30
The Platform
They had stayed up far too late the night before. They had to get up early the next day and they were all exhausted. They crowded around the breakfast table in the Potter's table, most of them falling asleep in front of their plates.
" I'd like to remind you all that I told you that you would be tired" Mrs. Potter said, pouring them mugs of coffee.
" Please don't" James said his head in his hands.
Doe was practically falling asleep at the table.
At the front door, were all six of their trunks stacked up, ready to go.
Mr & Mrs. Potter joined them for breakfast. They were driving them all to the train station. Neither of them were comfortable letting them all go. Like most parents, they were too terrified of the recent murders.
Mr. Potter had hired a car from the Department of Magical Law Transportation. From the outside it looked like any other black four door car, but inside, the backseat alone sat ten. All six of them fit in the backseat comfortably, and all of their trunks fit perfectly in the trunk.
" This is extraordinary magic" Peter observed as the car sped forward, dodging in between cars that were practically parked in the traffic jam.
" The ministry can conjure some of the most profound magical objects, I've ever seen" Mr. Potter told them from the front seat.
They sat watching as the car sped quickly through the London streets. It stopped in front of King's Cross Station, and it's door flew open while they all scrambled out.
" So this is what it looks like from the outside" James commented observing the massive station in front of them.
" You've never seen the outside?" Marlene asked in disbelief.
James shrugged, " I mean we've always just apparate inside"
" Haven't you?" James asked.
Marlene shook her head.
Mr. & Mrs. Potter led them inside and they all grabbed trolleys, putting their trunks on them. It was quite a spectacle. They were attracting quite a few looks from Muggles in the station.
They were so used to it that it didn't register to them that seeing six teenagers with trunks and trolley's might be a strange site. They walked through the station and stopped in between Platforms 9 and 10.
This part of the station was practically empty, so they took turns going two at a time through the platform so they didn't attract too much attention to themselves.
As Marlene and Doe headed straight for the wall in between the two platforms, Doe couldn't help but think that this is the last time she would be doing this.
Every year for the last seven years, on September 1st she had entered the platform through this spot. It was a bittersweet moment.
When they landed on the Platform, Doe made sure to look everywhere, creating a vivid mental picture of what it looked like.
It was crowded, and bright. Most of the student's were gathered around, talking in excited clusters with the friends that they hadn't seen all summer.
Owls were hooting happily from inside their cages, or from the shoulder's of their owners.
Several parents were hugging their children and weeping, and a large paper bird was flying through the sky.
Marlene was looking around the platform with the same wistful look that Doe was.
The other's were appearing behind them in twos, until they were all standing there.
" Hey there Doe!" Alice called as she passed by with her cousin Molly Prewett.
Doe waved happily to her, almost mistaking Molly's redhead for Lily's.
" DOE! MARLEY!" a shrill voice shouted happily and Marlene and Doe instantly felt two small arms throw themselves around their necks.
Lily pulled them into a large hug, and smiled brightly, " I've missed you two, so much" she said.
A large shiny Head Girl badge was pinned to the front of Lily's sweater.
" Us too, Lil" Doe said.
" Nice badge" Marlene pointed to Lily's badge, " looks like you'll be even more of a goody two shoes than before"
Lily rolled her eyes, " I couldn't believe it when I got it".
James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked over to where they were joining the conversation.
" Hello Lily," James said, " Congratulations on your badge"
Lily stared at James in shock, her mouth slightly open, " What did you just call me?"
" Lily" James repeated, " that's your name isn't it?"
Lily nodded slightly, still obviously being shocked at not being called Evans.
" Well thank you" she said and then turned to Remus, " So are you head boy?"
Remus shook his head, :" No it's not me".
" Really?" Lily asked, " who then?"
James looked at her, " Me, actually".
Lily stared back at him, more shocked than before, " but you weren't even a prefect"
James shrugged, " I don't know why"
Lily stared back at him dumbfoundedly.
" As fun as this little moment is" Sirius started, " can we go find a compartment".
The crowd on the platform was thinning, and with so many of them, that they would need to find a large compartment.
As usual, most of the compartments near the front of the train were occupied, they we went to the back where one of the larger compartments was still open.
They all sat down and watched as the last of the student's boarded the train.
" This is the last time we are going to be riding the train to Hogwarts" Doe said sadly.
" Don't get nostalgic on me, Meadowes" Sirius said sarcastically.
" Plus we'll still be riding the train back from Hogwarts" Peter said.
Doe shook her head, " Not the same".
Lily put her bag in the overhead compartment and then turned to James.
" Come on Potter, we have to go run the prefect meeting" Lily said to him.
James frowned, " Do I have too?" he asked jokingly.
Lily gave him a look of pure loathing, " You're head boy" she said sternly.
" Alright, I'm coming" James said getting up and following her out of the compartment.
" 5 Galleons she kills him first" Doe said to Sirius.
" I'll take that bet" Sirius said, " I have faith in James"
" It's not faith you'll need with Lily. She's going to have spend so much time with him that she'll kill him." Marlene pointed out.
Peter looked downright terrified, " I hate when they fight".
" Maybe they won't" Remus said optimistically.
Everyone laughed at the obvious unlikeliness of that situation.
" It could happen" Remus said softly. Doe squeezed his hand.
The train ride ended up being quite quiet. Everyone seemed to be thinking about something. Remus had curled up with a book and Doe was reading the prophet. Peter was talking to Marlene about the probability of the ministry using dementors to protect Hogwarts, and Sirius was staring absentmindedly out the window.
They were all caught off guard when the compartment door opened, and Lily and James entered, laughing.
" ….and did you see his face, it was absolutely priceless" James laughed.
" It was" Lily agreed, holding in a laugh.
