The Change

I looked around excitement filling my every limb. I was practically bouncing where I stood. I was finally there. I was finally going to Hogwarts. The train was blowing steam and preparing to leave and it had me in a trance. I had been dreaming about this since I was a small child and I wanted to remember it. Finally, I snapped out of my trance and looked around at my fellow students. It was pretty obvious who the first years were and even more obvious who the muggleborns were. I sneered at one of them a redhead girl who was very pretty was staring in awe at everyone around her. Her parents were looking intimidated and slightly doubtful about there decision to allow her to go to the school. Muddbloods I thought shaking my head and looking around the rest of the platform. Another thing that caught my eye was a young boy who must have been a first year because he was so short. He had sandy blonde hair and looked very weak. I looked around to see where his parents were but could find none. He was looking at the train with a goofy grin. I doubted he was a muggle-born because he didn't seem very scared to be on the platform alone.

"Sirius," my mother said suddenly, "Don't stare it's not proper." I looked up at her and she said, "Now come over here there is someone I want you to meet." I followed her over to a group of people clad in very expensive wizarding ropes. Upon looking at them I knew they were from a very old family of purebloods like me. My mother gestured at a boy who looked my age. He was tall and had greasy black hair and a long angular nose. "Sirius," she said importantly, "This is Severus Snape. He is going to be your housemate. Severus, this my son Sirius Black."

I reached out and shook his hand and he said, "I'm sure we are going to have a fun time this year, Sirius." I nodded and looked up to see a new person that had joined the group. He was a tall and had blonde hair. He held himself with an elegance that I knew I could never achieve and, trust me, that was saying something! He seemed to look down upon everyone around him and he sneered at Snape and me.

"Sirius," my mother said again, smiling, "This is Lucius Malfoy he's a fifth year prefect in Slytherin House. Lucius, this is my son Sirius Black."

He looked down at me and I could see comprehension dawning on his face. "Pleasure to meet you, Sirius Black. I trust I won't have be worrying about you this year from such an honorable family."

"The Malfoy family is almost as old and pure as the Black's, Sirius, and you will respect Lucius as you would respect your own father," my mother put in threateningly.

"Of course mother," I said, frowning slightly. There was something about this people that I didn't like very much. They seemed very serious and I thought for the first time that my years at Hogwarts might not be as fun as I had hoped.

The train whistle blew and I turned around to look at it. My mother ran towards the train. Everyone else grabbed their things and started rushing on board too. Regulus helped me drag my stuff on the train quickly and I hopped back off to say good-bye to my mother.

"Well, good-bye Sirius. You owl us as soon as you are sorted into Slytherin. Behave this year try not to get into too much trouble, please. And make your father and me proud," she was straightening my ropes and patting them down as she said all of this.

"Don't worry, mother. I'll be fine," I said smiling at her and giving her a hug. I turned to Regulus, and said, "See you at Christmas, Regulus." I went to give him a hug but he stuck out his hand quickly. I smiled a little at this: at only 9 years old he was turning out to be just like my father.

"See ya, Si. I wish I could go too," he said sadly, looking beyond me to the train with disappointment.

"Two years go by quick, Reg, you'll be going before you know it. Now listen carefully, now that I'm gone you need to be very good 'cause mother doesn't have anyone else to take her anger out on. Don't so much as drop a dish or she'll curse you need into next week," I said. My mother wasn't listening but talking happily to Severus's mother.

Regulus looked confused and said, "Si, she would never do that. I've never seen her do that to you."

I shook my head and said, "That's 'cause she waits for you to leave or follows me upstairs later. Just behave yourself, okay?"

"I always do, Si," he said, still looking confused.

My mother grabbed my arm suddenly and pulled me off to the side. She pointed not very discreetly at a boy getting on the train as his parents kissed him good-bye, "You will not under any circumstances be found in that boy's company, Sirius Orion Black. He is worse then a mudblood. He is a Potter."

I looked at her confused and said, "What's wrong with them?"

"Do you ever listen to your father and I talk, Sirius? Potters are purebloods as old as the Blacks, but they are blood traitors. That's the worst thing a wizard can be. They even live with muggles, I think. If I so much as hear you said hello to that boy I will curse you until you wish you were dead," she hissed, "You will not disgrace this family."

"I won't, mother, don't worry," I said earnestly.

The train started to move and I jumped on quickly and turned around to wave good-bye. Regulus waved good-bye happily at me but my mother gave me a look that clearly meant that she would know if I didn't listen and I would regret it.

I climbed on the train and dragged my stuff looking for a compartment to stay in. All of them were full until I got to the last one, which only had one boy in it. I opened the door and he looked up at me, scared. He was small and pudgy and thought for sure he was a muggle-born. I really didn't want to stay in a room with one but I didn't seem to have a choice so I said, "Can I sit in here?" He nodded his head and looked back down at his feet. I dropped into a seat and put my feet up lazily. After a few minutes of silence I decided to try and start up a conversation, "So, where you from?" I asked.

