The two boys pressed their faces against the window, the sun was begining to set and the moon was rising over the vast castle that was Hogwarts. Neither of them had got into their robes yet and they only remembered to do so when Prefects came into the compartments telling everyone that they would be arriving soon.
"Why are you two not in your uniform?" Asked a rather pompous looking Ravenclaw boy.
"Oh right! That's what we forgot to do!" James said as Sirius began pulling their trunks down.
"Well you better hurry up- we will be arriving in a few minutes!" Said the Prefect before sliding the door shut and gliding off down the corridor.
After two minutes, James and Sirius had managed to find their shirts, ties and robes out of their trunks and the train was only around another two minutes away from the school. They stuffed everything into their trunks and got dressed. Neither changed their shoes since they most likely wouldn't fit into their trunks (also they didn't have time). A loud whistle filled the air around them and both boys sat on top of their trunks to get them shut.
James and Sirius rapidly dragged their trunks off of the Hogwarts express and ran to meet up with the rest of the first year group.
"'Ello there!" Said a giant man who must have been double, triple, quadruple the size on anyone else James or Sirius had ever seen! "Are you two by any chance Mr Potter and Mr Black?"
"Yeah. How do you know who we are?" Sirius asked, catching his breath back.
"Professor Dumbledore has kindly provided me with a list of names this year that everyone must tick off once they arrive. And James Potter and Sirius Black are the final two names on 'ere!" He said proudly. "Anyway as I was sayin' to the lot of ya'- Me name's 'Agrid!" He adressed to the whole year group. "Follow me!"
All the exited eleven year olds followed this giant man down the platform and around the corner where there was a giant lake that's water looked pitch black and the only light hitting it was that of the bright moon and the millions of floating candles above it. Sirius and James hopped into a boat together and were joined by two other boys.
"Hi, is it ok if we join you?" Asked a tall skinny boy with light brown hair.
"Yeah of course!" James said, moving up so the other two could sit with them. None of them really spoke since they were too in awe of the gigantic castle that was their school. There were huge windows that more floating candles could be seen through and there were many turrets that looked like they were scraping the sky!
All too soon, the boats began to reach the bank on the other side of the river and all the eleven year olds had to climb out and follow Hagrid up to the large double doors at the front of the castle. The gold engraved, wooden doors swung open as the group approached them- blasting everyone with warm air compared to the fresh September night. Everyone huddled inside and the doors closed and made a locking noise as they slotted together.
As they made their way towards another set of large double doors that were very similar looking to the last set, there was a rather severe looking woman in a set of emerald green robes with her hair covered by a large hat that was the same shade of emerald. She was staring down at James and Sirius intently with her eyebrows slightly raised.
"Are you two boys going to tie your ties and do your top button up or do you intend to walk around our school like that?" She asked as the two boys realised that they hadn't had enough time to get ready properly.
"Sorry Professor. Shouldn't happen again!" Sirius said with an innocent smile.
"Welcome to Hogwarts first years! I am Professor McGonagall." She announced to everyone in a calm yet firm voice. "When you walk through these doors, you will be sorted into one of three houses- Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. One you have been sorted, you are to take a seat at your assigned table and get to know your housemates. You will be spending alot of time with them over the next seven years and they will be like your family!" James noticed that Sirius had an anxious look on his face so he nudged him slightly and smiled comfortingly to make his friend feel better.
"It'll be fine!" He whispered into Sirius' ear as McGonagall flung the doors open with a flick of her wand and sweapt into the Great Hall.
When the group reached the front of the hall and the rest of the school had settled, McGonagall pulled a little stool with a rather old looking hat- it was overall in one peice with just a few stitches loose and the colour slightly faded. Suddenly, where the hat seemed to just have loose seams, a mouth and two eyes appeared and the hat began belting out a song:
"Oh you may think I'm pretty
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all."
Alot of the first years, taken aback by the sudden burst of song, began to laugh whereas the older students seemed calm as anything. However, a select few of the first year kids looked at the old hat as if it were insane! James was too busy lauging at the hat to listen to the rest of the song but managed to see the little red- haired girl from the robe shop looking absolutely petrified!
