Totally forgotten disclaimer: I do not own JK's characters, but I do own my original characters added and needed for story.

Hogwarts

Marauders Era

Chapter 1 – The Hogwarts Express

James Potter lay awake in bed unable to sleep, his scruffy short dark hair sticking off all over as usual, and brown eyes gazing at the ceiling. Today was a very big day for him. He looked around his room, to his owl cage. It had to have been about three in the morning. The owl was out hunting and had yet to return to his cage but he was sure the tawny owl would be back by morning. He rolled over thinking back to his eleventh birthday, he had been counting down the day until then, and anyone would. It meant that finally he could start wizarding school, and James was brimming with excitement just thinking about Hogwarts. 'Tomorrow', he thought, 'tomorrow I start school and then I will become a full fledged wizard.'

James of course knew it would be years before he became a full wizard as it took seven years of school and several tests to learn what was needed to be apart of the wizarding world and even more so he was not allowed to use magic outside of school until he was seventeen and that was a long ways off. James pushed himself upright in his bed leaning forward, then getting onto his knee he crawled to the end of his bed. His trunk for school sat at the foot of the bed in front of him, it was still open everything packed neatly away, the doings of his mother of course. James reached down into the open trunk making sure not to fall in or accidently push the open lid closed on his hand, pulling out what appeared to be a package. His father told him not to open it until he got to school, but he was dying for a peek, the excitement of it all was just too much.

James thought he heard the floor creak and quickly dropped the package back in the trunk before scrambling up to the head of his bed and pulling the covers back over him. He waited for more creaking sounds, but none came. Resigning the noise to his imagination playing tricks on him James curl up and after what seemed like hours he finally fell into a somewhat forced sleep.

"James, dears, James wake up", Dorea Potter bustled about the room opening the shutters to let in some light and closing the door to the owl cage, where the Hilus the tawny currently rested. "James Potter, get up this instant, you've overslept and if you don't hurry they're 'll be no breakfast for you this morning." Mrs. Potter hurried out of the room with James's trunk floating in front of her.

James groggily wiped the sleep from his eyes, what was his mother going on about, it was too early. James sat in bed waiting for his body and mind to become more awake, and then suddenly it hit him. Today he was going to Hogwarts. James sprung out of bed and down the hallway to quickly take care of his morning hygiene and in no time at all he was back in his room pulling on a pair of pants and a sweater.

He quickly grabbed Imide's cage and head down the steps with a hoot of protest from the owl, which had just been startled out of its slumber. James dropped the cage beside his trunk at the door and headed into the kitchen for breakfast. James plopped down into his chair and began spooning food onto his plate. "Mornin' mum, mornin' dad, I'll be ready to go in a minute." James began shoveling food into his mouth, and his dad gave his a wary look.

"James slow down or you'll choke, the train wont be at the platform for a few more hours. No need to inhale your food, I think your mother'd prefer if you actually tasted the food." At his fathers words James slowed down and began to eat properly but even still his pace was hurried. James finished his breakfast in record time and waited a bit impatiently for his parents to finish looking for one to the other frowning slightly. In all breakfast, which normally lasted about thirty to forty-five minutes, lasted twenty minutes. James helped his mother clear the table and proceed into the living room to find his shoes.

His parent came out of the kitchen ten minutes later to find James sitting on the could tapping the couch's arm once again rather impatient. His parents smiled at him, "alright, alright, lets go before, you explode." James bolted up and ran off to the door grabbing Hilus's cage before heading out the front door to the car. His mother hurried out the door after him and his father came out last with the trunk closing the door behind him and checking to see if it was locked. He got to the car and loaded the trunk, and then they were on their way.

James sat in the back seat starring out the window; he wasn't too fond of muggle transportation, he thought it rather slow and much preferred a broom. One thing about flying was the traffic light, or rather the lack there off. A nuisance, having to stop at some many red lights and watch as car went by in the cross direction. He was currently sitting at a red light wishing it would change already, 'If I was seventeen, I most certainly wouldn't be waiting.' He tried to get his mind of the light and the wand in his pocket. He eye caught sight of a woman wearing a very strange outfit and lurking behind a tree. He pressed his nose against the window and watched the strange woman. "James what are you doing, sit back, the muggle children are making faces." James heard his mother in the background, but did not pay her any heed. He watch the woman who seemed weary and looked around cautiously before she vanished. James thought for sure he was seeing things 'disapparition in broad daylight, surely no one would be so bold.' James decided maybe he'd blinked and the lady had scurried away without him noticing and sat back in his seat.

It was an hours ride to the train station where James and his parent unloaded James's thing from the car and headed through the station to platform nine and three quarters. They found it quickly, as James's parents had also attended Hogwarts. 'Finally', thought James to himself, ' I'd thought we'd never get here.' His mother looked at him apparently she had been speaking to him but he hadn't been listening. "James did you hear me dear, all you need to do is walk straight through the wall, the platform is on the other side." Finally hearing his mothers words James nodded and pushed his trunk and owl cage and emerged on the other side looking at load of students and the parents about the platform. James's parent emerged just a few seconds later and the family walked towards the train.

He looked around at the students and their families, catching small pieces of the conversation as he passed. He walked by a boy with black greasy hair and his mother, 'please don't spend ever waking moment in the library and listen to your …', the woman's words trailed off once he was out of earshot. The walked past another boy with dark hair who seemed to be ignoring his parents, but I didn't seem to make a difference because his mother drowned on anyway. Her words hit James's ear 'spect you'll be in Slytherin house like the rest of the family, maybe those young wizards can'. James continued on and her words were no longer heard. James's own parents seemed content to let him look around as they walked, he found himself passing another boy with light hair whose mother seemed to be making a fuss about him, 'now remember what Professor Dumbledore said and remember to study, write me if', again her words trailed of as he moved away from them and stopped just short of the train.

