September 1, 1971, Kings Cross Station

Lily looked in the direction her sister had flounced off to and tried to hold back tears. It wasn't her fault Petunia didn't have magic. They had been friends once, best friends, and now, her sister wouldn't even speak to her.

Her parents walked over and spoke to her comfortingly. "Don't worry about Petunia." Said Mrs. Evans. "We'll talk to her. She'll come around."

Lily looked up at her mother. Somehow, she wasn't so sure. It had been years since she had met Severus, and still, Petunia had not changed. She had done her best to ignore Lily's abilities, but with one sister heading off to a world of magic and the other remaining behind, it could no longer be ignored. "You think so?" She asked, her voice soft.

"Of course," Mrs. Evans replied firmly. "You know how Petunia loves to be dramatic."

"You're sisters." Her father said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be just fine."

But as the train blew the final whistle, and the family made their goodbyes, the older sister was noticeably absent. Lily did her best to smile and pretend all was well, but when she finally found a compartment on the train in which she would not be noticed, she could not help but cry.

She heard Severus come in and take the seat across from her but she pressed her face against the window, refusing to look at him.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said in a constrained voice, wishing more than anything that he hadn't caught her at such a moment.

"Why not?" He sounded hurt and confused, and she knew it wasn't his fault, but Lily was too miserable to care.

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?"

Lily whipped her head around and glared at him fiercely. "So she's my sister!" Feeling the tears still trickling down her face, she flushed and bent her head, hoping no one had seen as she quickly mopped her eyes.

When she looked up, Severus was still speaking. "But we're going!" He sounded more excited than she had ever heard him before. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

She nodded and half smiled in spite of herself. They were riding off to a new world, one of magic and excitement. They had waited years for this and even the thought of Petunia couldn't dampen it for her completely.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," said Severus, but before she could answer, a rude voice interrupted.

"Slytherin?" A boy repeated derisively, just coming into the compartment. He was small and slight, with glasses and messy black hair. Yet, something about him told Lily that he was used to being spoiled and had let it get to his head. She disliked him for it instantly. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He asked the tall, dark haired boy sitting opposite him.

Lily was pleased to hear the other boy disagree. "My whole family have been in Slytherin," he replied without smiling.

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed all right!" Said the first boy in surprise.

Severus sneered. "Where are you hoping to go, given the choice?"

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart!" The boy answered, pretending to wield a sword. "All my family have been for ages."

Lily exchanged a slight grimace with Severus, who made a small, disparaging sound.

The boy turned around. "Got a problem with that?" he challenged.

"Well if you'd rather be brawny than brainy - "

This time it was the tall one that interrupted. "Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?"

Lily looked at both boys with disgust. She had had enough. "Come on Severus," she said standing up. "Let's go find another compartment."

Walking out, she could hear the boys imitating her voice and resisted the urge punch them both in the face. Whichever house she would end up in, they'd better not be in it.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius yelled after them laughing before turning around. That was when he realized there was a problem. Out of their mutual distaste for the Snivellus git, he had overlooked something: the messy-haired boy had proclaimed Gryffindor aspirations and belonged to a family long at odds with his own.

The other boy stuck out his hand with a grin, but Sirius did not take it. "I'm James Potter." He said as Sirius' smile dropped.

"Black." He replied coolly. "Sirius Black."

It did not take long for James Potter to withdraw his hand.

"Black?" he repeated, in a repulsed tone. Certain wizarding families simply despised each other upon principle.

"You got a problem with that?" Sirius answered, standing up. He did not know what made him say his next words, but somehow, before he knew it, they were out of his mouth. "I've heard about your family. Blood traitors the lot of them."

Wands flew out as each eyed the other with the utmost loathing, but before either boy had a chance to fire a hex, the compartment door opened once again. It was Andromeda Black, Sirius' cousin, and a 6th year Slytherin Prefect.

"Sirius, what are you - " she stopped. Her eyes landed on Potter and a slight frown appeared on her refined face. "Wands away, both of you." She said sternly, before giving her cousin a meaningful look. "Sirius, come with me please."

Andromeda pulled her cousin out of the compartment and slammed the door behind them before berating him. Her gray eyes snapped indignantly.

"Merlin's socks, Sirius! You haven't been on the train ten minutes and you're already getting into trouble. What were you thinking? You're lucky I was there or you could have gotten yourself in detention! And really, of all the compartments you could have sat in, you just had to go looking for the one with a Potter in it!"

"Hey! I didn't - "

" - If you don't watch out you'll be expelled before even setting foot into Hogwarts. Dueling, honestly! How would your mother feel if she knew about this?"

Sirius scowled. "Pleased, maybe. She might finally think I'm 'showing the proper pureblood spirit.' Though I doubt it. Nothing I do is ever good enough." He said bitterly, looking away.

