.
At first the three of them weren't laughing that hard, but whenever James moved he moaned which of course led to a great laughing fit among the three new first years.
An hour later they donned smirks as they entered the Great Hall for their first breakfast with the rest of the first years. As Sirius, Remus and James sat down James was looking around for the girl, Lily. He didn't see her, so he started talking with Sirius and Remus again.
"Whoa! What is she wearing?" Sirius whispered, mocking the tall stringy teacher who sat down. She was in a rather superfluous robe of enough colors to give Joseph a run for his money. She had a long stride and big purple earrings that matched her extremely high purple heels. She strutted over and sat down five seats away from where professor McGonagall sat patiently staring at all of the students at the Gryffindor table.
James, Sirius and Remus laughed for a moment before Sirius and James started making more jokes about other people in the Great Hall.
"Look at that bloke!" Sirius yelled enthusiastically while flailing his finger in the direction of a rather large boy with very big ears, very tight fitting dress robes, and a diamond stud in his ear.
"He doesn't look like a regular wizard." James stated plainly. "Maybe he has Muggle parents and hasn't ever really heard of wizardry. "Looks like he could cause a lot of damage. I bet he plays Quidditch some time, he would be a wicked beater," Sirius commented while his attention was drawn to a rather pretty brunette girl walking over to the Ravenclaw table. "Ohh...she cute!" He said perkily as he continued to stare at her.
James glanced at the girl Sirius was talking about before he turned back around and peered down the length of the table at Lily. Now, she is cute. He stated to himself just before Remus tapped him on the shoulder. James turned around to a rather inquisitive looking Remus. "What's with McGonagall?" Remus whispered to James while motioning to the table she was sitting at. "I don't know, but I would say that she looks...well...I don't know. She sure does have really weird facial expressions. Why?" "Well, when we were looking at that other lady, McGonagall was reading something, her face twisted, her lips pursed, and then she got this look on her face. I don't know what it is either." Remus stated. James and Remus just both stared at McGonagall for a minute before Sirius realized he was talking to himself. "Hey! I am talking to you two you know? What are you doing? Are you two just going to ogle at McGonagall all night or what?" Sirius questioned in disgust. "You look like you are checking her out!" "YUCK!" James said loudly. "No, we are trying to interpret the look on her face you git! That is gross." "Well, you should have just asked me. I am a master of the ladies. Let me interpret." Sirius' fingers intertwined as he stretched his hands forward, adjusted his shoulders, and leaned in staring at McGonagall. James didn't want to say anything, but after a moment of hysterical indecision he decided he would act. "Are you checking her out?" Remus burst into laughter while Sirius turned around slowly trying to hold a glaring face after a short look at Remus and James in laughter he joined them. "No! I do know what she is thinking though. Or at least what her mood is right now." Remus and James stopped laughing and Sirius continued until he faded with their pensive looks. "What?" "Well, I looked at her for about twenty minutes without being able to figure out exactly what emotion she is showing and you come in and after one minute are able to tell us what is wrong, aye? Well, let's have it." James nodded, collaborating with Remus' conclusion and they stared at Sirius for a moment. "Well, she looks like she has gotten bad news of some sort and is really worried and confused. It is either that, or..." "Or what?" Remus asked with James nodding in concurrence once more. "Well, it is either that or she is constipated. Which could be possible. I mean she didn't look to well when we first saw her, but that was a day ago and we don't know her all that well, so this could be a norm..." Sirius continued to ramble on as James and Remus nudged him into laughter. "How did you come to that conclusion?" James questioned with a smirk. "I am just good with the ladies that's all. Just good with the ladies," Sirius calmly states with the demeanor of a fully-grown suave bachelor. "Are you sure you want to be known as master of the ladies while looking at McGonagall?" James questioned sarcastically. Sirius looked at James with total loathing before Remus broke into the glares. "Well, what do you think she read?" Remus asked Sirius. "I don't even know if she read anything, but if she did I bet you anything it is about the school, or Dumbledore. But, who cares, I am sure the more we get to know her, we will really be able to tell if she always looks like that." They had just started to laugh again when a very pale skinned, greasy haired, big-nosed boy tripped in the front of the Great hall. Sirius burst into laughter, Remus ran over to help the boy, and James just sat there with a slight smirk on his face. Remus came back with a morbid look on his face. "What happened?" "Well, he looked at my hand, pushed it out of the way, glared at me, stood up, flicked his robes in my face, and walked to the Slytherin table." Sirius and James just looked at Remus. "Well, I heard that only evil, untrustworthy, slimy people come out of Slytherin and he seems to fit that type to a T. Especially, the slimy part. Look at that hair!" Sirius said laughing again. Right then, Dumbledore entered the room. With the mystical grace of a poignant swan he seemed to glide to his chair where he sat down and gazed through the top of his half moon spectacles. He made no announcement tonight. He just clicked his fingers together and food magically appeared on the table. Sirius, James and Remus all started grabbing food when Sirius motioned over once more to the professor's table where McGonagall and Dumbledore were in intense discussion. The other teacher's seemed to not notice, and the rest of the school didn't seem to notice either. "So." "Yeah," James said, both he and Remus looked dumbfounded. "Something must be really wrong," Sirius said as he looked back at James and Remus. "He seems content, but McGonagall looks a little upset now. I don't know what has them upset, but it must be big." "Yeah. Look at McGonagall. Very ten seconds she looks worriedly around the room." For the second time in the short day they had known each other, Remus had pointed out another teacher's physical movements. The three of them all looked at each other impressed after watching her for about a minute. "Well, we better eat before our classes start," Remus said as he reached for some fried tomatoes. The three of them decided to eat and talk about other things during breakfast until the owls came swooping into the Great Hall. "My mom told me about this. She said that they just deliver mail like normal owls. It is startling the first time though. Look it. There are a thousand of them." James said proudly, finally being able to offer some sort of explanation for something, whether or not it was needed. The owls left in a hurry and hoot as the children of all ages apprehensively opened their mail. After the mail post the three boys joined the exiting crowd of the cafeteria, but not without a second look at McGonagall and Dumbledore. Dumbledore still donned a slight smile, but McGonagall looked a bit more aggravated now. As the boys were pushed out of the room unaware of what was taking place outside the security of the school, Dumbledore and McGonagall rose and quickly walked to the nearest window and sent an owl posted to the 'Ministry of Magic'.