He turned to his parents to say goodbye but his mom immediately went into a lecture like much of the other parents telling his to be good, to study hard, and things of that nature. He didn't really pay much heed to her words as his eyes had drifted again to another light hair boy who seemed to simply just chatting with his parents then to a girl with red hair who was hugging a parents goodbye, whilst the girl's sister looked as though she was permanently horrified. He looked back to his mother who seemed to have started to tear up and gave her a quick hug, then hugging his father he said his goodbyes and boarded the train. He wheeled his trunk down isle of the train passing various students as he looked for an empty compartment.

He finally stopped at a compartment that seemed as thought it had an empty space for him and slid the door open. The compartment had several students of varying ages inside it. James looked around for a second before asking if he could sit in with them. The students simply nodded at the first year and one two of them got up to get James store his things. A tall girl with dark brown hair, so dark it appeared black, with green eyes motioned for him to sit.

"What's your names," she asked as he took the seat beside her. He looked up at the girls for a minute as though he thought she was not speaking to him, but she waited intently for his answer. "It's James," he stated before asking her name. She smiled at him as though she had been waiting all along for him to ask. "The names Elssy Symbol, Gryffindor house, quidditch beater. Got a last name James?"

James looked at the girl hoping she had not expected him to be impressed, although he had to admit he was a little. "Last names Potter, its nice to meet you Elssy." James looked around the room to the others seated inside the compartment. Elssy watched him them pointed to a boy who looked to be a sixth year, she gave his name and explained his was the shoe in Gryffindor house quidditch captain. She went around introducing the other students all of who seemed to be on the quidditch team. James could not believe that of all places and on his first day, he was sitting in the compartment with the whole Gryffindor quidditch team.

Those in the compartment began to talk about quidditch, the world cup and the outcomes. A conversation in which James excited joined in, quickly showing his knowledge about the sport. He was so immersed in the conversation he hadn't even noticed the train had departed and nearly missed the food cart. He quickly got up from his seat and out into the isle just in time to catch her before she moved to far out of reach. James bought a couple of chocolate frogs and a box of Bernie Botts every flavored beans, then returned to where he was sitting and jumped back into conversation with the Gryffindor quidditch team. He munched on his jelly beans but soon gave up on the after consuming two boogie, one vomit, three earwax and one lima bean flavored ones, giving them instead to the girl across from him whom had been eyeing the beans.

James opened one of the chocolate frogs with out much thought to the fact that the frog would attempt to escape once he finished opening its package. Elssy eyed him as he opened the package while talking with the other. She expected the frog to jump clean onto one of the others students' heads; it would have been a good laugh. However, instead of a good laugh there was much applause when the frog jumped and Potter caught it mid jump. James was slightly surprised at their reactions, "I do that all the time at home. I don't know it just sort of come naturally."

Elssy patted him on the back, "with reflexes like that, you'd make a great seeker. You should really consider trying out. Although I'd hate to be the team that has to play against you." The others around him nodded in agreement and then everyone began to chat (more like a dull roar) about quidditch until the train arrived at the station where the students would take the carriages to the castle that was Hogwarts and the first years would make the journey across the lake as all first years did. Elssy looked to James, "we will see you when you get to the feast, hopefully you'll be sittin' with us, so we'll save ya a seat kay." Elssy winked at him and he nodded at her, now really hoping to be a Gryffindor.

He was soon brought out of his thoughts by a booming voice calling for first years to gather round, as they were ready to take the journey across the dark lake toward the school. James looked to see the voice belonged to an enormous man, with very large amounts of untamed hair in desperate need on a combing. The man ushered the first towards the boats. "Names Hagrid, 'ogwarts groundskeeper and Professor Dumbledore 'll be expecting that I get ye' firs' years up to the castle in one piece, so I suggest ye'll keep still while in the boats. We wouldn't none of ye' firs' timers falling in. Alright then in ye' go, four to a boat."

The first years filed into the boats and as soon as the boats were filled and each student had boarded the boats set off for their destination. The first years shivered in the cold of the night as they crossed the large black lake. Some chatted amongst themselves and some remained silent. James looked to a boat that was about sixth feet away, it seemed as though the boat was rocking. James stared at the boat for a little longer, the boat was indeed rocking because some of the students had gotten a little bored and begun to rock in the boat. James looked to Hagrid. "Um, Mr. Hagrid I think the boat over there is going to tip over soon."

Hagrid turned around and looked in the direction James was pointing, and no sooner did he turn to look, a terrified looking girl let out a piercing scream as the boat rolled over on its side. "Oh Heavens, Dumbledore won't be 'appy bout this. Stay still stop thrashing about, I'll get ye out in a minute." Hagrid stopped his boat and commanded it to go back. Most of the other boats stopped around him as he made his made to the over turned boat, reaching the boat Hagrid's rather enormous hand passed James and turned the boat right side out. "I reckon y've learned ye lesson and ye won't be pulling that little trick again, will ye?" Hagrid proceeded to scoop the troublemakers out of the lake and back into the boat one by and even once they were seated back in the boat each child continued to nod at Hagrid until the boats we're moving again.

The rest of the trip to the castle was rather uneventful, after what happened most of the first years didn't even want to talk and everyone sat perfectly still except for those who had fallen into the lake and sat shivering in the boat under Hagrid's oversized blanket of a coat.