Hey guys :)

New Chapter. enjoy

Harry Norwood

Chapter 3

Over the next few days Harry read a few of his new books. He found them really interesting. Especially the ones on history, laws and important personalities. He learned how the Wizarding world was formed and how Hogwarts was built. He also realised that the Wizarding world was rather backwards and prejudiced. He learned that his new headmaster was rather famous for quite a lot of things and that he would be in the same year as a famed proclaimed child named Grant Potter. He is apparently the only one ever to have survived a killing cursed at the age of one and at the same time defeating the dark wizard that tried to kill him. And he's got a scar on his right shoulder to prove it. The Potter family was apparently one of the most famous families out there and one of the richest. They had another son, Hadrian, Grants twin but he died in a fire related accident at Lily Potters, the mother, sisters place. No one made it out alive in that fire killing the whole family. The book also had a self updating picture of Grant. He looked almost like Harry just with a different eye colour. Harry had bright green eyes whereas Grant had dark brown. Grant also wore glasses but Harry wore contacts. Grant also has quite the long wavy black hair, almost to his shoulders. Harrys hair was not quite as long but it did go past his ears. Upon seeing the resemblance Harry decided to get a new haircut just before his 11 birthday on the 1 of August. Another thing quite similar to Grant whose birthday was just the day before Harrys.

Of course Harry doesn't know his real birthday. He was found on the steps of the orphanage, where he grew up, dressed in a green onesie which had a name tag relieving his first name to them. His birthday was guessed. So with that in mind he had a appointment at the hair dresser just the day before his birthday party. He now sported a new stylish hairstyle. He didn't quite know what to get so he asked the woman working in the shop for help and she showed him some pictures. He picked one where the sides are short saved but not too much and the top stayed long and a bit messy, which his hair always was. It also fell into his face a little bit. She called it a texture cut with a fringe. It works especially well for people with naturally messy hair.

Today was his 11 birthday. Harry woke bright and early. It was just past 7am. He heard Bella running around already. Harry walked over to his window to open the curtains. He saw his Owl Hedwig, he found the name in a history book, still fast asleep on her stand. He opened the window for her and made his way downstairs. In the kitchen he was greeted by his family singing Happy Birthday to him. Bella was the loudest. His mum had the traditional birthday muffin in her hand. It had two candles in the shape of a 1 on it. Harry made a wish and blew them out. They would have a Birthday cake later at the party. The table was decorated with lots of balloons, garland and confetti. Over the table was a banner saying Happy Birthday in bright glittery colours. But the main thing in the table were the presents. There were quite a few. From his Australian relatives he got a few new shirts from his grandparents, a few new books from his aunts and uncles and a few self-made card from his cousins. From his Parents he got a new rucksack for school and a cinema voucher. His sister drew him a picture and got him a new wrist watch, which he new his parents payed for but he didn't care. After that they had breakfast, Harrys favourite soft boiled eggs with buttered toast and some sausages. After that they started preparing for his party which started at noon. They were having a small pool party and a barbecue. Harry got dressed in one of his new shirts,a white hip hop loony toons shirt and his red long swim trunks. He helped his dad set up the above ground pool which took almost three hours.

The first guest arrived at 11am. It was Harrys other grandparents, his dads parents, his aunt and uncle, his dads brother, and his little cousins, who were closer to Bella's age. From them Harry got a few new polo shirts, books and a new video game. Around 12 his friends arrived. He got a few more books and a couple of toys. Harry loved that his birthday was in the middle of summer. No school and lots of sunshine well as much as you can get in the UK. His best friend Sam was quite disappointed when he found out that Harry would go to another school. They were set to go to the same one like their fathers had, but he accepted it. Though he made Harry promise to keep in touch. In the end Harrys party was a huge successes.

The rest of the summer the family spend going to the zoo, cinema, a Theme-park and they even did a day trip to Brighton. Of course Harry continued studying his new books. The introduction for Muggleborns really helped him there. It suggested forming a study group once at Hogwarts and regular talks with the teachers about their performance. The last week of August Harry spend most of his time packing for school. He wanted everything perfect. The night before he left for Hogwarts he went to bed quite early. Morning came earlier than expected. Tired but excited Harry came downstairs already dressed. He wore a navy blue polo shirt with a dark green cardigan over it as well as black trousers with a dark brown leather belt. He wanted to impress his new peers. After breakfast he checked his case one last time and then they were of. It took them 1 hour to get to kings cross station. Harry only had 30 minutes left to board the train. Between platform 9 and 10 he saw Neville again with his Gran. He waved to him.