His cousin's eyes softened immediately. "Sirius," she said gently. "I know your mother can be - hard on you, but she only wants the best for - for the family."

"I know that. As heir, I can't let the family fall into disrepute." He mimicked what his mother had told him so many times in the past and aimed a kick at the floor. "It's not like I don't try you know. I do! I listen to the longest lectures about the same bloody things, I learn spells you know I can't stand, but I can never please her. The way Mother goes on, you'd think I was trying to ruin the family name. It's just no fun listening to her talk about passing legislation for Muggle-hunting or getting rid of half-breeds when I could be - "

" - Running around breaking things and blowing up the house?" Andromeda asked drily. In all honesty, she was quite proud of his audacity. She, like the rest of the family, was terrified of the Black family matriarch. "Really, with your nerve, I'm worried you'll land yourself in Gryffindor." He laughed at the idea. "Don't worry though," she continued reassuringly. "It'll get better. You already know a good number of spells and you're plenty powerful. You're a Black after all. I know she expects a lot from you, but you'll manage."

"Thanks, Andromeda." He said appreciatively, and he meant it.

His cousin smiled back. "Now if I leave you alone, will you try to stay out of trouble? I'd like to make Head Girl next year - "

"- Eww." Sirius interrupted, but she ignored him.

"- and I don't need you going about ruining my reputation. I have to go back to prefect duty, and it seems that Lucius Malfoy would rather spend his time snogging my sister than doing his job." She shook her head in displeasure. "I swear, if it weren't for Cissy, I'd report him."

Eager to run off, Sirius offered his sincerest promises to keep his nose clean. But as he turned to leave, she stopped him abruptly.

"Sirius," she said meeting his eyes with a sudden intensity, "no matter what Aunt Walburga says, I think you'll do us all proud."

He looked up at her with a smile that would one day break a great many hearts. This was why Andromeda was his favorite cousin. Not only because she didn't practice curses on him, or lift up her nose when he walked by, but because she treated him like family.

…

Sirius had meant it when he promised to stay out of trouble. However, this was easier said than done. He had not walked ten feet before coming upon another cousin, Bellatrix Black, and her gang of seventh-year Slytherins crowding in the middle of the corridor. Immediately, he turned to go in the other direction, for she looked bored and a bored Bellatrix was never a good sign. But her next words brought him to a halt.

"First year, aren't you?" That was Bella's voice, haughty and cold. "You look like a Mudblood."

He spun around, in confusion. But she was not speaking to him. She was speaking to a small brunette whom she and her friends had just encircled.

He could hear Bella's sneer as she spoke to her newfound prey. "We don't like your kind here at Hogwarts. You should go back where you came from, Muggle."

"I'm - I'm a witch. I can do m - magic" the girl stuttered in reply. "Please, I'll show you."

One of Bella's friends laughed unpleasantly as together, they all pointed their wands in her face.

"Oi!" Sirius suddenly yelled out instinctively.

Bella's gaze flickered over to him in annoyance, then recognition. "Oh it's you," she said carelessly. "Come join in the fun."

Sirius didn't move. He glanced around nervously at his cousin and her friends. It had just registered in his mind how very tall they all were. Looking back at the frightened girl, he felt an unexpected wave of pity. He did not know where it came from. She was only a Mudblood after all, and yet, he knew what it was like to have Bella's wand pointed at his throat, knew very well what she would likely do.

"Well hurry up. There's a new spell I've been wanting practice on." Said Bella impatiently, but Sirius still didn't move. He supposed that he could join them in turning the girl into a pile of pulp. He would do so if he had any sense of self-preservation and it would have to gain his mother's approval wouldn't it?

He walked over and raised his wand. He had power now. It was supposed to feel good.

"Cru-" Bellatrix began, but her cousin had gone mad. Sirius tackled her, and the sheer surprise of it made her fall over, knocking over the rest of her gang like a row of dominoes.

Too late, his rather dull sense of self-preservation kicked in. Sirius hurtled down the train corridor, dodging the hexes and curses they hurled his way as best as he could. It wasn't long before he reached the front of the train, and there, faced with nowhere to go, he spun around to make his last stand.

"Expulso," he shouted, and the scene before them exploded into smoke and dust.

"Firs'-years, firs'-years," A gruff voice called out.

Remus Lupin looked over to the source of the sound and stared in amazement. The man was so tall he had to crane his head to see, but when he met the man's eyes, they seemed warm and kind. He smiled tentatively and was relieved to see his smile returned.

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys," the man introduced himself as the first-years gathered around. They had finally calmed down after the incident on the train. Rumor had it that someone had achieved the impossible: a first-year had managed to get himself expelled before even reaching the castle. Every account of who it was or how it happened or what happened or if it even happened differed but as they walked down the narrow path to the edge of a great, black lake, all was forgotten. A murmur of amazement passed through the crowd as a vast castle perched atop a lofty mountain, just behind a glimmering star-studded lake appeared before them.

