Chapter Text
September 1st 1971
The first thing Sirius noticed about platform 9 and 3 quarters was the people. He had known there would be muggles in the platform it’s all his mother had complained about for a week. What’re didn’t expect was for them to look so normal; given the way his mother carried on you’d expect them to be dirty disgusting creatures barely capable of putting one foot in front of the other. What he saw was hundreds of loving families dressed far nicer than Walburga Black.
“If I hear you’re fouling the name of Black with your antics, I swear you will be punished young man”
“Yes mother, I know”
“Don’t sass me young man!” Despite the cold conversation she bent to his level and kissed cheek. She then walked back to the floo network without another word.
“Love you too, mum” Sirius muttered resentfully.
Without another reason to stay on the platform he pushed his way to the train.
He had to stop when he saw it. The scarlet engine gleamed in the sun, the chimney pumped out a lazy stream of smoke, and the wheels had some form of stick attached to them. Was this a muggle vehicle? Sirius had never seen anything so wonderful.
Once in the train he found an empty compartment. While he knew he had family on the train he doubted they’d want him hanging around, and he didn’t really want that either. He settled on one of the couches and pulled out one of the books Regulus had smuggled for him. His mother hadn’t wanted him to bring anything that might distract him from school, but Reg had pulled though. Smiling to himself Sirius opened the book and began to read.
It wasn’t until he heard someone opening the compartment door that he looked up. It was a boy with messy black hair and a pair of lopsided glasses.
“Hi,” he said “I’m James. James Potter” he held his hand for Sirius to shake. Sirius took it.
“Hi James, I’m Sirius”
James smiled and sat down. “Wanna play exploding snap?”
Sirius nodded and James pulled out a brand new deck.
Not long after they’d started a game two new boys came through the door. A blonde, short boy who introduced himself as Peter and a tall boy with oversized second-hand robes who introduced himself as Remus. James and Sirius quickly moved their luggage and reshuffled the deck.
At first Sirius and James were the only ones talking. They filled the compartment with endless chatter. James gushed about quidditch and quizzed them all in which team the followed.
“I don’t know” Remus said. James looked horrified.
“You poor soul!” He fell back dramatically onto his seat, “a life with out quidditch. I feel faint”
They all laughed, and Sirius accidentally knocked over the cards. There was a loud BANG and they realised there was a burn on the carpet.
“I think that’s enough snap now” Remus suggested quietly. His calmness made Sirius laugh more, and he thought Remus looked rather proud of himself.
With good company Sirius barely noticed the passing of time. Soon the sun was dipping behind the hills and people were closing their blinds to change. Sirius pointed this out and he, James and Peter set about finding their robes. Remus was already dressed. They changed in silence an by the time they were done they’d reached Hogsmead.
Sirius could only just see the top of Hogwarts peaking out over the town. He didn’t get any time to admire anything before an giant of a man bellowed “First years, over ‘ere” he was holding a lantern that contorted his face in the shadows. There was pushing and shoving as the first years tried to reach the man quickly.
“I am Rubius Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and grounds in Hogwarts. I’ll be takin’ you lot up to the castle. Pick a boat now. No running”
Naturally there was lots of running. New friends desperate not to be separated pushed people out of their way and kicked people out of boats. Sirius noticed a red haired girl was trying to convince her boat mates to let a boy with greasy looking black hair sit with them.
James had grabbed them a boat and was waiting eagerly. They were going to Hogwarts.
It was dark on the lake. The water looked black as ink and the only light they had was Hagrid. They sailed through a stone tunnel and when they emerged. He saw it.
Hogwarts.
The castle was the most amazing thing Sirius had ever seen. A stone monument to magic. He could see lights in every window and a grand entrance flanked by gargoyles. The train had nothing on this. He heard his friends breath in sharply. They seemed to be thinking what he was thinking. It was only later that night that Sirius realises that a giant squid had pushed them into the docks. All that mattered was Hogwarts.