"London," he said quietly.

I sat up now, "Really? So am I! What part?"

"I live near Diagon Alley," he replied.

"Oh, I don't leave near there. I live kind of in the suburbs of it. Oh well. Anyway, you have any brothers or sisters or anything?"

"No."

This kid was starting to annoy me with his one word answers but I hated silence so I kept talking, "I do. I got a brother his nine. Nasty little thing sometimes but I like him. I like to play pranks on him most. His so gullible."

The kid just nodded at me and I frowned, "I don't think I ever introduced myself. I'm sorry about that. My name's Sirius Black." I put out my hand and he shook it, shaking slightly.

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew," I said, frowning and racking my brain for information on the Pettigrew family. "Are you a muggle-born," I asked innocently?

"No, well not exactly. My mom is a witch my dad is a muggle," he said nervously.

I sat back and smiled at him, "Oh, that's why I've never heard of the Pettigrews before." I knew my mother would kill me if she knew I was talking to a half-blood but he seemed nice enough to me, and a half-blood is better then a muggle-born. I didn't really have much of a choice, I thought, trying to defend my actions.

Just then the compartment door opened and two new people walked in. I recognized both of them. One of them was the parentless boy I had seen on the platform and the other was the Potter boy my mother had told me not to talk to. The Potter kid was smiling at both of us and said, "Can we sit in here? Everywhere else is full." Peter nodded his head before I could say anything and the sandy haired boy sat next to me while the Potter kid sat across from me. He smiled at me before he frowned a little. "I'm James Potter," he said happily, "and this is my friend Remus Lupin. Who are you?" He hadn't looked away from me yet. I knew he was trying to make eye contact, so finally I looked up and looked at him dead in the eye.

I thought I would see him looking hateful at me, and at first I did, but the looking in his eyes quickly changed to interest. There was something about this boy I liked very much and I found myself not caring if my mother approved of my choice of friendship. He didn't seem evil or wrong to me so I answered, smiling, "Sirius Black, and that kid is Peter Pettigrew."

James nodded and I could see he was thinking. Then he said, "I saw you and your mother on the platform pointing at me and my parents. She told you not to talk to me, didn't she? I know a lot about your family, Black. They don't associate with people like my family or anyone sitting in this compartment. Why are you here then?" he asked, obviously curious and obviously not really caring if I was insulted or not by what he was saying. I shrugged and decided to go with the truth.

"She told me not to talk to you and said she would kill me if she found out I did. I don't really, care though. I'm not going to leave just 'cause you're a Potter," I said carefully.

This time James smiled openly and said, "I think we're going to have a lot fun this year, Sirius." I didn't understand that at all. This boy couldn't possibly think he was going to be sorted into Slytherin.

I looked over at the Remus kid who had come in too and immediately felt bad. His robes were old and torn and he had scars all over his face. I wanted to ask what happened but I thought better of it, deciding that would be rude, and said, "So, what about you, Remus? Are you a muggle-born?"

He looked me in the eye and said, "No, both my parents are magical, they are muggle-borns though."

I nodded and looked at the floor. I suddenly felt uncomfortable being in this compartment, especially with James. I knew my mother would kill me if she knew whom I was with. A part of me was suddenly angry with these three kids. Who were they to talk to me, I thought. I was a Black and I had always been taught there was no one better or equal to us. I was about to leave and go find the Snape and Malfoy when the Potter kid said my name. I looked up at him again in the eye and felt my anger ebb away. He was smiling at me nicely and said, "Sirius, I know I what you're thinking. If it makes you feel any better my mum and dad would kill me, too, if they knew I was talking to you, but I don't care. Just 'cause you're a Black doesn't mean you're like them, right?"

Now I was just confused, but I was sure Potter had just insulted my family. I didn't really care, though, and that scared me. I jumped up and said, "I have to go," and walked out of the compartment quickly. At first I thought I would go find Snape and Malfoy, but I didn't really feel like seeing them much either, so instead I walked not really go anywhere. I turned around when someone called my name and saw it was James. I stopped and looked at him stupidly. Couldn't this kid just leave me alone I thought?

"Listen, I'm sorry," he said once he was in front of me, "I didn't mean to insult you or anything. Come back and sit with Remus and Peter and I. We won't talk about blood anymore. The food trolley is coming soon and I brought a gobstones set. Come on," he said turning around and waving for me to follow. I found myself following him back without even meaning to. And before I knew it we were talking happily about Quidditch and laughing. The ride went quickly then and I was surprised to see us pulling up to the Hogmeade's station so quickly.