PUNKS & POETS (book one, year 1-4)

008; The Gryffindor Tower

A feast unraveled itself before all the students and professors, filling the long wooden tables with all kinds of meats, potatoes, bread, roasted vegetables and desserts. Remus thought that it was probably more food than he had ever seen before in his life and Peter knew for a fact that he had never even tasted half of the things being served.

After everyone was done, stuffed and tired, the prefects of each house led the students back to their dormitories. Sirius felt uncertainty wash over him as he followed the students dressed in scarlet red and shiny gold though the stone hallways up towards the seventh floor of the castle. Part of him felt like it was all a mistake and another part of him felt happy about going to the Gryffindor tower instead of the dungeons. He had watched as the Slytherin students left, his heart beating madly inside of his chest. He wondered what his mother and father would say, and what every other student from sacred pureblooded families that he had formerly been associated with would think.

Remus still had a hard time even believing that he was actually at the school, making sure to take it all in. He let his eyes wander around the tall walls, glancing at each moving portrait. He knew that it could all go away so soon. He wanted it to last forever, more than anything. Peter didn't know what he had expected, yet the placement he had gotten gave him a slight confidence boost. Perhaps the hat had come to the conclusion that he was braver than he had thought, perhaps he could amount to something in the end. Maybe just maybe, something after all. James was the happiest he could be, strutting his way up the stairs like he belonged in the highest tower of the castle. He gazed around, dragging his hands through his dark messy hair. The smile still hadn't faded from his lips and he couldn't wait to owl his parents and little sister in the morning. A few metres in front of him walked the red haired girl Lily Evans alongside four other girls. Alice Fortesque, Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadows and Mary MacDonald.

The prefect boy told everyone the password to the Gryffindor tower, cabbage. It changed every few weeks, and James didn't think cabbage was the most creative password out there. He could think of a least a hundred better ones at the spot. The fat lady in the portrait moved as soon as that word was uttered however, opening a secret passage in the stone wall. The Gryffindor common room was a large round room decked out in shiny gold and scarlet red. A fire was burning in the stone fireplace and before it stood a red couch and a few red armchairs. Round wooden tables were spread out across the room with wooden chandeliers hanging above them. A few desks were placed in the back by some tall windows, giving a perfect view of the school grounds, the forbidden forest and the dark lake. James could see a old looking piano by a brick wall and a few bookshelves stacked with old worn out looking books and lanterns and plants. It was warm and cozy.

The forbidden forest intrigued both Sirius and James, and the two curious boys wondered just why it was deemed to be forbidden. So forbidden that the actual word had to be incorporated into the name of the forest. James found it odd and Sirius found it intriguing. It lured the two young boys towards instant adventure.

"Boys this way"

"Girls this way"

The prefect girl led all the girls up a spiralling staircase, the boys watched them disappear before they were led up another spiralling staircase on the opposite side of the common room by the prefect boy. It led to plenty of dorms laying behind heavy wooden doors. The prefect boy stopped by a door, calling out the names of five first year boys, directing them into their new shared room. That left the four boys that had previously shared a magically enchanted row-boat across the dark lake standing in the narrow hallway.

"Let's see..." the prefect trailed, digging up four old keys out of his pocket "Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter this way". They each got handed one key to the door and the prefect left them with a goodnight. A dorm room usually held five students but seeing as there were only nine Gryffindor boys in their year one room was left with four. James was beyond thankful to be in that room, feeling positive about the extra space they were given and the three boys he had ended up sharing the space with. The spare bed had already been taken out of the room, leaving it oh so spacious. Their trunks and book bags had been placed in front of their beds, deciding their sleeping arrangement. Peter was closest to the door, then there was Sirius, Remus and lastly James. The round room held four nightstands and four dressers. In between James's and Remus's beds the door to the bathroom could be found and by the door on James's side was a tall window with a wide window sill. A smaller window overlooked the school grounds in between Remus's and Sirius's beds. James immediately felt at home in the room, kicking his shoes off before he plopped down on his bed, laying his arms behind his head.