Black Beginnings
I remember it so clearly as if it were yesterday. I was on the Hogwarts express, but it hadn’t begun to move yet. I would have sat with my family, but they didn’t want a little first year sitting with them since they had their own friends. Lucius pushed me out of their compartment and I fell backwards onto the floor. He then threw my bag out, and I heard him shut the compartment door loudly.
After I got up, the train began to move, and I fell back down again. I finally was able to stand and looked at the narrow corridor with all the compartment doors. I heaved my bag along behind me, and tried to find an empty compartment. I opened almost all of the compartment doors trying find an empty one or an almost empty one.
When I was near the end I found a compartment with one other boy in it. He was sitting near the window, eating a chocolate frog. He looked up when I came in.
“Can I sit with you? My cousin kicked me out,” I said, still clutching the handle to my bag.
The boy with messy dark brown hair nodded. I knew that he would have said yes, if his mouth weren’t stuffed with chocolate. After heaving my bag further into the room, I took a seat across from the boy.
“My names Sirius Black,” I said, extending my arm to him.
He took my hand, and I heard him take a huge gulp. “James Potter. Nice to meet you.” After they’re hands parted, James reached back to his chocolate frog, and broke off a piece. “Want some?”
“Sure.” I took the piece gratefully. I hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning, so I was starving. “Thanks.”
“Why did your cousin kick you out?” asked James, with some curiosity.
“Him and his friends didn’t want me there. They’re older,” said I.
“Oh. What year are they?” asked James. He took another piece of chocolate and put it into his mouth.
“Sixth year mostly.” I realized I still had my piece of chocolate still in my hand, and it was beginning to melt, so I ate it. That one piece of chocolate lightened my spirits. I was always amazed by chocolate, and its abilities.
“Good chocolate, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said, pleasantly. I realized just then that James had a couple more chocolate frogs on his seat next to him.
“SIRIUS!” The sound of my cousin’s voice vibrated off the walls, making him sound even louder. James dropped his chocolate from shock. Once I had heard his voice, I jumped up and went to open the compartment door.
“What?” I said, irritated. I saw him standing a couple feet away, his mouth open to yell my name again. He was holding my Hogwarts cloak. Other compartment doors opened to see what all the noise what about.
Lucius walked closer to me, his blond hair flying behind him. He handed me my cloak. “You left this behind,” he said, with no emotion. I felt his gray eyes looking at me.
“Thanks,” said I, with no emotion, as I tried to copy him. Once I took it, I gave him a look.
“What? You want me to feel bad that I kicked you out?” He started laughing, and just walked away. I looked at the other students with their heads popped out, and once they saw I was looking at them, they immediately shut their doors. One boy with light brown hair, carrying a book, came out and walked up to me.
“What was that all about?” he asked, as his brown eyes looked back to Lucius who was just to his compartment. I walked back into the compartment, and took a seat. The boy followed. James was now sitting closer to the door.
“That was just my cousin. He can be very cruel sometimes.”
“Sometimes? He looks like he’s cruel all the time,” said the boy, as he stood inside near the doorway.
“Don’t worry. He’s not as bad as some others in my family.”
“Sorry, your family is mean to you, Sirius,” said James.
“Me too. By the way, I’m Remus Lupin.”
“James Potter.”
“Sirius Black.”
“Where were you before?” asked James.
“I was two compartments over. I was just sitting by myself reading, but I finished,” said Remus.
“You finished the whole book?” questioned James. He gave me a look telling me that this boy was odd, but Remus never saw it.
“Well, of course. It was only three-hundred pages,” said Remus. “Do you mind if I sit here with you two?”
I hadn’t had many friends while I was growing up before coming to Hogwarts, so another would be wonderful for me. “I don’t mind. What about you, James?” I asked.
“You can stay,” said James.
“Okay, thanks. I’ll go get my things. Be back soon!” Since the compartment door was still open, I saw him run out, the back of his cloak the last thing I saw. Soon he was back, and James and I helped him bring in his bag. After Remus took a seat next to me, he placed his book next to him. James offered him a piece of a chocolate frog, which he took. I saw that he too got that lightened look after eating the chocolate.
After some time, we got into the conversation about spells. “Do either of you know any good spells?” I asked of them.
“I know one!” exclaimed James. I saw him move his body so that he sat on the edge of the seat. He reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. “My dad showed me it this summer, so I haven’t mastered it yet.”
“That’s okay. Lets see it,” said Remus, leaning closer.
James cleared his throat and then said, “Wingardium Leviosa.” I saw him swing his wand and then flick it towards Remus’ book, which suddenly began to fly around.
“Hey! James, give me my book back!” Remus called out. Remus stood up and tried to catch his book, which was now flying just above his reach. I started laughing and so did James. His uncontrollable laughter made him lose control of the book, and it dropped to the floor with a thud. Remus picked it up, not amused and gave us a look.