"Hey Harry" Neville said.

"Hey Neville" Harry replied.

"We were just about to go though the barrier" he said. Harry nodded.

"Let me just say goodbye to my family and I'll be right behind you" Harry replied and turned around to his family. With a heavy heart he said goodbye to his family outside the barrier to platform 9 3/4. Bella cried a little bit but Harry promised to write her as soon as he could and tell her everything. William told him how proud he is of Harry and Clara kept fussing about and repeating how she is going to miss him and that he should behave and do well in all his classes and not forget to write.

Harry turned back around to Neville who then showed him how to get to the platform. When Harry arrived on the other side he was in awe. In front of him was a magnificent steam train with a scarlet engine. There were a lot of people milling about. Some dressed in funny looking robes and some in muggle clothing. Some kids even wore baggy clothes. Nevilles Gran told them to bring their pets to the first carriage where all the other animals where. Harry reluctantly gave Hedwig to the conductor. Neville did the same with his Toad Trevor. Then they made their way further down the train to find an empty compartment. They found one almost at the end of the train. Neville said goodbye to his Gran and they entered the compartment. Shortly before the train was due to leave they saw a big family of redheads rushing along the train.

"Those are the Weasleys" Neville said. "I only met them a couple of times. They seem to by nice. The mother is a bit over bearing and one of the boys, the youngest I think, is rather rude but other than that they're okay. They are best friends with the Potter family. I take it you heard of them?" he asked. Harry nodded. "The youngest boy, Ron I think, is best friends with Grant. And the daughter has a huge crush on him I think. You gotta look out for the twins though they like to play pranks" Neville added. A few moments they saw Ron hurry past their compartment and the train took of. Harry saw the young Weasley girl trying to run after the train. Harry and Neville chatted about this and that. Neville was quite curious about the muggle world and Harry wanted to know more about the Wizarding world. Around lunch time the trolly lady came around. The boys both got some sweets and pastries to share.

"Okay Neville. Who else should I look your for" Harry asked while he was eating a pumpkin pastry.

"Well," Neville said as he swallowed. "Most of the Slytherins like Malfoy and his friends. They are not so friendly towards Muggleborns and their families supported you-know-who. And I think its better if you stay away from Grant Potter. He can be a real ass sometimes. Just like Ron." Neville said.

"Do you know him well?" Harry asked. Neville shook his head.

"No, not really. My parents were his godparents and his are mine. And well my birthday is only a day before his but after my parents died my Gran wanted nothing to do with them anymore. She doesn't trust them very well because they follow Dumbledores every word and my Gran doesn't" Neville simply said. Harry nodded and took another bite.

"So what subject are you most looking forward?" he asked the blond boy.

"I don't know. I like plants and I have my own greenhouse at home so maybe Herbology. My family always thought I was a Squib until I was 8. That's when I had my first burst of accidental magic." Neville answered. "How about you?" he added.

"Well, I don't really know much but from what I read i think Transfiguration sounds quite interesting as well as Potions" Harry said.

"My Gran told me to watch out for the Potions Professor. He is head of Slytherin house and favours them to no end. My Gran is on the board of governors and they get quite a lot complaints about him but Dumbledore insists on keeping him. He was also a follower of you-know-who" Neville said in a serious tone. Harry nodded. They spent the rest of the train ride chatting and getting to know each other. They were quickly becoming friends. When it was getting visibly darker they decided to change into their uniforms. It wasn't long after that that they arrived at the station. A voice though the speakers told them to leave their belongings on the train as it will be brought up for them so Harry and Neville got of onto the platform.

"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!" they heard a loud voice booming over the station. Harry and Neville turned around and saw that the voice belonged to a very very tall man. They walked over to him. He introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of keys and grounds of Hogwarts. When they were all their he led them over to a lake. Harry saw some boats sitting by the shore. Hagrid told them to get on the boats but no more than four in each. Harry and Neville got into one together with two girls who introduced themselves as Fay Dunbar and Joanne Winston. They both had a rather northern accent and looked rather alike without being related. They both had pale skin and where a bit on the short side. Fay had dark blond hair whereas Joanne had brown locks. But their faces looked quite similar both having gray eyes.

