Thief

by SteamyxhotTub

"I am a THIEF, not a MURDERER; thank you very much!" Harry becomes a thief out of boredom and curiosity leading to him becoming a master thief, so when the time comes for him to start going to Hogwarts, things turn a little... different. Depictions of rape/non-con and child abuse, Harry/Male Harem, yaoi, don't like yaoi/slash, don't read

4. What will you choose?

Steamy: Okay, so…

I've been gone for awhile and the reason for that is because I work five days of the week and, until recently, I had been going to school everyday, while also working everyday so that made me tired and stressed, especially when finals came around to bite me in the butt, I didn't want to fail my classes so I had to put writing on hold to do that.

There have been other things going on in my life that have kept me from writing, like me getting sick the literal last day of school while I was at work and it was so horrible that I was just laying in bed sleeping all day, nothing else, just sleeping and occasionally eating soup or coughing my lungs out.

But, moving on, I've been working off and on on this chapter for awhile now, I've been trying to get through it and finish it up as soon as I could.

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Obviously moving from last chapter, this is the one where Harry gets on the train to Hogwarts, so, who knows where he'll end up?

I know, but I don't count, I'm the author…

But anyway, time to move on to-

Review responses:

Steamy: Okay, so…

I've been gone for awhile and the reason for that is because I work five days of the week and, until recently, I had been going to school everyday, while also working everyday so that made me tired and stressed, especially when finals came around to bite me in the butt, I didn't want to fail my classes so I had to put writing on hold to do that.

There have been other things going on in my life that have kept me from writing, like me getting sick the literal last day of school while I was at work and it was so horrible that I was just laying in bed sleeping all day, nothing else, just sleeping and occasionally eating soup or coughing my lungs out.

But, moving on, I've been working off and on on this chapter for awhile now, I've been trying to get through it and finish it up as soon as I could.

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Obviously moving from last chapter, this is the one where Harry gets on the train to Hogwarts, so, who knows where he'll end up?

I know, but I don't count, I'm the author…

But anyway, time to move on to-

Review responses:

To everyone who asked me to update: Sorry for the wait! And thank you for the being patient with me!

Guest: Well I'm glad that you're giving this a chance despite not being a fan of large age gap pairings! Don't worry, the sexual content won't be taking place until at the least Harry's 15, til then there will be primarily cuddling and getting to know each other

JBubbles: I'm glad that you liked the story, and that it moved you so much! I think Ezekiel's a cutie too, and was really going for that so I'm glad it came across correctly!

Sheba Winchester Potter: sort of yeah that's how it's going to happen, just not that quickly. Harry has to discover he is the Boy-Who-Lived first after all!

mizzrazz72: Well, for the time being, Harry is just trying to move on with his life and just ignore the Dursley's, of course that won't stick for too long, but it's going to be the state of things for now.

TheCatDidIt XBLX: It seems that most people didn't understand what I was trying to say, and I have a tendency to make no sense when writing, so I'm glad that everyone was willing to tell me it made no sense so that I could fix it. Thank you for the well wishes, for the time being, I am doing much better and am not sick-for now-and I will be looking forwards to writing even more!

Also, thanks everyone for all the favorites and follows!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter cast or books/movies and anything that might belong to other people

What will you choose?

[September 1st 1991]

Harry awoke to the gentle sensation of someone running their fingers through his unruly hair.

Shifting in place, Harry turned into the action, a happy hum rumbling from his chest, it turning into a purr of pleasure as the one combing his hair chuckled in reply to his humming. Turning up his face, Harry grinned sleepily at Regulus, who was laying on his side on a propped up elbow, a smile gently upturning his lips and warming his gaze.

"Good morning," the man murmured, again chuckling as Harry scooted closer to him, nuzzling his face into his shoulder.

"Morning…" Harry mumbled, smile softly curling his lips as he glanced up at the man through his lashes again, shuffling his body around closer to the larger and warmer body in front of him. Regulus let out a quiet sigh as he continued to run his fingers through Harry's hair as he leaned down to press a chaste kiss to the top of his head, murmuring,

"It's the 1st, you need to get up and get ready to go to Kings Cross station."

Harry let out a groan, burrowing his face into Regulus' shoulder even more, obviously reluctant to get up from the warm bed and body. Regulus moved the hand cradling his jaw and started to poke Harry in the side, letting his other hand fall from his hair," c'mon, get up lazybones," he murmured quietly, laughing softly as Harry groaned again in resistance.

Finally, Harry relented and untangled himself from Regulus, pulling back and sitting on his bum he rubbed at his sleep filled eyes, a pout downturning his lips adorably, but unfortunately for him it had no effect on the man before him, who merely chuckled some more while pushing him toward the bathroom.

"Go on, get ready. You have a big day ahead."

Harry, at last relenting, made his way to the bathroom, taking a relaxing and refreshing shower that cleansed his body and refreshed his mind, waking him up for the day to come.

A sigh of content left his lips as he washed himself clean, mentally going over everything that he needed to do that day. Luckily for him there wasn't much. So, when he was done with his shower, he stepped out and got dressed in his school clothes, making sure to put his hoodie on over them-no need to stick out like a sore thumb when out in Muggle London-and went about finishing up the rest of his packing, which basically consisted of him checking his Magical suitcase to make certain it contained his spare school uniforms and supplies and then going through his various bottomless bags to be certain that they too held what they were assigned.

Letting out a hum of contentment when finding everything to be in its place, Harry cleaned up the room with some help from Regulus, who had taken the time to take his own shower while Harry was doing his last minute check-ups, the man dressed as he usually was.

It didn't take long for the two Wizard's to be finished and all too soon it was time for Harry to head down into the pub for the last time for some months to come, and for Regulus to become a cat once again for an extended period of time.

Glancing in the others direction, they locked eyes for a moment, both seeing the anticipation and apprehension of the coming months. They didn't know what was in store for them in the future, but, with smiles lighting up their faces, they would be going through them together.

With a final nod Regulus transformed into Blackie as Harry beckoned Hedwig to him, the snowy owl landing on his outstretched arm, the other holding his suitcase. Taking a final deep breath Harry and his animal companions left the small rooms that had become a surprisingly safe and comforting place that had allowed for deeply resonating peace to permeate the three beings.

Alas, it was time for Harry to venture back out into the world where those who did not know him would decide who he was and what he was worth. But, at least he would never have to go back to the Dursley's again, Harry conceded, so it was with a smile and an excited bounce in his step Harry with his two companions left the peace giving rooms.

Skipping down the stairs Harry made his way over to the bar counter, taking a seat on one of the stools, Hedwig flying over to the designated area for owls and Blackie jumping up onto the counter, sitting at Harry's elbow.

"Good morning Harry," a soft voice sounded close by, causing for Harry to look up, smiling as he took in the slim, grey haired and eyed man standing before him.

"Hello Gregory! How are you this fine morning?" the boy asked, mood still firmly jovial, something that Harry was determined to maintain-at least until he got to the train station.

Inclining his head to him, Gregory allowed for a smile to upturn his gentle features," I am doing quite well this morning, Harry. It is my understanding that you will be heading to Kings Cross after breakfast for the start of the school year; is this true?"

"Yeah, that's true. So if you would could I have one final taste of your fantastic cooking before I leave?" grinning ear to ear, Harry put on his most winning smile, hoping that the Creature before him would do as he asked.

Luckily for him, or perhaps despite him (it's not like the male was paid to serve customers or anything) Gregory agreed and went about fixing up his breakfast once Harry decided what he wanted, waiting in anticipation as the delicious scents of the sizzling foods reached him and his feline friend.

Soon enough it was finished and so Harry and Blackie started digging in, enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the vacant pub.

That quiet, however was broken.

Just as Harry had finished clearing his plate, a soft voice called to him. Turning to look around, Harry spotted the shadowed figure of what appeared to be a man standing in the corner of the pub, glowing red eyes glinting from under a hood.

Tilting his head to the side, Harry took in the man. He had this feeling that he knew who it was, the feeling growing stronger the closer he got. Stopping just outside of the shadows that the man was taking refuge under, Harry once again tilted his head to the side as he tried to make out the features on his face; when suddenly he was hit with the realization,

"Oh, hey Ezekiel! I thought you said you didn't get up til noon, what're you doing up so early?" he asked, a playful grin upturning his lips.

The Vampire let out a chuckle as he beckoned Harry closer, not moving from his spot firmly within the shadows. Understanding the reluctance to leave the shadows, Harry moved closer to them until he too was shrouded within them, an unusual chill running up his spine as he did so.

"Are you okay?" Ezekiel spoke softly, his eyes having caught the shiver that ran over Harry's body. Letting out a huff of air, Harry wrapped his arms about himself, the chill still creeping over his body in an unsettling yet soothing way. He nodded his head shortly as he let out another huff, surprised when he saw the white puff of air condense in the air.

"Yeah, just a bit chilly…" Ezekiel nodded and moved closer, wrapping his arms about the boy in order to warm him up,

"Hm, sorry about that, I wouldn't be able to be here otherwise."

