A few weeks had pass since Diagon Alley, and everyday went slower than the last; that happens when you're strongly anticipating something.
James' mom had, while he and his dad were out buying his school stuff, cleaned his room. That made it easier to find what he needed to pack. He had already removed the posters from his wall and packed most of his clothes. He had spent nearly every moment awake, practicing in books. Sure he hated reading, but he wanted to learn as many spells as he could before school. He couldn't practice with his wand because if the spell actually worked he would be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic for under aged magic now that he had a wand. So all he could do was study the incantations and wand movements for the spell without actually doing them. James had always been a competitive kid, he can't be second best, he had to know more than the others at school; it would make him seem smarter.
His mom had made him a calendar counting down the days until 1st September, which he thought was awesome until he found out that she had put a spell on it which made the calendar scream out how many days were left until school always at 7:30am which was when she wanted him to start getting up. The calendar was put under the rug, until the sixth day it screamed when James pulled it from the rug and through it out of the window.
It was the night before 1st September. He slept unsoundly that night, something like falling asleep on Christmas Eve. He had packed all his books, equipment, and robes in his trunk which was set below his bed. He had gotten out of bed later that night and heard his mom crying in the kitchen.
"Hush now, Euphemia." he could hear his dad saying. "He is a strong boy he'll take care of himself."
"But- But what if he's bullied?" She sobbed.
"Then I feel sorry for the kid who bullied him; he's got another thing coming."
James decided to skip his midnight drink and go back to bed.
He woke himself the next morning at eight o'clock. He had dressed in his muggle (non-magic people) clothes because they would be using the muggle entrance to get to the train.
He had dressed, brushed his teeth, skipped his hair, and lugged his trunk down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Morning, mum." he said sitting at the table.
"Good morning sweetheart." she replied. "I made your favorite." she set in front of him, a large plate of waffles with whipped cream and strawberries. "It being your last day." she was looking at him with anxiety. James took her hand in his.
"Mum, I'll be fine."
She took a deep breath and kissed him on the head. "Of course you will." she said smiling and turned quickly toward the sinks.
James ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth again, and checked himself in the mirror. His lip was no longer swollen, and his black eye looked completely gone, only if you touch it, it would still hurt.
"You ready bud?" said his dad ruffling his hair.
"Yeah, are we leaving now?" he replied excitedly.
"We have to wait for your mom to fix her hair."
Twenty minutes later they had James' trunk in the back, and were heading out the door and took fathers car to King's Cross.
Almost the entire ride consisted of James talking about things he'll do at Hogwarts, the Quidditch matches he'll watch when he's there, what he's going to do on the express. Fleamont talked back and forth with James about his own school days and gave James advise about the teachers and what to look out for. Euphemia just nodded and smiled mostly, she looked as if she opened her mouth that she would begin to cry. They arrived at the station a little while later. It didn't take them long to get his ticket.
They walked across the platforms pass other muggles. They seemed to be attracting many looked from passersby. James looked down at his muggle clothes wondering if he had done something wrong, but seemed to be dressed just like the other boys his age, in fact, he was wearing the same exact shirt as one of the muggle boys he passed. He realized later, that the looks were probably due to his trolley, which was laden with boxes, trunks, and a cauldron.
His father stopped them before the divider between platforms 9 and 10. James practically skipped with excitement, he had wanted to do this.
His mother went first, she ran straight at the barrier as if she was going to collide with it, but right when she was on top of it, she disappeared. His dad took him by the shoulder, because it was his first time, and ran at the wall. There was a whoosh sensation as they hit the wall and suddenly they found themselves on a completely different platform; platform 9 ¾.
It was completely different from the muggle's King's Cross, there were people in cloaks, with cats, rats, bats, and tall hats. Hundreds of other students all with trolleys, all looking excited. The first year, like himself, were easy to spot, not by their age, but the fact that they all had terrified looks on their faces; a couple of them were crying.
However, James was radiant with excitement, the feeling of exhilaration went down his spine and tingled in his fingers.
His dad helped him load his trunk onto the train and stood back.
"Four minutes to eleven." he said looking at his watch.
"I want to get a good seat." James said.
"Alright bud." his dad replied, and he bent down and hugged him. James was surprised by this, the only other time he could remember him doing this, was after a bad Quidditch accident where he, James, sprained his neck. His dad stood up and ruffled his hair again, which he was more used to.