When everyone was in the boats they took of on their own. The night was clear and the stars reflected on the water in a beautiful way. Harry couldn't help but to feel both nervous and excited. Then suddenly he saw it. Right in front of him. Hogwarts. In all its glory. Everyone was starring at it in awe. It was truly one of the most beautiful things Harry ever saw. The night sky made it look like a dream. The closer they got the more Harry couldn't believe it. Now he was really glad he decided to come here. Suddenly Hagrid told them to duck and as they did the boats went under some low hanging branches of a big old looking tree. They arrived in a wooden hut which Harry guest was a boast house. They got out of the boats and followed Hagrid up some stairs. There were a lot of stairs and Harry could here some people complaining but Harry couldn't care less.

Harry marvelled at the beautiful sight in front of him. Soon they reached a door. Hagrid led them though the door and they found themselves in a huge hallway. They walked up a few more flights of stairs. On top of the stairs was Professor McGonagall. Hagrid said his goodbye and left them with the Professor.

"Welcome to Hogwarts" she started " The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarted yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair."I will return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." and with that she left. In the background you could hear Ron talking about a Troll that they had to fight and a girl with fuzzy brown hair was muttering about spells that she knew. After five minutes McGonagall returned. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." She said and led them inside. When they were standing in front of the teachers they saw an old hat sitting on a stool. Suddenly the hat opened its eyes and mouth and started to sing.

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

- J.K.Rowling Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone

Everyone clapped. McGonagall stepped forward. She was holding what seemed to be a scroll.

"When I call your name. You will put on the hat, sit on the stool and be sorted. Abbot, Hannah" she said. A girl with long blond hair nervously walked up to the hat. There was a moment of pause.

"Hufflepuff" the hat shouted. She took the hat off and walked over to the far left of the hall.

"Bones, Susan" McGonagall said. Another girl walked up to the hat. She had dark red hair down in a plait.

"Hufflepuff" the hat shouted again. Susan sat down next to Hannah. Harry started to look around the hall. The hall was huge. He read that the celling was charmed to look like the night sky. There were also hundreds of candles floting around. The hall had five long tables. Four in the main part of the hall for each of the four houses and one on a podium for the teachers. Harry saw Dumbledore sitting in the middle in hat looked like a golden throne. Harry turned his attention back to the sorting.

"Slytherin" he heard the hat shout again and a girl brown hair girl waked over to the table on the right of Hufflepuff.

"Dunbar, Fay" McGonagall said. The blond girl from the boat walked up to the hat. There was a pause again.

"Gryffindor" the hat shouted. Fay practically ran to her table on the right side. Harry didn't know any of the others. A boy named Seamus Finnegan was also sorted into Gryffindor whereas Justin Finch-Fletchley became a Hufflepuff. A boy names Anthony Goldstein became a Ravenclaw and a boy that looked like an ugly gorilla names Gregory Goyle was sorted into Slytherin. The girl with the fuzzy hair, Hermione Granger, became a Ravenclaw. After that came a girl named Daphne Greengrass who had really beautiful long blond hair. She was also a Slytherin. Megan Jonas, a short brunet girl, got sorted into Hufflepuff and a guy dark skinned almost bald guy named Phillip Lang became a Gryffindor. An asian looking girl named Sue Li became another Ravenclaw while a cubby black haired boy named Timothy Logan became a Gryffindor.

"Longbottom, Neville" McGonagall said. Harry looked at Neville.

"Good luck" Harry whispered as Neville slowly walked up to the hat. He sat down. It took the hat quite a while to decide where to put Neville. Finally the hat said

"Hufflepuff". Neville happily took the hat of and walked over to his new house mates. Next was a girl named Isobel MacDougal , a plumb short blond girl, who became a Ravenclaw.

"Malfoy, Draco" McGonagall said. A blond boy walked up to the hat. The hat barley touched his head when it said

"Slytherin" with a smug grin Malfoy walked of to sit next to the gorilla boy. Now came a tall blond boy names Ernie MacMillan who became a Hufflepuff.

"Norwood, Harry" McGonagall said. Harry swallowed and slowly walked up to the hat.

"Ah...who do we have here" the hat said. Harry was shocked. "Don't be scared by me. I won't hurt you. Now let's see who you are. Ah an orphaned child adopted by a loving family. Loyal to a point, brave when you have to be. I see you like to study. You helped your sister learn how to ride a bike. Always there when someone needs help. Hmm where to put you. Ah yes better be..." the hat started.

