James tapped his foot nervously as he sat and waited on the couch. He looked out the window of his living room, the sun had almost started to set, he was so excited he could not help, but ask again.
"Mum!" Mrs. Potter responded only by turning the page and smiling to herself. "MUM" James tried again to get his mother's attention.
"Hmmm," Mrs. Potter hummed absentmindedly while flipping the page of her new potions book again.
"When am I going to get my letter?" he asked with a hopeful look on his face. She grabbed a bookmark off the coffee table and put it in her book before slowly closing it and putting it in her lap. She sighed but turned with a smile.
"Just like I told you the last six times, it takes some time for the owl to fly here" James cast his gaze down, he hated waiting and could never sit still for more than a few minutes, this entire day was agony for him, all he wanted was to get his Hogwarts letter and he was determined to wait in the living room until the moment it arrived. It was his eleventh birthday, he had been waiting his whole life for this and now the day was here 27 March 1971.
It was a tradition that every kid receive their Hogwarts letter on the day they turned eleven. He did not doubt that he would get a letter, both of his parents attended Hogwarts and he had already shown signs of magic, so in that regard, his mind was not troubled. However, as the day stretched on and the clock was inching closer to two o'clock, James was growing impatient.
James was interrupted from his excited thoughts as the letters were pushed through the mail slot. He jumped up and ran over to the door, picking up the stack of mail. He filed through them quickly, nearly missing his own name. He dropped all the other letters on the floor as he looked at the neat emerald green ink on the yellowed parchment envelope. "James Potter! You better not have thrown those other letters on the floor" his mum shouted from the living room.
Ignoring his mother's previous statement, James shouted. "Mum! I got my letter!" She walked over to the young boy and looked at the envelope in his hand before stooping down to collect the rest of the discarded letters.
"Well go on then, you've only been waiting all day" his mother smiled while nodding towards the letter indicating that he should open it. Shaking away his shocked feelings, he opened the envelope and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment. The term begins on September 1. We await your owl by now later than July 31.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
He then turned to the supply list, head already filled with wild fantasies and fanatical dreams of what awaited him during the upcoming school year.
First-year students will require:
Uniform:
Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)
One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for daywear
One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)
*Please note that all students' clothes should carry name tags at all times*
Books:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment:
1 Wand
1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal vials
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring an Owl, a Cat, or a Toad
*Note that if students should choose to bring their own broom it will be stored in the school's broom cupboard and any misbehaviour caused by said broom may result in loss of the privilege of having your own broom*
He was more than excited. He was going to go to the school of his dreams and make so many new friends. The young boy turned to his mum and said, "When can we go to Diagon Alley?" He knew there was still about five months until school, but he wanted to go as soon as possible.
Mrs. Potter chuckled at her kids' hopeful antics, reminding herself that it was a good thing James was excited about school. "We'll go when it gets closer to school, Jamesy, it's a little too soon to be getting all of those books just yet. Besides, it is not like you were planning on getting a head start on reading"
"Okay then, I guess I can wait a little bit longer," James said, before adding, "And don't call me Jamesy, I'm too old for those nicknames," He said, puffing his chest out to look tougher.
"Aw, but you'll always be my little Jamesy-Wamsey," She said ruffling his already very messy almost-black hair that always made him look like he was just getting out of bed. James quickly moved to fix his hair, but there was no point, everyone knew James' hair would be perpetually unruly and nothing could fix it– to be fair, James did prefer it messy, even if it were to be tamed down, James would just muss it. Walking to his bedroom, James waited for his father to come home to tell him the exciting news.
The Potter family dinner that night was full of stories from their time at Hogwarts. Tales of teachers, amazing classes, and Quidditch rivalries were exchanged. With each word from his parents, James' mental picture of Hogwarts became clearer and he grew more excited.
It wasn't until about three months later that James went to Diagon Alley to get his books. Accompanied by his mother, the two navigated the cobblestone streets picking up books and supplies, the very last thing on his list was a wand. Walking quickly behind his mother, James made his way to Ollivander's.
Ollivander's wand shop is where nearly everyone who goes to Hogwarts gets their wands. Stepping into the store, James was overwhelmed. The musty and slightly dark building was covered wall to wall and ceiling to floor with wand boxes. As he looked around, he bumped into an older man who was bustling about the shop.
"Ah! Hello, here to purchase a wand I gather" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed. By his tone, James gathered that the man was just a tad on the eccentric side.
