Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters, places, or ideas. That all belongs to JK Rowling. If I owned Harry Potter, well… Let's just say that the Golden Trio would've been Harry, Hermione, and Neville.

The Hope a Stranger Gives

Chapter 3: All Aboard

September 1st 1991

Making sure that I have packed all of my stuff into my trunk I search my cupboard once more. "Hedwig, have you seen my Magical Theory book? I was reading it again last night." I look at Hedwig who screeches while looking at my desk. I walk to my desk before looking inside and finding my Magical Theory book and two jars of ink. "Thank you, Hedwig."

Placing the book and jars of ink in my trunk, I then shrink the trunk down and place it into the pockets of my khaki pants. On my birthday, I was allowed to leave the house and I used the time to buy a new muggle wardrobe for myself.

"Alright, in your cage Hedwig." Hedwig hoots before flying into her cage. I pick up her cage and leave the cupboard. "Hurry up and get in the car, I want to be rid of you as soon as possible." I roll my eyes and carry Hedwig to the car. I hold Hedwig's cage in my lap while waiting for Vernon, once he enters the car and puts his seatbelt on, we drive off towards King's Cross Station.

An hour later and we arrived at the train station. "Alright boy, don't come back for Christmas or Easter. Now get out of here, so I can enjoy you not being here," Vernon says with a smile on his seal like face. I climb out of the car with Hedwig's cage and walk towards where I know the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is.

I pass a group of redheads that have a very loud mother. "So many muggles this year! Where is Platform Nine and Three-Quarters?" I look at the woman and see that she has children much older than eleven. It is literally impossible for her to not know where the platform is. Also, why is she saying words like 'muggle' that loud? She's going to end up breaking the Statute of Secrecy and being arrested.

I ignore the family and walk through the brick column separating the muggle station from the magical station. I see parents saying goodbye to their children and kids not old enough to go to Hogwarts crying and hugging their siblings. I feel a spark of jealousy at the sight of parents hugging their children but I ignore it and climb onto the scarlet train.

Finding an empty compartment at the back of the train, I take out my trunk and enlarge it before placing it on the carrier above me. I pull out the book, The Last Stand, and begin to read. Not five minutes go by before someone knocks on the compartment door. When I open the door and see Blaise from Madam Malkin's standing there with his trunk and a light skinned and dark haired boy at his side. "Oh, hey Harry. Mind if we sit in here? Other compartments are loud and we wanted to read." I nod and sit back down as they put their trunks on the carrier next to mine.

Gesturing to the pale skinned boy, Blaise says "Harry, this is my friend Theodore. Theodore, this is Harry." Theodore narrows his eyes at Blaise before scoffing and saying "Call me Theo. Theodore sounds much too old."

Instantly, I think of my full name: Hadrian. "I understand completely. My birth name if Hadrian, which I found out four years ago, but I prefer Harry."

Theo smiles his understanding and both he and Blaise pull out books. Theo pulls something called 'Darkest Darkness' out and Blaise pulls out something that looks like it's written in Italian and I go back to reading The Last Stand.

There were twelve of us, we were doing a raid on a known Death Eater hideout. If I had known that we were walking into a trap and only three of us would limp out, I would have left that warehouse then and there. If I had known that we had a traitor in our midst and that he had been scooped up by Lord Voldemort just a week ago, I would have used every curse that I had known on that traitor. My best friend, Manny, pats my shoulder and says "We're ready when you are, boss." I nod and gesture to the door with my wand, "Stay frosty." We stacked up against the door, "One, two, thr-"

Another knock stopped me from reading again. Standing again, I open the door and see the blonde girl from Diagon Alley with a brunette girl. "You mind if we sit in here? The others are… excitable to say the least." Just how loud are the others to where people go to the back of the train to find a compartment? I thought that everyone else would already have friends that they wanted to sit with. "Sure, come in." I help the girl with her trunk while Blaise helps the other girl.

