The Train Ride
Peter breathed a sigh of relief as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, leaving his parents behind. He had been nervous about leaving home, but now that he was on his way to Hogwarts, he felt a sense of excitement growing inside him. As he looked out of the window, he saw the rolling hills and forests of the British countryside passing by, and he wondered what other wonders the wizarding world held.
Suddenly, the door to his compartment slid open, and three boys walked in. Peter sat up straight, feeling his heart racing in his chest. The first boy had messy black hair and glasses, the second had dark hair and a sly grin, and the third had sandy hair and a quiet demeanour.
"Hi, I'm James Potter," said the boy with glasses. "This is Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. We're starting our first year at Hogwarts. Looks like you are too"
"Um, hi," Peter said, feeling his voice trembling a little "I am... It's nice to meet you all.."
"Mind if we join you?" Sirius asked, grinning. "We're trying to make some new friends, It's how we found each other anyways."
Peter nodded, feeling a little unsure of himself. He had never been good at making friends, but he didn't want to be alone on the train.
It had been quiet at first, all the boys sitting in the compartment with the only noise being the puffing of the train, that is before James spoke up, knowing he may as well try and take the lead.
"So, where are you guys from?" James asked, looking to Sirius who sat next to him before looking towards Peter and Remus.
"I'm from London," Sirius said, leaning back in his seat. "My parents are purebloods, I'm sure you've heard of them. All they care about is their pureblood status.. Doesn't help they're all in Slytherin too." He sighed
James Potter looked at Sirius with interest, "I've heard of the Black family, they're quite well known in the wizarding world, must be hard to be related to them." He then turned to Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew and asked, "Have you guys heard of them?"
Remus nodded, "Yes, I've heard of them. They're known for their pureblood ideology and their association with the Dark Arts. I'd be surprised if anyone hadn't heard of them."
Peter, on the other hand, looked a bit uncomfortable. "I don't really know much about purebloods or anything like that," he said quietly "I think my parents have mentioned it a few times but I didn't think it mattered too much..."
James nodded and turned back to Sirius, "But that doesn't matter to us, mate. We're not interested in pureblood ideology or anything like that. We're just here to learn magic and have a good time." He smiled and nudged Sirius, Peter could tell the two were already great friends, even if they just knew each other from today. "What about you Remus?" James then asked.
"I'm from the countryside near Oxford," Remus said quietly. "My moms a muggles, my dad is a wizard. Works in the ministry and such, nothing too interesting." He nodded, looking over to Peter in hopes he wouldn't have to say much more.
"Well.. uhm.. I'm from a small town in Wales," Peter said, feeling a little embarrassed. "My parents are both wizards, but they're not very adventurous. They've never left Wales, and they don't know much about the wider wizarding world."
"That's cool," James said, smiling. "We all come from different backgrounds, but we're all here at Hogwarts now. It's a fresh start for all of us." He grinned. "My parents are both Wizards, my dad being a potioneer and has his own company. My mom on the other hand just stays at home and helps around where she can."
As the train rattled on, the boys chatted about their favourite magical creatures, their hobbies, and their hopes for Hogwarts. James and Sirius told stories about their families, while Peter and Remus listened with interest. Peter was amazed by the diversity of their experiences, and he felt grateful to have made such friendly acquaintances so quickly.
"So, what houses do you guys want to be in?" Sirius asked, looking around the compartment at the others.
"I want to be in Gryffindor," James said, grinning. "It's where all the brave and daring people go, plus both of my parents are in Gryffindor so I don't see why I wouldn't be in the house."
"I don't really care," Remus said with a shrug. "I just hope I'm not in Slytherin."
"Well my whole family is in Slytherin but I know I can prove them different when I get into Gryffindor. I'd take any house but Slytherin." Sirius said with a shake of his head.
"Sirius, I don't think the Sorting Hat takes family history into account. It will sort you based on your own qualities and traits. But no matter which house you end up in, you'll still be our friend." Remus said with a small nod
James nodded with agreement "Don't worry about it, mate. Slytherin isn't all bad, and we won't judge you based on which house you end up in. As long as we're all together at Hogwarts, that's all that matters."
"I agree with James. We're all friends no matter what house we're in. And who knows, maybe Slytherin will surprise you." Peter said trying to be uplifting about it. He had known these three boys for not even the entire train ride yet but he was glad he could already call them friends. "I don't think I'm very brave, but I don't want to be in Slytherin either." Peter said a bit anxious now
"Don't worry," Remus said, Looking over at Peter "You've got what it takes to be a Gryffindor. We'll look out for each other, no matter what house we end up in. It's about the person you are anyways.. Not what House you're in.
Peter felt a warm feeling spreading through his chest. He had never had friends like these before, and he was excited to see what adventures awaited them at Hogwarts. As the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station, the boys gathered their things and headed off the Hogwarts Express, ready to start their new lives at the greatest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.