Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. All I own is my original characters and settings that will come up later is the story.

I am rewriting/adding parts of this story to improve it and get rid of inconsistencies. If you see any let me know. Tell me if it's improved if you've read it before. And if you're a 'virgin', so to speak, just drop a line and tell me how it's going.

I'm going to make a calendar and post it on my website to explain the time duration of all this. There are days in between some of the chapters that explain Harry's changing behavior. As time goes by he's adjusting to his environment. I'll post a note when it's up. It might take some time.

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Four hours of shopping later he was loaded down with packages. The Leaky Cauldron was filled to capacity. "Now there are people." Harry got a better grip on his packages and pushed his way through the room. He ran up the stairs and dropped everything on the bed. He threw the window open and took deep breaths.

"Potter?" Snape watched him warily from the doorway.

"Too many people. Way too many people." His breathing slowed down. "Sorry, I--I've become a little claustrophobic." He turned and leaned back against the window frame. I got lots of new stuff. Can I go back now? "So now what?"

Snape's eyes didn't shift from him. "Now we wait until tomorrow morning and you will board the train. I will send you class choices ahead so they can make your schedule."

If I don't have a schedule do I have to go back? "Thank you." He pulled his miniature trunk out of his bag. "I know we both had better things to do today, but I thought you should know that there were several stupid things I could have done that I didn't."

"For example?" And the sneer is back.

"Run into Nocturn Alley to buy something malevolent for Cali." That would have been fun. I would have loved to see her reaction.

Snape moved into the room and slammed the door behind him. "Why would you even think of doing that? It's like running straight into the dragon's la--"

"Exactly!" Harry crossed his arms over his chest. I guess it's a good thing I didn't try it. "Which is why I didn't do it."

Snape faltered in his warpath and shifted. "Yes. Well. Goodnight." He turned and opened the door.

Harry sighed. "Goodnight."

The door clicked shut. Harry set the trunk on the floor and watched it expand. He opened it and put everything he'd bought in. He shut the lid and watched it shrink. "Mind over matter." He expanded it once again and pushed it into the corner. Must stop playing. Magic is not a toy. He pulled off his shoes and jumped into bed.

"If I were a wizard, what would I wear?" Harry stared into his trunk. "Screw that." He pulled out his black cargo pants and a black panther shirt.

Someone is knocking on my door. "Ready yet Potter?"

Ready for what? He pulled the shirt over his head and slipped his glasses back on. "Yeah."

Snape opened the door. "Are you ready to go?"

Nice to know how you respect my privacy. Harry pulled the trunk out of the corner. "Yes. How are we getting there?"

"A magical cab I suppose." Snape's eyes narrowed. "How did you enlarge your trunk?"

Oh crap. I'm not supposed to do magic in the summer. "I asked Tom." He shrugged. Good enough I suppose. "Can we take the underground?"

"You--What?"

And we have distraction. "I want to take the underground." I'm not supposed to stand out. Blending in. Not getting myself killed. That'll work. "I'll blend in better on the underground with all the muggles."

Snape looked like he was racking his brain to contradict him. "I suppose--"

"Good. Is there any chance you could carry Hedwig's cage for me? I can carry the trunk but then I'm out of hands." Keep things moving. Never stop. Never give them a chance to get their sea legs.

Snape blinked then growled. "Yes. Of course. Why not?" He picked up the cage. "Do you even know how to get to the underground?"

"Yes." Let's hear it for underground maps being posted on the internet. He lifted the trunk and thundered down the stairs. The common room bustled with excited kids and nervous parents. He bumped the door with his hip and slipped out. He hummed as he maneuvered around London pedestrians.

"Mr. Potter will you please slow down." Snape was sneering at pedestrians left and right.

He froze and stopped himself from laughing. "Sorry."

"For a boy that did not desire to come here you are very excited." He pulled the door open.

