Disclaimer- No, I'm not really gonna do one of these again but I just wanted to say: thanks, all those people who reviewed my story! I love ya all! Oh, and Maria Kairay, can you e-mail me? On with the fourth chapter!

Harry was amazed as he walked thru the wall and saw the bustling platform. Parents were hugging their children friends were reuniting, and "lovers" were "getting reacquainted". He felt someone at his shoulder. "It's great isn't it?" Harry turned around and saw Ron Weasley behind him.

"Yeah," Harry breathed.

"Well come on then, do you want to sit with me in the train?" the boy asked.

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks," Harry said and followed Ron onto the train.

"Just a minute, I have to go say goodbye to my mum," Ron blushed and ran off. Harry sat down and looked around. He had been on a train before but none as wonderful as this one. He had even been on a really nice one (two of his parent's friends had had their commitment ceremony on an old train). Ron came back a few minutes later, and the two of them hoisted their trunks up above their seats. They took two seats next to the window. "So, who were those people you said goodbye to in the station?" Ron asked. Harry flinched a little, this would be harder then he had thought.

"Them, oh they were my parents," Harry tried to sound like he didn't care.

"Both of them?"

"Yeah."

"So they're gay," Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry looked uncomfortably out the window. "Is that, um, weird in the wizarding world?"

"Nah, my uncle's gay. No problem, although it is always queer," Ron joked and Harry laughed gratefully.

"Do you know what Hogwarts is like?"

"My brothers told me a bit about it. They said it's great, at least that's the only thing I can believe."

"How many brothers do you have exactly?"

"5, all older. Bill, he works in Egypt, curse breaker, then Charlie, he works in Romania with Dragons, then Percy, Fred, and George are here. Fred and George are twins; they're in 3rd year now, big pranksters. Percy's a tight-ass, prefect, yuck!"

"How old is your sister?"

"Oh Ginny, she's 10."

"Is she your only sister?"

"Yeah, she's the baby of the family."

"I always wanted siblings," Harry said half to himself and half to Ron.

"Yeah? Well, come to my house and you'll change your mind really quickly! My house is always loud, loud and crowded and until last year when my brother Charlie graduated, I had to share a room with Percy," Ron laughed and made a face. The two of them talked for what seemed like only minutes but in actuality is was more like an hour. It felt good to Harry to finally have found a friend that he himself liked and hadn't been picked by his parents. Ron told Harry about what his brothers had told him about Hogwarts and Harry sat in amazement.

"If half of that is true Hogwarts must be pretty amazing!" Harry said. "You said something about houses, what's that?"

"Well, there are 4 houses, or dormitories. Gryfindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. I want to be in Gryfindor, my whole family's been in Gryfindor," Ron said matter-o-factly. "The houses were named after the 4 founders: Godric Gryfindor the brave, Rowenna Ravenclaw the brain, Helga Hufflepuff the heart, and Salazar Slytherin the cunning."

"Which house is the worst?"

"Slytherin defiantly! Not a wizard a witch gone bad that didn't come out of Slytherin," their conversation was drawn to a close when the bushy haired girl Harry had seen at the ice cream parlor came in. She took one look at them before speaking.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one," she asked.

"Nope, haven't seen a toad," Ron answered, blushing.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, I was wondering the same thing. What's your name?"

"Well, my legal name is Harry Barkler but my parent's last name was Potter."

"Oh, you're Harry Potter then. I read about you in some of the books I've read," she said.

"Yeah, when my, err, parents adopted me they gave me the last name of Barkler."

"Well everybody here will know you as Harry Potter," she said. "You're famous you know."

"I know, believe me, I know. Wait, I know you, did I meet you at the mall or something?"

"Yeah, you were the kid with the good teeth! How old were we? Like six?"

"Five actually, I don't know how I remember you!" Harry exclaimed.

"Muggles," Ron muttered to himself.

"Hi, what's your name?" Hermione asked Ron, blushing as well.

"Ron Weasley," he reached out his hand and they shook.

"You want to sit with us?" Harry asked Hermione.