"Yes sir, I am. I'm James Potter"
"Well come this way Mr. Potter, I take it Euphemia took you here?"
James was taken aback but nodded calling for his mom who joined him at his side, smiling warmly at Mr. Ollivander.
"It feels like only yesterday I gave you your wand" he mused. "Mahogany with a Unicorn core, was it not?"
"Yes, indeed." she smiled "James here is heading to Hogwarts this year"
"Ah, Mr. Potter let's figure out which wand will choose you."
"Choose me?" James questioned.
"Of course," Ollivander said as if it were obvious "the wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around."
James was first measured, his arm length and height recorded mentally by Ollivander. Then the eccentric wizard bustled about the store and James was handed box after box of wands that caused chaos around the shop. One wand knocked over a bookshelf and another exploded a plant. Finally, he was handed a wand and the second it touched his hand he knew when he swished the wand golden sparks flew out and danced before his very eyes. Purchasing the wand, James left the shop with his mom.
On the way out of Diagon Alley, Mrs. Potter surprised James by letting him purchase a broom. Finally going home, James was excitedly practising his flying and organising his books in his trunk.
Despite young James Potter being so eager to go to Hogwarts, it was quite a struggle to get him out of the house in the morning, the Potters were much later than they would have liked to have been getting on to the platform at King's Cross Station. After loading his bags and hugging his mum and dad, he got on the train and looked for a compartment. He found another boy with short black hair, only slightly darker than his own very dark brown hair. "You late too?"
"Yeah, glad I'm not the only one," James said scratching the back of his neck. "I'm James, by the way."
"Sirius Black," he smiled, "We should get going so we can find a compartment to sit in"
"Yeah, let's go" The two boys hurried along and started checking in the compartments looking for one that did not have a lot of people in it. As they neared the last couple of compartments they finally found a compartment with two kids who looked their age. One was a boy with long greasy black hair, a hollowed, sharper face, and a hooked nose. The other, however, was a young, pretty girl with fiery red hair.
Even at first glance, James took a special liking to this girl. They sat down, at first not mentioning that the other two were in the wrong compartment. They seemed to be in a very heated conversation.
"I don't want to talk to you," her voice sounded constricted.
"Why not?" the boy responded
"Tuney h-hates me. Because she saw that letter from Dumbledore."
"So what?" the boy quickly said earning a look of deep dislike from the redhead.
"So she's my sister!"
"She's only a —" the boy seemed to catch himself because he did not continue his sentence. The girl did not seem to notice or hear what he said, and if she had, then she did not press it further. "But we're going!" he exclaimed after a pause. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"
The girl nodded, wiping tears out of her eyes and, despite herself, she gave him a half-smile."You'd better be in Slytherin," her friend said, encouraged that she had brightened a little.
"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James asked Sirius who was lounging on the seat opposite him, Sirius did not smile.
"My whole family has been in Slytherin," he said.
"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed alright!"
Sirius grinned. "Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"
James lifted an invisible sword and pretended to swing it around, stabbing at the air as if it were a potential attacker.
"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Just like my dad." James had a big grin on his face
The other boy made a small, but noticeable disparaging noise. James turned on him
"Got a problem with that?"
"No," was the response, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy – "
"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius.
James roared with laughter. The girl sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike.
"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."
"Oooooo..." The two boys chimed in watching the two people leave.
James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; James tried to trip Snape as he passed.
"See ya, Snivellus!" a voice called, as the compartment door slammed.
They laughed for a while before someone knocked and then opened the door. "Hey, is it alright if I sit here?" The boys looked up, "Yeah 'course" he responded.
"I'm Remus Lupin," he said as he sat down, sticking his hand out.
"James Potter" the boy with unruly hair replies accepting the handshake. He sat down opposite the boy.
"I'm Sirius, Sirius Black," the boy sitting opposite of James says.
The train ride went on smoothly, the three boys becoming fast friends talking about Quidditch scores and teams, funny jokes from friends, and sharing stories. They hardly stopped laughing as they talked and ate a lot of candy from the trolley cart. "So, what house are you hoping to be sorted in Remus? I'm hoping for Gryffindor.
"I'm probably gonna get Ravenclaw, but Gryffindor seems cool," Remus replied
"I'm hoping for Gryffindor too," Sirius said, now confident that he could break his family's tradition.
James turned a little shocked "Wait that means that we could all be dorm mates!"