"Now that you've all been introduced to the houses, the sorting ceremony may begin!" McGonagall announced, lifting the hat off the chair. "Black, Sirius!" James looked over to his new friend who visibly gulped when his name was called first. Why couldn't he have a last name halfway through the alphabet?
Cautiously, he stumbled up the steps and hopped onto the stool. He could feel the hat being placed on his head.
Another Black? Ususally I put all of you in Slytherin but this fresh head seemes different! It doesn't belong where the cunning stay. I can see your past which makes me lean towards...
"GRYFFINDOR!" It yelled and Sirius didn't move for a few seconds, his hands gripped tight to the side of the stool but he soon remembered where he was and sped off towards the table where there were loads of cheering kids who began patting him on the back as he took his seat.
After a few more names had been called, James noticed that the red-haired girl had gone up and sat on the stool when "Evans, Lily" had been called. She was also in Gryffindor and she rushed over to go and sit with James' new friend.
The next person that James recognised was "Lupin, Remus." This was the tall skinny boy that asked to sit on the boat with Sirius and himself. Just like the other two people he knew- Remus ended up in Gryffindor. The name called before his was "Pettigrew, Peter." He followed Sirius, Lily and Remus to Gryffindor but only after around five minutes of the hat being on his head.
"Potter, James!" McGonagall called and James pushed through the thinning crowd of first years and sat upon the Sorting stool. He was a little worried that the only other four people he had seen before were all in the same house- what if he was in one of the other three? He wouldn't know anyone!
I see ambition and patience yet also creativity and bravery. You are truely a mix of everything yet the most powerful trait of all compels me to say:
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled and James ran over to where his friend was.
The rest of the ceremony went on and James sat next to Sirius, clapping exitedly whenever a new Gryffindor was announced- there were few more and all girls. James didn't know if he would get to know them too well but still decided to be friendly. One of the last people who was called was "Snape, Severus" who practically fell up the stairs since he slipped on his oversized robes.
"SLYTHERIN!" Shouted the sorting hat and the boy stood up and held his robes up when walking down the stairs. Just as he was about to reach his table, he let out a giant sneeze which caused him to walk into the table and whack his hip on the corner of it.
"Snivillus Snape hurt himself!" Sirius shouted before hiding his face so none of the Professors would be able to tell who had shouted it. A wave of giggles ran over the school- including a few teachers who attempted to hide it.
"Enough of that!" McGonagall shouted from the front of the Hall and the room fell silent again. She then proceeded with the rest of the list.
After the very last person had been sorted, a very elderly man who must have been in his early 90s rose from his extravagant chair.
"Now that you have all been assigned to your most fitting houses, we may let the feast begin!" He anounced with a flourish of his wrists and piles upon piles of food appered on the once empty plates infront of everyone. Like lightning, James began spooning food onto his plate- there was succulent meats and crispy roast potatoes along with gallons of pumpkin juice!
"You're the boys from the boat aren't you?" Asked the boy who James had learned to be Remus Lupin. "James wasn't it?"
"Yeah and you were Remus and Peter." James confirmed as Remus and Peter nodded back. Sirius stayed silent- he didn't appappear to have moved since he had been sorted.
"Sirius, are you alright mate?" He asked and the boy looked up at him, his silver/ grey eyes practically dead.
"I'm fine!" He whispered before taking a little bit of food and putting it on his plate. Over the course of the feast, Sirius picked at the food he had got himself and stayed very quiet.
"Are you sure you're alright?" James asked when everyone began following the head boy and head girl to the common rooms.
"I'll tell you when we get back to the dorms." Sirius mumbled as he stuffed his hands in his robe pockets.
The Gryffindor students made their way up the dangerous moving staircases that someone must have fallen off at some point in the past and were soon faced with a rather large lady in a portrait.
"This is the enterance to the Gryffindor common room and dormitories!" Said the head boy as he turned to face all the first years.
"This years password is detencione. You must remember this or you will be forced to wait outside until someone who can help comes along!" The head girl warned.
"Could everyone at the back hear that?" The head boy asked and all the upper years nodded.
The portrait swung open and a small opening appeared with a door on the other wall- kind of like an air lock. When the second door was opened, a bright scarlet and gold room was revealed with several roaring fireplaces and many sofas dotted around the place.
