Forget-me-not // Sirius Black

01

September, 1971

The sky was unsurprisingly very blue today, free of the patches of stray clouds, Niko likes to read about weather forecast thank you very much.

At noon he was sitting in between two giggling second year students who were going on and on about how some Brian guy who fell on his arse in the corridor because of the invisible traps someone set up and still no one knows of the culprit. He diverted his thoughts to the blue sky again and to how chatters of owls and cats and buzzes of separation anxiety filled the station. How his father hugged him extra tightly and he understood the gravity of that late night talk of he overheard. Or maybe it was just that Niko won't be coming home until Christmas or his father would be busy in the ministry again, not returning until Merlin knows when. He says it's the fate of a his job, to chase after darkness again and again and again until you obliterate it or be consumed wholly by it.

And the look on his mother's face was devastating, knowing that at any second of the day, an unfortunate letter might come from ministry, saying they're sorry. Will they be sorry?

And those pools of tears and stains of blood on his father's cloak that never gets off made Niko wonder if being a hit wizard is worth it.

But that morning Niko hugged back tightly and let his mother smother his face with kisses, let his father mess his hair up as he ruffled his hair, let Grace cry on his chest as she promised to save her Halloween candies for him.

He felt the distant mountains he was looking at through the window blur and felt himself yawn. Next thing he knows he woke up to look at dark sky that was littered with stars and few lights of the Hogsmead station. The girl that sat behind him shook his shoulders violently and brought him back to present.

He was finally here.

The adrenaline was back, rushing to his head as he saw hundreds of students making their way through the station, some in quiet bliss and some in loud excitement. Niko looked around to see if can find any other first year, he felt nervous being the only one not knowing what to do.

"Firs' yeas over 'ere "

The loud voice was clear even over thousands of chatter and Niko felt himself calm down a bit. He followed the direction of the voice and found many students his age fumbling through the crowd, wide eyed and eager to see what comes next.

Soon enough he was facing the man who called them. Niko's first thought- he is tall. Not as tall as a giant but taller than any human can possibly be. His bushy hair and beard made his face look smaller than it was. Niko knew he should find him scary. But his voice didn't match his appearance at all.

"Is everyone from firs' year 'ere? " He asked. His voice unbelievably cheerful and kind. When a few students muttered yes and few nodded, the man smiled.

"I'm Hagrid. Firs' years 're s'pposed to go to the castle on boats." He pointed towards the lake where a few boats were visibly floating. " Four students will get on one boat, so get on"

Everyone got on the boats one by one. A few students stumbled clumsily and Hagrid helped them get on. Niko was one of the last students to get on. He sat on a boat with a boy whose uniform looked like it belonged to a third year and two girls who said they were cousins.

"I can't wait to be sorted. It would be so nice if we get in the same house." The blonde girl squealed to her cousin who nodded excitedly. "Do you all have any guesses what house you'll get into? "

The boy shook his head. "I have no idea. My sister said I'll surely be in Ravenclaw but honestly I'm not sure. My brother is a Ravenclaw and my sister a Hufflepuff."