Phonecall From The Abyss

Phone Call From The Abyss

James Potter slowly pushed his trolley towards platform 9 ¾. He wasn't really looking forward to going to school, despite his parent's assurances that he'd love it. Frankly, he didn't believe them. He'd left all his friends behind, and he didn't want new friends, whether people wanted to be friends with him or not.

As he passed through the barrier, he noticed sourly that everyone else's parents had come to see them off. His Dad had been far too busy at the Ministry, and Mum... James' mother had always preferred shopping. It wasn't like they didn't love him, they just had different priorities. Shrugging off his dismal thoughts, James (With difficulty) loaded his trunk onto the train. Pushing through the sea of students all ready boarded, he found an empty compartment. Scowling, he flopped down into a window seat.

Soon, he felt the train jerk into motion. The masses of waving parents faded away. After a few minutes, James heard someone knocking at the glass compartment door. He'd pulled the blind down, so he couldn't tell who it was. Being determined to be as miserable as possible, James didn't answer. There was another knock.

"I'm coming in. I hope you're decent!" called a rough voice, rather more working class than anything James had ever heard before. Slowly, the door opened, and a tall boy, with uncombed longish hair and rather ratty muggle clothing peeked in. He grinned, a gesture which James didn't return. The boy didn't seem to notice, and came in, hauling his trunk behind him.

"Hello! I'm Sirius Black, do you mind if I sit here?" Sirius held out his and. James didn't take it. Sirius' smile faded just a little.

"I'm James Potter. I do mind, actually. I'm... saving someone a seat," said James, and resumed looking out of the window. He certainly wasn't going to enjoy it at Hogwarts is they let people like that in.

"There are lots of seats here. I'm sure your friend won't mind!" the boy had that inane grin back on his face as he sat down opposite James. After James pointedly looked the other way, Sirius began a quest to be as annoying as possible, or so it seemed. First of all, he began to hum quietly, then more loudly. He began to sway surreptitiously in time to his song too, then began to tap the beat on the table separating the two boys. He was singing loudly and doing a little jive soon after.

"SHUT UP! God, I didn't want to come here in the first place, now I really want to go home!" said James. This shut Sirius up. James resumed looking out of the window moodily, watching the landscape blur as it slid past.

Sirius began to hum again. Before long the swaying had started again. The repetitive tattoo beat on the table started up. James decided this was one of those things that had to be stopped quickly.

"You're not going to shut up, are you?" asked James. Sirius replied with a shake of the head and a mad grin. "Fine then. We'll talk. Where did you grow up, and are your parents muggle or magic?"

"Well, I grew up in London, and my Mum and Dad aren't magical, whatever you mean. Anyway, you need to answer some questions first. What's your name?" asked, Sirius.

"James Potter," was the rather moody reply. The smile didn't fade for a second.

"Great. Where did you grow up, then? How long have you known you were a wizard?" asked Sirius. He really was eager to learn everything about the magical world, having never heard of it before the previous summer. Diagon Alley had fascinated him, and he couldn't believe he'd never noticed the Leaky Cauldron before, having been allowed to run round muggle London unattended as a child.

"I grew up on a country estate near Devon," said James with a superior smirk, "And I knew I was going to be magical all my life. I even had a beginners wand when I was five!" this elicited the exact response James had been hoping for. Sirius gasped in awe, and gazed at James in reverence.

"Wow..." Sirius breathed, "That's brilliant, really brilliant. So do you know much about Hogwarts all ready, then?" asked Sirius, his eyes wide. He subconsciously leaned forwards on his seat.

James smirked. "I know loads about Hogwarts. The Sorting Hat, the Houses, all the teachers names, everything about it!" If there was one thing James liked more than material goods and showing off said goods, it was showing off his knowledge.

"Could you... Could you tell me about it then?" asked Sirius hesitantly. Of course he knew bits and bobs from books he'd looked at in the various shops he'd visited, but his knowledge of Hogwarts was severely limited. He didn't even know what The Sorting Hat was...

"I could, but I don't know if you want to hear it..." James' voice was laced with indifference. He could tell Sirius was nearly falling off his seat with anticipation, but he wanted the insufferable little git to suffer a little first.

"Ooh, go on James!" Sirius exclaimed, dignity forgotten as he pleaded with the shorter boy.

"Hmm, okay then. If you really want to know that badly..." James launched into a detailed description of everything he had read in books or had been told by his parents. He told a long story about Quidditch and the various matches he had been taken to, described graphically the Great Hall, as he had seen it from the various pictures he was in possession of, and told Sirius all about the Houses, and even gave him a brief history of the school and surrounding area.

By the time he had finished, Sirius was sat there with a look of wonder on his face. James sat back, revelling in the waves of reverence radiating from Sirius. Maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be too bad, if everyone there was impressed this easily.

Just then the compartment door slid open, and a witch bearing a trolley laden with sweets came in. "Would you like anything dears?" she asked kindly. Sirius, reddening slightly, shook his head. James gave him a puzzled look, but shrugged it off, and bought some of everything except liquorice wands, because he hated liquorice. He dumped everything he'd bought straight onto the table, and began eating it.

"What's the matter, aren't you hungry?" he asked Sirius. The taller boy shook his head slowly, and turned away.

"I had something before I left..." he mumbled. James scowled. If the boy was travel sick or something, he should say. It wasn't like he cared... As long as Sirius wasn't sick on him.

"Fine, suit yourself. Don't go stealing any of mine if you get hungry though!" James snarled at Sirius and bit into his pumpkin pasty viciously. It wasn't long, though, before he noticed the wistful looks Sirius was giving his food. His eyes narrowed.

"If you're hungry, go and catch up to the lady and buy something!" James was getting really annoyed by now. Sirius was obviously starving, but wouldn't go and buy his own stuff. How rude!

"Look. If you're going to try and leech off me, you can just leave now. I don't have time for people like that!" snapped James, giving Sirius a dark look. Sirius went bright red.

"I'm not... leeching off you. I can't aff-," Sirius trailed off, blushing furiously. James looked at him incredulously.

"You don't have any money!?! How do you live!?" asked James, completely baffled by the notion of poverty. Sirius went, if that was possible, even redder.

"I... We manage fine. I just... My mum forgot to give me any money..." James could tell Sirius was lying, but he was too shocked to care. The idea that not everyone had their every wish catered for immediately had hit him like a lead weight, and he was having trouble believing it possible that some people couldn't afford three knuts for a pumpkin pasty.

"I don't mind, you know. Nothing wrong with it... Here, have a pasty, or whatever you want," James was surprised by his own tolerance. Sirius, too, seemed surprised by this gesture, but his face split into a grin nonetheless.

"Thanks a million, James!" he said thickly through a mouthful of pumpkin pasty. He was grinning again, that was evident, even when he was taking large bites from a pumpkin pasty. Seeing this, James grinned. Sirius was kind of fun, really. For a stupid immature muggle.