Chapter 1:

'Sev, there's no platform nine and three-quarters here. Look-'but the read haired girl was interrupted the thin scrawny boy who was pulling across to the space between platform 9 and 10.

" Wait and see!" he said happily. He had an amused and excited expression on his face.

'But Sev, are you sure this isn't a trick someone's playing on us" asked Lily anxiously.

She had received a letter from Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry just a month ago. But as the days had gone past she had begun to wonder whether Hogwarts actually existed.

Severus merely smiled."Okay Lily, now RUN!!' and he charged at the stone column that stood between platform 9 and 10, pulling Lily behind him.

She was absolutely frightened; she thought that her friend had gone mad. "Stop Severus, stop!" she shouted as the column came closer and closer. But they couldn't they were going too fast. 'We are going to die' thought Lily weakly, and she closed her eyes.

**

'Lily, are you alright?'Asked someone. Lily slowly opened her eyes.

She found herself staring in to dark beetle like eyes."Severus!" she gasped. She realized she was clutching his arm tightly. Embarrassed she released her grip. Severus looked away so that Lily couldn't see his face change color

They were standing on platform 9 ¾. A huge scarlet steam train, (the type you see in old movies), with the words HOGWARTS EXPRESS emblazed in gold gleamed madly at Lily. And as if to complete the picture white smoke swirled at their feet giving that tingly magically feeling.

'Come on, let's grab a compartment!' she called to her friend and they raced to the train laughing joyfully.

It took them some time to find an empty compartment. Finally they found one, but two other boys were sitting there laughing loudly. 'Sev, come on, we'll have to do with this for now' said Lily eyeing the occupants with disgust.

When she opened the compartment door the two boys looked up with stupid grins plastered on their faces. One of them had long dark hair that reached his shoulders, his face was lit with joy and his face perfectly angled. He was quite a handsome boy. His friend like him had dark hair, but not as long. His hair was very messy. Lily wondered if he had even ever seen a comb. He also was wearing round glasses through which he was surveying Lily with interest. But when his gaze shifted from her to Severus, he looked disgusted and smiled sarcastically.

She sat as far as possible and took out one of her school books and started to read ignoring the two boy's rude stares.

She had barely opened her book when 'Ahem'

Lily looked up.

"Ermmm...I don't want to be rude but who are you? Which year are you? Which house do you want to get in to, and do you have a boyfriend." Asked the boy in specs. He said all this in one breath and was grinning at Lily.

Lily was surprised at the boy's nerve. Who the hell does he think he is? She thought angrily, how dare he asked me if I have a boyfriend, and if I did does he really think that I would tell it someone I hardly know. But, -she sighed- better get this over with any way.

'I am Lily Evans, first year at Hogwarts, I don't know which house I want to be in, and no I do not have a boyfriend.' She said quickly. She didn't smile back at the boy but glared at him instead.

He however was grinning as widely as ever. Lily wised h he'd stop. 'I am James Potter', he said pointing a proud thumb at his chest, 'and that is Sirius Black. We are first years too and I am going to be in GRYFINDORRRRR!!' and punched the air while waving what looked like an imaginary sword.

Beside her Severus sniggered. Lily had forgotten he was there. The boy called James stopped jabbing Sirius with his wand and glared at Severus.

"Is anything the matter Snivellus, do you have some problem with Gryffindor?' asked James menacingly.

'Well, I think Gryffindor is a looser next to Slytherin, if I was in Gryffindor I'd immediately leave!' Severus snapped.

It happened so fast that Lily's brain had no time to register the boys' movements. But somehow the two boys had ended up, with their wands pointing at each other's chests and were each glaring at the person in front of him with absolute loathing.

Severus, sit down. We don't want to get in to trouble' said Lily quietly.

The corner of James mouth twitched. Then suddenly there was a flash of bright light that filled up the small compartment.

When Lily could open her eyes again James was sprouting hair from his nose. Chunky, dark course hair poured from his nostrils at alarming speed. His humungous moustache was almost touching the floor. James stumbled under the weight of the thing.

Sirius was clutching his stomach laughing out loud. Gasping he pointed his wand at Severus and muttered something that sounded like gibberish. And again they were engulfed by light.

****

Cautiously Lily opened one of her green eyes. Sirius was laughing harder than ever and was trying to help James who was unrecognizable under his mound of hair, which was still growing. Lily then opened both eyes and searched for Severus who had been standing right next her.

'He's there 'said Sirius between fits of laughter pointing to a dark beetle sitting on the window-sill.

"In his true form! A dung beetle!!!!"Screamed James gleefully. Sirius had somehow managed to stop the growth of the hair, and James had joined him by laughing loudly like a lunatic.

Fuming Lily scooped up the angry dung beetle and stepped out of the compartment. A dozen swear words raced through her mind as she went in search of another compartment as far as possible from the those two mental cases.