"Walk Straight Through the Wall, James!"

Chapter One: "No one really dislikes their parents."

"What do you know about Hogwarts?" James asked, looking around at the other boys.
He knew a fair amount, but his parents said they didn't to "spoil the secrets" for him. They wanted him to figure out everything that the school offered on his own.

He knew the basics: the houses, some of the teachers, the classes, Quidditch (especially Quidditch!).

They had been sitting on the train for hours; hours that seemed like an eternity.
They exchanged few words, and the conversations that were held were forced by either James or Sirius.

Remus had very little to say, and Peter kept tripping over his words, making him speak less every time he got tongue-tied.

Sirius scoffed. "I know that my parents didn't want me to come - they hate Dumbledore. But, I refused to go to Durmstrang."

"Dumbledore's a great man," Remus said, softly.

"I think so too," Sirius said quickly, and maybe a little defensively. "Which is exactly why I wouldn't go to Durmstrang. I brought up the classes and the teachers; even they had to admit that Hogwarts' history at education is much better than Durmstrang's. It took a lot of convincing - my parents are completely pathetic, complete bigots."

None of the boys said anything for a minute, but then, Sirius laughed.
"Sorry to make the conversation awkward!"

"I think we didn't want to say anything that might upset you - anything about your parents... " James replied.

"Upset away - I can't stand them."

"Surely, you don't mean that," Peter said, with a bit of a chuckle. "No one really dislikes their parents -- "

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Oh, really?" he asked in a low voice. "You know that for a fact, do you?"

Peter looked surprised at Sirius' reaction. Clearly, he hadn't meant any offense.
"Oh, I - I didn't -- "

"Because, I'll have you know that I absolutely loathe my parents - I hate everything about them, and everything about the Black family name."

With a first glance at Sirius Black, he didn't seem very intimidating. He seemed rather normal -- tall, but not towering; skinny, but not sick; mischievous, but not dangerously so.
He had a handsome face, but he looked friendly.

But, looking at him now, he looked completely different - he looked infuriated, and the furthest thing from normal.
He had grey eyes, and they were no longer blinking kindly; he had straight teeth, which were no longer grinning, but gritted tightly, almost painfully.

"I don't think that Peter meant anything by it, Sirius," James said quietly.

The last thing he wanted was for Sirius to turn on him.

"Yeah," Sirius said, his voice calm again, not looking at James, but not quite looking at Peter.
"Yeah, you're right."

Peter still looked taken aback by the way Sirius had snapped and responded.

"What's your name again?" Sirius asked abruptly, turning his head to look at Remus.

"Remus," he answered in a small voice, barely looking up.

"Well, what's the matter with you?" Sirius asked. "Why are you so quiet?"

"Just shy, I guess," Remus answered, not fazed by the bluntness of Sirius' intruding questions.
He wasn't even looking at Sirius.

"Why?"

"That's just the way that I've always been," he replied, and glanced back up, his face defiant. "And I don't think it's any of your business, anyway."

Sirius just stared at him, and blinked.
Then he laughed. A loud laugh, and he smiled. "You're all right, Remus."

"Glad you approve," he muttered.

James smiled too.

Peter still looked surprised.

--

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in nearly ten minutes," a voice echoed through the compartment. "Please, leave your trunks on the train - they will be taken separately to the castle."

"I guess we'd better get dressed," Sirius mumbled and began rummaging through his trunk until he found his clothes.

The other three boys followed his lead, and soon they were clad in their long, black robes.

The train slowed to a stop, and all the compartment doors opened automatically. Looking from boy to boy, Remus and Peter's faces conveyed the way James felt. His stomach was all twisted and jumpy and squirmy.

Sirius was the only one who didn't look nervous at all. He had a sober look on his face, like he was concentrating on something very hard.
He was the first one to stand up, followed directly after by James.

James felt like his entire body was shaking, but he knew it wasn't.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked back at Remus, who was already looking at him.

"You coming?" James asked.

Remus just nodded, and stood as well, Peter close behind.
They filed out of the room, and down the main corridor of the train, leading out to a dark platform.
It was nearly impossible to see, but suddenly, a bright light illuminated the platform, and James saw the young, female professor that had scolded Sirius earlier.

"Alright, first years. I'm Professor McGonagall, and if you would, follow me. Right this way, please. Watch your step."
She held a lamp high above her head, and began to walk down the dark trail.

The light was so dim that it might as well have been nonexistent; almost nothing was lit up, save for a small circle around the professor.
They continued to follow the tiny speck of light until they saw a huge looming shadow in the distance.

After squinting and moving closer, with the light from the building, James was able to make out the outline of a large castle, and directly in front of them was a large lake with dark, black water.

"All here?" Professor McGonagall asked. "Good. Now, we need to cross the lake; the boats are over there, no more than four people to every one boat."

She led the way to the sandy shore, where about twenty little boats were floating, and climbed into one of them.

Sirius made his way to the nearest boat and got inside. James clambered in after him, and looked back over at Remus and Peter.

"Get in," Sirius called to them, and both boys followed suit into the boat.

After several minutes, Professor McGonagall looked around up straight. "Everyone in? Wonderful -- forward!"

The boats all lurched forward and began to move at once, sliding across the water toward the castle, which looked twice as big every time you looked up.
They sailed under a bridge covered in ivy, and through a tunnel with slime on the walls, until they reached another shore, this one covered in little rocks.

As the boats banked themselves, all the kids climbed out of their respective boats and onto the bank.

All craning their heads back to look up at the castle, the first years were staring with their mouths open.

Sirius stood back a little, and put his hands on his hips, nodding appreciatively. "So. This is Hogwarts."

James looked back at him and laughed; his reaction was so casual, while everyone else was gazing in awe.

"Come along!" Professor McGonagall called, and led them up the walkway toward the castle.

A flight of steps came next, until they reached a large wooden door at the front of the school.

"Everyone ready?" she asked loudly, looking around at the students, before turning to forcefully knock on the door three times.