Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 3: The Fantasy

Harry awoke to the sound of a bird tapping its beak against the window. He humped out of bed and let it in. The owl flew over to Hagrid and dropped a rolled up newspaper on the man's face, causing him to wake. Digging through the various pockets of the jacket, Hagrid inserted five small bronze coins into the pouch strapped to the bird's leg. It flew out the open window and away. At the sight of the money, Harry realized something.

"Um, Hagrid?"

"Yeah?"

"How am I to pay for all my school supplies? I haven't any money," Harry asked.

"Did ya think yer parents wouldn't leave ya nothin'? Yer money's held in a vault at Gringotts, the wizard bank. Tha's the only reason yer relatives never got it," Hagrid told him.

"So, I've got money somewhere?" Hagrid nodded at the question. Harry dug through the duffel bag under the bed and pulled out some fresh clothing, having slept in one of Dudley's very large t-shirts. The shirt was long enough that it fell well past his knees, and could have worked as some kind of nightgown. He disappeared into the bathroom and changed.

Jon appeared from his room, fully dressed and knocked on the door, before walking away when Harry answered him.

"Would you like something to eat Hagrid?" Jon asked the large man.

"No, no, I'm fine," Hagrid replied. Jon nodded and set to work making breakfast for himself and Harry.

XxXxXxX

They left the apartment building half an hour later. Hagrid lead them to a bus station, and from the bus station, to the Underground. From there, they got off at a stop near the heart of London, and Hagrid continued to lead the way. As they walked, Jon pulled up beside Harry.

"Harry, I figure, since you've nearly mastered everything I've taught you, maybe you wouldn't mind having a Japanese name?" he suggested. Harry smiled.

"Sure, I don't mind at all," the boy answered. Jon grinned.

"I've been thinking over one that would fit you, bit it isn't easy, there's too much to consider. I spent the past week trying to come up with a good name, and I finally settled on Arashi. What do you think?"

"Arashi," Harry murmured, as if testing the name. Finally, he looked up at Jon. "I like it, what does it mean?"

"Storm. At first I was going to try something to do with your furry little problem, but changed my mind. I'm glad you like it, now I get to call you something during training," Jon reached down to ruffle Harry's hair.

Harry looked up when Hagrid stopped walking.

"Hagrid? Something wrong?" Harry asked.

"No, everything's fine. You ready to see your first glimpse at the wizarding world Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry said. Hagrid turned to pulled him to the front.

"Then, this here is the Leaky Cauldron, famous pub here in London," Hagrid pushed Harry to the door.

"Hagrid? Is it normally possible for Muggles to see it?" Harry asked. He'd noticed that the other pedestrians simply bypassed it like it wasn't there.

"No, not normally. Only if they've actually been inside," Hagrid responded.

"So, that' explains why I can't see anything," Jon murmured. Hagrid placed a hand on Jon's shoulder and pushed him towards the door. Harry opened the door, and held it open for the two. The door closed behind the three males, everyone in the pub paused and looked up at the newcomers, but quickly went back to what it was that they were doing.

"Hello Hagrid, the usual today?" the barkeep asked, already reaching for a clean glass.

"Not right now Tom, just coming by on Hogwarts business," Hagrid replied, clapping a large hand on Harry's shoulder. To Hagrid's slight surprise, Harry didn't nearly fall over like most others did. Tom nearly dropped the rag he held and stared at Harry. He felt the man's eyes boring a whole into his forehead, right where his scar was.

"Bless my soul, its Harry Potter," he exclaimed. All the light chatter in the room ground to a halt, and everyone turned to stare at Harry. Unaccustomed to such behavior, Harry backed up and tried to hide behind Jon. There was a great clatter as everyone leapt from their chairs to greet him. Harry found himself being pulled from the protection that Jon offered and was soon shaking hands with everyone in the room.

Several of the witches and wizards introduced themselves, and one man even came back for a second handshake. Finally, from a dark corner, a man wearing a purple turban stepped forward.

"Oh, Professor Quirrell, hello," Hagrid greeted the young pale man cheerfully.

"H-hello Hagrid," the teacher said before turning his attention to Harry. "H-H-Harry P-Potter, it's a g-g-great p-pleasure to f-finally meet y-you." Harry shook the man's hand.

"This is Professor Quirrell, he'll be one of yer teachers at Hogwarts," Hagrid explained.

"Oh! What kind of magic do you teach Professor?" Harry asked.

