Disclaimer: We don't own the works of Harry Potter. Fortunately, we do not own the movies either.

Sirius Black leaned back against the tall headboard of his small, four-poster bed. He sighed as he reread the list of supplies that needed to be purchased in Diagon Alley. His deep blue eyes reached the bottom of the parchment. Slumping down onto his pillow he ran a hand through his soft, black hair. Sirius's fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was about to begin. Unfortunately, he wasn't very excited. The book list had gotten considerably longer since O.W.L.'s were this year. The teachers would probably be piling on a lot more homework than usual.

"Ugh," Sirius groaned. This meant that Professor Litvy, his Potions teacher, would have more opportunities to give him low marks. Sirius hated completing Litvy's assignments. The old wizard never gave him anything but Unsatisfactory scores or sometimes even worse. If Sirius had his way he would have waffled out of Potions class ages ago. He set the list down on his nightstand next to his Hogwart's Express ticket and alarm clock. Sirius checked the time noticing that it was quite late. Actually it was quite early, seeing as it was 1:34 AM.

If I want to make the train tomorrow I should probably get some sleep, he thought.

Two hours later Sirius still lay awake, staring at the shadow filled ceiling. He had been spending more and more nights lying face-up, staring at the plaster-cracked walls. It had all started a few weeks ago...

"But father," Sirius pleaded, "I have friends at school who have muggle parents."

"All the more reason for you to ignore them," said Sirius's father. "We don't need a member of the Black family fraternizing with mudbloods. You're tarnishing the family name!"

"I'm not tarnishing anything!" Sirius said angrily, slamming his fist on the kitchen table, "You're asking me to do something I just can't!"

"You will do as I say young man," said Alexander Black slowly, his temper rising. "I won't have you consorting with filthy halfbreeds!"

"I'll do whatever I want!" yelled Sirius, jumping up from his chair. "I won't let you control my life like this!" He dashed up the stairs to his room, covering his ears as his father yelled up after him.

Sirius heard a thud and was forced back to reality. He gritted his teeth angrily, thinking of what his father had told him. He looked around, grabbing his trunk from under his bed, tossing robes and books carelessly into it.

Closing the wooden lid to his trunk, Sirius anticipated the long train ride to Hogwart's with his best friends.