When It's All Over

September 1, 1971 (part three)

Remus had never been so full in his life. The idea of climbing all of the stairs that laid out before them was daunting and he wished he could just curl up on the floor and take a nap.

Beside him, Peter let out a small groan and he could tell that the boy shared the same sentiments.

"This is some sort of sick joke," Sirius muttered under his breath, beginning his ascent of the hundreds of stairs.

"How in Merlin's name do they know where they're going?" James eyed the Prefects that were leading the class of first years up the stairs, hopping from one moving staircase to the next.

"This place could use a bloody map," Sirius grumbled, and Remus saw James give him a nod of agreement.

The four of them ambled slowly behind the class of eager first years who had apparently not gorged themselves in the same manner that they had. Remus questioned how on earth anyone could have that much energy in general, but especially after the spread that they had just been presented with.

"This is the Fat Lady portrait," the Prefect in the lead announced. "She will allow you entrance to the Gryffindor common room once you tell her the password. The current password is Draconis vipera. Make sure you stay up to date on all of the passwords, as you will not be allowed entry without it!"

Remus glanced towards the rest of his classmates to see if they found this to be as absurd as he did, but nobody else seemed perturbed by it. The portrait swung open and they began filing inside.

The cavernous room was decked out in the house colors of red and gold. A roaring fireplace sat in the corner, multiple overstuffed sofas scattered around the room. Several large, oak desks were pushed into the corners, the perfect place to study in a small group or tuck away to get homework done. On each side of the room, there were circular staircases that lead up to respective dormitories for both boys and girls.

"Your luggage has been sent to your dormitories. Boys are on the left, girls to the right. You will not be permitted entry to the opposite sex's dorms, so do not try," the Prefect carried on. "First years, you will all be in a dormitory together, and you will remain roommates throughout your schooling career, so do please try to get along."

The Prefects glanced at one another with an exasperated look, and Remus picked up on the fact that the roommate assignments had given them grief in the past.

"Are we four the only first year boys?" James whispered excitedly to him, and Remus glanced around. He hadn't paid that close of attention at the sorting ceremony, but he thought that this may be the case.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but no, you're not," another boy's voice spoke. The four boys turned around to find a boy, much taller than all four of them, smiling at them amicably.

"Name's Kingsley," he extended a hand out to James who shook it politely.

"It's nice to meet you. I have a feeling we'll have loads of fun."

Kingsley laughed. "I try to keep myself out of trouble, which doesn't seem much like your speed. But you four knock yourselves out. Who am I to be a snitch?"

Sirius grinned mischievously and clapped a hand on Kingsley's shoulder. "I think we're going to get along just fine."

The five of them all shared a laugh before making their way up to the dormitory. The room was spacious with five four-post beds spread out, each bed separated by floor to ceiling paned windows overlooking the grounds. Remus appreciated the privacy that each bed provided with curtains that could be drawn shut to create a space he could have all to himself.