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," he muttered, and to Harry, it looked as if he feared even thinking about it. "N-not that you'll b-b-be needing it, eh, P-Potter?" Quirrell gave a nervous laugh. "I s-suppose you'll be p-p-picking up your e-equipment then? I've g-g-got to get a n-new book on v-v-v-vampires, myself." He looked horrified at the thought of it.

It wasn't until several minutes later that Hagrid was finally able to get Harry through the crowd and out to the back of the pub. Harry and Jon looked around in confusion, all that was there was a bunch of trash bins. They gave Hagrid strange looks, but Hagrid continued on with what he was doing, not that they knew what it was that he was doing. He pulled out his pink umbrella and was tapping the bricks on the back wall in succession. Slowly, the bricks moved aside and formed a wide arch. Hagrid turned back to them and smiled.

"Welcome," he began, "to Diagon Alley."

Harry and Jon stood there, slack-jawed and awestruck at everything. A large throng of people moved up and down the alley, entering and leaving various shops. As they stepped into the crowd of people, Harry found himself wishing for four more sets of eyes so that he wouldn't miss anything. Jon kept both hands on Harry's shoulders as they walked along the path that Hagrid created. Jon's eyes were in constant motion trying to process everything. It seemed that several stereotypes about wizards and witches were true; pointed hats, robes, cauldrons, wands, and so on.

There were so many stores, and Harry could actually feel the magic permeating around him. So much collected power in one place, it felt amazing and made his skin tingle pleasantly. He took a deep breath, for once fully using his enhanced sense of smell, taking in the scent of food, animals, and the people around him. He was surprised that it didn't overwhelm him like it did the first few days. They approached a huge snowy white building that looked to be made of pure marble.

"Tha's Gringotts, you'd be mad to try and rob the place," Hagrid told them as they approached the doors. "And those are goblins, no better person to trust yer money with." A pair of goblins opened the doors for them. They came up to a second pair of doors, and a verse was engraved upon it. It read:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure here.

"Like I said earlier, ye'd have to be mad to try and rob the place," Hagrid repeated as they stepped through the doors and found themselves within a large room that could have fit the Dursley home within it, twice.

Hagrid stepped up to a counter that was currently unoccupied and cleared his throat. All the while, Jon and Harry continued to look around. A goblin a few stalls down was looking through a large pile of rubies, while another appeared to be counting money. Harry turned his attention to the station they stood in front of to see Hagrid speaking to another goblin.

"Mr. Harry Potter would like to make a withdrawal," Hagrid stated. The goblin looked over at Harry then back to Hagrid.

"Does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?" Hagrid fished through his pocket until he found what he was looking for and handed the goblin a key.

"Also, I've got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid handed the letter to the goblin. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen.

"Very well then, I will have someone take you down to the vaults. Griphook!" Yet another goblin appeared who lead them through a door where the four piled into a cart and were off.

Harry grinned as the cart whipped around corners and took sharp turns. Looking at the two adults, he noticed that Hagrid was beginning to turn green, and Jon looked a bit unsettled. Harry's grin widened, and he whipped around when he thought he saw a burst of flames somewhere to their right. But they had already turned another corner. Harry lost track of how many turns they'd taken, but he enjoyed the ride nonetheless. His hair whipped back and the cold wind felt wonderful against his bare skin.

It all ended too soon, and they stumbled out of the cart. Griphook inserted Harry's key into a small keyhole and the large door opened slowly. A mass of green smoke billowed out of the vault. Harry and Jon stared in wonder at the sight of so many shiny coins. Never before had Harry seen so much money in his life. Hagrid handed Harry a bag to carry his money in. Harry and Jon began scooping coins into the bag while Hagrid explained what each coin was.

"The gold ones are Galleons; there are seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon, an' twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. Not too hard ta remember. What ya got there in tha' bag should be enough for a couple of terms," Hagrid said. They were stepping out of the vault when Griphook reentered.

"Mr. Potter, before your parents died, I was given the honor of tracking your family's finances, and everything what you will inherit once you come of age. Your father however, requested that the day you came here to gather your school supplies, I was to give you this," Griphook had grabbed a box off a shelf in the very back of the vault and handed it to Harry.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Open it and see, it is yours, as you are the heir to the Potter family fortune," Griphook told him. Harry opened the box to see a large ring resting on a bed of cotton balls. He picked it up and examined it. The band was made of some sort of alloy, but there was no silver present. Had there been he would have been burned by it the moment he touched it. The jewel in the center was a ruby, and engraved into the center of the jewel was a stylized "P". Other than that, the ring was rather simple in design with a lion running along the length of the band

"Whoa, that's a pretty nice ring. Looks a bit big for you though Harry," Jon commented.

