Chapter 2

Colin blinked as the world righted itself, and he was in a secluded corner at King's Cross Station.

"Come on kid, we'll find the Weasley family, they'll be here soon and can look after you." Podmore gestured for Colin to push the luggage trolley, and lead the way through the crowds to platforms 9 and 10.

"Are we going through the archway?" Colin asked.

Podmore blinked, surprised. "I thought you hadn't been here before?"

Colin shrugged and grinned, "Lucky guess?"

Podmore rolled his eyes and frowned slightly in confusion but shook it off, unsure of how the kid knew about the barrier, but accepting it. "Yep, don't slow down or stop, I'll help you through."

They pushed through the barrier easily, and Colin stared around at the black train, rushing students, mess of luggage and pets and teary parents waving goodbye. Steam was rising from the train, and there was a lot of noise, the whistling, the shouting and the slamming of doors and windows. It was hectic and noisy and confusing, but brilliant at the same time.

"Come on, there's Molly." Podmore lead the way through the crowds to where a red-haired, plump woman stood with an elderly lady who was wearing a weirdly shaped hat and a teenage boy with messy black hair, glasses and dressed comfortably in muggle clothing.

"Molly!"

The three turned towards them as they approached. "Sturgis! You leaving like that really threw Alastor, I'd be prepared for a yelling if I were you." The red-haired woman, Molly Weasley, warned.

"I had no choice, Dumbledore asked me to pick up the boy and bring him to the train." Sturgis shrugged.

Colin watched in amusement as the elderly lady opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Mrs Weasley. "Oh good, here's Alastor with the luggage, look…"

Colin turned to watch as a man limped through the barrier with a porter's hat over his eyes, pushing a trolley loaded with several trunks. "All okay," he muttered to the adults, "Don't think we were followed…"

Seconds later, Colin watched as a red-haired man emerged with a teenage red-haired boy (obviously his son) and a curly, brown-haired teenage girl. Moments after that, another three red-haired teenages, one girl and a pair of twin boys appeared through the barrier, with a slightly short man, who had light brown, close cropped hair.

"No trouble?" growled the man dressed as a porter.

"Nothing," said the man that came through with three red-haired kids.

"Good. Sturgis, any trouble?" Moody turned to the man. Colin watched as they all practically ignored his presence. He mentally shrugged and watched on in amusement.

"No sir, picked the boy up and came here with plenty of time. No one followed and no one thought anything suspicious." Podmore reported.

"Good."

Podmore nodded once to Moody as a goodbye, then turned back to Colin, "Come on, I'll help you get your stuff on the train." Colin turned obediently, even as all the other kids watched him curiously, and pushed his trolley to the carriage door. He managed to lift the trunk up with Podmore's help, and then accepted the carrier that had his cat in it with a thanks.

"Watch yourself, keep your head up and you'll be fine. Moody, the porter, has told the other kids to look out for you, so stick by them, at least until you make some friends, they won't just ditch you to be on your own." Podmore told him. "Wait here for them, they'll be on the train in a few moments and you can sit with them."

"Right, thank you." Colin nodded.

Podmore moved to leave. "Hold on, can I ask a favour?" Colin spoke up.

"Yeah, sure, if I can do it. What's wrong?"

"If you get time, could you check in on my mum every so often?" Colin asked, "Or send someone you trust? When I was there we were safer with the two of us looking out for each other, but with her there by herself, I'm a little worried, especially because it's not particularly safe anymore, is it?"

"I'll check every couple of days, at the least, once a week, or send someone I trust." Podmore promised. "I'll send an owl to the school if something is wrong."

"Thank you." Colin grinned at the man.

"No problem, good luck with the new school and all that."

"Thanks."

Colin watched as the man disappeared into the crowds, and waited awkwardly for the Weasley kids to get on the train. He shifted down the corridor a bit, to get out of the way of the door, and he watched as all four redheads, the curly brown haired girl and the black-haired boy climb onto the train where he had with their luggage, and turn to wave goodbye. He tried not to eavesdrop as they spoke and went their separate ways. The twins left to the right, while the remaining four talked for a bit. The red-haired boy and curly-haired girl then left the other two behind. The remaining two turned to walk down the corridor and caught sight of him.

