King's Cross was bustling with activity, as every 1st of September. Among the muggles going to and from work, the travelers and overwhelmed tourists, the teenagers gathering before or after class, the street performers, mendicants and easygoing strollers, a wizard could hide himself in plain sight. And a dead woman could walk freely in the land of the living.

Harry knew his mom's situation was complicated. He was four when he was seated for his first version of the Legend of Saint Lily and the Boy-Who-Lived. She had called it that, and it took years for him to know that there really was a book carrying that title. It was, probably, when people started calling his mom "Saint Lily". Then, he learned that a very bad man had robbed his daddy from him, that's why every other kid had a daddy while he didn't. He learned his mommy had been sick for some time after that, and mom Bella had helped Lily get better again and they all lived happily in the muggle world so the people from the bad man wouldn't find them. They had revisited that story every year, adding more details, like his miraculous survival, Lily's preparations that saved his life, her own preparations to save herself, Bella's role in it all. He had learned about his own moniker in the wizarding world, the legend spread far and wide about a boy who had survived certain death.

In a way, his entire life had been a long preparation for that moment, the moment the lost son of the wizarding world came back home. But, on the other hand, he was completely out of his depth and alone, for the first time in his life. Even with the many missions his mothers attended, there was always someone to hear about his troubles, congratulate him on something well done, teach him where he was doing it wrong.

Worse yet, Cassie would stay. That gut-wrenching feeling had followed him since his letter arrived, getting worse and worse as his trunk filled. She was putting a brave face, even there at the station but he could feel the sadness rolling away from her like steam waves. Not for the first time, he wondered what would happen if he hid her in his trunk and took her to Hogwarts with him. She could live under his bed and he could feed her scraps.

Well, she probably would hate it even more than parting.

As they came closer to the column between platforms 9 and 10, the muggles were dwindling and more wizards could be seen. The strange collection of mismatched outfits, color clashes and crossdressing was very obvious. Harry had to stomp down his urge to laugh when a very serious-looking Pureblood type brushed against him in his hurry, his embroidered camisole flapping wildly around his ankles. The matching frilly cap almost broke the dam, but he held firmly. Cassie, on the other hand, had no such qualms and guffawed loudly when she saw him, making their mothers clamp her hands over her little mouth and hiss scoldings directly in her ears. Ah, Harry would miss her so much.

His trolley touched the column but instead of crashing, it went straight through. He had never been to the station before and Harry felt that gut-warming wonder at that gorgeous display of cleverly hidden magic, the same feeling he had every time they visited Diagon Alley and opened the entrance. He sadness ebbed a little as his mind wandered towards all kind of incredible magic he would find at Hogwarts.

At the hidden platform, mom Bella's outfit was gathering a lot of attention. She didn't seem to mind a bit, in fact he could see she was thrusting her chest forward and bending a little bit at the waist so she could give some older students an eyeful of her milky cleavage. She usually wore strapless shirts so her huge tattoo of a pair of guns pointing diagonally downwards on her chest could be seen entirely. Cassie loved that tattoo more than most, as she always had found guns to be wicked. The boys blushed fiercely and walked away awkwardly, bending forwards as if to hide something. Bella smirked.

"If you are done doing this, we can send our son off…" hissed his mother menacely. Her partner smirked even more. Mom Lily could be very possessive sometimes.

Two perfumed arms snaked around his chest and his mother rested her chin on the top of his head. While Harry was slightly tall for his age, he felt very much like a small child then, long red hair hiding his face. She pressed a kiss on his head and tightened her grip. He wiggled until he could turn around and hug her properly, his face finding the perfect place between her breasts. She smelled like flowers and something smoky, like burning wood. She sniffed loudly, his beautiful mom. How could he break her heart like so? How could he leave her behind? She pressed him against her chest one last time, before letting him go.

"Now, now, there is nothing to be sad about," she said, but her slightly hoarse voice betrayed her words. "You'll be home so soon! So, have a lot of fun, take care and try to make some friends, okay? I'll like all of them, even the strange ones."

