Chapter 3: The Things That Never Were

Harry stood in front of the Hogwarts Express. His luggage was in one hand and Snitch was placed on the ground hooting as students scurried past them. The large steam engine made a noise. "Now kids keep an eye out for little Sarah." James told Harry and Katie, "It's her first time at Hogwarts and you both know how scary it is. Watch out for her and help her when she needs help."

"We will daddy. Don't worry." Katie smiled. Harry took the opportunity to examine his sister. She was similar to Harry. Her dark, straight hair was more brown than black and more tamed than Harry's. At the moment it was let down by her sides reaching her mid back. Her eyes were hazel, the same color as his father's. Her cheek bones rose to about the same place Harry's did and her nose had the same curve to it. It was weird to see someone look so similar to him.

"What if I'm not in Gryffindor?" Sarah asked anxiously. She gasped and covered her mouth, "What if I'm in Slytherin?" Harry laughed as he remembered when those thoughts were worrying him.

"We will disown you and you will have to live on your own." James teased.

Lily elbowed him, "Don't listen to him. We will still love you, no matter what house you're sorted into."

"Yes, we will still love you…just a little less." Sirius grinned.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Be good children." She smiled, kissing the tops of their heads. "I don't want to have to pick one of you up from school before the term. Understand?" They all nodded.

"But if you do happen to get in trouble, make sure you mail us!" James mentioned before Lily shot him a furious look.

"Are you sure I can't go? Professor Dumbledore loves me!" Lucas complained. "I'm sure he could make an excuse!"

Sirius laughed, "Bye kids! Say hi to Professor Lupin for me!"

"Professor Lupin still works there?" Harry quietly asked Katie.

"What you think they would sack him? His students have scored higher on DADA exams than other teacher previous to him." Katie explained. "Dumbledore would be a fool to sack him. Besides, his secret is safe between our family so I doubt any parents complain." After she finished her explanation she glanced at Harry and rolled her eyes. "If you're done being daft, I would like to get on the train."

Harry blinked at her. He had to think of a comeback. It came so easily with people such as Ron and Draco but he was at a loss of words when it came to his new sister. "Don't tell me what to do." He finally spoke.

"You're getting there." Katie said shrugged patting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Hurry on the train or you'll miss it!" Lily said shooing her children onto the train. She enveloped Harry into another enormous hug. "Please try harder in your classes this year." She hissed in his ear. Harry nodded and bid her one last farewell before he followed his sisters on the train.

Harry glanced in each compartment hoping to find Ron. He would hope that even though he was normal, Ron would still accept him. "Harry!" a voice said from a compartment. It was Ron.

"Ron! Nice to see you!" Harry said. Ron was wearing his prefect badge.

Katie and Sarah continued to walk by. "You guys can stay with us if you would like." He offered.

"Don't be silly Harry. I have my own friends." Katie said snootily before stalking off to find her friends.

"Sisters." Ron said shaking his head. "They're so dramatic."

Harry smiled he finally understood. After years of not knowing what it felt like to have a sister he finally did. The thought alone forced an even bigger smile on Harry's face. However it vanished when he spoke, "Hey where's Hermione? She wouldn't be late for the train."

"Granger? She started hanging out with our sisters at the beginning of last year so she's probably with them. Either that or Neville." Ron explained. His expression seemed nonchalant and carefree as he talked of his best friend.

"Hermione is with them? Why? They're younger than her." Harry rationed.

Ron scowled at Harry. It was clear he thought Harry had gone mad. "You mean Granger." He corrected. "I guess she finally decided it was time for new friends. Katie and Ginny took her under their wing. Longbottom just follows her around."

"Neville?"

"Yeah you know the bloke with the scar, parents were killed by You-Know- Who when he was just a baby." Ron said. Harry's hand shot up to his forehead. His scar was gone. His forehead was smooth with no jagged scar across it. "It's sad I guess but that's the price you pay for temporarily destroying the Dark Lord."

"As a baby." Harry added. He touched his forehead again.

"Are you alright? You keep touching your forehead." Ron stated.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"It really is amazing really when you think about. I hope the entire Wizarding World isn't resting on his shoulders because he isn't very good in any of his classes. I feel bad for him actually. He lives with his grandmother and he doesn't trust anyone at all except for Hermione. I guess when someone kills your parents it's hard to relate to anyone."

Harry gulped. His suddenly perfect world had took a turn for the worse. He hadn't realized how different the world would be if he was normal. "Ron, how come we aren't friends with Hermione?" Harry asked abruptly.