"First years stand to the side, we need to go over some things before you go to your dorm rooms!" Called the head boy and the small group of eleven year olds stood by one of the fireplaces. Once everyone was gone and doing their own thing, the rules were layed down.
"Hello I'm Deborah and I'm Gryffindor's head girl!" Said the friendly girl who had been leading the group. "Your dorm rooms are up either of those staircases. Girls you're on the right and boys the left. Since you lot are first years, lights out is at 10pm. This will vary as you go up the school. Once it is 10pm, no one apart from prefects and head boys and girls are allowed out of the common rooms."
"And I'm Micheal, head boy. You shouldn't be out of your dorm rooms after 10 but that never happens- probably not even in the Ravenclaw common rooms and this year they have some right stuck up prefects!"
"Michael!" Exclaimed Deborah, lightly hitting him on the shoulder.
"I'm sorry- the Ravenclaw prefects follow the rules like they will die if they don't!" He said as Debbie rolled her eyes.
"I give up with you! First years you're free to go- you will find all of your belongings are in your dormitories. If there are any questions please don't hesitate to ask!" She said and all the girls went over to the right staircase whereas the four first year boys went to the left.
"So whats up?" James asked as they walked into the dorm room at the very top of the tower. Sirius had a frightened look spread across his face and he was rubbing his arm.
"I don't belong here!" He whispered so the other two couldn't hear him. "I have to be in Slytherin!"
"You're so brave, you were the first to be sorted! Of course you belong here!" James said, patting Sirius' shoulder.
"No- I'm a Black! Have you ever heard of that family?" He asked anxiously.
"I may have- I'm not really sure." James replied as he found his trunk and owl and took a seat on his bed.
"All the Blacks have been in Slytherin- my parents are going to kill me when they find out I'm a Gryffindor!" Sirius complained as Remus and Peter turned to look at him.
"Then don't tell them! What they don't know won't kill them!" James suggested.
"But it's not that simple! There's a sixth year called Lucius Malfoy- he's a family 'friend'. He's bound to tell my parents!" Sirius said, almost in tears. "I've always been the least favourite- and that's never going to change!"
"If it means that much to you, I know a spell that could turn your robes green!" Remus offered after having listened to the conversation.
"Do you really?" Sirius exclaimed, a spark of joy lighting up his face.
"Pass me your robes." Remus said, holding out his hand and digging into his pocket and pulling out his wand. Sirius slipped off his red- collared robes and passed them to the tall boy who layed them down on the floor.
"Conversus viridi!" He exclaimed and the scarlet collar turned jade green.
"Merlin's beard! Where d'you learn how to do that?" The shorter boy (Peter) exclaimed.
"My parents got me a new spell book every year for my birthday. And I've spent my whole childhood reading through them!" Remus said, blushing slightly since most other wizards his age would want the newest broomstick or something of that nature.
"Thank you!" Sirius said, astonished that this other eleven year old was able to pull off a spell like that on his first night at Hogwarts.
"If you pass me your tie I can change that too!" Remus offered and Sirius loosened the red and gold tie before handing that over aswell. Remus used the same charm on the tie as he had done with the robes and soon enough, Sirius was decked out in a full Slytherin uniform.
"Hang on- if you're a Slytherin now then surely you should be in the Slytherin common rooms!" Peter said as Sirius sat smiling like an idiot.
"Of course! We can take you down there!" James announced, jumping up off his bed.
"But it's already 10:30!" Remus pointed out. "No one is allowed out of the common rooms!"
"And your point is?" James asked and Remus just sighed into his hands.
"Come on if we work together then we can most likely carry his trunk down to the common rooms." Peter said as he grabbed one end of the trunk and James and Sirius got the other.
"Come on then- we can't do it by ourselves!" James exclaimed and Remus begrudgingly held the other handle next to the one Peter had a firm grip on.
"Excuse me! Where are you going?" Asked Micheal as the four of them tried to slip through the common room unnoticed.
"This is um..." Peter said, trying to think of a name.
"Brian... Farthinghower!" James exclaimed, realising afterwards that the name he had made up was completely and utterly stupid!
"What? That's clearly not..."
"Yes it is! Brain Farthinghower is a lost Slytherin- we need to return him to his habitat... I mean place thing." Remus blurted desperately.
