Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter Seven
The Hogwarts Express
The day after the family's visit to Diagon Alley, a delivery came for Harry. Sitting on his desk in his room, when he woke up that morning, was a beautiful snowy owl, white with little black specks and bright yellow eyes, perched atop a gleaming gilded cage. Somehow, it got the window to his room open and came inside with its cage. As Harry stood up, the owl flew on his shoulder and began nibbling affectionately at his ear. Harry giggled slightly and scratched at the back of the owl's neck as he took notice of a note fastened to the cage. Harry quickly saw the untidy scrawl of Hagrid on the note.
Dear Harry,
I was very happy to see you yesterday. It occurred to me shortly after you and your family left the Cauldron (a lot later than it should have—sorry about that) that yesterday was also your birthday. So, I figured that I needed to get you a present. No doubt you'll recognise that this is an owl. Owls are very good for any witch or wizard to have. They make for damn loyal pets and are bloody useful to boot. Wizards use them to deliver their post. So, this way, not only will you have a good pet, you'll also have a great way for your parents to keep in touch with you and Hermione.
I ain't named her yet. Figured I'd leave that honour to you.
See you at Hogwarts soon enough. I look forward to it.
Yours, Hagrid.
P.S.: Dumbledore told me that since I'd be sending my present to you, it'd be convenient to send your tickets for the Hogwarts Express with it as well. Keep hold of these and make certain you stick to what it says. Do that and you'll be at Hogwarts in no time.
I'll see you there.
Harry looked over at the owl. Its talons dug into his shoulder, but not strongly as it would for a smaller animal, only enough to have a purchase and not be shaken off. He soon realised he needed to tell his parents that he had been a new pet for his birthday by a man that was something of a stranger still to the family. He opened the door to the hall. The owl flew down to the ground floor, where it let out a cry, which was followed very promptly by screams from the rest of his family.
Harry ran downstairs to see his mother cowering at the kitchen table. Hermione was hiding right beside her. Laurence had rolled up his newspaper, and was swinging it at the bird, who was crying in anger and fear, her wings outstretched and beak open so as to strike at the thing in the angry man's hand.
Harry whistled shrilly. Everyone stopped screaming and Laurence stopped swinging the paper at the owl. The owl quickly flew to Harry's shoulder.
"Harry, what the hell is going on?" yelled Laurence.
"It's an owl," Harry said simply.
"I know what it is," his father said. "What the hell is it doing in our house?"
Harry handed the letter to his father. As Laurence took it, the owl let out a cry that deafened Harry and made Laurence step back cautiously. Laurence read the letter quickly, and said, "That man Hagrid sent you this bird? To keep?"
"Is he insane?" Jean cried.
"Why not?" Harry said to them. "She's pretty."
"So are tigers, but you don't keep them in your home," Laurence shouted.
"But, Dad," Harry moaned. The owl flew off Harry's shoulder and over to Hermione's, where she began preening the girl's hair. This startled Hermione at first, but very soon, she giggled as the bird ran its beak through her hair, combing out the tangles. She nuzzled up to Hermione. Despite her initial fright, Hermione took to the bird very kindly. She raised her hand and scratched the owl behind her neck. The owl cooed appreciatively.
"I like her," Hermione said fondly.
"See? She likes us," Harry said to his father.
"She likes you kids," Laurence corrected his son. He threw his paper down onto his chair. "All right, fine. You are in charge of taking care of her, Harry, seeing as Hagrid gave her to you. You feed her and provide her with water. She stays in your room when we have company. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," Harry answered.
"Good," Laurence said, sitting down and reopening his newspaper. The owl bristled at the sight of it. "Please take your new pet upstairs, Harry."
Harry did as he was asked. On the way up, he heard his father say, "Make certain you give her a sensible name. Nothing like Beaky, or what have you. Something truly befitting a bird as beautiful as that."
"Yes, Dad," Harry replied, slightly amused at his father's comment.
Harry spent the rest of that day perusing his spellbooks alongside Hermione. She had come up to join him, as she was eager to become better acquainted with the new owl. Quizzing each other on Potions and Charms and most of all their other subjects, they studied every aspect of the Magical World they now had their newly acquired resources. Reviewing his History of Magic textbook, Harry came across the name Hedwig. As soon as he said this name to the owl, her head perked slightly as if that name, that one word, took on some deeper meaning than anything the owl had ever thought or heard in her lifetime. She chirped happily when Harry called her by that name again.
"Hedwig is her name, then," Harry laughed.
Hedwig quickly flew to Harry and began nibbling affectionately at his ear once more.
"It's a good name," Hermione agreed.
Harry looked again at the tickets Hagrid had included with his note. He hadn't looked at the tickets properly, owing to the fact he devoted most of his attention upon Hedwig. But, now he saw something truly odd about the tickets. They called for him and Hermione to go to King's Cross to catch a train, the Hogwarts Express, on the First of September at Platform 9 ¾. He showed the tickets to Hermione, who took on a queer look as she read them.
"Platform Nine and Three-Quarters?" she asked him. "There's no such place, is there?"
"I wouldn't be too sure," he said back to her.
When the children came downstairs for dinner, Harry told his parents the name he gave his new pet. Jean liked the name, as did his father, who commented, "That's a rather distinguished one. And she likes it? The owl, I mean?"
"She seems to," Harry said. He asked his father, "Could I let her out to fly around at night? They are creatures of the night, after all."
"That's fine," Laurence told him. "So long as you clean up after her every morning."
"Yes, dad."
"And, just, make sure she doesn't fly downstairs too often. Understood?"
"Okay, dad."
Harry also showed his parents the tickets for the Hogwarts Express. They looked at them just as Hermione had done.
"Sometimes, I feel like I've gone completely mad," Laurence said to no one in particular.
"How can there be a Platform Nine and Three-Quarters?" Jean asked.
"However that may be, we won't really know until the First," Laurence replied. "For now, we just wait until we go there."
The next morning, no sooner had Harry sat down to breakfast with his family when Hedwig flew to the table and perched herself on the back of Laurence's chair. Laurence looked back in surprise.