"Yeah, guess I can't actually wear it yet, but it's not made of silver, so it'll agree with me later on," Harry moved to place it back in the box, but stopped when he noticed that there was something else underneath the cotton balls. Picking it out, he noticed that there was a chain inside as well. He looped the ring through it, and put it on as a necklace. Harry waited a few moments, and there was no immediate irritation like he thought there would be. "Chain's not silver, that's good." Harry muttered.

"Why won't silver agree with you Harry?" Hagrid asked. Harry averted his eyes.

"I'm not allowed to say, I might get in trouble," Harry replied.

"Well, okay then," they got back in the cart and made there way farther down into the deeper reaches of the earth. They came to a stop and Griphook hopped out of the cart.

"Stand back," he said as the others got out. He ran a single long finger down the door and it slowly melted. Harry was expecting mountains of gold and jewels, along with other priceless objects. What he didn't expect was a single grubby brown paper package. Hagrid picked it up and shoved into one of his inside pockets.

"Right, let's head back up, and can we go a little slower?" he asked hopefully.

"One speed only," Griphook answered.

XxXxXxX

Hagrid excused himself as he headed back to the Leaky Cauldron for something to calm his stomach.

"You two'll be okay right?" Hagrid asked. The pair nodded. "Ye can start by getting yer uniform first, just over there." Hagrid pointed to a shop not too far away. "I'll come get ya when I'm done."

Jon and Harry made there way to the shop. A sign above it read: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Jon held the door open for Harry and stepped inside. A squat smiling witch came forward from the back of the room.

"Hogwarts dear?" she asked. Harry opened his mouth to speak. "You're the fourth today already. I've got a young man back here being fitted right now."

She led Harry to the back of the shop, while Jon waved him good luck.

"Now, stand up here dear," Harry complied and glanced over at the other boy. He had blond hair that was slicked back. He didn't look too happy, if the sneer on his face was any indication.

"Hello," the boy greeted. Harry could tell he was trying to be polite. "Hogwarts too?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Hmm, my father's already buying my books, while my mother's looking at wands," he sounded bored. "I don't think it's fair that first years can't have their own brooms. Maybe I can bully father into getting me one, and I'll smuggle it in." The boy reminded Harry of a very thin Dudley. "Have you got your own broom?" He asked. Harry shook his head.

"No," he answered. 'Unless you count the one I use to sweep down the kitchen with.' He thought.

"Do you play Quidditch?"

"No," he replied. 'What the hell is Quidditch?'

"I do – Father says it would be a crime if I wasn't picked to play for my team. Do you know what house you'll be in?"

"Not really," Harry was starting to feel stupid with his ignorance.

"I'll most likely be in Slytherin, my whole family has been," Harry just rolled his eyes, trusting his hair to keep it hidden. He looked up to see Jon watching him carefully. The Japanese man's eyes flitted over the blond and he glared. Harry could tell that Jon didn't like the boy, and frankly, neither did Harry.

"Yarou," Jon mouthed and Harry had to smirk. He agreed fully with Jon's opinion.

"I say, who is that man there?" the boy had clearly noticed Jon.

"That's my marital arts teacher," Harry replied.

"A Muggle?" Harry didn't miss the way the boy said the word. As if it wasn't worthy of the dirt on the soles of his shoes.

"I wouldn't mess with him, he could kill you a hundred different ways with just his hands," Harry said, smiling in satisfaction at the look of fear the boy adopted.

"Why is he with you? Where are your parents?" the blonde asked.

"They're dead."

"Oh, sorry," he didn't sound sorry at all. "But they were our kind right?"

"If you mean a witch and wizard, then yes," Harry repressed the urge to sigh; this boy was testing his patience. Harry had always had a short fuse, but with Jon's helped he'd managed to learn to control it, but this boy was quickly unraveling all that hard work.

"I don't think they should let in the others though, don't you? Most of them don't know our ways, and haven't even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter. What's you're family name anyway?" Harry was caught off guard by the question. But before he could answer, Madam Malkin informed him that the fitting was done, and he was glad to be able to leave. "I'll see you at Hogwarts then." Harry didn't even answer.