Harry's head snapped up at that, his mind finally catching up as he remembered something he had read about Vampires,

"If they are out during the day, a Vampire's Magic will radiate out of their body in order to protect themselves from the sun and heat, causing for a space of cold and shadows to collect around them… that's what's happening, right?" Harry reasoned quietly, staring questioningly up into Ezekiel's glowing crimson eyes.

A smile tilted his lips as Ezekiel nodded in approval, a happy hum rumbling from his throat," my, my; been doing some research have you?" he questioned teasingly. Harry nodded with a smile,

"Yep, since meeting you I've wanted to know more about Vampires and other creatures, so I've been doing a lot of reading and researching into the subject. I wasn't entirely sure if it was polite or not to ask the questions I had so I turned to books instead. Though one of them hasn't been answered yet…"

Harry mumbled at the end, turning his head away as he did. Drawing the boy closer to himself as another shiver ran through his smaller body, Ezekiel gently prodded," and what is that question?"

Turning his head back to look at the Vampire a light blush started to creep up his face, embarrassment turning his features as he sucked in his bottom lip in nervousness.

"W-well," he stuttered, body shifting uncomfortably in place," I don't think it's appropriate..."

"I'll answer any question you have. I won't judge you as I know you are only asking out of genuine curiosity and not malice. So, what was the question?" he asked once again, voice becoming even softer as he bent closer to the boy so that his ear could be near Harry's mouth.

Swallowing his nerves, Harry dredged up his nerves as he asked,"... is it really actually seen as intimate when a Vampire sucks anothers blood? Does, does it actually feel good and pleasurable?" immediately after asking Harry hid his face in Ezekiel's chest, while the Vampire himself just froze in place, not expecting that to have been his question.

Gulping himself, Ezekiel answered to the best of his ability." Well, that would depend on the relationship and where the biting is taking place…" Harry peeked up at the Vampire as he continued on in a hesitant voice," … most of the time biting on the neck is seen as intimate regardless of the relationship, but biting happening anywhere else, such as the wrist, isn't seen as being intimate, though some Vampires believe that another allowing for a Vampire to bite them on the neck can also be seen as a sign of trust and a deep friendship, not just an intimate one. I'm one of those by the way," he finished with a reassuring smile curling his lips.

Harry let out a huff of air, not taking notice that the air was both colder yet warmer than it had been before, too focused on the warmth that the Vampire he's hugging was providing; the wonderful warmth….

His head snapped up at that thought, widened eyes looking at Ezekiel.

"You're too hot!" Harry exclaimed, the realization just now dawning on him," Vampires are cold-blooded! They can't produce heat very well on their own unless they are in their heat or they are sick from running low on blood! You need more blood!" Harry continued on, eyes glancing worriedly up at his friend who had gained a feverish flush on his face and ears.

The Vampire shook his head," I'll be fine…"

"No you won't, a Vampire needs a certain amount of blood a month in order to function, and if they can't get it they can get really sick. You need to get more blood in your veins, but who will give it to you…"

Pulling himself from the Vampire Harry looked up at him resolutely before he started to tug his cloak off, revealing his school clothes underneath. Before Ezekiel could ask what he was doing, Harry pulled off his sweater vest, unbuttoning his shirt shortly after.

"Just don't get any blood on my shirt, okay?" he demanded as he presented his bare neck and shoulder to the Vampire, tilting his head to the side so that he could get better access.

Ezekiel gulped loudly as his eyes glowed a deeper, hungrier red, his hands twitching at his sides as his gaze fixed itself upon Harry's neck. Gulping again he took a deep breath, one that didn't seem to help as the hunger in his eyes deepened.

"You-you're sure?" he asked weakly, stiff and unmoving, waiting for a reply.

"Of course I am, I wouldn't have offered otherwise." And with that, Ezekiel lunged forward.

One hand found its way to the back of Harry's neck while the other wrapped around his back just under his shoulder blades; the hand on his neck firmly held him in place as his muscles strained in an attempt to be gentle in his hold as his mouth moved over the vein pulsing just beneath the skin. Gently licking at the skin before biting, Harry took in a breath as Ezekiel bit him, the breath leaving him in a shuddering sigh, his smaller arms coming up to wrap around his shoulders.

Ezekiel held Harry in place as he drank his fill, being careful to not take too much from the boy, especially since he was going to be around adult Wizards who would be able to notice the symptoms of blood loss which would result badly for him and his "family".

As he drank his fill, he felt something start forming inside of him, a feeling he had never had before twisting around his Magic, almost as if it were... binding him...

Those thoughts were swept away as he took a few last shallow gulps. Ezekiel carefully extracted his teeth from the young flesh, blood sticking to his fangs and lips as he did so. He took a couple quick breaths before he lapped at the puncture marks now adorning Harry's neck, his Magic setting to heal them and make it so that they never existed.

Loosening his grip on Harry, Ezekiel pulled back as he moved his hands so that they could rest on the boys' shoulders." Harry," he whispered, his grip tightening as Harry's eyes fluttered opened, skin paler than was normal but not enough that it would be noticeable," are you okay?" he asked, worried that he might have taken too much of the boys blood-he was pretty small and slight as it was, he probably needed that small amount of blood more than Ezekiel himself did…

His worries were cut off though when a warm flush lighted upon Harry's face, reassuring the Vampire that no true harm had come to the lad.

"...Is… is it alway like that?" Harry asked, trembling in reaction to the intense emotions the experience had invoked within him. Taking a gulp of air, Harry continued," is it always that intense and… and…." blush becoming fiercer by the second, Harry felt his eyes watering from the heat rising from his face.

He wanted to look away, move away but he couldn't. He felt tied to the spot, like he couldn't move until Ezekiel gave his permission, though Harry couldn't understand why…

A thumb pressing into the bite mark on his neck was what brought the boy back from his mind. Refocusing his gaze on the face before him, Harry saw the worry in those crimson iris' and with that worry came the release of the constricting pressure surrounding his body. Letting out a shuddering breath Harry felt his body lose it's tenseness.

"Harry, calm down. There you go…" Ezekiel murmured comfortingly, his thumb still pressing lightly into the bite mark. Taking one final breath, Harry let it out slowly, his body relaxing as he gained back control of himself.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Harry then raised his eyes to look into Ezekiel's. A look of confusion overtook his features, leading to him asking," what was that?" his brows scrunched up together in his confusion as he tightened his jaw in a grimace.

Ezekiel's own eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. He shook his head with a sigh.

"I don't know… But, for now let's not focus on that. Are you okay?" he asked, his concern returning full force.

Harry let out a small laugh at the change in subject, but didn't object and instead answered the Vampire.

"Ah, I'm fine. Just a little… dazed I guess… that was weird, I've never felt anything like that before, not even when I was literally being held captive by Magic that one time…" the boy kept trailing off, looking to the side as thoughts of his unpleasant past started to creep up on him.

Ezekiel's grip tightened causing for Harry to take a good look at the Vampire's face once again, and the boy realized that he just might have said more than he should have. Letting a weak smile upturn his lips, he attempted to reassure Ezekiel that it wasn't that big a deal…

"You already know that I left my living situation because of how they treated me… did you think I left just because it happened to get worse, or does it make more sense that I left because I was actually able to?" He asked with a tilt of his head, looking up at him with a single brow raised in his question.

Ezekiel, in turn, just stared at Harry in alarm while he tried to ask the boy more questions about his home life and what exactly had been going on; but, Harry being Harry refused to reveal anything more about his past, stating that it was in the past and that he didn't want to think about it anymore.

Luckily for Harry, Ezekiel was forced to let him go after Gregory appeared at their side and whacked the Vampire over the head.

"Whatever it is you two are arguing about will just have to wait! Harry here needs to get going so that he isn't late for his train." The Nymph stated firmly. Looking at him with annoyance, Ezekiel turned his red eyes upon the other being, but Gregory was unaffected and merely looked right on back, unimpressed.

"Yes, yes, you're very scary, but that doesn't change the truth of my words."

Ezekiel let out a mumble of annoyance as he pulled his arms away from the boy. Harry was saddened that the comforting heat from the Vampire was going away, but also grateful that he wouldn't be questioned anymore as both he and Gregory moved into the light in the pub, Ezekiel remaining firmly within the shadows, a petulant scowl on his face.

The scowl grew deeper once Ezekiel saw Gregory looking Harry over in an over exaggerated way, checking his face, wiping his back from Ezekiel's "filth" while berating Harry in an over the top voice that the boy should know better than to hang around in dark corners because," you know nothing ever comes of it, just a lot of dirt, cobwebs and angst. You don't need to be dealing with that on your first day of school!" he exclaimed while continuing to dust the lad off.

Harry, meanwhile, was grinning the largest grin he's ever had while small giggles escaped him.

It didn't take long for Ezekiel to call out grumpily," why do you care so much about him going to Wizard school? Don't you hate Wizards?"

Gregory looked up from what he was doing to look at Ezekiel incredulously. Straightening his back, the Nymph replied.