"Harry, yesterday, what did I tell you about Hedwig?" the man asked his son.
"That she has to stay upstairs," Harry recited.
"Then, why is she down here, standing on the back of my chair?"
"Maybe she wants to read the paper?"
"Take Hedwig back upstairs, please," Laurence told Harry. He turned the page of the newspaper, but stopped when Hedwig let out a squawk, almost as if to say, "Hey! I wasn't finished with that article!"
The action surprised everyone, Laurence most of all, given that he was well within earshot of the bird. He turned back the page, most unnerved and surprised, and held it at her eye level. Hedwig looked intently at the newspaper, before she tapped him on the shoulder with her beak. Laurence turned the page in a very nonplussed fashion. Hedwig chirped appreciatively and took in the new page.
Harry and Hermione began to laugh at the sight of their father and Harry's pet inadvertently bonding. Jean took up her children's reaction as well. Laurence could only look on, bemused at the situation, just as Hedwig was. But, very soon after, Laurence could only laugh about it as well, leaving only the owl to look upon the humans' behaviour with something akin to confusion.
Thereafter, Hedwig would join Laurence in reading the paper.
***HPG***
About a week after the visit to Diagon Alley, the family held a dinner to celebrate Harry's birthday with their grandparents. Granddad Andy was eager to hear that his grandchildren were accepted into a prestigious school. Though, they could say nothing to him or to Laurence's parents, Donald and Irene, about it, being that they were Muggles. So, the family settled, against their desire not to lie to their elders, to concoct a story about a boarding school in Scotland.
"What's the name of the school?" Andrew asked.
"St. Ignatius," Laurence replied. "It's a little ways outside of Aberdeen, I think."
"It's a Catholic school, then?" Donald asked.
"They seemed fairly secular to us," Jean answered. "Apparently, Harry's birth parents went there. The school offered him a place because of that."
"We learned their names were James and Lily," Harry told his parents.
Jean added, "They were very respectable people, from what the school's representative told us."
"Very good to hear," Andrew stated. "Just glad you got to know at least a little about them, Harry."
"Well, what about Hermione?" Irene asked.
"We spoke with the school's administrators, and they're eager to see her as a student as well," said Laurence. "Her marks were so exceptional, they instantly jumped at the chance to admit her."
"That's damn good," Andrew said. "Any place that doesn't take her isn't a good place at all."
The rest of the night was spent discussing many of the things in Muggle World they were most fond of—what team had the best of winning the Cup; how business was going for their grandparents; how Jean's garden was coming along. No more talk about the school or the kids' upcoming term came up, which no one minded.
The days since the party bled together. The kids' studied until it felt like their eyes would pop out and run away to stop the strain. But, all the same, they came to be very knowledgeable about many things in the Wizarding World, Hermione more so than Harry, though Harry was quick to show he was more learned in the areas of Quidditch and Defence Against the Dark Arts.
The rest of their holidays went splendidly. The night before they were to leave for Hogwarts, the family had a big dinner, just Laurence, Jean, Hermione, and Harry. Laurence grilled some steaks for everyone. Jean made dessert, a cake with with chocolate icing which she also decorated with a purple crest with the letter H, just like they had seen before.
The whole evening was pleasant and lovely, right up to the point where the kids went to bed. Their trunks and books were all set to go. Harry bid Hedwig good night and lay down to sleep.
***HPG***
It was cold. Cold as a winter's day. Snow was falling, the ground taking on a pure white cover. So, it was safe to assume that it really was winter at the present moment.
When Harry looked to his right, he saw the oddest sight. There was a tree. A cherry tree, and it was in full bloom, its blossoms unaffected by the cold or the frost. Playing in front of the tree was a girl, a girl with claret-red hair. When she looked up, Harry saw her eyes matched his in shape and hue. The girl ran to the tree and clambered through the hole near its base, disappearing into it as easily as any animal that was apt to live down there.
Harry felt compelled to follow her, despite his wariness at playing Alice. The hole leading down beneath the tree was narrow, barely big enough for him to squeeze through, but he was able to get through. The dirt passage was laced with roots and lined with some moss, all of it squirming with insects. Harry gingerly avoiding stepping on or laying a hand on any of them.
A light shone at the far end, telling Harry he was almost out of this dirty passage. He climbed out and fell onto a wood floor. A stable structure made of wood. As he got to his feet, Harry saw that he was in a home. At least, he thought it was a home. It felt like a home. To him, anyway. As he looked around wildly, his eyes fell upon the girl.
Except, this was a different girl than the one he saw outside the tree. Her hair was red like the girl before. Except it was not red like a claret. More like a flaming, fiery copper red. And whereas the first girl had a complexion as white as alabaster, this girl's face was adorned with a spattering of freckles. Her eyes, too, were different. Whereas the girl outside had almond-shaped green eyes like Harry had, this girl had chocolate brown eyes that were narrower than the other girl's. The second girl ran down the rickety stairs. Harry was quick to follow suit. She dashed down the steps, her long coppery tresses flying behind her. Harry followed as best he could, but the girl was faster than he was. She got to the bottom and ran through the door, slamming the door behind her. When Harry got to the ground floor, he threw open the door—to find a passenger train rushing by.
It surprised him, to say the least, to find a train outside this place, but this was a dream after all. Stranger things have happened, he thought to himself as he stepped through the door onto a train platform. No sooner had he thought that then an even stranger sight fell upon his eyes. The train morphed from steel and glass to a long body of scales. The mass slithered past and Harry looked up to see a truly frightening sight—a giant snake looked down upon him. It hissed and reared back its head, ready to strike Harry and consume him whole.
Just as it lunged at him, a roar sounded through the darkness, and a large beast took the snake in its jaws. A sickening crunch resounded through the darkness. The beast released the snake and it fell over dead. The blood gushed from its neck. Harry staggered back to avoid the fountain that spewed from the creature's veins. Harry looked up again to see a giant lion looking down on him. The lion stood proudly, with a dusty flaxen body and a mane as red as the soil from where it hailed. Its lips and jaw glistened with the snake's blood. With a look of regard to Harry, he went back into the darkness, leaving Harry shaken.