The blonde girl sits on the seat next to me, while the brunette sits next to Theo and Blaise and across from me. "I'm Daphne Greengrass and she is my best friend, Tracey Davis." I nod my head, storing the information away for later before replying "I'm Harry Potter, it's nice to meet you, Daphne and Tracey." Blaise and Theo look at each other before looking up at me. Blaise mimics a fish out of water before finally asking "You're Harry Potter? Why didn't you say that?" I smile and respond "You two didn't tell me your last names, so I didn't tell mine."

He smirks and says "Blaise Zabini." Theo nods and responds "Theodore Nott." I smile and go back to my book once more.

We stacked up against the door, "One, two, three… Reducto!" I shout while flicking my wand downward to the right and then downward to the left. Once the door is obliterated, I immediately see a single Death Eater pulling out his wand. "Petrificus Totalus," I say quickly while moving my wand in a key motion but with a straight down movement at the end. My squad and I take cover behind small pillars to prepare for the wave of scum that is going to show up any moment now.

As the man falls to my full body bind, a woman comes up the stairs. She starts to shout "Expulso," I bring my wand up and make a full counter-clockwise movement while saying "Cogita." A bright golden ethereal shield appears in front of me that reflects the curse back at the caster.

"Excuse me, have any of you seen a toad? A boy lost his." I look up to see a bushy haired and slight buck tooth girl standing at the door. "I haven't seen one, but you could go to a prefect and ask them to summon it for you. I know the spell but I haven't tried casting it on a living being and I don't want to risk splinching it."

The girl nods and turns to walk away before turning back around and sticking out her hand, "I'm Hermione Granger." I look at her hand for a moment, determining that it's clean, before shaking the proffered hand and replying "Harry Potter. Nice to meet you, Hermione."

She smiled brightly before turning and leaving the compartment. I wonder if we'll be in the same house? She seemed nice, I will try to talk more with her later. Looking back down at my book, I delve once more into the amazing story of Rick Richards, leader of the Phoenix squad of the Auror Corps.

We rush into the basement, two more Death Eaters in our way. Making a six with my wand but without closing the end and curving downward instead, I shout "Expelliarmus!" *Check end of the chapter for picture demonstrations and pronunciations*. "Avada Kedavra," the worst words that I have ever had the displeasure of hearing are screeched from behind me.

I turn and see my brother in all but blood and the best man at my wedding fall down, dead from a curse in the back. "Manny!"

"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full." A new voice pulls me from my book. Am I ever going to get to read my book in peace? Marking my page and then snapping my book shut, I look up to see one of the red heads from King's Cross standing there.

Everywhere else is full? I seriously doubt that. Even if it were true, which is a huge if, what makes ours any different? Before I can say anything, Blaise replies for me with "We're pretty much at full capacity in here." The ginger boy scowled at Blaise before cutting his eyes back to me. "You're Harry Potter, right? Do you really have the scar?"

Oh, so that's what this is about. It can't be a coincidence that his mother was being absolutely barmy and yelling things like 'muggle' and 'platform nine and three-quarters' and now I conveniently have the last full cabin. They must have been looking for me, right? I mean, she had three other kids that seemed to attend Hogwarts at the moment and there is no way that she just forgot where the entrance was when she has that many children.

"Yes, I am Harry Potter. Yes, I do really have the scar. No, you can not see it." The boy seemed confused as to why I would deny him the chance of seeing the famous scar for himself. As he continued to stand there, I became annoyed that he wouldn't leave. "Nott? What are you hanging with Nott for, Harry? Next, you'll be with rubbing elbows with Malfoy," the red headed boy said angrily as he spotted Theo in the cabin.

"What was that, Weasley? Got something to say about me," A voice drawled from behind the 'Weasley' kid. Upon hearing the voice, Weasley spun around faster than I thought humanly possible, causing me to get a look at the boy that I assume is Malfoy. The pale boy had bleach blond hair and blue-grey eyes, "Say it to my face."

