The sound of the whistling train pierced the crisp morning air as kids bustled about on the tiny Hogsmeade station to board the train back home. It was too cold and too cloudy for an April morning, although, to the little boy siting by himself in a lonely compartment, with his head rested on the windowpane and his mind wandering far away, it seemed like a fitting weather. There was a sharp knock on the compartment door and then it slid open.

"I though you would be sitting with your friends." Selena heaved her trunk inside and joined Remus on the seat in front of him. "What happened?"

Remus Lupin smiled bitterly and asked her how her ride to the station had been. Thankfully, Selena took the cue and didn't pry him any further.

The train whistled one last time and then lazily started chugging forward on the tracks. A few compartment further from Remus's, a portly boy stumbled and fell face first on the floor, causing his two friends to guffaw loudly.

"Blimey, Peter," said James, as he helped him up and with a careless wave of his wand tucked Peter's trunk beneath a seat. "How will you learn to fly if you can barely walk?"

Peter smiled through the insult but the hurt was quite evident in his eyes, though apparently not to either of James Potter or Sirius Black, who laughed mercilessly at Peter's expense. When they all finally sat down, there really wasn't much to talk about.

Sirius and James had hardly had any time to do anything even barely interesting because of all the long detentions they had had to do. Things would have been so much more different if only a certain friend of theirs wasn't the teacher's pet, if only Remus Lupin was the friend he had always portrayed himself to be.

"I wonder what he's doing though," said Peter timidly.

"I bet he's alone somewhere, crying," Sirius said bitterly, "Serves him right."

"It's been months," tried Peter again. "Can't we all just- be friends again- like before?"

James nodded thoughtfully and opened his mouth but Sirius beat him to it.

"There's no point Peter, don't you understand? We can't ever trust him now, at least I can't. What's the point of a friendship that's hollow and empty?"

"You could at least be nice to him," said James, lightly elbowing Sirius who was sitting next to him with his face turned towards the window. "We share the same dormitory, will do for the next six years, the least you could do is be nice."

Sirius sighed minutely, though he continued looking out of the window resolutely. James turned to Peter, who was sitting in front of him, and they both shook their heads in resignation.

The next compartment was filled with energetic fifth year Hufflepuffs- laughing and teasing with great mirth- the ambience in general was one of big enjoyment. If one didn't pay much attention, their eyes would probably sweep right over the tiny girl with bright red hair and the boy with oily black locks who sat beside her. Both sharing whispered secrets into the others ears and laughing quietly every now and then.

"It's a rather sad business if you ask me," Lily Evans said, "the way they treat Remus. He only did what was right."

The boy nodded grudgingly in return and so she went on- "Remus is, I believe, the best of them all. I think it did him good, to be honest. I think- I think maybe we should check on him. We could all be such great friends!"

She held on to his left arm and shook them violently with excitement. Severus Snape's cheeks reddened visibly and his lips parted in a slight smile. She took this to mean yes and was soon dragging him out of the compartment, ignoring his various cries of protest.

The last thing Severus wanted was Remus Lupin as his friend and moreover, to share Lily's friendship with anyone else. But how could he ever say no to Lily Evans.

Amid the sorrowful sighs of Remus Lupin and the cheerful noises coming from various compartments, the Hogwarts Express reached its destination. Another year at Hogwarts had come to an end.

End of book 1