When he turned back to look at the snake, it was gone. Nowhere to be seen. Not even its blood was left behind.
Harry looked wildly about the room, seeing nothing but the darkness. A cold feeling rose from his stomach, permeating his very being. A snarl from behind him turned his head. The snake rose over him. Its eyes glowed with an eerie green light, the green light that frightened him ever so often. It bore its fangs, and lunged down at him—
***HPG***
Harry awoke, the sheets drenched in his sweat. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths in order to center himself, regain his bearings. It was just a dream, nothing more. But, he remembered, it was a dream with the green light. He threw off the blankets and picked up a notepad and a pencil on his desk. He strode to the door and walked out into the hall. The house was silent as he made his way downstairs to the kitchen. The front door opened, to Harry's great surprise. Laurence stepped over the threshold and locked the door behind him. Laurence seemed very surprised to see Harry, or anyone really, awake. It shouldn't have surprised him, given that Harry would still wake up from nightmares.
"Long night?" Harry asked.
"Something like that. Paperwork always makes for a long night," Laurence replied, slapping his briefcase, before asking in return, "Bad dream?"
"Odd, not bad."
"How so?" his father asked, intrigued at his son's statement.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Of course." Laurence led the way to the kitchen. Harry put the kettle on, while his dad went to the refrigerator and pulled out the remains of a sandwich he'd made the day before, along with the carton of milk. Harry brought down a mug for himself and a glass for his dad.
He sat at the table, writing every detail he could remember about his newest dream. Laurence looked upon his son with great concern as he did so, pouring himself some milk. Harry smiled wanly at him. With the last detail written down, he slid the notepad to his father, who took it up with keen interest.
"That is an interesting one," muttered Laurence, setting the notepad down.
A silence fell over them, before Harry decided to tell his father, "I think these dreams are trying to tell me something."
"Tell you something?"
"Like, show me something that's about to happen or something to look for, or what I'm supposed to do," Harry explained, and he recounted the correlation he made between the events like the Zoo Incident, the phone call from Dumbledore and the meeting with McGonagall and the dreams that took place before those events. Laurence listened to Harry, but said nothing.
"So," Laurence finally asked, "when we met the owl in the park, why wasn't there a dream before that happened?"
"I don't know," Harry said honestly. "I can't figure out why nothing happened before that, but I just know that there is some relation between what happens in the dreams and what will happen in real life."
"Like they're trying to show you the future?" asked Laurence sceptically.
"I'm not saying that's what's happening to me. I'm just saying that..." He trailed off. With a sigh, he said, but reluctantly, "Okay, maybe that is what I'm trying to say."
"Harry, that's ridiculous," Laurence chided. "Nobody can predict the future."
"All of us thought it was ridiculous for Magic to exist, but we found out otherwise, didn't we?" Harry asked him.
"But, still," he said, conceding his point, but not agreeing outright.
"Dad, as best as I can figure, this is what's happening here. I know how crazy it sounds, and I'm certain there's another explanation out there, but just let me go with it."
"Okay," his dad said. Reading over everything on the notepad, Laurence said to him, "It seems natural for you to dream about trains tonight. You will have to take one to Hogwarts tomorrow."
"Yeah."
"Why the part about your mum, though?"
"I don't know. It might have been just a way to lead me into the rest of the dream. I didn't recognise the other girl, though."
"You never saw the other girl before in your life?"
"Never."
His father looked back at the notepad, going deeper into thought, like one of the cases he used to investigate.
"What about the lion and the snake?"
"I think I might know," Hermione said. Father and son looked over in surprise to find Hermione standing by the refrigerator, a book in her arms, held close to her chest. Her hair was tousled from a night's sleep.
"Hermione, how long have you been up?" Laurence asked her, concerned.
"Not long," she answered. "I just heard you two talking and thought I should see if I could help."
She walked over to Laurence, who wrapped an arm around her and placed a kiss at her temple.
"Now, what did you want to tell us?" Laurence asked her.
She set out the book about Hogwarts and opened on two pages that showed four crests, each bearing a different animal. From left to right, Harry saw a golden lion on a crest of scarlet; a sable badger on bright yellow; a bronze eagle on blue; and a silver snake on dark green.
"Hogwarts is made up of four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindor's sigil is the lion. Slytherin's is the snake. It might be that you have to choose between these two Houses."
"Why those? Why not the other two?"
"I don't know."
"Who else were in those Houses?" Laurence asked her.
"The author, Bathilda Bagshot, didn't list anyone who went into any of the Houses. She did write down the characteristics each House values above all others. Nobility, bravery, and daring in Gryffindor; hard work, fairness and loyalty in Hufflepuff; wisdom, studiousness, and creativity in Ravenclaw; and ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness for Slytherin."
"But, there's nothing about who might have been in those Houses?"
"No, there isn't."
This left Harry with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Why did he have to choose between these two Houses in the school? Who could have been there? Who went to which House? Did it have to do with someone he knew? Or, someone he had been related to?
"James and Lily," Harry called out.
"What about them?"
"They must have been in either Gryffindor or Slytherin. Or, possibly, he was in one House and she was in the other."
"That might be," Laurence muttered.
"There was something about the snake I didn't like," Harry admitted. "Its eyes. It was like they were full of the green light."
"Was there something about the lion that bothered you?" Laurence asked, to which Harry shook his head.
"Seems like Gryffindor might be the better of the two Houses," Laurence mused, though he cautioned, "if this dream can be trusted."
He stood up, closing the book and handing it back to Hermione. "But, that can wait for tomorrow. For now, you kids need some good sleep. Come on, up to bed."
Laurence led both daughter and son up to their respective rooms.
"Tomorrow, you'll be on your way to your new school," Laurence said. "Now, good night."
"Good night, Dad," Harry and Hermione said, as their father gave them both a kiss on their foreheads and nudged them to their bedrooms.