Sensing a huge argument coming, I clear my throat to interrupt the two strangers. They both turn and look at me and I raise a questioning eyebrow at them both, "Excuse me, but I never caught your names." The pale blond boy stepped forward and took a deep bow, "Draconis Lucius Malfoy. My family and friends call me Draco." The Weasley boy looked at Draco with such hate that I thought he might try and throttle him. The boy pushed past Draco and seemed to puff out his chest whilst saying "I am Ron Weasley, the youngest male of the Weasley family, the best wizard's chess player that you'll ever meet and expert at all things quidditch."

Nodding to both boys, I look at Weasley before asking "What business is it of yours, who I choose to associate myself with?" Ron blinked a mile a minute before saying, "Well, I'm most likely going to Gryffindor and you probably are too."

I raise an eyebrow at the flushed boy and decide to play with him for a bit. A little history lesson on the family that I know about should do the trick. "Why would you assume that I am going to Gryffindor? I could end up in Ravenclaw or Slytherin." Ron has the nerve to look at me as if the thought of me going anywhere else personally offended him. "Of course you're going to Gryffindor, both of your parents were in Gryffindor."

"I'm not sure if you noticed, but I am not my parents. Anyways, my grandmother was a Slytherin." Both Ron and Draco look surprised and simultaneously ask "Really? Who?" I laugh as the two look murderously at the other before saying, "Her name was Dorea Black."

The two both looked shocked at the name and Draco asked "Black? Your grandmother was a black?" At my nod, Draco gains a victorious smirk and says "My mother was a Black as well. Her name is Narcissa. The next time you go to Gringotts, you should ask to see a family tree to find out how we're related."

We're related? I have family in the wizarding world? I know that all of the other Potter's are dead, I never even thought about cousins that I may have. "Alright, I will do that. During the summer, most likely."

Draco nods before waving at the others and then leaving, presumably back to his compartment. "You should probably be going too, Weasley. We're just going to read and something tells me that you're not the quiet type." Daphne says while looking up from her book on jinxes.

Ron's eyes grow wide as his eyes land on the book, "See Harry? They're dark I tell you! She is reading a book on jinxes!" Daphne just shook her head in exasperation and then went back to reading. "I have a book on curses and hexes," I say when I tire of Ron glaring at one of my new friends.

"You what? Why do you have one of those?" I roll my eyes at Weasley before explaining "Curses and hexes are needed in a fight and I want to become an Auror like my father was. What? Do you expect to go in a fight only casting stunners?" At the blush that appears on Ron's cheeks and ear tips, I let out a laugh.

Narrowing his eyes at me, Ron turns around and leaves the cabin. Oops. Sorry Remus, but I think I have an enemy already. I've got nothing to worry about look at his clothes. His family obviously isn't rich so they can't cause too much trouble for me.

About seven hours later, the train pulled into Hogsmeade station and with all of us dressed in our robes, we exited the train together. I pull my robes closer to my skin as the cool night air makes me shiver. I start to look around for where we need to go before a giant man at least ten feet tall calls our attention,"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

"C'mon, follow me. Are there any more firs' years? Firs' years follow me!" Following the man, we trudged down the muddy path, trying our best not to fall. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here."

The others oohed and awed at the grand castle but I was left speechless. The castle had ramparts so tall, that it looked like they touched the heavens. I have been waiting for so long to come here and now I'm almost there. Only the vast black lake standing between me and my future. "No more'n four tah a boat!" I get in a boat with Blaise, Theo, and Draco while Daphne and Tracey get in a boat with Hermione and an Indian girl.

The boats started to move without oars pushing them along and I started looking into the lake when I saw the famous giant squid pass under us. I get so caught up in the amazing animal that I almost missed the giant yelling "Duck yer heads!" Lowering my head quickly, which I didn't actually need to do, I raise it back up and see that we are at the shore of the black lake.

"Hey, you there? Still got yer toad? Good. C'mon" We follow the giant towards a set of grand doors, where he then knocks on the door with a ham-sized fist. A stern looking woman opens the door and the giant gestures at us, "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

Well, that was pointless. I doubt that she thought we may have been the seventh years.

