Chapter 3: Going to Hogwarts
On the first day of September, the Potter estate was a lot busier than it had been for the last month or so. This was because of the current owner preparing to leave for the rest of the year. Although he was ready, he had decided that he hadn't brought enough stuff. So he had been going around making sure that he definitely packed everything that he wanted to bring, that to an untrained and unfamiliar eye would seem to include almost a quarter of the Potter library. It was in the library at ten o'clock that Eleanor found Harry making yet another search through the shelves. "Sir, please calm down. You can't bring every book that you own within the library sir." Harry placed a book back which he had just picked up, then turned to look at her. "I know, just not sure what to take with me to begin with it all." Eleanor smiled.
"It will be here when you get back sir, and if you can't wait until then I can always come and collect it." Harry nodded, and then walked out of the library. Eleanor started walking with him as he went past her, and soon they had fallen into step with each other. "Alright then, let's make sure we have everything. Clothes?" Harry asked, and Eleanor looked at the list.
"New robes, casual clothing, ceremonial clothing are all packed."
"Books?"
"School books and selected reading materials, muggle and magical."
"Basics?"
"Of course we have that sir. I'd be out of a job if I hadn't packed that stuff." Harry gave a small laugh.
"What about the business stuff?"
"I've set up an owl delivery with Gringotts. Everything will go to them the muggle way, and then they'll send it to you at Hogwarts."
"Excellent. I think that makes us ready to proceed. Time to take the portkey." The duo walked out of the grounds, Harry picking up his bag as he went by and passing it to Eleanor. Eleanor pulled out the portkey, and it activated, sending them halfway across the country, to platform nine and three quarters.
Stepping out of the portkey arrivals chamber, Harry was initially shocked by the number of children and parents who were currently bustling around the station platform, before realising that this was fairly minor and nothing like what it would be in half an hour's time when parents started arriving in their droves. Deciding that he would rather have a choice of seating, rather than having to necessarily share with someone who may not be the most respectable person on the train, Harry moved immediately towards the doors of the train, and stepped on board. He was looking forward to Hogwarts. Who knew how much magic he was finally going to be able to learn, including with his new private holiday tutor. There would only be one problem with what Harry could see at the moment, and that was only likely if Dumbledore seemed to be insistent on either interfering, or keeping his property. He had been told by Gringotts that attempts to recover a cloak belonging to his father had been either rebuffed or ignored by Dumbledore. He intended to fix that as soon as he could, even if it meant going to the Headmaster's office on the first day. He would go today if he could, but figured that it would be impractical given the rumours he had heard about the length of the journey to Hogwarts.
The station had indeed gotten busier as Harry sat in the carriage with Eleanor, who was silently looking through some business papers that apparently needed to be looked through. Harry was currently busy reading Newt Scamander's book, and finding it very interesting, when the train started to move. When it did, Harry didn't even look up, so engrossed was he in reading about Newt Scamander's work. It was a first edition as well, an original copy from 1927 when it was first published. It was a few minutes after the train started to move that the door to Harry's compartment opened, and a voice spoke out from. "Excuse me, but may I sit within this compartment?" It asked, and Harry looked up to see a blond boy standing at the door.
"Since you asked politely, please feel free." Harry replied, and the boy nodded. He entered fully, and closed the behind him, before placing his luggage on the rack above them and sitting down next to Eleanor, who had remained silent during the encounter. "Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy family." He said, extending his hand towards Harry, who gladly took it. "Lord Harry Potter."
Draco was initially shocked to find out that he had just chosen the compartment with Harry Potter of all people, and he was sure that the shock was showing on his face. He had heard the title that he had put before it however, and so the years of proper etiquette lessons with his mother came in handy as the shock quickly removed itself from his face and managed to replace it with the famed 'pureblood mask'. "Wonderful to meet you Lord Potter." Now that he knew who the boy was, there was no need to ask who the woman next to him was. It wasn't uncommon for younger lords to hire someone to help them out with their lordly duties. Their job in polite company was simply to do their job and stay silent unless specifically asked a question. "What house do you expect to be sorted into?" Potter asked him, and he smirked.
"Slytherin of course. My family has always been in Slytherin. Which do you expect to reach?" Potter seemed to think about the question. "I would say Ravenclaw. Eleanor always says I'm a bit too fond of my books."
