Harry made his way into King's Cross. He was having trouble staying inconspicuous on account of there being an owl in a cage strapped to his trunk. Eventually, he found a bench near platform 9 where he decided to wait for a bit. He kept watch, hoping to find someone who could show him how to board the train. After a few minutes, he noticed someone with a similar trunk to his approaching the wall separating platforms 9 and 10.

He gathered his things and stood only to completely lose track of the guy. Confused, he was about to sit back down when he paused. Another person with a trunk was approaching. This time he did his best to watch where they went. The girl walked straight at the same wall the other guy did. She seemed to pick up a little speed at the last minute before disappearing altogether.

For a moment, Harry just stood there, completely lost in how to proceed. After a few moments, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see another girl with a cart.

"First time getting on the train?" she asked, pointing to the Hogwarts crest on her trunk.

"Uh yeah, do you by chance know… uh… how to… do.. that?"

She smiled at him and answered, "I figured you might need some help." She moved in front of him before turning back and saying, "Just follow me right on my heels and don't be afraid. Just push through and you'll be fine."

She pushed off and made her way across the walkway moving a little quicker than Harry was prepared for. He saw her aim for that same wall the other had and wondered just what he had gotten into. He watched her closely and almost yelled out when her trolly hit the wall. Before he knew it, she had passed through the wall with her trolley and he was right behind her. At this point it was too late for him to slow down so he accepted the inevitability of crashing his cart when suddenly the world opened up in front of him.

He almost ran into the girl before stopping to look at the massive red and black steam engine in front of him.

"It's quite amazing isn't it."

Harry blinked, finally aware of his immediate surroundings. The girl was standing at his elbow looking up at the train with him.

"I'm not sure what I'm even supposed to say to that," he said, blown away by the sights and sounds around him.

"My friend started here last year and I came to see her off. Now, it's my turn."

Harry finally got his bearings and looked down at the girl. She was smiling up at the train, excitement clearly written on her face. She had black hair and was wearing a white sleeveless blouse and a black skirt with black boots.

"I'm Harry, by the way," he said, offering his hand.

"Oh! I'm Tracy," she said, taking his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, now how do we get our stuff on the train?"

"Follow me and we'll take it to the luggage car at the front of the train."

She maneuvered her cart through the growing crowd before stopping at the first car behind the engine. Two older students were levitating the trunks onto the car while a third was giving directions to the younger students.

Harry got his stuff stowed on the train and was left with a backpack and Hedwig. Tracy asked the older student where the first years needed to go and soon they were on their way to the very back of the train. The first years were supposed to be on the last two cars.

When they finally boarded and found a compartment, Harry stowed their smaller bags and Hedwig's cage in the overhead compartment before taking a seat. The compartments on the first year cars were much bigger than he expected.

"We'll all be together for the first year," Tracy said, noticing his curiosity.

"I thought we were supposed to be sorted into houses?" Harry asked.

"That's not until second year. We'll all be together for the most part for the introductory classes and then split into our houses once we are more established."

"You sure seem to know a lot about the school for someone who hasn't even started there yet."

Tracy blushed. "I've been waiting to go to Hogwarts for a very long time. My dad is a wizard and he always talked about this place like it was holy ground."

"You said your dad is a wizard, was your mum not a witch?"

Her eyes lost a little excitement and she looked down at her hands.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I'm not sure what's off limits in conversation here."

She shook her head.

"No, it's okay. My mum left when I was 2. She wanted my dad to use his magic to make our lives better by tricking and cheating the muggles around us. When my dad refused she left."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But from what you said about your dad it sounds like he was a pretty great guy to have around growing up."

She smiled and nodded. "He's the best. Being a single dad can be hard at the best of times but he made sure I was taken care of."

"That's awesome. I'm a little jealous."

She looked at him and tilted her head before asking, "What do you mean?"

"My parents died when I was really little and I haven't had someone like that in my life."

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, clearly worried she'd offended him.

He ran his hand through his hair before replying, "it's not that big of a deal."

When he looked up at her again she was staring at him wide eyed.

"Tracy? Seriously, it's no big deal."

"You're Harry Potter," she said, still staring.

"Oh," he said, "yeah, I am."

She continued to stare for a minute before coming to her senses and shaking her head, making her hair bounce around her face.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize who you were and I was so rudely staring at you!"

Harry laughed it off, "I'm serious, Tracy, it's totally okay."

She seemed to calm a bit before returning to her more cheerful self again and changing the subject. They talked about the upcoming year and what classes they would be taking. Meanwhile the train was beginning to fill up.

Harry saw a rather nervous looking boy pause in the hallway, blocking the others coming behind him. Someone nudged him a bit and he jumped before quickly making his way to the seat furthest from everyone else. When he moved Harry saw the person who had nudged him. It was a very handsome boy with olive skin who carried himself in a way that said he clearly had money. His clothes were simple but high quality. The chuckle on his face broke his snooty image a bit, giving Harry the impression he was a bit more easy going than his initial look implied.

Behind him came a boy with platinum blonde hair. He looked around, gauging the room and its inhabitants. No one seemed to interest him enough for more than a quick glance so he found a seat next to a pale girl with dark hair in a bob cut.

For the next several minutes people began pouring into the compartment and filling the seats. Eventually, a very pretty blonde girl approached Tracy with a curious look at Harry. Tracy got up and hugged her before turning to Harry.

"This is my best friend, Daphne," she said, smiling before introducing him. "And this is Harry."

"Nice to meet you, Daphne," Harry said, shaking her hand.

"Likewise," Daphne responded, still not quite sure what was happening.

"I was about to come through the barrier when I noticed Harry looking around confused so I showed him how to enter."

"And he's been following you ever since?" Daphne asked, winking at Harry.

"W-What?" Tracy said, instantly blushing. "No! I mean yes but we've been talking and he seems cool."

Daphne laughed and touched Tracy's arm. "I know, I just wanted to get you going a little." She turned to Harry.

"Tracy and I have been best friends since we were little. I like to get her riled up every now and again."

Tracy huffed before pulling Daphne close and whispering something in her ear. Daphne's eyes widened before involuntarily flicking to Harry's scar. She whispered something back to Tracy before straightening a bit and addressing Harry.

"I apologize if I came across somewhat crass," she said formally. "I didn't know who I was speaking to."

Harry shrugged. "You're speaking to me, not the queen. Don't worry about it. I've definitely heard way more 'crass' things than that."

She smiled before relaxing a bit and turning back to Tracy. He could see they were catching up so he sat back and looked around again, wondering who else he would meet on the train.