"Thank you, Hagrid. Follow me," McGonagall says before going deeper into the castle. We're led into a small room that is far too comfy to be comfortable, with all of us squeezed in next to each other. "You will wait here until I come and get you for the sorting," the professor says before going out of a different door and into the grand hall.

As the door closed behind her, the kids started whispering furiously. I couldn't help but laugh at the sound of an Irish boy asking "What do you think we have to do for the sorting," and the voice of Weasley responding with "My brothers said that we have to fight a troll."

Ron glares at me after hearing me laugh and asks "Eh, what are you laughing at?" I turn fully towards him and say "You'd have to be very naive to believe that we'd have to fight a troll, no?" His face seems to try to imitate a tomato after Hermione starts to laugh at him as well. "How would you know what we have to do?"

Has this boy never read a book? Maybe it's because he was raised around magic and it doesn't seem like a big deal to him but I wanted to learn everything possible about Hogwarts and stuff like that the moment that I started believing in magic.

"Have you ever read Hogwarts: A History? It's in there, all that we have to do is put on a hat." I say with exasperation at the boy's ignorance. That statement seemed to make Hermione happy because she started beaming at me. "That's my favorite book! Remember the part about the giant squid? I think I saw him in the lake." I nod with a small smile on my face, "You did, I saw him under our boats."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something else when she was cut off by at least three girls screaming. We turned towards the noise at the back of the room and see two ghost coming through the wall, "I say we give him another chance." The other ghost scoffed at that and replied "How many chances have we given him? He's not even a real ghost anyway." The ghosts stopped when they saw us and one said "Hello, children! Preparing to be sorted, I see. Do try to get into Hufflepuff, my old house."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and the ghosts took one look at her glare and left whilst waving at us. "Alright, follow me into the great hall we'll have you all sorted into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin."

We follow the lady into the great hall and there have to be hundreds of students in there, looking at us like zoo animals. I look up at the ceiling that's charmed to look like the sky to avoid the eyes of the students when Hermione says "I want to learn the charm that they use on the roof to make it look like that. Imagine if you could do that to your own house." I nod my head and look back in front of me when I realize that we've stopped.

On a stool sits a dirty hat that just stays there for a while before some of the stitches open up to reveal a mouth. It takes a deep breath before singing:

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you have a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!

The hall exploded in cheering and the hat bowed at each table before going still. Professor McGonagall walked forward with a roll of parchment and called out "Abbot, Hannah!" A girl with dirty blonde hair walked forward slowly and then sat on the stool, placing the hat on her head. The hat took thirty seconds before screaming, "Hufflepuff!" A table with people dressed in yellow and black robes burst out in applause and Hannah looked relieved.

"Bones, Susan!" A scarlet haired girl walked up to the stool and sat down quickly. The hat fell onto her head, covering her blue eyes. The hat was on her head for about a minute when she started to smile brightly before the hat yelled, "Hufflepuff!" The black and yellow table cheered and whistled this time as she strutted over and sat down next to the Abbot girl.

"Boot, Terry!" I felt some hands slightly nudge me to the side and I stepped out of the way for a black haired boy to walk by. He seems terribly uppity with the way he walked like he was the smartest guy in the room or something. The boy sat down on the stool and crossed his right leg over his left as the hat was set onto his head. "Ravenclaw!" This time a table with students cloaked in blue and black started clapping loudly.

A Mandy Brocklehurst went to Ravenclaw next and a Lavender Brown went to Gryffindor. As Lavender walked towards a table filled with people in red and gold, a set of red-haired twins started cat-calling the girl.

Millicent Bulstrode was the first Slytherin followed by Tracey Davis while Hufflepuff received another member in Justin Finch-Fletchley. The Irish boy from before was sorted into Gryffindor and then Hermione walked up to the stool and sat down. It took about five seconds before the hat shouted, "Ravenclaw!"

