1. The journey to Hogwarts


Albus Dumbledore was sitting in an empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express, quietly and pensively playing with his Head Boy Badge, turning it in almost all possible positions between his fingers... As they went out of a forest, light came glistening on his Badge. He raised his head and looked at the sky.

There were lots of tiny clouds out there, which seemed to be just in the middle of a form tournament. Well that's what seemed to him. Anyway, this one, over there, had achieved a really cute sheep figure, which he thought was the best of all he could see. How nice! ... He put his head is his right hand, and began to think again. How long exactly had he been just sitting there? He took out a Muggle watch, well, 16 PM... They would arrive in two or three hours now, certainly. Well, it depended on the train's speed, but as it was his seventh year, he began to evaluate that quite well. But then, he hadn't taken it so often, since he often remained in Hogwarts for holidays when he could, alone or not. He didn't mind being alone, almost never felt lonely, in fact. Not that he had no friends, but well, they were quite noisy and sometimes childish, weren't they? He loved them, and loved being among them, no doubt about that. He found them really amusing, and felt himself surrounded with life, with them, what was really pleasant. By the way, they also found it good for him to be forced in a quite silly behaviour sometimes!! But though, when he was alone, that was also a good opportunity to take advantage of his own presence, in the calm of... that compartment for example.
Just when he was thinking there mustn't be a lot of first years, if he had been able to keep a whole compartment to himself, 'cause the train was usually really full with students, he heard footsteps in the corridor... It was Charles, he was sure of that, he knew this sound by heart, because of all those times he had listened to him leaving or entering the dormitory in the dead of the night... Charles was a quite nice student, Muggle-born, and above all fascinated by what tricks magic could allow you to... But who was it with him? As he heard a small laugh, Albus immediately knew it was Carola, Gryffindor like the two of them, but a year younger, and then it was just indubitably that Gaia and Gregory, the twins from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, where following them. They must have looked for him in the entire train, he thought, no luck he was in the last one! But then, by the sound of it, they didn't care of how long they've been searching, as long as they were sure to find him now!

Carola pushed the door open.
"There you are! We've visited all the train because of your damned habit to choose the place where we would least think you are, you know!
-But then, Gregory added, we've found some other friends also, that was quite pleasant to see them again!
-Yea right. But why on earth are you still alone?" That was a typical Charles' question, with no answer he could possibly accept for once!
Carola came to the rescue: "You know it wouldn't be Albus otherwise, don't you?
-That's right", Gaia added.
Well, noticed Albus smiling, they were still able to ask him questions and give the answers themselves, so that he didn't have to speak unless he really had something to say. That was perfect, as it always had been with them!

Just as Gaia was complaining a 15th time because her brother still took too much place and was almost squashing her against the window, and as she finally decided to sit on his laps, so that there wouldn't be problems any more, Albus heard some strange sound in the corridor. His friends, seeing him listening, stopped their conversation.
"What's happening, Albus?"
He didn't answer. He would have sworn he had heard someone arguing. Just as Charles opened the mouth to finish the sentence he had interrupted, someone shouted again, nearer, and this time all of them heard it.
"I'll go and see what it is, said Albus... you know, Head Boy stuff... must see if there's nothing serious"

Outside was a girl Albus supposed a first year, since he didn't knew her, and a 5th year Slytherin he knew, threatening her. "What're you doing with her?
-Oh, Dumbledore, still caring of what is none of your business, don't you?
-That's my business if you're trying to harm her.
-Oh yea, I forgot, prefect..." His eyes went to his badge "Oh, Head Boy, now, excuse-me!
Anyway, we were just having a little chat, weren't we?", he added to the girl, which was much smaller than both of them. She didn't dare to say a word, but her face clearly said they wasn't just friendly speaking.
"Go off of her, won't you? You should be ashamed, perhaps even she'll be a Slytherin, you'd be threatening a member of your own house?
-I don't think so. We are pure blood, in Slytherin, you boring M I'll-save-the-world" And he went.

Albus turned to the first year, which was still gazing at him as if he had saved her life.
"Well, he was just having fun, scaring you, he wouldn't have hurt you." She didn't seem so convinced, and still remained unable to speak.
"Anyway, sorry you had to see that as a first event of your school year. You'll see, Hogwarts is far better than it!
-Still, thanks, she finally said. A... Are they all that way in Slytherin?
-Quite, he answered smiling, but don't worry...
-What if I AM in Slytherin?
-You won't."
She looked at him questioningly.
"First, you don't look like them. And then...
-Then?
-I think he said you weren't a... Well your parents are muggle?
-Oh... Well my mum was a witch, and she married a muggle. But then... she died when I was three, so I don't know much magic! My father just told me I was probably a witch, what explained some odd stuff I did, but couldn't much more..."
She blushed.
"Nothing to be ashamed, he added quickly
-Oh really? I was sitting with them, 'cause they seemed to know quite much about magic, and just when I told them about my parents, they all seemed so, well, despising and all, and this tall one began to annoy me...
-Well... They are Slytherins, aren't they? So nothing to worry about! Really..." She seemed really relieved.

Thinking fast, he added "Were you sitting with them since this morning?"
She nodded.
"So you won't want to go back there, I suppose. Come in our compartment; you'll meet people from the others Houses, you'll see they're much nicer, and then... you'll find them at your table when you're sorted, so that you won't stay lonely! There's not much place, he added, thinking of Gaia complaining during the previous hours, but then... you're not really taking place, are you?"
She blushed.
"I wasn't laughing at you, really, no problem with being small, is it?
- If you say so, she said in a highly doubtfully tone"
He wanted to change the subject.
"Where are you from by the way, you've got a lovely Scottish accent, don't you?
-Oh, you've noticed... She blushed again and stared at the floor.
-Yea, and I said lovely, didn't I?
-Well you also said there was no problem being one head shorter than everybody!
-And I think it!"

They reach the compartment door.
"Oh finally, Albus, what the hell were you doing?
- Taking a great prat Slytherin from threatening her", he said. They all noticed 'her' behind Albus.
"Oh, then, do you present us?
-Well, so that's Charles, and Carola, from Gryffindor, and then Gaia from Ravenclaw and Gregory from Hufflepuff. They're twins, he added, noticing her look at Gaia on her brother's laps,
-Oh...
-And you are...?" He suddenly felt stupid, not knowing her name.
"Oh, excuse-me, I'm Minerva McGonagall.
-And I think I didn't tell you, Albus Dumbledore, from Gryffindor"

He went to his seat next to the window, and then saw there was not much place for her, really.
"Come here, he said, I think I can make you a place, if Charles just decides to put this trick out, so that I can move", he smiled. Charles seemed to be quite offended that his friend had seen his fire jerking-exploding-leave, that he had tried to place so that Albus would sit on, but then he said he would improve the leaves soon, to make them unnoticeable!

Half an hour later, the train stopped and they all went out, leaving their trunks and an exploding leaf Charles had forgotten. Before Minerva went to the lake, Albus just patted her on the shoulder. (That was the first time he did her that... somehow not the last... Historical moment, isn't it?)
"So then, see you later!
-See you later"