***HPG***
The morning after, the kids were quick to rise and ate light breakfast. Both parents were ready to see their children to the station. Hedwig waited in her cage as Harry and Hermione brought their belongings downstairs. Laurence and Harry loaded everything in the boot of the car (except for Hedwig, who would be situated between the two children in the back seat).
The drive to King's Cross was silent. Nobody really said a word. Nobody needed to. There would be plenty to say when they saw each other off.
The car pulled up to the station. Laurence popped open the boot as Jean promptly jumped out, followed by Hermione and Harry, who carried Hedwig in her cage. As soon as they found some carts to set their luggage on, the family walked through the station until they reached Platforms 9 and 10. Everyone looked at each other, expecting someone to speak about what they should do.
Hermione decided to stop a passing guard. He looked upon her kindly, but with bemusement.
"Excuse me," she said. She stammered a bit, trying to decide on how she would ask this man how she could find what she was looking for. She couldn't mention where she was heading or the guard would become suspicious, nor could she mention the name of the train she and her family sought. Thus, she settled on asking the guard, "What platform will the 11:00 train be arriving at?"
"I beg your pardon?" the guard asked her, almost as if he believed the girl asked him something horribly offensive.
"Where can we catch the 11:00 train?" Hermione repeated.
"There isn't an 11:00 train today," the guard answered in a huff, before stalking away and muttering, "Bloody time-wasters..."
Hermione turned back to her family, dejected but more worried that she and Harry wouldn't catch the train to Hogwarts. She related to her parents what the guard had told her.
"The train has to be here," Jean said. "They wouldn't say so if it weren't true."
"No, they wouldn't," Laurence concurred. "There must be something we're missing. What would a wizard do right now?"
"Look for other wizards?" Hermione suggested.
His question left the family looking around the station, at everything that fell upon their eyes, but at nothing in particular, really. When Harry looked to his right, he saw a group of redheaded people, most likely a family, led by an older plump woman, who must have been their mother, speaking animatedly about the state of the train station. Walking alongside the mother was a girl. The girl had bright flaming, coppery red hair and chocolate brown eyes. Some of the mother's words caught Harry's ear: "—it's the same as every year, packed with Muggles—"
Harry turned to see where they were going. They were walking up the platform to a pillar in between the two, about three-quarters of the way down. Harry followed them, almost as if he were in a trance. "Come along, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters this way," the mother called.
Harry's father came running up behind him. "Harry, don't wander off like that," he admonished his son. "You know how much I tell you that."
Harry pointed to the family. "The older woman was talking about Muggles," he explained to Laurence.
"You stay put and watch them," Laurence advised, and dashed back to Jean and Hermione. "I'll get your mother and sister."
Harry turned back to look at the family. "All right, Percy," the mother said. "You first."
The oldest of the boys moved his cart to face the barrier. Harry noticed that his family came up to join him in watching the family. The boy named Percy pushed the cart and walked briskly toward the barrier. A crowd of tourists walked between the boy named Percy and the rest of his family. When the tourists passed, the boy was gone.
"Where did he go?" Hermione said.
"It's like he vanished," Laurence said in great surprise.
One of the other boys—two of whom were stocky and were most likely twins, while the other was tall and lanky—was about to go toward the barrier.
With an exasperated sigh, Jean said, "It's not like we'll find out how to get there just by gawking at them." She walked toward the family, leaving hers standing uncertain about what she had just said.
"Excuse me?" Jean called out. This got the attention of the older woman, who took on a kind manner toward Jean. The woman's children looked at all of them with curiosity.
"Begging your pardon, madam, but, you see, my husband and I are Muggles, and our children are starting their first year at Hogwarts," Jean explained, quizzically as she didn't know if she were really speaking nonsense to someone who might or might not be involved in a world that she and her family had only learned about within the last few weeks.
The woman took on a much kinder demeanour toward the family, as she understood perfectly well what Jean meant, and joyously replied, "Oh, are they? That's splendid! Ron here will be starting his first year as well."
The tall, lanky boy nodded and smiled slightly. The girl hid behind her mother as Harry looked at her. He tried to smile to make her more comfortable, but that plan backfired as she hid even more, though Harry could tell she was smiling in return.
Jean continued with the mother, "The problem is we're not entirely certain how to...you know."
"How to get onto the platform?" the woman finished. "Oh, not to worry. You're not the first Muggles I've helped through the barrier, and it's simple enough."
"Through?" Laurence asked, slightly unnerved.
"Fred," the woman said to the twin closest to the barrier, "go on through. Show them how it's done."
"I'm Fred, he's George!" the other twin cried.
"Honestly, how can you call yourself our mother?" his brother added indignantly.
"Sorry, George," their mother said, motioning for him to go.
The first twin got himself and his cart into position, and said over his shoulder, "Only joking, I am Fred," before breaking into a run straight at the barrier. Rather than crashing into the solid brick wall, he passed through it as if it were nothing but air. His brother quickly followed suit and passed through just as easily.
"Did they—" Laurence was about to say.
"They passed through to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," the woman said kindly. "Now, let's have this young girl go first. What's your name, dear?"
"Hermione," she said.
"Well, Hermione," the woman said, "all you need do is run straight at that barrier. Don't stop, and don't worry that you'll crash into it. Best to do it at a run if you're nervous."
Hermione pushed her cart into position. She looked back at her family, then back at the barrier and took a deep breath. She broke into a run. Her family watched as, to great surprise, she did not collide with bricks and mortar, but instead effortlessly passed through it.
"Right," the older lady said, satisfied with the results. To Harry, she asked, "Now, you, young man, what's your name?"
"Harry," he told her.
"Now, Harry," she said to him, "you go on and you do exactly what your sister did."
Harry rolled his cart into position, just like Hermione had done. The wall appeared intimidating, to him, anyway.
"Good luck!" the girl cried to him.
