"it all started when James ( my twin brother) and myself received our Hogwarts letters"
It was an ordinary day at the Potter manor, two eleven year old children were enjoying breakfast when a brown barn owl flew through the kitchen window with two letters attached to it legs, one addressed to McKenzie and one addressed to James. These were the letters that they had eagerly anticipated and they were finally here and they were on there way to Hogwarts on September 1st.
"we were excited about going to Hogwarts meeting new people and finally being with people like us. In the small town where we resided we were the only magical family in the area. Even though we had other friends we always felt different." McKenzie sighed.
"sometimes I wish I wasn't different and maybe, just maybe, I would still have my family and all the people I love around." after bringing my nerves under control I continued.
" we arrived at King's Cross station it was busy I remember, we were eleven and we seemed small compared to the rest, mother was crying and father had a proud grin plastered across his face. We stepped through the barrier and there was the train that would take us too our new home for the next few months." I had to stop for a sip of water, my eyes a bit glazed but now that I had started I wanted to continue.
"we knew all about Hogwarts of course, our whole family had been schooled there, funnily enough all Gryffindors."
"thanks, Harry." I whispered to my nephew who was sitting in the family gallery.
"anyway, we got ourselves settled into a carriage ready for the journey. It was noisy, students shouting and playing pranks on each other, all very excited to be heading back to Hogwarts. We knew we would enjoy it there."
"we had been sitting in the compartment a few minutes, when we were joined by a black haired boy, who introduced himself as Sirius Black."
Sirius black I can still remember it also clearly, absolute perfection, I remembered smiling to myself my first crush- how ironic.
"we introduced ourselves and I remember," I start to shake a little with laughter. "he said "ohh, so you are related." we nearly collapsed because we were laughing so much. As you can see by my looks James and I had the same black hair, hazel eyes, complexion and height. We were really quite bored with people telling us how much alike we were. We explained to Sirius we were twins and he said it figured. Sirius settled in to the carriage with us and we got talking about our families. We had heard of the blacks but we couldn't quite believe that this boy sitting and talking to us in the carriage would do or say some of the things we knew about his family. Sirius always refused to participate in anything his family would consider as good as he knew society would class it as wrong he was the black sheep of the family."
" he - Sirius, seemed genuine, fun-loving and we all quickly formed a friendship. We arrived at Hogwarts shortly after and waited patiently to be sorted into our houses, I think at this point nerves were starting to get the better of us, we all wanted to be sorted into Gryffindor. James and I because that was all we knew and Sirius so he could be separated from his family name and tradition."
Standing in the great hall watching Professor McGonagall with the sorting hat the twins looked around and saw four long tables and the staff table. Curiously watching everyone McKenzie was startled by Sirius Black's name being called
Gryffindor the hat shouted.
"Sirius was placed in Gryffindor. The place went into uproar with jeers and name calling came from the Slytherin table, which later I would find out was were most of his family were seated. After most of the noise had died down Professor McGonagall continued with the sorting. There was quite a few of us placed in Gryffindor that year, some of them we would become extremely close friends with." I'm crying I can't believe it , in nearly 14 years no tears have passed these eyes but now they seem to be flowing freely. Looking around the room my eyes focus on Remus Lupins' face least I'm not the only oneI thank silently. I'm handed a tissue and expected to continue I will do this for all the friends I have lost.
"In the Gryffindor common room that night most of the first years sat around the fire feeling a bit overwhelmed . I had met my new room mates, Lily Evans, Alice Thompson, Kiera Blackwell and Stacy Weasley. In James dorm there was Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Frank Longbottom and Peter Pettigrew." I look at Peter who was seated on the defending stand and wonder what Remus has told me over the last few months was really true. I mean I never thought Sirius was guilty, well maybe for a few minutes, but I also couldn't see Peter being guilty either. I think I'm losing my touch. Well that's why we are here to find out.
"our little groups seemed to form pretty quickly, we all had different traits but at the bottom of it all we just wanted good and loyal friends. And that's what we thought we had found."
" we all brought something different, something unique into our group. No matter what you needed one of us could help, and that's what we liked to do be supportive of one another."
James and I were pretty similar apart from the fact I would think instead of jumping in feet first. Remus was studious always eager to learn. Lily was the positive one. Sirius was the funny one you needed cheering up you went to Sirius. Frank was always the one who had a plan, we could get into as much trouble as we liked because Frank always had a plan. Alice was the quiet one, always thinking about things before she spoke out loud. Kiera was the flirty one and Stacy was the gossip if Stacy didn't know it wasn't worth knowing. I turn again to look at peter, then there was Peter the shy boy who no one wanted to be friends with, but we had, and was this how he repaid us by betraying us.