"No more than four to a boat," Hagrid called to them and obediently, Remus stepped in.

Three other students climbed in after him - they seemed to know each other - and he offered a smile at the occupants. He was unprepared for their sneers.

"Where'd you get your robes?" One of the boys said insolently as he eyed the fraying edges of Remus' sleeve.

"And that scratch on your face," another added as Remus reached up to cover his scar.

"Are you pureblood?" A girl asked suspiciously.

He frowned. He had not expected so much hostility. "Does it matter?" He settled by way of reply, but a horrible thought that had long lingered in the periphery of his mind was brought back once again to the forefront. Fingering the lengthy scar that ran down from his left ear to the edge of his chin, he wondered if it was even possible for him to keep this up. And what if – even assuming his condition could be kept a secret – everything still went wrong? Would all the students like this? He noticed that many of these first-years had already made friends back on the train. All he had done was keep his nose stuck in a textbook during the whole of the ride. Would he go through the next seven years the way he had spent his last seven - lonely and friendless?

Well, he supposed bitterly, he was a werewolf. They were used to it. He was lucky simply to be given the chance to attend school, what was the point of wishing for the moon? In fact, it was probably better that he didn't make friends. That would make their inevitable abandonment of him far more bearable.

Though it did not take long for the boat to touch the shore, the walk up to and through the castle did nothing to calm his nerves. But as Professor McGonagall threw open the door to the Great Hall to usher them in, Remus found himself too in awe of the grandeur and the extraordinary enchantments to dwell on much else. Remus was no stranger to magic, but he had never before seen a ceiling bewitched to look like the night sky or thousands of candles floating in midair. As the deputy headmistress led them up to a three-legged stool with an ancient looking hat sitting on top, he held his breath.

The hat began to sing, and when it finished, McGonagall began calling out the names of incoming first-years.

"Avery, Warren." She said, and one of the boys Remus had shared a boat with step up and placed the frayed hat on his head.

"Slytherin," the hat shouted after a moment, and with a contented smirk, the boy walked over to the cheering table decked in green and silver. Remus was not surprised and made a mental note to stay away from him.

Baisly, Ruby was next and after a short pause, became the first Ravenclaw.

Next to be called was "Black, Sirius."

At once, the students began to whisper among themselves.

"That's the boy who blew up the Prefects' Compartment," said a blonde girl with pigtails.

"Are you sure, Wendy? I thought he was expelled." Another girl asked, eyes wide.

"Positive. My sister was there and she saw the whole thing."

"How did he do it though?"

"With dark magic, I'll wager." Wendy replied, throwing the boy a dark glance. "Haven't you heard of the family..."

Remus watched the boy strut up to the stool. He had none of the hesitation that had marked the previous students. He seemed to know the whole school was talking about him and relished it immensely.

With a cocky smirk, Sirius Black slipped the hat over his head. He wasn't surprised by how quickly the hat made up its mind. He was surprised however, by the House it chose.

"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted as it barely grazed his hair.

That wiped the smirk off his face. The hall was silenced for a moment as the Gryffindors stared blankly at one another.

Then Professor McGonagall spoke up. "Well hurry up, Mr. Black."

She gave a succinct nod and Black, all traces of haughtiness disappeared, walked over to the table decked in red and gold. Sporadic applause emerged and murmurs broke out as he sat down. Remus looked over and noticed that those around him scooted as far away from the boy as possible. Everyone was wondering if the Hat was malfunctioning.

Remus found himself more and more nervous as the L's came up. If a Black could find himself in Gryffindor, could a half-blood werewolf find himself in Slytherin? It was a terrifying thought.

Finally, his name was called. Holding his breath, Remus walked up to the Sorting Hat and tentatively placed it on his head.

"Hmm," the hat said softly. "You're not an easy one, are you? Not very confident, but you're braver than you know. Much braver. But you'd have to be wouldn't you. Though you don't lack brains either, so Ravenclaw's definitely an option. Mmm, but you're loyal too...and you've got quite a thirst to prove yourself. You want to show them it wasn't a mistake to let you here, I see."

"Not Slytherin," Remus thought desperately.

"No, you're no Slytherin...though it's a popular house these days. Hmm alright, I've made my decision and I daresay you'll be pleased."

And before Remus knew it, the Gryffindor table had erupted in cheers and he could not keep the grin off his face as he walked over to be greeted with back slaps and high fives. Never mind that it would be full moon within a fortnight, never mind that the scars still protruded on his face, and arms. For now, everything was all right, and for the first time in years, he felt as though he belonged.