-insert disclaimer line, J.K. Rowling credit, owns everything, blah-

A/N: Thanks guys, I got like 80 views on my first chapter! That might sound a bit pathetic, but I never expected it to get that many. Therefore, this is posted earlier than intended. Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Hogwarts Arrival

Harry was standing in front of Platform 10 at King's Cross, holding his ticket, when he realised something. Hagrid hadn't actually told him how to get onto the platform. 'That might pose a bit of a problem.' he mused. Was it a test? Maybe you could only get in if you were smart enough.

He wasn't going to ask a guard, he wasn't stupid. That would just be silly. There must be some way. Maybe you needed a password?

He was about to utter the word 'muggle' to the ticket box in front of Platform 10, when a bushy haired girl came strolling by loudly. "No dad, it has to be here. It has to!" she said to her father.

Harry perked up. Maybe she was looking for the platform, too?

"Now Hermione, are you sure they haven't told you anything?" her mother asked her.

"No! I'm sure." she said in a worried tone. "Maybe it's some kind of test? Maybe you can only see it if you are smart enough!" she exclaimed, seemingly horrified at the idea.

Harry had heard enough. He approached them, and they turned to regard him. "Uhm… excuse me? Are you looking for Platform 9 ¾ too?" he asked the bushy haired girl.

"Yes!" she said, looking hopeful. Then her face fell. "You don't know where it is, either?" she asked glumly.

"No, sorry… I was raised by muggles." he replied to her. "Maybe we should just try something?" he proposed.

She sighed. "There must be a logical explanation. I'm sure…" her voice faltered as she looked behind him. "Did those people just… disappear through the barrier?" she asked.

Harry spun around so fast his neck hurt. He rubbed it in pain. He looked at the barrier of Platform 10, where a family of red-headed people were standing. He saw that she was correct. Two of the group had just ran and disappeared into the barrier.

He looked at the girl, Hermione he thought her name was. "Shall we…?" he asked. She nodded, and they followed the red-headed group, the last of which was just running at the barrier, before disappearing in an instant.

"Do we just… run at it?" she said, a bit worried. "That seems… dangerous. What if we crash into it?"

"Well we don't really have any choice." Harry said, looking at the clock next to the platform. "Look, it's ten to eleven. We only have ten minutes left." He turned his trolley to face the barrier. His owl, who he had decided to call Pugnix, hooted. Many people turned to look at him, and he ignored them.

He regarded her parents, who looked equally confused. He shrugged, closed his eyes and ran at the barrier, hoping his cart wouldn't crash and oh please don't make me look like a fool don't make me crash I'm a wizard now please let me through and-

Harry opened his eyes. He was standing on a very crowded platform. Parents were yelling after little children who were screaming with joy, people young and old were lined around the platform, trunks and cages and animals were everywhere and a plague above the barrier said 'Platform 9 ¾ - Hogwarts Express'.

He looked at the giant, red stream train in front of him. It was massive, and there were at least 10 carriages trailed behind it.

His thoughts were interrupted when he was almost knocked to the ground by a girl colliding with his back. "I'm so sorry!" the girl from earlier yelled.

"No, it's fine. I should have moved to the side." Harry replied.

Just then, her parents came onto the platform with her trolley, their eyes wide with shock and awe.

"Hermione was it?" he asked her. "I'm Harry. Harry Po- please don't give me that look." he said sharply, seeing her eyes dart to his scar. He covered it instinctively. The month he had spent at the Leaky Cauldron had been fairly uneventful, but whenever he had visited the shops –or in particular, the ice cream parlour- in Diagon Alley, he was followed by whispers and people glancing at his scar. It was getting quite annoying, really.

"I'm sorry!" she said again. "But I've read all about you! You're famous!" she said.

"No kidding." he muttered. He glanced at his watch. "Come on, the train leaves in five minutes."

She looked at her parents, and then hugged them individually. "I'll miss you." she said. "We'll miss you too, dear. Now go on, the train is leaving." the reply came.

With that, she took her trolley, and they headed for the train. They took one of the last compartments, since most of the others were full. In the corner sat a boy with brown hair, reading a book. "Hello." he said when they entered.

"Do you mind?" Harry asked. "Most of the others are full."

"Oh, please." he said, indicating the empty bench. "Take a seat. There's plenty of space." he said, and he went back to reading his book.

Harry and Hermione sat down next to each other.

"Which house do you think you'll be in?" Harry asked, to no one in particular. "Ravenclaw." answered the boy, without even looking up.