"That boy is way too arrogant for his own good. It could get him killed on day," Jon muttered as they stepped outside to wait for Hagrid.

"Yeah, I really wanted to punch him. I couldn't even answer half the questions he was asking," Harry was about to begin a full-blown rant but Jon stopped him.

"It's all right Harry, I'm sure there are tons of other people who don't know what he's talking about either. Hagrid hurried up to them after exiting an ice cream parlor.

"Here ya go, my treat," he handed each of them a cone that they quickly devoured before it melted. Harry rarely ever got ice cream, and to him it tasted delicious.

"Hagrid, what's Quidditch?" Harry asked.

"Quidditch? It's our sport, a wizarding sport. Everyone follows it – sorta like that Muggle football – it's played up in the air on broom sticks. It's bloody fun to watch, but its hard fer me ta explain."

"Okay, what's Slytherin?"

"It's one of the school houses, there's four of 'em. A lotta the witches and wizards tha' were in Slytherin went Dark. Including You-Know-Who."

"Sorry, who?"

"He-He's the wizard tha' killed your parents, even now, ten years later, people are still afraid ta say his name."

"What happened to him?"

"You defeated him Harry, when you was just a babe. Fifteen months old and already beating Dark wizards," Harry looked shocked.

"I beat a full grown wizard? How?" Hagrid shrugged.

"No one knows the real truth of what 'appened tha' night. Just that You-Know-Who came to yer family's home, killed yer mum and dad with the Killin' Curse. Turned 'is wand on you, but the spell didn't work. Backfired. Most think 'e died. Codswallop in my opinion, he's gotta be out there still, bidin' his time," the explanation made Harry a little nervous, but shrugged it off. "Enough of this talk; we've got some shoppin' to do."

They entered the book shop called Flourish and Blotts, where Harry smiled at the thought of so many books. There weren't any at the Dursleys, and he'd read nearly everything at the library.

"So, what books do you need Harry?" Jon asked. Harry pulled out the list of supplies and read it.

"Each student should have a copy of each of the following: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk, A History of Magicby Bathilda Bagshot, Magical Theoryby Adalbert Waffling, A Beginners' Guide to Transfigurationby Emeric Switch, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore, Magical Drafts and Potionsby Arsenius Jigger, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themby Newt Scamander, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protectionby Quentin Trimble."

"That's a lot," Jon muttered. Luckily the store owners had set out stacks of the text books that Hogwarts students would need. Harry grabbed one of each book before browsing the shelves.

By the time they'd left, their arms were laden with several bags of books, they hurried over to other stores where Harry bought his Potions equipment, and they dumped all of his books inside the cauldron.

"I'm going to run and get you a trunk while you get yer wand, I'll see you in a bit," Hagrid said and left them in front of Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

Harry pushed the door open and stepped inside with Jon. The moment the door closed, Harry could feel an intense pulse of magic filling the room. Everything was silent and covered in a fine layer of dust. He felt like he'd just walked into the most revered library in existence.

"Good afternoon," both males jumped and turned to see a man with wide pale eyes looking at them both intently.

"H-Hello sir," Harry greeted in return.

"Ah, Mr. Harry Potter, I've been wondering when I'd be seeing you," Mr. Ollivander began browsing the shelves, occasionally pausing in front of a small thin box. "I see you have your mother's eyes, such a charming shade of green they were. It seems just yesterday your mother and father were stepping in here to buy their first wands. Your mother's was ten and quarter inches long, quite swishy and made of willow. Excellent for charms."

Ollivander paused to look directly into Harry's eyes. Out of habit, Harry blanked his thoughts, and Ollivander blinked – for the first time since entering – in surprise.

"Now, now Mr. Potter, I mean you no harm, it makes finding the correct wand easier if I can see your thoughts," he said. Harry nodded and lowered his guard. The man went back to searching through the shelves. "Your father on the other hand, he favored mahogany. Eleven inches, a bit pliable and had a bit more power, it was excellent for transfiguration. Although in the end, it's the wand that chooses the wizard Harry Potter."

Ollivander approached Harry now, jabbing Harry's forehead.

"I'm very sorry to say that I'm the one that sold the wand that did this to you. Thirteen and a half inches, yew. A very powerful wand, and perhaps, in the wrong hands," Ollivander shook his head before noticing Jon. "And you are?"

"Jonathan Tanigawa sir," Jon replied.