His mom bent down and hugged him tight, then she kissed his nose, and his head, and hugged him again. James felt his face go red though nobody was watching.
"Alright now, get on board." said his mom pulling out a large yellow handkerchief and wiping at her eyes. He didn't have to be told twice, he smiled then ran onto the train.
The compartments were filling fast but at the very back of the train was an empty stall. He slid the door open and sat down. . . every outside sound went muffled until he opened the window to see his parents for the last time before he left. His mother was crying and his father had his arm around her. When he saw James, he waved and smiled.
"Have fun, son!" called his father. His mother looked up now.
"Oh, be safe James!" she called. Fleamont, who was standing a step behind her, shook his head and said.
"Just have fun!" with a wink.
James gave one last wave, and closed the window. Everything went quiet again. People kept walking by this compartment usually with someone else. The girls walked arm in arm and the guys walked bumping and scrapping against the hall on the way down talking in booming voices.
His compartment door slid open and a boy his age entered. He had dark, wavy hair and a smart face. He sat opposite James and smiled.
"First year?" James asked sitting back and putting his hands behind his head. He could tell that it was the boys first year but, you know, conversation.
"Yeah, and yours too I'd assume?" the boy replied.
"Yup." he said. "I'm James Potter."
"Sirius." he replied also relaxing in his chair now.
Sirius pulled a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans from his robe pocket.
"Ohh," said James pointing. "I have those all the time. Actually, I'm able to identify each one by its color now; I always win."
"You want to play then?" Sirius asked grinning.
The train gave a jerk and started puffing away. James rushed to the window and waved one last time at his parents who were still standing on the platform.
"Not going to say bye to your folks?" he asked sitting back down.
"Nah." Sirius replied. "They're not here right now anyway."
"Why not? Didn't they want to see you off?"
Sirius shrugged. "They don't like people." he said. There was a pause.
"Okay, fork em' up." James said with his hands out stretched.
"I'm not going to put them in your hand if you can recognize them." Sirius said.
"Alright," said James. "Throw them in my mouth." James leaned back in his chair and opened his mouth.
"Ow, no that was my glasses," said James.
"I'm going to have like fifteen in my hair.'"
"No, that went down my shirt."
"Ow! How is it even possible for you to get one through my glasses to hit my eye."
Sirius was laughing and now throwing them randomly or at once.
"Okay, you have truly horrible at aim." said James. "Give em' here, let me try." Sirius handed James the box and opened his mouth. James took the first one and held it in mid-air with one eye shut. . . aiming. . .
"For the love of Merlin, throw it already, ow."
"You weren't supposed to talk." said James. "I would have made it if you hadn't closed your mouth."
"I wouldn't have had to open my mouth if you didn't throw like a bloody turtle." Sirius replied.
"Shhh." James held up another one with an eye shut and threw. Direct hit!
Sirius threw his fist in the air triumphantly while chewing.
"I don't know why your celebrating, I made the shot." James laughed.
Sirius gagged and spit the bean out. "Tripe." he gagged. And both boys laughed. The train hit a large bump which caused the jelly beans in James' hand to fly everywhere. Both boys rolled over laughing and Sirius stood up to shake them from his robes. The compartment door opened and closed gently as a girl with dark red hair entered. She sat next to the window and turned away without talking.
Jelly beans were scattered all along the floor and seats.
"Do you collect chocolate frog cards?" asked James.
"Nah, I don't eat them too often." Sirius replied,
"What? Why not?"
"It's not like I don't like them." said Sirius. "I just don't get them to often."
James looked awestruck. "Hold on." he said standing up and looking outside the compartment door. "I'll be back." James left the compartment and walked down the corridor to the food trolley which was several compartments away. The plump witch was serving a compartment of third year girls.
"Oh," said the witch when she saw him. "Eager aren't you?"
"Chocolate frogs." he said and a moment later he was walked back into the compartment with an arm full of candy. He sat back down and tossed a chocolate frog to Sirius who caught it grinning.
"I'm still missing quite a few in my collection." said James. "I always seem to get hundreds of the same ones."
"I don't have any." said Sirius.
"You should start a collection yourself." said James taking a bite of an apple tart.