Hermione considered it. "I'm not sure…" she said. "I mean, I could go either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, I think."

"Yeah, that's me as well." Harry said, glad he wasn't alone. He looked at the boy again. "What is your name?" he asked politely.

The boy put the book down, sighing. "I suppose I won't be reading for a while." he asked not unfriendly.

Harry grinned. "I suppose not."

"My name is Terry Boot." he said. "And you are…?"

"I'm Harry Potter, and this is…" he said, looking at Hermione, whose last name he didn't know.

"I'm Hermione Granger. Pleasure." she said.

"Hello Harry Potter and Hermione." Terry said. "Do you read?" he asked, tapping his book.

"Yes." came the instant reply from Hermione.

"Err…" Harry said. "My Aunt and Uncle don't let me read any books."

They gaped at him. "They don't let you read? That's awful!" Hermione said, while Terry n odded.

"Well I can't read while I'm doing tasks around the house anyway…" he said. "I do them often. My Aunt and Uncle don't really like me."

"Oh." was all they could say. Hermione pursed her lips.

The train started moving. Hermione looked out the window, and waved at her parents. She kept waving until they rounded the corner, and Platform 9 ¾ escaped their view.

They sat in silence for a while, while Harry looked out the window.

He had actually read a book once, now that he thought about it, and not counting school books. When he was 9, he had found a book about dreaming at Ms Figs place, and she had allowed him to read it. It contained all kinds of information about dreaming, and remembering your dreams, and even controlling them. The book had fascinated him. He realised that he liked books, then. Ever since he hadn't been able to get one for himself, as he didn't get any pocket money from his Aunt and Uncle. He didn't share this particular story with Terry or Hermione though, since he thought it was pitiful, and he didn't want his new friends to pity him.

Terry was rummaging in his trunk. "Here." he said, tossing him a book. It was titled 'The discovery of America'.

"Thanks." Harry said, opening the book.

"Any time." he replied, looking at Hermione, who was in turn looking at Harry. "Do you want one too?" Terry asked her.

"No, thank you." she said. "I brought my own." And she had brought her own. She opened her trunk, revealing about two-thirds of it covered in books, while the rest contained clothing and other things cramped together. She thought for a moment and took out a book. They all started reading.

Harry had found his book quite interesting. 'How could you discover an entire new land on accident?' He wondered, while flipping through the pages. He had finished it. It wasn't a thick book, but it had taken him about two hours.

About ten minutes later, an elderly woman with a friendly face knocked on the compartment door and opened it. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked them. Terry reluctantly looked up from his book, and fixed her with his Super Icy Stare of Doom. Hermione didn't even look up.

Harry inspected the trolley. It had everything and then some: lemon cakes, lemon tarts, pumpkin juice, fruit-bats, chocolate frogs, multi-coloured beans, and more. The prizes weren't high at all, so he took out two galleons. "I'll take some of everything, please." he said, wanting to try everything at least once. Hermione did actually look up at that.

The woman pushed the trolley back into the hallway, and Harry picked up one of the packages which looked like a small circus tent, only with faces on it and 'Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans' on the front. He opened the package, and took one out.

"Don't eat that one." Terry said with a serious expression. "Nor that one." he said, as Harry took out a different one. "No, not that one either. Actually, just don't eat any of them."

"What?" Harry asked, annoyed. "Surely there are good flavours too?"

Terry fixed him with a very serious glare. "Fine, eat them. And don't come to me when you're crying about how it tastes like dried cat litter."

Harry gaped at him. "I take it you don't want any, then?" he asked Terry, while handing Hermione the package. Terry simply went back to reading his book.

Hermione took one out, and her face turned into a smile. "Chocolate pudding!" she exclaimed.

Hopeful, Harry took out one too. He immediately spat it out. "Not chocolate pudding, that one."

Hermione giggled, which was a refreshing sound. Terry looked at him with a glint in his eye.

"I know, I know. You told me." Harry said. Terry smiled.

The rest of the hour went as follows: Hermione and Terry occasionally raiding Harry's stack of supplies, and Harry examining the colour of the beans and trying to guess what flavour it was. At last, Harry exclaimed "Strawberry cheesecake!" triumphantly. After that, he asked Terry for another book. Hermione handed him a book titled 'Hogwarts: A History'.

"Read it." she said. "It's fascinating."

The next few hours Harry spent reading about how you can't apparate inside Hogwarts, which sounded an awful lot like teleporting, and how its ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky.

