King's Cross was quiet, most likely because of the black clouds rolling across the London sky, but the weather hadn't deterred everyone. A redheaded man in a badly patched Muggle suit was leading four boys, three of them redheads and one with black hair, through the station towards an empty barrier.

Mr. Weasley had woken Bill, Charlie, Kaysar, and Percy early and after Mrs. Weasley had gotten them a quick breakfast, she had given them all Muggle clothes to wear until they got on to the train. Ron and Ginny both had colds, so Mrs. Weasley was going to stay home with them and have Fred and George help her with housework with a promise to send letters for Bill, Charlie, Percy, and Kaysar later.

All four boys were in jeans, sweaters, and oversized jumpers and were pushing trolleys that held fully stocked Hogwarts trunks, "All right boys, just walk through the barrier and I'll follow," Mr. Weasley said in a calming voice as he smiled at the boys. "Bill and Charlie, you two go first to show how it's done."

Bill nodded and smiled as he ran towards the barrier with his trolley and promptly vanished, "Charlie, don't take the mickey out of Bill any more for becoming a Prefect," Mr. Weasley said, giving Charlie a warning look. "It's bad enough that Fred and George put frogspawn in his bed last night…"

Charlie chuckled, "I'm just glad that they're not old enough to go to Hogwarts yet," he replied in an amused voice right before he ran towards the barrier and quickly vanished from the Muggles' view.

"Mister Weasley, sir?" Kaysar asked in an anxious voice. "What if I'm seen as evil at Hogwarts?"

Mr. Weasley gazed at Kaysar and sighed as he saw intense fear in the young boy's eyes, "You're not your father, that much is clear," he replied in a gentle voice. "Even if you're sorted into Slytherin, it will only be because everyone's afraid of you turning into your father. I do not think that will happen…"

"Dad, we've got to hurry," Percy spoke up anxiously. "It's quarter to eleven and the train leaves…"

Mr. Weasley nodded, "You should go through the barrier with your son, sir," Kaysar whispered softly.

"Come on, Kaysar," Mr. Weasley said gently, seeing the nervousness in Kaysar's eyes. "Come on."

Suddenly feeling numb, Kaysar nodded and silently allowed Mr. Weasley and Percy to go through the barrier with him. The sight of a steam engine and endless people meant nothing to Kaysar and he was only vaguely aware of Percy helping him on to the Hogwarts express and down the small corridor.

Swallowing hard, Kaysar retreated into the first empty compartment and immediately sat on a seat; he was so tired that he didn't see Mr. Weasley waving to him from outside or that Percy had joined him.

"Kaysar, wake up," an anxious voice said as Kaysar suddenly felt a hand touch his face. "Kaysar?"

Kaysar opened his eyes and saw Percy standing over him with a concerned looking Bill, both of whom were holding wrapped sandwiches, "Percy said you fell asleep," Bill commented in a concerned voice as he sat down next to Kaysar and offered him a sandwich. "Mum said to make sure you ate this."

"I'm not hungry," Kaysar replied softly, ignoring the pain he was in from even breathing. "Go away."

Bill raised an eyebrow, "Are you sick, Kaysar?" he asked, frowning at how pale Kaysar looked.

"I'm just really tired and I hurt a little bit," Kaysar replied softly as he placed a hand on his chest.

Percy suddenly looked alarmed, but looked to Bill for help, "All right, why don't you just lie down for a little bit?" Bill gently suggested as he stood up, removed his cloak, and balled it up. "Here's a pillow."

"I'll be all right," Kaysar replied softly. "What's in those sandwiches, Percy? They look interesting."

Bill sighed and looked to Percy, "Corned beef," Percy reported. "They'll hold us until supper time."

"I still don't know exactly where we're going," Kaysar spoke in a confused voice as the compartment door slid open and a dark haired girl in a dress, jumper, and boots came in with a sandy-haired boy who was wearing jeans, trainers, and a loose sweater with odd feathered circles decorating it. "Hi…"

The girl looked at Kaysar for only a moment before she switched her gaze to Percy, "Hello there, chap, I'm Oliver Wood," the sandy-haired boy said pleasantly as he extended a hand towards Kaysar.