"Hey," the black-haired boy called out. Now that they were closer, Colin to make out the scar on his forehead, set above the bright green eyes and underneath the black fringe. This was Harry Potter. The-boy-who-lived. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter." Harry introduced.

Colin grinned at that, "Harry Potter, I think I've heard that name somewhere, but can't seem to remember. You must've been in the news once or twice." He hoped the grin on his face showed he meant no insult with his sarcasm, and it worked, as Harry laughed at his words and grinned back.

"Yeah, I was in a minor article or two. Anyway, this is Ginny Weasley."

"Pleasure to meet you both, I'm Colin Morgan." Colin nodded to the girl, Ginny. "Would you mind terribly if I sat with you? I don't really know anyone else, and it's a little intimidating." Colin asked, shifting the carrier under his arm a little more securely and getting a good grip on his trunk.

"That's fine, we were just going to find a carriage now." Ginny smiled warmly at him.

They struggled down the corridor as a group, peering through the glass-panelled doors into compartments as they passed, which were already full. Colin noticed that a lot of people stared back at Harry as they peered in, and without fail, the people would nudge their friends and point him out, obviously talking about him. Colin realised that they would've all read the Daily Prophet, and were told by the newspaper that Harry Potter was a lying show-off. He frowned at the obliviousness of people, but didn't say a word, struggling down the corridor behind the other two teens.

In the very last carriage, another teenage boy, who Harry and Ginny seemed to know was pulling his trunk along with him, holding a toad in his hand. "Hi, Harry... Hi Ginny... everywhere's full... I can't find a seat..." he panted, grinning at them in greeting. He smiled politely and curiously at Colin, but didn't say anything just yet.

" "What are you talking about?" Ginny asked, peering into the compartment behind the boy. "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here —"

Colin heard the boy mumble something about not wanting to disturb anyone.

Ginny laughed, "Don't be silly, she's all right."

She slid the door open and pulled her trunk inside. Harry and Neville followed her, with Colin hovering at the door behind them, feeling rather awkward.

"Hi, Luna," said Ginny, "is it okay if we take these seats?"

The girl beside the window looked up. She had straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Colin could tell at once that the girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness, which put off the other two boys, but to him, it was the same feel as the Seers back at home. He did suppose she was eccentric, due to her upside-down magazine, cork necklace and how she kept her wand behind her ear, but he also knew that while the others would be uncomfortable with her, he would love her company. Colin watched as her eyes flickered over the other teenage boy, himself and then resting on Harry, before she nodded once.

"Thanks," said Ginny, smiling at her.

Harry and Colin stowed the four trunks and Hedwig's cage in the luggage rack and sat down. Colin made sure to keep his carrier, and placed it on the seat next to him, by the door. He didn't want his cat to wake up and not be able to be let out straight away, resulting in one grumpy cat and numerous shredded clothing. Luna watched them over her upside-down magazine, which was called The Quibbler. She did not seem to need to blink as much as normal humans. She stared and stared at Harry, who had taken the seat opposite her and Colin could tell he now wished he hadn't.

"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," said Luna dreamily, without taking her eyes off Harry. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter," she added.

"I know I am," said Harry.

Colin grinned, and the other boy, the one with the toad, chuckled. Luna turned her pale eyes on him instead.

"And I don't know who you are."

"I'm nobody," said the boy hurriedly.

"No you're not," said Ginny sharply. "Neville Longbottom - Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," said Luna in a singsong voice. She turned to look at Colin and tilted her head at him. "You're a druid." She announced.

Colin grinned, "You're a Seer. Want to swap?"

To everyone's surprise, Luna smiled and let out a giggle. "I'm not a Seer, my grand—aunt was though."

"Maybe you have some of her talent then. I'm Colin Morgan."

"Do you have your druidic name yet?" Luna asked.

Colin shook his head, "Nah, I've got to go through the Aging Ceremony first, and my mum wanted me to come here for a couple of years first."

She nodded and then raised her upside-down magazine high enough to hide her face and fell silent. Harry and Neville looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. Ginny suppressed a giggle.

"What's a druid?" Neville asked Colin.

"We're a magical community, not well known and not many of us are left, but we don't practice the same magic as you all. We're more old-fashioned, I suppose you could say. I've been homeschooled until now, and my mum felt that if I was going to grow up and live in the world, then I need to know more than our house and village. So she wrote a letter to Professor Dumbledore, who said I could come to Hogwarts from now until I come of age." Colin explained.