"That's because you tried to pack half the library into your luggage sir." Eleanor said, and Potter laughed. "It would have fit in if you gave me more time." Malfoy was somewhat surprised by the relative informality, but reckoned that it was more of a matter for Potter instead of him, so he stayed away from mentioning it. He stood up and opened his luggage on the rack, extracting from it his copy of Magical Drafts and Potions before sitting down again. "Potions your favourite subject?" Draco looked up at Potter at the question. "Yes. I take it that magical creatures is your interest?"
"Only in theory. I'm not that hands on, but Scamander really does make very interesting points. I prefer Defence."
From that point both Harry and Draco were distracted from their reading by having a debate on the pros and cons of Newt Scamander's famed work when the compartment door was opened for the second time that journey. "Can I sit here? All the other ones are full." Both Harry and Draco looked at the newcomer incredulously. "Are you suggesting that you've been wandering the train for hours without sitting down anywhere?" Harry said, and Draco looked at him.
"He's a Weasley, the majority of them aren't all there in the head." The boy got angry with that, but before he could say anything, he was pushed out of the way by a bushy-haired girl. "Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." Harry looked at Draco exasperated.
"Everyone has forgotten about manners it seems Heir Malfoy." A smirk came up on Draco's face.
"Indeed Lord Potter, especially the muggleborn students. No-one has any respect these days." However, the girl's look was completely fixed on Harry. "Oh wow, you're Harry Potter. I've read so much about you." She was stopped by Harry standing up and walking to the door.
"All false I assure you, and its Lord Potter, in both magical and muggle worlds thank you. In response to your original question, there has been no toad through here. You're better off looking in dark, quiet places. I hope that is all." Harry said, pointedly looking at her. She quietened, and nodded before heading off, and Harry closed the compartment door. "I thought she was never going to leave. Mudbloods are no end of trouble."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll explain later, because we were in the middle of an important discussion. The Hungarian horntail is the best dragon."
"No it isn't. The Antipodean Opal-Eye tops it simply because it looks better."
Another few hours later, they finally managed to come to an agreement on the subject. That the Chinese Fireball was fairly harmless compared to the others. As they headed off the train, Draco annoyed at the superior quality of Harry's robes, Eleanor stayed behind to make sure their stuff made it to the castle untampered. Harry didn't trust the staff yet. He hadn't even met them yet. As they arrived at the boats, guided by what seemed to be a half-giant, they were joined by two more people in their boat, who introduced themselves as Heiress Daphne Greengrass and Heiress Susan Bones. As they all introduced themselves, they were distracted from it as they saw the castle come into sight around the cliffs. It was a beautiful sight, the castle seemingly shining against the dark sky. The boats finally arrived at the castle, and there to meet theme was professor McGonagall. "Welcome students. You will now follow me to the great hall, where you will be sorted into your houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." The last of the houses was said with disdain, and Harry leaned over to Draco. "Well, at least bias has absolutely no place here." Draco stifled a laugh as McGonagall looked over at them, and led them into the great hall.
"It's a singing hat." Harry said, and Draco looked confused.
"That doesn't make sense. Just as mental as the headmaster I suppose." Harry nodded.
"Still, it could be worse. That Weasley boy thought we would fight a troll."
"The idiot." Draco whispered as he was called up, and promptly sorted in Slytherin. Harry clapped politely for his friend, as he had for Daphne when she got into Slytherin, and for Susan when she was sorted into Hufflepuff. He waited patiently for his name to be called. Finally he heard "Potter, Harry" He rolled his eyes at the forgetting of his title, but decided to let it slide this time around. He walked towards the stool. Upon reaching it he turned around, threw the back part of his robes out the way as he sat down, the robes streaming over the back of the stool, and McGonagall placed the hat upon his head. Everyone sat silently, only the odd whisper being said between friends as the sorting of Harry Potter took place. And finally, the hat made its decision. "Ravenclaw!"
The sorting of Harry Potter into Ravenclaw was not something that had been expected. He had not formulated it into his plans, neither for the stone, nor for any events that may occur afterwards. He had hoped that Harry Potter would head to Gryffindor. There he would have been more predictable. But he could work with Harry Potter in Ravenclaw. It didn't change anything in the bigger picture. At that moment he decided to proceed with the original plan. After all, he was the greatest wizard of all time. Even now he was fooling Dumbledore with one of his worse pieces of acting. No-one, especially not Harry Potter, could defeat Lord Voldemort.
