Authors Note: Hello everyone. Welcome to the second chapter of my new and original Marauder story. Well, i hope it is original. It isn't like any i have read, so as far as i know, it is original. Anyway, thank you Flutterby Princess and discombobulated.shoe for their kind reviews. I hope others will follow their examples. Well, here it is, Chapter 2. Enjoy and remember to R&R!

Disclaimer: The only character i own here is Simone. But i have plans and am currently working on the rest. Evil laugh Muhahahahahahaha

Chapter 2 – Strange Acquaintances. (3rd Person P.O.V)

Inside the train, the queue of students moved slowly. Sirius Black was beginning to wonder if he would be there all day. He sighed impatiently as something down the line caused everyone to move back a few steps. Unfortunately, his sighing caught the attention of someone most undesirable.

"Hey, aren't you that Black kid?" Asked a greasy looking boy with a big nose.

"So? What's it to you?" Sirius threw back, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

"I heard you're a blood-traitor." Sneered the boy.

Sirius clenched his fists and gave the boy a dark look.

The boy continued. "And I also heard that your father whished that you had been born a girl, because he said anything is better than a blood-trai-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, because Sirius had punched him right in his big, hooked nose, resulting in a loud crack. A teacher, a middle aged woman with wild red hair, ugly green glasses and a temper as wild as her hair, quickly rushed over to investigate the commotion.

"Mr. Black, we haven't even started moving and already you are causing trouble!" said the red headed teacher, her hat dangling dangerously close to falling off. "When we get to Hogwarts, it's a detention for you. And you Mr. Snape should know better. You also get a detention. No buts. You are both to report to my office tomorrow morning at seven o'clock sharp."

The woman then healed Snape's broken nose and sent them both to different compartments to "think about what they had done".

Meanwhile, James Potter was also in the crowd. Moments later, a sixth year called out that a fight had begun further up. Suddenly everyone was craning their necks, trying to see the fight. The same sixth year later told everyone that it had been broken up by a teacher. This resulted in a lot of disappointed sighing and moaning, and a few curses in the teachers' direction. After a while, the crowd slowly progressed forward into the next section of the train. Because he was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic at being squashed in the throng, James made his way over to the nearest compartment and opened the door.

"Do you mind if I join you?" He politely asked the black-haired boy inside.

"Whatever." The boy replied gloomily.

Taking it as a 'yes', James quickly went inside, stashed away his trunk in the overhead racks and sat on the bench opposite the boy.

"I'm James Potter." He greeted, offering his hand.

"Sirius Black." Said Sirius half-heartedly, ignoring his offer.

James withdrew his hand. "So…I heard that a fight got started before." He said, in an attempt to make conversation.

"I know, that was me." Replied Sirius.

"Really? Who with?"

"Some kid called Snape. He called me a blood-traitor and insulted my family, so I broke his big nose."

"Cool!"

"Not that I really care about my family, but it was the principle. And no-one calls me a blood-traitor."

"You don't like your family?"

"Nah, a bunch of interbred pure bloods. Nasty people with no concern for anyone else but themselves. Hate the lot of them." Sirius said bitterly.

"Okay then." Said James, unsure of how to respond.

It wasn't long before the train set off, and the lunch lady arrived, with a tray full of tasty treats.

"No thank you," said Sirius, when she asked if he wanted anything, "I've lost my appetite."

"What about you dear?" She asked James.

"Sure, I'll take two pumpkin pasties and forty chocolate frogs please." He said.

"Forty? Are you sure young man?" She asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I'm really hungry." Replied James, flashing a charm-filled smile.

"Okay dear." She said, before she got out her wand, flicked it a few times, and two pumpkin pasties and forty chocolate frogs flew out of the trolley and landed gracefully on the seat next to James.

"That will be ten Galleons please." She said.

James handed her the money, and the lunch lady continued on to the next compartment.

"That's a lot of food." Said Sirius, eyeing the frogs.

"I know; I got enough for both of us."

"…you didn't have to."

"Don't worry about it. Here, have some frogs." Said James, giving Sirius a whole heap of frogs.

"Thanks."

And the great feast of pasties and chocolate frogs began.

Meanwhile, Simone was making her way through the train. After a while, she found an empty compartment and went inside. She had just stashed her trunk in the luggage rack overhead and sat down when the door slid open, and the girl with red hair from before stepped in.

