James Potter held his fathers hand as he prepared to apparate for the first time. He was going to Diagon Alley as every 11 year old witch and wizard did. All his life he had envied his mother and father's ability to use a wand and now he would be able to do the same!
"Ready?" asked James' dad. "It'll be a little strange since its your first time but when we get to Diagon Alley I will get you some ice cream!" James' face lit up with even more exitement at the promise of ice cream.
"I'm ready!" The moment the words left James' lips, him and his dad were swirling through the air. It felt as though he were bending all laws of time and space. It made him feel empowered.
After what must have been a few seconds, James and his dad were just down the alleyway next to the leaky cauldron- where James had been a few times for a sneaky butterbeer with his grandparents when it was their turn to babysit.
"Sure you don't want to go to muggle school?" James didn't respond with words, just an annoyed glare, "I'm joking! The only thing you've been talking about since we told you about school was going to Hogwarts!" When there were no muggles around, James slipped into the dull building and was immediately hit by the scent of butterbeer and fire whiskey! He breathed it all in; this was what the wizarding world smelled like!
With a tip of his hat to every other person he passed, James' father glided past the many tables chairs and barstools beconing for James to follow after him. So much excitement had built up in James that he felt as he would explode! He jumped through the bar to meet his dad waiting by the backdoor that would lead out to the enchanted brick wall that would lead out to the infamous Diagon Alley!
"I present to you..." James' father remarked, "the most magical street ever known to witches and wizards!" James was shocked at how amazing this place was! How did anyone live their life without this? He felt a tiny twang of guilt for all his muggle friends from his old primary school but it soon went away as he looked to his right and saw Gringotts bank and then saw a whole street of colourful little shops selling something new in every window- a bit like small tourist shops you might see on your summer holidays!
"First stop is Ollivanders!"
The two wizards entered the wand shop that had been running since 382BC. The little shop was jam packed with wands some neatly stacked on shelves and others barely balenced ontop of each other. At first it seemed like no one was there but then a old yet healthy looking man emerged from the stacks of wands.
"Mr Potter! I see this is your son you have spoken so fondly about on our occasional meet ups for the odd butterbeer." James felt his face flush pink as he was complimented by the eccentric wand maker. "I can see why someone would be proud to have a child like you. Why, I can practically see the potential radiating off you!" James' face went from a pink tinge to a burning red hue in a matter of seconds! Why did he have to be so embarrassed?
"Thank you Mr Ollivander," whispered James. "It's nice to see you too."
"A little shy are we? Hogwarts will soon change that! Now for your wand!" Ollivander walked over to the neatly stacked shelves and glanced over the names of them. He looked back at the messy haired boy and shook his head, murmering somethig along the lines of:
"Much too care free for these!" Then he ran over to the boxes that looked as if they were to fall like a giant jenga game and skimmed his eyes past the various sizes, cores and woods before finally pulling out a blue-gray box from the very middle.
"This one perhaps?" The 10 1/4" wand was passed down the the 11 year old boy and his father made a little wrist movement, indicating that he should try and conjour some sort of spell. With a flick of his wrist, he smashed an antique vase. Frozen in fear, he gripped the wand tighter with the tip still pointed at the smashed glass.
"Maybe the Willow wand isn't for you Mr Potter." As James was about to hand the Willow wand back, a small burst of light came from it and the vase rebuilt itself and the flowers inside of it picked themselves off the floor and returned to the glass antique.
"Peculiar!" Ollivander stared at James with slightly narrowed eyes before whipping his head back to the huge pile of wand boxes. "Then again, when does a Potter wand selection session ever go normally? I think this one should do it! 11" Mahogany, Pliable!" The slightly shakey handed man gave James his second wand of the day and James held it with nothing happening. Suddenly, the whole room lit up as every broken light bulb fixed and all the fallen wand boxes slotted into it's rightful place.
"Yes!" shouted Mr Ollivander "It's perfect! Mr Potter this is your wand! I wish you the best of luck at Hogwarts young man." James took the box from Ollivander and tucked the wand inside it as him and his father left the shop.
"I belive I promised you some ice cream!" said James' dad as they reached a lilac building with sweet aromas coming out of it. "This is the best place I have found to this day! So how about a little treat for finding the perfect wand?"
Ice cream in hand, James made his way over to the robe shop alone while his father went to sort out something 'top secret'. Which, after knowing his father for 11 years, James knew that this meant he would get a surprise from his dad as a welcome the Hogwarts gift. The small boy stepped into the robe shop and couldn't see anyone and when no one emerged from anywhere, he went to look around the shop. On the far right, he saw first year robes that would change colour after the witch or wizard was sorted so he went over to try some on. After about 30 seconds of browsing, James heared giggling behind him so turned around to meet a small, red-haired girl laughing at him.
"What is it? Why are you lauging at me?" James asked the girl stood infront of him.
