Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone: Take Two

by MysticSong1978

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot switch and any original characters I may add in as I deem necessary. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. Should any other literary references be used, they will be so noted at that point.

Dialogue is in double quotes ("") and Thoughts are in single quotes ('').

Chapter Ten:

Harry nodded his head at the boy and indicated that he should take a seat. The redhead gratefully stepped inside and slide the door closed behind him. They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Ron stuck his hand out to Harry.

"Hi, I'm Ron Weasley. Who are you?"

Harry smiled and reached out to shake hands. "I'm Harry Potter."

Ron's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Blimey! Are you really?"

Harry smiled nervously. "Oh, him, I mean, yes, that's me," he stuttered.

"Do you have the . . . the scar?"

Harry pushed up his fringe to show Ron that he did indeed have the infamous lightning-bolt scar decorating his forehead.

"Wicked," was Ron's reply. "Do you remember anything about it?"

Harry shook his head. "A lot of green light . . . and . . . screaming, but no, not really."

Ron flushed as he suddenly realized how painful his question must have been. "Sorry, Harry, I shouldn't have asked." He returned to gazing out the window, watching the scenery speed by.

"It's ... well, not okay, but I understand. The person who took me shopping for my school things told me that I'd be really well known for something I don't remember. I didn't even know what happened until I was taken shopping for my school things. My relatives told me my parents were drunks and were killed in a car crash."

Ron was flabbergasted that someone's relatives would tell them such a lie about their parents. He wasn't sure what to say.

After a slightly awkward pause, Harry piped up with a question for Ron. "Are all you family wizards?"

Ron turned back around. "Er – yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"Why not?"

"Why not what?"

"Why don't you talk about your Mom's second cousin? Is it a bad thing to have non-magical relatives? My aunt and uncle sure think badly of people like me," Harry replied.

Ron opened his mouth, then shut it. He thought about this seriously for a moment. "You know, I really don't know. I'll have to ask my Mum. She and my Dad go on and on about our family not caring about blood pureness, even though technically we are pure bloods, and that Muggleborns should be welcomed, and all that, and this guy, he's a family member! But ... that's ... a really good point, Harry. I'll ask her when I send her a letter about what House I get sorted into. I sure hope it's Gryffindor. All my family has been in Gryffindor."

Harry smiled, please with Ron's willingness to explore something he'd always just accepted as how things should be.

"So... you said your relatives lied to you? What were they like otherwise? What are Muggles like? I really don't know any, I guess. I don't even know my cousin."

"Horrible – well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five," said Ron. For some reason he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left – Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone things they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray ray, which was asleep. "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff – …I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Ron's ears went pink, clashing with his red hair. He seemed to think he'd said too much.

Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.

". . . and until I was told otherwise, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort –"

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people –"

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. I mean, the professor who helped me told me a bit that most people don't call him that, but not why. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn . . . I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in class."

"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough. I bet you'll be great."

"So I've been told," muttered Harry morosely.

"Oh? Who else told you that," asked Ron.

"Professor Snape," said Harry nonchalantly. "What?" he continued, noticing the look on his new friend's face.

"Why were you having anything to do with him?"

"Uhm . . . because he's the one who rescued me from my relatives house and took me to get my school supplies?" countered Harry, not understanding why Ron seemed so appalled.

"He was nice to you?"

"Well of course he was nice to me!" exclaimed Harry.

"Well he is the Head of Slytherin, and you know bad wizards come out of that House. Besides, he's known as the scariest professor at Hogwarts. He favors his own House and treats the others something awful!"

Harry shrugged. Years of experience with his relatives taught Harry to spot arguments that could not be won. This appeared to be one of them. Despite Ron's willingness to find out about his Muggle cousin, it was clear he couldn't connect one similar situation to another. But then, he was only eleven. Harry was too, but with the childhood he'd had, he felt years older sometimes. "Well, like I said, I have a lot to learn."

Ron simply snorted.

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.


Updated 7 January 2017