"Is there room here for me?" She asked.

"Sure." Replied Simone, gesturing to the mostly empty cabin.

She sat down on the bench opposite to her.

"I'm Lily."

"Simone." She replied.

"So, first year...you nervous?"

"You kidding? I've never been so nervous, and I once faced a pack of hungry giant werewolves!"

"Wow, really?"

"Well, actually, they were just normal wolves, but they were really big and hungry."

"That's still pretty impressive."

"Thanks." She smiled.

While all this was happening, Peter Pettigrew was walking down the hall in the train, when a door to his right slid open. A fifth year with dark hair poked his head out and called to Peter.

"Hey, kid, do you need a compartment? Why don't you come in here with us?"

"Umm, okay." Said Peter, never having learnt the term "Stranger Danger".

Peter entered the compartment to see four other fifth year boys, all sitting and looking at him. One of the boys slid over and told Peter to sit next to him. Peter nervously obeyed.

"So, kid, you're a first year, right?" Asked one with blonde streaks.

All Peter could do was nod sheepishly.

"You wanna know how they sort everyone into houses?"

Again, Peter nodded.

"Well, first, they lock you in this room, with this giant dragon. How you fight the dragon is what determines your house. Those do-gooder Gryffindors usually end up trying to talk to the dragon, or stun it or something wimpy like that. They sometimes get eaten. The Ravenclaws try to look up something in a book. They also often get eaten. The Hufflepuffs mostly try to make friends about with it. Again, most of them get eaten. Now, the mighty Slytherins, they're smart. They usually manage to defeat the dragon with a single spell. They don't get eaten. And the people who do nothing and get eaten; they're sent back home."

The room erupted in hysterical and cruel laughter. Peter, who didn't find any of this funny at all and was rather scared, made a cowardly yelp and ran from the compartment, causing the boys to laugh even more. Peter ran until he could run no more, right in front of another compartment. He slid open the door to see two boys of his own age, one with glasses and the other with long black hair, both eating chocolate frogs.

"Oh, hey, do you need a compartment?" Asked the one with glasses.

"Um, yeah, if you have room." Replied Peter.

"Sure, come in." Said the other boy, moving some empty chocolate frog boxes off the seat.

Peter sat down.

"Here have some chocolate. I'm James by the way, and this is Sirius." Said Glasses.

"I'm Peter." He said, before starting on his pile of frogs.

During this time, yet another boy was wondering the corridors. He was pale, tall, had red-brown hair and his name was Remus. Still dragging his book-filled trunk along behind him, Remus had been searching for an empty compartment since the train had started moving, well over an hour ago. Accepting that there probably weren't any empty compartments left, he resolved to find one with only a few people. And preferably people his age, rather than older students who might bully him. Moments later, his wish was granted when he came to a cabin with only two girls, his own age, one blonde and the other a red-head, sitting inside. Seeing as it was most likely the closest he would get to being all alone, short of sitting in the corridor, he knocked on the door and slid it open.

"Hi, I was wondering if I could come in, everywhere else is full." He asked, shakily.

"Sure, come in." Replied the blonde girl. "I'm Simone, and this is Lily."

"Hello." Said Lily.

"Remus." He said, sitting down next to Lily.

"So, Remus, you're a bit late in finding a compartment." Said Simone.

"I was trying to find an empty one." He said quietly.

"That's no fun; part of the experience of being on the Hogwarts Express is meeting people you have never before seen in your life. And besides, six hours is along time to sit all alone."

"How do you know all about this?" asked Lily.

"Oh, I've been to Hogwarts tons of times. Not always by train, but enough times so I know how long it will take."

"How can you have been to Hogwarts before?"

"Oh, no reason." Said Simone quickly, not wanting to reveal so much to people she had just met.

"Okay then." Said Remus, catching on to Simone's abrupt dismissal. "So, Simone, what kind of accent is that?"

"It's Australian. I'm from Australia."

"Really? Is it nice there?" Asked Lily.

"Yeah, it's great. Nice weather, unique wildlife. What's not to like, except for the lack of snow. But that's why I come to England." She smiled.

I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I had fun writing it. The next one should come quickly, as i have already written it, and it is now in the editing stages. But now that school has started, there may be a delay. It should be up by the end of the week. Until then, remember to Review and feel free to send me a message or read any of the other stories from my Profile.

Farewell.

Tiger-Cub684