Disclaimer: Which I forgot on the first chapter. I don't own Harry Potter or the rest of the J.K. Rowling created and just thank her for doing so. : ) Wow, what a lopsided smile... Anywho, I did create Allie's family (other than Aberforth) and many of his friends, so...they belong to me. evil cackle

Albus gazed around in wonder at the bustling world around him. Towering men and women were hastily doing final checks of their children and their children's baggage. Most were dressed very nicely in Muggle clothes, but he noticed at least one family that was dressed in drab wizard robes; their children all had dirty faces, and the only one who seemed at all old enough for Hogwarts was a scrawny blonde girl in a sad-looking, faded green frock.

He suddenly felt a rap on his head from above and looked up at his father, startled. "Don't stare," Abner told him harshly. Albus nodded, intimidated by his father's tone. Whenever he spoke like that, Albus and his siblings always had to do what he said. They were afraid to think of what might happen if they did not. Abner was normally mild-mannered, but when he became passionate about something, his voice rose in volume until he was practically shouting.

After glancing over at the trunk that Abner was carrying in his far hand—he was stronger than he looked—Albus went back to looking at his surroundings. He marveled at the age of the sevenths years walking confidently by him, some smiling encouragingly. He smiled tentatively back. I'll be that age some day. Allie shivered. It just reminded him of how fast life went. Someday not so long in the future, he would die, and that would be the end of it. It was rather unsettling and depressing.

Sometimes he wondered if it was normal for eleven-year-old boys to think of such things.

He felt his father pull him more quickly through the crowd of swishing cloaks and skirts, so much faster now that he was beginning to get nervous. He heard the whistle of a train close by and looked up to see where it was coming from.

His mouth dropped open.

A shiny, new, red locomotive with the words "Hogwarts Express" stamped in gold across the front was in front of him on brand new steel tracks. Steam was billowing from it as it gave another whistle, urging the children into its waiting cars. Students of all ages were leaning out the open windows of the train to say goodbye to their families; the older ones looked either bored or excited and the younger ones mostly looked nervous, but the fact that they were brimming with excitement shone through anyhow.

"Ooh, Father, can I get aboard? Now? Can I?"

"May I," Abner corrected with a small smile. He was not a cheerful sort of man, but he was affectionate and loved his family. "And yes, just one moment while I find where to put your trunk."

"Oh, sir."

Albus turned with his father. A slightly plump man in scarlet robes and the words "Hogwarts Express" embroidered in gold thread over his heart stood near the closest door of the train.

"Your son can bring that on with him. There are racks to store the students' belongings inside the compartments."

"Oh, do you need help with your trunk?"

Father and son had to turn yet again, this time to face a pair of older students who were maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. The speaker was a relatively tall, thin girl with her black hair falling in ringlets to her shoulders—a common fashion for young ladies her age—and a contrastingly outdated fringe of hair over her forehead that would have made her look younger than her years had the boy next to her not brought out the maturity in her face. His hair was blonde and pulled back into a short ponytail; something about him was completely wild, pulling into play his even currently color-changing hazel eyes and the loose strands of hair falling about his face. The young man's shirt looked a bit awkward on him, as if it were slipping off his slim shoulders. He grinned at Albus, who, inexplicably, immediately liked him.

"We'll gladly aid you with that," he said, his voice slightly rough but kind. Then he bent down with his hands on his knees, closer to Allie's face, and told him, "The name's Leon Potter. How 'bout you?"

"Albus Dumbledore," Allie replied, trying to sound confident in himself.

Leon's mouth quirked a little at that. "Nice name." Then he took Albus's hand up and shook it. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Dumbledore."

Then Albus found himself face-to-face with the pretty raven-haired girl. "Hello. My name is Caley McBramm," she smiled with an Irish accent. "I am a prefect this year, so if you need anything, just come to me. Now, let's hurry up, or the train will leave without us!" she laughed.

She might be a bit brisk, but she's nice, Albus thought as he watched Leon take his trunk from his father one-handedly. Then he father turned to him.

"Albus," he said. Allie looked up at him and realized he was waiting for an embrace. He minded his father's wishes and hugged him tightly for what suddenly occurred to him as the last time for months. "Study hard," his father told him sternly. "I expect good marks from you." His expression then softened. "Do enjoy it though. Heaven knows I did not allow myself enough time to do so." Then he patted Albus's head affectionately. "Go on, now."

Allie smiled and nodded, hurrying off after Leon and Caley; the latter was waiting for him at the door of the train car. The Hogwarts Express was already billowing steam and blowing its whistle, so Caley quickly pulled Albus up into the car just as the train began to move. But even after she had closed the door with a snap, Albus stood at its window, picking out his tall father easily from the mass of waving parents and watching him with a sudden ache in his heart until he was out of sight.