Hermione coughed. "We should put on our robes now. It's getting dark and we will probably arrive soon."

"Firs'-years, firs'-years over here!" A familiar voice boomed over the Hogsmeade train station. Harry, Terry and Hermione went over to Hagrid. "Why hello there, Harry! Did yeh have a nice time in Diagon Alley?" he asked. Terry and Hermione looked at Harry, seemingly impressed that he knew the giant man.

Harry flashed a smile. "Yeah, I did." he jokingly narrowed his eyes. "Although someone forgot to tell me how to get onto the platform." he said.

Hagrid shuffled his feet nervously. "Oh right, sorry 'bout tha'! I completely forgot!" he said apologetically. Harry just laughed. "Don't worry about it, we found it." Hagrid smiled at that.

Together, they all entered the boats on the lake. Hagrid had a boat to himself, and Harry, Terry and Hermione had one together. Harry and Hermione gaped at the castle, simply awestruck at the sight. "I hadn't expected it to be this big." Hermione said. "There must be a huge library in there!" she continued with a glint in her eye. Terry and Harry nodded in unison.

They glided across the lake. The surface barely rippled, it was almost as though they were floating. At one point, a black tentacle rose above the waters, waving at them. Harry just started. He didn't know whether to laugh or be scared. He waved back hesitantly. The tentacle disappeared back into the water, and Harry felt something push their boat with force. Hagrid watched with wide eyes as they sped past him, all three of them laughing with joy. "This is great!" Harry yelled.

After a while, the tentacle led them back to the group. People yelled at them from all sides. "How did you do that?", "Was that a squid?" one even joked "Are you a wizard?"

Soon enough, they were approaching the shore. They got out of the boats, and followed Hagrid up to the castle, chatting excitedly. "The book I lent you on the train said something about a giant squid!" Hermione said excitedly. "That must have been it!"

They continued to chat until they got to the giant double doors that marked the entrance of the school.

Hagrid pushed them inwards, and they all scurried into the entrance hall, where a stern looking professor was waiting. She spoke with a Scottish accent, identified herself as 'Professor McGonagall' and explained to them the sorting ceremony. "Now, you will all wait here while I make the necessary arrangements." she said, walking away through a side door where Hagrid has disappeared into previously.

After a while, she came back. "We are ready for your arrival." she said. And with that, she opened the other two giant double doors.

The hall was massive. There were four large tables, one for each house he assumed, and one big staff table perpendicular to the house tables. Hundreds of students sat at the tables wearing black robes and pointy black hats. Ghosts sat at the table, mingled in with the students. Harry looked at the staff table. In the middle of the table sat a wizened old man with a long, silver beard and half-moon spectacles balancing on his nose bridge. He looked at the students with mild curiosity. When he saw Harry he smiled.

Harry looked up. Sure enough, the ceiling was black and blue, a glowing white moon straight above them, accompanied by hundreds upon hundreds of stars. He poked Hermione's arm. "Look, the ceiling!" he said.

"I know!" she gasped excitedly. "It's beautiful in here!"

They followed Professor McGonagall to the front of the hall, where they stood in front of a stool with an old, brown leather hat on it. "That's the Sorting Hat." Terry whispered unnecessarily to them.

Suddenly, the rim on the old hat opened, scarily reminiscent of a mouth. Then, it started to sing. It was a song about the four houses and their founders, and Harry found it to be quite interesting.

When the song ended, Professor McGonagall took out a list. "When I call out your name, you will come forth and put on the Sorting Hat, who will sort you into your house." she said.

"Abbott, Hannah." she called out. A blonde girl came forward and put the sorting hat on. "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat exclaimed after a few seconds.

"Bones, Susan." a nervous looking red-haired girl strode forward before putting on the hat. The hat thought for just a moment. "HUFFLEPUFF!" it exclaimed once more.

"Boot, Terry." Professor McGonagall said. Terry came forward confidently. The hat barely touched his hat before calling out "RAVENCLAW!" And Terry joined his house members at the Ravenclaw table.

After a while, it was Hermione's turn. She climbed the steps, and put the hat on. It seemed to consider her for a while, and everybody waited in silence for about half a minute. Then it called out "RAVENCLAW!" and Hermione beamed under loud applause, before walking to the Ravenclaw table.

It continued like that for a little while. A pompous looking boy with blond hair was sorted into Slytherin. Finally, Professor McGonagall called out "Harry Potter." and the hall went dead silent. Harry swallowed as he climbed the steps. He took a seat on the stool, and put the hat firmly on his head.