"I probably won't be sorted into Gryffindor so I wouldn't get your hopes up. As fun as it would be to all be dorm mates, you never know where we will be sorted," Sirius said.
"I hope we are all sorted into Gryffindor," James said sounding genuinely hopeful. Sirius smiled to himself, knowing that James and he would be good friends.
"Likewise," Remus said. Sirius and James made eye contact and then looked at Remus, before bursting into laughter.
"Likewise? Seriously mate! Who says likewise?" Sirius says still in a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Even Remus had joined in laughing at this point.
"Oh come on guys," Remus said still laughing along with the other two. Every time they stopped laughing they would look at each other and start laughing again. They only stopped when there was a knock at the door. An older student opened the cabin door. He was the Ravenclaw prefect according to the pin on his robes.
"We are getting close to Hogwarts, you guys had better get changed into your uniforms" he proclaimed, his nose practically turned up in arrogance, he just had this aura about him, he thought he was better than the three boys in the cabin, and it showed. After the arrogant boy left the cabin, the boys waited a few seconds before bursting into laughter again. They took turns turning their noses up and mocking the older boy.
When they finally settled down, Remus piped up saying "Alright you lot, we actually need to change into our robes." The two other boys nodded and they all went off to change. The three boys came back to the compartment as the train was nearing Hogsmeade Station. They gasped as they got their first glance at the castle. The train stopped and the group made their way off onto the platform.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" A giant man was yelling, he was double the height of a normal man and at least five times as wide. In addition to that, he had long tangles of bushy black hair and a beard that hid the majority of his face. The first years pushed their way through the crowds of students to get closer to the man. "C' mon, follow me— any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs' years follow me!" They followed the man, who according to the whispers in the crowd, was named Hagrid, down a steep, narrow path. The narrow path opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. If you looked up, there was a high mountain on the other side, its windows lighting up the night sky, was the castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of small boats sitting in the water by the shore. They appeared to be the kind of boat you would row, similar to a canoe, but strangely there was nothing to paddle with. The three boys climbed into the boat followed by a girl who introduced herself as Marlene McKinnon. Hagrid shouted "Everyone in? Right then -- FORWARD!"
The boats were brought to an intimidatingly tall set of stairs which each of them began to ascend seemingly by instinct. As the first years filed up the stairs, they were greeted by a tall thin woman with a severe expression, her demeanour was even more intimidating when you factor in her hair, which was dark and tied in a tight, neat bun. She cleared her throat, immediately getting all of the 11-year-olds attention. "Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses." She looked around making eye contact with many of the jittery kids.
"The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend your free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." As she named them you could see different children perk up at the mention of their preferred house.
"Each house has a noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will receive the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." The children looked around, it was as if a weight had settled upon the young children if they were not nervous before, they were now. The pressure was on.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." She finished, pausing to let the message sink into the children. They all rummaged around straightening their robes and running nervous fingers through their hair. Particularly, James was unsuccessfully wrestling trying to sort out his unruly hair. She looked at the bunch once more before saying, "I shall return in a moment when we are ready for the ceremony. Please wait quietly." Professor McGonagall says before exiting the room.
The new students sat in an almost eerie silence, all that could be heard was some murmurs from across the crowd of children who were about to be sorted. Suddenly, a sharp voice recognised immediately by the first years to be Professor McGonagall, cut in saying "The sorting ceremony is about to begin, please form a line and follow me." They did as she instructed and were led through the gigantic double doors into what was called the Great Hall.
It was breathtaking, the hall was lit by thousands of candles suspended in midair over four long tables, where the current students were sitting. In front of every student, as well as at some empty spaces, there were golden plates and goblets. In front of the hall, there was another long table where all the teachers were sitting. McGonagall led the first years up there so that the group settled in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.
The hundreds of faces staring at them made many of the kids even more nervous if that was possible. Professor McGonagall then placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. And atop the stool, she placed a pointed wizard's hat. But it was not like the new hats one would see while browsing Diagon Alley, no, this hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty, it was apparent that without the sewn-on sections, the hat just might fall apart at the seams.
The new students seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when they found out how they would be sorted. Up until this point, it sounded as if they would be tested in some way to be placed in their houses. Finding out all they had to do was sit on a stool with a hat on their heads was a huge weight lifted off of their shoulders. Even still, it was silent as everyone waited for something to happen, or for one of the teachers to speak up. After a few seconds, the hat twitched and the brim opened, resembling a mouth, and the hat began to sing:
I
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