Sirius woke early the next morning and had breakfast alone. He could barely eat, his stomach a tight knot, but Kreacher cajoled him. "Master Sirius has to eat," he said. "Master Sirius is going to be hungry."

To placate him, Sirius had a few more spoonfuls of porridge, though it tasted like cardboard and he had difficulty swallowing it. His father had already gone to work at the Ministry, and his mother wouldn't appreciate being woken so early, so Kreacher brought Sirius to the station, fussing about his school robes before disapparating, leaving him alone in the busy station. Sirius was sure he had never seen so many people in his life. He had spent most of his eleven years at home with his brother and parents, and the shouting, laughing crowd was enough to make him feel ill. He wanted to go home, but Kreacher was already gone.

The only thing he could do was board the scarlet train that had just pulled into the station. Taking a deep breath and hugging his trunk to him (his mother had warned him about muggle born thieves), Sirius made his way forward, looking for Andromeda and Narcissa. He was quickly becoming aware that he was the only one already in his school robes, the only one alone. Everybody else seemed to have parents hugging or kissing them goodbye, even gangling seventh years. He spotted Narcissa's bright hair and she waved at him, beginning to make her way through the crowd. Behind Sirius, there was a crash, and a sudden commotion. A boy had dropped his trunk, which had sprung open, belongings strewn across the platform. The woman with him, who Sirius guessed to be his grandmother, sighed with exasperation. "For goodness sake, James! I told you you had too much!"

The man by her side, probably her husband, chuckled, just as somebody pulled at Sirius' sleeve and called his name. He turned to see Narcissa and Andromeda, relief spreading through him. Narcissa and Andromeda went with him onto the train, but then told him that they were sitting with Narcissa's friends. Sirius peered into the compartment full of scary looking sixth year girls and decided to take his chances alone, telling them he'd find another one. He wasn't sure he had ever met a real life mudblood, and now they were all over the train, easily identifiable by their muggle clothes and wide eyes.

He watched them curiously, apprehensively, clutching his trunk so tightly the grooves of the handle dug into his palm. Thankfully there was an empty compartment near the end of the train, and he shoved his trunk overheard, sitting by the window. His stomach was swirling, and he wished he hadn't eaten at breakfast, because it felt like the porridge was about to make a reappearance. He took a deep breath just as the compartment door opened again, and a boy poked his head in. It was the same boy who had dropped his trunk outside – James. "This one free is it?" The other boy asked cheerfully.

Sirius nodded hesitantly, and James threw his trunk on an empty seat before sitting himself. He bore the unmistakeable traits of a boy clearly adored – well polished shoes, perfectly ironed robes, unruly hair that his mother probably despaired over. He was well fed and healthy. In contrast, Sirius was so skinny that his wrists were like twigs, his eyes huge and dark in his face.

"I'm James," the boy said, grinning. "What's your name?"

"Sirius Black," he said the name proudly, the way his father had taught him. But he didn't see the respect he expected in James' face. "Black?" He repeated, and the name on his lips sounded almost dirty. Sirius jutted out his chin and looked James in the eye, challenging him. James looked at him through hazel eyes, almost scrutinising him, then grinned again, pulling something out from his pocket. "Pumpkin pasty? My mum packed tons."

Sirius was rarely allowed sweets or pastries, and thanked him. The treat was comfortingly sweet. As they were chewing companionably, the door opened again, and a red haired girl in muggle clothes entered. She said nothing, but sat down by the window, hunched up with her face pressed to the glass. James raised his eyebrows at Sirius, who licked the sugar residue off his fingers. James cleared his throat and offered the bag. "Pumpkin pasty?"

The girl barely looked up. "No thank you."

James shrugged and took another for himself, just as the train gave a jolt, pulling away from the station. Sirius' eyes went to the window, where he saw the woman he presumed to be James' grandmother waving goodbye tearfully, clutching her handkerchief in her hand. James turned red. "She fusses," he said. "Mums, eh?"

"Yes, mums," Sirius echoed, though he couldn't exactly relate, and was surprised to hear that though the woman looked to be at least fifty five, she was James' mother. He felt a familiar twist of jealousy as he saw her, though James was clearly embarrassed.

"Where's your mum?" James asked, finishing the crumbs of his pasty.

"Oh, around," Sirius said vaguely. "She's probably gone home already, she's busy."

Walburga never seemed to do much more than plan parties and sit in the drawing room, and hadn't even come to the station with him, but James wasn't to know that. "You're lucky," he said. "My mum always embarrasses me."

"I think she seems nice," Sirius said quietly, and offered a smile.

The compartment door open again, this time revealing a tall boy in second hand roes that were patched at the elbows. His dark hair was greasy and lank, and he needed a haircut badly. He sat across from the girl by the window as Sirius looked back out at the passing countryside. He had little interest in the conversation between the mudblood girl and the boy with greasy hair, at least until the boy said in excitement, "You'd better be in Slytherin."

"Slytherin?" James look up at the word. "Who wants to be in Slytherin?"

He turned to Sirius. "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

Sirius didn't smile, shifting uncomfortably. "My whole family have been in Slytherin."

"Blimey," said James. "And I thought you seemed all right!"

Sirius mustered a grin. "Maybe I'll break the tradition," he said, though his heart pounded. "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James stood up proudly, lifting an invisible sword. "Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart! Like my dad."

The lanky boy made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him. "Got a problem with that?"

"No," said the boy, though he sneered. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy –"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius interjected, looking at his skinny frame. James roared with laughter, though the boy blushed an ugly red, and the girl by the window stood up. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooo," Sirius laughed at her lofty voice, and James stuck out a foot to trip Severus as he passed, though the boy stepped over it.

"See ya, Snivellus," James called as the door slammed. He and Sirius looked at each other, and burst out laughing. The knot in his stomach had gone.