"Brian Farthinghower isn't a person- that's Sirius Black!" Debbie exclaimed.
"What are yous on about?" Sirius asked in a fake American accent that was very overly Southern. "I is Brian! Definitely not this Sirius fella- in fact I'm not serious at all!"
"Yes we can tell!" Called a random fifth year.
"Now that's just offensive!" Peter exclaimed.
"Well nice chat- lovely to meet up with you- got to go return Brain to his real home!" James said and began ushering the boys out of the common room.
Once out in the open, the four boys placed the heavy trunk down on the ground and looked left and right to try and figure out where the Slytherin common room was.
"If I were a snake where would I be?" James thought out loud.
"What?" Remus asked, puzzled by James' train of thought.
"Slytherins are snakes- like we are lions and Ravenclaws are eagles and Hufflepuffs are badgers!"
"Just because that's the house emblem doesn't mean that they are physically that animal!" Remus argued.
"Well from what I've heard, Slytherins are pretty snake like!" Peter protested.
"Well if we have any chance of getting there, we need to start looking!" Sirius exclaimed and the four boys began shuffling down the corridor.
As they passed all the portraits, they would complain that the four of them would keep bumping into the suits of armor since they couldn't see properly in the dark.
"Do you know what would annoy them even more?" Asked a sly voice that made all four of them jump out of their skin.
"Who's there?" Asked Sirius with his wand pointed.
"Say lumos! Then you'll know where you're going!" The voice said.
"Lumos!" Remus said pointing his wand down at the ground. Surprisingly, it actually lit up and didn't explode or something. He put his wand between his teeth and could now see the other three properly.
"Lumos!" Said James, Sirius and Peter and their wands also lit up, a bright white light glowing at the tip. However, the voice was nowhere to be found.
"Who was talking?" Remus asked, taking his wand from between his teeth.
"Why it was me of course!" Said a little man with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth that had a huge grin painted on it. He seemed to have materialised out of thin air, startling the four eleven year olds who all let out panicked screams.
"Where did you come from?" Exclaimed Peter.
"My dear boy- I have been here all this time, you just haven't seen me yet!" Said the little man. "I'm Peeves by the way- your friendly (ish) neighbourhood poltergeist!"
"Are you meant to be really annoying or something?" Sirius asked, remembering someone talking about poltergeists at home some time.
"I am whatever you interpret me to be though I can't think why but many people think I am annoying. Quite annoying don't you think?" Peeves said, leaving the four boys slightly puzzled.
"Yeah- whatever you say!" Remus agreed skeptically.
"So what would three young Gryffindors and obviously, how could anyone forget the young Slytherin be doing outside of their common rooms after hours?" He asked, tutting his finger.
"We need to get our Slytherin friend to his dorm room." James said, not bothering with the whole story since the poltergeist wasn't going to tell on them- he had one in the attic once and all it did was annoy everyone for a week before it was captured.
"Ahh your 'Slytherin' friend. Well I am most pleased to tell you that you're going the wrong way! How long have you been coming this way?" He asked with a sly smile.
"Around 30 minutes!" Peter admitted.
"I'm sorry boys- that's 30 minutes wasted!" He said, shaking his head.
"Anyway- have fun! I'll probably be seeing you again soon!" He said before disappearing into thin air again.
"What? No come back! How do we get to the common room?" James shouted down the corridor.
"Shhh!" Remus hissed, clapping his hand over James' mouth.
"Can you put that stupid light out?" Asked a very grumpy portrait who was covering his eyes with his hands.
"Well if we turn the light off then we will bump into everything and quite possibly fall down a moving staircase!" Sirius whispered back.
"Then go away- bother someone else!" Snapped the painting.
After around 15 minutes, the boys were back at the Gryffindor common room, their time had been halved since they actually see where they were going at that point! They decided to head down the stairs in hope that Slytherin's common room would be in somewhere besides a tower like Gryffindor's.
They moved very slowly down the stairs incase it decided to move unexpectedly. Luckily it didn't but then the four of them realised that that staircase was one out of a possible 142! Somehow, after a few hours of wondering aimlessly around the castle, the four boys seemed to only have gone down one or two flights of stairs.
