The sun beamed down on Kings Cross Station in London. The wind blew through the green trees carrying the scent of a hot, end of summer day. Remus's trunk bumped over the uneven parts of platforms 9 and 10. A muggle mother carrying her small daughter two small son's in tow. The children started at Remus eyeing the patchwork cloak, but the mother just kept going with a tired glazed look in her eye.
Remus looked at the children also, twisting his head around and giving them a kind wink. Then suddenly he tripped over a large worn book with the title gilded with gold, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, protecting oneself in a new era. Remus quickly picked up the book, hiding it under his cloak unable to think what would happen if a curious muggle opened the book.
Once again Remus strode quickly to the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10, about to enter the magic world. But once again Remus was stopped, his friend Peter Pettigrew was on the ground scuffling around the ground like a sewer rat.
"Oh Remus! Oh I'm glad you're here! I've misplaced my Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook! Mum do an Unforgivable if I lose it!" Peter tugged at Remus's robes and went around the ground looking for his book, surprising a few muggles along the way.
"Peter," Remus sighed. "This wouldn't happen to be your book would it?"
"Oh thank you! Thank you so much Remus."
" No problem Peter, just watch your mouth around here."
"What," Peter cried indignantly. " I didn't swear." Remus smiled softly and pushed his friend through the barrier.
"Over here guys! We managed to score that last empty compartment!" James called over the heads of they're classmates heads. Being in their seventh and final year, James's head was high enough to shout over the sea of confused first years. One of such confused first years tried to push past Sirius.
"And who do you think you are!" Exclaimed Sirius.
"Mathew Allen, sir,"
"Budge over or I'll turn you into a toad," Sirius snapped. Frightened by his fathomless silver eyes and shaggy black hair he quickly shook his head and pushed on ahead.
"Not while I'm Head Boy will you be doing any harm to any first year students," James said, chin tilted up chest puffed out to show a shinny badge on his chest.
Sirius then proceeded to punch James in the stomach and walked into the compartment muttering under his breath,
"He lookes like an uncoordinated Fwooper." Remus's laugh quickly turned into a hacking cough as he followed as he followed Sirius into the compartment.
"Oh I just knew that you were going to be Head Boy James! I mean who is there to compete with? What kind of privileges does Head Boy get?" Peter began oozing compliments over James like honey while James tried his best to shrug them off.
"Wormtail, how on earth could you have known that James was going to be Head Boy? Do you follow Dumbledore around during the summer just to shake things up?" Sirius replied in an irritated voice rolling up his white sleeves. Peter then made a small inaudible noise and his face pulled back into his head making him seem even pudgier than normal.
"Leave him alone Sirius. It's up to Dumbledore who gets to be Head Boy and you know it," Remus replied defending Peter's self-confidence.
" He's right you know, it could have easily have been someone else like Adam Abrams," James said while unconsciously polishing his badge with his sleeve.
"Ugh not that bloke from Hufflepuff. He has dung for brains and he always talks in that monotone 'Hello Sirius, fine weather were having. Would you like to pet my Augurey? They just proved that his cry isn't fatal.' Merlin, he just rambles on until his Augurey bites him and he needs to go to hospital."
"Good one Sirius!" Peter said excitedly and exhuming loud forced laughter. Sirius just rolled his eye and continued on.
"How on earth did you beat out our trustworthy Moony? Whatever Dumbledore saw in you mate, I think he needs to clean his spectacles."
"Hey! I earned this badge fair and square!" James replied chest once again puffed out.
"And what Head Boy like qualities do you have exactly?"
"Well…" James stammered.
"My theory is that Dumbledore was tried of surrounding you with responsibly and decided that since his plans had failed thus far to turn you into something that he could let out into the Wizarding world, he put it all on you in hopes that you would mature."
"I am very mature! More mature than you at least."
"Oh yeah! Is that so pretty boy?" Sirius said as he tackled James and pushed him onto the seat and they began to tussle.
"Some thing's never change," Remus said to himself as he pulled a book out of his bag. Picking up his legs to let the scrap for maturity continue with Peter trying to cheer for both sides.
