The Original Mapmakers

Chapter 2

Hogwarts

Peter Pettigrew fought his way through the throng of people in Diagon Alley. He seemed nervous, flinching whenever someone touched him. He couldn't believe it. He'd forgotten how to get to Platform 9 ¾.

Pettigrew, you are such an idiot, he thought to himself. And it's not like you're a Muggle-born or anything. You should know where you're going.

He stopped to look at the note his mother had given him before he left. Peter, I love you, sweetheart, it read. Blah, blah, blah, he thought. If she really loved him, she would have come with him to the station.

"Lost?" said a voice. Peter turned around to see two boys grinning mischievously at him. "You going to Hogwarts?"

"Yeah," he said shyly, feeling the red creep into his face.

"I'll bet you're Muggle-born," said one of them. He had slightly long dark brown hair.

"No," he said softly. "I'm a pure-blood, but I sometimes get lost or lose things," he said, ducking his head.

"That's okay," said the other one with messy dark hair, throwing his arm around Peter's shoulders. "We'll show you the way."

"James!" yelled a voice. "Hold on, got to wait for my mum and dad," said the messy-haired kid. The other boy rolled his eyes. Peter laughed.

They waited while a kind-looking lady and a strong-faced man made their way toward them. "Couldn't let my boy go without giving him a good-bye hug," said the man, grabbing James and ruffling his hair.

"Geroff, Dad, you're embarrassing me," cried James. Just then a girl with bright red hair came running up to them, her parents and sister in tow.

The girl stopped to catch her breath. "Glad to see you guys," she said, looking up. She had the greenest eyes Peter had ever seen.

"That would be a first," snorted the other guy, whose name was apparently Sirius.

"You shut your mouth, Black," snapped the girl, hands on her hips. "I know who put the eel eggs in my cereal this morning."

Peter watched as the boys howled with laughter. He certainly hoped that he could be friends with them.

Peter listened as the adults explained to him and Lily how to get onto Platform 9 ¾. Then he watched as in ones and twos they disappeared into the barrier. Soon he was the only one left besides the Muggle parents. He took a deep breath and ran as fast as he could toward the border. He shut his eyes tight. He wasn't going to make it.

Then suddenly he exploded into bright sunlight. A scarlet steam engine stood whistling on the tracks. He looked around. Apparently James and Sirius had already gotten in trouble, because James's mother had taken them to the side and was yelling at them. He saw the red-haired girl talking to some guy. He sighed and made his way up to the Potters.

James's mother had apparently gotten over being mad, because she suddenly embraced him, cryin, "Oh, my boy's going off to school."

Lily was now bringing the guy over to them. He was tall, and looked out of place in his shabby robes. He looked uncomfortable, and said something about having to load his luggage, and was off.

James stared after him. "So, who's your new friend, Lily?" he asked, trying not to smirk.

"That's Remus, the guy who helped me find my way back to Diagon Alley," said Lily, not noticing the grin coming onto Sirius's face.

"He's creepy," said Sirius, his grin growing wider. "He looks like a vampire."

"Oh, he does not," said Lily, exasperatedly, then paused. "Okay, well, maybe he does, but he's really nice," she told them.

The steam engine blew. "Time to go, kids," said James's father.

"Promise to send us an owl," said his mother.

James sighed. "I promise, Mom." And they were off.

Lily found a separate compartment with some older kids in it to sit with, but the boys, including Peter, found a near- empty compartment in the back. Unfortunately, the boy that looked like a vampire had also found this compartment.

"Can we sit here?" asked James. The boy nodded without a word.

He really does look creepy, thought Sirius. Sirius had always loved old Muggle movies, and he could almost hear a Russian violin playing every time he saw Remus.

However, right now, Remus looked very tired and pale. Now that he saw him up close, James was starting to feel bad about making fun of him and thought that he might really be sick.

He sat down beside him. "So," he said to him. Remus jerked up, surprised at being talked to. "Are you a first year, too?" asked James.

"Yeah," said Remus, averting his eyes.

James tried again. "Do you know how they're going to do the Sorting?"

"No," said Remus, turning away. After that only James, Sirius, and Peter talked, and it might have stayed that way until a little while later some very unwelcome people showed up at their compartment door.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here? First years?" said a cold drawling voice coming from a thin tall boy with white-blonde hair.

The two huge guys beside him who looked like body guards chuckled stupidly. The others just glared.

"Who are you?" said Sirius, narrowing his eyes.

"Lucius Malfoy. And these two beside me are Crabbe and Goyle. And that's Avery and Lestrange." Avery and Lestrange glared like vultures.

"And who is that? Is that Lupin?" said Malfoy in a cold mocking voice.

Remus glared silently. Sirius stood up. "Why don't you go away?" he said, his hand clenching around his new wand.

"Because I just wanted to warn you in case any of you are Muggle born that your kind isn't welcome at Hogwarts," said Malfoy.

"What does that have to do with anything?" yelled Sirius, bringing out his wand.

"Well, I assumed you might be since I saw you talking to that ugly red-headed Mudblood a minute ago." James and Sirius raised there wands in unison to say a hex, but Remus got there first.

"Argh!" yelled Malfoy, blood dripping down his face after Remus had slammed his fist into his nose. His "bodyguards" jumped on Remus, who in turn got jumped on by Sirius and James, who hurled several hexes. The fight was then broken up by prefects in the next compartment, who healed everyone and promised to take points out of Slytherin and also whatever house the first years got into.

"Wow, that was so cool," said James admiringly to Remus, who smiled for the first time since they had met him.

"Well, I can't stand Malfoy," said Remus. "I met him a few weeks ago when I was in Diagon Alley. He doesn't like me because our fathers used to work together and don't get along."

And that was how their friendship started. They talked all the way to Hogwarts, sharing candy they got from the nice lady with the cart. Apparently Remus really liked chocolate, because he traded the stuff he bought for all their chocolate frogs and ended up with quite a collection of cards.

All too soon, the train slowed and came to a screeching halt. Everyone got their stuff and piled out.

"Firs' years this way!" called the voice of the biggest man any of them had ever seen, who's name was Hagrid. He seemed very nice, though, because he winked at them behind his mane of hair.

They climbed into a boat, and off they went through water weeds and ivy, only just having time to marvel at the pretty sights.

The four boys got a have a boat all to themselves, but Lily had to get on a boat with some girl named Jaime and a greasy-haired guy. This didn't bother her too much, though, because the guy didn't talk much and Jaime seemed easy to get along with. On the train, Lily had found a compartment to sit in with all Ravenclaw prefects, so she was glad to find someone her age. Apparently she wasn't the only one Muggle-born and nervous about the sorting.

Suddenly the boats passed through a wall of ivy and came upon what must be their new school. All the first years let out an "Ah!" of wonder at the huge spiraling towers and the hundreds of windows that seemed to be eyes staring out at them from the school's dark walls.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Hogwarts."