"Ah… interesting." a voice murmured in his head. "A drive to prove yourself, unmatched bravery and a thirst for knowledge… hmm… But where do I put you? You could go in Slytherin, yes… it would help you on your way to achieve greatness. But that won't do… wait… I can see it… you have our trunk?"

"Yes…" Harry thought silently. The hat was scaring him a bit. "I didn't mean to scare you…" the voice sounded in his mind again. "But hmm… with that trunk, you can do great things, you know. I wonder, if you will figure out its secrets. In that case, better be…" Harry quickly thought "Wait! What sec-"

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat bellowed. Everybody in the hall was quiet. The hat had been on his head for nearly two whole minutes. Then, the hall erupted in applause. The Headmaster sat up in his chair, looking at Harry approvingly. Harry took off the hat, and went to join Terry and Hermione at the Ravenclaw table. Several people clapped him on the back and congratulated him. Terry nodded with a smile and Hermione beamed.

The sorting resumed. One of the redheaded kids he had seen on the platform was sorted into Gryffindor, to loud applause of his whole family there. The sorting ended with "Zabini, Blaise" being sorted into Slytherin.

The Headmaster stood up. "I have a few things to announce, but first we shall eat. Therefore, whale, Easter lantern, cannon orca man eel!" he said. Everybody in the hall clapped, while Harry looked confused. An upperclassman Ravenclaw turned to look at them. "Most of the hall thinks he is mad, but we know better. If you take the first letter of each word, he just welcomed you all." he said knowingly.

"Huh." All three of them said. Then the food appeared, and they dug in.

The feast ended with Dumbledore telling them about dangers inside the third floor corridor, the Forbidden Forest and some other things. "Well then, off to bed. May your sleep be full of wisdom and apple sauce!" he bellowed. "Was that another secret message?" Harry asked the same boy. "No, that was just mad." he replied, before everybody started moving towards the doors.

"First years, follow me please!" the Ravenclaw prefects called out. They all followed them to the dormitories, high up in a tower. A door marked their entrance. In the middle of the door was a bronze, eagle-shaped knocker. "Now, this is the entrance to your dormitory. While most houses have a password, we think that is inconvenient." A prefect said, before knocking on the door with the eagle-shaped knocker.

It opened its eyes and beak, and spoke. "I am an odd number. Take from me a letter and I become even. What number am I?" it said.

They all looked at each other. "Seven." Hermione said confidently. The knocker closed its eyes and the door swung inwards. "Very good. Two points to Ravenclaw." The prefect said. "For now, the riddles will be fairly easy. But soon enough they will be harder. If you don't know the answer to a riddle, you have to wait until somebody else comes who does. That way you learn."

"That's brilliant." whispered Hermione. Harry and Terry nodded, and they went inside.

The common room was a wide, circular room with a midnight blue carpet. The ceiling was dome-shaped and painted with the same blue as the carpet, along with many stars. Plenty of windows lined the walls, as well as tons of bookcases. Hermione made a craving noise.

Tables and chairs were everywhere in the room, and in the middle was a fire pit. The entrances to the dormitories were two staircases, both on each side of a big, white marble statue of a beautiful witch wearing a tiara. "These are the staircases to your dormitories." the prefect said. "Left is for the boys, right is for the girls. Well then, you should probably go to sleep. Good night."

Harry looked at Hermione. "Good night, Hermione. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Harry, Terry." she said, before walking up the staircase. Harry and Terry went up the other one. Their dormitory was also circular, and contained five four-poster beds made of dark brown wood and blue curtains. Harry found his trunk and owl already there.

"Hello there, Pugnix." Harry said, stroking her feathers. She nibbled on his finger, before resting her head under her wing and going to sleep. Apparently she had waited for him.

"That's a beautiful owl." a boy said opposite his bed. "My name is Stephen Cornfoot."

"Pleasure to meet you, Stephen. I'm Harry Potter. This is Terry Boot." he said, indicating Terry.

"Pleasure." Stephen said, before crawling into his bed. Two other boys turned to look at him, already in bed. "I'm Anthony Goldstein, and this is Michael Corner." one of them said.

"Nice to meet you." Harry replied, before pushing his trunk under his bed and crawling into it himself. It had been a long day, yes. But it had been a good one.

Tomorrow he would try out his new trunk.

Don't hate me too much for not doing anything with the trunk yet, that will be in the next chapter, promise! Hoped you liked this one. Flames accepted, reviews encouraged. Have a nice day!