The Hogwarts Express shivered to a halt, blowing huge puffs of steam. Students poured out, carrying cats, rats, toads and owls, adding their own noise to the animals' as they made their way to the carriages. Remus, Sirius and James piled into a carriage, unaware that they were being watched.

"Who is that boy?"

"What boy, Adrienne?" Tal asked, looking around as she hopped into the horseless carriage.

Adrienne pointed to Sirius. "That one, there. With the black hair. Do you know him?"

Tal's eyes widened. It was Sirius, James' best friend. "Uh, yeah. Everyone knows him. That's Sirius Black, James Potter's best friend. He's, uh, a bit hard to get at, he's really popular."

"Oh, you think I... well, ok... Yeah, I do..."

Tal looked puzzled. "You... what? I don't understand."

Adrienne looked embarassed. "I, well, I have a crush on him."

Tal groaned. "No, no no no. Not on Sirius. He's practically a God. He's a God's best friend, equals off limits to mere mortals. So is James..."

"You like James, then?"

"Uh, is it that obvious?"

"I'm afraid so. But look, what house are they in?"

"Gryiffindor, like us."

"Well then, we'll be seeing a lot of them, won't we?"

"Well, yes, but... What are you getting at? They're popular, they don't even see people like us. Well, no offence to you, but..."

Adrienne grinned. "We'll see."

"What do you mean?"

Adrienne just grinned wider and wouldn't say another word on the subject as their carriage rattled on up the slope to the castle.

As James strode through the Great Hall, waving to some people he knew and admirers, he was thinking of that girl he had walked into. Now that he thought carefully, he could remember seeing her around a couple of times, but he didn't think he'd ever talked to her. Shaking himself, he saw Lily walking towards him, still on the other side of the Hall. She waved to him, a huge grin on her face. He waved back, ecstatic. Maybe she had changed her mind about him over the summer... He heard a joyous shriek from behind him "LILY! OMG, I missed you, like, so much!" A tall blonde shot out, leaping at Lily, who happily responded. James groaned. Lily was the only one in the entire school who could make him feel like such a git.

Sirius sniggered from James' left, and Remus had a little grin on his face. James spun, glowering at each of them. "What's so funny, you lot!" But he couldn't help grinning. "Don't you hate it when that happens?"

"Well, mate, that's why you look behind you first!" Sirius snickered, grabbing James' shoulders and pulling him up the stairs. "Let's get you to the common room before you embarrass us anymore, shall we?"

Remus gave a little laugh. There was never a dull moment with Sirius and James around...

"Come on Adrienne, just tell me! Please please please!"

Sitting on Tal's bed in the dormitory with her friend, Adrienne smiled wickedly, looking around carefully, even though the room was empty. "We make them notice us!"

"How exactly do you propose that?"

"Easy. We impress them. We find out what gets their attention and we do really really well at it."

"I can't play Quiddich!"

"Isn't there anything else he likes?"

Tal made a wry face. "Yeah. Evans."

"Evans? Isn't that a kind of bottled water that Muggles drink?"

"No, that's Evian or something. Whatever. Anyway, Evans is this...girl! A sixth year Gryfinndor, like us, and James is in loooooove with her, but she hates him. So, if I made her like him, he'd be happy, but where would I be?"

"Hmmm... Well, we'll work on something. What about Sirius?"

Tal thought for a second. "Well... He likes beating on Sniv—I mean, Severus. Severus Snape. He's, uh, a Slytherin sixth year. Greasy hair, weird friends, no one likes him much. But James and Sirius are more or less on a crusade against him..."

"Hmmm..."

Tal could see her friend's mind working. "What are you thinking?"

Adrienne cocked her head to one side, grinning. "Silence! Footsteps approach. We must away, we shall continue our council later!" The black haired girl flopped dramatically down onto the bed, as if dead. Tal giggled, pulling out her pyjamas as a horde of other girls, led by Lily, entered the room, chattering away.

Later, as Tal lay in bed, she thought about what Adrienne had said. It was a crazy plan, but it just might work. She ran through a list of all the jinxes, hexes and curses she knew, trying to find a good one to use on Snape, to get Sirius's attention. And maybe James's... she thought, idly as she fell asleep.

"Padfoot! If you're going to drool in someone's oatmeal at least make it your own!"

Sirius sat up sharply, wiping his chin with the back of his hand, looking abashed. "Um, sorry, Moony... Fell asleep for a moment there..."

Remus grinned at his friend. "No, really? I never would have guessed, based on the snores, drooling..."

"Alright, alright! Don't rub it in too much!" Sirius grabbed Remus in a loose headlock, mussing his hair. "There. Now you look like James. Go play Quiddich and win."

Remus raised his eyebrows, shaking free of Sirius. "Speaking of Prongs, where is he?"

Sirius inclined his head towards the entrance, where James, laughing, was working his way through a huge crowd of fans. "Fighting his way through the adoring masses, what else?"

"Ah." Leaning closer, Remus whispered in Sirius's ear. "On a more serious note..."

"I love it when you talk about me."

Remus frowned, rolling his eyes. "You vain thing. I mean serious, S-E-R-I-O-U-S!"

Sirius made a sad puppy face. "Ah, I knew it was too good to be true." Seeing the frown on his friend's face, Sirius sobered. "Moony, my friend, I'm sorry. What is it?"

"The full moon is in two days, but I have a feeling Sniv—I mean, Severus, is going to try something."

Sirius shrugged, not concerned. "I doubt it. He's a worthless git, but..."

"Why do you hate him so much?"

Sirius drew back slightly, looking shocked. "Wha—Why..."

"Is it because of your brother?"

A dark look came over Sirius. "I don't know what you're talking about. See you in class." Long black hair falling over his eyes, Sirius collected his bag, quickly leaving the dining hall.

James flopped into Sirius' abandoned seat. "What's with Padfoot?"

Remus looked concerned. "I think I hurt his feelings... I said something I shouldn't have."

James put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulders. "Ah, Padfoot's too cheerful to be sad for long, don't worry about it. He'll be fine."

At least, that's what Remus thought he said. He couldn't hear him, because at that moment, a horrible wailing filled the room, and he quickly clapped his hands over his ears, like everyone else. Glancing up, he saw Nearly Headless Nick floating towards them, clearly the source of the noise. After a few more moments of the earsplitting cacophony, Nick gave a little midair bow and drifted closer to the boys.

Uncovering his ears, James shouted, "New hobby, Nick?"

"There's no need to shout, my boy, I'm right here."

"Er, yes. Sorry. I couldn't hear..."

Looking miffed, Nick drifted away again, his dreadful 'music' following him.

The two boys exchanged bemused glances, large grins creeping across their faces.

"That's him." After fighting their way through James' admirers, finding seats at the Gryfinndor table and sitting out Nick's shrieking, Tal had finally spotted Snape, seated at the Slytherin table, surrounded by similarily evil looking boys and girls.

Adrienne pulled a quick 'ew' face, a scheming look in her eyes. "Are those all his friends?"

Tal frowned, thinking. "No, they're just the ones who use him for his knowledge, I think. Like I said, no one really likes him." Grinning, she added, "He should be an easy target, if that's what you're thinking."

"You bet I am! Now, here's the plan..."