Chapter 2: A Touch of Mischief
Hagrid led the first years from the station to the lake, and chatted away to most of them as they went. He asked them their names, and if he knew their parents, chatted heartily about them. James, although coming from a very well-known family, wasn't listening. He only had half an ear to lend to Sirius, who was murmuring to himself about the sorting test, worrying over what it was. It was policy not to tell the first years how they were sorted, but they would discover for themselves when they got there. James' whole focus and concentration was purely on the girl from the train. He didn't even know her name, but he knew she was certainly something special. He didn't like the way that boy Severus kept staring at her. As if she was his and his alone. It was at that moment that James first felt intense hatred for Severus Snape. He could see him feeding filthy lies about him into the girl's ear, and she seemed to swallow every word of it. He didn't deserve her. A girl like her, with hair like fire and eyes like emeralds, just had to be in Gryffindor. She just had to! If she was put in Slytherin, James didn't think he would be able to survive. If that boy, that greasy haired, hooked nosed, disgusting boy made her go to Slytherin, he didn't think he would be able to resist from beating him black and blue.
It was only then that James noticed Severus had looked up to meet his eyes. Black staring into brown, there was an obvious rivalry, each seemed to be declaring the girl as his own, whilst promising war against each other. James' eyes narrowed, and Snape's did the same, until the girl tugged on his sleeve and pointed in front of her. They had reached the lake. James glanced at Sirius next to him, and saw that his mouth had fallen open. They both had known that Hogwarts was a beautiful place, unlike any other as the Scottish Highlands had a beauty that could compare to no other. However this was beyond anything either of them had imagined. The waves lapping the small beach of pebbles were inky black in the dark night, but still the moonlight bathed the water in a reflective and pearly light. The surface seemed almost too smooth and still to be real, and the first years almost didn't want to disturb it with the boats. In the distance they could see mountains and gigantic hills, rising and falling into the landscape. They could not see the school yet. It was obscured by the gigantic cliff face that cut into the water.
"Right you lot," Hagrid turned to face the mesmerised students. "We're making good time so far, but I still need ter get yeh to the castle. Now, I don' want any accidents, so get inter groups o' four."
James and Sirius looked around desperately for two other people to join their group. James saw that the girl and Snape had already found another couple, and swung his head this way and that looking for two other boys to join them. Almost at once, he spotted two, slightly lost looking boys not far from them. One was about the same height as James and Sirius. He had straw coloured hair, which sat on his head neatly, however it was just about the only thing neat about him. He had ragged, torn clothes, which looked as if they had been attacked by some sort of animal, and his face (which was much older looking than it should have been for a first year) was covered in scars. Beside him, and clutching him like he was his protector, was a short, rather fat little boy. He was very dumpy looking, and had a rather large, squashed looking face. His clothes were all over the place, as if he got dressed in the dark, and he was nibbling on his fingers, rather like a rat.
"Oi! You two! Yeah you!" James called over the hubbub of noise. Several heads turned his way, but he pointed his index finger at the two boys. If they had been any closer, he might have poked one of them squarely in the chest. The two of them walked over (or rather plodded over in the smaller boy's case) and shook hands with James and Sirius.
"Hi! I'm James Potter, and this here is Sirius Black. Don't worry! He's allright, he's not into all that dark arts, you-know-who stuff." James, seeing the rather taken aback reaction of hearing Sirius' name, added in this little extra bit as a reassurance.
"How do you do." The taller boy said. "My name is Remus Lupin, it's nice to meet you. This here is… sorry, it's dreadfully awful of me, but I've completely forgotten you're name!" Remus said, squinting down at the dumpling of a boy.
"P…P…P…Peter. Pettigrew. Peter Pettigrew." The boy stuttered. He was becoming increasingly rat-like by the second.
"Nice to meet you both!" James said heartily, wondering if his plans for a dynamic duo could expand to be the fantastic four. Before he was able to dwell on this thought any further however, Hagrid continued with his instructions.