The look on Fudge's face is telling me I'm musing a bit too much, but these are things I have not thought of for many a year so he will have to wait while I take my time.
"we got into a routine at school, finding out what subjects we were best at, and what we needed help with. We also found out one thing that is not openly discussed outside the walls of Hogwarts, house rivalry. Slytherin and Gryffindor mainly. We had soon formed enemies as well. Well not all of us because our family name still carried weight in the wizarding world but the two Muggle borns' in our group took the most of the name calling. that's part of life , at one time or another you are bullied and it just made us stronger as a group." this is harder than I expected, I'm still not quite sure how much of our lives I am suppose to divulge, the easy answer is all, let the people of the Wizengamot decide for themselves, but I feel like I still need to protect my friends as they would for me.
" we soon learnt the people we needed to avoid, and these are the people we played pranks on. Unfortunately for James and Sirius they were always the ones who received the punishment for the pranks, when nine times out of ten it was Lily and myself. They never complained though as long as we were pulling the pranks on the right people." taking a deep I knew this was not what Sirius liked to hear.
"since, I believe, you have listen to Severus Snapes input into this trial, you may not like what I have too say. Severus, Lily and myself were friends at school quite good friends, still are. It was just kept quiet. James and Sirius knew about this, it was just never mentioned. No one knows the real reason Severus, James and Sirius always fought, but the were forever pulling pranks on each other." I can see Severus sitting in the group near Peter Pettigrew willing me on with his eyes. He had told me once a long time ago not to trust Sirius, but I had, and I don't regret it.
" during our time together we soon realised Remus was hiding something from us." A subtle nod catches my eye from Remus' direction and I know he doesn't mind me continuing. " we soon learnt he was a werewolf, it made no difference to us but we al knew we had to keep it quiet. Another little secret kept between certain members of our own little group. After a year or so our tight knit group had slowly drifted apart in to separate groups, don't get me wrong we still loved each other and could go to each other for help and advice it was just a few of us had grown closer to others. So our group was basically narrowed down to James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily and myself."
" once we found out Remus' secret, Lily set about doing what she did best, research. We all became illegal animagus', and go on midnight runs with Remus. I know it was wrong thing to do, but we were kids and we got away with it so we had very little guilt. By our fifth year we were out every full moon, exploring the castle and it's grounds. It was also the year Sirius and I finally admitted our feelings for each other and become a couple. James was still in pursuit of Lily and we all know he got there in the end." I seek out Severus us both knowing what was coming next and it was one thing we never agreed on.
"I believe in my heart me and Sirius were in love from the start of our relationship. It was tested on one fateful night. Sirius and Severus had, had a major disagreement so Sirius pulled a prank that I believe he would regret for the rest of his life. It was a full moon, and Sirius had told Severus that he would find out what he had been looking for if he went down to the shrieking shack. This is were Remus was housed when he transformed in to a werewolf and was suppose to stay till it was safe for him to be allowed back into school. Sirius had told Severus how to get past the whomping Willow and down the path to the shack. Luckily for both Severus and Sirius James had over heard the conversation and pulled Severus away before he came face to face with a werewolf. Severus knew Remus' secret now and he was ordered by Professor Dumbledore to keep it secret. I was so angry with Sirius when James told me what he had done, but unlike Severus I don't think it proved that Sirius was capable of murder at the age of sixteen, it was just a prank he hadn't thought through. It took a lot of grovelling from Sirius for trust to be restored especially between Remus and myself but once again friendship won." there I had said it, I had probably upset Severus over this again but he would get over it. The friendship stayed in place the boys made the marauders map, with a little bit of help from the girls. If you walk around Hogwarts today you will still be able to see our signatures in place.
"after the incident we as a group seemed to settle down, got stuck into our school work and went on to pass our N.E.W.T.S. and no sooner had we arrived to start seven years of our lives at this school it was time for us to leave. It was more nerve wrecking then it was starting out in life. So together we began and together we left. Sirius and Me, Lily and James, Remus and Kiera and Frank and Alice. With Peter and Stacy some where in the background."
we have been called to lunch by Mr Fudge I will sit and eat mine by myself I can't bare to speak to any one yet.