"I don't hate wizards. I just dislike a great deal of them because the good ones that care about the rights and the lives of others, especially creatures, are corrupted by the bad ones who just want to pretend that only them and their pureblooded friends are important, even if they aren't purebloods themselves!"

Gregory then shook his head, cutting off whatever it was that Ezekiel was going to say to that, instead continuing to speak," but that isn't why I want Harry to hurry on to Hogwarts. The reason I want him to hurry on is because if a student misses the train and doesn't show up for the first day of school they send someone to find the student, which means that they'll find him here which will get us in trouble, not to say that he would also get in trouble for having run away from home! They'll think that someone here, probably you oh mighty Vampire, tricked him with mind Magic to run away from home! And since you've bitten him, they'll have reason to pursue you and destroy the reputation of the White Wyvern! Not to mention that they would use this opportunity to take out your coven, you know they hate your Sire, so this would just be the final nail on the coffin… no pun intended."

Ezekiel let out a puff of laughter at that as he finally smiled a fanged grin, his grumpiness finally gone.

Shaking his head the Vampire looked at Harry with a pained smile. "Yeah," he murmured," while I love the little bugger to bits, I don't think this is a worthy enough reason to get me and my coven executed for something that was technically legal."

Harry looked confused for a moment," why would you get in trouble for biting me? I let you do it!" but it was right at that moment that Harry understood why they would still get into trouble.

"And they wouldn't care. They could just spin some sort of sob story about you being coerced into allowing me to bite you, and it would have to be coercion because they won't be able to find any Magic on you that would have forced you to let me drink your blood."

Harry's features dropped as he looked at Ezekiel, a look of understanding filling his eyes.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely, huh? Creatures don't have that much political power so anyone who has a bone to pick with you will be able to do whatever they want. Unless…"

Trailing off, Harry's lips started turning up into a smile, a smile that neither creature could quite interpret.

"Unless what Harry?" Gregory asked. But the boy only shook his head.

"Hm, nothing… yet. But anyway, I should really be going! I know King's Cross isn't too far from here but I want to be able to catch a cab cause I don't feel like walking the whole way." Harry moved over to the bar counter and picked up his suitcase. Blackie bounded down from the counter and rubbed up against the boy, making him smile.

With a sigh, Harry turned back around, looking at Gregory and Ezekiel, and smiled at the two of them.

"Thanks for thinking about my safety… I'd really hate to have to go back to that house ever again; so I'll make sure to stay on the down low. But I really should be going so…" trailing off Harry jumped forward and gave Gregory a big hug before moving over to Ezekiel, hugging him firmly around the waist. The Vampire wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders in order to return the hug.

Lifting his head, Harry smiled as he pulled away, grabbed his suitcase again and made his way to the door.

Turning his head, Harry nodded to the two while beckoning Hedwig to him. And with that, he left.

The boy maneuvered his way through Knockturn then Diagon Alley, carefully making his way to the Leaky Cauldron. Before he entered he lifted his arm, Hedwig moving to it from his shoulder. He instructed her to make her way to Hogwarts ahead of them so that he wouldn't draw any unwanted attention. Giving his ear an affectionate nibble, Hedwig let out a soft hoot before spreading her wings and flying high into the sky; soon disappearing from Harry's line of sight.

After that Harry walked into the Leaky Cauldron, pulling his hood up and over his head in the process so that Tom wouldn't be able to recognize him as he left the establishment.

Harry let out a sigh as he walked out of the Leaky Cauldron with his suitcase in hand. The emerald eyed boy made his way to the side of the sidewalk in order to hail a cab. It didn't take long for one to stop, allowing for Harry to climb in and tell the man driving to take him to King's Cross station and, with a nod, the man started the car back up and made the trip to the station. It wasn't long before they got there and once they did Harry climbed back out of the cab, handed the man a couple bills then made his way inside of the building.

Trying his best to not stand out while also attempting to find the correct platform, Harry started walking around at a brisk pace with his head tilted downwards so that the hood of his hoodie shadowed part of his face, making it harder to recognize him.

His search went on for quite some time, which agitated Harry to no end as he knew that the platform was somewhere in King's Cross, but that it was most likely being hidden with Magic and so it was being a pain in the butt for him to be able to find. Shaking his head Harry looked around himself once more, trying to see if there were any suspicious characters walking about the place, hoping that a Wizard might be oblivious enough to make it obvious for someone who was looking that they were there, making their own way to Platform 9 ¾.

Unfortunately for Harry, that didn't appear to be the case and the boy let out an annoyed huff, his feline companion rubbing against his leg in comfort, while also seeming to be holding back mirth, remembering that Harry had forbidden Regulus/Blackie to help him in any way in finding the proper station.

The boy was starting to regret that decision but his pride wouldn't let him ask for help now, so he looked about himself once more, hoping that he would get some sign of where to go, it was nearly time for the train to start boarding and he didn't want to be stuck in a car with someone annoying.

It was at about this time that Harry remembered...'Oh yeah, I have Magic…' And with that thought Harry began to focus his Magic, attempting to do what he had done when he first found the Leaky Cauldron. Closing his eyes, Harry started to push out his Magic, letting it flow and twine with the Magic in the air and just as it began to attach to something-

He was suddenly lifted into the air by two pairs of arms.

"Wh-Hey?! Who the bloody hell is-ah!" being cut off as he was thrown over a shoulder, he was vaguely aware of his suitcase being removed from his hold while this happened. Harry shook his head and looked to Blackie for assistance, only to see the feline bounding after him with what appeared to be mirth dancing in his eyes, his tail wagging back and forth in delight.

Harry was confused for all of two seconds before he realized why his feline companion wasn't doing anything to help.

"My, my, such language from such a small pure child. You should know it's not proper to swear, ickle Harrikins!"

Harry pushed himself up using his captors back and was able to see the brilliant flaming red hair of none other than a Weasley. A sigh of resignation left Harry's lips as he let himself fall back down, letting his body swing back and forth.

A face suddenly appeared before him, causing for Harry to pull his head back, before a scowl lighted upon his features once he recognized the face of one of the Weasley twins. That didn't stop him, however, from looking closely to try to figure out which twin this one was.

And just as it was on the tip of his tongue-

"What? Didn't you miss us? I don't think he missed us George!" Harry let out another sigh of annoyance as the twin in front of him, obviously Fred, called out to his sibling, a shit eating grin upturning his lips.

"What? After all the effort we put into finding him and helping him make it to the right platform?! My, my, how so very ungrateful of you Harry, I could cry!" George responded while twirling around to look at his brother.

"Wah-!" Harry was cut off as his body was swung around. A growl of anger left him as he clutched at the back of George's shirt, trying to keep himself in place, all the while Blackie trotted after them, mirth continuing to dance in his eyes.

He shook his head forcefully, his grip tightening on the back of George's shirt. The elder boy paused in his gait, a hum of question coming from him.

"What is it Harry?" he asked his tone softer but still teasing. Harry shook his head again as he looked into Fred's face, a pout downturning his features in the most adorable way.

"I can't bloody well figure out which one of you is which if you just tell me! I want to be able to figure that out on my own, thank you very much!" he informed them sharply, his pout deepening.

A look of shock overcame Fred's face, as if he had never heard someone say something like that before…

Losing his pout, Harry tilted his head to the side, confusion scrunching up his face." What?" he asked, taken aback by the elder's expression," is that really so weird, someone wanting to be able to tell the difference between you two?"

All remained quiet and the twins both seemed at a loss for words. Harry would have felt accomplished if he didn't feel sorry for them. He knew what it was like to be seen as not your own person, though obviously it wasn't the same as what these two had gone through as they seemed to be seen as a singular person.

Just as Harry was about to offer some words of kindness, or encouragement or, something, George started walking again and at a brisker pace, Fred right behind him.

Harry looked at Fred in concern, but the elder boy just smiled down at him," thanks for that," he said sincerely," most people just take one look at us and see us as one person, even our best friend in the beginning. So, thank you for even trying to see the difference between us!" Smile turning into a grin, Fred reached out a hand and ruffled Harry's already wild hair, somehow not getting his hand tangled up in the mess he created.

Attempting to frown but finding himself unable to, Harry instead focused on pushing himself higher onto George's back, the other boy helping him move until he was being safely held within his arms, his knees squeezing at the elder boys' sides, his ankles locked just below his own bum. Resting his chin on George's shoulder, Harry allowed for a genuine smile to touch his face, warming his features and heating Fred's own as he gazed upon it.

The elder boy was certain he had never seen something so beautiful nor pure but somehow, Harry had managed to combine the two into something more that simply amplified his youthful features. Fred had noticed a strange hardness that seemed to line Harry's face and posture, something his brother had also noticed but no one else seemed to have seen such.

With that thought in mind, Fred reached a hand up and used it to brush back the bangs obscuring Harry's eyes, being careful to not pull on Harry's glasses in the process, causing for said boy to open them and look at him in confusion. But Fred only grinned back at him, somehow knowing that if he were to articulate his thoughts that the little eleven year old before him wouldn't be all that accepting of such words, so he kept all of them to himself as they made their way to their family.