The compartment door opened again and a first year boy entered, he had long black hair and a hooked nose. He walked pass them in a slouch and seemed to lack confidence or the air of superiority; he looked weak. The boy sat down opposite the girl still in the corner.
When the boy passed, James and Sirius noticed him step on a few of the jelly beans that were on the floor and got stuck to his foot.
James and Sirius started laughing.
"Hey look," said Sirius opening another chocolate frog, the frog jumped out of the box and Sirius caught it. "If you take off its arms and legs," he said taking off the chocolate frogs limbs. "It rolls around all funny."
James looked over the frog and smiled. "It looks pathetic." he said.
Sirius threw it at him. And in an instant James had dove forward and caught it in his mouth. They laughed because he looked ridiculous doing this.
The two next to them had been having a conversation but seemed to have stopped for a moment. James caught a snippet of what the boy was saying.
"You'd better be in Slytherin." said the black haired boy.
"Slytherin?" said James in disbelief addressing the boy for the first time. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I'd leave, wouldn't you?" he asked Sirius.
Sirius looked suddenly grim. "My whole family have been in Slytherin." he said.
"Blimey," said James in surprise. "and I thought you were alright!"
Sirius grinned. "Maybe I'll brake the tradition Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Sirius said.
"Gryffindor!" said James holding up a pretend sword. "Where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad."
The other boy made a small snort. James let the fake sword fall and looked at him angrily.
"Got a problem with that?"
"No," said the boy unconvincingly. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy."
James felt anger toward the boy who had just insulted his dad.
"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" said Sirius smartly.
James roared with laughter and nudged his knee in a 'good one' sort of way.
The girl sat up and looked at our boys in dislike.
"Come on Severus, let's find another compartment."
"Oooooo. . ." James and Sirius imitated her voice at the same time.
The girl walked out first, Severus following. James stuck his foot out hoping that the boy would stumble over it on his way out, seeing as he didn't, James just yelled, "See yah, Snivellus!"
Sirius roared with laughter. "Snivellus, that's good!"
"I hope Hogwarts isn't gonna be crawling with people of his type." Said James with his nose upturned.
"I doubt it." Said Sirius lazily. "I'll be there anyway and I'm not like him."
James had a bad feeling about the boy and he didn't know why. Something about him made James uneasy. Sirius seemed to know that something was bothering him because he was staring confusedly.
"Do you play Quidditch?" asked James, changing the subject now.
"No, I want to though." Sirius replied.
"Oh it's the best!" said James enthusiastically.
But just then the compartment door slid open a bit and another boy poked his head in the door before James could explain why it was the best.
"Do you mind if I join you?" the boy asked.
Sirius gestured to the empty seats, so the boy walked in. He had wavy, dirty blonde hair and very second hand robes, his face was also scratched and scared. He sat in a corner and was looking down at his hands.
"You gonna tell us your name?" asked Sirius after a moment. The boy looked up.
"Remus." he said. "Remus Lupin."
"So what's the story?" asked James. "I mean with all the scars. Animal attack?" The boy surprisingly, smiled,
"Yes actually," he said. "Exactly."
"What did it?" asked James.
"A type of dog." replied Remus. "But what happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your black eye."
"How on earth could you tell? You can't even see it!"
"Under your left eye is a little green, you didn't notice?" Remus said.
"Uhh. . ." thought James. "I did a back flip, it was excellent, but I got this in the process."
"If it was really excellent," said Remus. "then you wouldn't have gotten a black eye."
Sirius laughed.
After a while the boys realized that they got along fairly well with Remus. He wasn't as out spoken as they were, but he was fairly smart and humble.
In the time that they were riding in that compartment, they were visited by a few other students, a blonde girl introducing herself to everyone on the train, she must have been really bored, a fifth year boy hiding from his ex, and a couple of third year girls who wanted them to settle a debate.
After nine hours of riding, the sun was almost completely set and the boy's sleepy disillusion was setting in.
"Would you rather," asked James to Remus laying upside down over his seat. "floss your teeth with Sirius' hair? Or lick the train floor?"
"Hmm. . ." Remus thought. He looked at Sirius' long black hair, then to the carpeted floor covered in jelly beans, cauldron cake crumbs, hair, dirt, burn marks, and something sticky like a melted lollipop. "Lick the floor." Remus replied.
"What!" exclaimed Sirius. "My hair isn't that bad!"
"Yes, it is." he replied.