"You do realise your looking in the girls section right?" James flushed pink again before replying:
"And what if I'm shopping for my little sister?" Confident with his answer, James stood a little taller and his face returned to a normal colour.
"Well since you look around my age and your carrying a wand box that has 'Mr Potter' freshly engraved on it I would say that thats unlikely!" The green-eyed girl then proceeded to skip off out of the shop to meet with a tall brown haired lady with a huge smile on her face. Before anyone else saw him, he went over to the boys robes picked a few sizes out and went to try them on.
When he came out if the changing area with the smallest size, since he was a pretty scrawny boy, he payed and went to meet his dad on the arranged place. When he arrived outside flourish and blotts, he saw his father with a small stack of books and a bird cage with a medium sized tawny owl in it. James beamed at his father as he rushed over to him.
"What are you going to call him?" asked his father.
"I think I might call him-" James was cut off by the bird screeching at him.
"I think I'll call him Screecher." It seems like the only name that really fits him! A few weeks later at 10.41am the three Potters (James and his parents) arrived at Kingscross station inbetween platforms 9 and 10.
"Ready?" Asked James' mum.
"Ready as I'll ever be!" Replied James.
"3... 2... 1... GO!" The trio ran at the wall to reach platform 9 3/4. As they entered the magical side to Kingscross station, smoke from the Hogwarts express steam train wafted into their faces. James looked up to his parents and they looked burried in sentimentality. Like they had just traveled back 20 years to when the first boarded the Hogwarts express at age 11. They wheeled the trolly with James' trunk and owl over to the luggage section of the train at the very back. Soon the returned to James who was slowly getting nervous about leaving his whole muggle life as a regular kid behind. But as he boarded the train and the steam engine whistled, those nerves turned into confidence because he was about to become a proper wizard!
After wandering around for a bit, trying to find a compartment that wasn't already full to the brim, he found another boy who looked as if he was in his first year aswell sitting alone. Both of us need a friend right now so I may as well introuduce myself!
"Hi, do you mind if I sit with you?" Asked James politely.
"Sure! I don't have any other friends that I'm waiting on." Replied the long haired boy. "My younger brother didn't even want to see me off today so why would anyone want to willingly spend time with me? I'm so sorry! We've known each other for less than a minute and I'm already comlaining. I haven't even asked you who you are!"
"I'm James Potter. Whats your name?"
"Black. Sirius Black. I would tell you a nickname my friends give me but as you can see I don't have any friends to give me nicknames... I'm still moaning aren't I?"
"Just a bit. But you should tell friends how you feel so thats what I'm here for!" The other 11 year old's face lit up with happiness, like he had never had someone call him a friend before. He flicked his long, wavy, brown hair out of his face to show off a huge smile to the boy sat opposite him. James felt a little sorry for the boy as he didn't look like someone who had been put in many social situations like friend making before. However, James had been to primary school and had had a completely muggle childhood- apart from playing quidditch with his parents instead of football and when he was a baby, his dad wouldn't just throw him in the air, he would use a floating charm on him and try not to make him crash into the ceiling light. Therefore, James tried his best to lead the conversations so that Sirius didn't have to think of what to say. After a few hours, a ladies voice echoed down the corridor.
"Anything from the trolly?" she repeated over and over again until someone would stop he and ask for something. Eventually, she reached the two boys. Sirius emptied his pockets to reaveal a few coins which would have barely covered a micro sized pack of Berty Botts Every Flavour Beans.
"I'll have 10 chocolate frogs and two cauldron cakes! That should do us!"
After James had payed, he retrieved the sweets he had bought, and gave half to his new friend which caused a shocked look to spread across Sirius' face!
"You don't have to give me anything!"
James didn't say anything he just placed everything next to Sirius on the chair.
"Honestly! You don't need to. My parent would have a right go at me for making us look poor because someone else has to buy some Hogwarts sweets for me!"
"If they didn't want their son's new best friend to buy them a few snacks then they should have given your more than a few sickels!"
"Are you sure? I don't want to take anything from you!"
"Just take it and stop being a drama queen!" The two boys just looked at each other for a couple seconds before bursting ot laughing and tucking into some of their treats.
After playing Berty Botts roulette a few times, Sirius always managing to win was extremely suspicious, they opened up their first chocolate frog each. The moment James opened his, the milky brown chocolate jumped off his card and tried to make a run for it. Just as it was about to jump through the window, James stuck out his left hand and grabbed the frog.
"Nice one James!"
After devouring the delicious chocolate, the boys high fived each other and checked what cards they got.
"I got Dumbledore! I wonder if he is as great as people say he is!"
"I guess we will find out very soon! I got Tom Riddle. Who's Tom Riddle?"
"My brother had him before! He was the best performing student in Hogwarts this Century. Even better than Dumbledore! He also helped out with the school from his second year all the way up until he was 25! He did it all for free as well!"
"I have a feeling thats not going to be us!"
"James, I don't know why but I have the exact same feeling..."