It Only Hurts When I Breathe

Harry sat on his bed at Privet Drive the week after his fifth year at Hogwarts ended. The photo album Hagrid had given him was in his lap, and he absently turned the pages. As he turned the page, he saw the photo of his parent's wedding. Waving and smiling with his parents, was Sirius. Harry felt a lump form in his throat as he looked at his dead godfather. In an attempt to stop any tears from falling, he looked over to his mother, then noticed the woman on her other side. She had long, wavy brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was laughing animatedly with Lily and Harry suddenly wondered why he had never noticed her before.

"Who are you?" he whispered to the woman. "Were you friends with my parents, too?"

"Grace, wake up! We've got to get an early start to the platform before it gets crowded!" Mrs. Prewett bellowed as she rushed up the narrow staircase. "Your brothers are waiting in the car already!" She barreled down the hallway until she came to the last room and wrenched open the door. "Grace! Did you hear me?"

"Coming, Mother." The blankets slowly rolled off the head of a young girl, barely eleven years old. She tiredly dragged herself from the bed and began to dress for the coming day. As she pulled a brush through her dark brown hair a voice shrieked from the kitchen below.

"Hurry up, Grace, the train won't wait forever!"

Grace let out a heavy sigh as she looked at the clock on her dresser. 9:30. The Hogwarts Express left at 11:00. Fifteen minutes later, Grace Prewett emerged from the stairway, clad like a muggle in a sweatshirt and jeans. But, she also was dragging a large trunk and an owl cage with her barn owl, Terence.

"My stars, child, we're going to be late! Hurry up now." Mrs. Prewett ushered Grace out the door and into the garden, her trunk floating along behind.

"C'mon! You're slower than a tortoise with three legs," her brothers Gideon and Fabian cried as she approached the car. "We've got to get there soon or else there won't be any good seats left."

Nearly an hour later they were walking briskly through the station, Grace's belongings stuffed onto a trolley. She could barely contain her excitement; for the past several weeks she could do nothing but talk about going to the legendary Hogwarts. "There it is! Mum, Dad, there's the barrier," she said in a loud voice, barely containing the excitement bubbling up inside of her.

"Yes, we know exactly where it is. Keep your voice down, this place is full of Muggles," her father whispered as they leaned casually against the gray stone barrier between platforms 9 and 10; seconds later they strolling across Platform 9 3/4 toward one of the center compartments.

"Goodbye, sweethearts," Mrs. Prewett said as she leaned down to kiss Grace and her brothers on their cheeks.

"Honestly, Mum, you'd think we're going to Azkaban!" Gideon and Fabian blushed crimson and ran away to reunite with their friends.

"Take care of your sister!" Mrs. Prewitt called after them. They waved back in acknowledgement. "Be careful darling. Send us an owl as soon as you get there so we know you're safe," Mrs. Prewett said with tears in her eyes.

Grace rolled her eyes. "Oh Mum, I'm only going to be gone until Christmas! Seriously, I'll be fine."

A tall thin man with sandy brown hair slipped away from the crowd and shook hands with Grace's father. "Well, well, look who we have here, it's John and Sylvia Prewett! And look whom else we have, this young lady must be little Grace! I haven't seen you since you were a wee little thing. How've you been, John?"

"Merlin's beard, if it isn't Artemis Lupin, I haven't seen you in ages. How's Eliza?" Grace's father said while he unloaded Grace's belongings from the trolley.

"Fine, fine. Oh! I'm sure you remember my son; he and your daughter Grace are about the same age, First years?"

Grace's mother stepped forward. "Of course we remember Remus! He was such a polite little boy. Where is he now?"

"Right over there. Remus! Come here son." Grace turned around to see a young boy walking towards them. He stopped beside Mr. Lupin and held out his hand.

"Hello, I'm Remus."

She studied him carefully; he was very thin, with light brown hair and hazel eyes flecked with gold. They were old looking, as though he was carrying the all of the sorrows of the world inside him. "Hello, Remus, wonderful to see you again. This is our daughter, Grace. She's starting her first year as well," Mr. Prewett told Remus as he shook his hand vigorously.

Suddenly Mrs. Prewett cried, "Look at the time! The both of you children hurry up onto the train. Be a good girl, Grace, run along now."

Grace and Remus climbed aboard the train amidst loud choruses of "Goodbye," and "Don't forget to send an owl," from students and parents alike. As the train began slowly trundling down the track they settled down in an empty compartment and waved at their parents until they were out of sight. The two children conversed quietly until a small girl approached their compartment. Her deep auburn hair curled riotously around her face and she stared at them with astonishingly bright green eyes.

"May I sit here?" she asked shyly.

"Oh, yes of course. My name's Grace and he's Remus, what's your name?" Grace said this all very quickly as she helped the girl stow her trunk in the overhead compartment.

"Lily Evans. Are you both first years?"

"Yeah, you?" Remus asked.

"Yes," a disembodied voice called from the aisle. Two boys came in from the next compartment and settled next to Remus. "What House do you want to be in?" the skinny boy with black hair that stuck up at odd angles asked to no one in particular. "By the way, I'm James Potter and this git here is Sirius Black." Sirius elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

"Have you known each other long?" Grace asked them.

"No, we met when we got on the train." Sirius had black hair also, but it was naturally smooth and sleek, and Grace could already see that he was going to be very good looking someday.

"Houses?" queried Lily. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, are you Muggle?" Remus asked.

"Yes, are you?"

Remus shrugged. "Only half. My dad's a Wizard, Mum's Muggle. What about you two?" He gestured at James and Sirius.

"We're both purebloods," James said.

"Me too," Grace told them.