Harry walked into the station. I have to prove that I'm okay. But if I act like I have for the past five years then they'll never take me seriously. They won't accept that I worked hard and learned all this new stuff. So I act like I have no problem with Snape and they see that's something changed. But I hate the greasy bastard. But he didn't actually do anything to hurt me. He's the reason I got to go to the Academy. All right. I'll pretend he's someone I've never met. Someone I may actually like. "I want to see if the laptop actually works at school." He set the trunk down and handed the teller the few pound notes in his pocket. If I mention it to him he won't think it's anything he should take away.

Snape watched the exchange of money. "Laptop?"

He took the tickets, handed them to Snape, and lifted his trunk again. "Cali did something to make a laptop work at school. It has all my favorite games on it. Plus it will link Cali and me. Video link so we can talk." Uh oh. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. If he wants to keep us apart he might try and take it.

"You two seem to have become very close." Snape handed the tickets to the man standing next to the broken turnstile.

That was--What was that supposed to mean? The right train was straight ahead. Harry stepped over the gap, dropped his trunk, and sank into a seat. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? How to answer? "Yeah. I guess." Must make this safer. "No matter who you spend time with you eventually end up with her." That should be safe enough.

Snape set Hedwig's cage on the trunk. "So what did you do there? Besides putting more holes in your head."

Harry laughed. Did he just make a joke? He asked a polite question. This is working a little too well. Perhaps I should shock him. "Yeah well, you haven't even seen the tattoo yet."

Snape sat next to him "You got a tattoo!"

Much better. Harry pushed up his sleeve.

Snape turned to look out at the stone walls speeding by. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is that?"

"It's the Chinese symbol for life." At least he didn't ask how I managed to get a tattoo underage without parental consent.

Snape scowled at someone gaping at his robes. "Why did you feel the need to get that permanently drawn on your arm?"

Harry narrowed his eyes and dropped his sleeve. He's one to talk. "Look at your arm and then try and ask me that again."

Snape glanced down at his arm and his lips pressed together. "Touché."

The brakes screeched and the train slowed. "Time to get off." He handed over Hedwig and lifted the trunk.

The station was busy as usual. Harry dropped his trunk onto a cart and set Hedwig on top. He pushed it through the muggles traveling with their families. A mother pushed her young son onto the train at platform nine. He broke through the barrier. A few people stood scattered over the platform. Harry lifted his trunk and climbed on the train. He pushed it onto the rack in the compartment farthest back. He bolted off the train and took a few deep breaths. This was going to suck.

"Claustrophobia?" Snape was back to smirking at him. It's nice to know that some things will never change.

"Yeah." He picked up Hedwig's cage, took it, and set it on the seat. He jumped back onto the platform. "I don't think I can so this. It's small and dark and there will be too many people." He slid down the wall.

"Potter--"

He messed up his hair. His eyes widened and he smoothed it down again. "Why can't I just transport myself there?"

Snape's eyes were on his hair. Damn. "You have to--what do you mean transport?"

Oops. I wasn't meant to tell anyone that. Cali wasn't supposed to teach me and I wasn't supposed to be able to do it. "Disappear from one place and appear somewhere else."

Snape scoffed. "You mean apparation?"

Let it go. Answer quickly and change the subject. "No. It's different. It involves other dimensions, pocket dimensions or something." He let his head fall back against the wall. "I think I'm okay. I'll just have to open the window and not get on the train until the very last minute."

Snape glanced at the family that stepped through the barrier. "I must be going. Dumbledore will be waiting for me to return."

Harry nodded. "You have fun with that. I promise not to do anything stupid until I get to school."

Snape slowed and nodded. "Well thank you for that at least. Don't throw yourself out of the window while the train is moving."

Joking again. This is getting weird. "I will attempt to do that. Or not do that as the case may be."

Snape was still standing there. "You will get off the train eventually."

I guess I didn't convince him that I'm fine. "I know, but thanks."

Snape nodded and walked down the platform and through the barrier.

Harry dropped his head back against the wall. I guess you can't disapparate from the platform. "And of course everything will be perfect once the train stops. Everything always goes perfectly for me at school." He pulled out his earrings and stuck them in his pocket.

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