"If we're ever going to find this common room then we will need to be quick- it'll probably be sunrise soon!" James whispered. The foursome began moving quicker until Sirius began to shrink- not physically but just shrink into the ground.
"What's happening?" He panicked, unable to move his feet.
"I don't know! Maybe it's some form of pretend step!" Remus suggested, placing Sirius' trunk down to one side.
"Should we lift him out?" Peter asked.
"No lets leave him there stuck where he will look like he's been chopped in half since his legs will be hanging out the bottom of the step!" James remarked sarcasticly.
"Don't fight!" Remus complained. "Now come and help me!"
James wrapped his arms around Sirius and Remus and Peter both grabbed an arm each.
"3... 2... 1... Go!" The three of them pulled Sirius out of the floor.
"Ok mental note- don't step on that step!" Sirius said as he sat down on the staircase.
"Yeah that would be a good idea!" James agreed.
"Thanks for rescuing me! If not I probably would have sunk through the whole step and fallen out the other end- most likely dying!" Sirius added very bluntly.
"We wouldn't have left you! The whole point in us being here is to get you to the Slytherin dorms!" Remus laughed.
"Which we will probably never find at this rate!" Peter exclaimed.
"Well lets carry on then- hopefully we'll find them before sunrise!" James said, helping lift the trunk up again.
After around another hour of wondering aimlessly, the four of them found the Great Hall. At least James, Remus and Peter would know how to get back to the Gryffindor dorms afterwards.
Just down the corridor, there was another staircase- this one didn't move but was lined with more paintings. These didn't seem to move so the four of them wouldn't have to worry about complaints from anyone trying to sleep!
Around halfway down the steep spiral staircase, James nearly tripped down a step, causing him to drop his part of the trunk and fall into the wall. An insane laugh came from the painting and the wall James' was leaning on opened up, resulting in him faceplanting. Sirius then burst out laughing and placed the trunk down to go and help his friend.
Just as he was about to pull James up from the floor, he was startled by the huge swarm of house elves wearing little night caps who were all rubbing their large golf- ball eyes and staring at him.
"What are four young students doing out of bed?" Asked one brave elf.
"Hi I'm Sirius Black, this is James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. We've been up all night trying to find the Slytherin common rooms!" Sirius said as he approached the tiny elves. They all backed away from him- they seemed quite terrified!
"The previous Black abused us poor house elves! He would treat us like vermin!" One elf admitted. Sirius' face fell, his father had never been kind to their house elf Kreacher- now he knew where he got it from.
"I don't like my parents- the only reason we are trying to find the Slytherin common rooms is because I was sorted into Gryffindor and I'm scared of what my parents will do!" Sirius admitted with a kind smile.
"Do you think you could help us?" James asked.
"Why of course Master James Potter and Master Sirius Black!" Squeaked the elf.
"Well before we get started what would you like us to call you? I don't think calling you Sir while you're helping us is quite appropriate- you deserve your name!" Remus asked and the elf looked taken aback.
"To call a house elf Sir? That is much above our reputation!" The elf squeaked.
"But you're just like a witch or wizard- you deserve that respect!" Peter chimed in.
"Such kind students!" He said to himself. "I am Toody!"
"Well it's nice to meet you Toody!" Sirius said kindly as he stood up.
"Anyway- common rooms this way!" Said the little house elf exitedly. "You know I don't get out of the kitchens much!" He added, skipping out of the room and up the stairs. Just as the four boys went to pick the trunk up, it began floating up in the air with a smiple click of Toody's long bony fingers.
There was another staircase at the very end of the corridor that the house elf ran down before rounding the corner.
"Ta da!" He exclaimed, presenting a blank wall. "Now all you need to do is tell it the password!"
"There's a password?" Sirius asked.
"You don't know the password?" Remus exclaimed.
"I didn't know there was one!" Sirius argued.
"Toody, do you know the password?" James asked.
"Sadly Toody is no use here Master James Potter!" The little elf remarked, bowing his head.
"Do you think we could figure it out?" Peter asked.
"We could try!" James said. "If I were a snake what would I say?"
"They aren't snakes!" Remus sighed.
James approched the wall after a few seconds.
