Chapter 1: The First Day

James Potter couldn't wait. Today was his first day at Hogwarts. He was so excited he couldn't keep still in the taxi on the way to King's Cross station and his parents, Neil and Harriet Potter, had to frequently tell him to shut up in case the Muggle driver overheard his deciding over whether to join the Gryffindor House or Ravenclaw and get suspicious.

"Anyway, it's not for you to choose," Mrs. Potter snapped as she smoothed his messy, jet-black hair. "Goodness, your hair's impossible! Impossible, I tell you!"

Mr. Potter sighed and James stifled a laugh. "Just let it rest, Harrie. Who's going to care anyway?"

" 'Who's going to care?' Dumbledore, that's who! I can't let him see James looking like a stray dog, can I?"

Mr. Potter sighed again and shook his head, but he was smiling.

Finally they arrived at King's Cross station. Mrs. Potter counted out the money to the taxi driver while Mr. Potter, with James, struggled with the trunk in the boot. When they had finished taking it out, Mrs. Potter was still struggling with the Muggle money.

"One penny, two penny, tuppence, oh no! I'm not sure, wait, just give me another minute!" Mrs. Potter nearly shrieked when the taxi driver heaved a huge and impatient sigh.
"Oh goodness, there's no need, Harrie. We'll just drop James off here then," said Mr. Potter quickly. He turned to James. "Now, you know what to do, don't you? Go to the barrier between Platform 9 and 10 – "

" – and lean against the barrier casually so that the Muggles don't notice, and slip into Platform 9 and ¾," James finished for him. Mr. Potter nodded. "Right you are! Well, uh, be good, and – "

" – finish your homework on time!" Mrs. Potter had abandoned her effort with the Muggle and now turned upon him with a sudden motherly ferocity. "Follow the school rules, listen to your teachers, study hard and DON'T GET YOURSELF EXPELLED."

"Right, right," Mr. Potter intervened quickly. "It's time for you to go now. Write to us, okay?"

James suddenly didn't feel like going to Hogwarts anymore. He felt as if he wouldn't be able to see them again. As if he could read his mind, Mr. Potter smiled encouragingly and nodded. "You're a big boy now, aren't you? You keep on staying in Hogwarts, where there's no television, and we might not need to get that pair of spectacles for you, all right? Cheer up. Just promise you'll write, okay?"

James nodded. Mrs. Potter kissed him on the forehead and handed him the handle of his trunk. "Goodbye, James! Have a lovely term!"

"Thanks, Mum, and bye!" He dragged his trunk onto the curb and waved at his parents. "Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad!"

They smiled and waved, and got into the taxi and they were gone.

Minutes after the Hogwarts Express took off for Hogwarts, James's compartment was knocked on. He looked from the window. A boy his age with dark hair and mischievous brown eyes was at the door.

"Is there anyone else in this compartment?"

He shook his head and the boy entered. But he didn't sit.

"Hallo," he said instead, and held out a hand. "I'm Sirius Black."

James shook it and smiled. "James Potter. Er, sit down."

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself." Sirius put his trunk on the seat and sat.

They were quiet, until Sirius finally spoke up: "What house do you reckon you'll end up in?"

James looked up, surprised. He was thinking of the exact same thing. "Uh, I don't know."

"I think I'll get into Slytherin," his face turned dark and frowned at the window. "My whole family's Slytherin all through and through." He stared at James. "It's a terrible tradition."

James had to nod. Slytherins were famous for notoriety, so he had heard.

All of a sudden their compartment door slid open and a short, frightened-looking boy squeaked as he was pushed inside. Sirius and James jumped up; Sirius had his wand out.

A group of stocky boys were running away and laughing hysterically when Sirius and James stuck their heads out of their compartment. Sirius growled and pointed his wand at them.

"Tarantallegra!"

James's mouth fell open. Sirius could do proper magic already? Suddenly the whole group of boys was dancing and jerking around with their legs entwined. Sirius let out a highly amused laugh and, so did James. He ducked into the compartment and shut the door.

"Brilliant!" exclaimed James as they dropped back onto their seats. "How did you do that?"

"Just something I picked up from a nasty cousin," Sirius grinned and tucked his wand back into his robes. "Living with a bunch of has-been and would-be Slytherins sort of teaches you to get equally nasty, you know." James suddenly got a sickening turn in his stomach and Sirius caught the uncomfortable look.

"I mean to say, not that I go around jinxing people like that, but, well, they're bullies!"

"That's – that's right!" The small boy who had been quite forgotten on the floor spoke up rather timidly. He stood and grinned rather stupidly at Sirius. "How can I ever thank you!"

"Sit down then, right here beside me, and tell me your name."

"Peter Pettigrew," he replied and sat beside Sirius. James struggled not to laugh. His name fit his tiny stature. Sirius, however, laughed aloud again, his bark-like laugh, and said mercilessly, "Your mother wasn't a house-elf now, was she? You're so small!"

Peter Pettigrew turned crimson and looked so downcast that James immediately felt both sorry for him and angry at Sirius. "That was very mean of you, Sirius."

Sirius glared at him. "What do you mean? It was just a joke. And it certainly didn't concern you."

"No, but can't you see that you've made him upset?" James tried to ignore the adoring look that Peter was now giving him.

Sirius's face grew dark and cold. "I was just trying to make a joke."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't very funny."

That apparently, was the limit. Sirius stormed out of the compartment and slammed the compartment behind him so hard that there were cracks on the glass.

"Oh damn," Sirius muttered and turned behind him. "Reparo."

To James's wonder, the cracks were gone.

And so was Sirius.

The day had soured for James, with no one for company but Peter Pettigrew, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off him.

