Mischief Not So Managed

Hogwarts

September's cool winds filled the air from the patchy rain that morning. James had just said goodbye to his parents on Platform 9 ¾, and was about to board the train for his new school. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He looked around at the huge crowds of children scattered around speaking to each other at the top of their voices, saying goodbye to parents, boarding trains.

Children with their parents were bursting through a solid barrier. Trolleys propped up with trunks, rucksacks and some with a caged owl on top of the pile, were being pushed around by excited children.

James noticed a red haired girl speaking in a rather desperate manner to another older black haired girl. James thought how different they were.
At the sound of the train's whistle James had forgotten the two girls. Excitement crept up his tall posture. James was confident he would be making friends soon enough. Waving to his parents one last time, James turned to board the train.

James noticed that most students had boarded the scarlet steam engine with the sign Hogwarts Express overhead. After a lot of trouble, he had managed to squeeze through the crowd and into a compartment. A girl was sitting there already. Her head full of red flowing hair. It was the girl he had seen moments ago.

James cleared his throat, "Is anyone else sitting here?" he asked.

The girl had clearly been startled for she gave a little jump when James had spoken up. Her face was streaked with tears, James noticed she had stunning green almond shaped eyes. The girl looked at James for a few moments and shook her head. She made it clear she did not want to be disturbed for when James opened his mouth to build up a conversation; she turned her head curtly back toward the window.

The compartment had an odd and uncomfortable feel to it.

Suddenly, the compartment door slid open revealing a tall boy with long black hair, much unlike James's own messy and ruffled hair. He had a slightly haughty look in his demeanor. The girl had glanced for a moment and turned back to the window.

"Mind if I take a seat?" he asked.

James shook his head, "All yours."

"Your first year at Hogwarts?" asked James.

The boy nodded, "You too?"

"Yeah. I'm James. James Potter."

"Sirius Black."

They were not sure how they should continue the conversation. Their awkward pause had been broken by the entrance of a third boy. Unlike the other two he had sallow skin and greasy hair. When he started to approach the girl she spoke for the first time, "I don't want to talk to you."

The greasy haired boy looked slightly taken aback. "Why not?" he asked.

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore," she said starting to sob again.

"So what Lily?"

The boy immediately knew this was the wrong thing to say for the girl threw him a look of annoyance and deep dislike.

"So she's my sister, Severus!"

"She's only a mu-" He caught himself quickly, sighing in relief realizing the girl was too busy trying to wipe her tears at the tip of her sleeve and had not heard him.

"But we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!" he said.

Lily nodded and managed to pull a half smile.

"You'd better be in Slytherin,"said the boy, encouraged seeing that she had smiled.

"Slytherin?" cut in James bewildered at the thought.

Severus and Lily looked around alarmed. James and Sirius had quite dissolved into the background amidst their argument. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" continued James, now turning toward Sirius. However Sirius did not smile.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he said.

"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you were all right."

Much to James's relief Sirius had seen the joke and grinned.

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

James lifted an invisible sword and said "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."

Severus made a tiny, reproachful grunt. James raised his brow and turned on him.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No," though his scoff said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing you're neither?" Sirius interjected defensively.

James roared with laughter. Lily sat up, disconcerted and gave James and Sirius a look of dislike.

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

"Oooooo..."

They imitated her patronizing voice as James tried to trip Severus as he passed.

"See ya, Snivellus," called Sirius as the compartment door closed.

They laughed for a while. James immediately knew Sirius would make a fine friend for him, he knew that Sirius felt the same.

A plump witch soon tapped on their compartment door. "Anything off the trolley, dears?" Sirius and James both had a pocketful of glittery bronze Knuts, shining silver Sickles and a few glimmering golden Galleons. They nodded at the witch and stood up to make their selection. The trolley was loaded with Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes and Liquorice Wands. James and Sirius each paid the woman with a handful of Sickles and a few Knuts. They sat munching on their seats fantasizing about Hogwarts.

A voice reverberated through the train, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in ten minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." James and Sirius could hear the hustle and bustle from neighboring compartments as soon the announcement ended. Everyone was now changing into their Hogwarts robes. James and Sirius pulled on their own long black robes, emblazoned with the Hogwarts badge with the lion of Gryffindor, badger of Hufflepuff, serpent of Slytherin, the eagle of Ravenclaw and a bold 'H' in the heart of it all.

James tilted his head and asked, "Why'd you reckon Ravenclaw doesn't have... well... a raven?"

Sirius gave it a thought and said grandly, "Rowena must've been ravin' mad."

No one spoke. James patted him on the back. "Let the silence speak for itself mate."

Sirius rolled his eyes and blew his long hair out of his face and squinted his eyes at James, who mumbled the word "overdramatic". 

The train was now slowing down. James peered out the window alongside Sirius. People were pushing their way through compartments. After a few moments James and Sirius managed to jump down onto the dark platform themselves.

Crowds of students stood there huddled together.

James and Sirius got their first glimpse of Hogwarts. An enormous stone castle stood atop a mountain with several towers. All the students gaped at the magnificent edifice when the first years were approached by a young cheerful giant called Hagrid.

"Firs' years follow me!" he said.

Everyone obeyed and they one by one started toward the castle.

The gates flung open and the crowd filed in. A stern faced woman in dark green robes stood there awaiting them.