Just as they spotted their family standing where they had left them, in front of the pillar leading to platform 9 ¾ , Fred felt a small hand reach out and touch his shoulder while he saw the other tighten it's hold on George's shirt and through his touch, they both felt the powerful flow of Magic as it coursed first through Harry, then their own bodies and, for the briefest of moments, Fred was certain that he saw Harry's large green eyes glow brightly; but soon enough the light faded, as did Harry's Magic and hand holding onto Fred as the three stopped in front the red headed family.

Pulling his mind from what had just transpired, Fred turned his eyes to look at his mother and let his trademark mischievous grin overtake his features. "Mother!" he called with a flourish of his arms, almost hitting his twin with Harry's luggage in the process.

George didn't pay it any mind as his own grin upturned his lips. "Mother dearest, we have returned with our prize!"

The marton of the Weasley family turned at being called too, her eyes widening in surprise upon spotting her two sons, one of which was holding a child that couldn't be older than 9 while the other was holding a suitcase that wasn't his nor any of the Weasley's. Raising her brow in suspicion while at the same time her motherly irritation and intuition came to the fore, Molly Weasley walked forwards, her hands finding purchase on her hips.

"And what, might I ask, have you two been up to?" she asked, her suspicion leaking into her voice almost to the point of becoming a physical force. " Who is that you have, hmm?" she questioned with an expectant raise of her eyebrows.

But the twins were the only ones of the Weasley's that didn't seem to be affected by her facial gestures or anything else of that nature, and that remained true as the two merely grinned all the wider at her questions, not making any sort of move to answer her. Molly's frustration was just about to make itself known when the reason behind their silence became apparent.

The small form being held in one of the twins' arms started pushing itself up and away from her son, who in turn loosened his grip upon them, his hands carefully moving to the waist of this child as he helped them set their feet on the ground.

Molly then watched as the child looked up at the twins, nodding to them before they turned around, revealing his face to be none other than-" Harry dear!" Molly exclaimed, surprise entering her veins at seeing the child, only just now realizing how small he was compared to her own Ron, who should be around the same age as him.

Nodding his head, Harry let a polite smile grace his features as he looked at the matron of the Weasley family, silently coming to the conclusion that George and Fred had most likely left without explaining why they were doing so.

"Oh Harry, did you and the twins arrange to meet at the station? Is that why the two of you left without so much as a word?" Harry was brought out of his thoughts by the woman, causing him to shake his head in the negative.

"No, I was just trying to find Platform 9 ¾ myself but I was a bit lost… that is until these two showed up and brought me here." Another smile lighted upon Harry's features. "I guess they knew I wouldn't know how to get to the platform myself or something." Giving a shrug, Harry's smile remained as he continued," regardless of the reason, I'm thankful that they were able to find me, so, thank you you two, I was having a pretty hard time finding it."

Giving grins of their own, George moved forwards and ruffled Harry's hair affectionately, his grin growing ever wider as he responded," Eh, no need for thanks ickle Harrikins! It was our pleasure!"

"Yes, yes! Our pleasure!" Fred jumped in, shit-eating grin on his face. Harry couldn't help but grin right on back, these two seemed to have a knack for making him smile and Harry was glad that he knew the two, and he hoped that he would grow ever closer to the twins over the time they spent at Hogwarts in the years to come.

The low whistle of a nearby train brought the conversation to a halt as everyone realized that they needed to get to Platform 9 ¾ immediately.

Straightening her back Molly started shooing her children, plus Harry, into a group as they all bustled over to a pillar.

"Alright Weasley's, and Harry," Molly started up, smiling at the green-eyed boy as she said his name," it's time to get on the platform!" Gesturing to Percy she continued," go on then Percy, show Harry here how it's done."

With a firm nod of his head, the redhead let a encouraging smile fall on his face as he looked at Harry before he turned and rushed into the pillar, disappearing from view the moment he made contact.

Looking on in both interest and awe, Harry watched as the twins then made their own way through the pillar, after making a joke about how their own mother couldn't tell the difference between the two.

Then, it was Harry's turn.

"Alright Harry dear. Just run straight at that pillar and you will pass through onto the platform, okay?" Molly directed gently, a motherly smile warming her features.

Slowly nodding his head, Harry then turned towards the pillar, took a deep breath, then ran straight for it, keeping his eyes open and firmly on where he was going, and, just as he passed through he felt something. Something, raw, and powerful washed over him, coiling around him and holding him. At first he thought it was restraining him, but then he realized that whatever it was, it was almost as it it were hugging him, one that someone would give after seeing someone they loved after years of separation.

But just as he was getting used to the feeling, he was standing within a busy crowd.

Blinking his eyes, Harry let out a quick breath to recenter himself before looking around him, this time his awe being replaced by excitement.

There before him stood a immaculate locomotive shining pristenly for all to see. Crowds of people dressed in robes and old Victorian era clothing stood before it, the adults talking to each other and their children as they all said their goodbyes for the coming months of the school year.

A quiet meow brought him out of his staring. Looking down Harry smiled as he spotted Blackie at his side, purring loudly for him to hear and feel as he rubbed against his leg. Reaching down, Harry picked up his feline companion with his free arm and rubbed his face against the top of his head. Letting out a giggle at the continued purring, Harry looked back up at the sight before him, his excitement reigniting, burning a fire deep within him.

He was going to be the best, Harry decided silently. He was going to work hard and be the best student of his year. Nothing would stand in his way, not even the desire to cheat to make it easier would, as false knowledge it just that, false, and Harry would not stand for lacking in knowledge in the Magical world, a world he was going to be spending the next seven plus years living in and becoming a part of.

With a resolute nod to himself, Harry stepped forwards and made his way to the train, carefully weaving through and around the wizards and witches occupying the platform. It didn't take long for him to get to the train car, being careful to keep his presence on the down low as he didn't want to catch anyone's attention for the time being. Being able to quietly observe others was a great way at figuring out what made them tick, and not being noticable yourself made it all the easier to have the upper hand in any conversation with someone, especially children who had little idea of how to world worked and how truly dark and dangerous it could be.

Hoisting himself up, Harry climbed into the train car and moved into the little hallways that split the compartments from each other, passing by multiple compartments with both young and old children who were all making conversation with their companions. As he didn't know anyone, save the Weasley's, Harry decided it was within his best interest to find a compartment either with a Weasley or that was empty to occupy on the way to Hogwarts.

He made his way down several more hallways before he came upon an empty compartment in a hallway that had scarce amount of people occupying it. With a smile Harry walked right on in and, after placing Blackie down on the opposite seat, stood on the other seat so that he could put his suitcase in the holdings above.

Once he was finished with that Harry fell rather ungracefully onto his bum on the seat, letting out a sigh as the tension he gained at being around so many people finally left his body. Leaning back against the seat, Harry took in a breath then let it out of his nose as he relaxed his body, his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. That smile grew when he felt the warm weight of Blackie leap onto his lap, curling into a ball and lying there.

Harry continued to smile as he leaned down and placed a firm kiss on top of his head before he leaned back on the seat again.

He remained like that for some time. The muffled sounds of the people within and without the train a constant thrum of noise and activity, keeping Harry's senses alert but not so much that he wasn't able to relax.

Some time passed as the other children and teens said goodbye to their families and boarded the train, the sound of many shoes clipping against the floor alerting Harry to the fact that they would be leaving soon. But Harry didn't do anything, just readjusted his position to be more comfortable and settled in for the ride to come.

That, however, was broken into when Harry heard a soft knock at the compartments entrance.

Opening his eyes, Harry slowly looked over towards the entrance and standing there was a boy. He had one arm wrapped around a toad which he was holding to his chest and the other holding on tightly to his suitcase. He had short hair and chubby cheeks, and he looked anxious, hopping from one foot to the other while chewing on his bottom lip.

Harry took in his appearance before he smiled politely at the boy. "Hello," he murmured softly," how may I help you?" he had a fairly good guess as to what the boy wanted from him, but felt the need to push him to ask himself, as if the other boy needed to do that for himself.

So he waited patiently as the other boy continued his nervous hopping and biting. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for the boy to finally blurt out," can I sit here?"

As soon as the words left his mouth he gulped audibly while his cheeks flamed a jarring red. He almost looked like he would pass out from embarrassment.

Harry, taking pity on the boy, allowed for his smile to turn from polite to genuine as he nodded his head.

"Sure," he agreed with a flash of teeth," Me and Blackie are the only ones here at the moment, so I don't see why not." he let another tooth filled grin take his features as he gestured to the seat opposite him.

The other boy nodded with a nervous smile and made his way to the other seat. Harry got up so that he could help him put his suitcase away in the holdings. When that was finished with Harry returned to his seat while the other boy got comfortable on his own seat, raising his hazel eyes to meet Harry's green ones as he smiled again.

