Chapter 564 - Meeting Anew

The remaining hours quickly pass by and soon it is time to leave for the train station. Euphemia checks with James one last time to make sure he has everything packed before finally allowing her son to close his trunk shut. Satisfied, the three of them side-apparate to Kings Cross Station.

With ease, the three of them pass through the enchanted wall and arrive on the other side onto platform 9 ¾'s. A scarlet engine waits next to the platform that is bursting with people. Smoke from the engine drifts over the crowd as the wrought-iron archway reads, Platform Nine and Three Quarters. The first few train carriages are already full of students waving goodbye, or even fighting over their seats.

James blinks around with nostalgia at the sight as they make their way through the crowd as cats' meow and owl's hoot with the odd frog croak and rat squeak here and there. James eagerly spots his friends in the distance and turns around to give his parents a hug, before darting away with his trolley.

His mother, Euphemia calls out to him. "Don't forget to write, young man! Nimmy and I will be sending you a care package later in the week!"

"I will," James cried out over his shoulder, before making his way over to Lupin, Sirius, and that rat faced bastard.

Sirius flashes James a cheeky grin and says, "Well, well, if it isn't our chaser, who quit the Quidditch team. Guess, who's Quidditch Captain now?"

Pointing at his own chest in pride, Sirius grins and adds, "You snooze, you lose, James."

Falling into old familiar habits, James rolls his eyes and replies, "Yes, well, I don't exactly envy you, Siri. We have O.W. L's, this year, don't you remember?"

Sirius wilts slightly before perking right up and saying, "No matter, I'm sure I'll be just fine!"

Seeing Lupin without his trunk, James smiles and said, "And just where are your things, Remus? Or are they off already stored in the Prefect compartment?"

Lupin chuckles and points at his chest where a red and gold badge with a superimposed Lion with the letter P is pinned to his chest.

"You guessed right. I have already put my trunk away in the Prefect compartment. And now that I am a Prefect do not think for a moment that I won't take away points nor assign you detention, James," Lupin warningly said. He would not be aiding any of his friends if they acted out wrongly.

"Yeah right," Sirius chuckled earning himself a firm glare from Lupin that sternly said otherwise.

Pettigrew on the other hand had remained rather quiet, before finally saying, "I'll be sitting with my girlfriend, I promised her that I would." Without another word, Pettigrew rushed away and vanished into the train.

Sirius seems rather apologetic as Lupin flashes Sirius another glare. They had both agreed that Sirius was to play the middleman, while Lupin fulfilled his Prefect duties. Sighing in frustration, Lupin stiffly says, "The two of you better find some seats, I've got duties to do." Before rushing away with his robes flapping after his tall, lanky form.

James blinks in disbelief. "Pettigrew has a girlfriend?"

"Yes, Quyen Crowley," Sirius makes a face as they lug their trunk onto the train.

"I didn't initially believe it either, but they've sucked face in front of us enough times to prove otherwise," Sirius said with a violent shudder and a gagging like sound.

James blinks as he furrows his brows. As far as he could remember, Pettigrew had never had a single girlfriend while at Hogwarts nor looked as fit as he did now. Was this truly the past? But this did not seem as through some sort of dream, but as real as his own reality.

Putting his obvious concern and bewilderment aside, James and Sirius make their way through the train in search of an empty compartment. Sirius blinks in delight at opening the compartment door and seeing a delicate, handsome youth with floppy hair and lighter hazel eyes than James.

"Terry," Sirius smirked as he pulled his trunk into the empty compartment with James warily following right after. "All alone, I see."

Terry rolls his eyes at the idiot Gryffindor's words. "Severus and Rowan are both Prefects and as is Lily. So, pray tell, who else am I going to sit with?"

"With James and I!" Sirius proudly beamed as he pointed at himself and James.

"Oh, what a joy," Terry sarcastically said as James settled his trunk into place and sat down.

Seeing James blankly staring at him, Terry arches his eyebrow and stares at Sirius. "What's wrong with him? Do I have something on my face? Or has one too many bludger's to the head finally gotten him good?"

"You have no idea," Sirius grunted under his breath, before sighing. "James, er, kind of hit his head this summer, and er, is suffering from a bit of amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Terry said in disbelief through narrowed eyes. "Right, this is another one of your pranks, isn't it Black?"

"I swear it really isn't!" Sirius protested with his hands too. "He remembers mostly everything, but he's missing some memories of various people and a couple of events too. Take for example Peter, he doesn't remember anything about him."

Terry clearly blinks in surprise and says, "In that case, my most sincere condolsoances, James. I know that this must be rather awkward for you given that the four of you are best friends."

"Yes," James slowly said. "I'm sorry, I know who you are Greengrass, but I don't ever recall us being friends. And aren't you in Slytherin?"

Terry and Sirius share a glance that says, "You were serious, weren't you?" "Well, duh."

"Right," Terry said as he rubbed his brow. "I can tell this is going to be a long conversation, so let us get started, shall we? First off, I am indeed a Slytherin. Sirius and the rest of your merry gang became friends with me via Severus and Rowan. But frankly, I'm much closer to Lupin than all of you combined. No offense, Sirius."

"None taken," Sirius said with a shrug.

"Severus Snape?" James slowly asked recalling the scrawny, sulky teen of his youth. But worst of all, the wretched Slytherin, who went on to become a Death Eater. The slimy bastard that broke Lily's heart when he joined.

"Well, Tobias Snape, their father was a Snape, but Severus has always been Prince's as far as we've known both of them," Terry slowly explained.

James slowly wraps his mind around the information, before asking the next obvious question. "And who exactly is Rowan?"

Terry and Sirius share another glance before Terry answers, "Well, Rowan is Severus's twin sister. She is older than him by a few minutes and is in Slytherin as well. The five of you are rather close. And she's your best female friend so to speak."

James blinks in shock unable to believe said answer. Half-convinced it must be some sort of trick, James wryly says, "Sorry, but I can't seem to recall her."

"Naturally, I can't see this turning into a potentially large disaster," Terry drily remarked.

Thankfully, they are saved by a meow from the carrier sitting down next to Terry. Sirius calmly leans back in his seat as Terry opens the carrier and a long-haired cat in shades of brown, gray, white, and black emerges. Alchemy was not only handsome, but an adorable Norwegian Forest cat with a bright pink nose and matching pink paws.

James moves as if to grab the cat, but Alchemy meekly flops down in the space next to his owner and begins to loudly purr. Terry did not miss James's actions and slowly says, "It looks like you might be missing some memories from Sirius as well, James."

James blinks as Sirius says, "I still don't like cats very much, but I don't mind Alchemy nor Brams very much."

Terry snickers loudly and says, "Please Regulus says, you curl up with Brams on the couch, all the time."

"That's because, Brams is cool," Sirius stiffly growled. "He can swim, hunt, and even play fetch. He's practically a dog!"

"Don't let Brams hear you say that," Terry warningly said as Sirius shudders in reply. Brams had rather long nails to which show his displeasure with. And Sirius had already been on the receiving end of Brams discontent.

"Brams?" James interrupted.

"He's Regulus's cat," Sirius instantly replied. "Brams is a Turkish Angora."

"Right," James slowly nodded his head as if trying to make sense of all the new information he had just learned. Thankfully for him the Hogwarts Express lets out a warning whistle as the last of the straggle board the train. After one more whistle the Hogwarts Express pulls forward and is onto its new destination.