Chapter 1: War and Potions

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"Oi! Wake up, we're going to be late, and if we're late one more time, Slughorn's going to make us scrub all the cauldrons again!" said James, jumping onto his friend's bed.

James Potter was one to talk, as he had been late to class numerous times before, but this was a special day. It was his first day of Intermediate Potions in his last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had spent 7 long years in the school, listening to his Professors drone on and on, and he was eager to get out.

Sirius groaned from his bed and rubbed his eyes, yawning.

"I don't see why we have to take stupid potions anyways," he said mid yawn, "I don't need it to work for the Wizarding Wireless Network…"

James Potter looked at the scruffy looking 17 year old and laughed, "What makes you think you can get a job at the WWN? I hear they're pretty picky…"

Sirius rolled out of bed, and grinned widely at his friend.

"Because it's me, Jimmy-boy! Who wouldn't love to hear my voice over the radio all day and every day?" he said, making his way to the bathroom.

James rolled his eyes and snorted. "Yeah, well I've got my sights set on something more realistic," said James slowly, "My dad says he knows a bloke who knows another bloke that works in the Ministry and can maybe get me a job…"

James looked into a mirror as he spoke loud enough for Sirius to hear him from the bathroom.

"It's not too bad," said James, "I might be able to get something with his help… which I'll need considering how I barely scraped one O.W.L. in fifth year…"

James was trying to slick his hair down to keep it from sticking out everywhere, as his current girlfriend, Emily Dunnwick, hated seeing it like that.

"The only problem is, I'll probably do piss-poor on my N.E.W.T.s… stupid wizarding exams…" said James, now moving on to adjust his tie.

Sirius had come out of the bathroom, half dressed and stretching his arms as he walked over to the closet to pull out his Gryffindor uniform.

"Good luck with that, mate," said Sirius chuckling softly, "You'll need top grades to work at the Ministry."

James walked over to Sirius and clapped a hand on his back, "Not when you've got connections, you don't," he said wiggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah, we all can't be Remus Lupin and Lily Evans I suppose," said Sirius, referring to Hogwart's head boy and head girl, as he changed quickly.

"Lily Evans," said James, slight disgust in his voice, "Who'd want to be that uptight brat?"

Sirius grinned as he grabbed his potion book, and headed out the boys' room with James and down to class.

"I don't know, she is kind of hot… in that I-will-wring-your-neck-if-you-don't-listen-to-me-because-I'm-a-prefect-kind-of-a-way," said Sirius playfully to James as they made their way through the Gryffindor common room and towards the dungeon that held their potions class.

James just shook his head, "Yeah… sure…" he said sarcastically, as they walked on, laughing at the thought of either one of them with Lily Evans.

They finally made their way to the dark classroom, and pushed open the door. They were lucky to find out they were just in time to pair up with others in the classroom, and looked on at the two empty spots at different tables.

"Hey, over here," said a rather short and stout looking boy with golden colored hair.

Sirius looked at James, as they both made a mad dash for the empty spot. Sirius, with some careful maneuvering and perhaps a few illegal elbow jabs, had won the race and triumphantly sat down on the chair, pumping his fists into the air in victory.

"Ha ha, yes! I win," said Sirius, looking at an amused Peter he was sitting next to.

"Good to know I'm so… err… loved?" said Peter raising an eyebrow at his two friends.

"Well… that… and the fact that I wouldn't pass this class without your help, Pete," said Sirius grinning and a little out of breath, "I just can't believe I beat the Gryffindor seeker here!"

James narrowed his eyes at Sirius and shook his head, "Yeah well, the elbow jabs might explain it, you cheater…"

"Alls fair in war and potions," Sirius said shrugging his shoulders, "Sorry mate."

James scoffed at his friend and found the next empty seat in the back of the room, next to a boy with Slytherin robes and long greasy black hair. James started making his way to the back of the room, as he noticed the bright red haired Lily Evans glance at James and whisper something to her potions partner, a sandy brown haired boy from Ravenclaw. The boy jerked his head and looked at James with a smirk.

"Why bother showing up Potter," he said with a sneer, "Merlin knows your failing miserably."

Lily let out a giggle and kissed the sandy haired boy's cheek, as she looked at James with a half grin plastered on her face. James was about to send a retort back to the Ravenclaw, but their Professor, Horace Slughorn had entered the room and rushed for everyone, meaning James, to find a seat quickly.

James took a seat next to the Slytherin in the back, and slammed his book angrily onto the counter, mumbling curses under his breath.

"Easy Potter, letting him get to you would be what that prat wants," said the Slytherin, also sneering at the Ravenclaw with distaste.

James looked the Slytherin, Severus Snape, and raised his eyebrows, "Sticking up for me, are you Sev?"

Snape, caught off guard by James' retort, retaliated by sending the sneer in James' direction.

"It's not like I want to pick out curtains, Potter," said Snape, "I just think Lupin's a bigger git than you… if that's possible."

James laughed and opened up his potions book. For once in his life, he actually agreed with Severus Snape. The sandy-haired Ravenclaw Remus Lupin was, in fact, a git. He could remember his first encounter with him as if it were yesterday…

James Potter entered the Great Hall in awe. He had always listened to his parents' stories about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry intently, but never dreamed how magnificent it really was. The light from the floating candles emitted a brilliant warming sensation, but it was nothing compared to the euphoric ambiance created by the bewitched ceiling, mimicking the marvelous night sky outside. James had to adjust his glasses, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Beside him stood a boy grinning widely with dark hair that looked like it was unhappily constrained to look neat and proper on his head. He was glancing at the four long tables, each adorned with giant banners above them, one green and silver, one yellow and black, another blue and bronze and the last one red and gold. His light grey eyes lingered on the green banner a few minutes longer with a picture of a silvery snake, and his grin quickly disappeared.