"Hufflepuff" the hat shouted so everyone could hear. Harry grinned from ear to ear as he took of the hat and walked over to sit next to Neville who smiled at him. The rest of the sorting went by in a blur. There were three more Slytherins a girl name Pansy Parkinson, and two boys name Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Three more went to Ravenclaw. One boy named Ralph Tanner and two girls names Lisa Turpin and Padma Patil. Padmas twin sister Parvati went to Gryffindor which neither girl liked very much.

"Potter, Grant" McGonagall said. The hall suddenly turned very quiet. Everyone looked at the boy. He seemed to enjoy every moment of it. He very slowly walked up to he hat. A proud smug grin on his face. Like with Malfoy the hat didn't even touch his head when it said

"Gryffindor" The Gryffindor table erupted in loud applause. Some even whistled. Harry saw the Weasley twins chanting. "WE GOT POTTER. WE GOT POTTER". Grant shook many hands as he sat down. Besides him were four more Gryffindors. Two more girls, one of them the other girl from the boat Joanne Winston and then a dark skinned curly haired girl named Kellah Stone. And of course Grants best friend Ron Weasley. There were also three more Hufflepuffs. One guy named Zacharias Smith and two girls named Charlotte Waters and Fiona Watson. After the last one was sorted McGonagall took the hat and stool and left the hall for a brief second. With a look at his empty gold plate Harry realised how hungry he was. Albus Dumbledore stood up. He was looking at the students with a big smile.

"Welcome" he said. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we start our banquet i would like to say a few words. Nitwit!Blubber!Oddment!Tweek! Thank you" he sat back down. Everybody cheered and clapped but Harry and and few others didn't know weather to laugh or not.

"Potatoes Harry?" asked a voice from his right. Harry looked at the person next to him. It was Fiona Watson, a girl with wavy blond hair and blue eyes. She was holding a bowl with cut potatoes in front of him. Suddenly Harry realised that the table in front of him was decked with the most delicious kinds of food he had ever seen.

"Ah yes. Thank you" he said and took the bowl. Harry filled his plate with lots of potatoes, green beans, carrots, chicken and dug in. Everything tastes amazing. After that came pudding. Harry had never seen so many different kinds of sweets, pies and cakes. He tried a little bit of everything but didn't over do it like some others at the table. Harry took his time to look at the teachers more carefully. He saw Hagrid sitting next to a rather tiny man. McGonagall was sitting between the tiny man and Dumbledore. Then there was a strange looking guy with a turban and a man with dark long greasy hair right next to him. Harry suddenly felt a sharp pain in his forehead right where his old scar used to be. He tried to rub the pain away and turned back to the others.

"Harry you okay?" asked Neville concerned. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, just a headache. It'll go away after a goodnights sleep" Harry simply said. To be honest he had never experienced anything like that in his life. After the pudding disappeared Dumbledore stood up again. Everyone looked at him.

"Ahem-just a few more words now that we are feed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First year students must know that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. And a few older students would do well to remember that as well" he said and looked at the Weasley twins. "I have also been asked by our caretaker Mr. Filch that no magic is allowed to be used between the classes in the corridors. Quiddtich trials will be held in the second week. People interested in joining their house team should talk to Madam Hooch. And finally i must tell you that this year the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who dos not wish to die a very painful death" he said. Harry looked around. A few people laughed.

"He can't be serious?" Harry asked no on in particular.

"Must be" said a boy with sandy blond hair and brown eyes whose name Harry did not know yet.

"And now before we go of to bed let us sing the school song" Dumbledore said. Harry noticed that the other teachers smiled had become rather fixed. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself like a snake into words. "Everyone pick their favourite tune" he said. " And off we go". And the school bellowed.

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald,

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling,

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot.

Everybody finished the song at a different time. At, last the only once left were the Weasley twins singing to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last lines with his wand, and when they finished he was one of the loudest to clap. "Ah music" he said whipping his eyes. " A magic beyond all we do here. And now bedtime. Off you trot".

The sandy haired boy, whose name Harry didn't know, spoke up.