He looked back at her. She hid away again, but kept her eyes on him. He felt a wave of confidence wash over him as he looked back at the wall. He could do this. This was nothing, probably literally. He pushed against his cart and dashed forward. As the barrier drew closer, as he could make out each brick and their respective flaws, the wall disappeared. He passed through what felt like a tunnel until another wall came up. Harry kept pressing on, and passed through the second wall, coming out onto a new platform. Standing before him, awestruck about her surroundings, was Hermione. She looked up at a gleaming scarlet steam engine, on the front of which was a plaque that read "Hogwarts Express." Harry came up beside her, looking on the steam engine in almost exactly the same manner she regarded the train.
"By Jove," Harry heard his father say. He turned to see Laurence and Jean staring at the train, engrossed with something they never expected to exist, even in their wildest dreams.
The mother that helped them came through the barrier, with the boy named Ron and her little girl close behind her.
"You best find a compartment," she advised them. "Everyone tends to claim them quickly."
The Grangers followed her further down the platform. Harry caught sight of the sign, reading "Platform 9 ¾—Hogwarts Express". The platform bustled with families seeing off their children. Cats weaved through the legs of the families. Owls hooted in their cages. They passed a round-faced boy looked about his bag for something. A much older woman wearing a hat topped with what appeared to be a moth-eaten stuffed vulture stood nearby. She asked the boy, "Where was he last?"
"He was on my trunk," the boy cried. "I can't go without Trevor!"
As they moved on, they saw the twins Fred & George on either side of a boy with dreadlocks holding a box.
"Give us a look, Lee," Fred asked of the boy.
"Come on," George said.
The boy named Lee opened the box slightly. A long hairy leg poked out, felling the air around the box. A brunette girl nearly squealed and backed away, but soon found herself giggling with all her friends.
The Grangers stopped at the third-to-last carriage. Harry went through the carriage and found a compartment near the end, where he put Hedwig so they could keep it. They went back out to the platform. Laurence helped Harry carry his trunk to the compartment. When they got it tucked into the corner, Laurence went out to help Hermione with hers.
"Thank you again for helping us," Jean heard his mother say to the woman who helped them get to the platform. He looked out to see his mother have a conversation with the lady who helped them.
"Think nothing of it," she said to Jean. "I'm always glad to help any family get to Hogwarts if they don't know the way. Yours seem close. Your children, I mean. Twins almost always are. Believe me, I know. You can never get Fred & George apart for anything."
"What? Oh, no, Harry and Hermione aren't twins. Though, honestly, they're more than close enough. No, Hermione is only a few months older than Harry. And as much as we wish otherwise, Harry wasn't born to us. We adopted him as a baby."
"I was wondering why they didn't look alike," the lady said. "Well, it's good he has such a terrific family."
"Thank you. Oh!" Jean cried, as if just remembering something. "I'm so sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm Jean Granger."
"Oh, my goodness, no need to apologise," the other woman said. "I'm Molly Weasley. You met my sons, Fred, George and Ron. Their older brother Percy went through the barrier before. And Ginny," Mrs Weasley indicated her little girl, "has yet to go to Hogwarts."
"When will you go to Hogwarts?" Jean asked the girl.
"Next year," Ginny said demurely. To her mother, she asked defiantly, "But why can't I go now, Mummy?"
"Because you're not old enough, Ginny," her mother answered, "just like you said."
"I never said anything of the sort," she told her mother.
Laurence came back with Hermione, carrying her trunk. They set it atop Harry's with a grunt from Laurence. The twins Fred & George came to the compartment, carrying a trunk. Behind them was their younger brother, Ron.
"Begging your pardon—" Fred said.
"Would you mind if—" George began to ask.
"—our brother Ron—"
"—shared this compartment?"
"Not at all," Laurence replied, slightly bewildered by them sharing the same question. The twins set their brother's trunk in the corner opposite Harry and Hermione's. When that was in place, Laurence said to them, "Come on. Let's you two say good-bye to your mother."
Laurence left the compartment. Fred & George stepped out of the compartment as well.
Fred said to Ron, "Ron, come on—"
"—Got to say good-bye to Mum," added George. Ron nodded, set down what looked like a really old rat, and left the compartment. Harry and Hermione followed them out onto the platform. All the families were saying their last goodbyes before the train took them to Hogwarts. Mrs Weasley took hold of Ron and began wiping off some dirt from his nose.
"Mum, stop," Ron cried.
"Do you want to get Sorted with dirt on your nose?" Mrs Weasley asked him, as only a mother would. Ron relented and Mrs Weasley did her work as only a mother could. Percy came up, already dressed in his Hogwarts robes, with a silver badge fastened to his cloak. "Sorry I'm late, Mum," Percy said. "I had to sign in at the Prefects' carriage."
"You're a Prefect, Percy?" asked Fred in mock surprise.
"You should have told us," said George with equally mocking indignation, playfully slapping him on the arm.
"No, wait, he did—"
"That's right, once—"
"Or twice—"
"A minute—"
"All summer—"
"I have to get going, Mum," Percy said, pointedly ignoring the remarks of his brothers. He gave her a kiss on her cheek, and walked back, saying over his shoulder, "I'll send Hermes with a letter when I'm there."
Jean bent down and placed a kiss on both of her children's cheeks. "You both," she told her children. "Learn loads of new things. Study hard and get good marks. Make plenty of new friends."
"Most importantly, though," she added. "Look out for each other this year, and every year after that."
"Yes, Mum," the children said, as the both of them took her into a great hug.
Mrs Weasley rounded on Fred & George. She told the two of them, "You two behave yourselves. No shenanigans. If I hear that you two blew up a toilet or what have you—"
"We have never blown up a toilet in our lives," George said defensively.
"But, thank you for the idea," said Fred.
"I am serious," Mrs Weasley further admonished her boys. "Do not get into trouble. Now, get going. You don't want to keep Lee Jordan waiting."
"But—"
"We thought you didn't want us getting into trouble." They dashed off to meet their friend, leaving their mother huffing about their cheek.
"Hermione," Laurence said to her. "You are such a brilliant girl. I know you'll be one of the best students of your year."
"Thanks, Dad," she said bashfully.