"M-my names Neville, by the way. Neville Longbottom…" Harry smiled, nodding his head as he put a hand to his chest,

"And I'm Harry, it's nice to meet you Neville!" Harry smiled wider as he made sure his entire countenance screamed 'Relax' as he leaned back into his seat.

Neville smiled back as he stiffly leaned back into his own seat, seeming to try and relax.

Harry let out a puff of laughter as he closed his eyes, relaxing into the seat with a grin. He remained still and quiet while he heard Neville shifting about, and Harry understood that the other boy was still nervous, but he hoped that he would eventually settle because Harry wasn't sure if he could handle all that fidgeting in the hours it would take them to get to Hogwarts.

This went on for several minutes before Harry decided that enough was enough. He was just starting to sit up straight when a new presence entered the compartment.

"Hey Harry!" a young voice called out causing for the named boy to take a look at who had arrived. And it was with a grin that Harry called back,

"Hey there Ron! What do I owe the pleasure?" he said with a snicker. Ron merely grinned back before gesturing towards the compartment.

"Actually, could I sit with you guys? All the other ones are full and, well, I don't really know anyone besides you, Harry, so I was hoping…" Ron rambled on as a blush started overtaking his freckled face, blotting out said freckles.

But Harry understood Ron's hesitance so made it easy on the boy, no matter how much he enjoyed watching him squirm," of course Ron! Sit anywhere you'd like!" and with that, and a bit of maneuvering, Ron took residence opposite Harry, next to Neville.

It was weird.

Ron did seem to like Harry so the green-eyed boy didn't understand why he wasn't sitting next to him. It seemed to almost be some sort of unconscious effort as anytime Ron had made a move to get closer, he stopped, then turned right back around to the other side.

It was both confusing and frustrating, as Harry got the distinct feeling that similar behavior was going to inflict anyone he came into contact with, and that it was going to get worse as time went on.

But, with a shake of his head, Harry banished the thought and instead focused on the discussion-well, one-sided conversation-that Ron was having with Neville. Harry nodded along so that Ron knew that he was listening, and this continued on even after the train started on it's trek to Hogwarts.

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The three boys were just getting into a in depth discussion on Quidditch when someone knocked on their compartment door.

Looking up they spotted an old woman standing before a trolly full of foods and sweets, a kindly smile upturning her wrinkled face.

"Hello dears," she greeted as she smiled warmly," anything off the trolley?" she asked as she made a gesture towards the food items.

Harry glanced back at Neville and Ron, the former of which smiled politely and murmured a quiet 'yes please' while the latter shook his head with a grimace, holding up a wrapped up sandwich in his hand," no thank you, I don't really have any money…"

But, before he could finish that thought, Harry cut in with his most charming smile, holding up his hand to show three fingers," we'll take three of everything please!"

Ron and Neville both snapped their heads to look at Harry in wonder as the boy reached into his pocket at the elderly woman's nod of agreement, pulling out a good pile of galleons that he was going to hand to the woman, after gently setting Blackie off of his lap of course.

But before he could make the transaction Neville jumped to his feet and rushed over to the trolley.

"N-no!" he stammered," I can pay for myself Harry! You don't need to-"

"It's not about need Neville, I want to pay for you!" Harry cut off the other boy with a smile, reaching out he paid the trolley lady, who happily started levitating three of everything off of the cart and into nice little piles next to each boys' spot. After counting out the amount she needed, she handed Harry back his change with a warm smile before heading off to serve the rest of the passengers.

During this Neville had stood still in shock at Harry's words, eyes wide as all he could do was stare with an open mouth, and he remained there until Harry lightly shook his shoulder after the trolley lady had left.

"Oi, Nev? You okay there?" Harry asked in equal parts concern and amusement. The boy shook his head sharply as a blush flashed over his skin so fast that Harry was genuinely surprised that the boy didn't pass out from the headrush.

"N-no! I-I mean yes! I'm sorry, I was just… surprised is all…" he shook his head again, his blush thankfully receding as he carefully backed away to his seat, making sure that he didn't sit on the treats Harry had so kindly bought for him.

Ron, meanwhile, was looking at the pile at his side in longing as something warred with him on the inside. He wanted to accept it, especially since it was sweets and he loved sweets, but he also hated charity on principal because it always made him feel like he was being looked down upon (though it was something he had rarely felt as Harry was one of the only people to actively offer anything to him specifically) but he also had a feeling that, just like last time, Harry wasn't pitying him.

He looked up at the brunette and asked with a squint," and are you just being nice or are you expecting something in return?"

Harry laughed at the question, sitting back down and settling Blackie back onto his lap, he answered the other boy," oh, perhaps, or perhaps not. If it really means that much to you, you can repay me I guess. Don't be worried on the money bit; I have more where that came from! Not everything can only be repaid with money, after all."

Ron slowly nodded his head at that, recalling when Harry had him repay him with his knowledge in exchange for his very own wand. But he tucked that thought away as he focused in on something that Harry said.

"'more where that came from' what's that supposed to mean? Do you come from a well off family or something?" he asked with a suspicious squint at the other boy. But his eyes widened when Harry shook his head,

"Naw, nothing like that! All this money I'm using, including the money I used to buy my school supplies is all mine! Made it all myself, by myself." he nodded firmly at his own remark.

"Really?" Neville interjected with a surprised look on his face," you've made your own money?" he asked in curiosity.

Nodding his head Harry looked up in thought as he answered," yeah, I did! Y'know, little things, like tending to someone's garden here, mowed someone else's lawn there, or bigger things like helping someone pack up their garage or paint their fence." Harry shrugged," a lot of chores over a long period time with a small percentage of the money being spent and most of it being saved means more money for me to spend later!"

Ron and Neville looked on in awe with the redhead asking," you were able to make money by doing chores for other people? But, didn't you have chores at home?" he asked in bewilderment, as if the idea of both having chores at home and doing chores for someone else for money couldn't happen at the same time.

But his mind was blown again when Harry just nodded his head," yeah, of course I had chores at the house," Harry carefully kept exactly what those chores were to himself," but that doesn't mean I can't do chores for other people! Especially since I was getting paid for the second bit. A little extra work for some pay isn't all that bad or hard so, yeah." With another shrug Harry smiled at his companions, amusement coloring his features at the continued shock and bewilderment on their faces.

"But anyway, Ron what were you saying about the Chudley Cannons?" Harry decided to distract them from what he said by continuing their conversation from before the trolley lady came by, and it worked as Ron snapped out of his state of awe and confusion to continue gushing over the Chudley Cannons, trying to convince both Harry and Neville of their unrivaled greatness.

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A couple hours passed them by, during which Harry had had to hold tight to Blackie once Ron had brought out his own pet, a scraggly brown rat by the name of Scabbers, as the feline started to growl at the thing; though Harry was certain Blackie was just doing it for show. Their conversation moved from Quidditch to the Magical world, to the sweets they were eating("I think I might be in love with Cauldron cakes!" "Me too!") and then to school. Harry, after being questioned by Ron on how hard he thought their homework was going to be, told Ron that it shouldn't be too hard, especially since he had spent his summer reading all of the books required for their year and then some in order to prepare for the year to come.

Ron had been both awed and a bit jealous at the way Harry had made it sound so easy to just do nothing but study, but Harry was able to nip the jealousy in the bud by giving Ron suggestions on ways to be able to focus on homework without it feeling like a chore, which helped Ron in doing the same.

Harry had also gotten the card for Dumbledore with his chocolate frog, something that caused for him to stiffen in realization. That man was the same one who had placed the monitoring stone in the Dursley's yard, which told Harry that he was not to be trusted, no matter how old and kindly the man seemed.

Harry had also had to use a spell on Neville's toad, Trevor, because the little blighter had tried to run away in the middle of their conversation; Harry used a minor stunning charm to keep the toad from escaping, luckily not harming the little thing as Neville rushed over to pick him up, turning confused eyes to the green-eyed boy.

Harry had merely shrugged and muttered something about being in places that allowed for him to practice some of the spells they would be learning before turning the conversation to another topic to keep from them asking any questions of where those places were, all the while allowing for Neville to use Hedwig's cage for Trevor until they got to Hogwarts.

The three boys had just entered a quiet spell where they were merely enjoying each others presence when there was a knock at the compartments door.

But before any of them could even answer the knock it was shoved open with a loud bang as two large and burly boys stepped inside with arms crossed. Another third, smaller, boy stepped on in between them with an air of nobility and, Harry noted with annoyance, superiority.

He glanced over them all with a sneer on his face, especially as it passed over Ron, but he seemed to rein in whatever comments he wanted to in order to snobbishly turn up his nose at them all, his sneer turning into a smirk, or at the least an attempt at one, as he haughtily spoke," hm, you three, mind if I ask a couple questions."