"Kaysar Linnis," Kaysar replied nervously as he carefully shook Oliver's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Oliver looked slightly amused, "Oy, Bill, Marcus Flint is going about the train saying that Kaysar Linnis is some scary dark wizard," he commented, looking at Bill. "Kaysar looks perfectly harmless to me."

"I'll go have a word with Marcus, Oliver," Bill replied sharply. "Is he at the other end of the train?"

Oliver nodded and flinched as Bill left the compartment with a scowl on his face, "Oh, I spotted a redhead snogging with a third year named Nymphadora Tonks a few corridors down," he commented, grinning impishly at Percy. "Is that your brother, Charlie, by chance? Rob's friends with Charlie…"

"Charlie does whatever he wants when Mum's not around," Percy replied softly as he sat down on one of the benches and unwrapped his sandwich. "Kaysar, we're about halfway to the platform…"

Kaysar nodded, but looked confused, "I'm a bit nervous about going to this school," he whispered.

"Hogwarts is a really wicked school!" Oliver replied enthusiastically as he plopped down on the seat next to Percy and grinned mischievously at Kaysar. "I'm in Gryffindor with Rob and Percy's big brothers…"

Kaysar nodded and set the wrapped sandwich on the seat, "I don't think Linnis will be in Gryffindor," the girl said in a scathing voice, glaring at Kaysar as she moved towards the door. "He's not good enough."

"Who are you to talk about my friend that way?" Percy asked hotly as he glared at the girl.

The girl sniffed, "Penelope Clearwater," she replied in a snobbish voice. "I'm a genius."

"We'll see about that," Oliver commented in a disgusted voice. "You keep being a little snot, Penelope, and you're likely to wind up in Slytherin. I hear their Head of House is a guy named Professor Snape."

Kaysar frowned as Penelope left the compartment, "I don't understand," he said in a confused voice as he looked at Percy and Oliver. "Professor Snape helped me get some glasses and gave me shoes…"

"Rob hates him and so does Charlie," Oliver commented worriedly. "They say Snape's a scary teacher."

Swallowing hard, Kaysar laid back and silently looked out the window a moment before looking up at his trunk, "I'm going to change into my uniform now," he said in a quiet voice. "We have to do that, right?"

"We're still a while from the station," Oliver stated worriedly as Kaysar stood and reached for his trunk.

Kaysar shrugged and silently pulled his trunk down on to the seat and immediately winced as he pulled his arm back, "That's a bit heavy," he whispered as he opened the trunk and pulled out his uniform pants, shirt, jacket, tie, socks, and shoes. "Is there somewhere private where I could change?"

"We'll turn around and not peek," Oliver replied in a confused voice. "Just draw the shade on the door."

Kaysar quickly pulled the shade down and once he saw that Percy and Oliver had turned their backs to him, he slowly changed out of the jeans, sweater, and jumper into the Hogwarts uniform. He didn't know how to tie a tie because his father had never taught him, so he left it hanging round his neck. He gazed briefly at the shoes Snape had given him and hoped they matched his uniform.

"You can turn around now," Kaysar stated softly, sighing as Percy and Oliver turned and gaped at him.

Before Percy or Oliver could speak, the compartment door slid open and an irate looking Bill came in with an irritated boy who glared daggers at the three younger boys, "Marcus has something he wants to say to you, Kaysar," Bill said in a tight voice as he nudged Marcus forward. "Marcus, apologize now."

Marcus was quiet for a moment and then he reared back and punched Kaysar square in the nose, "I'm sorry I didn't do that sooner, you Mudblood spawn!" Marcus hissed as he was grabbed roughly by Bill.

"Ow!" Kaysar hissed in pain as he turned towards the window and covered his bleeding nose.

Bill scoffed, "Marcus, go back to your compartment," he said in an unusually angry voice. "You can be certain that I will be reporting this incident to Hagrid and to the other professors at the school."

