A/N: okay, sorry about the short chapters, but this one is longer...i'll try and update as much as possible, so just bear with me. thanks to everyone who's reading this and please review and tell me what you think!

DISCLAIMER: I forgot to put this on the first two chapters, but I think everyone knows that I don't own anything excpet what you don't recognize. Everything else belongs to the brilliant min of JK Rowling! ;)

Chapter 3

I found an empty compartment on the train and I sat down next to the window. I saw families scattered all over the platform; mothers and fathers hugging their children good-bye. I turned away and forced myself not to cry. My parents were gone and there was no changing that, so I might as well move on with my life. Besides, it's not like we were ever that close anyways. But I guess I still missed them.

"Oh, hey d'you mind if we join you? It's just that everywhere else is full…" I jumped about a mile when I heard the voice speaking to me. I looked up and saw a friendly looking boy with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes standing there, a pale face and he looked very tired.

"No, not at all." I replied, as soon as my breathing became normal again. "I'm Julia Starr, by the way." I added, as he and three other boys came into the compartment.

"I'm Remus Lupin," The sandy haired boy said.

"I'm James Potter," A boy with very messy black hair, hazel eyes and glasses said. "And that's Peter Pettigrew." He added, pointing to a small pudgy boy with watery eyes and a pointed nose.

"And I'm Sirius Black." The last boy said. He had black hair that fell into his gorgeous blue-gray eyes. He sat down next to me. All of them, except Peter, were very good-looking.

"So, you must be new this year, right?" Remus asked, as he, James, and Peter sat down across from Sirius and me.

"Yeah, I'm transferring from Polk Academy." I replied. "That's in San Diego, California." I added, when they looked confused.

"Oh, you're American. Cool!" James said. "Is it true that over there you can get away with anything?"

"Well, yeah as long as you don't get caught." I said, wondering what kind of question that was.

"Well, I don't know what your last school was like, but Hogwarts will definitely be different." Sirius said.

"Oh, well, I already know that. I've always wanted to come here." I said, with a nod. "Besides anywhere is better than where I was." I added, more to myself then to the boys.

"Why?" James asked, curiously.

"Oh, just because the people there were jerks. And things happened there I would rather forget about." I said, quietly, not looking at them.

The boys just shrugged at one another and within half an hour, they were telling me about all the pranks they had pulled in the last four years. I have to say, if they were telling the truth, then they are quite impressive. Before I knew it was time to change into my school robes.

"Hey, where's the bathroom?" I asked, grabbing my bag. Remus pointed me down to the other end of the compartment. I changed and was on way back when I bumped into someone.

"Sorry, excuse me." I said, taking a step back and looking at who I hit. It was a boy about my age. He had really greasy hair, dark eyes, and a hook nose.

"Oh, it's no problem, really." He said, looking me up and down. Gross. "But if really wanted to apologize I think I find a couple of ways you could make it up to me." He continued, walking towards me. Gag me please, was he trying to seduce me? But he kept coming at me and I kept backing up until I hit the wall of the train. Dead end.

"Well, this is an interesting situation, isn't it?" He taunted, putting his hands on my hips.

"Get you fucking hands off me, you grease ball." I yelled, trying to push him away.

"Now, now, no need to be feisty." He said, moving his hands around my hips and grabbing ass. He was just about to kiss me when I felt him being pulled off.

"That's no way to treat a lady, Snivellus." I looked up and saw Sirius standing there, with the other three guys behind him.

"Yeah, Snape, why don't you go and learn some more dark arts?" James said, as he and Sirius pulled out their wands.

"You'll pay for this, Black." He spat maliciously at Sirius. "And you," He added turning to me as he stood up, "you and I will meet again. Make no mistake of that!" He turned on his heel and stalked off to another part of the train.

"Thanks." I said, as I took a step towards the four of them.

"Ah, no problem." Sirius said.

"Miss Starr?" I heard my name being called as I walked through the great front doors of the castle. I turned and saw a no-nonsense lady walking towards me.

"Yeah, that's me." I said, waving my hand.

"You are to come with me, Miss Starr. You'll need to be sorted before you can sit down with everyone else." She said, stating to walk towards a room just off the entrance hall. I followed her. "I am Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher."

We reached the small room and in the middle of it there was a stool on which sat a very raggedy looking wizard's hat. McGonagall motion for me to put on, so I did. And then I heard a voice in my ear. The hat was talking!

"Ah, I see we have a Starr on our hands here. Your father was a very great wizard I do believe. A little evil, but great. He was in Slytherin, but that won't suit you, not at all. You have a great mind and a thirst for knowledge, no doubt there. But you also have a courageous soul. So, I guess you'll have to be placed in GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat shouted the last word and I took it off.

"Well, you may as well know that I am the head of Gryffindor house, too." She said, as I placed the hat back on the stool. "I do not tolerate any unacceptable behavior. Understood?" She added and I nodded.

I walked back into the entrance hall and from there into the Great Hall, where everyone was sitting. McGonagall pointed out the Gryffindor table and I sat down between Remus and a pretty girl with auburn red hair and amazing emerald eyes. As soon as I sat down, a bunch of scared young looking witches and wizards came walking in. A couple of them looked as though they'd had a fight with a lake- and the lake had won. They walked up to the front and stood in front of the staff table. McGonagall came back in carrying the stool and the hat that he had just made me put on. And then, after the hat had sung a song, (which I found really bizarre) she called out each of their names and they were sorted into a house. Then the headmaster, Dumbledoor, stood up and gave a speech. I wasn't really paying attention, I was too busy telling my stomach to be quiet- it was growling so loud that not only were Remus and the aburn-haired girl looking at me, but half the table was too. Finally, Dumbledoor finished and the food appeared on the plates. I grabbed everything I could reach.