Harry laughed and nodded, feeling his throat too dry to speak. Bella captured him a lot more roughly, peppering kisses on his face and neck, ruffling his hair and doing her best to make him blush. Harry had planned for days for that exact moment, so he squirmed away from her grip, grinned and gave her a quick peck on her pierced lips, making her stiffen up in surprise.

"That's for you to remember me by, little Bella," he said, doing his best to imitate the husky voice his mom used against the woman when they were being exceptionally frisky. Her eyes were wide as saucers, while Lily started to laugh. She took her partner in her arms, kissing her neck and taking a little bite, making Bella yelp.

"Bad Harry, trying to steal my girl. Go find one for yourself!"

Harry gave her his best smile.

"I won't be pleased with only one. Expect a lot of letters home, come here Cassie, I want a hug!"

Cassie tried to fight, just to keep character but quickly caved in and hugged her brother the tightest he had ever been hugged. He ruffled her hair, kissed her head crown and finished his goodbyes. When he started to push the trolley away, Cassie seemed to remember something and run towards him, pushing something in his hands.

"That's for you to remember me by, Little Harry," she was a lot better at making that voice than him. He shivered slightly but she just smiled mysteriously at him, before turning back and walking towards their moms. Shaking his head to dispel strange thoughts, he pushed the trolley towards the train door, lifted the trunk from it and embarked, one of the station staff taking his abandoned trolley away.

The Hogwarts Express was very luxurious as if made for royalty instead of simple students. The rosewood panelling and golden accents were very tasteful, and the wide corridors made it easy to walk while seeking a compartment. They had come very early but the station and the train were quickly becoming packed. He couldn't even imagine the nightmare it would be to arrive just before departure.

The first carriage was full but he found a good compartment right at the beginning of the second one. There was a girl inside, reading a book, wearing muggle clothing. She looked around his age and he really wanted to make friends as soon as possible, so he knocked gently on the glass. Her head whipped up, startled from her reading. Harry gave her his best smile while sliding the door open.

"Hello! May I seat here? Everything else is full already!"

"Oh, I don't mind!" She seemed a little awkward by his invasion but her tentative smile was inviting. Harry assumed she wasn't too used to people suddenly talking to her.

He lifted the trunk and slid it in the overhead rack, before smiling again at her, wiping his hands on his jeans. The girl smiled back but kept her lips tightly shut. Maybe she was wearing braces and felt ashamed about it?

"Ah, five minutes away from home and my manners are already flying off the window," he sighed, extending his hand. "The name is Harry, nice to meet you!"

"Likewise," answered her, relaxing at his introduction. "I'm Hermione."

"Ah, your parents must love Shakespeare. It's a beautiful name, fit for a queen, uh?"

Hermione's smile widened, and he finally could see some teeth. She wasn't wearing braces but her front teeth were a little larger than usual. Her big wild bushy hair and petite frame made her look younger than him but she had sharp eyes and the book she had been reading wasn't on the list for Hogwarts (and was quite the advanced potion book, from his quick peek at the title). Her blush at just his praise for her name was unbearably cute.

"You are the first one to recognize it"

"Mom loves to read and my house is full of books. She made sure I was taught the classics, from both worlds. Here!"

He opened the window and searched for his mom. Between her vibrant red hair and Bella's tall and dark figure, it was quick for him to find her. He pointed them to Hermione and waved happily to his family. Cassie spotted him and smiled wide, hopping in place while waving back.

"That's my sister Cassie, the redhead is my adoptive mom, she's the one that loves books, and the dark haired one is my other adoptive mom. They are both witches."

Cassie's antics had caught Lily's attention and the woman was now waving at him too, smiling wildly. Bella was a lot more composed but seemed amused by the redhead's exuberance. It was rare for Lily to act so freely in public but the whole sending her son to Hogwarts made her look like a child high on sugar.