"Anyways," James said importantly. "There are four houses to be sorted into. Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

"Ugh! Whoever wants sorted into Slytherin must be pretty dim," Grace said, making a face.

"My whole family's been in Slytherin as long as anyone can remember," Sirius said sourly. "But think I'd like a change of scenery."

The trolley witch approached their compartment and each child purchased a wide assortment of its foods.

"What do you mean by that?" Lily asked him, with a slightly confused look on her face.

"Well, I've seen what Slytherin puts out, and I don't believe I'd like to be like them. My cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa are in Slytherin, they're fifth and seventh years." It was this point in the ride to Hogwarts that James and Sirius began Slytherin bashing. This went on for several minutes, with Remus occasionally adding a comment.

"My brothers Gideon and Fabian are fourth and fifth years. Gideon is the new Gryffindor prefect too," Grace said, trying to turn the conversation from James and Sirius' verbal abuse of Slytherin. The five children continued to ponder the thought of which houses they would be sorted into and their expectations about the coming year until the train came to a sudden halt.

"We're here!" Remus exclaimed exuberantly.

They clambered off the train and stood on the platform wonderingly until a loud voice called, "First years, First years over here!" A very tall, rather weedy looking man stood at the end of the platform, swinging a lantern to and fro in his outstretched hand. "My name is Ogg and I am the Gamekeeper here at Hogwarts. I will be leading you across the Great Lake in boats to the castle. Whatever you do, do NOT allow any arms, legs, or other miscellaneous appendages to touch the water. There are things down there that you don't want to be caught by!"

Several little knots of children followed Ogg to the edge of a large lake. The children whispered among themselves as they clambered into the boats after the man and began their trip across the lake. The cluster of first years followed him up to the castle until he handed them over to a strict looking witch in the entrance hall. The students began to whisper nervously again until the witch held up her hands.

"Silence! Now, my name is Professor McGonagall, and before we enter the Great Hall for the banquet, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. During your stay here, your house will become your family. Success will earn you points, but any rule breaking will cause your house to lose points. The house cup will be awarded at the end of the year to the house with the most points. Now line up and follow me." She turned and opened the doors to the Great Hall. They nervously followed her up the center aisle to the front where an old stool had been placed on the floor. Upon the stool was an even older, tattered hat.

"What d'you think we've go to do?" Remus whispered into her ear.

"How should I know?" she answered, but at that time, the hat began to sing.

It was a thousand years ago,

When I was still brand new,

That I was taught to think and talk,

To choose your house for you.

Brave Gryffindor, Loyal Hufflepuff,

Wise Ravenclaw, Shrewd Slytherin.

Each house has its virtues,

So hop up and settle in,

And put me on your head to see

Which house I'll sort you in!

At the song's end the students applauded loudly and Professor McGonagall called out, "Anderson, Thomas!"

A tall thin boy walked nervously up to the stool, sat down, and put the hat upon his head. The Great Hall fell silent. After a few moments the hat shouted "Ravenclaw!" and the boy ran over to the table where its students were clapping the hardest.

Professor McGonagall continued to call out names until she came to, "Black, Sirius!" He boldly strode up and pulled the hat over his eyes.

It took the hat a few minutes, and then it shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Grace turned toward the Slytherin table where two girls, probably Bellatrix and Narcissa looked furious. She could tell Sirius was going to take some heat from his family.

"Evans, Lily!"

Lily went up to the stool, red curls bouncing, and tentatively put on the hat. With a few seconds deliberation, the hat sang out, "Gryffindor!" Flashing Grace a large smile, she went across to the Gryffindor table.

"Lupin, Remus!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Potter, James!"

James grinned at Sirius and plopped down on the stool. "Gryffindor!" the hat said.

"Prewitt, Grace!" Grace strode deliberately towards the stool, and as she turned to sit she caught her brothers' eyes at the Gryffindor table. They grinned and gave her the thumbs-up.

"Hmmmm," the hat said. "You are intelligent, brave, and rather cunning. But I think loyalty will be your most important asset." It paused, and then shouted, "Gryffindor!"

The sorting continued until, "Zink, Patricia!" was sorted into Hufflepuff.

Professor Dumbledore, whom had been pointed out to Grace by an older Gryffindor, stood and said, "Before the feast begins, I have a few announcements. First, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students, our caretaker Mr. Filch has posted a few requests in your common rooms which he would like you to read, and may the feast begin!"

With this, dozens of dishes began to instantly appear on the tables. The hungry students ate with relish; and the group of first years began to renew their conversations.

"It's mad, isn't it?" James said as he bit into a chicken leg.

"What?" Lily asked.

"We sat together on the train, and now we're all in the same house," he said. He turned to his left and looked a few seats down. "Hey, that boy there." He pointed to a small, mousy looking boy anxiously picking at his plate. "He's Pettigrew, right?"

Remus craned his neck to see. "Oh yes, I think so. Why?"

"He's a first year too; let's ask him to sit with us," Grace said. "Oy, Pettigrew, over here!"

The boy turned swiftly to look at them and said suspiciously, "What do you want?"

"We're first years too, come sit with us," Grace called and motioned him over. His face brightened and he scrambled over to sit next to Lily.

"My name's Peter," he told them.

And with that the little group became fast friends, and eventually, legends. They followed the prefects, one of whom was Grace's brother Gideon to the Gryffindor common room and then up the stairs to the dormitories. Three other girls, whom Grace and Lily learned were Morgana McDonald, Antonia Phillips and Carrie King, were arranging their thing in the first year dormitory.

As the occupants of the castle drifted off to sleep, the six Gryffindors had no way of knowing it then, but their tightly-knit group would impact their lives in ways they would have never dreamed.