Marcus gave Kaysar a death look and stormed from the compartment, "Kaysar, turn around and let me see that nose," Bill said in a calmer voice as he gently touched Kaysar's shoulder. "I hope it's not…"

Kaysar sighed and turned, revealing blood streaming down his nose on to his uniform shirt, "That Flint guy's scary," Percy commented as he stood up and walked over to Kaysar. "Can I help you at all?"

"Percy, go up to the driver and tell him to owl the school," Bill said in a gentle, yet commanding voice as he gently guided Kaysar over to the seat and sat him down. "I know a spell that could heal your nose, but I don't know if I should use it as I'm not sure how badly Marcus hurt your nose. However…"

As Bill waved his wand and a small cold pack appeared in his hand, Percy whispered to Oliver, "Bill, can Oliver come with me?" Percy asked in a worried voice. "I'm scared Marcus is going to beat me up."

"Yeah, sure," Bill replied as he set the icepack in Kaysar's hand and then gently lifted Kaysar's hand to his nose, which was beginning to swell. "If Marcus gives you any trouble, do not get in a fistfight…."

Oliver grinned, "I'll just let Rob hex Marcus," he replied in an amused voice as he dragged Percy out of the compartment before Bill could react. "We'll try and get Kaysar something from the food trolley!"

"I don't want to be seen as bad," Kaysar whispered in a pained voice. "I don't try to be bad on purpose."

Bill's heart sank, "Kaysar, Marcus is an ignorant idiot," he replied gently. "You aren't bad at all."

"How come Charlie hates me, then?" Kaysar asked in a faint voice. "He avoided me while I was at…"

Bill sighed and sat down next to Kaysar, "Charlie can be a bit dense sometimes," he replied gently.

"I don't want to be like my father at all, Bill," Kaysar whispered softly as he leaned back on the seat.

Bill's eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment on Kaysar's words, "I'm feeling really tired," Kaysar suddenly said in a weak voice as the cold pack slipped from his hand and hit the floor. "I feel…"

"Kaysar!" Bill shouted , taking his wand out as Kaysar suddenly passed out, fell out of the seat, and hit the floor in violent convulsions as the blood continued to flow from his nose. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Almost immediately, a shadowy Husky dog shot out of Bill's wand, "It worked," Bill whispered in a shocked voice, seeing as he had only found out about the spell by chance while reading a book in the library at the end of the previous year while waiting for Charlie to finish up exams. "Patronus!"

The shadowy Husky looked at Bill, "If you can understand me, I need you to go to Hogwarts and tell Dumbledore that something's wrong with Kaysar," Bill stated in a concerned voice. "Tell him something happened after Marcus Flint attacked Kaysar and that I don't know what to do to help the situation…"

Letting out a sharp bark, the Husky suddenly took off out the window and Kaysar stopped convulsing as if he had heard Bill's words and he slowly opened his eyes, "What happened?" Kaysar asked softly as he swallowed hard and forced his frail body into a sitting position. "Bill, I saw some scary things in my head and my heart…."

"I sent a message to the school about you being sick," Bill replied calmly, concerned about how pale and lethargic Kaysar seemed even though he was able to sit up after a seizure. "The blood stopped…"

Kaysar nodded and unsteadily leaned back against the bottom of the seat, "Just rest there for a while," Bill said in a soothing voice as Percy and Oliver came back into the compartment. "Percy, did you…?"

"The conductor said that we should just keep an eye on Kaysar," Percy replied softly. "Is he okay?"

Bill sighed, "I'm not sure," he replied softly, smiling as Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out several pumpkin pasties wrapped in napkins. "Oliver, where did you get those pumpkin pasties?"

"Rob gave me money for them," Oliver replied as he offered them to Kaysar. "Go ahead and eat."

Kaysar shakily took the pumpkin pasties, but didn't eat them, "Thank you," he replied in a nervous voice.

Percy smiled and desperate to keep his new friends happy, Kaysar silently nibbled at one of the pasties while he watched Bill, Percy, and Oliver get their trunks from the overhead racks; would everything be okay for him?