Chapter One: Crossing Paths

"Riley." an older male voice spoke. "Riley!"

A young boy, no older than eleven, sat back in his seat, his eyelids shut hiding any trace of his blue eyes, with his little hands gripping his thighs for dear life, and his brown work boot-clad feet firmly planted on the floor of the plane's interior. This hadn't been little Riley Cross' first time on an airplane, but he was still terrified of heights. His father, mother, and older brother had tried time and time again to help him get over this little phobia, but to no avail.

"Riley." the male voice rang out again.

"I'm not looking, dad." Riley responded, sternly.

"Son, it's beautiful out there." his father told him. "Just think of it like being on a ship, only the clouds are the water."

Professor Timothy Cross sighed, and shook his head. His son could be so stubborn sometimes. He and his son wore matching outfits, which consisted of an open beige, short-sleeved, button-up shirt over a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, and white socks and brown boots. Both of them had blue eyes, and short brown hair cut in a half-crown style, but Riley did not have his dad's cleanly-trimmed mustache and beard. Other than the size and facial hair, both looked very much alike.

"So, what's this school supposed to be like again?" asked Riley.

"Min said it would be like your old one, Riley." replied Prof. Cross. "Which means you can take Bubba and Shadow with you."

Bubba and Shadow were Riley's pet cat and owl respectively. Bubba was a Russian Blue cat, who was very friendly with the other animals, and was given to Riley by his mother for his eleventh birthday. Shadow was an Andaman Hawk Owl, which Riley's parents had helped him care for during a trip to India when Riley himself was eight years old. The two of them were placed in pet carriers nearby them, instead of with the rest of the Cross family's belongings.

They were moving to a neighborhood nearby London, England, where Riley's paternal grandmother was living, and where Riley would be attending his new school. Riley and his father were the last of their family to arrive, as they were helping move the last of their stuff. Riley's mother, Dr. Sally Cross, was at their new home with Riley's seven year old younger brother Evan, getting the place set up.

Riley was both looking forward to and dreading his first year at this new school, as it meant he could possibly be ostracized for being an outsider, or because he was a Muggleborn wizard-in training. On the upside though, he'd be making new friends, and his dad wasn't going to move around so much thanks to his occupation. Prof. Cross was an archaeologist who was well-known in the world, and was an honest man. He wasn't in the business for the money or fame, he was in it because he loved the adventures and mysteries that came with it.

While Riley was thinking about his new school, a small hand reached out from behind his seat and quickly gripped his shoulder. Surprised, Riley let out a frightened shriek, which was followed by the hand's owner's laughter. Another boy poked his head over the seat, grinning at the sight of his best friend's terrified expression, and chuckled. He had short, spiky black hair, light tanned skin, and brown eyes, but he wore a light blue shirt over a forest green long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.

"Tony!" whined Riley. "That was not funny!"

"Sure it was, Ry!" chuckled Tony. "Hey, Uncle Tim, are we there yet?"

"For the tenth time, Anthony, be patient." replied Prof. Cross.

"Aw, man, I'm so stoked! I can't wait to start school!"

The young boy seemed to be oozing excitement the way he was smiling. A man sitting beside Tony merely tapped him on the shoulder and gave him a warning glare, which caused Tony to sit down instantly, but not stop looking excited.

"Anthony, while you two are there, I don't want to hear that you've been up to any mischief, are we clear?" the man instructed the boy beside him.

"Sure, dad." replied Tony.

"I mean it, no shenanigans."

"We know, dad. We'll be good."

"Good. Last thing I need is another Howler letting me know you hexed someone's pants down in front of the whole school again."

Both Riley and Tony sunk lower into their seats, looking very embarrassed. During their last day of school months ago, Tony had talked Riley into helping him magically pantsing a teacher who was being sexist towards one teacher, and racist to another. Now they were going to switch to another school where they'd have an almost clean slate, and they would be getting on the train today.

A short while later, the plane finally landed (much to Riley's immense relief), and the boys were taken to the Cross family's new home in order to get their school stuff. Riley and Tony quickly gathered their belongings and placed them into their respective trunks, then got dressed into their new school clothes. They didn't put on their robes yet, as it would attract unwanted attention, as Riley's older brother, Deran, had told them. While Riley was organizing his stuff so he'd make more room in his trunk and keep the contents from getting ruined or broken, a woman in a white labcoat and black skirt entered the room. She wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and had long, wavy, dark brown hair, and her kindly gray eyes gazed down at the boy.

