The Young Padfoot *Book One*

Finding my Future Friends

I began making my way through the train trying to find an empty compartment. Who knew the Hogwarts express would be so busy. As I walked down the front of the train, every single compartment was full with groups of friends or scary seventh years. I was nearing the back of the train when I finally found a compartment that had a space in. It already had two boys in but I didn't want to keep going as I was basically at the end of the train. The boys must have been in my year; I thought they looked pretty anxious.

I tapped my knuckle softly against the glass door and waited for one of them to turn around. The ginger boy turned first to look at me. I noticed he had a smudge of dirt on his nose as well as a face filled with freckles.

"Hi, can we help you?" The ginger boy asked, looking me up and down.

"Do you mind if I sit with you, everywhere else is full?" I replied.

As if asking for a second opinion he looked across to the other boy who was busy staring out the window.

"What do you say, Harry?" He asked the other boy.

At the mention of his name he spun round and for the first time I saw his face. His scruffy,jet black hair was sticking up all over the place flopping down and covering up a good majority of his forehead. His glasses looked as though they had been broken at least three times as the sellotape was wrapped around it thickly. But the thing that intrigued me most was his eyes. They were a dark green with specks of light grass green. If you looked close enough I'm sure I could see my reflection in them.

When he noticed my gaze he looked down blushing and said "Sure."

Seriously! That's it? "Sure"? No hey there, I'm Harry what's your name? Nothing!

I took a seat next to the ginger boy avoiding any eye contact with the black haired boy.

"I'm Emery Black," I introduced myself, holding my hand out for them to shake.

"Ron Weasley," the ginger boy replied shaking my hand firmly.

I turned to the other boy awaiting his answer. An awkward silence filled the air as he failed to notice both mine and Ron's stares. When he finally noticed us looking at him, he gave us an apologetic smile and shook my hand.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter," he introduced.

At those four words my mouth fell open in shock. I mean out of every carriage on the express I picked the one with Harry Potter! Noticing that I was making him uncomfortable I quickly closed my mouth and looked down at my hands.

"I don't mean to intrude, but can I ask you something?" I asked Harry, who nodded. "Have you really got the--you know--the scar?" Harry smiled at me then pulled back the mop of black hair that was resting on his forehead to reveal the legendary lightning scar. "That is so cool."

"Told you," Ron smirked at Harry.

"So, that's where You-Know-Who..." I trailed off.

"Yes. But I can't remember it," Harry said.

"Nothing?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Well--I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else," Harry explained.

That made sense. I read in one of Remus' books that the killing curse is green based. When I was younger, I used to always read Remus' books. Well, that was until he caught me with them and took them back. Let's just say that some of the things I read about were extremely dark.

"So are all your family wizards?" Harry asked Ron.

"Er--yes, I think so." Said Ron. "I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant but we never talk about him."