"Always do your very best, in everything," he continued. "Help your brother, and stay strong, no matter what anyone says to you."
"I will, Dad," she replied.
With that, Laurence bent down to speak with Harry. He grew more serious. Harry had a very strong feeling that his father was about to talk about what everyone would expect of him.
"People are going to expect a lot from you, son," Laurence told his son gravely, confirming his expectations.
"I know," Harry said.
"All I can say is that you can't let them get to you. Don't let anyone raise you on a pedestal just so they can tear you down."
"I don't even know what that means."
Laurence snorted at his son's unexpected levity. "What I mean to say is that you should always remember who you are. You're James and Lily's son, yes; but you're also our son. We're your family. It'll get to be tough, having to deal with everyone thinking you're this amazing individual just because of what you went through as a baby, but don't let that attention get to your head. You are better than that. Show them that you are."
"Okay, Dad," Harry said.
"And don't forget, if you're having trouble with anything at all, you can always talk to Hermione. You never have to deal with anything alone. Ever."
"Yes, Dad."
"Look out for her as well. And last but not least, learn lots. Get good marks. Make good friends."
"I will." Harry threw his arms around his father's neck.
Laurence patted his son's back before standing back up. "Now, say thank you to Mrs Weasley for helping us get here."
"Thank you for helping us, Mrs Weasley," Harry and Hermione said.
"You're very welcome," the lady replied fondly. "I hope the both of you have a wonderful first term."
The little girl named Ginny was looking on Harry with a queer expression now, as if she recognised who he really was for some odd reason. Her eyes widened as she saw his scar. Harry brushed his hair down to hide it and avoid any further attention that might keep him from getting to Hogwarts.
The train's whistle sounded, causing everyone to make their way onto the train.
"We'll write you a letter once we're all settled," Hermione shouted over her shoulder.
"Goodbye!" Harry shouted.
"Mummy, do you know who that was?" the girl named Ginny cried. Harry got onto the train before she could cause a scene. The moment they got to their compartment, the train lurched forward and began the journey up to Hogwarts.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stuck their heads out of the window and waved goodbye to their parents. Harry saw Ginny running after the train, waving and giggling madly before the train gained speed and left the station.
Harry and Hermione watched out the window as the train wended its way through the city and out into the country. Once they were outside of the city, the siblings turned their attention to their new schoolmate.
"So, I'm Ron Weasley," the boy named Ron said. "Sorry I didn't get to introduce myself properly."
"No bother," replied Hermione. "I'm Hermione Granger, and this is my brother Harry."
"Hi," greeted Harry cheerfully.
"Brother?" asked Ron, slightly confused. "You don't look alike."
"Adopted," Harry answered simply. "My parents died when I was a baby."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Ron said. Harry could tell that Ron genuinely meant it, unlike that blond git Malfoy back in Diagon Alley. He felt grateful for that.
"It's all right," said Harry. "The Grangers have always been my family."
"Who were your parents?" asked Ron. "Your birth parents, I mean?"
At this question, Harry showed reluctance toward answering him. Hermione could sense his unease, and she said to him, "Harry, you should tell him. He's bound to find out sooner or later."
Harry knew his sister was right. Though he didn't want to say his name aloud, he knew he needed to explain to Ron who he was. So, entirely on impulse, he brought his hand to his forehead and brushed back his hair, revealing his scar.
Ron went pale in surprise. His eyes went wide and he exclaimed, "No way!"
"Could you maybe not—?" Harry began to ask, before Ron put his fears at ease.
"I won't say a word," Ron assured him. "Not unless you want me to. It's just—it's bloody incredible. I've met Harry Potter and I'm sharing a compartment with him too," adding a bit nervously, "and his sister."
Hermione smiled slightly. Harry brushed his hair back over his forehead.
Outside the compartment, an old woman pushed a trolley full of sweets and drinks. She poked her head in and asked, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"
Ron brought out what appeared to be a sandwich wrapped in cellophane. "No thanks, I'm all set," he said glumly.
Harry had a few Galleons and Sickles left over from their visit to Diagon Alley. He asked the lady for three of everything, not knowing what she had. He had hoped for a Mars bar, but it didn't look like wizards were familiar with Muggle sweets. Harry was opening a package of Pumpkin Pasties while Hermione was about to taste a Cauldron Cake.
"Corned beef," Ron said indignantly, taking the cellophane off his sandwich. "She knows how much I hate corned beef."
"Why would your mother make you a sandwich she knows you don't like?" asked Hermione.
"It's a bit hard to keep track of everything when you have seven kids," Ron said.
"We only saw five of you," Harry said.
"Bill and Charlie have left Hogwarts already," Ron explained. "Bill was Head Boy his year. Charlie made Quidditch captain for his House. Percy was named a prefect this year. Fred & George mess around a lot, but they get good marks, and everyone likes them loads. When I get there, I might do all those things, but it won't be as impressive as all of them because they did it first."
"It can't be that bad," Hermione said, trying to reassure him. "They'd still be proud of you."
"Yeah, they would be, but it's just as bad I don't get anything new. I've got Bill's robes, Charlie's wand, and Percy's rat." He held up his rat in a very begrudging manner. "Scabbers is his name. Mum and Dad got Percy a new owl when he made prefect. They gave me Scabbers."
Harry didn't know how he could cheer up Ron, so he tried the simplest way he could think of.
"Why don't you have a pasty?" Harry offered.
"No thanks," Ron said. "I'm all right."
"Come on," Harry pressed. "Have a pasty."
Ron smiled and took it. The children spoke about the Wizarding world and Harry and Hermione's discovery that they were a witch and wizard in a very lively manner, while Scabbers feasted on the corned beef sandwich. Harry picked up a box full of what he thought were jelly beans.
"Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans?" Harry asked, reading the box.
"Yeah, and they mean every flavour," Ron explained. "There are a lot of good ones, like chocolate and peppermint, even marshmallow and marmalade. But, there's also flavours like spinach, liver and tripe. My brother George swears he got a bogey-flavoured bean once."