"She must be impressed I've made my first witch friend already," Harry commented, sliding back to his seat. Hermione seemed shocked by his words before her face split in an ear-to-ear smile. Harry laughed at it, the girl looked surprised at how easy it had been to make a friend. Harry assumed it was a first for her.

"You have a really pretty smile, you know," She blushed to her hair roots again, making him laugh louder. "Oh, don't look like that, I only like to say the truth when I see it."

"So, you have two mothers…" she quickly changed topics. A loud whistle drowned Harry's words, and the train lurched forward abruptly. Catching himself, Harry remembered he had something in his left hand, something Cassie had given him. Hermione was distracted by the train movement, her nose glued to the window, he discreetly opened his hand and took a peek.

A lacy, child-sized pair of racy knickers peeked back at him.

Hermione turned back to him when he roughly shoved the 'gift' in his pocket. Damn Cassie, she really needed to stop trying to prank him. He smiled at Hermione, who smiled back and returned to her window gazing.

"My parents were wizards who died in the wizarding war," he answered her previous question. "I was adopted by my current mother and her partner. I… Well, I hope you don't have anything…"

"Oh, no! No! I really can't see any problem with… two people from the same sex," her wild hair flew from side to side as she shook her head in negation. "There is nothing wrong with it and I really can't understand why some people think differently. So, you have a sister too? I couldn't see them properly…"

"Yes! Cassie is my younger sister. Well, she is Bella's daughter, so we aren't related by blood but we've lived together as a family since I remember. What about you, any siblings?"

Hermione shook her head again.

"No, I'm an only child. My parents don't have magic, they are dentists. It was quite the surprise when Professor McGonagall came to our home with the letter. I've been dying for this day ever since!"

"My mom is a muggleborn too, she always talks about how frightened her parents were by the whole witch thing before they got used to it. My other mom is a Pureblood and we lived in the muggle world, so I'm practically half-and-half."

Hermione looked delighted at it.

"Oh, you must have such a refreshing perspective of the wizarding world, then! I had almost a year to study before coming to Hogwarts and it's hard to find someone who shares the background. I was really excited at first because it's… magic, you know? But, after reading many history books and following the day-to-day procedures of the Ministry of Magic I can't help but wonder why is the wizarding world so…—"

"Infuriating? Backwards? Stuck in time?" Harry helpfully added and she shyly nodded. "Well, it's a very difficult question, one that puzzles our best thinkers but also one that tricks muggleborns year after year."

"What?"

"For someone born in the fast-paced ever-evolving muggle world, wizarding society seems frozen in time. Things take decades to change if they change at all. However, the idea we are stuck in the dark ages is false and misleading. Wizarding society is always evolving, like any other, but we can't present the novelty and wonder of our changes like muggles can. Mom saw man walk on the moon and would rant about how little time had passed between it and the first flying aeroplane. Looking like that, we seen backwards, but it's a biased comparison. It took twenty-seven years between the first experiment using fire travel and the establishment of the whole Floo Network, and that network has been in use for almost four hundred years now. While we can't show flashy improvements like muggles can, wizards have been improving the network since its first use. Likewise, we made parchment mass-production feasible and vastly improved our wands, potions and spells. Magical development happens as quickly as muggle science and the simple lumus spell we learn in first year is an incredible advance if we compare with light magic from two or three hundred years ago."

Hermione seemed almost entranced by his explanation.

"Wizards also outperformed the muggle world in a lot of aspects. We have no illiteracy, no hunger and our last incurable disease, Dragon Pox, was completely eradicated in our world. Of course, our government is ridden with corruption, racism runs rampant and two wars very close one to the other almost decimated our population. However, while the wizarding world has lots of problems, the idea we are a backwards society stuck in the Middle Ages is very, very far from reality. Wizards have their own culture, values and history and most muggleborns don't understand that we can't simple import muggle culture as if we were patching a hole on a robe. If you keep that in mind, however, your assessment of this new world will be way deeper and valuable than most."