"All right first years. My name is Gabriel Truman. I am a Prefect and I am delighted to welcome you to Hufflepuff. I will lead you to our common room now. Please follow me" he said. They all got up and quickly followed him. He led them out of the hall and to the left. They saw the other groups of first years in front of them. Harry was too tired to even realise how magnificent everything looked. He just tried to remember the way. They walked into another big hall. This one was filled with massive staircases. Gabriel explained that there are seven floors at Hogwarts and hundreds of corridors. Some of them, hidden behind paintings and tapestries. Harry saw the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws walking up the stairs whereas the Slytherins walked down. Suddenly a voice said

"Welcome to Hogwarts" Harry turned right and saw a man moving in a painting. After s quick shock he remembered that he saw moving picture at diagon alley and they were mentioned in many books. Gabriel led them down the stairs as well. They walked down a few flights until Gabriel turned left into a dim lit corridor. Harry saw that the Slytherins were much further down. They turned into a few other corridors before Gabriel stopped.

"All right. This corridor on my left is where our common room is located. The corridor is called the kitchen corridor because the kitchen is also located there. The kitchen is right underneath the great hall and is about the same size" he explained before he continued. They stopped in front a stack of barrels. "All right. In order to get to the common room one must tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff', which will make the lid swing open, exposing a passageway that will lead to the basement when crawled through. However, if the wrong lid is tapped or the wrong rhythm is used, the intruder will be doused in vinegar and barred access" Gabriel explained. Harry heard a few of the girls say"Eww". Gabriel proceeded to demonstrate. When the lid swung open everyone crawled in. Harry was in awe at what he saw. The actual room itself is round, earthy, low-ceilinged, welcoming, warm, and sunny. There are lots of yellow hangings, burnished copper, and overstuffed sofas and armchairs upholstered in yellow and black, and small circular windows that provide a vista of "rippling grass and dandelions".There is also a large, honey coloured, wooden mantelpiece with carvings of badgers on it. This is located underneath a portrait of the house's founder, Helga Hufflepuff. There were also a lot of interesting looking plants and flowers all around. Some even danced or talked. Gabriel was the last one to come though.

"Okay everyone. Welcome to the Hufflepuffs Den or Basement. Through the doors on the far left you will find the boys dormitories whereas on the right you will find the girls. Pleas note boys that the entrance to the girly dormitories is charmed so that boys can't pass though. In a few moments Professor Sprout, our head of house, will stop by to say a few word herself and give you your schedule. Why don't you have a seat" he said. Everyone sat down on the sofas and arm chairs or floor. True to his word Professor Sprout entered just two minutes later. She bid Gabriel goodnight and he went off.

"Welcome to Hufflepuff my dears" she addressed the tired first years. "I won't be long as I know how tired you all are. To be true I am quite tired myself" she chuckled. "All right first things first. In Hufflepuff we value loyalty, kindness, hard work and respect. I want you to treat everyone, evens the Slytherins politely and with kindness and respect. I also asked you to always try your best in every class. You will realise that iff you try hard enough nothing seems impossible. Also if you have any problem do not hesitate to ask for help. Me, your prefects and the other teachers are here to help you. Also i advise you to study in pairs. I'll make things easier if you can help each other" she said smiling. "All right here is your schedule. Breakfast starts at 7am. I wish you all a goodnight" with that she gave one last smile and left. Harry was to tired to look at his schedule and so were the others apparently. They all got up and walked over to their dorms.

The dorms were located in a long hallway. There were seven round doors. The first year dorm was in the middle on the left side. The room was also round and had a low ceiling and the same windows as the common room. in the middle of the room was a heater. The beds were fourposter beds with yellow curtains and yellow beddings. There were also a few plants hanging around. The bed itself was made out of honey coloured wood. It looked soft and warm. In front of every bed was a suitcase. Harry quickly found his furthest away from the door. He quickly opened his case and got is pyjama as well as his toiletries out. Thinking that he saw a bathroom sign in the hallway he and the other boys made their way to it. It was located two doors down from their dorm. It was a rather big bathroom with lots of stalls and sinks. The toilet stalls were of to one side while the sinks were in the middle of the room in in circle. On the other side of the room were a few shower stalls. They quickly got ready and went to bed.

I hope you liked it.

Again I used Fandom Wiki for research. I found most of the first years names there. Some are made up because it only said unnamed student. I wanted to make each house and dorm have an equal number of students. Please not that not every name that I mentioned will be important but some will.

What do you think of Harry being in Hufflepuff with Neville? Trust me there is a reason he is there ;)