"Well go on then." said James.
Remus wrinkled his nose in discuss but got onto his hands and knees anyway. He rubbed the floor with his hands examining it closely.
"Come on already!" said Sirius.
"Give me a moment!" said Remus from the floor. "This is against my better judgment; I don't want to die."
"Yes please don't die." said James, becoming interested in Sirius' shoelaces and untying them. "That'll be an awful lot of paperwork work to fill out."
Finally finding the cleanest place on the floor, Remus poked the tip of his tongue on the carpet and jumped back into his chair cleaning his tongue off with his robes.
"Alright, your turn." said James.
"Would you rather," Remus said turning to Sirius. "Floss your teeth with my hair? Or go hit on the trolley lady?"
"Ugh, floss with your hair." Sirius replied.
Remus pulled a couple hairs from his head. "You have no idea where this has been."
"Well it's not dirty," Sirius replied. "You seem like the type of person who showers twice a day, I could smell you stepping into the compartment."
He lifted the hair to his mouth then paused. "May I just say, this is the first time I have flossed all year."
"I can tell." said James. Remus laughed.
After Sirius did it, he asked James, "Would you rather. . ." he looked around. "Stick your head out the window with your tongue out like a dog until we arrive. . . or. . ." he thought for a moment then a grin spread across his face. "or hit on the trolley lady." Remus guffawed.
"That's not a fair one!" exclaimed James. "Come on, give me another."
"No." said Remus wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "That's a perfectly reasonable challenge that does not threaten your life or health; though Sirius having me lick the floor did threaten my health."
James thought for a moment with his nose scrunched.
"The window. . ." he said finally.
Sirius gestured toward it with a smile and James opened the window, stuck his head out, and immediately pulled back.
"It's freezing out there I'll die!" he said.
"Don't be a drama queen." said Sirius. "Suck it up and do it."
James re-opened the window and stuck his head back out for 1,2,3-
"Forget it! I'm hitting on the trolley lady!" and he slammed the window.
He tore from the compartment and slammed the door behind him. Remus and Sirius sat back down laughing then quickly stopped.
"How do we know whether or not he'll actually do it?" said Remus.
"One of us better go with him. I think it should be me because I dared him." said Sirius running from the compartment.
"I want to see it too!" called Remus running after him.
They caught up to James striding down the corridor.
"You'd better tell her that her eyes are as bright as diamonds." said Sirius putting his arm around James' neck.
"No that'd sound too corny. You should look at her and say, 'When you walk by my compartment, I find myself at a loss of breath due to your radiance. When you smile it makes me feel as though, my life has no purpose but to smile with you. The squeak of your cart wheels causes my heart to leap, and your knock on my compartment door, synchronizes with its pounding beat. For every year I wait for this express, to keep my soul, from great depress."
The boys had stopped to stare at him. "Who had you been practicing that for?" asked Sirius.
"My mum writes poetry…" said Remus sheepishly, as though rhyming to these new – cooler – kids was a bad idea.
"Look, you'll do fine." said Sirius slapping James on the back.
"Get off me guys, it's not as if I actually like this chick." said James finally opening the door which led to the front of the train.
And there he saw the trolley snogging the driver. They pulled apart quickly at the sight of him before James closed the door again.
"Nope!" he said throwing his hands in the air and turning around to leave.
"Oh, no!" said Sirius. "You haven't completed your mission." and he spun James back around.
"Can't I just lick the floor?" he pleaded. Sirius opened the door again and pushed James inside.
The trolley lady was now tidying her cart.
"Would you like something dear?" she asked blushing.
"Uh. . ." James thought. Sirius crept up behind his ear. "Say, your eyes are so. . . ow!" James stepped on his foot.
"I'm looking for something… sweet." he said finally leaning against the door frame coolly.
"Candy?" the trolley lady asked confused.
"Something. . . sweeter." he said making eye contact.
"Uh, sugar quill?" she asked.
". . . Yes. . . I would like a sugar quill." he said.
He took some silver from his pocket and paid for his sweet then closed the door behind him to find Sirius and Remus standing there with their arms crossed.
"That doesn't count." said Remus.
"It does count! I hit on her, whether she got it or not, that's her problem."
Sirius and Remus roared with laughter.
"It's not that funny." said James walking back down the corridor.
"It is!" said Remus. "Don't be boring."