He continued on speaking without waiting for an answer, turning to look at Harry," I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, these two are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, my friends and allies." Draco sneered at Ron as he looked him over," and I know who you are, red hair, hand-me-down clothes, you must be a Weasley and you," turning to address Neville he quirked a brow at the nervous boy," are Neville Longbottom-why you're dirtying yourself with that Blood Traitor I'll never know but," here, he turned to Harry, a curious look washing most of his sneer away," but you, I've never seen you before. Who are you?" he finally closed his mouth in order for Harry to answer.

Said boy looked at the blond with one of the most suspicious looks he had ever given anyone. He didn't trust this boy, he seemed full of it, as if his head had been filled with hot air, and Harry hated people like that. But, he surmised that it would be rude of him not to answer, so he replied with a clipped," Harry," before falling silent, eyes ever watchful of this snobbish boy.

Draco's eyes sparkled in interest as he looked Harry up and down, his eyes trailing over his forehead for a reason Harry didn't know. The blond then opened his mouth," would your last name, perhaps be Potter?" he questioned with an excited smile.

Harry was so taken aback at the question that he didn't even notice the shocked gasps of his companions nor that he had swiftly stood to his feet. He could feel his metaphorical hackles rise at the question, his eyes narrowing in full distrust and suspicion as he asked through clenched teeth," how do you know my name?"

He definitely heard the gasps of his companions this time, but he didn't look at them, his attention solely on Draco Malfoy, something of which seemed to make the boy happy, annoying Harry even more.

"I said," he nearly growled as he stepped forwards, curling his fists into Draco's robes and bringing his face down to his own, the look of unrestrained glee on Draco's face vanishing to be replaced by surprise and fear. "How. Do. You. Know. My. Name?" he enunciated each word carefully, his eyes taking in and missing nothing.

Draco gulped loudly as he stared into Harry's eyes and-wait, were they glowing?

He was shoved out of his thoughts by the loud bang! of the door slamming shut as Harry tightened his hold on Draco's robes, pushing him into the door harshly, his glare darkening the longer Draco didn't respond.

Quickly trying to find the words, Draco started to respond," I, uh, that is to say, you're the Harry Potter! The Boy-Who-Lived! Everyone knows who you are! You, uh, you defeated the Dark Lord and, um, you're the reason that the war ended, and, heh, everyone says you're a hero, and you are! You are, but, eh, I wanted to meet you before we got to school because and um, you know, become allies? But, eh, you don't have too if you don't want too-"

"What the bloody hell are you blathering about?"

Harry abruptly cut Draco off, his eyes now filled with confusion rather than anger.

Darco, however, didn't relax even as Harry's hold did, his Magic swirling within him, telling him to remain still as this powerful being before them had his hold of them. He watched as those glowing green eyes narrowed, as that nose scrunched up in his confusion. Draco both felt and saw as Harry let one hand loosen it's hold, reaching down to grab something that turned out to be his wand.

Harry lightly tapped Draco on the chest, muttering something that Draco couldn't quite hear before finally letting go and taking a step back.

It was then Draco realized that Crabbe and Goyle hadn't done anything to help him and he rounded on them, about to ask why when he saw them, pushed up against the wall by an unseeable force, not allowing for them to move a muscle. Draco gulbed again, loudly in fear as he realized he had unintentionally pissed off someone very, very powerful.

Carefully turning back around, Draco looked back at Harry, who had put his wand away by then and was instead looking straight at the Malfoy, his eyes now only glowing softly.

"Now," Harry started with a tilt of his head," what the bloody hell were you talking about when you said I am the Boy-Who-Lived?" he questioned, his body losing some of it's tense lines.

Draco felt as if his throat was closed, as if he was only able to answer the other boy and not ask any of his own questions; but, clearing his throat he attempted to think under the pressure of those eyes and finally was able to muster up the will and ability to instead ask in turn," well, what do you mean that you don't know you're the Boy-Who-Lived? Surely you must have been told at some point? Everyone here in the Magical world knows about you, and everyone was told that you were being kept in a safe place away from those who'd want to do you harm; learning about the Magical world in the process. So you tell me, Harry Potter, why are you reacting like this when you should've already been aware in the first place?"

Draco was able to regain his composure and so ended his question with a mild sneer. Harry merely blinked back at him, his confusion even more evident before he shook his head and said with a scowl,

"Well, whoever the fuck told the Magical world that I was in a place where I was learning about the Magical world while being safe is a bloody lier." Draco felt taken aback at the sentence, as did everyone else in the room, but Harry pushed forwards before any of them could interrupt. "I only just found out I was a Wizard when I got my letter to Hogwarts, as far as I was concerned I was just a Muggleborn, even after I found out that my relatives, who are Muggles, lied to me about the existence of Magic, I still thought that I was a Muggleborn, or at the least the child of one-"

"But!" Ron suddenly cut in, having finally found his voice after Harry's frightening display of Magic," but, you said that you've read all the required books for the school year and then some! How could you not have found your name when you read the history books?" he asked as he stood next to Harry, his hands tightened into fists.

Harry turned to look up at the other boy, his head tilting to the side as he regarded Ron carefully. After remaining silent for a short time, and just before Ron felt the need to speak again, Harry finally answered.

"It's true. I've read all of the required books for the school year and then some in order to prepare myself for what was to come from living in the Magical world. I've read Hogwarts: A History but not all the way through. I skipped the pages and chapters dedicated to the Wizarding War and the mysterious Boy-Who-Lived because it was part of modern history. There are other books that I own but haven't read that have to do with modern history." Harry looked from Neville, to Draco and his cronies, then back to Ron again while he explained himself. Shrugging his shoulders, Harry continued.

"I like history a lot, but I primarily like ancient history, so I was focusing on that rather than more modern events. I figured I would read about it later after I had gotten a good grasp on the history of the Magical world as a whole," Harry shrugged again," I wasn't expecting myself to be a part of history, so I didn't think it was important for me to start with modern history."

All those in the compartment remained quiet at that revelation. Draco and Ron in particular having to readjust their view of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived as Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Didn't know-He-Was-Famous. All their lives they had been told, by their parents and by the adults in their lives, that Harry Potter had grown up in luxury and safety, away from the rest of the Magical world for his own safety, but also that he was being prepared to be interjected into the Magical world when he started to go to Hogwarts.

But, apparently that had all been a lie. Whoever Harry Potter was, he wasn't the boy they had grown to picture in their minds, he was someone completely different.

They were all brought out of their revelations when Crabbe and Goyle suddenly fell away from the walls, each breathing heavily as if they had had a hard time breathing. Draco turned to them to start issuing orders but felt his whole body still, a strange pulse flashing over his chest before he stiffly turned back to Harry, whose eyes were carefully trained on him.

He just stared at Harry for a long minute, breathing becoming heavier by the second, before, with a shake of his head, Harry raised his Wand and muttered a quiet,' Finite,' and Draco no longer felt compelled to look at or speak to him.

With a start Draco realized that Harry had placed some sort of compulsory charm on him, one that made him stay in the room and, most likely, tell the truth. A new found fear entered him, for he just as he had grown up being taught that the Boy-Who-Lived was living in the lap of luxury while learning about the world, he was also told that because it was the headmaster of Hogwarts that had been the one to do so meant that Harry Potter would be ignorant about many aspects of the Magical world. But, if Harry already knew compulsion spells and how to use them on someone without them knowing then that meant he was going to become a powerful and immovable ally or enemy.

Draco just hoped he was able to appeal to Harry's good side.

Harry then shook his head, bringing Draco out of his fear induced thoughts. Raising a hand he made a shooing motion with it, saying mildly," if that's all, then you can leave now." his glowing green eyes lighted upon him again, his hair started to move as if there was a wind as Harry's Magic swirled around the compartment," next time you want to introduce yourself to someone, how about being less of an arrogant prick, yeah? I do apologize for my overboard reaction, but it was partially due to the fact that you were being really annoying. So, keep that in mind for next time, huh?"

With that the compartment doors slammed back open, the Magic flowing in the air physically pushing at the three intruders until they were out and, with a single nod of his head, one that Draco hastily returned, Harry closed the doors.

On the other side the three purebloods just stood there, shock and confusion and fear filling them to the brim. But Draco shook his head, turned to his two accomplices and gestured for them to follow him.
"Don't tell anyone about what happened, you hear me? Not even your parents can know, alright?" Draco directed them, to which they immediately nodded their agreement.

With a nod of his own head, Draco looked forwards as he made his way back to his compartment, thinking of how he was going to write the letter he had in mind to his father for the rest of the trip.

Back with Harry, Ron and Neville, the three had remained still after Harry had pushed the other boys out, each of them worrying about something different.

Harry then shook his head and returned to his seat. He pulled his legs up to his chest and leaned his forehead against his knees, not looking at his companions for a long time. Silence reigned for a while before, with a resolute nod, Ron and Neville got up and kneeled at Harry's feet.

Neville reached out and gently shook Harry, causing for the other boy to part his legs so that they could so his face. The dirty blond let a smile grace his features," you know, you being Harry Potter won't change the way I see you." He insisted sincerely.

