INSTEAD, james potter [1]

Chapter One

King's Cross station was packed with families and friends, trying to make their train or tearfully saying goodbye because somebody was leaving. Most of them were quite normal, leaving for a trip or going back home after a holiday. They had a bag and were quite prepared to keep going with their normal lives like there was nothing they didn't know, and if there was, they didn't want to know it. 

But, it was September 1st. The day when the station was suddenly filled with abnormality contrasting the dullness of normality. Children ran around with trolleys with large trunks, perhaps even an owl, as they wore mismatched clothes in an attempt of looking as normal to the normal as possible. They turned a few heads, still. But mostly, people thought a few nutters had gotten into the station and didn't comment on it. 

Nobody seemed to notice when hoards of children ran through the brick wall between platform 9 and platform 10 either. If they did, their lives would change and they refused to acknowledge it.

A woman, wearing strange clothes, turned her nose up at the ones who seemed too ignorant to understand those superior to them are right next to them. "I still don't understand how after all these years, we still have to walk through hoards of muggles to get to the platform."

She was followed by three girls. The eldest, a pretty seventeen-year-old, looked uncomfortable at her mother's words but didn't dare comment on it. "We're almost at the platform and then we don't have to think about it."

Her younger sister, fifteen and blonde, scrunched her nose up in disgust when a man accidentally bumped into her arm without apologizing. "Speak for yourself, Andy. I'm going to have to spend hours in the shower trying to get rid of the muggle stench."

"Quiet down," their mother, Druella, scolded. She had her hand firmly upon her youngest daughter's shoulder to keep her in line. "Andromeda, you go first. Narcissa, follow her. I'll take go with Lyra last."

Andromeda sent her youngest sister, Lyra, an encouraging smile before grasping her trolley tightly and running through the wall. Most children would be a little scared to run through a wall, but eleven-year-old Lyra Black couldn't be more excited.

Once Narcissa had gone through the wall, Lyra looked up at her mother with a big grin. Druella smiled slightly in return, thinking about how fast her children are growing up. "Are you ready, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I think so." Lyra gripped the trolley tightly, closing her eyes as her and her mother run through the wall. Once she realized that they have stopped, she opened her eyes again. Instead of being surrounded by muggles, she now realized all the people surrounding her were wizards on their way to Hogwarts. 

Suddenly, it seemed to much more real. Lyra was going to board the Hogwarts express, go to school, make friends and become a powerful witch. She couldn't help but look around the station, seeing some people she recognized and some she would get to know. She caught Andromeda's eye and the two sisters smiled brightly at each other. 

"Druella!" a voice called out from behind the woman and her daughters. Once they turned around, they saw their aunt, Walburga Black, smiling coldly at them. Next to her stood her oldest son, Sirius. "How lovely it is to see you here, even though Cygnus is nowhere to be seen. Sending your girls off to Hogwarts?"

"Hello, Walburga." Druella didn't even attempt to fake a smile at her sister-in-law. "Cygnus is unfortunately quite busy at work. But it is quite exciting sending Andromeda off to her last year and Lyra to her first. And my precious Narcissa is going into her O.W.L. year. They grow up so fast, don't they?"

"Yes, indeed." Walburga looked down at her oldest son, another first year. "Now, Sirius, I expect the best behavior from you when you get to school. And make sure to look out for Lyra, as well. You are going to be housemates in the same year, you need to stick together."