The Fifth Marauder - r.a.b

CHAPTER 10

At 9 am sharp the Hogwarts Express departs, so by 8:45 the group were packed and ready to say their goodbyes.

Well, you would think that.

"Lily have you seen my wand," Astrid shouted from the dorm to Lily who was now packing her stuff from their bathroom "I can't find my fucking wand."

The night before all Hogwarts power was cut off during a storm, so the four girls who normally relied on Lily's alarm clock ended up waking up way later than they were supposed to.

Lily peeked her head out through the bathroom "It's in your hair." She said as Astrid brought her hand up to her head. And low and behold, there it was.

"Mary, Astrid and Lily; we need to leave now or we will miss the train." Marlene shouted, "You should have packed your bloody bags yesterday like I did."

Marlene now stood by the dorm entrance watching her friends run around like headless chickens looking for their stuff, she had packed her trunk the day before and was now counting down the minutes left.

"It's 8:46," she said looking up from her watch "If we don't hurry now we are definitely going to be late."

Astrid stuffed the last of her clothes into her suitcase before wheeling it out, Lily and Mary behind her.

"Can we go now?" Marlene asked as the girls scanned the room one last time.

"Let's go!" Astrid shouted as the girls ripped through the castle and ran through the schoolyard.

By 8:54 the group made it to the train station, breathless from all the running but proud they had made it with time to spare.

"Oversleep Winston," James said as the boys made their way over to the tired girls; He pointed down to her feet "Nice combo."

Astrid looked down to see that in her haste she had worn two different colour trainers.

"Ok Fleamont." Astrid rolling her eyes at his comment.

"You need to stop bringing up my middle name whenever I irritate you," James said laughing "It's not nice Opal,"

Astrid gave James the finger and he gave it back to her, just as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station.

The train trip to and from Hogwarts was the highlight of the marauders year.

For those couple of hours, the only thing that mattered to them was eating almost everything from the trolley and planning what adventures they would get up to.

The group loaded their trunks onto the train, before heading over to their usual compartment. All but Mary who went with Callum but promised to join them later on during the journey.

"So what are you going to do with your parents Padfoot?" Astrid asked; back pressed against the train wall with her legs resting on Remus' lap "Have they tried to contact you?"

Sirius shook his head "Since I left they haven't spoken to me, I doubt they even remember that I exist,"

"You don't need them Pads, you've got us." James said with a smile "We are your family, right guys?"

The group nodded in agreement.

Three knocks on their compartment door signalled the trolley ladies arrival.

Marlene lent over and opened so door, "Hey Doris," she said politely as the old woman smiled at the children she had known for almost 7 years, "How are you doing today?"

"Oh, you know me Marlene" Doris began as James opened his wallet "I'm excited to see all you young folk. It gives me life. Anything from the trolley dear."