Ron nodded his head next to him," yeah," he agreed," I won't see you any different either! It might take some time to get used to you being, y'know, the Harry Potter, but since I knew you pretty well before knowing, well, I think it'll be fine, right?" Ron smiled reassuringly, causing for Harry to let out a giggle, his once tired eyes now gaining back their friendliness and warmth.

"Hm, thank you, Ron, Neville." He smiled back, his arms shifting to rest in between his legs as he gained a thoughtful expression. "I didn't mean to freak out like that, but you can understand that finding out that you're important to a world you have only just discovered is, jarring, right?" he asked of them. The two immediately nodded to that causing for Harry to sigh in relief.

"Good, I was afraid you'd be, well, afraid of me after my, well, explosion of power I guess. I wasn't lying, part of the reason I exploded in the first place was because I was already annoyed by Draco, but most of it was from being confused, and I don't like being confused, especially concerning things that will directly affect me!"

And with that, everyone was back to normal.

The three boys continued to talk with each other, the three sitting together on one seat and delving deeper into each other's' personalities and beliefs, coming to a better understanding of themselves and each other as they awaited for the train to get to Hogwarts.

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It was dark out when the train finally came to a stop.

The three boys heard a deep voice shouting outside of the train. and it didn't take long for them to register what it was saying.

"Firs-years! Firs-years over here!"

Looking at each other and nodding, the three got out of the compartment and followed the other first years out of the train to come and stand before the towering form of one Rubeus Hagrid.

Harry grinned up at the man, who grinned right on back before making his face serious again. He looked over the small crowd of children and, realizing that there were no more joining the group, called out," O'righ'! Follow me!" and turned around and started lumbering away.

The much smaller children all trotted after him as he guided them to a lake that glistened darkly in the night. There Harry spotted many small, three-four man boats that each had its own lantern hanging on a poll on the shore and, after a moment's pause to wait for everyone to gather there, Hagrid started directing children to break up into groups of threes and fours so that they could get on the boats.

Harry went with Ron and Neville, and another boy who introduced himself as Dean Thomas who was taller than even Ron, though only by about an inch. The four boys clambered into the boat, with Harry's little feline friend jumping in with them and they set off with all the other children, Hagrid leading the way in his own boat.

The four boys watched on in increasing awe at the sight before them, the castle that was settled on the cliffside coming closer and closer and towering ever higher over them all.

It was beautiful. It, somehow, felt like home.

Harry closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air, the powerful Magicks that surrounded it rushing around him, as if it were welcoming all of the little first years unto itself. Harry's body started in surprise as they passed through what could only be a barrier, upon the very threshold of the castle's shore, but that wasn't the reason for his surprise.

"Welcome home…"

A warmth enveloped him. It curled around him and settled over him like a comforting, oversized coat, laying heavily over his body. Words passed over him, whispering in his ears as well as settling over his body as if it were a physical force that was drawing him into its arms in an embrace.

The emerald eyed boy almost reached out and returned the hug, but was stopped as they came upon the landing they were to be getting off.

As Harry stood with his companions, carefully lifting Backie into his arms in the process, the weighted feeling surrounding him lessened some, as if it were trying to make it easier for Harry to move about. Glancing up with a quick smile of thanks, Harry got off and followed the giant of a man as he led the group of eleven year olds up some stairs and finally to a small room, that could comfortably hold all of them.

As they walked Harry spotted the figure of a woman standing before the door that stood at the end of the room. As they drew nearer the woman went from standing with her arms crossed to her hands on her hips.

She was a tall woman, her face pinched tight in a frown, her black hair was pulled back into a severe bun and she was wearing emerald robes. Looking over all of the children as they came to a stop in front of her, she allowed for her features to soften a tad, just enough to set them all at ease as she welcomed them.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said with a wave of her hand, her accent one of a Scot. "I am Professor McGonagall," she tipped her head in greeting," the start-of-term feast will be beginning shortly; but before you will take your seats in the Great Hall you will be sorted into your new House. The sorting ceremony is very important as your House will be like your family while you are here. You will live together, eat together and go to classes together. Most of your free time will be spent in your Common rooms together, so learning to get along with your Housemates will be very important." She nodded her head to each of the students, her eyes carefully watching them all, though her eyes strayed on Harry, he had a feeling it was because of the fact he was holding Blackie in his arms, so he smiled up at her, which seemed to catch her off guard but she refocused her attention on the rest of the room as she continued.

"The four Houses you will be sorted into are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and has each produced its own set of outstanding wizards and witches. While at Hogwarts your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking or misbehaving will lose your House points. At the end of every year the House with the most points will be rewarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope you all become a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in just a moment. I'd advise you all to smarten yourselves up while you are waiting."

Her eyes once again passed over Harry, this time though she was taking in his wild hair, though she seemed impressed at the sight of his freshly ironed clothes with nary a wrinkle to be seen.

With a pleased nod of her head she started turning towards the door," I shall return when we are ready for you." she said off her shoulder, and, with a final nod, she slipped out of the room.

The group of preteens quickly started talking to each other, the low rumble of voices a constant buzz surrounding them as they excitedly started talking with each other, each vocally wondering which of the four Houses they would end up in.

"I think I'll be a Gryffindor!" Ron stated proudly," most everyone in the Weasley family has been Gryffindor's! And there's no place I'd rather be!" he hopped up and down in his excitement, giggling for all he's worth.

Neville and Harry giggled as well, as the two of them thought about where they might end up.

"I don't think I want to be in Gryffindor…" Neville muttered, his cheeks flaming up in embarrassment and shame. Harry and Ron looked at him in curiosity, the brunette being the one to ask,

"And why's that Neville?"

Said boy shook his head, his blush burning brighter." Nhg, well, I, I don't think I'll belong there… My Gran really wants me to be like my dad and he was in Gryffindor! But, I don't fit in, in a place like that. All of them happy and courageous, and me, I'm nervous and cowardly…" he wrapped his arms around himself, the mood dropping around him.

Ron and Harry looked at each other in concern before Harry moved forwards and, with great hesitance, placed a hand on Neville's shoulder.

"It's alright Nev," he cooed soothingly, his Magic pulsing around them in comfort and safety," you're not cowardly! You haven't really had to face anything that would call on your fight, flight or freeze instincts yet and you haven't had to make any hard decisions that say whether you're a coward or courageous either way! So I think you should wait on passing that judgement until something happens that justifies it, yeah?" Harry murmured comfortingly, his Magic moving around Neville from where Harry was touching him.

The flow of Harry's Magic was addicting, Neville soon discovered as it helped soothe and calm his own that had started to work itself up into a frenzy. It felt nice, he mused, as he started standing taller, bringing himself to his full height, which was just an inch or two shorter than Ron himself.

Harry's Magic made a final swirl around Neville before retreating back to Harry, only a small tendril remaining, one that neither Harry nor Neville took notice of, especially as they were a bit preoccupied with the arrival of others in the room.

Small yelps of surprise and short screams greeted the children standing in the front causing for everyone to turn around and look for what all of the hub bub is about.

And it was with great shock that they were greeted with the floating figures of pale, almost white, and nearly see through people, all dressed in even more outdated clothing than what the people in Diagon Alley wore.

These beings that couldn't be anything other than ghosts were talking to each other, not paying any mind to the crowd of children they were scaring the living daylights out of. There were two in particular that seemed to be deep in an argument, one of them being a rotund friar and the other being a well dressed man with shackles weighing him down and silvery bloodstains on his clothes.

"I just think he deserves a second chance is all! After all, everyone deserves a second chance!" the friar spoke with gusto, though his companion seemed to be unmoved. He shook his head,

"No, he has had many chances over time, hundreds in fact, but he has still remained the same, and he is still the little troublemaker he was before. No, he does not deserve another chance to ruin a perfectly good feast, Friar."

And so with a resolute nod, the bloody ghost zoomed on ahead, only pausing for a moment to take in the children waiting in front of the door and politely nodding to them before phasing through the door.

Sounds of awe passed over all of the children as they took in the sight, many of them even striking up conversations with the other ghosts, but Harry was more interested in observing them and so merely listened on, even as the friar and another of the ghosts came over to speak with them.

"Hello there!" the friar called with a jolly grin," I'm the House ghost for Hufflepuff, you may call me Friar! I wish you all well in the upcoming Sorting, maybe one of you will end up in my House?" he said with a sly grin.

But the ghost next to his shook his head with a laugh," no, no! You must come to my House!" tipping his head he grinned all the wider," I am Nearly Headless Nick! I am the House ghost of Gryffindor, and I must say that you sir," he said, pointing at Ron," must be a Weasley, and there have been very few of them who has been anywhere but my House, so I know at least that I'll have one new first year!" he gave a jolly laugh before he and the friar started bickering playfully, floating away and through the door, as did the other ghosts.

The room fell silent once the ghosts left, which was just in time as McGonagall entered at just that moment.

She took in the shocked silence of the room, Harry catching her holding back a smile that had started to twitch her lips, instead forcing it into her severe frown." Alright everyone, we are ready for you!" and with a small tilt of her head she turned around and opened the doors for everyone to walk through." Follow me." She called over her shoulder, setting a brisk pace for the small eleven year olds to follow.