The fight had finally ended when James was knocked into Sirius's stash of sink pellets covering the compartment with a chocking aroma of skunk, sweaty socks and sour milk. After a quick evacuation of the compartment, a well placed "Inolensentis" and a quick truce, they all engaged in a good game of Gobstones and the rest of the ride past with out incident.
The train pulled in to the Hogsmeade station and they quickly picked up the game and put on their black cloaks.
"Ready for another brilliant year of mayhem my dear Padfoot?" James asked extending his arm to Sirius.
"Only if you are my dearest Prongs," replied Sirius intertwining his arm with James and they proceeded to strut of the train in a high stepping fashion.
"Join the chorus line Remus!" James called grabbing Remus as he joined the poorly dressed chorus line with Peter next to Remus. It was like this that they strutted to the horseless carriages.
"Some things never change," a female voice flounced into the air, breaking the concentration that had momentarily allowed the four seventeen year olds to do a rather good rendition of the can-can. Lilly Evans stood at the door of one of the carriages.
James came to a clattering halt, to stare at the red haired vixen. She had her red hair tied back in a lose ponytail, a bright shinny badge over her chest.
"No way," Sirius said in disbelief.
"What are you talking about Sirius? Is it that hard to believe it?" Lily asked an air of superiority in her voice. It was just then that she noticed the badge on James cloak. "No! Of all the pig headed, moronic, self-centered, pricks I get stuck with him!" Lily stormed into her carriage slamming the door behind her.
"Oh she definitely has eyes for you mate," said Sirius as he lumbered in to the carriage.
"It will be an interesting year to say the least," Remus added closing the carriage door.
All through the feast James stated at Lilly, and Lilly in turn rolled her eyes and started muttering under her breath. Peter was talking to a newly sorted Gryffindor first year but after about 20 minutes she lost interested and began talking to her own class mates.
After a filling meal the food vanished and Dumbledore rose, silver beard glinting ever so slightly in the magical candlelight.
"Welcome, welcome to yet another year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. New pupils need note that the Forbidden Forest is indeed forbidden. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has established a very though and complete list of 439 items banned from the castle. You may view this list on his door. First years are advised to view the list as well as a few older students who shall remain nameless."
The four boys exchanged sly smiles as Dumbledore continued.
"Ah, now that that is in order. I have one more announcement of my own. Though I hate to put a dampener on this evening I must remind you of the threat of Lord Voldemort."
A collective shiver ran though the hall, but James' spine remained erect.
"While many of you have suffered from the reign of Voldermort either directly or indirectly, I must stress that Hogwarts is a very safe place. Never should you fear being attacked whilst inside this castle. For fear is Voldermort's greatest tool. We must be strong together and not let outside threats change our daily routine.
"You are a generation that will be asked to do things other generations could never have comprehended. But please do not let an old man's ramblings put to rest your chipper mood. Please be merry and let not any fear tread into your hearts."
There was light applause even after Dumbledore's plea. A few students scattered across the Great Hall looked withdrawn. Kathryn Miller, a fellow Gryffindor 6th year, looked of into the distance, a shudder had closed in her face and her green eyes sunk into the back of her head.
"Her parents were murdered over the summer by Death Eaters. I believe they worked with the ministry to hide Voldemort and his Death Eaters from the muggles. She now lives with her older brother," Sirius whispered quietly and solemnly to Remus who had spent the summer in the muggle world. James tightened his grip on his now empty goblet. His brown eyes, filled with tight and focused furry, looked over to the Slytherin table.
No student on the far side of the hall held any look of sorrow. Quite the opposite, some tried half-heartily to hide smiles of pleasure. James tightened his grip on the goblet even more so, forming a distinct crack.
"Come on James," Lily taped his shoulder, a knowing look upon her face as she read into James' silent fury. "We have to show the first years the way to the dormitory. First years this way please!"
James looked over at the Slytherin table once more and threw a final glance at Severus Snape and left the great hall small children following in his wake.
The goblet magically mended it self.