Chapter 3 Hogwarts Express
The day started early for Harry Potter, he could not wait to go to Hogwarts. He had been introduced to magic at a young age and it was the worst experience of his life, in one of the worst ways imaginable. He could still remember that night, but he also could not wait to escape from Privet Drive. He had quietly packed up his things in the trunk that he had gotten for Diagon Alley and tried to as quietly as possible make his way down the stairs. The one thing that Harry did not want to happen is for his uncle to forbid him from going. Sure Harry would find a way to still go, but he wanted to still not have to find a way.
Once he had completed that he sat down on his trunk and just thought. 'How long the drive would be to the train station be? I have never been to a train station, after all, why would the Dursleys take me to a train station except to ship me far away. The Dursleys never took me anywhere, well at least nowhere nice. They had once tried to drop me off at an orphanage, but they wouldn't take me. The whole trip home Uncle Vernon kept yelling "Not even orphanages wants you!" ' Harry's train of thought was quickly broken by Dudley's fist hitting the back of Harry's head.
Harry turned angrily towards his cousin and quietly said " Why would you do that? Are you trying to get me to stay here with you? Don't you want me gone?" while rubbing the back of his head. The other boy responded by taking off up the stairs as loudly as possible trying to awaken his parents. This was followed by 30 seconds later by Uncle Vernon leaving his bedroom carrying a belt. The abusive uncle swiftly made his way over to young Harry and yelled: "DON'T YOU WANT TO GO THAT DAMN WIZARD SCHOOL?" Harry quite alarmed by belt wielding man and still dazed by Dudley's punch was speechless. The man waited for a full 30 seconds for a response which was not coming. Then he yelled again this time louder and directly into the boy's ear "ANSWER ME!" The young boy clearly nervous whimpered "Yes". Which was barely heard by the man who was clearly tired of the boy and just wanted the boy out of his house already. Harry then thought to himself 'Maybe I will get off this time.' Right at this time Aunt Petunia also entered the fray. Which she did by exiting her bedroom still wearing her sleeping mask and walking into the wall opposite. She lifted the mask from her eyes and walked over towards her husband who was holding her nephew by the collar. "Is he the one who was making all the noise?" asked Aunt Petunia. Her husband replied with a nod. Harry gulped loudly and just hoped this series of events would end with this.
Right then as if on queue, Dudley once again decided to make an appearance. He made his way as he walked down the stairs trying to look as tired as 's hopes shattered into a million pieces like it was a piece of fine China that someone had taken a bat to. This caused Uncle Vernon's blood to boil with the thought that not only had Harry woken up him and his wife, but his son too. Vernon once again turned all his attention to Harry and trying to decide what to do with the troublemaker. Aunt Petunia was giving Harry a death glare for daring to wake up her 'Ickle Dudleykins' in her book this was the last straw. As a matter of fact, the last straw was a few straws ago and he was on borrowed time. Uncle Vernon released Harry's collar from his grip, which might have been a good thing, if not that Harry knew what would follow. It meant that Uncle Vernon had decided his punishment, Harry expected a beating to follow. Which never came, what did come however was Uncle Vernon yelling. Harry who was already in full turtle mode. Uncle Vernon kicked Harry in the chest. Harry in pain looked up. Uncle Vernon then said "Well I see you are listening to this time. I said GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, And don't return! I don't care if you go to that school of yours or not. I do care for my family and seeing how you are not a part of it, LEAVE!"
Harry did not know how to respond. He had expected a punishment, but nothing of that caliber. He did what the man whose face had turned purple due to a large amount of yelling wanted him to do he took his trunk and left. Harry had always looked forward to this day, leaving the Dursleys. He had never expected it to come this early or this fast. Harry did not know where to or how to get there. So Harry got a few blocks away from the Dursleys before he gave you and just sat on the side of the street.
He began to cry, all of those dreams of magic that had seemed to close only a few minutes ago now seemed unattainable. His dreams were gone, he couldn't go to Hogwarts if he couldn't find the train. If he didn't go Hogwarts he couldn't learn magic and if he couldn't learn magic he couldn't help his parents recover. He thought back to the night.
