Marauders One-Shots

The Very Beginning

"James, hurry up and get on the train. We wouldn't want you to be late!" James' mum pushed him toward the train. He was a little bit nervous about going to Hogwarts, but was ready for the new adventure.

"Okay, Mum, you can stop nattering on. I'm getting on the train, see?" With that the boy stepped up onto the first step of the train and gave his parents a cheeky smile and wave. Then he turned and disappeared into the train, just missing the tear that slipped down his mum's face.

"Euphemia, he'll be fine. He's a Potter!" James' dad said.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about. Who knows what trouble he will get up to." With a last glance at the Hogwarts Express, the couple turned and walked away.

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Once on the train, James was immediately enveloped in the chaos that was the Hogwarts Express. He made his way towards a car full of his friends and squeezed in with them.

The trip didn't last as long as he had thought it would. He spent most of it laughing at his friends' antics and eating chocolate frogs. At one point Severus Snape had walked up to the door of the car looking like he wanted to say something, but when everyone inside shot pointed looks at him, he had scurried off. James didn't like Severus all that much, but he didn't think he deserved all the hate everyone showed him.

A few minutes before the train pulled into their final destination, a girl with dark red hair walked through the car on her way to the back of the train. She had smiled at James and he had completely lost track of the conversation he was in. He didn't know why, but he knew he wanted to be friends with that girl.

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"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" James looked around and saw a large bearded man calling for the first years. He picked up his canvas bag and hurried over to him. "This looks like all of you, hmm, you four go in this boat. You four in this boat."

James was put in a boat with three strangers. He would have asked them their names, but he was too busy taking in the sights, just like they were. They were floating over a large, glassy lake, and the boats seemed to be propelled just by magic. James allowed himself to smile. Up ahead the lights of the school shone brightly against the night sky. It was a truly magical time.

The boats bumped gently against the bank and James hopped out first, reaching back to help the small, pale boy out. He didn't look like he could have managed on his own, and James didn't want him to fall into the lake. The first years followed the large man up to the school and in through huge doors. The doors closed behind them with a resounding BOOM that startled James.

In front of them stood a tall thin lady with a pointed hat, "Greetings, new students, I trust your trip across the lake was smooth. I am Professor McGonagall and I am here to inform you of what is next. For those of you who don't know, you are about to be Sorted. This means you will be put into one of the four Houses: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff. Each House was created for students with certain characteristics and morals. You will not get to pick your house. After that, Headmaster Dumbledore will make a speech and then the feast will begin. Line up, now." With a swish of her wand, the students found themselves lining up in alphabetical order. James was standing behind the small boy he had helped out of the boat.

Now in a single-file line, they followed the professor into the large dining hall. Inside, there were four long tables full of students. Each table was populated by students wearing a different color robes. James knew the blue were Ravenclaws, the green were Slytherins, the yellow were Hufflepuffs, and the red were Gryffindors. On a raised platform was another table, this one populated by teachers. In front of this platform was a stool and on top of the stool was an old, battered hat. This was the hat his parents had talked about, the Sorting Hat. It was this hat that would determine the rest of his future at Hogwarts.

"First up, Calexia Adams!" A small, dark-skinned girl walked nervously up to the front and perched on the stool. She knotted her hands in front of her as Professor McGonagall put the hat on her head. After a few seconds, a rip appeared in the hat and out of the rip came the word, "Ravenclaw!"

The students dressed in blue erupted in loud applause as Calexia made her way over to them.

After that, the Sorting passed in a blur. James did notice which houses the three chaps he had been in a boat with were sorted into and what their names were. They were all sorted into Gryffindor and their names were Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Peter was right in front of James and as soon as he was sitting with the Gryffindors, James made his way up to the front and sat on the stool. The hat settled over his head, covering his eyes. A voice whispered in his ear, "Hmm, lots of courage and talent. I think you would do well in...Gryffindor!" Then the hat was removed from his head and James got up as the Gryffindor table started celebrating yet another first year. They were, by far, the loudest table when it came to getting first years.

James found a spot between Remus and Sirius, with Peter across from him. The four exchanged wide-eyed looks before redirecting their attention to the front where the headmaster was standing to give a speech "Students and teachers of Hogwarts! Welcome to yet another magic-filled year. I want to extend an extra special welcome to our newest students. I hope you love Hogwarts as much as I do! Now, let the feast begin!"

With that introduction, food appeared on the tables. James reached out and started serving himself, noticing how the others did it. Peter took only vegetables and sweets with no meat, Sirius served himself a regular plate, and Remus piled mostly meat on his plate. James was curious about this, but not curious enough to ask.

After they ate, the first-years lined up behind their prefects and walked to where the Gryffindor rooms were. James stared around himself, he was especially intrigued by the moving staircases. The group stopped in front of a large painting of a rather fat lady who turned toward them, "Password?"

The male prefect answered her, "Handsome Hippogriffs." Suddenly, the painting swung outward and the first-years scrambled through the opening. 

James was the last to go through, he stood in the entryway for a moment taking in the room before moving forward. The room was large and round and there was a fireplace on one side that was giving out waves of heat. On opposite sides of the room were two staircases that James soon learned led to the dormitories. Girls on one side, guys on the other. He lept up the stairs, eager to formally meet his new roommates. He found the door labeled with a one (for first year) and pushed it open, not at all surprised to see the three boys from the boat inside.

"Hello, chaps, I'm James Potter." He announced as he walked to the bed that had his trunk at the foot of it.

"Sirius Black." Said the thin boy with long, black hair. He was laying on the bed, his head propped up on his arms.

"Remus Lupin." This from the boy who had eaten so much meat at the feast. For all the food he had consumed, he still looked hungry. He had neatly combed brown hair and ink-stained hands. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, holding a piece of parchment.

"Peter Pe-Pettigrew." The smallest boy stuttered. He was pale and looked like he was always nervous. He was sitting on his trunk, his hands pressed between his knees.

James smiled at them. He had only been at Hogwarts for a few hours, but he already knew the year was going to go splendidly.