Hermione seemed to ponder his allegations for a while and Harry quietly waited for her. She shook her head, finally.

"I see I still have a lot to learn. Thank you, Harry."

"No, thank you, Hermione. I wanted someone my own age to talk about this kind of things for a very long time. I think we will have a very productive friendship."

She smiled wide at that.

"Also, in the hols, I will introduce you to my mother. I think you will bond quickly over your background and opinions, she has a lot of ideas and has been looking for an unbiased ear to discuss some things."

"Will she want to hear the opinions of a little girl?"

"A little girl? Probably she will hear out, but not give it much thought. But the opinions of a rational, bright young witch? I have no doubt."

"…I would love to be your friend, Harry."

"Likewise, Hermione. Now, what are you reading? Advanced Potions, uh? I tried helping with potions sometimes, but I feel that's a talent that skipped my generation."

Hermione started to tell him how she had brewed some simple potions, for experimentation, but they weren't quite right. She suspected the problem was with her stove, as it was a lot more imprecise than a potioneer's brewer.

"Can you use magic inside your home?"

"Well, as we can't buy a wand before getting our Hogwarts letter, I was taught using other means, so I only did very simple magic, something we can't even call a spell. Another person's wand won't work for you, even if it's your mother's. My sister Cassie learned it the hardest way when she lost her hair."

"She lost her hair?"

"Yes! She filched her mother's wand and tried to make her hair orange using a simple colour changing charm, first year stuff. The wand rebelled, of course, and instead of colouring, all her hair fell from her head. She was completely bald. Her scream awoke the entire street."

Hermione was laughing at Cassie's poor fate.

"I bet your mother wasn't pleased."

"Well, I got there first and hid the wand. Said we were fighting and my accidental magic did that to her. As I had just turned my teacher's wig blue the week before, I think they believed me. Mom brewed a potion that grew her hair back just as it was."

"You shifted the blame on you? And lied to your mothers?"

Harry shrugged.

"While she had done something bad, I couldn't help but save her from trouble. Also, losing all her hair had already been punishment enough. Also, her crying face was too cute."

Hermione rolled her eyes at his feeble excuses.

"You sound just like my father, he acts as if I were his perfect angel. You look like you dote on your sister too much."

"What can I do? I can't resist helping a cute girl."

"Well, I am glad to hear that!"

The door slid open as the new voice butted in their conversation. There was a short redhead girl with a big smile on the door, her face glowing in happiness and her blue eyes sparkling. She was clutching her trunk's handle in her hand.

"We were kicked out of our compartment and were searching for a new one, I'm so happy you can't resist helping us, how about giving me a hand with this thing, sweetie?"

"Do you have flowers for a brain?" A cold, harsh voice sounded behind the bubbly redhead, and a small pale hand shoved her aside. At their doorway, stood a tall, willowy blonde girl, her sleek golden hair perfectly framing a beautiful, statuesque face with high cheekbones, cold blue eyes and pouty lips. "Can't you see you are bothering her with your rudeness? I beg your pardon for this oaf's actions. However, what she said is true: we don't have a compartment anymore and we are looking for a new one. My name is Daphne Greengrass and this is Susan Bones. May we share this trip with you, please?"

Harry looked at Hermione, as it was her compartment in the first place. She looked awkward again by the sudden interruption but plastered her best tight-lipped smile.

"Yes, please, come in. I am Hermione Granger, nice to meet you."

Harry stood and took Susan's trunk from her, lifting it to place the heavy thing on the overhead rack.

"I'm Harry, nice to meet you. Here, Ms Greengrass, let me take this."

"Thank you, and Daphne is fine, please."

"Feel free to call me Hermione, then."

Daphne took a sit beside Hermione like a perfect pureblood lady, her long muggle dress tucked under her and her ankles crossed to the side, perfectly manicured hands folded on her lap. Susan, however, invaded the compartment, rushing to the window and glueing her nose on the glass.