It had all started with laughing, god-awful laughing, her god-awful laughing. That laugh was heard all over Grodic's Hollow on that night. It began in the middle of the night with blowing open of the Potter household's door. By then Young Harry Potter had hidden, but could still see all the fighting happening. The fight was a frantic one, between James and Lily Potter versus Three Death Eaters, but most of the fight was James versus the Death Eaters. Despite their best efforts the fight between the parents and the death eaters and didn't even last two minutes with the Potters the losers. In the opening seconds of the fight, Lily was hit and hit hard. Her leg was hit by a bone shattering curse and her legs dropped out from underneath her. Which was quickly followed by another to her arm. She was out of the fight. Harry remembered how his hard his father fought after that.
James Potter did his best to not only win the fight but also protect his injured wife. He put one hell of a fight even injuring a Death Eater, but his injuries were started to add up and after a minute and a half of giving his all the fight was over. He had lost a duel for his first and most important time. Harry remembered how his father lied there, scared. Not for his own life, but for the lives of his wife and child. How he stared down the Death Eaters that he thought would kill him.
James thought that this was the end, that in a few seconds either he or his wife would see the green light of the killing curse. This, however, did not happen, what did happen was completely different as one of the death eaters took off her mask and started to talk. James was so distracted by preparing himself for death, he didn't even understand what she was saying. Her response was swift a "Crucio!" James writhed in agony at all the pain he was under. "Now don't make me repeat myself another time! Where are the Longbottoms, Potter?" Bellatrix said clearly angry.
"NO!" Shouted James still recovering from his torture. "Crucio!" said Bellatrix pointing her wand at James. She then turned to the two Death Eaters and nodded. Harry remembered the next thirty minutes of his parents' screams. The repeated questions about the Longbottoms by the Death Eaters and the lack of response from his parents. After thirty minutes the Death Eaters realized that the Potters' brains were now almost soup and that they continued down that path.
Harry couldn't remember which Death Eater said: "Hey don't they have a kid?" Which was followed by "Yes they do!" One of the Death Eaters went upstairs, while another one searches the ground floor. Bellatrix watched the Potters in the meanwhile. Harry heard the Death Eater started opening the series of cabinets that Harry was in. Harry started to kick and scream when the Death Eater opened the cabinet he was in. The man cast a full body bind on Harry and threw him over his shoulder, Harry screaming the entire time. He put Harry down next to his parents who were out of it. The other Death Eater came downstairs and joined the others.
Bellatrix then raised her voice and said: "If we can't get anything out of you maybe we can get some information out of your son!" Then she started to laugh and said "Crucio!" and I screamed. My parents had snapped out their trance and started to curse and yell at their torturers. This just gave Bellatrix so much joy that she decided the entire Potter clan deserved a Crucio and she delighted to Crucio my parents one more time. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. The sight of seeing their son tortured and then being tortured was too much for their minds and they broke.
This angered the Death Eaters who decided to take it out on me started to Crucio me even more. This was the longest couple of minutes of my life. Bellatrix then decided to leave and Harry will always remember what happened next. As they tried to leave they decide to just try to walk away, which was a mistake because at that moment 5 Aurors apparited in. They recognized the three Death Eaters and quickly subdued them. Ironically the Aurors had come to deliver the news that the Longbottoms had defeated the Dark Lord, they didn't realize in there celebration of catching the three Death Eaters, why they were there, and the horrors that awaited them inside the house.
Once again Harry's train of thought was destroyed when a large purple bus pulled up. Harry eyed the tall man who was getting off the bus and looked towards the boy and yelled: "Oh boy aren't you going to get on the bus". Harry internally shrugged and thought what is the worst that could happen? Harry got up and started to walk over towards the bus carrying his trunk. The man ran over and said "Get on the bus. I will take care of the trunk." The man attempted to lift the trunk, paused for a second pulled out a wand said something and waved husband and the trunk flew off the ground.
Once they both were on the bus, it took off at breakneck speed. Harry had to dodge moving beds as he tried talking to the man dressed in a purple suit. Harry finally reached the man after a sharp turn and asked the man.
"What is this?"
"Oh, this? This is the Knight Bus. Haven't you heard of it? Wait for a second, how old are you?"
"Eleven and no I haven't heard of the Knight Bus. What is it?"
"Well I couldn't tell your body says nine, but your eyes and actions say otherwise."
"Go on, please tell."
"Oh, the Knight Bus is for most wizards and witches. I forgot to ask you, what is your name?"
Just then the bus took a sharp turn and then another sending the beds everywhere.
"My name is Harry Potter, what is yours?"
"My name is Stan Shunpike. So, Harry where do your travels take you?"
"Kings Cross, can you please drop me off there?"
