What a Curious Meeting

James Potter kicked his long time friend Sirius Black squarely in the shin.

"What didja do that for?!" The taller boy screamed, at an admittedly high pitch. He turned his attention away from the promising looking garbage can, and glared at his friend.

James stared at his friend for a moment, before walking again. "Look, Sirius, let's try to get to the train before your 'overactive' curiosity delays us any more!"

The other boy, limping slightly, pouted at his friend. "Now that's not fair! You know that my mummy says I just get distracted easily! Ooh, look, chips!" He turned back to the greasy vendor, but before he could get anywhere, his friend pulled him back.

"Sirius! We have to get on that train! Think about it, if we don't, all these dungbombs will just go to waste!" He shifted his bag uncomfortably and walked on, dragging his friend by the collar behind him. "And you're attracting the muggles' attention!"

This continued for some time until the two boys, now very much one chain, came to their destination. Sirius pushed James off his collar, and looked admiringly at the dirty wall sign. "Between platforms nine and ten, is 9 ¾! Oh, ye of infamy!" He turned to James. "James, do you realize that once we enter here, we will finally be real Hogwarts students?! I don't know if I can do it! I think I need more time being a dumb uneducated part of the angry mass!"

"Come on Sirius," James said sharply. "We'll be fine. I mean, our parents are already through that gate. We'll go in together!"

The two boys clapped hands for a moment before reeling away. They stared at each other uncomfortably, before grasping hands again, and wincing slightly. Slowly, they began to walk to the barrier, Sirius still limping slightly on his left. But after a moment, they hit the barrier.

James smiled cheekily at Sirius. "See? We're fine!"

"I dunno," Sirius countered. "Is it...supposed to take this long to get through?"

James glared at him. "What? I thought that you were just holding us up!"

"No way," the taller boy corrected. "This is something freaky on its own."

"I'd say so," said James, nodding his head.

A few moments later, the boys were deposited back on the ground in a clumsy heap. "Oof," said James, pushing Sirius off his legs.

Sirius glared at him. "What happened to your 'graceful as a cat' metaphor you used yesterday?!"

By this time, James had managed to get up, and was now wiping his trousers sloppily with his hand. "That was yesterday," he said sorely. "Today I'm more graceful like an elephant."

Sirius snorted in response, and began to pick bits of twigs out of his hair. "Huh? Twigs? Sure, we know the muggles are crazy, but who puts a tree in a train station?!"

James elbowed Sirius sharply in the side. "Don't be an ass! We're not at the train station anymore!"

Sigh. "Well then where are we?!" Sirius was beginning to become hysterical.

"Stop worrying Sirius," James said soothingly. "We're at Godric's Hollow, I can tell by the trees. I bet my Mum and Dad are already home. They'll....find some way for us to get to Hogwarts!" With that, James adjusted the bag on his bag and started walking along the woody area to his home. Sirius gave a frantic squeak and ran after James, trying to convince himself that he hadn't just squealed like a girl.

~*~

"Oh, sure, 'stop worrying Sirius!' 'We're at Godric's Hollow, Sirius!' Well, what happened to your cocky attitude now?" Sirius panted as he continued to walk up a large hill.

James glared again at Sirius, for the second time of the day. "It must have gotten fed up with you about an hour ago!" He continued to trudge on. "Look! Are my eyes deceiving me? Sirius, do you see it too?"

Sirius looked straight ahead. "Yeah, I see it. A bloody great house. Looks kinda like yours, mate."

"'Cept it's not mine. Come on, we'll go and find out. Maybe my parents decided to try something new for a while." He grabbed Sirius' sleeve and pulled him along.

At least, he attempted to pull him along, until he hit a solid wall. That happened to be invisible. And even more baffling was that the wall seemed to hold a grudge against James. Sirius was easily able to pass through, and took the opportunity to taunt James about this fact.

"Ha ha! Look who can get through! Look who can't! Nyah nyah!" Sirius began to contort his face into several mocking poses.

"Shut up Sirius! Or maybe your face will get stuck that way!" James stuck out his tongue.

"I don't think so! Besides, even with my face like this," he stuck his finger in his mouth and closed an eye, "I still look better than you!"

James' face screwed in fury and red blotches covered his face. But before he could respond, another voice interrupted him.

"Stay where you are!" a wand was extended from a shadowy bush. "You have triggered my wards, and the Aurors will be here any minute! Just....surrender now and neither of you will be hurt!"

James' fury doubled at this remark. "Wards? This is my house! Or at least where my house should be! How dare you block me! Why does Sirius get to come in and not me?!"

The man stepped out of the shadows. Still gripping his wand, though a look of relief passed his face when he saw how young the intruders truly were. "Your house? This is my house, I assure you. I hold the deed, and you may see it, if you are so set on being sure."

Sirius was the one to respond this time. "Look, whoever you are, this is definitely James' home. I've been here tons of times. See, I trapped James in that tree last year," he pointed to a large barren tree in the distance, and screwed a face. "Though it seems a bit worse for the wear," he turned to his friend. "James, what do you Potters do to your plant life?!" He turned to the man, and gave him his most menacing stare, which was not hard as the man was only a few inches taller than the 11 year old boy himself. "What a curious scar, you've got there, mate!"

The man threw his wand down in annoyance. "What the hell is going on here?!"

Of course, that was when the Aurors arrived, and all hell broke loose.