Hermione took one that looked like it would be a cherry or possibly tomato flavoured bean. She popped it into her mouth, but quickly went red and sweaty. She spat it out and chugged on her bottle of soda.
"Chili pepper," she said, fanning her mouth. Both boys laughed at her misfortune. "Shut up! It's not funny!"
"It is a little bit," Harry said. He picked up a box that read "Chocolate Frog."
"Are these real frogs?" Harry asked.
"No, it's just a spell," Ron answered. "You just need to be quick about it, though."
Harry opened the box to find a moving frog made of chocolate. It jumped out to a great height, and Harry caught it just as fast. He opened his hand to find the frog stopped moving. Ron looked impressed at Harry's catch. Harry triumphantly ate the frog and looked back at the box to see a card with a wizard clothed in purple robes waving at him. The wizard had long silver hair and a crooked nose, on which sat a pair of half-moon glasses. A banner below fluttered with the name "Albus Dumbledore."
"Oh, yeah, you get cards with it too," Ron added. "Who did you get?"
"Dumbledore," Harry replied, handing the card to Hermione. "So, that's what he looks like."
Hermione gazed at the card with interest. "He does seem as distinguished as we thought."
"You spoke to Dumbledore?" Ron asked.
"Not in person," Harry said, and he explained about their phone call a month before.
"So...he spoke to you through the fellytone?" Ron asked, utterly confused.
"Yes," Hermione answered, "only it's called a telephone. It's a Muggle device we use to communicate over long distances."
"I bet my dad would be really interested to see that," said Ron. "Muggle things like that always fascinate him."
Harry looked at the card again, only to find that the picture of Dumbledore was gone. He stated as such in great surprise.
"You can't expect him to stay there all day, can you?" Ron answered.
"Muggle photographs stay perfectly still," Hermione told him. "They don't move at all."
"That's so weird," Ron said.
Hermione looked at the back of the card, and cried in astonishment, "Dumbledore has worked alongside Nicolas Flamel?"
"Who's he?" asked Harry.
"Only one of the most famous alchemists in history," Hermione said.
"Yeah, Dumbledore's worked with pretty much everyone," said Ron. "He's one of the most renowned wizards in the world."
Harry picked up another Chocolate Frog when he found a real one beside the box. On a second look, it was actually a toad.
"Isn't this that other boy's toad?" Harry asked.
"Probably," Hermione said.
"If I had a toad, I'd lose him as quick as I could," Ron said. "Mind you, I'm not one to talk, with Scabbers and all."
"We should take it back to him," Harry said.
"I guess," Ron said noncommittally.
The three kids agreed that one of them should stay in the compartment and keep an eye on their things. Harry and Hermione left, he holding the toad as she didn't want to even look at the creature. As they began their walk along the carriage, Harry heard a snotty voice call, "Oi! You!"
Harry turned and saw the blond boy called Malfoy, along with two other boys Harry could have sworn were gorillas made to dress like humans, surrounding him and Hermione. He strode to meet her, as Malfoy said, "What do you think you're doing here?"
"None of your business," Hermione said simply.
"None of your business," Malfoy mocked. "Take it somewhere else, then. Like off of this train."
"What's going on here?" the voice of Percy Weasley called. The Granger siblings saw the round-faced boy was following him. Well, at least they wouldn't have to look all over the train for him.
"Telling this Mudblood to get lost," Malfoy sneered. Harry hadn't heard that phrase before, but he very quickly thought it bore nothing positive in any way.
"The girl can be here if she wants," Percy admonished Malfoy and his friends. "Let her pass. Now."
"We were only looking for the boy with you," Hermione said to Percy. "Is this his toad?"
"Trevor!" the boy exclaimed, adding, "Thank you!" before he dashed off.
Draco glared all the while at her. Hermione matched it. Ron stood at the door to their compartment, watching the scene unfold. As the boy and Percy left, Percy the Prefect said to Malfoy, "And do not use that word."
Percy left and went to the next carriage forward. Malfoy and his two cronies glowered at Harry and turned their attention on him. Malfoy matched his gaze, while the other boys glared down on him.
"Don't think a prefect will be around all the time to save your hide, or hers," Malfoy told him. "What's your name?"
"What does it matter to you?" Harry asked him.
"I just want to know the name of the people I should avoid the most."
"I guess you'll just have to find out later," Harry said, nudging past Malfoy. One of the larger boy stopped Harry from going any farther, grabbing him by the arm, hard enough he could have broken it in two.
Malfoy squinted his eyes as he gazed at Harry's forehead. "What's that on your forehead?"
"Just a bump I got this morning," Harry muttered. He tried to go back to the compartment, but the boy beside Malfoy still kept him from getting any farther. One of the larger boys grabbed Harry's arm and used his other hand to brush back his hair, though the boy didn't so much brush his hair back as shove his hand into Harry's forehead in the imitation of brushing. Harry saw Malfoy and his friends take on awestruck expressions as they goggled at his scar. The boy let go of Harry's arm in shock. Harry rubbed his arm as the sting of the larger boy's grip began to dissipate.
"You're Harry Potter!" Malfoy shouted in surprise. The rest of the carriage turned and looked at Harry with the greatest surprise.
"What of it?"
"It's an honour to meet you," said Malfoy, becoming more obsequious to Harry. Harry could tell he liked this Malfoy git a lot less, especially when he was kissing up to Harry.
"This is Crabbe and Goyle," he said, motioning to the two larger boys, indicating the latter boy was the one who nearly broke Harry's arm, "and I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Ron snorted at the mention. "Oh, you think my name is funny?" the blond boy snapped. "Well, I don't need to ask you yours. My father told me that you can always tell a Weasley by their red hair, ratty clothes, and that there are more of them than they can afford."
Ron glared at Malfoy and his face went slightly pink. Hermione's hands balled into fists as her anger at this boy grew.
Malfoy turned back to Harry, obsequious again. He told Harry, "It would be a good idea for you to make good friends before you get to Hogwarts, Potter. You'll see soon enough that some wizarding families are better than others. I can help you there."