"Tanigawa eh? I've heard that name before, can't quite remember though. You're a Muggle?"

"Yes sir, as far as I'm aware, although Hagrid said there might have been a wizard with that name at one point," Jon replied.

"Hagrid is with you? I haven't seen him in a while. Now, back to business I suppose. I expect this is what you've been looking forward to?" Ollivander asked Harry.

"Yes sir, very much so," Harry answered.

"Excellent, now please hold out your wand arm."

"Sir?"

"Your writing hand Harry," Ollivander clarified.

"Oh, okay," Harry held up his right hand. A roll of measuring tape set to work measuring the distance between Harry's shoulder and middle finger.

"Right handed eh?"

"Yeah."

"That would be where the werewolf bit correct?"

"H-How did you know?"

"I looked into your thoughts remember? I caught just a glimpse of it, but I saw that animal lurking within you. Not to worry, I won't tell anyone," Ollivander said as a measuring tape continued to measure Harry. Ollivander now set to work, properly pulling out wands. "Let's see, how about this one." Ollivander handed one to Harry. Harry took it and gave it a quick flick. A vase of slightly wilted plants shattered. Harry blinked. "No, no, not quite."

This went on for several minutes, the stack building up steadily, until finally, in his search, Ollivander nearly disappeared from view. He returned with one, a strange look on his face. Harry took it, and the moment his fingers closed in on it, he felt warmth flooding his veins. He took a deep breath, and with a gentle flick a small whirlwind filled the shop. It centered on Harry, he stood within its eye but a gentle breeze fluttered his loose clothes and hair. Unlike all the other wands, this one caused no damage to anything, though it did lift a great deal of dust from the shelves and floor.

"Wow," Harry whispered.

"Indeed, although it is a bit curious," Ollivander murmured.

"What is sir?"

"It is curious that you are destined to have this wand Mr. Potter, when its brother gave you that scar," Ollivander said. "The phoenix whose feather resides in that wand, gave only one other feather, and that feather was used in the wand held by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I'm certain that we can expect great things from you Mr. Potter, for You-Know-Who did great things, oh yes. Terrible, but great things." Harry stared at him in shock. After a moment, he shook himself out of it, paid for the wand and left.

Hagrid helped Harry get everything inside the compartments of his trunk.

The trunk had three different magical compartments. The first was opened by a simple padlock and Hagrid handed him the key, he put his robes in this one. When the lid was closed, Harry could tap it with his wand and when opened, it revealed the second compartment. The cauldron and his other supplies were placed neatly into it. The third and final compartment was opened by a password of Harry's choosing. All of the books were stowed inside. Once that was done, they headed off to the nearest pet store. They entered and Harry was overwhelmed by all the smells, and all the animals in the store were reacting to Harry's scent.

"This sort of thing never happens," the owner commented when all the animals seemed to be moving away from Harry, trying to get as far away as possible, except for a single cat that was currently circling his ankles. Harry bent and picked it up. He looked the cat over. It was an orange tabby, the coloring reminding him of orange swirl ice cream. The cat licked his nose slightly. Harry smiled.

"How much for her?" Harry asked.

"Her? Well I don't know, she's been here all her life. Tell you what, you can have her for free, the rest of her siblings have already been bought, and she needs a good home," the owner said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, go ahead and take her," Harry nodded, cradling the cat in his arms. "Here's her carrying basket." Harry placed the small cat in the basket before leaving the store. Hagrid sneezed.

"Got yerself a cat?" he asked as he blew his nose on a large spotted handkerchief. Harry nodded.

"I love cats, but this is the first one I've met that liked me," he responded. A soft mew answered from the basket. Jon grinned.

"Yeah, but what about your relatives?" Jon asked him. Harry froze, and for a moment Jon could see pure terror etched on the boy's face. The man's smile faded. "Harry?"

"They hate animals and would kill her if given the chance," Harry murmured as he held up the basket to look at the cat. He brought the basket closer to his body in a protective gesture.

"I'd take her but the landlord would evict me if I tried to," Jon answered. Harry thought for a moment.

"Mrs. Figg can take care of her. I'm sure she won't mind," Harry decided after a moment of thought.

"Right, that means we can head back to London now," Hagrid said. Jon and Harry nodded.

XxXxXxX

They sat waiting at the train station eating hamburgers. Harry had never had something that tasted so good.