"I can't, I have to help Neville find his toad. Bye then, see you at the sorting." Hermione turned and left.

"She was nice, where did you meet her again?" Ron remarked mildly.

"We met at an ice cream place in the mall when we were five. I still don't see why I remember her."

"5 minutes to Hogsmeade!" a voice shouted.

"We better get our robes on," Ron said, getting his trunk from the overhead compartment. They boys changed and waited in silence for the train to stop. Prefects opened the doors finally and they all came out.

A great, huge man was calling the first years. "Firs Years! Come 'ere. Come over 'ere firs years!" They went tentatively over to the man. "Ah, another Weasley, your brother told me about you, Ron isn't it," Ron nodded happily. "Where is Charlie by the way?"

"He's in Romania with the Dragons," Ron answered.

"Oh, I do envy 'em," Hagrid got a wistful look in his eyes. Then his gaze turned to Harry and he starred on in astonishment. " 'Arry Potter!"

"It's, err, nice to meet you, sir."

"Please, call me Hagrid. Las' time I sawer you you was just a little baby. Now look at how you've grown!" Hagrid ruffled his hair. "Now come along, get into a boat," he shoved them gently toward a fleet of boats on the lip of a lake. Harry and Ron climbed into one. Hermione and the boy called Neville joined them and they were off. They went out across the lake. Harry jumped when he saw a large tentacle come out from the water.

"Wow! The Giant Squid, I thought my brother's were lying!" Ron exclaimed. Neville seemed to be a bit queasy and Hermione kept a look of indifference on her face.

"I knew that all ready, I read it in Hogwarts, a History," she said mildly. But no one, and I mean no one could keep a look of indifference when they saw the castle itself. Harry heard a little gasp from Hermione when they came insight of it. It's quite indescribable really, though I will try my best. The castle itself sits up on a grassy hill and there's a hallway type thing that leads from the lake to the dungeons. There are countless towers all around Hogwarts and tiny little huts speckled all around. A giant Quidditch pitch stands to one side of the South Tower.

The first years got out of the boats and made their way behind Hagrid up the winding steps to the door. They reach it and find themselves in a stone corridor from which they are lead up another dozen flights of steps before they reach a great hall. There Harry spots McGonagall who gives him a smile before she turns to the rest of the first years. "Now students, you all will be sorted alphabetically. When your name is called you will go out into that hall and sit on the stool that is in the middle, there is a hat there and you will pick it up and put on your head. Being sorted is very important; the house you are sorted into today will be your home for the next 7 years of your life. Anything you do well will award your house points that will be added up at the end of the year, the house with the most points wins a trophy and the end-of-the-year-feast is held in your honor with your house colors decorating the Great Hall, however, any rule- breaking will loose your house points. Now Aimers, Amelia." She called dozens of other students including Hermione who was sorted into Gryfindor. Finally she got to Harry Potter (a name Harry was getting more and more used to). Harry crossed the floor to the stool, not aware of the silence that had fallen on the room.

"Ah, Harry Potter, I've been waiting for you. You've got brains yes, and loyalty, but also a great deal of bravery, oh and yes, a thirst to prove yourself."

Meanwhile Harry was muttering, "Please not Slytherin, please, please, please, not Slytherin!"

"Not Slytherin eh? Are you sure, Slytherin could make you great you know. You would do well in Slytherin."

"No, I'm defiantly, defiantly sure."

"Well, better make it GRYFINDOR!" A great sigh escaped him and he took that hat from his head. A cheer had gone up in the crowd and two redheaded boys that Harry supposed were Ron's brothers were chanting.

"We've got Potter! We've got Potter." Harry walked to a seat that Hermione had drawn up for him and sat down quickly. Later on Ron was called. As soon as the hat hit his flaming head it yelled GRYFINDOR! The Weasleys all cheered and Ron sat next to Harry, grinning. Many other people had been sorted, even the nervous looking boy with the toad had been sorted into Gryfindor.

Harry just sat back, sighed and couldn't help but think, it's really good to be here..home.