"Lookie, Daph, it's the countryside! The countryside!"

Daphne, unfazed and emotionless, turned to Hermione, who seemed a lot out of her depth with everything happening. She looked like she had thought that would be a safe, quiet trip.

"Susan is really excited with everything, she lived in London all her life and hardly left home during infancy."

"I see." Hermione was desperate for some change of topic, so Harry decided to help her.

"You were kicked out your compartment? Why?"

"We were sharing one with a couple of second years Susan knew but they were too eager to please some seniors and generously offered our seats for them to take."

"Bunch of bootlickers" Susan helpfully added, taking a sit between the window and Harry. She was wearing a jacket too big for her small frame and from under it she took out a rolled magazine. As it was too large to fit in some hidden pocket, Harry had a suspicious she had tucked it inside her left sleeve before.

"Well, we went to some other first years but they were too occupied running and horsing around to notice us. So we came all the way here, looking for a quieter environment."

"Running in the corridor? Shouldn't we call a Prefect?"

Harry thought Hermione would have a very cold reception if she were to snitch people in her first hour at Hogwarts.

"Don't you worry, Hermione. I already did that."

"You know people won't like you if you keep reporting them already on your first day."

Thank you, Susan, Harry thought. You look crazy but you have a good head on your shoulders.

"The riffraff's opinions about be are irrelevant," informed Daphne. Hermione seemed to agree with the sentiment but made a face at the slur. Susan, however, was already engrossed with her magazine.

Finding some common ground in Daphne's harsh views about propriety and decorum, Hermione stuck some tentative conversation with the blonde beauty, while Susan happily alternated between the magazine and the window. Harry took a paperback from his pocket and started reading but kept a listening ear in Hermione and Daphne's conversation.

"So, how do the two of you met?"

That was an interesting question, as both girls were as different as fire and ice.

"Susan's mother and my mother were sisters. Lady Bones died in the war along with her husband."

Hermione gasped softly, covering her mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Susan."

Her smile faltered a bit, but the bubbly redhead quickly recovered.

"Thanks, Hermione. I was just a baby, so I don't remember much about them. I live with my Auntie Amelia now, but Auntie Ophelia invites me over a lot. Daphne and I were together since we were babies. We are besties."

"What she means is I try to keep her out of trouble since before we learned how to walk," Daphne's expressionless face made the statement even funnier, and Harry and Susan laughed at it, while Hermione tried to reign in her own smile. Susan stuck her tongue at Daphne, who rolled her eyes dismissively. With personalities so unlike, the girls seemed to have a very affectionate bond between them.

"Do you want something to eat, dearies?"

Harry inspected the cart with a critical eye. As a child wizard living in muggle territory, he had tasted every single of those sweets but not often. Away from home for the first time in his life, he knew the candy cart was a difficult test of character for unsupervised children. A little of everything or too much of only one thing? He decided to exercise his newfound independence by taking the safest route and bought a lot of everything.

"You intend to eat all that?" Susan's voice cut through him. He smiled.

"I intended to share some with my new friends."

"Ohh, I think I fell in love with you, at first sight, Harry."

While it had been difficult to convince well-behaved Hermione and Daphne to accept some, Susan gladly dug in his pile of sweets, munching away a liquorice wand. Daphne nibbled slowly on a seemly normal dark chocolate bar, while Hermione found her One True Love on her first Cauldron Cake. Harry took one of the chocolate frogs from the pile.

"Is it… alive?" Hermione asked, glancing at the squirming little guy in his hand.

"It's just an animation charm. Wanna try one?"

He bit the head of the frog, who immediately came still. Hermione's disgusted expression told it all.

"I don't like sweet things too much, my parents taught me too much sugar rots your teeth," the fact she was stuffing her face with her third Cauldron Cake notwithstanding. "So, Daphne, about what you were saying before…—"

"Nooo!" Susan exclaimed abruptly, startling the girls and make Harry jump and drop his Dumbledore card. She was holding her magazine open on some random article. She turned it around to shove the page on Daphne's face. "The Weird Sisters are breaking up!"