"All got a group? Great. Now yeh'll see there are boats tied to the rocks. Each group is ter grab one, and sit in it. Don't do anythin' except sit in it." Hagrid informed them. The four boys sat in the boat nearest to them, James and Sirius at the front, Remus and Peter at the back. Hagrid wandered round checking they were all in safely ("The las' thing we want is fer one o' yeh to fall out"). James and Sirius got bored after about five minutes of this, and wanted to set out on the lake. Sirius nudged James, and with a mischievous glint in his eyes, point to the loosely tied rope, securing them to the rocks. James grinned, understanding at once, and reached out to the rope.
"Eh, what are you doing?" Remus asked, worried about this boy's actions.
"Oh c'mon Lupin. What's life without a little fun!" James replied, still grinning like a mad man.
"If this is your idea of fun, then- woah!" He was cut off by the boat sliding out of the bay and onto the inky waters, as James untied the boat. The constant pulse of the waves, like the water had its own heartbeat, pushed them further and further out. They could hear Hagrid's voice growing fainter, and fainter. Peter had started to cry.
"Now, in a few minutes, we'll all go out to the water together! Understand? No one leaves until – JUST WHAT DO YEH THINK YEHR DOING?" Hagrid yelled, as he turned to see a boat occupied by students floating away. "GET BACK HERE AT ONCE! I TOLD YEH TER STAY PUT!" James was sitting in a fit of silent, uncontrollable giggles, and Sirius had his head on the wood and was shaking from laughter. Remus, on the other hand, was looking about wildly, terrified he would never even get to Hogwarts, and knowing he had broken the rules before he had ever even set foot in the school! The Headmaster had done so much for him, and this was how he was repaying him? His knuckles were turning white as he gripped the side of the boat for dear life. Peter had now dissolved into tears, almost sinking the boat with the amount he was crying! His hands clutched at Remus' robes, and he buried his snotty face in their soft fabric. Remus looked at him in disgust.
Unbeknown to the students, however, the boat was attached to another rope, one that went under water to the shore, incase this happened. Hagrid picked up the end of the rope, and began pulling. The boat started to move backwards, and, as Hagrid was unusually strong, they were back in no time. James, who's face had been full of mirth momenths before, was now horror stricken, and Sirius' was the picture of remorse.
"We're sorry." They both murmured, looking down at their shoelaces.
"It was our fault, they had nothing to do with it." James declared, referencing to Remus and Peter.
"Not a good start eh? Well, I can see you pair are gonna be a couple o' trouble makers! Although, I must say, we need a laugh around 'ere. Allright, I'll forgive yeh fer this one, but jus' remember, you need ter know when yeh're crossing the line. Now get back in tha' boat, and don't move!" Hagrid beamed into the grateful faces of the two trouble makers. He was right. Hogwarts hadn't seen a pair of jokers for a while, and in the dark times they were in, they could use a couple. The two boys clambered back into the boat and sat perfectly still, their checks Gryffindor scarlet, and their hands clasped together. They did not dare say a word.
"Righ'! No more dilly dallying! Let's go!"
The boats powered forward through the water at this command, seemingly steering themselves. All the students gasped and exclaimed in delight! For some, it was the first time they had ever seen magic, and for others, it was just an amazing thing none-the-less. James looked over to the red haired girl again. She was in deep conversation with that Severus Snape. She looked up and their eyes met briefly. James smiled and waved, but the girl pulled a face of disgust and repulsion, and looked away. James cast his face downwards, his cheeks and ears now glowing an even fiercer red than before.
The boats had travelled silently through the lake for about five minutes, when the cliff face suddenly stopped. The talking amongst the students stopped, and suddenly everyone was leaning in all directions, wanting the best view for their first glimpse of the school. The cliff melted away, and in front of them was a gigantic castle, bigger than anything the students had seen before. The windows danced with light, and the turrets spiralled high into the air. James spotted the Quidditch pitch, with three gigantic golden rings on either end of the field, that rose at lease twenty feet in the air, and his heart leapt. He couldn't wait for Quidditch. He loved the game more than anything else in the world, and, although he was not permitted to bring it to school with him, he had a rather nice cleansweep 7 at home.
There was noise of delight, and sighs of enchantment, as the students gazed upon their school.
"Magnificent isn' it?" Hagrid called to them. "Jus' you all wait. You'll be spendin' the bes' seven years o' yehr life here. Jus' you wait and see!"