"Ready to go?" she called, smiling.

Riley looked up at her and smiled back at her.

"Yeah, mom." he answered.

"No, I don't think so." Mrs. Cross said, walking into the room.

She had her hands folded behind her back, as if hiding something, and her smile grew bigger.

"Looks like you'll need something for the trip." she explained, acting innocently. "Something to keep you entertained."

Riley looked at her, confused, and then Mrs. Cross' hands moved from behind her back to reveal a paper bag clutched in them. Riley took the bag from her, and opened it. Inside were a stack of comic books. Brand new comic books.

"Cool!" he exclaimed. "New comic books!"

"Grandpa Neil thought you would love these." Mrs. Cross told him. "He says Superman's the biggest thing back in the States, and he wants you to write him as soon as you complete this collection."

"I will! I can't wait to read these!"

With that, Riley placed the paper bag containing the comic books into the trunk and closed it. He and Tony took their things out to the car, and Mrs. Cross and Tony's father took them to King's Cross station, where they were to board their train. Once they got out and got their trolleys, Mrs. Cross knelt down before her son to hug him goodbye.

"Write to me every week, alright?" she told him. "And don't give Minerva any grief."

"I won't, mom." replied Riley. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Mrs. Cross kissed her son on the forehead and stood back up, while Tony's father was once again reminding his son not to cause any trouble, and warned him about what would happen if he got into any more trouble. Once they were done talking, Mrs. Cross handed the boys their tickets. The two eleven year olds read their tickets and looked at one another confused.

"How do we find a Platform 9 and 3/4?" asked Tony.

"Find someone dressed like us or has an owl with their luggage?" Riley guessed, shrugging.

"You two better get on your way," Tony's father told them. "Send Shadow if you need to."

He and Mrs. Cross left, having to go to work, and so Riley and Tony were left alone to find their ride to school. They pushed their carts through the station, and looked around for people who seemed like they were heading to their school.

"See anyone yet, Tony?" asked Riley.

"Nada, boyo." replied Tony. "What's the time?"

Riley paused in his tracks to check his watch, they had just ten minutes to find their train.

"We don't have much time left." he announced.

"Wonderful." sighed Tony.

After another moment of searching, Tony finally caught sight of a boy their age wandering around with a cart with a trunk and an snow white owl on it. The boy had untidy black hair, and wore a pair of glasses, a plaid, long-sleeved shirt that seemed a little big for him, and blue jeans with a pair of worn-out old shoes.

"Hey, Ry." he called to his friend. "Think he could be...?"

Riley turned to look at the boy his friend was staring at, and nodded.

"Could be." he muttered.

The darker-haired boy left his cart behind, and walked over to the other boy, who was now talking to a conductor.

"Excuse me, could you tell me how to get on Platform 9 and 3/4?" the boy asked, politely.

The conductor scowled at him.

"'9 and 3/4'?" he repeated. "Think you're being funny, do you?"

The boy now looked a little embarrassed, regretting having to have asked. Riley chose this moment to speed toward the boy, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ah, there you are." he said, cheerfully.

The boy and the conductor looked at him, confused. Riley looked up at the man towering over them, and smiled.

"Sorry, got away from me." he apologized. "The rascal."

"Is this your friend?" asked the conductor.

"Brother. Little brother. Yet I still dislike that he's taller than me. You'll have to excuse him, I put him up to this."

The other boy stared at him, stunned now more than before. The conductor scolded Riley for having his brother wasting his time like that, and walked away. Riley then looked at the boy, and his smile fell a little.

"I take it you don't know how to find our ride to school either?" he guessed.

"No." the other boy responded. "Thanks for stepping in though."

"Don't worry about it. I'm Riley Cross, my buddy over there is Tony Gabriel."

The boy smiled and shook his hand.

"I'm Harry Potter." he greeted. "Nice to meet you."

"Come on, maybe we should stick together." Riley told him, once Harry had released his hand.

Riley walked over to where Tony was to retrieve his cart, and pushed it over by Harry, and Tony followed after him.

"So, which way should we go?" asked Tony.