Malfoy held out his hand to Harry. Harry looked at it with revulsion. His eyes met Hermione's and he imagined what would happen to the two of them if he befriended this boy. How she would see him, how his parents would see him, how this boy already looked down on her and his family like they were only barely civilised.
"Apologise," Harry said, staring at Malfoy squarely in the eye.
"Apologise for what?" Malfoy asked, taken aback by Harry's statement.
"For how you treated my sister," Harry said plainly. On Malfoy's expression of confusion, Harry pointed to Hermione, and said, "Her."
Malfoy looked at Hermione with a mixture of shock and disgust. Everyone watched the confrontation nervously, no one knowing if they ought to step in and break it up or not.
Pointing to Ron, Harry added, "And apologise for what you said about his family."
Crabbe and Goyle appeared as though they ready to clobber Harry, Ron and Hermione on basic principle for their insolence. Malfoy had a pink tinge about his pale pointed face. He bore a stony expression as he took back his hand.
"Looks like I met one of the bad families, then," Harry said, walking past Malfoy, followed quickly by Ron and Hermione. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle looked on them with unbridled hatred.
They stepped back into their compartment. Once inside, they shut the door and drew the blinds, so as not to be disturbed by anyone else.
"The Malfoys are some of the worst around," Ron said, once Harry closed the door. "They were one of the first families to turn to You-Know-Who. And when the War ended, they said they were bewitched to do it. Everyone says otherwise, but they can't really prove it."
An uneasy silence fell over the compartment. Ron went about eating a pasty before Harry spoke up.
"Ron," Harry asked, broaching the subject as carefully as he could think how, "the Four Houses, which of them are you hoping you'll be sorted into?"
"Oh," Ron wondered, although if it was obvious he hadn't put too much thought into the matter until now. "Well, I suspect I'll be put in Gryffindor. All of my family went there. So, I expect I might follow tradition. Don't think I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw. And I wouldn't want to be a Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff doesn't make many noteworthy wizards."
"What about Slytherin?" asked Hermione.
Ron grew pale, paler than his complexion should have allowed. "Oh, you don't want to go into Slytherin, not unless you really, really mean to," Ron warned.
"Why not?"
"There's not a single witch or wizard that went into Slytherin and didn't turn bad," Ron said. "They say that's where You-Know-Who got Sorted."
Harry felt the breath catch in his throat. That was why the dream showed him the lion and the snake. Both his parents must have been in Gryffindor. You-Know-Who, Lord Voldemort, was a Slytherin. No matter what, he couldn't end up there. He could not let himself be Sorted into the House of his parents' killer.
***HPG***
A few hours after their last conversation, the train pulled into the station. No further discussion was made about the Sorting or of their encounter with Malfoy, speaking only about other Chocolate Frog cards. The children had dressed in their uniforms. They left their trunks and pets in their compartment and filed out of the train carriage. Everyone around them spoke excitedly about what they could expect in the future term. A large figure stood at the end of the platform, swinging a lantern to and fro. Harry heard Hagrid's voice calling out over the rabble of the students, "Firs'-years, over here! All firs'-years, come on over this way!"
As Harry, Ron, and Hermione drew closer, Hagrid smiled, his beetle black eyes glinting in the light of his lantern, a flowery pink umbrella in his other hand. "Hello, Harry, Hermione." Taking notice of Ron, Hagrid said, "You're one of the Weasleys, ain't you?"
"Yes, sir," Ron said, slightly embarrassed.
"You'll do fine here, lad," Hagrid told him. "'Specially now you have two great friends."
Ron smiled slightly. Hagrid whistled shrilly and waving his arm in his direction. "Firs'-years, this way, or you'll be left behind!"
Hagrid led the children down from the station. They walked down a set of wooden stairs, down to a cove lined with pines. Sticking out from the shore was a jetty, moored to which were several dinghies, each of which had a lit lantern dangling from their bow.
"Four to a boat," Hagrid called out. Harry, Ron and Hermione got into one with the round-faced boy, who introduced himself as Neville Longbottom. The rest of the first-years got into the boats, Malfoy and his two friends got into a boat with a girl who had a face like a pug. Hagrid boarded his own boat. With a tap of his umbrella, he cried, "Right! Here we go!"
The boats floated away from the dock. All the kids looked around wildly in bewilderment. The boats moved across the water all by themselves. As they moved out to the Lake's greater body, they saw the castle.
Hogwarts Castle. It gleamed brightly against the night sky as the stars twinkled just as brightly in the black night sky. Every one of the first-years gasped in awe as they saw the castle for the first time. He heard one girl murmur, "It's amazing," as she gawked in wonder.
"Much better than the picture in the book, isn't it?" Harry whispered to Hermione.
"That's putting it lightly," she replied without taking her eyes off it.
The boats crept across the water. Each boat moved into a single-file formation as they flowed into a cave curtained with vines of ivy. The fleet traveled through a dark tunnel, where they docked at a stone jetty. Everyone filed out of the boats and onto dry land. Hagrid led them up the stone steps on a grass field glistening with the dew of the evening. The gamekeeper strode across the ground, the children scampering to keep up.
They reached a pair of great oak doors crossed with iron bars. Lions, badgers, eagles and snakes of all sizes were carved into the wood. The front of the castle was decorated with a great many stone knights, each armored and wearing a helm that resembled lions, eagles, badgers, or snakes. Each statue also wielded either a spear, axe, glaive, or mace. Hagrid knocked on the castle doors three times. He stepped back as the doors opened on a dark figure.
Down the steps glided a man dressed entirely in black with a sallow face framed by a curtain of greasy black hair. He stared out at the new students with cold black eyes and said to all of them in a silky voice, "Welcome to Hogwarts."
AN: Enjoy Chapter 7. Have a Happy Labor Day (if you live in the States)! Everyone else, enjoy the day when we'd all be going to Hogwarts.
AN (5/26/2014): Forgot to make a mention of Flamel in this chapter. That's been added now. Shouldn't make too much of a difference, though.
