Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, so I cannot be sued. I AM INVINCIBLE! Not.
I am fully aware that Poet has written a story called Hello To Hogwarts that is similar to mine. I have read it and I assure you, there are some key differences in our stories, such as the children of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin and other things yet to come. I had the idea for this story before I read Hello To Hogwarts, but it was that story which prompted me to write it.
kitty: Sorry, but I am not changing anyone's genealogy(spelling?). This may be an AU fic, but the characters that existed in the books still have the same parents. The only thing that changed was Lily and James Potter making Dumbledore their secret keeper, which caused a change reaction (He he. CHANGE reaction. Get it? *crickets chirping in background* Tough crowd.) in the characters' lives.
Midknight: The personalities will be established when they get around people their own ages. I think that's where kids are really themselves. Even if they've never met anyone their own age before. And I'll try to describe the people more, but I'm not that good at that kind of thing.
Star Mage: Of sorts.
-What If-
~Chapter Two~
AJ and Dom practically flew from the room, and were by the wall leading into Diagon Alley by the time Harry caught up with them.
" Where are we going exactly?" he asked after about five minutes of speed walking.
"Oh, we're going to meet a friend of ours," answered Dom. "Her name's Hermoine Granger. We need her to help us with something."
And being late isn't exactly the best start to begging her to help us, either," put in AJ.
"We told her to meet us at Flourish and Blotts. It's the only store she'd actually stay at," continued Dom. "She really likes to read."
AJ snorted. "That's the understatement of the century. She's read 'Hogwarts: A History' at least 7 times. Have you ever seen that book? It's at least 5 inches thick!"
Harry wondered if he should tell them that he had not only seen it, but read it, although only once, and it had taken him nearly a month. He decided against it.
They turned into a bookstore and wandered the aisles until AJ said, "There she is!" pointing to a girl with bushy brown hair and cinnamon brown eyes that was waving at them.
"Hermoine! How was your summer? Pleasant I hope?" said Dom.
"Did you go to Bulgaria to visit Victor this Summer Hermoine? I didn't get many owls from you," said AJ.
"I believe you know why you didn't get many owls from me AJ. It's because of your re—," the girl began but was interrupted by AJ.
"Shhhhhh! I saw Malfoy snooping around in here earlier. We can talk later. Lets just buy our schoolbooks now. Harry do you have your school list? If not, you can borrow mine." The girl seemed to notice Harry for the first time.
"Hello. I'm Hermoine Granger. And you are…?"
"Oh. I'm Harry Potter." He stuck out his hand and she shook it.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry. I've never seen you before. Are you an exchange student?" He didn't know how to answer that question. His parents hadn't said anything about telling other people about their pasts, but he got the feeling he shouldn't go around telling people that his family had been in hiding from Voldemort. Luckily, he didn't have to because at that moment a voice behind them drawled,
"Oh look, the Gryffindor dweebs have found a new friend. How sweet." A boy with slicked back, platinum blonde hair had stepped out from behind one of the bookcases. "What happened to the Weasel? Replace him?"
"Actually, Malfoy, Ron is going to meet us at the Leaky Cauldron. And that was a bit week, even for you. Of course, now that you don't have a Death Eater father to run too, maybe your losing some of your nerve," AJ shot back. The boy glowered at them before turning on his heel and stalking away.
When he had gone, Hermoine sighed softly. "I almost feel sorry for him. Even after all the Mudblood comments."
"Hermoine," AJ interjected, "you've got no reason to be sorry for him."
"Yeah," added Dom, "his father was a Death Eater, and he would've followed in his father's footsteps."
"I know, but still, don't you think that was a little harsh? Malfoy didn't actually do anything to deserve his life. It was chosen for him," she replied.
"I don't care!" AJ said heatedly. "After everything he's put us through in the last four years, he could burn in Hell for all I care!"
"Amanda Jane Black! Watch your language!"
AJ resolved to muttering under her breath for a few minutes as they walked around picking up books off their school lists. Harry's had been included in the letter Dumbledore had sent. Eventually, she started conversation again, this time a bit more pleasant.