While Harry had heard about the famous wizarding band, Lily never liked wizarding music except for classical (a lot of muggle composers were, in fact, wizards, so classical music was something shared between the two worlds) and Bella liked only punk fashion, having no interest in music. Hermione looked totally confused and Daphne was unfazed by her cousin's antics.

"What are the Weird Sisters?"

"What! It's the band to outplay all the bands! Two thousand records sold in a day! The band that needs no introduction: the Weird Sisters!"

"You don't like music, Daphne?"

"Oh, I have no interest for these modern noises, Hermione. I had a traditional education, so my musical interests lie on the classical: Beethoven, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Pink Floyd…"

"Pink…? Like The Dark Side of the Moon?"

Daphne's perfectly eyebrows arched in surprise.

"I thought you were a common muggleborn, but you have a great grasp of wizarding classical music, I see."

"But Pink…—"

"Whatever, whatever, Daph likes boring music. But this! This!" Susan interrupted, shoving the magazine on Hermione's lap. A photograph spread on the two pages, depicting four lanky young wizards, dressed in a very interesting fashion. Tattered and ripped short robes and skin-tight dragon leather pants, huge hairdos and tall top hats, big glass goggles decorating them resting on the brims, long smoking pipes dangling from their lips. Each one looked exactly the same as the others. Big purple flashing letters proclaimed The Dream is Over!

"So, hum, who are they, Susan? Like, what's his name?"

"Oh, yes. Well, this is Johnny B. This on at his side is Johnny C. This one is Johnny D. And this one is BlackStar"

"How consistent" snarked Daphne. Harry tried hard to swallow his laugh. Hermione, her mouth twitching, valiantly tried to march along with the topic.

"So, it says here one of them wants to go solo to preserve his individuality as an artist… I assume BlackStar decided to leave the band?"

"No, no. It was Johnny D., he has always been the individualistic one."

"That's," said Daphne, her emotionless mask under heavy pressure. "The most retarded thing…—"

"Oh, Harry, give me one of those!" Interrupted Hermione, louder than needed, defusing the argument before it could even start and snatched one of his Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans just before he could pop it into his mouth. "I never had one of those before. It's like those sweets you have to guess the taste, huh? Well, it tastes like…"

Her green face told them it didn't taste good.

"Judging by the colour," offered Susan, her trained eye analyzing the half bitten bean in Hermione's hand. "It's probably rust."

Daphne wordlessly passed Hermione a handkerchief for her to spit the bean on. She seemed almost affectionate, giving Hermione some light slaps on her back.

"Here, try this one, it's lemon meringue, it will take the bad taste away. Have some pumpkin juice too."

After Hermione recovered from her ordeal, she took another bean from Harry's packet, eyeing it suspiciously. She gave a tiny lick with the tip of her tongue.

"Freshly-mowed grass. Wizards are weird." She popped it in her mouth. "So, do you want to go to some specific House?"

"Oh, I want to be a Hufflepuff," said Susan, almost bouncing on her seat. "People keep saying we are the failures no other House wanted, but Auntie Amelia is the most incredible person I know and she was one of us. She said Hufflepuff is a great place to make friends and I want a bunch of them!"

"My family have been in Slytherin for generations, so I'm betting I'll be there too."

"Is your family history able to influence the decision?"

"Probably not, Hermione, the process is very mysterious. At first, the Founders personally sorted the students, but after their deaths, the sorting method is kept under secret. Tradition dictates you can't reveal it even to your own children or siblings. Nonetheless, my sister will probably pester me for the next two years after tonight. However, I've been taught to think like a Slytherin all my life, so I must possess the skills and personality needed for that House."

