Three years later… You would think I'd have finished this by now.
Disclaimer: nope, I do not own the characters. The plot's all mine, but nobody really wants that anyway.
The Hogwarts Express snakes its scarlet way through the English countryside, with trees and bushes whirring past. The smog of the city is still visible, but the plants are the main things now. They will be but insignificant details about the trip once I reach the grounds, but now they give me comfort in their perpetual existence. They may die individually, eventually, but each year as I take the train up to the campus grounds, they remain full of verve and the tender juiciness you can only get in English plants. We've got the best weather for plants, you see. The fog's purpose is more than just making everything damp and moist and raising our suicide rates. Where there actually are plants, they are very healthy.
"Lil, you're getting that "Its-my-opinion-on-the-subject-therefore-I-am-absolutely-right-and-whatever-you-say-won't-make-any-difference" look. What are you thinking about now?" James asked me, his eyes narrowing like he was trying to understand a difficult potions recipe. His smirk pulls up one side of his face, revealing his chipped tooth from our second year in school. All in good time, I shall reminisce on that in a while. I haven't even remembered everything leading up to my first, most eventful year ever at Hogwarts.
"The word is "smug" James." Said Remus without looking up from a large leather-bound book that lay in his lap.
"How would you know I was being smug when you've got your nose buried in that book?" I asked him, settling myself further into the luxurious crushed velvet seats, my feet up and pulled in towards me. I love the blankets they give us for the trip. You get your house colours, naturally. This year, they decided on a woolen creation, homespun as anything. The background of the blanket was spun in maroon yarn, with a yellow lion's head in the middle of it. GRYFFINDOR decorates the space above the lion. I lean down and inhale the smell of it, just to be sure I get a very sensory memory of this trip, if ever I decide to publish these memoirs. Who knows? Maybe my kids will read this and find out what really happened.
"Because I can hear it in your voice."
"I wasn't even talking! It was a "smug" look! Or so you all insist…"
Remus looked up from his book and yanked his glasses off his nose. "If you're going to be a twat about it, I see no point in even talking to y—what is that hideous thing on your lap?"
I let a chuckle escape, "Its not hideous! I find it absolutely charming! It has a down-to-earth roughness to it that I find quite appealing."
"Yes, we can all see that from your taste in men." Sirius piped up from his corner, robe full of discarded sweets wrappers. He looks more and more like a vampire each year. His long hair still needs to be swept from his eyes and his pale skin in stark contrast with his almost-bloody lips. He always looks like he's been feeding on some tender young thing, and her blood has made him crazed with lifelust. (I know its not a word, but these are my memoirs and I'm allowed to make up words if I want to.)
"Exactly." Said James darkly, reaching into his robes and pulling out his wand. He edged Sirius out of his seat and put his feet up. Sirius transferred to the couch adjacent to mine, thus he faced Remus and had James to his northeast quadrant. We now each had our own couches, the perks of being in seventh year.
"Was that really necessary, James? Pushing me out of my seat to make a point? We all hate the bastard, but I was comfortable over there. The seat was warm."
"Stop it, you guys. I know Adrian doesn't get along with all of you, but he's really very nice. Right, Remus?"
"His name means "The Dark One" I hope you know." Remus said significantly, tapping his nose.
"So? My name is boring! It simply means "lily" as in the flower."
"It's a symbol of purity. And it is ultimately derived from the latin lilium." Added Remus.
"It does NOT go well with "the dark one" for fuck's sake." Sirius argued, his hands flying everywhere. When he gets agitated, he's very expressive with his hands.
"What does my name mean, Remus?"
"James, masculine, usage is in English, and it is Biblical. It is the English form of the Late Latin Jacomus which was derived from lakobos, the New Testament Greek form of Ya'agov, or Jacob. James is the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the Apostle John's brother, who was beheaded by Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James, known as James the Just, is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus. Kings of England and Scotland have borne your name. Other famous bearers include the inventor of the steam engine James Watt, the explorer Captain James Cook, and the novelist and poet James Joyce. My aunt Mildred also has a rabbit named James. "
"Where are you reading this from?" Sirius asked, searching the wall behind him for what Remus might be reciting from. Content that there was nothing there; he proceeded to inspect Remus' hands. "Maybe you wrote it down somewhere before the trip and were hoping in your heart of hearts that we'd come up with the subject of names… You came up with it, you little bugger!" He made to tackle Remus and squash him against the wall, but let out a laugh instead.
"I'm not reading it. It's all stored up here somewhere. Its frightfully interesting stuff, etymology."
"I always thought James meant supplanter." I said to myself, thoughtfully.
"What does supplanter mean?" James asked.
"One who supplants, stupid." Sirius said, plopping back down into the couch.
"Thanks Black, you're loads of help. Remus, what does she mean by supplanter?"
"Supplanter? Well, a supplanter is someone who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another. An usurper."
"Oho! Living true to your namesake, aren't you James? That's why taking my couch was so easily done! Its in your nature! Bloody bastard."
Remus shut his book and started laughing along with the rest of us. I asked him what his name meant.
"The meaning of my name is unknown. It stems from the Roman legend where Romulus and Remus were the founders of Rome."
"I don't know that legend."
"According to tradition, Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC. They were twin brothers, sons of a human mother and the god of war, Mars. After their birth, the king ordered them killed. They were placed in a basket and put into the Tiber River - left to die from exposure in the outdoors. But their basket washed up on the river bank where they were found by a female wolf. The wolf nursed the hungry babies and cared for them until they were found by a shepherd.
The shepherd and his wife raised the babies as their own. Romulus and Remus grew up and helped overthrow the king who had ordered their death. They wanted to build their own city along the Tiber River where their basket had washed ashore. They disagreed about where it should be, and Romulus killed Remus during their quarrels. Romulus built the city of Rome on one of the seven hills along the Tiber - the Palatine hill - and lived a long life as king of Rome."
"It smacks of the Cain and Abel fight of sibling rivalry." Said James, absentmindedly playing with his tie.
"Shut up, biblical name boy. I mean, usurper." Sirius pretend-fumed in the corner, arms crossed.
"You're the only one uninterested in your name, Sirius. Why is that?" I asked him, cocking my head back and leaning it on the cold glass of the window.
"Because its unconventional. There isn't some deep unknown meaning or legend to it. It's just the name of the Dog Star." He answered, dismissively.
"On the contrary, there is much more to it than that."
"Yeah Evans? Like what?"
" It is the name of a BRIGHT star in the constellation Canis Major, derived via Latin from Greek seirios meaning burning."
They all looked at me, rather puzzled. I brandished the bit of parchment I had written it on.
"We can't all keep huge factoids in our heads like Remus," I smiled. "Some of us have to write them down."