Chapter 5- Aboard the Hogwarts Express

The rest of the summer holidays seemed to go very slowly for Lily, as Petunia was getting worse than ever about "that freak."

However, f-i-n-a-l-l-y the first of September came and Lily found herself arriving at Kings Cross Station.

"I just need to go to platform 9 and 3 quarters," she told her mum and dad.

"Platform 9 and 3 quarters! There's no such thing!" her mother sighed.

"Hang on, I'll find James and Sirius, they'll know." Lily told her mum. "They're from wizarding families," she added.

"Hmmm…" muttered Lily's disapproving mother.

Lily set off to find the boys and found them walking around near platform 9 and 10.

"Erm… James… how do I get onto platform nine and three quarters?"

"Oh, you just walk right into the barrier between platforms nine and ten," he replied.

Lily looked at him sceptically.

"No, honestly, watch, I'll go," he said, seeing the look on her face. (Lily know that James was famous ( or should I say, infamous lol) for his pranks.)

As Lily watched, he walked straight at the barrier and disappeared through it!

"Now go get your stuff and let's go! The train leaves in 10 minutes!" James said as his head popped back through.

Lily ran to get her trunk and said a hurried goodbye to her parents, and went back to the barrier, where she found James waiting.

"Sirius went to find us a compartment," he explained, helping her through the barrier, as Lily was nervous of crashing into it.

They found the compartment Sirius had chosen and got into it, closing the door.

"As far away from all the teachers as possible!" he exclaimed.

"Would you like to sit with us?" asked Sirius politely.

"Sure!" she replied. "I hope we're all in the same house!"

"I hope so too," said James.

"Now all we need to do is find that witch with the food," said Sirius hungrily.

"Well, look who it is! Potty, Blackie and Little Ginger!" came an oily, drawling voice belonging to a skinny, pale, evil-looking kid whose hair matched his voice.

"Oh look, it's Snivellus!" said Sirius in mock-amazement.

"Can you believe he got in to Hogwarts? I mean, he's too stupid to wash his hair, so…" James' taunting was interrupted by a cough that came from behind Snape. It belonged to a tall, severe-looking woman with brown hair, square glasses and (at the moment) raised eyebrows.

"I hope, Potter, that I will not be punishing first-years before they have even reached Hogwarts. You too, Black. And you, Snape, why aren't you in your compartment?" said Professor McGonagall, sweeping Snape away down the corridor.

"Do you know him? Why are you so mean to each other? Did I miss something here?" asked Lily fiercely.

But before James could answer a boy entered the compartment.

"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full." He asked. He was fairly good-looking, with sandy brown hair and a mischievous smile. He looked pale and thin, as though he was frequently ill.

"Sure!" said James. "By the way, my name's James, what's yours?"

"Remus," the boy answered.

"Well pleased to meet you Remus," said Sirius. "I'm Sirius by the way."

"Lily," said Lily.

"Well now that we're all acquainted, let's eat if you don't mind." said Sirius, eyeing the lunch trolley that was being wheeled up the corridor by a plump witch.

They ate their chocolate frogs and cauldron cakes, then played exploding snap for a while. Sirius couldn't help noticing (well okay he could, he was just nosey) that Lily and James never quite met each other's eyes, but he knew James, and James was like that.

Remus proved to have an appetite, for both food and pranks that did not match his thin, slightly sad appearance

The rest of the train ride to Hogwarts was spent talking about which houses they wanted to be in, with James keeping up a running commentary on each houses traits etc. for Lily's benefit.

When they finally rounded the corner towards Hogwarts, they stopped talking. The sight of the place that was to be their home for most of the next seven years, was enough to shut even James and Sirius up.

(And that was saying something.)