Finally, Peter asked: "What's your name?"

James gave him such a look that Peter squeaked and quailed and instantly made James regret it. He just wasn't as good as Sirius when it came to being nasty.

"James Potter."

"And that – that horrible boy?"

James's head shot up so fast that Peter squeaked again. "He's not horrible."

"Well, he was, you know, he laughed at me for being so small!" Peter now stared at him, and James realised that he was getting braver.

"Yeah, but he chased those bullies away!" James couldn't believe what he was hearing, and his temper was flaring.

"He's not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts!" Peter proclaimed with a satisfactory note in his voice. "He can get expelled for that!"

"How do you know?" spat James.

"I read it in Hogwarts: Charting the History of the School that Made Witchcraft and Wizardry Flourish. It says so there. It's a school rule."

"Well, they won't know if no one told them, will they?"

"They have their ways," Peter smiled for the first time, and James didn't like it.

"Lunch trolley! Lunch trolley!" A plump black-haired woman with twinkling brown eyes stopped outside their compartment and said to them: "Anything off the trolley, my dears?"

James dug into his pocket and was glad to see twenty Galleons and fifteen Sickles to his expense. He spent five Galleons on an assortment of Chocolate Frogs, Licorice Wands, the new Bertie Botts's Every-Flavour Beans, Never-Melt Ice Cream Toffees, Ginger Fizz and Beetle Bombs while Peter bought an orchid-shaped, orange-flavoured Sugar Stalk. James was about to head back into the compartment when he spotted the extremely rare Unicorn Drop, which brought seven days of good luck with every suck, stashed among colourful packets of Cartwheel Candies. He reached out to grab it but another person had beat him to it.

"Too bad, James." He looked up and saw Sirius holding up the Unicorn Drop, grinning. "Today's just not your day." He paid for it and trotted away, whistling a cheerful tune that, if anything, only made James more irritated.

"Do you have any more Unicorn Drops?"

The plump woman shook her head sadly. "That's the last one. It's banned now because the Ministry found out that it contained a mild dosage of Felix Felicis." She snorted. "Like they couldn't use a drop themselves." She pushed her trolley further down the corridor.

James returned to his seat and tore apart a packet of Beetle Bombs so ferociously that they spilled onto the floor and exploded.

James was completely drenched by the time he stumbled out of the small, rickety boat that he had journeyed with the other first-years across the Hogwarts lake. The rain had fallen suddenly and heavily during the boat trip and consequently worsened his mood. To make things worse, his boat had almost tipped over and the panic of it had drove Peter to clutch at his robes so tightly that James had to shout so that he would release him.

However, his spirit rose instantly when a stern woman called Professor McGonagall had led him and the other first-years into the Great Hall. The hall was warm, most importantly, and brilliantly lit with floating candles. The High Table was where the teachers sat, and right in the middle was Albus Dumbledore himself. James was at a complete loss of words, seeing him for the first time ever. His parents spoke very highly of him, and so did the wizarding world.

A dusty-looking and worn-out wizard's hat sat upon a stool just below the High Table. Suddenly, its brim opened, and it shouted out a song:

"Don't look at me that way, because I'm not here to play;

I'm here so I can Sort you, so you don't have to choose;

All Houses are fair, They're not here, nor neither there;

Though most will agree that Gryffindor's best, and the rest just can't contest;

It'sa House for all the brave, that bring their gallantry with them to their grave;

Hufflepuff is for the meek,and Ravenclaw the knowledge you seek;

Slytherin is ever so sly, theycan even outwit a fly;

But don't be frightened, just put me on;

The battle will still be won;

You'll get your House, you won't need to browse;

And who knows you'll find your spouse!"

Then the Sorting began. James saw the truth to his mother's words. He wasn't allowed to choose. His heart thudded when Sirius was up for Sorting.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat screamed, and the Slytherin table booed loudly. Sirius, however, looked so overjoyed and disbelieving that he stayed right there on the stool, fixed in a manic smile, and Professor McGonagall had to snatch the Hat off his head and rapped his head once.

One by one, the students were Sorted, then James's attention was caught when a name was mentioned: "Evans, Lily!"

The girl herself, was as pretty as a lily: her hair was smooth and silky and her figure tall and petite. When she sat on the stool and placed the Hat on her head, he noticed that she had the most brilliant green eyes.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Instantly, James crossed his fingers and wished desperately that he was in Gryffindor too.

"Lupin, Remus!" also made him look. The boy was so thin and looked so tired that James expected him to faint any moment now.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

James was amazed at the number of people who had gotten into Gryffindor. Was there room for him?

Then, Peter's turn came. "Pettigrew, Peter!"

"Wish me luck, James!" Peter squeezed his hand and scuttled off. In his hurry he tripped and the Hall rang out in laughter. James was amused to see Professor McGonagall smiling too. Peter put the Hat delicately on his head and shut his eyes.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

James clapped his hands.

"Potter, James!"

Now his turn came. The moment of truth. He walked steadily towards the stool and put the Hat on. He heard a deep and wise-like voice whispering in his mind: "A lot of talent here, and mischief! But most of all, arrogance and courage. Yes . . . a lot of courage . . . so . . . GRYFFINDOR!"

James pushed the Hat off his head and ran towards the Gryffindor table, too happy for words, and ignoring the furious yells of Professor McGonagall. He saw Sirius waving at him and pointing at an empty seat beside him. James grinned and dropped into the seat.

"Gryffindor, James! We're in Gryffindor!"

"So you're speaking to me, now?" James looked at him hopefully.

Sirius smiled apologetically. "Yes, and I'm sorry that I behaved like an idiot." He held out his hand. "Friends?"

James took it enthusiastically. "Forever."