Apparitions

Chapter 1. Surprising First Day

September 1st, 1976

Hogwarts castle looked as majestic as always, with its tall towers and intricate design. The students excitedly exit the train and make their way to the carriages, the first years being led to boats by a rather giant and burly looking man.

It was a short ride to the castle, with a few bumps here and there; everything seemed to be going smoothly until several relatively high pitched squeals filled the air. The squeals were followed by laughter and then a loud, rumbling boom. The students turned to the source of the sound and paled a little bit at sight.

"What is going on out here!?" An angry Minerva McGonagall walked towards the students, seemingly out of breath, "What is the hold-up? Students are waiting for the sorting, and none of their upperclassmen are there!"

A group of girls, sixth years, walked towards the fuming professor, grabbing her attention and interest. From the looks of the girls, she could tell what had happened. Before any of the girls could open their mouths, she waved her wand, and the slimy mess that covered them from head to toe was gone.

Minerva sharply scanned the crowd of students before asking, "Where are Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew!" Her voice was audibly filled with a resigned annoyance; she just knew this year was going to be a long one.

Four boys walked forward, stifling their laughs, and smiled at the thin-lipped teacher. One of the boys ran a hand through his hair and fixed his glasses before winking at the teacher. "It is lovely to see you again, professor Minnie. You look put together as always. Now before you say anything, I would like to apologize for what had happened."

This surprised everyone in the vicinity, "What happened, Mr. Potter? And you better not lie to me, or the detention you and your group of hoodlums are getting will be doubled. Now speak." Minerva can feel the migraine beginning to form and made a mental note to go to the hospital wing and ask Poppy for a migraine reliever.

James Potter let out a small laugh, looking at his friends, then back at the professor. "It is all just a big misunderstanding. You see, we were fooling around with a spell that we learned over the summer. Our target would never be my sweet little lily-flower; it was the Slytherins. We accidentally aimed at the girls and covered them with slime. I sincerely apologize."

The Slytherins hissed at the pranksters as they laughed, and the girls glowered at the boys. Minerva sighed before fixing the boys with a glare. "The four of you will receive one week of detention. Now, all of you head inside; the sorting is already late. We must not keep the first years waiting." With a quick look at the four boys, Minerva headed towards the crowd of anticipating first years.

Lily Evans huffed, sharing a look with her best friends, Alice Prewett and Marlene McKinnon. The three of them head inside, glaring once more at the four boys. Once everyone settled down at their respective tables and the teachers were in their seats at the head table, the sorting began. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew watched the small first years walk-in, and Sirius made a joke about how they kept getting shorter and shorter every year. Both Lily and Marlene shushed the boys, watching as a small blonde girl was sorted into Ravenclaw. However, James and Sirius only had eyes for the two girls, diverting their attention when the sorting was over and the food appeared.

With desert coming to an end, the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, stood. This action effectively halted all summer holiday conversation and talks about what their lessons would hold for the upcoming year.

The headmaster was an older man with a long silvery beard, and his blue eyes twinkled so brightly they could be seen at the back of the Slytherin table. Headmaster Dumbledore cleared his throat and began his yearly welcome speech.