"You mean Granger!" Ron corrected once again. Harry felt his stomach twinge. He had never heard Ron call her that and he was sure he would never get used to it. "Because she is a know-it-all!" Ron yelled. "Always raising her hand and waving it like a spastic orchestra conductor! It's really a shame I have to do prefect duty with her sometimes because…she really does get on my nerves. So bossy about every little thing. I don't know how anyone could spend time with her for longer than an hour." He shook his head and then said in a mocking, high pitched tone, "Weasley, this is serious." He shook his head. "Besides, she doesn't need us. She has friends now."

Harry scowled, "She's brilliant. Besides didn't we save her from the troll?"

"Are you bloody mad Harry?" Ron bellowed. "We've never liked her! I can't believe you're going to act like you did like her."

"But the troll-" Harry started.

"We never saved her from a troll! Seriously, we're not that mad! Nobody is!" Ron insisted.

"Wasn't she attacked by a troll?"

"Yeah but we didn't save her! Why would we do that?" Ron said, "Mental! That was our first year! What were we supposed to do? Waltz in and tell the troll to freeze while we get Granger? We were just first years! I was still trying to conquer the disarming spell."

"Well what happened to her?" Harry said angrily.

"The teachers found her! She was hurt but she lived!" Ron yelled. "She still remained the top of her classes and everything." The compartment got silent and Ron was the first to break it. "Sorry mate. It's just like you don't remember."

"I don't."

"What?"

"I don't remember." Harry said.

"How? You've got to remember some of it. Did someone obliviate your memory?"

"No. One moment ago I was 'The Boy Who Lived' with no family at all. And now I have a family and everything is different." Harry said.

Ron stared at him. "Okay then." Harry could tell he didn't believe him.

"Seriously." Harry said. "Hey Ron did we ever save Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Chamber of Secrets? That was just a myth made up by Malfoy. It hasn't been opened for over fifty years." Ron explained. "Listen Harry, I hope this memory loss thing is a one time deal because I'm getting sick of it."

"Never mind." Harry said. Obviously nothing that happened in his third year had happened because Sirius had never gone to Azkaban. "What about the Tri-Wizard Tournament? Who was in that?"

"Cedric Diggory and Neville but he dropped out. Said he didn't put his name in the goblet." Ron said, "Cedric won though. Then however, you-know-who made an appearance at the end and that was a little on the traumatizing side. Don't you remember? We all left Hogwarts early that year! We didn't have any tests or anything!"

"So Voldemort is still on the loose?" Harry said. Ron gasped at the sound of his name.

"Yeah he is. Don't you read the Prophet?" Ron said.

"So did I ever date Cho?"

Ron went into fits of laughter. "You've got to be kidding me mate. I mean sure you've been pining after her since fourth year but she's never even taken a second glance at you." He laughed. His face was getting red from the amount of laughter he was emitting. Harry remain serious, glaring at Ron as he made fun of Hermione. "Plus she's Diggory's girl. I mean you had a crush on you but you never dated her. Now Pavarti, I'm pretty sure you two snogged in the broom closet after the Yule Ball."

Harry laughed a little at that side remark, "I remember she was Cedric's. I hated him for that. Everything he did bothered me."

"Yeah, I remember. Glad to see your memory is coming back." Ron said.

"We went to the Yule Ball with the twins right?"

"No, you did go with Pavarti but I opted to go with Cho's friend. You've got to remember something from that night. Remember Seamus kissed my little sister and I had a row with him in the corridor? Your sister went with Neville? Granger went with Viktor Krum!"

"I remember that." Harry said. "You know Krum and Hermione."

"Course you do!" Ron said throwing his hands in the air. "You seem to know a lot about Granger."

Harry shook his head and dismissed Ron's implications at once. "Did Neville go to the Department of Mystery?"

"Why… would he do that?" Ron asked. "Where are these ideas coming from anyways?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Just trying to pick things from my dream out of reality. Tell me more about Neville."

"I don't really know very much about him. I only hear things from Ginny when we are home for the holidays." Ron admitted. "He started having these hallucinations last year though. I blame it on the fact he was face to face with you-know-who. That would be a little traumatizing. I mean you and I didn't even see him but we were running around senseless."

"Oh." It was all Harry could manage to say. That was that. There were no exciting adventures in his lifetime. He was just another student at Hogwarts. The rest of the trip was spent in silence as Harry and Ron both looked out the window.