James followed his new friend's gaze and noticing his disappointed look, patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't worry mate, you don't seem like you'd fit with them, honest," said James trying to make him feel better, "You'll be Gryffindor, for sure!"

The boy, Sirius Black, smiled back at James, and together they walked with the rest of the first years to take their seats before being sorted. James stopped full force when he saw the Headmaster of the school standing in the front with half moon spectacles, jovially looking towards the fresh-faced children. He had heard of the great headmaster, Albus Dumbledore before, and to actually see him standing in front of them was another moment that was beyond his comprehension.

Just then, another boy, handsome faced with sandy brown hair and amber eyes, collided with James, causing both of them to fall, sprawling onto the hard floor.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" said James from the ground, his glasses now askew upon his face. He slowly got up with help from Sirius, and fixed his black robes.

A group of first years giggled and pointed at the two on the floor, while the boy with the sandy hair got up and glared at James.

"How was I supposed know you had forgotten how to walk properly?" said the boy, annoyed.

James frowned at the boy, but he just sneered at him and walked away, talking to another group of students as they made their way to their seats.

"Oi! You alright?" said Sirius, as they sat down at a large table. Once the rows were all filled up with eager and excited first year students, the Headmaster made his way to the podium.

Albus Dumbledore was making a welcoming speech, while James nodded slightly and carried on whispering to his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" said James, looking around the other new students. He saw the boy with the sandy hair talking to a few others, consorting and laughing.

"You know who that is?" Sirius asked James, noticing how the be-speckled boy stared at the sandy haired boy with utter distaste.

James shrugged and shook his head slightly.

"No, do you?"

Sirius shook his head in response to James, and nodded towards deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall, who was reading off the new students' names one by one to take their place on the sorting stool.

"Looks like we'll find out soon enough…" said Sirius eagerly.

A few names later, the Headmistress called out Sirius' name, and Sirius took a deep breath as he looked at James, James nodding hopefully at the young boy and crossing his fingers for him. The table with the green banner, Slytherin, murmured quietly as an uptight looking fair-haired witch, and her even fairer haired male prefect companion glanced at Sirius, a half smile donned on his face. Sirius saw them out of the corner of his eyes, but ignored them – after all, the witch was one of his cousins he absolutely hated.

He took a seat onto the stool nervously as the hat was placed over his head.

"Ahh a rebel in the crowd… I see I see…" the Hat said to Sirius, "Well, well. It may seem you possess something differently than those before you with which you share your name… GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius sighed with relief, as audible cries of discernment came from the Slytherin table, mixed with applause from Gryffindor's red-bannered one.

"Another pureblood wasted…" he heard the fair-haired prefect, Lucius Malfoy, say from the green table, as someone made room for him to sit at his new house, numerous Gryffindor students patting his back in welcome. He turned to notice his cousin Narcissa's face was twisted with in complete disgust.

Sirius just smirked as he looked over at James who had given him the thumbs up. A few more names later, and the sandy haired boy that James had run into fidgeted in his seat.

"Lupin, Remus!" yelled McGonagall, and the sandy haired boy grinned and walked over to the stool glancing, completely disregarding a vile look James was giving him from the unsorted lot.

The Hat barely touched his head when it yelled, "RAVENCLAW!" out with apparent gusto, and the blue-bannered table applauded and cheered. Remus bounced off the chair, happy with his placement, and joined is fellow housemates at the long table.

James glanced at Sirius and rolled his eyes, while Sirius stifled a snicker.

Brainy but no bravery… please, who'd want that… thought James.

James snapped back into real time from his flashback of his first encounter with the boy he loathed more than anything in the school. Trying to get him out of his mind, James glanced at Slughorn, sloppily writing the potion ingredients onto a chalkboard.

"Well, at least you're my partner, maybe I'll have a chance passing potions after all…" said James slowly.

"If you're insinuating I do all the work, and you stand there looking like a dumb athlete, you have another thing coming, Potter," snapped Snape, opening up his book full of scribbled writing all over the sides.

"Oh come on, I'll even up the price if that's what you want…" said James, wiggling his eyebrows, "I bet you've got your eye on something at Hogsmeade… think about what the extra gold can get you…"

Snape let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes once before answering.

"Fine. 10 galleons, 8 sickles," said Snape flatly, getting out a writing quill.

"What?! Have you gone mad?! 10 galleons? No way… no way!" said James shaking his head defiantly, "Forget it… I'll just do it myself!"

Nearly an hour later and a cauldron full of a thick, lumpy and sickening looking brown liquid later (problematic since the potion he needed to create was supposed to be thin and a light lavender color), James threw up his hands in the air and cursed under his breath.

"Alright. 10 galleons it is," said James, slumping in his chair, clearly defeated.

Snape let out a small grin, "And don't forget the 8 sickles…" he said as he siphoned some of his perfect looking potion into a small flask for James.

James muttered something under his breath and paid Snape in exchange for the flask. He wrote his name on it, and placed it on Slughorn's desk before exiting the potions class in a huff.

A/N: A long first chapter, I know it! So things are somewhat twisted in this new world. Remus is a Ravenclaw, apparently dating Lily and loathing James. Snape and James are civil to each other, not to mention Peter is feeling a lot more important to the guys. Well, let's see how it turns out!

*Edit: For some bizarre reason I was thinking that each house had their own head boy/girl like prefect ... so, Remus is head boy to avoid further confusion! :)*

Thanks for checking out my first upload to the site! Hopefully I can get some feedback, and please be kind. I'm a first time uploader XD Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I, of course do not own the characters of this story, as they belong to the great J.K. Rowling.