Parts of this are word for word from the first book which I own a copy of but nothing more in case you thought I did.
The hall is soon empty of all except himself and the Headmaster.
"Headmaster Dumbledore." Harry greets, already feeling the power rolling off of him.
The man smiles in response.
"Harry Potter. I believe we have much to talk about- would you like adjourn to my office?" The boy nods courteously.
"Of course." Dumbledore leads the way through moving staircases and past living paintings and up another staircase which ascends by itself, much like an escalator, to a room filled with strange objects.
"Have a seat." The Headmaster gestures to a seat in front of the almost hidden desk. In the corner a bird made of flame snoozes, head tucked under its wing. Harry is briefly reminded of Hedwig. Dumbledore follows his gaze.
"Ah, yes, that's Fawkes. A phoenix- you know the legend of the phoenix, don't you?" Harry nods, bringing the man down a little for the lower ceiling.
"Yes sir, I do." And he can't help but be relieved that it isn't trying to kill people like Dean said he'd seen one do before. The man smiles again, sitting in his own high-backed chair behind the desk.
"Now- I was wondering if you could tell me about your friend over there?" Dumbledore points to the man still suspended in mid air.
"You can see him! I'm glad- I thought Professor McGonagall could too but nobody else paid any notice and I was worried about whether I got sent to the right school." Harry blushes slightly then apologises. The Headmaster just smiles, eyes twinkling in merriment.
"It's nothing my dear boy. If you would please release the spells keeping me from seeing him though- I'm afraid I still can't quite focus on him." The boy releases his enchantments on the sleeping man and the Headmaster stands abruptly, all gentleness gone. His wand is focused on the man, steady as can be.
"Where did you find this man Mr. Potter?" Harry doesn't move but strengthens the sleeping spell.
"He was disguised as Ron's rat- I noticed that there was an odd bit of magic coming off him so I untangled it." As an afterthought he adds, "Neville and Ron thought he might have been cursed but it didn't look like it to me. Do you know him Headmaster?" Dumbledore's eyes don't move from the prone man.
"You are an incredible wizard Harry- to be able to do so much at a young age. Your parents would have been proud." He still doesn't answer the boy's question, instead flicking his wand at the man before moving to the fireplace and throwing a strange green powder into the flames. The Headmaster sticks his head into the flames and calls out one by one after stating a room name for Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sprout and Flitwick.
After several seconds Harry watches in amazement as the four Professors climb out of the fireplace with a green flare. There is silence as they all stare at the naked man.
"Professors," The Headmaster begins, "I trust you all recognise this man." Quietly all four agree, obviously shocked by his appearance.
"Young Harry here found him in animagus transformation living as the pet of Ronald Weasley and managed to reverse the transfiguration. I think that we may have to reconsider the progression of events on the 31st of October 1981." The hook-nosed teacher frowns.
"Impossible." No one else says anything. Dumbledore takes another pinch of the green powder and calls this time for someone called 'the Minister'.
"Minerva if you could please settle Mr. Potter in his dorm room before we sort this situation out." The stern woman nods.
"Time to go Mr. Potter." Harry shakes his head.
"Um- if you could wait just a second." The hook-nosed teacher snorts, "Would you like me to leave my enchantments on him?" The Headmaster frowns, considering the question.
"If you would be able to remove them, Mr. Potter. I believe we will be able to handle him." Harry does. The man awakens instantly.
His eyes widen when he realises where he is and in the blink of an eye he is a rat again. The bat-like man flicks his wand at it and it goes still.
Professor McGonagall breathes out heavily.
"Well, I guess that is our confirmation. I think it is high time you went to bed Mr. Potter." Harry nods, pleased to have one less thing to deal with. He allows McGonagall to lead him back down the stairs. The wall closes behind them.
"Mr. Potter." She waits, a sad smile flickering over her lined face, "Your parents would be proud of you." Harry smiles.
"Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore said that too." The Professor nods. They walk for a while more in silence. The portraits are asleep, Harry notices as he passes.
"I have a proposal for you, Mr. Potter. If you show as much promise in Transfiguration as I expect from Dumbledore's account I will tutor you personally." Harry isn't sure what to say so he nods.
"Will I be told what's happening with the man, Professor?" McGonagall stills in front of him.
"I don't know Mr. Potter. I will ask the Headmaster." It doesn't take them much longer to reach the Gryffindor rooms. Professor McGonagall speaks the password and a portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress swings open.
"I trust that you won't speak of this to anyone else Mr. Potter." The boy nods.
"I won't Professor." And he doesn't.
Professor McGonagall tells him where he is sleeping and again, smiles.
"You will be a great wizard, Mr. Potter- just like your mother and father. They were both in my house you know?" Then she is gone and Harry finds his way to his dorm, changes into his pyjamas and lies in the bed next to Ron's. For the first time in a long time Harry wonders about his real parents.
The next morning pushes light through the velvet curtained windows and Harry sits up with a groan.
Monday- his first day at Hogwarts.
At breakfast Professor McGonagall hands out their schedules, much to the delight of Hermione.
"We have Transfiguration first! I'm so excited! In-" Harry zones out at this point, only catching the fleeting smile on McGonagall's face as the young witch enthuses about her subject. Ron groans irritatedly but continues eating, unprepared to complain when they haven't really met yet. He accepts his timetable with thanks.
Their first lesson is with Hufflepuff. Quickly he finishes up his breakfast and drags Ron and Neville off to find their first class.
After Ron finishes complaining about the food he didn't get to eat that is.
Eventually they find an older student willing to point them towards the transfiguration classrooms but when they arrive Hermione is already at the door.
"I memorised as much of the castle layout as I could from 'A History of Hogwarts' by Bathilda Bagshot." She states awkwardly, proud of herself. The ginger rolls his eyes at her enthusiasm.
"I bought it as extra reading because it was on the shelf next to 'A History of Magic'." Hermione continues.
It doesn't take long until the rest of their class arrives which Harry is sure all of them are thankful for.
The bell rings and Professor McGonagall lets them in.
As soon as they find their seats Harry's initial impressions of the teacher are confirmed.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," She says, eyeing each of them sternly, "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." Then she changes her desk into a pig and back and Harry thinks Transfiguration is almost as beautiful as the ceiling in the Great Hall. The use of the wand streamlines the magic, drawing less from the user and focusing any part that might spin off and go awry.
Harry just knows that she could do it just as effortlessly without though. He can see it in the practised movement, the fact that not a single part of the magic coming off her has changed or been expended in any way and the fact that the pig is perfectly clean of all traces of magic. He has a feeling that the only way he would be able to reverse a spell like that or even detect it had been cast would be if he had time to analyse the bespelled object and knew exactly what he was looking for.
She has them take notes next. Harry has a very small understanding of most of them but he feels the same excitement clearly portrayed by Hermione sitting on the row in front of them who seems to almost be bouncing in her seat, unnerving the poor Hufflepuff next to her.