"Wow, you must really be hungry." The girl sitting next me to said. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" I said, after I swallowed a huge mouthful of roast beef.

"I'm Lily Evans." She said, smiling.

"Julia Starr, but you can call me Jules. I just moved here from LA." I replied, smiling back. She seemed nice.

"What brings you to England?" She asked, curiously.

"Well, I wasn't really happy at my other school, Polk Academy, and so the principal transferred me here." I replied, with shrug. "Not that I minded, though, I've always wanted to come to Hogwarts."

"Really? Why weren't you happy at your other school?" She asked, with a slight frown. I bit my lip, wondering if I should tell everything. This is one of my flaws- being too completely trustworthy.

"Well, I was kinda a misfit there mainly because I'm not exactly normal." I replied, wording my response very carefully.

"What do you mean you're not exactly normal? Are you nutters or something?" She asked, looking slightly alarmed. Wrong to word things, I guess.

"No, nothing like that. Although I can be a little out there sometimes." I said, shaking my head. "I mean, like, I can do magic without a wand. That sort of weirdness." So much for keeping things secret.

"Oh, is that all? Well, that's not really abnormal, that's just unique." She said, laughing. She stopped when she saw the look on my face. "I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to, I promise." She said quickly.

"Thanks." I said, smiling at her. She smiled back.

"You know, most people won't care about things like that anyways." She said. "I certainly don't. I care more about what a person's like than how they look or how popular they are." She added. I decided that it would be okay if I told one or two more things about myself. After all, she just might be the first real friend I have since, well, ever.

"Well, then, since you're so open minded, I guess I can tell you the other reasons why I didn't really get along with anyone in LA." I said, and she looked at with excitement and curiosity written all over her face.

"You're even more abnormal than you let on?" She joked. I just smiled and nodded my head.

"Well, first off there's the face that I'm not a rich, pompous snob who can buy anything with snapped of my fingers. Then there's also the fact that I like to play pranks on people. That was part of the reason I got transferred, I think. They didn't want me causing trouble anymore. I used be in the principal's office every Tuesday at eleven-thirty." I said, and she laughed.

"Every Tuesday at eleven-thirty?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like clockwork." I replied. "And then a major factor in the whole loser outcast image was because I'm metamorphagus." I added.

"Are you really?" She asked, her eyes lighting up. I nodded. "That's so cool. Do ever change your appearance just for the fun of it?"

"Well, usually only if I'm playing a prank and I don't want to get caught. However, I somehow usually always did." I replied, laughing along with Lily. "Some of the pranks I played were priceless and it helped a lot to be a morphy." I added, using a shortened version of metamorphagus that I favored.

"Like what?" She asked, smiling.

"Well, sometimes if somebody really pissed me off, I would make myself look like their girlfriend or crush and publicly humiliate them." I said and she looked shocked. "I didn't do it all the time and I didn't do it to just anyone. That was something I saved for the people I especially hated."

"Well, I guess it would be pretty funny, especially if that person truly deserved it." She said, laughing.

And just like that Lily and I became instant friends. I told her about LA and America and she told me about Hogwarts and s group called the Marauders. Apparently, this group was made of four mischievous trouble-making boys who were legend at Hogwarts. They pulled the best pranks and almost everyone wanted to be their friends. Lily said that I could probably give them a run for their money.

"Well, who are these Marauders?" I asked her.

"They're sitting right next to you, Jules." She replied. "James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

"Oh, those are the famous Marauders?" I said, with a laugh. "I met them on the train. They didn't seem too bad."

"Well, I don't much like them, with exception of Remus. James and Sirius think that just because they have good looks and the best marks in school, they can go around and hex people because they don't like them. Not too mention that they're cocky and arrogant. Peter just kind of tags along with them. But Remus is okay. He's a prefect and has some common sense. He's actually very kind and friendly to just about everyone except the Slytherins. None of them get along with the Slytherins, to tell you the truth. Especially Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. " She said, giving the Marauder's, mainly James and Sirius, a look of loathing.

"Snape…that name sounds familiar." I said, frowning in concentration. Yes, hadn't that been the name James said to the guy on the train. "I've met Snape, unfortunately."

"You have?" Lily asked, surprised. "When?"

"On the train. He basically sexually harassed me." I replied, with a shudder. "Those guys saved me from him. I kinda got the vibe that they didn't get along too well with him."

"That's the understatement of the century!" Lily exclaimed. "James and Sirius never miss a chance to jinx him or hex him. I mean, it's not like Snape doesn't retaliate, but James and Sirius take it too far sometimes."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. There's guys like that everywhere." I agreed, looking at the four Marauders. I couldn't help but noticed that Sirius seemed to be very popular, just as Lily had said, but he seemed especially sought after by all the girls. For most of them kept sneaking glances at him as he laughed and joked with his friends.

"Hey Lily, is Sirius a ladies man?" I asked, turning back to her.

"How'd you guess?" She replied, sarcastically. "I guess you could say he's Hogwarts' biggest playboy."

"Really? Does he change girlfriends the way some people change hair colors?" I asked and she giggled.

"Something like that." She said, with a smile.

The first few weeks went by pretty fast. I felt like I was at home for the first time in years. Lily and I became best friends and we were inseparable. I didn't cause too much trouble at first, mainly because I had no reason to. I used to pull crap at Polk because there was nothing else to do. And it was fun to see the all the preppy girls scream. But at Hogwarts, I felt no need to entertain myself in such ways. I had friends to replace it.