"Now, Harry, here's your ticket, you'll need it to get onto the platform. This is the farthest I'm going with you, but look, I think that's the bookworm girl you met a few weeks ago in Diagon Alley. You can help her get onto the platform with her parents. You've got to walk straight at that wall. Are you ready?" Harry nodded while looking at Professor Snape. "Good. I'll see you at the Sorting Ceremony, Mr. Potter. Behave yourself while you're on the train." He looked like he wanted to hug Harry but instead he squeezed his shoulder and walked away. Harry quickly walked over to Hermione and her parents.
"Hello again Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," he said politely. Hermione quickly pulled him into a hug and then went back to staring at the wall.
"I don't understand," she said, and it appeared that having to admit this was painful to her. Harry grinned before simply stating, "It's magic." He grasped Hermione's hand and had her parents grasp her other and help push their trolleys. "Come on, we can do this," he said before starting a brisk walk towards the wall between platforms 9 and 10. He heard all three Grangers gasp as they simply passed through and onto Platform 9 ¾. The scarlet train came into a view and so did the swarm of people covering the platform. Harry spotted a group of red heads and quickly led the Grangers that way.
Once the introductions were over, the three first years decided to try and find an open compartment. Harry waved at Draco as they passed him and then continued onto the last carriage of the train, where they found the only empty compartment. After settling in, they stuck their heads out the window to wave good bye to family just as the whistle blew and the train began moving. They went back and sat down to enjoy the ride.
OoOoOoO
A half an hour later, Harry and Ron were brought out of their Quidditch talk by someone tripping and falling onto the floor of the compartment. Hermione quickly dropped her book and knelt down to help the boy up. "I'm so sorry! I was just looking for somewhere to sit, everywhere else is full, and I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright, you can stay in here with us. Is that your trunk there?" The boy nodded. Harry stood and pulled out his wand. "Wingardium leviosa." With a swish and flick of his wand, the boy's trunk lifted upwards and landed on the rack above their heads, next to Ron's. The other three looked at Harry with mouths agape. He blushed and shrugged his shoulders. "I-er, had some help this summer." He stuck his hand out to the other boy. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."
The boy gaped even more before quickly grasping Harry's hand. "Neville Longbottom. I had some people whispering, but I hadn't thought it was true. You're really here," he practically whispered. Harry grinned sheepishly and sat back down next to Hermione, who had picked her book back up.
"So, Neville, do you follow Quidditch? Ron and I were discussing it. I've only ever read about it, but Ron's actually played." With that, the three boys were off on their discussion of Quidditch.
Some time later, the lunch trolley came along and while Ron mumbled about having sandwiches, Harry bought at least four of everything and shared with his new friends. They were all eating and laughing when someone entered the compartment.
Harry looked up and grinned. "Hey Draco, want a chocolate frog?" Draco looked taken aback by the offer but accepted.
"I, uh, just wanted to say hello while I was looking for someone. It was good to see you." With a nod, he turned and left.
Ron looked from the empty doorway and back to Harry before uttering, "Bloody hell, Harry, that was a Malfoy! He didn't even say anything about the rest of us!"
Harry furrowed his eyebrows at Ron. "Why should he have said anything?"
Ron just shook his head before going back to his chocolate frog card. "Damn, Dumbledore again. This is my seventh Dumbledore."
Harry looked at his own chocolate frog card. "Nicholas Flamel. Hmmm." Sticking his card into a pocket of his pants, he went on to forget about what Ron had said and laughed for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts.
Fifteen minutes after donning their robes, the train pulled into Hogsmeade station and the students began to disembark. The older students seemed to know exactly where to go, but the new first years clumped together until they heard a loud voice calling out, "Firs' years, over 'ere! Come on, firs' years, this way!" Out of the darkness came a giant of a man. He was easily the height of of two men and three times as wide. Wild black hair tangled with his beard and surrounded his face so that all you could really see of it were his beetle black eyes and the tops of his cheeks. He was wearing a great big brown coat that looked as if it were made of pockets and out of one of those pockets stuck what looked like a large pink umbrella.
As soon as all of the first years were gathered, the giant man introduced himself. "My name's Hagrid. I'm the keeper of the keys and grounds 'ere at Hogwarts. If you all would jus' follow me, I'll take yer down to the boats." As they all followed him, Harry felt someone bump into his side. Looking over, he grinned at Malfoy, who smirked sheepishly at him. Hagrid led them all onto a dock that was lined with little row boats along either side. "Now, no more than five of ya per boat, alright? Come on, then, let's set sail."
As Harry began climbing into the closest boat, he saw Draco wave off a couple of surly looking boys. He then climbed in with the others before introducing himself. Ron stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "Malfoy, I've heard of you before. My dad works with yours and, well, to be frank, he hasn't had anything nice to say about him. I honestly expected you to be a miniature of your dad," Ron stated.
Draco looked at him before quietly saying, "Maybe before, but I met Harry this summer, and, well... He made me not as stuck up as I had been. I can't apologize for things I didn't do, but looking back, I am rather appalled at how my father has treated people. I hope that we can be friends, Mr.-" he looked at Ron with his hand held out.
A split second later, Ron took his hand. "Ron Weasley." Draco grinned and shook his hand before shaking the other two hands as well. At this point Harry turned to them with a look of awe on his face.
"Look, it's huge!" The castle had just come into view. Lights were shimmering on various floors and part of the lawn in the front were illuminated because the front doors were thrown wide open.
OoOoOoO
Hagrid lead them through the wide open doors about ten minutes later, having left the boats at the dock closest to the school. The new students were in awe of the huge stone entrance hall. A stern, matronly-looking witch stood in front of all of them and introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor house and the Deputy Headmistress. She then had them all wait in a tiny room off to the side of a set of stairs leading down.
As they all stood around and chatted nervously, it dawned on Harry that he had no idea what was going to happen during the Sorting Ceremony. He had, of course, asked Professor Snape, but all the slightly dower man had to say about it was that it was nothing to fuss over. Professor McGonagall came back and led them all into the Great Hall where the rest of the school was gathered for the Sorting. Harry heard Hermione whisper to another girl about the ceiling being bewitched. He leaned over and whispered, "It's in Hogwarts, A History." Hermione blushed fiercely. The Scottish witch gathered them in front of the table that was perpendicular to the other four. Harry could see a stool with what appeared to be a very old, conical witch's hat. A hush fell over the hall and as Harry watched, a tear near the brim of the hat opened and it began to sing.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can top them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a steady mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
With that, the sorting commenced.
A/N: So much for having the sorting in this chapter... The next one though, I promise! Reviews are my anti-drug!