"Do you think it's some kind of test?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. I think it's a test," Harry said. "They will ask us ten questions to determine our personality and we'll be assigned a House based on your answers."

"You are joking!" Hermione frowned, but Harry just wanted to tease her a little, so he smiled and went on.

"I'm not joking. I can almost see the questions in my mind. Question One: how do you eat your breakfast? a) With my friends. b) Reading a book. c) Cold and ruthlessly. d) Bravely."

Hermione tried to get angry at his teasing but laughed in the end. Susan was laughing the hardest.

"How one eats bravely?"

"That's why you are not fit to be a Gryffindor, Susan!" Harry proclaimed, two girls laughing, only Daphne to go. "Question Two: what you did last summer? a) Spent time with my friends. b) Slew a dragon. c) Read a hundred books. d) Hid the bodies."

"So I'll be in Slytherin if I hid the bodies?" Hermione asked, trying not to laugh at his antics and grandiose moves. To their surprise, it was Daphne that asked.

"No. A true Slytherin would never admit having something to do with the bodies and would mark A, so they would even have an alibi. Only a Hufflepuff would mark D, as they would try to be just and truthful even if they would suffer the repercussions."

"And that's why, ladies and… ladies, that the Hogwarts Sorting Test is so deep and reliant."

"Oh, let me ask Question Three!" Susan said, smiling widely. "Choose one of the following pets to be your familiar…"

As the girls started to play too, he took some parchment from his pocket, a quill and some ink, carefully noting down their best suggestions. Susan, who seemed to be on the same wavelength, started to draw the Hogwarts shield on some other piece of parchment, carefully tracing the lines and writing the motto. They aligned the pages and Harry took his wand from his pocket. The girls watched him carefully.

He touched the parchment where Susan's drawing overlapped the first page of questions and performed the seamless binding spell, a simple first year trick for distracted students: if you misspelt a word or dirtied your parchment, rip that part out, touch the seams of two pieces and spell them into a single piece again. He performed the charm twice more, and their list of questions had become a single roll. Susan had written Hogwarts Sorting Test on the top of the parchment. Rolling her eyes at their childish game, Hermione used her own wand and a small spell to animate the drawing, the snake hissing inaudibly to the lion, the badge furrowing around and the eagle flapping its wings.

"Think we can trick someone into believing this is real?" Harry asked but Daphne cut that idea down immediately.

"Not even a first year is dumb enough to fall for this. Even if they took the parchment, the questions are too ridiculous."

While Harry pondered his failed-before-even-released prank, the door slid open with a bang. They raised their heads and glanced at the visitors. There was a pale blond boy on the door, his brow furrowed. He was already wearing fine robes, an expression of disdain crawling on his face as he looked at their muggle clothes. Behind him, two big boys were standing, side to side, like miniature bodyguards. As they were too large for boys their age and had a passive look on their faces, Harry couldn't help but guess they were hired muscle. They frail, pale boy really needed some.

"I've heard Harry Potter is in this compartment. Is he here?"

The girls slowly turned to him but Harry only creased his own brow.

"You were looking for Harry Potter this entire time? You were nothing on your compartment?"

"What…? I mean…?"

Harry took the rolled parchment from the seat. And opened it to reveal the animated shield and title.

"You didn't get the Sorting Test from a Prefect? We are almost at Hogwarts and you haven't even started answering the test! Do you want to get scolded? They won't assign you a House before you complete it!"

"What! Nobody told me this!"

Harry rolled his eyes emphatically.

"Well, that's what you got for roaming the corridors looking for some guy. Here, take our extra copy, we already answered ours. As there is no Prefect here and no time to look for one, copy the questions and answers down on some parchment, you can explain it to McGonagall later. Do you guys have a compartment saved for you?"

"Yes! We are going back immediately. We can look for Potter afterwards. If I don't get sorted into Slytherin just because of this, my father will kill me! Come, Crabble, Goyle, I will use this one and you can copy down my answers."

Harry closed the door.

"I don't fucking believe it."