" What in Merlin's name is happening to this world?" Sirius asked.
" What?" James asked.
" Lily and James.. getting along?" Marlene asked in mock horror.
Lily rolled her eyes, " We're capable of being nice".
" Where has that been for the last six years?" Doe asked her.
" Oh, quiet" Lily said sitting down next to Marlene.
Doe made eye contact with Remus, who looked pleased that he had been right about Lily and James getting along.
" What was that Doe? Sirius?" Remus asked, grinning widely.
" Hush, Lupin" Doe told him quickly.
He let out a small laugh.
It seemed as if the train ride this year was longer. It was as if it was the Hogwarts express' small gift to them. Sure it was the last time they would ride to Hogwarts but at least it would be memorable.
It was quite an enjoyable ride, surprisingly everyone was getting along. Lily and James hadn't fought once.
When the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, they all crowded out. Ready to stretch their legs as they walked to the carriages.
Lily, Marlene, and Doe got into one of them and all of their eyes fell onto the empty seat next to Marlene, where Mary would've been sitting.
" I can't believe she won't be here this year" Marlene said sadly.
" It's weird," Doe said looking at the seat, " It feels wrong without her"
" I'm sure it'll get easier" Lily said halfheartedly, like she didn't believe it herself.
They sat in silence as the carriage took the bumpy ride to the school. It was going to be hard this year without Mary, it already felt like something was missing.
The carts pulled to a stop in front of the massive entrance to the castle. Lily, Marlene and Doe followed the rest of the 2nd years and above into the castle and into the Great Hall.
Doe looked up at the ceiling to see the night magnified largely across it. She smiled as she sat down at the house table.
The Marauders followed closely behind them. It was strange, as seventh years we were at the end of the table. Doe looked down at the rest of Gryffindor House realizing for the first time that they were the oldest ones here.
" Okay so I think I found another benefit of being a seventh year" Marlene said.
" And what is that?" Doe asked.
" Rabastan Lestrange graduated" She told me.
A smile broke out on Doe's face as she remembered this too.
" Thank Merlin" she said.
" I can't say I'm disappointed" Remus added from the other side of the table.
" Didn't like a Slytherin encroaching on your woman?" Marlene asked boldly.
" I wouldn't put it like that" Remus said, " but yes essentially"
Doe rolled her eyes, " I hated Rabastan".
" Yes, but he didn't hate you" Remus reminded her.
" Well good riddance, another bloody Slytherin gone" Sirius said happily.
He was interrupted as McGonagall strode into the hall, leading a line of nervous first years behind her.
" Oh this is my favorite part" Lily said clapping her hands together happily.
The first years all stood in a collective group, fear and nervousness echoed on their tiny faces.
Doe remembered looking at the seventh years when she was being sorted, and remembered thinking that they looked so old.
It was how the first years were looking at them now.
Across the room, she saw Bellatrix whisper something to Elizabeth Merlin and Emma Vanity.
Both of them cackled in laughter.
She shook her head, knowing whatever it was that they were saying, it couldn't've been nice.
Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on the first first year's head and they all watched as he was sorted into Gryffindor.
Doe loved watching the sorting. If there was anything at Hogwarts that confused her or fascinated her the most, it was definitely the Sorting Hat.
She couldn't fathom how one magical object could see someone so well just by being worn.
The sorting went quickly today. There seemed to be less students than usual, but she was sure that that was just her imagination.
After all the first years sat down at their new house tables, the feast appeared on the tables. Met by sounds of rejoice from the student's whose stomachs had been growling during the sorting.
As usual, the feast was delicious. Doe knew the House Elves must have worked tirelessly on it.
She grabbed a chocolate cupcake from the plate that was closest to her left and handed it to Remus.
He smiled brightly, it was becoming something of a tradition for them.
" Why can't we have a feast every night?" Marlene asked taking a bite of a delicious looking apple tart.
" Then it wouldn't be special" Lily told her.
" And you wouldn't be able to fit on your broom" Sirius added.
Marlene threw him a dirty glance that made him raise his hands and say " I'm kidding, Mckinnon".
" You better be, Black" she said sternly.
The bickering between Marlene and Sirius, Doe could deal with. She was just happy that they were being nice to each other again.
There was a silence in the room as Dumbledore stood in front of the podium to address the school.
All he had to do was stand, to quiet everyone.
" Welcome students. I am so glad to see all of you here for another year at this wonderful school."
He stopped while everyone clapped loudly. Even at the high table, the teachers were joining in the cheering.
" This year is going to be another one filled with magic and fun, but to maintain such, we ask you to follow the school rules. This is for your own safety, for as many of you know, it is not the safest time at the moment. But enough dreary talk. Enjoy your first night back and have a wonderful first day back tomorrow!"
There was a shuffle as the Prefects rushed to the door to be the first ones to escort the first years.
Lily jumped up happily, " Come on, James" she said pulling him by his arm, " we have to go".
James sighed and followed Lily out of the Great Hall.
" I have a feeling that the power may be getting to young Evans head" Sirius said to Doe.
She shook my head, " She just loves this stuff, let her enjoy it"
She followed the large group to the Portrait of the Fat Lady, who was holding everyone up so that they could her sing.
Lily was arguing with her, trying to reason with her to open up, but the Fat lady just sang shrilly over her.
Lily began stomping her foot, and slightly agitated, the Fat Lady gave up and swung open, allowing the Gryffindors access to their common room.
Marlene and Doe walked straight towards their dormitory, climbing the stairs until they reached the seventh floor. Their dormitory was the highest one, and as such had the best view.
They took their usual beds and fell into them, exhausted from the long day.
" You know, I liked the climb to our dormitory better when we were first years" Doe told Marlene.
She laughed, " Tell me about it".
And they slowly fell asleep.