All the Young Dudes ( Sirius' Perspective )

First Year : The First Disappearance

Dear Reg,

Hello from Hogwarts! It feels weird to be writing you a letter. Classes won't start til Monday, so we've all been given a few days for "settling in." It's amazing here, you wouldn't believe the size of the place! And Bellatrix wasn't lying about the moving stairs-they actually do change around. They had to give us all maps so that we wouldn't get lost.

H

ave mum or dad said anything about

Sirius Black was having the time of his life. He had never before been given free rein to do anything he wanted with his time-no restrictions or rules, no watchful parents, no scheduled lessons or social gatherings. Of course, there were limits at Hogwarts; the professors kept an eye on the students, admonishing them to stay out of mischief. But they were certainly nothing like Sirius's parents. When professor Flitwick caught him and James sticking dung bombs along the Slytherin's corridor, he only confiscated the contraband and gave them a gentle-though stern-rebuke before sending them off with a twinkle in his eye.

Sirius felt giddy with his newfound freedom. He spent his days running about the castle with James, exploring all the places he'd heard his cousins talk about. In the evenings, they played games of chess or gobstones or exploding snap in the Gryffindor common room, chatting with their fellow students.

And they talked. They talked about anything and everything. Sirius had never had a friend like James Potter, who could match his rapid-fire wit and discuss Quidditch for hours without getting bored. They could go on talking for ages, until it sometimes felt like they were in their own private world, somewhere that no one else could penetrate.

Of course, this situation didn't always sit well with Peter. The boy acted as if he and James were attached at the hip, always following them around and trying to butt into their conversations. James liked him, so Sirius supposed that there must be something more to Peter that he wasn't seeing-but bloody hell, was he annoying.

I've already made some friends-there are so many people here! I think James Potter and I are going to be best mates, he's the coolest, you'd like him. He told me he's got a Nimbus back home, the newest model, and once we're allowed to bring brooms to school he's going to let me give it a go. I know mum and dad said to stay away from the Potters, but that’s bollocks—besides, they’re purebloods too, so I don’t really see why

Remus was exactly the opposite. While Peter tagged along everywhere, involving himself in everything, Remus acted as if the three of them had some sort of contagious disease. He'd dart off with his map and his wand, disappearing into the castle without saying anything to the rest of them. At first, Sirius wondered if he had other friends-but every time he saw Remus, the boy was alone, and he still sat near them at dinner, though he stayed a few seats down and didn't speak to them. Whatever the reason, he made it very clear that he didn't intend to be their friend.

My other dorm mates are alright, too. One's a Pettigrew-Peter-he likes to whinge, and he's always following us around, but James says he's great once you get to know him, so I'm giving it a chance. The other's a half-blood-he told me he was muggle-born, but Peter says his dad was a wizard, only he died when Remus was little so I guess he grew up around muggles. He seemed cool at first, but he's actually a bit of a prick. Too good to speak to us or something, he just goes off by himself and avoids everyone. I suppose mum and dad will make a fuss about “consorting with the impure,” but it’s not as if I get to choose my room