Overshadowed - An HP Marauders Era Story

4. The Start Of Something New

Gwen and Marlene walked down the train's hallway, each holding a trunk and an owl in a cage, fresh from their eleventh birthday, and in Gwen's case, a camera. She snapped more and more photos, happy with just how many she'll be able to get today, including the ones she'd taken on the Knight Bus.

James quite literally ran into them.

"James Potter! What on-" Marlene is cut off as James shoved them into an empty compartment, following them in and slamming the door. James placed his hand over Marlene's mouth with a shushing motion.

They all watched as  a shadow walked past the door, Gwen taking a photo without the flash, and once the shadow had disappeared James took his hand off Marlene's mouth.

"I may have pissed off some very- who're you?" James changed track mid-sentence as he realised that there were four people in the compartment, not just three.

"Sirius," he replied, hunched over slightly.

James smiled at him.

"Cheer up mate. I promise not to piss you off if you keep quiet about this."

Sirius seemed to cheer up a bit at this, and Gwen snapped photos as usual.

"Deal."

"Cool. So-" James was cut off again, this time by Marlene.

"I don't suppose we can go now, can we?"

"Marleneeeeeeee. C'mon, I'm not that bad."

"Yes you are. See you at the sorting."

Marlene left the compartment, and when Gwen went to follow her James slammed the door again.

"You'll stay, right dearest cousin?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow at him and then proceeded to click a photo right in his face, this time with the flash on.

"Yeah, ok. You can go."

She smirked and stuck her head out the door, but when she didn't see Marlene anywhere she decided to stay, shrugging as she sat down beside Sirius. "...Or not."

James started talking with Sirius, already forgetting about his earlier predicament. Both of them were very excited for Hogwarts.

Not long after, as the platform outside the train started to fill up, a redheaded girl came to the compartment door.

"Hello. Could I please-" Gwen waved her in and she sat by the window as Sirius and James continued laughing their heads off. The girl looked quite sad, and Gwen is about to ask her what's wrong when a boy, already in his robes, walked in and sat across from the redhead.

"I don't want to talk to you," the girl said.

"Why not?"

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?" At that, the girl turned to glare at him.

"So she's my sister!"

"She's only a-" the boy stopped mid sentence, but it appeared the redhead hadn't noticed, busy trying to wipe her eyes without anyone noticing.

"But we're going!" The boy exclaimed. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

The girl smiled slightly, drying her tears.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," he said.

"Slytherin?" James chimed into the conversation for the first time. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," Sirius said, unsmiling.

"Blimey. And I thought you seemed alright!" After James had said this, Sirius grinned.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James lifted an invisible sword, and Gwen, having heard this many times before, rolled her eyes.

"Blah blah blah, James. We all know you want to be-"

"In Gryffindor! Where dwell the brave at heart. Like my dad."

Gwen sighed as the new boy made a small, disparaging noise.

"Got a problem with that?" Asked James, always ready to pounce.

"No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-"

"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Interjected Sirius, James roaring with laughter.

Gwen frowned and Lily sat up straight, flushed and looking at the two boys with dislike.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Ooooooo…"

They mocked her voice, and James attempted to trip Severus as he passed.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called, James slamming the door. They both guffawed as Gwen frowned and stood up. She took a photo, flash on, and it succeeded in its purpose of shutting them up.

"What?" James asked. When she'd raised an eyebrow, he tried to excuse his actions. "C'mon, cuz. He was clearly asking for it!"

"I don't think anyone asks to be called names," she replied, then stepped out into the rapidly filling hallway and walking toward the end with slightly less people.

Eventually, she found herself outside the compartment with Marlene and another girl in it, and she pulled the door open.

"Took you long enough."

The unknown girl looked between the two with confusion evident on her features.

"There's two of you?"

"Oh. Dorcas, this is my twin."

"Hi," said Dorcas. Gwen waved back, still annoyed at James and Sirius, and sat her trunk down with her owl, Midnight, on top.

"I'm going to go change," she said, walking off with her robes and uniform, camera clicking all the way.

On her way to the bathrooms at the back of the train, she bumped into a girl with a short blond bob.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Said the girl. "Honestly, I'm so clumsy. You're the fourth person I've banged into."

"That's ok. Do you have a compartment?"

"That one," she pointed to her left. "I just got changed."

Looking into the compartment, Gwen took a photo of the two people sitting across from each other. One had their head buried in a book, which by the looks of things was second hand. The other was a pudgy kid with his legs curled up under him.

"See you later," she said to the girl she'd run into, slipping past to the bathrooms.

On her way back to her compartment, she saw the pudgy boy exchange a lolly snake for a chocolate frog from the boy with the book.

She waved to them and continued on her way to the compartment she'd left Marlene and Dorcas in.

When she got back, she sat down near the window, camera poised.

Gwen was so ready for Hogwarts and all its photo opportunities.

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Published on: 22/1/20
Words: 1109
Hi! Me again. It's been almost a year this time, and I'm afraid to say that I think updates might stay few and far between from now on. I have a better idea of what I'm writing now, so maybe there'll be a few more updates, but I can't promise anything.
A massive thanks to

pinkslug43

And

Emilia_Severus_Snape
For your comments on the last chapter!
Thank you for reading this far!

Cassie.