"Druids? I've heard of them, but I'm not sure how much was true and how much was rumour." Ginny commented.

"A lot was probably rumour. Most people assume we're primitive and dance around a fire at night in the middle of the forest, chanting and singing without reason and not actually able to do proper magic, since we don't use wands." Colin shrugged. "Actually, I'd prefer if you didn't let people know I'm a druid, majority of the population look down at us."

"Of course we won't say a word." Ginny assured him.

The train rattled onwards, speeding them out into open country. It was an odd, unsettled sort of day; one moment the carriage was full of sunlight and the next they were passing beneath ominously grey clouds.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" said Neville.

"Another Remembrall?" said Harry, causing Colin to wonder what a Remembrall was, and whether it had something to do with remembering things.

"No," said Neville. "I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago… no, look at this…" He dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor into his schoolbag and after a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines. "Mimbulus mimbletonia," he said proudly.

Colin stared at the plant, before smiling, surprised the boy had one. He knew of its properties and rarity, and knew that if the boy was so proud of it, he knew a lot about plant life and would get along with Colin wonderfully.

"It's really, really rare," said Neville, beaming. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My Great Uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

"Have you figured out the different methods of handling it, to produce different things?" Colin asked eagerly, wondering how much the boy knew.

"Not everything, not yet at least. But it's defence mechanism is brilliant. Here," Neville grinned, "Hold Trevor for me." Neville passed the toad to Colin. Neville then took a quill from his schoolbag. Luna Lovegood's popping eyes appeared over the top of her upside-down magazine again, to watch what Neville was doing. Neville held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up t o his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill. Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant; thick, stinking, dark green jets of it. They hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna Lovegood's magazine; Ginny and Harry, who had both flung their arms up in front of their faces just in time, merely looked as though they were wearing slimy green hats, but Colin, whose hands had been busy preventing Trevor's escape, received a faceful. It smelled like rancid manure. Neville, whose face and torso were also drenched, shook his head to get the worst out of his eyes.

"S - sorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before… didn't realize it would be quite so… don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Colin spat a mouthful onto the floor.

Colin burst into laughter, wiping his eyes with his sleeve while maintain a grip on the toad. "Don't worry about it, I've had far worse happen to me when a friend has mucked around with things." Colin reassured the boy. At that precise moment the door of their compartment slid open.

"Oh… hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. "Um… bad time?"

Colin watched as Harry wiped the his forehead as some of the slime dripped down from his hair. The teenage boy blushed slightly as a very pretty girl with long, shiny black hair was standing in the doorway smiling at him.

"Oh… hi," said Harry blankly.

"Um…" the girl blushed as well. "Well… just thought I'd say hello… bye then."

Rather pink in the face, she closed the door and departed. Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned. Colin watched as the boy grow even more red and embarrassed.

"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. "Look, we can easily get rid of all this." She pulled out her wand. "Scourgify!"

The Stinksap vanished.

"Sorry," said Neville again, in a small voice.

Colin met Harry's eyes and grinned, "Don't worry, Stinksap is meant to give whatever it coats a glossy shade, so it'd be great for your hair."

Everyone laughed, even Harry. Colin handed Trevor back over, as Neville put the plant away again.

The carrier on the seat next to Colin emitted a noise, a miaow.

"Oh right, sorry, um, do any of you mind if I let my cat out? He gets annoyed if I leave him in there for a long time, and then my clothes end up getting ripped." Colin asked.

"That's fine, as long as Hedwig won't bother him or anything." Harry shrugged, gesturing to his owl.

"Nah, he's perfectly fine with other animals. He won't eat your toad either." Colin added, talking to Neville.

"That's fine." Ginny nodded.

Colin opened the carrier, and a light brown coloured cat padded out, stretching on the chair before looking around at them. His amber coloured eyes were bright, and his coat was brown, but so light and glossy it appeared gold in the light. "His name is Kilgharrah." said Colin.

Everyone watched as the cat crouched for a moment, muscles bunching in his legs, before he jumped up onto the rack above the seats and draped himself over the trunks so he was staring at Hedwig. Hedwig flapped her wings once but settled.

"He's not very social with others either, especially not when he's angry at me for forcing him into the carrier." Colin explained, as the two animals stayed silent, both just staring at each other as if silently talking.

TBC