"Language, Susan" Daphne and Hermione echoed at the same time. Harry was too occupied rolling on the ground, laughing to the point of tears. The blonde sighed, her emotionless expression slipping a little.

"I can't believe it. I didn't even have time to react properly, that boy gobbled it all without even thinking!"

"That was Draco Malfoy, wasn't it?" Susan asked, helping Harry back to his seat. His belly hurt.

"Draco…?" Hermione asked, testing the strange name.

"A pampered brat that thinks himself king just because his father is part of the Board of Governors," Daphne answered with far more emotion than she had displayed so far. "I don't believe that idiot is going to try to become Slytherin's Leader."

Harry filed that useful information away. Draco's leadership could damage his plans if he were like the famous Lucius Malfoy. But he had finally met his cousin. Harry wished he could see Bellatrix's face when she read his letter home about how her nephew had been tricked by something so obvious. Maybe he would write Cassie a separate letter.

"He seemed a little… mean."

"Way more than mean, Hermy. That boy is a menace and is always talking trash about muggleborns and the like. Don't get near him, he is not worth your time."

Hermione was mouthing Hermy silently, trying to determine if she should scold Susan for mangling her name. Daphne was staring at him attentively. Her eyes flicked to his forehead for an instant. He tilted his head a little bit, letting the hair slid down and reveal the scar. Her eyes got wide.

"Well, among all that bullshit I said to him, something was true," Harry said, standing up and ignoring Hermione's call for proper language. Daphne looked a little dazed. "We are almost at Hogwarts. I'll stand outside while you girls change. When you are finished, knock on the door."

He left before the blonde could reveal her new information and laid his back against the closed door. The corridor was empty, save for a single Prefect girl doing rounds. He smiled at her and she returned the smile.

One of the doors at the end of the carriage opened and Draco Malfoy stepped out. Figures he would start searching away from his compartment instead of around him, he probably went all the way to the back of the train and back. The guy looked uncertain for a moment, before turning and striding towards Harry.

"In my hurry, I forgot to thank you for your help. Never say a Malfoy don't pay his debts. Crabble and Goyle are copying the answers now, so I came to say thanks."

"You are welcome, Mr Malfoy. We first years only have each other now, in this new school, so we must help when needed."

"I never got your name…"

"Jason Voorhees," Harry said, extending his hand and giving Draco's a firm handshake. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr Malfoy, I've heard the rumours before, but I'm glad to say you surpassed all of them."

Draco flashed him a smug smile. The strange surname had thrown him out of the loop. Many foreign students came to Hogwarts (only the rich ones, that's it). As he didn't know if Jason was a Pureblood or not, he would bid his time. It was the most Slytherin thing the boy had shown, Harry felt like applauding him. Draco turned back.

"I will leave you now, Mr Voorhees, to see how Crabbe and Goyle are faring. I hope to see you soon, at Hogwarts."

"Likewise, Mr Malfoy."

He waited until Malfoy was back at his compartment, before turning and sliding the door, pushing his face inside.

"You girls won't believe it! He completely fell for…—"

There was a loud yeep! inside. Harry slid his glance downwards a little.

"Bunny patterned knickers? I thought you were the older one, Herm—"

He closed the door quickly before the hurled spell hit him in the face. The window shattered and his head was covered in glass. There were yelling inside and someone tossed a black robe over the gaping hole. Thinking only about the safety of the girls in such a precarious position, Harry used a spell to glue the door closed. After a simple reparo, the glass was back in its place. Someone was rattling the door from inside.

Harry shoved his hands in his pocket, finding Cassie's underwear inside. He needed to mail it back to her before someone found it in his things. Or maybe he could discreetly pass it to Hermione, Merlin knows that girl needed some mature knickers. Whistling to himself, Harry walked the corridors of the train, hoping he would be let inside the compartment after some time for the girls to cool down. He hoped they wouldn't be mad at him for long.

It was nice to have friends.