Riley tapped his chin in thought, trying to think of a plan. Behind him, a family of six redheads walked past him, four of which had carts with luggage similar to their own.

"...every year, packed with Muggles, of course!" the woman of the group's voice commented.

The word "Muggles" had grabbed the attention of the three boys, and they pushed their carts after them.

"Come on, Platform 9 and 3/4 this way!" the woman announced to her children.

The six redheads headed towards Platform 9 and 10, and the woman and the young girl with them stopped to the side between Platforms 9 and 10 and 7 and 8. She turned to look at the boys, and then spoke.

"Percy, you first." she called.

The taller boy, known as Percy, pushed his cart toward the center, facing the wall between Platforms 9 and 10.

"What's he gonna do?" asked Harry.

"Let's watch and learn." replied Tony.

Percy pushed his cart toward the wall, and ran at it. Much to Harry, Riley, and Tony's collective surprise though, Percy didn't crash. He disappeared, like a ghost travelling through solid objects.

"Did anyone else see that?" asked Riley. "Did that just happen?"

"I was going to ask you guys that." replied Harry.

The redhead woman calmly turned back to her the remaining three redheaded males, and called for the one called "Fred". The redhead twins then complained and told her off for getting them mixed up, until the woman apologized and addressed the twin she was calling for as "George". "George" pushed his cart forward in the same manner as Percy did, and smiled at his mother.

"Only joking, I am Fred." the boy told her.

The mother looked as if she wanted to hit him, but missed her chance as the twins headed to the wall and disappeared upon charging at it.

"Must be a portal or something." said Tony.

"Guess that's where our ride is." agreed Riley.

"Only one way to find out." said Harry.

He walked forward, and addressed the woman.

"Excuse me?" he spoke, getting her attention.

Riley and Tony followed after Harry, and Harry then asked what the three had been wondering the whole time they were there.

"Could-Could you tell us-How to-" he began, stammering shyly.

The boy motioned to the wall where the woman's sons disappeared into, and the woman seemed to understand now.

"'How to get onto the platform'?" she finished, chuckling. "Not to worry, dears. It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well."

The three boys looked over at the last redheaded male who smiled at them, as if letting them know that he was "Ron". The woman then began explaining to them how to get to Platform 9 and 3/4.

"Now all you've got to do..." she began, now pointing at the wall. "...is walk straight at the wall between Platforms 9 and 10."

Harry, Riley, and Tony looked back at the wall, nervously.

"At the wall?" repeated Tony.

"Best to do a bit of a run if you're nervous." the woman advised him and the other two. "You'll be fine."

"Good luck." the little girl with her said, cheerfully.

Harry, Riley, and Tony looked at one another now.

"Who wants to go first?" asked Riley.

"Maybe you should, Ry." Tony offered, patting him on the back.

"Me?!"

"Yeah, you. Harry and I will be right behind you. Won't we, Harry?"

Riley's startled gaze now turned to look at Harry, who nodded quickly. Sighing, he reluctantly moved his cart to the position where the other three boys were standing.

"Here goes something." Riley muttered, taking a deep breath.

He then pushed his cart, running at high speed, and bolted at the wall. To his surprise though, he didn't crash. Instead, he found himself standing in what looked like a different station. There were people walking around with luggage like his own, some with owls, and some with cats, and some with no pets at all.

"This is so awesome." grinned Riley.

Behind him, Harry had arrived with his cart, and also looked very amazed at what they were seeing.

"Hey, Harry." greeted Riley. "Glad you could join the party."

They pushed their carts forward, and saw a red and black train parked nearby, with steam blowing out of it.

"Amazing." breathed Harry. "So, this is it?"

"That's our ride, if that's what you mean." said Riley.

Tony then emerged onto the platform behind them, and laughed weakly.

"Cool!" he exclaimed. "I didn't crash!"

The three of them pushed their carts over to the train, where someone helped them with their things, and then headed on board to find a place to sit. Tony then noticed that Riley had a paper bag in his hand.

"What's that, Riley?" he asked.

"Oh, some comics my mom said that came from my grandpa." explained Riley. "They thought I could use them on the trip."

"What kind?" asked Harry.

