Sirius was having a bad day. This was supposed to be a good day—the best day. It was the day he was going to Hogwarts!!
But it was not a good day. He had spilled his porridge that morning, and then Mother had yelled at him and made him clean it up by himself. And then the whole time he was in the train station she made him stand up straight—straighter than anyone should have to—and wouldn’t let him talk to anyone other than Bellatrix.
As soon as he got on the train, Bellatrix starting pinching him in the way she always did. She was going to be a fifth year this year, and had learned a pinching spell last summer that she loved to cast on Sirius. ¨Come on, Siri-poo, let’s introduce you to all my friends,¨ Bellatrix sang, maintaining her hold of the spell over Sirius. He realized with horror that he was crying, and that Bella’s friends were the very last people he wanted to meet.
So he ran.
He hid in a compartment way way way down the train, after he knew he’d lost Bellatrix somewhere in the hustle and bustle of all the jittery students reuniting with their friends. To be safe, he cowered just in front of the door to the empty compartment he’d made his way into.
Crying was annoying. His nose wouldn’t stop running, try as he might to rub away the snot.
Soon, he felt certain Bellatrix would have given up on searching for him. He went to get up, but before he got a chance to, the door to his hiding place slid open and a Black boy with a glorious Afro and spectacles almost ran into him.
“Alright, mate?” The boy said to him, looking a bit uncertain. “I was just looking for a compartment for Peter and I, didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Sirius could not stop staring at this boy. He had eyes that made him feel safe and the most open expression he’d ever seen. “My mum says I’m not supposed to talk to anyone other than my cousins.”
The other boy cocked his head at him, considering his words. After a moment, he said “Is your mum here now?”
Now that was a question. Sirius thought about it and weighed the other boy’s words. On the one hand, his mother was a very strict woman. On the other hand, his cousins were very cruel. And besides, this boy seemed fun. That settled it. Sirius stuck his hand out, his signet ring glinting from the light in the hallway. “My name is Sirius Black. Would you like to be my friend?”
The other boy looked at his hand, then grinned, big and wide. “Okay! I’m James Potter. Do you like exploding snap?”