"Hiss hiss!" He whispered and nothing happened for a few seconds before icy water drenched him from head to toe! Sirius burst out laughing again as did Remus and Peter. Toody also began to laugh but disguised it the best he could.
"That's what you get for being stupid!" Remus exclaimed as a wet James came and stood next to him.
"I will hug you!" James threatened.
"That doesn't help your case mate!" Sirius said.
"So what do Slytherins like?" Peter asked.
"Well if they're anything like my parents then all they want is power!" Sirius complained.
"What's that in like Latin or something?" Remus asked.
"No clue!" Sirius replied.
"Wasn't the Slytherin founder really prejudice?" Peter asked.
"Salazar Slytherin thought that muggle-born witches and wizards shouldn't study magic!" Sirius said. "Load of rubbish if you ask me!"
"Try luto sanguine!" Toody piped up. "It's not a very nice translation but it might work!"
"Luto sanguine!" James announced to the wall and it opened up.
"Nice one James!" Sirius said, high fiving his friend and dragging his trunk to the entrance.
"What does that translate to Toody?" Remus asked.
"Mudblood..." The house elf whispered nervously. Remus' face fell. Sirius stopped pulling his trunk across the floor and his smile faded.
"What is it?" Peter asked. "Do you not want to be in Slytherin anymore?" Sirius stood in silence for a few seconds before dragging his trunk away from the common room. The wall closed up again and no one would have known that it had been opened in the first place.
"I don't want to be associated with that house if that's the password! I don't give two hoots about my parents!" He announced. "I'd rather be with you guys! I get if you think I'm really annoying but this isn't what I want!" Sirius' robes began turning scarlet again- as did his tie.
"Do you know what that means?" James asked.
"What what means?"
"Your robes are going the correct colour because you're showing the magic that Remus put onto them that you belong in Gryffindor!" James explained.
"Since when were you so soppy?" Remus asked.
"Since he got drenched in cold water- it made him sopping wet!" Peter remarked.
"Shut up!" He said, playfully hitting Peter on the shoulder and starting to walk off.
"Are you coming then?" Remus asked Sirius who was stood with his trunk.
"You're going to let me back?" He asked.
"Even if we didn't want to we would have to- the whole school saw you get sorted and unless you're going to try and trick the Professors to calling you Brian, I think it's best if you come back!" James exclaimed with a soft laugh.
"Toody, would you do us a favour?" Peter asked.
"Why of course Master Peter Pettigrew!" Toody squeaked.
"Could you do that thing where you make the trunk float!"
"Toody could do that yes. Toody can also take you the shorter way- through the secret passages!"
"That sound amazing!" Sirius exclaimed, his smile and playful attitude returning.
The four Gryffindors followed the little house elf through tiny tunnels and long passageways until they reached the fat lady portrait.
"Detencione." James whispered and nothing happened.
"Detencione." Peter said a little louder.
"Detencione!" Sirius shouted to have Remus push him and hiss at him to be quiet. Still nothing happened.
"Lumos." Remus whispered- the fat lady was fast alseep and didn't even wake up when the light from Remus' wand was shone in her face.
"Now that's just not fair!" Peter exclaimed.
"Hello! Mrs Portrait Lady! Wake up!" James called but still nothing.
"James be quiet! Someone could hear you!" Remus hissed and just as he did, someone came up behind them.
"I'm afraid you're a little late for that." McGonagall said, dressed in a long robe and nightcap with slippers sticking out of the bottom.
"Professor McGonagall! The portrait won't wake up so how are we meant to get in?" Sirius asked, nodding his head proudly as if he were saying 'I've thought of everything'.
"Well either all of you have been out of bed after hours or she's been asleep since 10pm when you were meant to be in bed and none of you four could be bothered to get anyone's help for five and a half hours!" She suggested. "And judging by how you have a house elf accompanying you- my bets are on out of bed after hours!" The four boys were shocked at how good McGonagall was at reasoning.
"I will let you off this time but if it happens again you can expect yourself in detention." She announced before approaching the portrait and waving her wand at the portrait without saying anything.
"What happened?" The fat lady asked, clearly startled.
"These four boys wish to get into the dormitories please. Detencione!" The portrait swung open and James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all climbed in.