"Burgers back home will always be the best," Jon commented. "If you ever go to Japan, never go to a burger joint there, they give you rice rather than fries." He said. "Plus the portion sizes are smaller."

"Well, yer train will be here soon," Hagrid said looking up at the clock on the wall across from them. "I'd best be off then." Hagrid rose but paused. "Before I forget, here's yer train ticket to Hogwarts, remember Harry, don't lose that ticket, it's very important." Hagrid handed Harry the ticket. "Happy Birthday, and don't let the Muggles get ya down, just another month before you won't have to see 'em for a while." Hagrid gave Harry a bone crushing hug. The pair watched Hagrid until he just disappeared.

XxXxXxX

The rest of the summer went by smoothly. Mrs. Figg gladly allowed Harry's new cat – which was now, named Mikan – to stay with her until Harry had to leave. Harry spent a great deal of time at Jon's flat reading his course books as well as the other ones that he'd picked up for background reading.

It was the night of the full moon, and Harry sat with Jennifer, waiting until it was time for her to leave. Harry gave her a perusing look.

"You're a witch," he said. His tone wasn't accusing, but he sounded a little disappointed.

"Yes, I am," Jennifer responded. "Its how I've been providing you with your Wolfsbane potion every month. I brew it in my basement."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was told not to. I was told that you would be informed of your status as a wizard. I'm sorry for lying to you Harry," Jennifer said quietly. Harry could see that she was being sincere.

"Who told you not to say anything?" Harry asked.

"Albus Dumbledore, he's the Headmaster at Hogwarts. He was the one who left you here with the Dursleys."

"I see. I expect I'll be seeing him soon then," Harry said as he picked up the glass of Wolfsbane. "You called this Wolfsbane; I'm to assume that Muggles don't realize that werewolves really exist."

"Correct, all werewolves, with the exception of you are registered with the Ministry of Magic and magically tagged. You're the only one that will not have any restrictions placed on you by the Ministry, or others.

"I've made arrangements with the Potions Master at Hogwarts to brew the Wolfsbane for you every month. Good luck there Harry, and remember, there will be people there that will try to be your friend for the sake of hoping to get favors from you. I know that there's bound to be someone there who will truly want to be your friend. There also be those who will seek to hurt you, just remember that you don't need to sink to their level."

"I understand, I'll see you next summer Dr. Thomas," Harry said before downing the potion and retreating up to his room.

XxXxXxX

The day of September first dawned bright and sunny. Harry packed up one of Dudley's old backpacks with clothing, a few new notebooks and four new pens that Jennifer had given him for his birthday, "it's easier to take notes with these," she'd said. Once he was done, Harry gave his room a look over before shutting the door.

Harry stopped at Mrs. Figg's and picked up Mikan. The orange striped cat licked his cheek, happy to see him again, and Harry bid the elderly woman good-bye.

By the time Harry got to Jon's flat, the man was in the process of loading everything into the trunk properly. Together, the pair managed to load it into the boot of the car.

"You ready to go Harry?" Jon asked. Harry nodded, placing Mikan, secure in her basket in the back seat before jumping into the front seat next to Jon. "So, which station are we going to now?"

"King's Cross, platform nine and three quarters," Harry responded, reading off of the ticket in his hand. Jon nodded, not realizing what Harry had just said. After a moment, Jon turned to Harry sharply.

"Wait, what platform?"

"Nine and three quarters, it says so right here," Harry answered, showing it to Jon. The older man sighed and shook his head.

"These wizards sure are strange," he muttered.

XxXxXxX

Jon helped Harry get his trunk onto a trolley and they pushed it through the station. No one really gave them any strange looks; Harry had most of his supplies stowed away into the compartments of his trunk. They came to platform nine and halted.

"Now what?" Jon asked looking around.

"Maybe it's hidden, like Diagon Alley is," said Harry.

"So you're just gonna whip your wand out and start tapping the ticket inspector's stands?" Jon asked. Harry rolled his eyes. Just as Harry was about to respond, a female voice caught his attention.

"It's like this every year, packed with Muggles," the voice said. Harry spun to see a plump redheaded woman. She was leading five similarly redheaded children. Four boys and a girl. The four boys were all pushing trolleys as well. Harry and Jon quickly made their way towards the family.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Harry called just as one boy – the oldest one – ran at the barrier that separated platforms nine and ten and disappeared. Harry blinked as he reached the family.

"Oh hello dear," the woman greeted him kindly.

