The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

S.B., J.P., R.L., P.P.

S.B., J.P., R.L., P.P.

"Pardon me, but this is sort of our compartment," Sirius said, bursting into their usual place on the Hogwarts Express. A couple of first year Hufflepuffs had slipped in ahead of them and were standing on the benches trying to shove their stuff up on the racks overhead.

One of them looked at the other. "Sorry, but I didn't see a reserved sign on the door or anything," he snickered rudely.

"Yeah," said the other one, "It's not like it's got your names on it, does it?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"We can just got to another compartment, there's one right over there that's empty," said Peter from behind Sirius.

"No bloody way!" James said, "This one's our compartment, we've sat here every time we've been on the express!" He shoved forward to peer over Sirius's shoulder, "Get outta here you little pipsqueaks!"

The eyes on one of the boys widened. "It's James Potter," he said, recognizing James and elbowing the other one.

"Whoa, James Potter," breathed the other.

"Yeah, it's me, so what?" James asked.

"I saw you in the game yesterday, you did fantastic," said the second boy.

"Yeah," said the first, "You're great! I wish I was in Gryffindor so I could play on your quidditch team next term. My mum's gettin' me a broom for my birthday - she said she would - and I'm going to try out in September and --"

"That's excellent," James said, uninterestedly, "Look, can we have the compartment?"

They exchanged glances warily.

"Well, like he said, your names aren't on it or anything," said the second boy hesitantly.

Sirius shoved his way into the compartment, drawing his wand from his pocket. "You want our bloody names on the compartment?" he demanded. "I'll put our names on it then!"

Remus was looking over James and Peter's shoulders. "Sirius - don't..."

But Sirius had already leaped forward and waved his wand about the room. "Scelero!" he said and with the tip of his wand, he drew the letters S.B., J.P., R.L. and P.P. into the trim on the wall paneling. "There you have it, our names are on the compartment. Now get out of here, you lot, before I hex you all."

The first years eyes were wide as they scrambled to get their stuff. Seeing him deface Hogwarts property had been guarantee enough for them that Sirius Black was not a force they desired to reckon with. Remus was pinching the bridge of his nose. "I cannot believe you just did that," he murmured as they filed into the hard-won compartment.

"Little blighters," Sirius said, shaking his head.

James was laughing. "They were rather stubborn on it. You see their faces when you drew your wand? About made a chocolate frog in their knickers!"

Sirius hooted with laughter.

"Is it really so important we sit in the same compartment every time we're on the train?" Remus asked.

"YES!" Sirius said, "And don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. This is our compartment - this is where we became mates!" He looked at Peter, "Well. Except for you. You happened in the dormitories. Which is our dormitories, so it's important that we keep our compartment, too. For the sake of preserving history." He admired his spellwork on the compartment wall and shook his thumb at it. "One day, they'll cut out this bit of the compartment wall and hang it some place, framed at the ministry perhaps for how important it'll be once our names have been jotted down in the history books."