It didn't take long for them to get to where the feast was taking place. It was a room that McGonagall called 'The Great Hall' and it was was great; there were four long tables running the length of the room and the ceiling looked like it was outside, something of which one of the girls in the group remarked about being an enchantment she had read about.

But Harry was a little more interested in the people who sat at the end of the hall on a raised platform, which was there for them to be able to watch all of the children at once, Harry guessed, so he also came to the conclusion that they must be the teachers.

He glanced around and took notice of the children and teens sitting at the tables, all of whom, except maybe for the ones who had green lining on their clothes, looked excited at their arrival. Harry also spotted the twins, who he waved at excitedly, the two boys giving a just as excited wave back before everything came to a halt.

They had reached another raised platform, this one being lower than where the teachers sat. McGonagall swiftly walked onto the platform and retrieved a stool and a tattered hat, both of which she set down, the tattered hat resting atop the stool.

"I'm going to kill Fred and George…" Harry heard Ron mutter, causing for him to snicker into Blackie's head in order to muffle it.

But nothing else was said as, with a shock to all of the first years, the tattered hat wiggled itself into an upright position, and, an even bigger shock, a crease in the middle of it opened up like a mouth, and it started to sing!

"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 you 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're 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!"

There was applause, to which the hat bowed to, before with a snap Professor McGonagall pulled out long roll of parchment and stated in a loud voice," we will now begin the Sorting! When I call your name, come forwards and sit on this stool. The Sorting Hat will be placed on your head and you will be sorted Abbot, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde hair and pigtails quickly made her way to the stool, stumbling some as she did so. It didn't take her long to climb onto the stool and sit down, the hat following the action.

The Hall remained silent as the seconds ticked by, but it wasn't long before, with a great shout of glee, the Hat called out," Hufflepuff!"

The four Houses let out applause at that, the least excited being the Slytherin's, while the most excited were, of course, Hufflepuff. Hannah jumped off the stool and raced over to her new House and was warmly welcomed to the table.

And from there, the Sorting continued. At first it looked like the Hat sorted in teams of two, as the child after Hannah, a Susan Bones, was sorted into Hufflepuff, with the next two, Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst, being sorted into Ravenclaw. That line of thinking was proven to be wrong when Lavender Brown was sorted into Gryffindor, and Millicent Bulstrode was sorted into Slytherin.

The timing was all different as well. Some took a very little time, like Hannah who only took a couple seconds, but some, like the girl who had remarked on the enchanted ceiling, one Hermione Granger, took some time as the hat seemed to deliberate on where to put her.

Finally it called out a merry "Gryffindor!" and the girl hopped down from the stool to the applause of her new Housemates.

"Longbottom, Neville!" was called next. The boy gulped loudly in nervousness, causing for Harry to reach a hand forward and grab Neville's own, giving it a squeeze of comfort, something that seemed to help the boy as he lost his nervous posture-for the most part-and stood tall as he walked up to the stool.

A small bit of time passed as everyone waited with bated breath to learn where Neville would end up. But it was with a mighty cheer that the hall burst into as the hat called out "Gryffindor!".

Neville pulled the hat from his head and stumbled his way to the Gryffindor table, where he was swiftly pulled up and onto the bench where the elder students around him clapped him on the back and welcomed him to the House.

Harry cheered with the rest of the hall, happy for his friend before his attention was pulled back to the sorting, where "Malfoy, Draco!" and just been called out. Curious, Harry wondered where the Malfoy would end up, having an idea that it would be Slytherin, as he remembered Ron saying that the Malfoy's were a family of Slytherin's.

And not two seconds later it was proven to be true, the hat calling out a cheery "Slytherin!" while barely having been placed on Draco's head.

This made Harry wonder if Draco really belonged there; was the hat really able to tell which House he belonged in without being fully placed on his head? Or was the hat assuming that he belonged there because of his family?

Shaking his head he forced himself to focus on the sorting at hand, planning on deliberating on the question later.

Eight more people were sorted, each of them being catalogued by Harry, who was keeping an eye on who was in which House, before with an inhale of breath, Professor McGonagall called out.

"Potter, Harry!"

Dead silence followed the announcement, a silence Harry took in in order to calm his nerves before he resolutely made his way to the stool.

Whispers broke out around him at his movement, Harry catching snippets of 'Harry Potter' and 'the Boy-Who-Lived' and 'which House will he be sorted into?'.

But Harry ignored them as he held Blackie within his arms, not thinking to put the feline down as he walked up to the stool. He had started to climb onto it when a short voice spoke to him.

"Ahem, Mister Potter, you cannot bring your pet with you to be sorted."

Looking up at McGonagall, Harry stared at her blankly for a moment before, with a shrug of his shoulders, walked on back to the group of kids and handed Blackie to Ron," behave," Harry instructed the cat before walking back up to the stool and sitting on it.

The hat then came down and was placed on his head. The edges of the hat sank low and covered Harry's eyes, making it so he was enshrouded in darkness.

"Hmm," a voice hummed in Harry's mind, causing for him to twitch in reaction," you have quite the mind here…" the voice let out a chuckle as the fabric around his head settled more firmly about him.

"Is that so sir?" Harry thought back to the voice, causing for it to chuckle good naturedly.

"Ah ha! It is lad, it is! Now, let's see here… Yes, yes! You have a strong thirst for knowledge! You also have a great sense of loyalty to those whom you have grown close to… that Vampire fellow seems to be a good chap, though be careful about letting just anyone suck your blood; it'd be easy for a Vampire with impure intentions to take advantage of that! Now, what else… aha! What cunning you have here! What ambition-learning everything you can about the Magical world in such little time? What drive! A wonderful blend of Slytherin and Gryffindor traits! You want to learn, but you don't want to cheat to do it, neither are you willing to betray or use just anyone in order to achieve your goals, hm, how thoughtful of you!" humming again, the Hat mumbled a couple unintelligable words as it sorted through his thoughts and personality, his desires and passions.

Harry waited as patiently as he could as the Hat kept mumbling, seeming to be having a hard time in picking which House Harry belonged in, but that patience was quickly waning.

"You have the desire to learn and obtain knowledge of a Ravenclaw, but not the single-minded mentality that they tend to possess nor the want to gain knowledge just for the sake of it. Hm, you have the ambition and cunning of a Slytherin, but not the willingness to use any and everyone for your gain, nor the self-preserving nature that those folk have. You admire and strive for loyalty and hard work, but are slow to trust and weary of all those you make contact with. And Gryffindor… you are brave of heart and strong of will, but you make a conscious effort to keep your emotions in check, so much so that they rarely take control of you-that bit on the train notwithstanding, you were under stress after all-but where to put you? You could be placed in any of the Houses and flourish, your resourcefulness would lend a great help in being able to adapt to any situation, to any House you are placed in!

"But!" the Hat stated seriously, almost as if it were coming to its final conclusion. "But! Hufflepuff won't work for you as you are, they rely on physical and emotional comfort, but you aren't in a place to receive the overabundance that they give out. Neither will Ravenclaw work, as, with the way it is now, it won't foster your thirst of true knowledge and how to remain on track with all that you want to learn. Hmm, that means it comes down to Slytherin and Gryffindor… both would be able to accommodate your thirst for knowledge and want to be more, but which would be the best for you…"

Harry cleared his throat in order to catch Hat's attention. "If you will sir, could I maybe say something?" he asked with as much politeness he could muster-his patience was running thinner by the minute!

Hmm his agreement, Harry continued on," I think it'd be for the best if I were to go to Gryffindor."

"Hmm, and why is that young Potter?" the Hat asked with amusement. Harry couldn't help but smile as he explained himself.

"Well, y'see sir, I've been told that Slytherin were some of the biggest supporters of Voldemort, and the opposite of Slytherin seems to be Gryffindor! I want to gain knowledge, yes, but I don't want to stand out! But being the Boy-Who-Lived will make me stand out enough, and if even a modicum of the rumors of Slytherin are true, then it'd be within my best interests to not go there, as many Death Eaters children are there, and while I don't believe that they are their parents and so therefore they must be Death Eaters in training, old people don't change their ways all that easily, so it's not much of a stretch to say that one of them would tell their children to do something in regards to me. That and I have a weird feeling that everyone expects me to go to Gryffindor, call it a hunch, and since I don't want to stand out, going to Gryffindor would probably be my best bet, would you agree?"

There was a long pause as the Hat digested what Harry had said, a pause that was just about to snap Harry's threadbare patience. He was just starting to fidget in place as the impatient energy started building up in him when the Hat started to laugh. Not normal laughter either, great, big, bellowing laughter that Harry could have sworn the rest of the hall was hearing as well.

"Well, mister Potter, you are quite correct! All of your reasoning is very sound! And also, if it would ease your mind, your parents were also both in Gryffindor, the Potter's having been in that House for the last several generations! So I do believe, that the place for you is-"

"Gryffindor!"