“It was only a joke, Remus,” said James.
“Yeah, he was only joking around,” I said. But I saw Remus with a hurt look on his face, and I know that James saw it, too.
“I’m sorry, Remus,” said James. “Can you forgive me?”
“Only if you show me how to do that spell,” said Remus with a smile, as he sat back down.
James looked relieved. “Yeah, okay. So you””
Just then a chubby boy with mousy brown hair came into the compartment, but he had opened it and turned around so quickly that he hadn’t seen us sitting there. I got the feeling that he was hiding from someone because as he stood there, he exhaled loudly. I looked at James and Remus. James shrugged his shoulders, while Remus just sat there.
I saw that the boy began to slowly turn around. Once he saw us, he gave us an “Oh” not realizing that we were there.
“Are you okay?” asked Remus.
“I guess. This horrible boy named Snape started chasing me,” said the boy.
“You can stay here, if you want,” I said to him, because he still looked a bit shaken.
“Thanks. I think I will,” said the boy, as he took a seat next to James. “My name is Peter Pettigrew.”
I held my hand out to him, “I’m Sirius Black.” He grabbed my extended hand, and looked at me happily with his blue eyes. Then James and Remus introduced themselves, too.
“I’m going to get my bag from the corridor,” said Peter.
“Are you sure, you want to get it? What if Snape is there?” asked Remus.
“I’ll just run back really quickly,” said Peter, before getting up and exiting.
“Lets keep the door slightly open just in case Snape is lingering around,” I said, keeping it ajar.
Suddenly someone screamed outside, and we all jumped at the noise. Since I was closest to the door, I pulled it open to see a greasy, black haired boy standing in front of Peter. “Ah, Pettigrew. Not hiding, were you?”
I saw Peter take a step back. James and I moved closer to Peter and Snape. “I don’t think you have very good manners, because chasing other people is not very nice,” said James.
As we came to stand in front of Peter, Snape’s tough brocade seemed to weaken when he saw us. He started to walk away as if he hadn’t done anything. I turned to James, “Remember that spell you showed Remus and me?” James turned to me with a smirk on his face, a smirk I would soon get used to.
“I like the way you think,” said James. “Wingardium Leviosa!” And with a swish and a flick, Snape was no longer walking away, but flying around yelling at us.
People started coming out of their compartments, and laughing at the sight before them. Some where during my hysterical laughter I saw Lucius, Narcissa, and their friends, Avery, Crabbe, and Goyle, come out of their compartment. They had smirks on their face, as they watched James make Snape do summersaults in the air.
But the fun was soon over as the Head Boy and Girl stopped all the fun. The girl told James and me that we would be getting detention and have points taken off whichever house we got into.
* * *The train began to slow and Remus, James, Peter, and I made our way off the train and onto a boat that led to Hogwarts. I was in awe when I first saw the castle, but even now I’m still amazed.
Eventually we got out of the boat and made our way up the stairs to see a Professor who stood with an air of superiority, who I soon found out was named Professor McGonagall. We soon crowded near a stool, which held an old hat.
I was so nervous about having to go onto the stool in front of everyone that the sorting was mostly a blur to me. I was relieved when Professor McGonagall didn’t go in alphabetical order.
“Rosier, Evan,” said McGonagall, as she held a large piece of parchment. He was sent to Slytherin, and soon after Wilkes was too. She then called “Lupin, Remus” who was sent to Gryffindor and “Potter, James” who became a Gryffindor, as well.
The name “Snape, Severus” was called and I watched the boy we had jinxed earlier make his way up to the stool. He looked scared and I was happy he did, but I didn’t like the fact that I was happy at his misery. I wasn’t surprised when he became a Slytherin. “Pettigrew, Peter” was called and I thought he would be a Hufflepuff, and was very much surprised when he became a Gryffindor.
I almost didn’t hear my name when Professor McGonagall said it because I was so nervous, but I made my way to the stool anyway. I sat on it, feeling the warmth of it from other students sitting on it. I felt the hat being placed on my head, and then the hat began to speak to me.
“Difficult. I see that you have courage, but a mischievous side is plain to see. You’ll make true friends in GRYFFINDOR!”
As I made my way to Gryffindor table, I quickly looked over at the Slytherin table to where Lucius and Narcissa sat. They gave me a threatening look when I saw them, and I knew that they were going to tell mother about me being put into another house besides Slytherin. I didn’t know whether to smile that I had gotten into another house or be upset that soon mother would know.
I tried not to think too much about it as I sat across from Remus and Peter, and next to James, my back to the Slytherin table.
A/N: I hope you liked it!!! Reviews are much appreciated. If you liked this story, you will probably like “A Different Road” (Dark fic) and “Map Making,” (GeneralàMarauder Era fic) which are both by me. Enjoy. ~Sara