Exploring
The trek to Gryffindor tower was long. The winding staircases shifted quickly and the prefects yelled for the group to stay together but James and his new little group hung to the back. Their boisterous laughter and conversation carried them, barely noticing the ostentatious decorations surrounding them.
“-then I ran face first into the painting-“ Sirius gasped through his laughter.
“If you lads don’t stop blathering you won’t know how to get in and I’ll let you sleep out here tonight” the head boy, Frank, yelled from the front of the crowd. “Now the password is Gillyweed, remember it or you’ll be sleeping on the quidditch pitch. Room assignments are on the door, don't ask to switch.” Frank smiled as he spoke which slightly didn’t match his harsh tone. James thought he was the coolest teenager he had ever seen.
“Gillyweed,” Frank said to the portrait of a large woman in a frilly pink dress, whose frame and painting swung open to reveal the Gryffindor common room. The boys clamored inside last and James was instantly hit with warmth from a large fireplace in the centre of the largest walls
Many older students had already arrived and were scattered catching up on worn comfortable sofas and armchairs in shades of maroon, burnt umber, and mustard. Large windows covered one wall directly next to two spiral staircases connected through one keyhole shaped door frame. James instantly experienced a rush of comfort, like sitting by his own home fireplace with his parents.
It was cosy and loud, smelt like cinnamon and tea leaves though slightly old and dusty. Many first years stuck to the edge of the room, unsure of where to sit or avoiding stepping on the toes of older students but Sirius and James proceeded to a sofa just past the fireplace and under one of the gorgeous windows. They lounged far back against the sofa, their feet dangling slightly off the ground. The view looked out over a bit of the lake they had crossed earlier, the garden of the castle and a dark vast forest. Though James could see stars back home it was nothing like the expanse of sky above Hogwarts. It was as though a million glow bugs were twirling overhead, and the twisting galaxies were the ones spinning them, the moon nearing its peak waltzing alongside.
“Other than your ring, what other magic stuff did you bring?” Remus asked after Sirius had finished his story about mayhem at his family's most recent party. James kept quiet about a certain item at the bottom of his trunk until a better more private moment arose.
“Nothing really, I tried to take this quill from my mother’s study that has permanent ink but she saw me, guess it’ll just be the wand and I”
“I can’t believe we’ll actually be doing magic tomorrow! I wanted to practise before we got here but dad rattled on and on about how he works for the ministry and it’s a bad look” Peter said, pulling out his wand and twisting it between his fingers. It was dragon heart string and vine wood. It was rather short, but so was Peter.
The boys began to rattle off about their new classes and Sirius and James’ many stories of mayhem caused until the common room had mostly emptied out and Frank told them to head up.
After climbing several levels of the spiral stairs Remus pointed at one of the oak doors, all the way at the end of a hall, and barely visible due to the darkness of the corridor.
“All our names are on that one”
“Mate you have seriously super human eyes” James laughed, clapping Remus on the shoulder as he tumbled down the hall. James’ own vision was bad even with his glasses especially because he took them on and off so frequently.
“I call the best bed” Sirius yelled running forward and James chased after him grabbing him round the shoulders to pull himself in front.
“Not if I get there first” James retorted and the boys roared laughing and wrestling their way through the entrance. James rushed to the bed furthest from the door while Sirius grabbed the bed next to it, closest to the heater in the centre of the room.
“I won!”
“No me!”
Remus plopped down onto the bed next to Sirius’ before getting up walking to the heater and cranking it up higher then plopping back down.
“Wanna have some Bertie Botts?” Peter shook the box to the other boys and Sirius and James dove in like they hadn’t just had perhaps the largest meal of any of their lives.
“Remus?” Peter shook the box offering once again.
“What are they?” Remus asked as he grabbed a bright yellow one.
“Jelly beans of every flavour, like really every flavour!” James exclaimed.
“How come you haven’t had them? They’re a classic” Peter said, his eyebrows rising up his face.
“Just not a sweets bloke” Remus replied before biting in and subsequently gagging.
***
Monday August 29th, 1971 - Hogwarts
“James, come on”
“Just let him be late”
“If he skips breakfast he’ll just eat you instead”
Remus chuckled in reply and James felt a large hand smack upside his head. Startled James looked up to see himself sprawled on Peter’s bed and Sirius curled at his feet.
“What day is it?” He tried to reshape his glasses as they had been flattened against his face, kicking Sirius’ shoulder in an attempt to awaken him.
“First day of class. We all fell asleep last night and no one set the alarm”
Memories from the night before flooded in as James continued to wake up, they had spent the whole night sitting between Peter and Remus’ beds talking and laughing, daring one another to try the grossest of the Bertie Botts. James realised they must have fallen asleep at some point before getting ready, his mouth still tasting of a particularly nasty puke bean.
He stumbled over to his trunk and pulled out his new uniform, throwing his trousers and button up on, barely spending the time to button it most of the way up his chest though mixing up a few of the buttons and throwing his tie around his neck without tying it. Remus had seemed to be fully dressed buttoned in from head to toe just missing his tie and Peter was nearing the same, tying his tie over and over unable to get it just right. Fortunately, Sirius was matching James in his own thrown together uniform, barely spending the time to flatten his dark hair before all four boys ran out of the room down to breakfast. Where they spent all of 5 minutes eating as much as humanly possible.
Just in time for class to begin the boys threw themselves down into their seats, Sirius still chewing the peach danish in his hand. James was incredibly jealous, he hadn’t thought to take something with him; he wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“There will be no eating in this class.” Suddenly Sirius’ danish turned into a saucer. James was not so jealous anymore; Sirius had been mid bite when his tooth crunched on porcelain.
“There will be well dressed pupils in this class” the boys’ shorts were tucked and ties tied perfectly. James nearly choked from the speed at which his shirt was buttoned to the highest button. He immediately undid the first two and loosened his tie just slightly as did Sirius, Remus too pulled his tie a bit, but Peter left his done just so.
James turned to see the stern woman who had corrected them and took in her imposing figure, tall with grey hair and glasses perched on the top of her long nose. Like someone’s grandma but way scarier.
The lesson began with reading from the A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration which James had read this summer.
He had gotten up on his broom with his back laying against the wood, precariously balanced, and directed Peter to throw the book up to him. Preparing for Hogwarts and practicing core strength simultaneously. He was a genius. Though a bit less so when he fell asleep lazily floating in circles and nearly fell off his broom.
His book slammed shut jarring him out of summer memories and his trio of boys sniggered behind him. James stared up at Professor Mcgonagall from behind his gold rimmed lenses.
“Your name?” She demanded
“James. Potter, James Potter” he replied sticking out his hand for a shake, wholly certain she would not be shaking back but uncertain where this was going.
“Well Mr. Potter, what did I just say?”
Uhhhhh
“Your name?”
“Pardon me Mr. Potter”
“You asked my name Professor,” James said, smiling innocently. He could hear Sirius beside him choking on his attempt to hold in his laughter, Remus knocking his face against his hand, and poor Peter breathing hard. Professors made Peter nervous.
“I asked you to take out your wand as we begin the practical portion of this class. Saucers into beetles as I just was explaining Mr. Potter!” she turned sharply on her heel and began towards the head of class.
James reached into his bag and ruffled around for a second. No wand.
He checked his pockets and his sleeves.
No wand.
He checked behind his ear and in Sirius’ pockets.
No wand.
“You must have left it on the sofa” Peter whispered loudly.