The Train
The moment he stepped through the wall he was overcome with a strong smell, he couldn’t place what it was though. The air was dense, he assumed that was just up to the steam from the engine that was gleaming in the sunlight. It all looked so magical.
Remus could not believe his eyes he just stopped and stared at all the people rushing passed, they all looked so busy and important. His eyes locked on a boy with shaggy black hair, his mother was fussing with his hair trying to make it look neat, but that was an impossible task for the boy kept on messing it up again.
“Sirius Orion Black, stop messing your hair up. You need to look neat today, for you will make us proud” The woman shouted at him, barely audible by others but Remus heard her loud and clear. Her voice sent a shrill through his bones, she reminded him of Matron bust the only major difference was that her accent was French.
“But mum it’s my hair. Let me do what I want” Sirius said turning his head and accidentally making eye contact with Remus, who out of sheer embarrassment turned around and walked right into Euphemia.
“Oh, Remus. Are you ok?” Euphemia looked concerned for the boy, Remus however looked unphased by this. “Walburga, that is no way to speak to a child.” She was now waking over to Sirius and his mother. James had run off by this point, he’d seen one of his friends who had mousy brown hair and was rather short for his age.
“Run along now boys, you don’t want to miss your train. Do you?” Euphemia said to Remus and Sirius, she still used a calm tone unlike the one she used to Walburga only a moment before.
“Thank you, Euphemia” Remus responded whilst walking away.
“Effie, please”
Remus grabbed his trunk, which James had thrown on the floor to get at his before he walked off. This did not bother Remus for the trunk was not new, it was second hand from someone at the home, he only knew it was his by his initials R.J.L. which were painted on with gold paint. He slowly walked to the scarlet steam engine glistening in the sun, he only fastened when he heard the conductor shout that it was the final call for those boarding the train. Remus tried to get to the train door quickly when suddenly he felt a hand on his collar and he was whisked aboard the train. If he was a moment later he would have missed the train, Matron would have been furious. Not that she would have known, but that’s not the point.
Remus looked up in order to thank the person who saved him, but no one was there. A voice came from below him. “Hello, my name is Lily. Just in the knack of time I say, what’s your name? Come this way there is a seat in our carriage” Remus had no say in where they were going, she was dragging him, rather gently, through to her carriage.
“My name is Remus, nice to meet you. Thanks for the hand” Remus finally got a word in, she sounded like she was from the midlands but he wasn’t sure.
“Oh, you’re Welsh!” she sounded shocked by this, “I have never met a Welsh person before”
“Yeah, I am” Remus was confused by this, he didn’t know just how thick his accent is.
They got to some seats and Lily indicated to Remus that he should put his trunk on the rack above. There was another boy in the carriage, he gave Remus a dirty look. This did not bother Remus, he had grown accustomed to them.
“Sev, this is Remus. He is Welsh,” she seemed rather proud of the fact that he is Welsh “please be kind to him. Remus, this is Sev, sorry Severus.”
“Hello, Remus” he used a snarky tone, Remus didn’t understand why but he ignored it “I just want to be left alone so I can do some preparing for the term ahead.”
Remus took a seat next to Lily, she had fiery red hair and piecing green eyes. Her eyes were comforting and she seemed like someone who he would be friends with maybe one of his first proper friends.
The train was warm and the windows rattled with each movement of the train. The seats were uncomfortable, but the atmosphere was unlike anything anyone had ever experienced. It was bubbling full of joy and excitement for the term ahead, there were conversations flowing from new students who are excited for the new adventures waiting for them.
All of a sudden there was a bang on the door, someone had fallen into it. There was a scuffle outside, Remus was intrigued, Lily got up to have a look and Severus let out a massive sigh. As Lily looked out the door someone jumped up and scared her, it was the boy that James had ran off to see. James walked into view and looked shocked when he saw Remus in the carriage which his friend had just ran into. He slowly walked towards the door.
When James reached the door he opened it and announced “I am James Potter, me and my friend were wondering if we could take a seat here.” He sounded extra pretentious when he said this. Lily looked at him confused and let them into the carriage.
“Thank you” muttered the short boy who had only fallen into the door a moment before, his face was bright red.
“My name is Lily, this is Remus, and this is Severus” she said this whilst pointing to them in turn. Remus waved as she pointed at him, whilst Severus just huffed and turned to face the window.
“My name is Peter, and you have already met James” Peter said, sounding exasperated by his friends introduction. They took their seats opposite Lily and Remus, with James sitting next to Severus (Severus was not impressed with that idea).
They all talked amongst themselves for about an hour until there was another knock at the door, this time however it was not from someone falling into it. It was from Sirius, the boy with the longish messy black hair.
“Do you guys mind if I join you, there is nowhere else to sit” Sirius asked, he was much more polite than his mother, but spoke with a thick French accent mixed with what Remus believed to be how the queen would talk.
“Yeah, of course, the more the merrier” Lily replied, “Remus, shuffle up so then he can sit next to you” Remus did as he was told and shuffled up closer to Lily.
At this point they were half way through the journey, they were all getting tired. Remus had almost fallen asleep when Severus mentioned something about the sorting ceremony, this woke Remus up almost instantly.
“What’s a sorting ceremony?” asked Remus
“Have you not done any reading” Lily questioned
“No, was I meant to. I don’t have any of the books” Remus replied
“The sorting ceremony is where you get sorted into one of the 4 houses, Gryffindor Ravenclaw Hufflepuff or Slytherin, which will be the basis for everything you do at Hogwarts. It will place which dorm you will be in, where your points get given to and at the end of the year the house with the most points will win the house cup.” Explained James who had clearly done his research.
“Here, read this it may make more sense. Its Hogwarts: A History” Lily passed Remus the book for him to read. Remus opened the book to a page full of dancing words, he tried to read it but he just couldn't read it.
“Thanks Lily,” Remus replied, “I’ll read it when we get to Hogwarts, I get travel sick” This my have been a lie as Remus didn’t know if he got travel sick, but the words were moving too much for him to read it.
“I am going to be in Slytherin” announced Severus, he sounded rather cocky when he announced this.
“Well, I sure hope I am in Gryffindor” James responded “They are way better-”
“You’re wrong Slytherin is better” Severus retaliated.
They spent almost the rest of the journey arguing about which house is better. Remus stopped paying attention and fell asleep for the rest of the journey.