"Goodnight Professor!" Peter called, trying to make a good impression since he had a feeling they would be getting into trouble again in the future.
"Goodnight Mr Pettigrew, Mr Potter, Mr Lupin, Mr Black!" She replied before walking off, carrying on the way she had been going.
As the four of them made their way up to the dorm room again, still carrying Sirius' heavy trunk, they realised how much they needed to sleep! Running around the castle with a house elf and trying to avoid the Professors was fun and gave them all an adrenaline rush but now the adrenaline had worn off and all four of them could feel how late it was through their droopy eyelids and heavy feet.
Sirius pushed his trunk into place at the end of his bed which made a very loud scraping sound. He winced as it echoed slightly up the chimney- he felt sorry for whoever was in the room directly below them since they had definitely just been woken up. Luckily there wasn't a room above them for if there had been, that would just be more people that had been woken up.
Everyone got changed into their pyjamas and tucked themselves into bed, falling asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow. Their robes were all either piled on top of their not unpacked trunks or strewn on the floor apart from Remus' since he had folded his neatly and put them in a pile on his trunk- he was definitely the neat one out of the four.
As morning came, the four boys were woken up by the bright sunlight seeping into the room since the curtains hadn't been closed the previous night! It was only when an alarm clock went off on top of a huge cabinet that they realised they needed to wake up.
"James get up and help us turn this stupid thing off!" Sirius said but James refused.
"It's warm in bed!" James complained.
"We have lessons today. We need to be on time just for one day of the year!" Remus said, trying to knock the clock down by bashing on the wooden cabinet.
"Ugh! Fine!" James complained and the moment he stood up, the alarm stopped ringing.
"Can that clock tell when we're in and out of bed?" Peter asked, suspicious of the little alarm clock.
"Obviously it can. So if anyone doesn't get up in the morning then we can blame them when we go deaf!" Sirius said, quickly glancing at James.
"Technically, you could only go deaf if your ears are exposed to a sound above a certain amount of decibels- not to a noise that's perfectly within the threshold of safety that's repeated for a long time!" Remus said and the other three looked over at him like he was crazy.
"It's too early to try and comprehend what you just said!" Sirius exclaimed with a large yawn as he pulled his shirt on and fumbled with the buttons.
"Can anyone here tie a tie?" James asked. "Yesterday I just tied it in a knot and hoped for the best but I probably won't get away with that today."
"Nope!" Said Peter and Sirius simultaneously.
"How did you tie them yesterday?" Remus asked.
"Someone else did it for me." Peter said as if it were obvious.
"I didn't even try. Just left it undone." Sirius said as Remus rolled his eyes.
After tying his own tie, Remus went and did the other three. James, Sirius and Peter were all astonished at how quickly he could tie them, considering they had never even attempted trying it.
"Do you actually spend your life doing stuff?" James asked as Remus tightened his tie.
"It may come as a shock to you but some things can come in useful!" Remus explained as they left the dorm room.
"Nothing I've ever done was useful." Sirius said, making the other three laugh. "I'm not joking! My parents always moan at me because I'm useless."
James, Remus and Peter weren't sure what to say to this. Who's parents consistently complain at their kid for being 'useless'?
"I don't think you're useless." James said, wrapping one arm around Sirius and giving his shoulder a friendly hug.
"You sure?" Sirius sighed.
"Why would we think you're useless?" Remus asked.
"I can't do anything! We were caught out of bed yesterday because of me, that's because I was placed in the wrong house and I also didn't know any magic to help me!" Sirius complained.
"First of all, you weren't in the 'wrong house'- the sorting hat put you in Gryffindor because you belong there!" Peter said. "Secondly, we haven't been to any lessons yet so how could you know any magic?"
"Remus does." Sirius mumbled.
"That's only because I didn't do anything else with my life." Remus replied.
"And anyway, I was the one who got us caught! I was shouting at the portrait." James said, ruffling Sirius' hair.
"But you wouldn't..."
"It's not your fault!" Remus exclaimed. "Stop blaming yourself so much for such a tiny thing that wasn't even you!"
"Fine." Sirius sighed, not meaning it at all. He was fully convinced that anything he did was wrong- that's how it had been his whole life and he didn't see it changing anytime soon...