"Greengrass, Daphne!" McGonagall called and Daphne walked confidently up to the stool and sat gracefully on it. Once the hat was placed on her head, it sat there for fifteen seconds before calling, "Slytherin!"

Okay, so two out of five of my friends are in Slytherin. Two out of six if I count Hermione, but I need to speak with her more. I didn't get to talk to her on the train as much as I did with Blaise, Daphne, Theo, Tracey, and Draco.

By the time that I focus back on the sorting, a girl named Su Li is placed into Ravenclaw. "Longbottom, Neville!" A slightly chubby boy walked nervously up to the stool. The hat was put on his head and after it yelled out Hufflepuff, the boy walked towards the table with the hat still on his head. The people in the room started laughing before he walked quickly back to the stool and placed the hat back down.

"Malfoy, Draco!" McGonagall calls while looking for Draco, who then swaggers up to the stool. The moment that the hat touches his head, Draco is sorted into Slytherin. The table of green and silver cheer louder than they did for Daphne, Tracey, or Millicent and he slinks over to the table before having his hand shook by different students.

Lil Moon is sorted into Ravenclaw before Theo is sorted into Slytherin as well. Okay so four out of five of my friends are in Slytherin, hopefully, Blaise and I get in too.

A pug-faced girl named Pansy Parkinson is sent to Slytherin. Parvati Patil was sorted into Gryffindor after her twin, Padma, was sorted into Ravenclaw. Sally-Anne Perks was sorted into Hufflepuff before Professor McGonagall called out "Potter, Harry!" The hall is immediately abuzz with whispers. I manage to hear someone say "Harry Potter, did she say?" Someone else says "The Harry Potter is at Hogwarts?"

Rolling my eyes, I saunter up to the stool before sitting down.

Difficult one, aren't you? You've got courage hidden behind the surface, waiting to show itself. A great mind that will be tempered with age, and ambition to be the best. Loyalty is at best, unclear at the moment. So where shall I place you, hmm? In the house of your parents? In the house of your grandmother? Or maybe a different one entirely?

"Place me with my friends if you will. Slytherin has the most heirs of ancient families and I need allies for when I am on the Wizengamot" I say in my head before the hat bursts out laughing and says "Oh my boy, it is quite obvious that you belong in SLYTHERIN!"

The school seemed to fall silent before Draco started clapping, causing the rest of Slytherin to clap. I place the hat back on the stool and walk over to the table where I sit with Draco, Theo, Daphne, and Tracey.

I shook a couple of people's, mainly prefects, hands before we turned back towards the sorting. I felt like someone was staring at me as I watched the others get sorted. I turned my head and saw both the Headmaster and a greasy haired man staring at me. They both averted their gaze when they realized that I had caught them staring.

I look back to the sorting in time to see Blaise be sent to Slytherin. We all clapped for him as he sat across from Tracey, who was sitting next to Theo.

After Professor McGonagall took the sorting hat away, Headmaster Dumbledore stood and beamed at each of the tables with his arms out like he wanted to hug each and every person in the room. "Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" The occupants of the room started clapping and cheering for the seemingly senile headmaster. Food appeared on all of the extravagant gold plates that were on the tables but I couldn't help but stare at the old man for a moment longer.

"My father said that he was a bit mad," Draco whispers when he sees my raised eyebrow at the man's show of minor insanity. "I think that your father was right," I quietly reply before placing some lamb chops and roasted potatoes on my plate.

A pain that feels like someone stabbing me in the head makes me wince and stop eating. None of my friends notice so I look up at the head table and find the greasy haired man looking at me interestedly before looking at a man wearing a purple turban.

Turning my head to the right of the greasy man, I see the headmaster looking at each table with a strange twinkle in his eyes. To the headmaster's right, I see a very short and not-quite-human looking man laughing with the giant that took us to the boats.

"The staff is… interesting to say the least," I say after scanning the rest of the table and finding Professor McGonagall wearing a very stereotypical witch hat. Draco snorted in amusement and said "If by interesting, you mean the weirdest people that you're likely to ever meet? Then yes, they're very interesting."