"Um, I was wondering, how do I get onto the platform?" Harry asked. The woman just smiled.

"First year at Hogwarts?" Harry nodded. "Well then, you just walk straight at the wall. Don't stop, and don't worry about crashing into it. It's best to do it at a run if you're nervous. Fred, why don't you go ahead and show him how it's done." She motioned to one of the three remaining boys, one half in a set of twins.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly woman and you call yourself out mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Oh, I'm sorry George," the woman said. The boy – George – stepped forward before pausing.

"I'm only joking. I am Fred," he grinned before running at the barrier and disappearing, his twin right behind him.

"Now go ahead dear, don't be afraid," the mother smiled encouragingly. Harry nodded before running back to Jon.

"Well, looks like I can't go see you off on the platform," Jon said with a small smile. "You be careful Harry, don't want anymore Dark wizards trying to whack you." Harry rose on eyebrow. "It's an American expression. Good luck." Jon gave Harry an affection pat on the head and ruffled his hair. "Ja, mata tsugi no natsuyasumi. Kaku wo wasurenai."

"Hai, hai. Wakatta," Harry responded.

"Saa, iku Arashi," Jon gave the boy a nudge.

"Hai! Sayonara sensei!" Harry called as he ran at the barrier. He approached it quickly and then he felt as if he'd passed through a sprinkler but hadn't gotten wet. Screeching to a halt, he realized that he'd done it. He stood on platform nine and three quarters.

A scarlet steam engine sat next to the platform. People milled about everywhere. Smoke billowed from the engine, the sound of children bidding their parents good-bye, and calls of cats, owls, and the occasional toad resounded over the platform. Mikan mewed to a nearby cat that had escaped its owner.

Harry continued on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment at the back of the train. Harry placed Mikan's basket on a seat before lifting up one end of his trunk. Although he was capable of lifting and carrying an average sized man on his back thanks to his training with Jon, and his werewolf blood, the trunk was still difficult to move. He managed to drag it into the compartment, but he couldn't lift it to stow it away.

"Need help?" two voices asked in unison. Harry nearly dropped the trunk on his toe in surprise.

"Yeah, sure," Harry gasped. The twins quickly helped Harry stow the trunk into the space above the seats. Harry flopped down onto the seat and brushed his bangs from his eyes. He noticed the twins were staring at him. "What?"

"You're Harry Potter," they said. Harry blinked. How did they do that? Did they have some kind of telepathic link or something?

"Er, yeah, I am," he replied.

"Wicked," the twins were grinning at him in a way that made him feel a bit nervous.

"Fred? George? Where'd you two go off to?"

"Coming Mum," they responded before leaving the compartment. He watched the family, feeling just a little envious. He shifted so that he couldn't be seen so easily when he realized that the twins were talking about him. The girl was jumping up and down excitedly.

Soon the whistle blew and the last of the students jumped on the train. Shortly after they were off and the redheaded mother and the little sister were out of sight. He leaned back and sighed.

The past month had felt like a dream, but now he knew that it wasn't. He really was a wizard, and he was going to a school that'd teach him magic. It was exciting.

I'm still looking for suggestions for which House to put Harry in. So far, two people have suggested Ravenclaw, and a possible Hufflepuff. Remember, I'd like a few points to back up the suggestion for me to think on when I make a final decision. This chapter brings out a little more of Harry's personality, so those of you who have already left a suggestion, perhaps you might have something else to say now.

To anonymous reviewer lalalalala: If I'm going to put Harry in Slytherin, I'm not going to do it to make him Malfoy's bitch. In case you didn't notice, this is a non-slash fic creature fic (one of the few out there). If you actually want Harry in Slytherin, come up with a better reason please.

Translations:

yarou: literally means bastard (you can go look it up in a Japanese-English dictionary and that is the definition given).

mikan: orange (the fruit) or tangerine

Ja, mata tsugi no natsuyasumi. Kaku wo wasurenai.: Well, until next summer vacation. Don't forget to write. (I'm too sure if the second sentence is grammatically correct.)

Hai, hai, wakatta.: Yeah, yeah, I understand.

Saa, iku Arashi: Then go Arashi

Hai, sayonara sensei.: Okay, good-bye teacher. (Most people understand sayonara to be a parting to be used when one isn't going to see someone ever again. It can be used that way, but it can also be used as a parting when one isn't going to see someone for a great deal of time. 9 months counts as a long time.)