"So Hermoine. Did you go to visit Victor Krum this summer?"
The other girl shook her head. "My parents didn't like the idea of me going to visit an eighteen year old boy. We wrote a lot though."
"Are you two going out now?" Dom rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like "girl talk".
"No. We've decided to just be friends."
"Why? He seemed to like you a lot."
"Well he lives so far away and he has such a busy schedule with quidditch and everything. And I don't think it would work out anyways. We're just so different."
At this point Dom interrupted. 'All right, that's it. Before you start talking about emotions, me and Harry are going to Quality Quidditch Supplies. We have all our books."
"It's Harry and I," corrected Hermoine, "and don't waste all your money on quidditch."
"Yes Mum," Dom called over his shoulder as he exited the shop, Harry right behind him. Harry may have grown up surrounded by girls, but that didn't mean he liked to discuss emotions anymore than the next guy.
They spent about half an hour in Quality Quidditch Supplies before the girls came to get them, at which point they went to Madame Malkin's Robes. After that they went to the Apothecary and then went back to Quality Quidditch Supplies so AJ could look around.
"Do you play quidditch Harry?" Hermoine asked him while AJ and Dom looked at the latest Broom model, the Silver Arrow.
"I've never really had a chance. I've read all about it, but I imagine that's not quite the same."
She laughed. "No its not. I've never played either, but before my first flying lesson, I read all sorts of things about flying, and then when it came time too actually fly, it was…definitely not the same."
"Are you two ready? We're going back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Ron!"
~*~*~*~*~*~
No sooner had they entered the pub than Harry heard AJ, Hermoine and Dom's names being called. The source was a tall boy with flaming red hair and blue eyes. Not until today had Harry realized how short he was. Hermoine was a little less than average height and her head came up to his chin. Megan came up to his nose. His sisters were all tall and slim, while he had inherited his father's shortness. Compared to the red headed boy, Harry was a midget in glasses.
AJ waved back and called out, "Hey Ron!" They made their way through the crowd to the boy's table and sat down. Hermoine introduced them.
"Harry, this is Ron Weasley. Ron, this is Harry Potter." They shook hands.
"So," began AJ, "Hermoine, what do you say?"
"AJ, it would mean breaking about fifty school rules, not to mention it's illegal."
"Oh come on Herm. It's only illegal if you don't register. And you can register after we graduate."
"It's dangerous. What if something happened, or one of us got stuck? I've read about it happening before."
"Look Hermoine," interjected Dom, "we have a better chance of surviving if you help."
"Besides," put in Ron, "you know you want to."
By this point Harry was totally lost, so he decided to speak up. "What exactly are you talking about?"
"Harry, do you swear on your wand to never tell anybody?" AJ said in a whisper. He nodded and she continued. "You do know that you can't make a more sacred vow than that don't you?" He nodded again and she looked at Dom. He gave her a nod and she turned back to Harry. "Harry, Dom is…well…he's a…that is…"
"I'm a werewolf Harry." Harry could feel his mouth drop open.
"You can't tell anybody Harry. If anybody ever found out, he would get kicked out of Hogwarts." Harry swallowed and nodded again.
"Why…why are you telling me this?"
"Because we trust you Harry." Ron snorted and AJ rephrased her sentence. "Dom and I trust you. We believe that you'll keep this secret, just like your father did."
Harry nodded to show that he understood. "But what does this have to do with needing help for something illegal and dangerous?"
Hermoine spoke for the first time since they started their explanation. "Ron and AJ want to become animagi, and they want my help to do it. That would of course mean my becoming an animagi too. Transforming into a werewolf is very painful, and they want to help Dom through it. I do too, but I'd rather do it in a more legal way. There was a man, who was working on a cure for lycanthrope, but he was killed in the war and all his research was lost. But," she took a deep breath, "if it's the only way to help Dom, I'll do it."
A mini cheer went up around the table, and AJ ordered a round of butterbeers for them. Thus ended Harry's first day in the real world.