"Well, it is our job isn't it?"
"I guess it is?"
"Well, it is."
The bus just then jolted to a stop right in front of Kings Cross. "Well off you go then," said Stan. Harry picked up his trunk and started to walk away from the bus. Stan ran over to Harry and said: "Platform 9 and ¾ is in between platforms 9 and 10." The Stan got back on the bus and it took off like a rocket.
Harry entered the station and was promptly helped by a Muggle man, who brought a cart for luggage over to the boy and helped him load it onto the cart. Harry paused for a second before entering Kings Cross, looked around and then entered the station. It took Harry a minute to find Platform 9 and 10. He was in between the two platforms like Stan said, but he couldn't find Platform 9 and ¾. He began to worry once again about not getting to go to Hogwarts and then a boy with a yellow and black scarf ran past him, but instead of running into the wall, he ran through the wall.
Harry knew understood what Stan had meant and followed the boy through the wall and was confronted with a train. Which on the front had embroiled the words Hogwarts Express? Harry knew he had found the right place. Harry stowed his stuff in one of the storage bins on the sides of the train. Harry quickly got on the train and found an empty compartment. He then sighed heavily and sat down in the seat rubbing his still hurt head. It took Harry a second to remember why his head hurt. It had after all already been a long day already and he hadn't even had lunch yet. Harry remembered all the events that happened to get him into this seat, at this time, and in this condition and he laughed. It was almost comical how much things lead to this moment and yet all he thinks about now was food.
Harry froze as three people walked by his compartment talking one definitely in charge. A few minutes later someone entered the compartment asking if "I had seen a cat?" Harry's only response was "Who brought a cat?" The person asking looked very nervous and antsy all of a sudden. Harry then said "Oh that must be you. Oh, I am so sorry, I have just had a long day. I will help you look." Harry felt really sorry, as he took out his frustration on a completely innocent person. The cat-owning witch said as she stuck her hand out "Hello my name is Hermione Granger and you are?" Harry then shook the girl's hand and replied: "My name is Harry Potter."
Then they left together to go find her cat. They had not gone far when they reached a group of arguing wizards. Neither Hermione nor Harry wanted to interrupt their conversation. They wouldn't have to anyways as it turns out because what Harry had correctly guessed was the leader of the three wizards from earlier spoke up and said: "Well if it isn't the cat-owning mudblood and friend!" This was quickly followed by silence as both groups of wizards and witch stared at the two of them waiting for a response. Then Hermione asked, "What do you know about my cat?" The leader then responded, "Well I know that cats aren't on the allowed animal list." Harry spoke up clearly angry "If you hurt her cat-" and he was cut off by a member of the other group which said, "Give her, the cat back, Malfoy!" One of Malfoy's goons pulled out his wand. This action was quickly followed by everyone present. Malfoy responded, "I couldn't even if I wanted too." At that moment Harry lost it, all of his rage at the Dursleys, Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and his life, in general, was focused on this one blast from his wand. Draco who had been trained in basic dueling knew how to conjure a basic shield, which he did. This shield shattered upon the impact of Harry's spell and sent Draco back a couple feet. Draco then responded by casting a spell at Harry which hit and knocked out Harry.
Just then a Hufflepuff perfect 'came upon' the group of fighting students. The Hufflepuff Prefect had really been watching this group of students for a while. She had heard what Draco had implied and saw how Harry stood up for his friend and saw the raw unfocused power in the spell and how it shattered a shield. She knew that it shouldn't have sent the other student flying. She decided to step in right after Harry was hit by the spell.
"So what is going on here?" casually asked the Prefect. Silence followed this was quickly followed by Draco and his thugs trying to make their escape. "Not so fast!" said the prefect and then another prefect stepped out of a compartment and cast a full body bind spell on the three of them. "Now I want the full story!" said the first prefect. She then turned to Harry and tried to revive Harry using Rennervate, but it didn't work. She tried again and was alarmed when it failed to work for the second time.
AN I am going to leave it off there. I will try to get the next chapter up by April the 3rd. Once again I am asking you to please leave a review not only with Harry's wand suggestions but with actually reviews too! If you liked the story please Review, Favorite, and/or Follow! The next chapter will be called, Chapter 4 That is not how I want to begin a year. Once again if you see grammatical errors please point them out. One last thing I am looking for a Beta Reader. If you would like to be mine please PM me. Updated 3-13-19 -Kate