THE MARAUDERS

HOGWARTS AT LAST!

It was already evening, and the students were chattering with excitement and gathering in front of the window of the train as they saw a big castle with a jumble of towers and battlements looming up in the distance. It was Hogwarts. The train halted at the platform after about five minutes.

All the students got off and the four friends saw a really large person, with a medium sized beard and long hair, carrying a lantern, calling all the first year students to join him.

They were going towards him, when Lily suddenly exclaimed 'Oh look! There's Severus!', and skipped away to join him.

'She's friends with greasel?' said James "She really has a bad sense of choice!" The other two laughed, in agreement.

'Hello there!', said the big man. 'Me name's Hagrid. I'm the Keeper of Keys and Grounds. It's nice to meet ye!'

Hagrid looked like a really jolly person who liked to make new friends. The new students immediately took a liking towards him. After gathering all the first years, he took them along a shady path towards a fleet of small boats kept neatly in front of a big lake.

'This is the black lake. All first year students are supposed to go to Hogwarts on these boats.' said Hagrid.

The students climbed on the boats, which immediately started sailing themselves.

'THIS IS AWESOME!!' Sirius shouted into the air.
'I love to hear all the first years say that. It's the same for everyone!' chuckled Hagrid. 'I remember me first time, when I were on one of those boats. It was the best thing!'

By the time the students were walking through the gates of Hogwarts, they were already brimming with excitement. Once inside, they were greeted by a tall, stern looking lady professor, her hair drawn into a tight bun.

'Good evening, my students.' she said. 'I am professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts, and your transfiguration teacher.'

Hearing her voice, the children could very well understand that she was a very strict teacher, and should not be taken for granted.

'Now I must ask you...' she continued, 'to form neat rows and follow me quietly in front of the great hall, and wait there until the headmaster calls you in.'

'She looks pretty dangerous.', whispered Remus.
'Yeah. We can't afford to cross her.' Sirius whispered back.
'Or prank her either.' said James.

'Ahem? Am I not making myself quite clear to the three of you back there? Should I repeat myself?' asked Miss McGonagall in a very suppressive voice.

'Oh no, professor. Absolutely not.' mumbled Remus.

They followed professor McGonagall up the main staircase, and stood in front of the giant door of the great hall. She left them waiting there, and went inside.

Remus turned to Sirius and said, 'But why would you want to prank her? That could get us into a lot of trouble.'

'It could, but what fun is it, if you go to a class and don't even prank the teacher?' replied Sirius. James laughed.

After a while, the door of the great hall opened before them, and professor McGonagall called them inside. The hall was a really wonderful sight to see. There were four big tables in the room- each one for each of the four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. There was a table in front, where the entire Hogwarts staff sat, and a throne like chair, where sat professor Dumbledore. The ceiling was covered with floating candles and was enchanted to look like the sky above.