Riley's response was a shrug. The three of them finally walked into a compartment, and then sat down as the train began leaving the station. They watched as they passed fields of trees, grass, and hilltops, with farm and forest animals here and there. Riley was reading the first issue of his new comic book when he noticed in his field of vision that Harry was gazing out the window interested.

"You don't go traveling around a lot, do you?" he asked.

"Not that much." replied Harry. "Come on, you have to admit this beautiful."

Before either of his new friends could answer, a soft voice spoke up from outside of their compartment.

"Excuse me?" the voice called.

All three heads turned to see a red-haired boy standing outside of the compartment. Not just any red-haired boy though, it was the youngest male of the redheads that the trio had met earlier.

"Do you mind?" the boy asked, shyly. "Everywhere else is full."

"Not at all." replied Harry. "Right, guys?" he added, turning to the other two occupants.

"Please." Tony said, gesturing to the seat beside him.

The redheaded boy entered the compartment and took a seat across from Harry by the window.

"I'm Ron, by the way." he greeted, smiling. "Ron Weasley."

"Anthony Gabriel, but everybody calls me 'Tony' for short." responded Tony.

"Riley Cross." Riley spoke, closing his comic book to shake Ron's hand briefly.

"I'm Harry," Harry finished, just smiling. "Harry Potter."

The moment Harry had finished introducing himself, Ron's eyes widened in amazement and surprise. Tony and Riley looked at each other, confused, and then at Ron, who began to speak again.

"S-So...So it's true!" he gasped, amazed. "I mean,...do you really have the...the...?"

Harry stared as Ron tapped at his forehead.

"The what?" asked Harry.

Ron now leaned in a little, whispering as if what he was asking was some huge secret.

"The scar?" he answered.

Harry then nodded, and pushed back his bengs, showing a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. Riley and Tony decided to take a look also, and were also amazed.

"Wicked." Ron gasped, amazed.

"How'd you get that?" asked Riley.

Harry began to explain, until Ron interrupted and looked at him, even more surprised.

"How'd he get that?!" he repeated, shocked. "You mean you don't know who he is?!"

"Me and my big mouth." said Riley.

"That's the Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived. He got that scar from when You-Know-Who tried to kill him."

To Ron and Harry's surprise though, Riley and Tony looked completely lost.

"'You-Know-Who'?" Riley asked, turning to look at Tony.

"If I knew who, I'd tell you." Tony replied, jokingly.

"You two are going to Hogwarts, a magic school, and you two know nothing about You-Know-Who or Harry Potter." Ron scolded them. "Where did you two come from?"

"Well, we didn't stay in one place for too long growing up." Riley explained to him, gesturing to himself and Tony. "Our dads are archaeologists, and their businesses had us going from location to location during the summer."

Tony nodded at Ron in agreement.

"We're Muggleborn Wizards." he explained.

"You're Muggles?" Ron asked, curiously. "My dad studies the Muggle world for a living. Last I saw of my dad before we left home was him tinkering with a car trying to figure out how it worked."

At that moment, a cart pushed by the compartment door, with sweets on the shelves, and a kindly old woman poked her head into the compartment.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked the four boys.

Ron reluctantly held up some sandwiches packed into plastic wrapping.

"No thanks, I'm all set." he replied.

Harry looked at Ron, then watched as Riley and Tony began digging into their own pockets for some money, then he himself dug his hand into his own pocket.

"We'll take the lot." declared Harry.

He took a handful of coins out of his pocket and held them out for the woman to see. Riley and Tony had took out coins of the same kind as Harry's, causing Ron to stare at each handful in amazement.

"Whoa."

Just thought I'd try a nice change of pace for the time being, and I've decided to wait until December to resume my GX fanfic since it's still in the Christmas chapters.

So, I introduced two new characters that will be attending Hogwarts with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Riley and Tony are a pair of best friends from the States who attended a magic school until they got their letters from Hogwarts, and moved back to Riley's mother's hometown to attend school. They meet Harry and Ron, and some of their history is revealed.

Disclaimer: I own the Cross family, and the Gabriels. I don't own the Harry Potter series (books, movies, you get it), or any of the DC comics or books that appear in this story. If I did, I'd be richer than Lex Luthor, Bruce Wayne, the Malfoys,...okay, you guys get the picture.

Update (9/19/18): Rewrite is in progress to add more chapters.