Authors note: I do not own Harry Potter. The song is from Chapter 7 of the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone.
Chapter 2: The Start
Harry Potter awoke on the 1st September with some trepidation. While his 'family' had practically ignored his existence for the past month, his ingrained fear of any reprisal kept him under constant stress. This was why it took all his might to keep from bolting when he inquired as to help getting to King's Cross station to get to Hogwarts.
Vernon Dursley shifted the ticket for the Hogwarts Express between his sausage fingers with a sardonic grin, barely restraining from guffawing in his nephews face. "Platform 9 and 3 quarters?"
Harry's left eye twitches slightly behind now fixed glass; apparently magic was forbidden to use outside of school but wasn't recognised until after September the 1st came around. His constant use and studying of magic was also key it seemed to keeping his family away from him.
"Yes Sir, that's what Mister Hagrid told me at least".
The Dursley perceptibly shuddered at the thought of the giant man, the last time they had met still fresh in his mind. He grunted out his response as he walked off. "Dudders is getting his thing removed in London on that day, so I'm sure we can..." The man paused as his grin grew back. "I'm sure we can drop you off".
The whole car ride to the station was almost near pleasant for the young Potter. He wasn't hit, he wasn't made to feel lower than low, in fact it was almost a nice trip. Considering the last car journey was to escape a horde of letters culminating in a little trip to a shack in the middle of a storm, this was completely and totally bearable.
Until he was unceremoniously dumped in front of the main entrance to Kings Cross Station, the Dursley's proceeding to quickly drive off, all three visibly laughing at him as the vanished into the distance, where he realised his conundrum. He looked at a wall in between platforms 9 and 10 and began to sweat as he took notice of a lack of the platform he needed. He had arrived at his starting destination... now what?
He could have asked someone, but who could he have know to ask? He couldn't simply go up to a random person and ask where to go, and the burning feeling in his gut and head, with the bile rising at the thought of interacting with anyone put an immediate stop to that.
It couldn't have been 5 minutes after holding back his frustrations from bursting out that he saw a gaggle of redheads shouting about his needed platform. Holding back from going over to obvious large family, he watched from a distance as they stood in front of a certain brick wall and casually walked in to in one at a time.
As soon as they had all vanished, Harry checking the time on a nearby clock, seeing he still had plenty of time until the 11am departure, he gathered a deep breath, a small smile, energy in his legs, and stepped forward a step at a time into the wall.
His eyes, closed instinctively as he passes the border, opened to a mixture of sights and sounds he had hoped but never dreamed of ever seeing.
The scarlet train was mesmerising, and an almost foreign feeling of elation swelled in his chest as he steadily walked towards an open carriage door, avoiding as many people as he could.
It was when he got to the door, that two of the ginger boys, twins, saw him struggling with getting his belongings on to the train, and moved over to assist with smiles on their faces.
Harry was introduced to the wonder twins of "Gred and Forge Weasley" with a spinning head and a shy smile on his face as he tried to keep up with their jests and japes. By the end of it, as they walked off with a friendly goodbye and waves, Harry Potter was no longer as nervous as he had been a half hour previously.
Harry could feel the vibrations of the train as it began to set off, anxiousness flooded his system, thoughts of 'what if, what if, what if?' causing his blood to grow cold. 'No', he thought, mind calming as his breath began to even. 'I'm not there anymore. I'm free from that.' His good mood, straining his face in a near unused joy, was what caught the attention of a passing boy.
Harry spotted the ginger figure stop outside the door of his compartment, wondering what exactly he wanted.
The ginger boy, 'from the platform', harshly rapped his knuckle on the door when Harry didn't visibly show he had his attention. Sighing to himself Harry nodded his head, causing the other boy to look confused, before shaking his head and opening the door.
"Mind if I stay here? Everywhere else is full."
Harry quietly agreed, shyly looking at the boy, who looked at Harry with an almost eagerness. "Is it true? My brothers were saying that you're Harry Potter, is it true? They pull my leg a lot so I thought it might have just been another joke."
He was loud and intrusive, and Harry wasn't much pleased by this. The attitude that was being shown in the brief moments of meeting he considered deeply unpleasant. However, Harry was polite, ignoring the gut feeling he was getting at wishing the ginger would calm down and answering his questions.
"Have you got the scar?" he didn't even wait for a response before half reaching for Harry's fringe. "Let's have a look."
Harry cringed fully m, trying to get into the crevices of the seat, hoping that this boy would leave him alone. Thankfully, he was saved by three boys sliding the door open.
"Hello ickle Ronniekins, just seeing how you and Harrykins are doing."
Harry took a grateful look at the twin who had interrupted, the other one winking at him discreetly.
The two properly introduced themselves, as well as their friend, Lee Jordan and moved their belongings in to the compartment.
They were funny and they were friendly. Fred, George and Lee gave off auras of humour and enjoyment, and Harry, despite his nervousness which had been especially tested with the younger Weasley, had found himself enjoying their company.
The three of them, the twins especially, seemed to go out of their way to entice the soft giggles of the last Potter out as much as they could. Yet every minute that went past, the redness of the youngest Weasley there grew bolder and bolder as Harry Potter's attention was less and less on him.
Harry though, with Lee Jordan howling with unrestrained laughter next to him, was enjoying this new feeling. It felt as if the sun was shining so far above him that all other feelings dissipated. He learned of the Weasley's large family, jealousy was immediately crushed as he discovered Bill Weasley the tomb raider, Charlie Weasley with dragons. With their pompous older prefect brother Percy, and their little sister Ginny who was the only girl in a crowd of boys. Lee was an only child though, both parents magical who had 'fallen in with the terrible influences' from day one.
Looking over at Ron though, Harry felt a burst of sympathy. He did know what's it's like to be placed in the shadow of others; his cousin was always placed number one, and Ron Weasley had 6 others to contend with.
Harry fiddled idly with his wand, finding a measure of comfort in tracing it over with his finger. His voice halting in his throat as he felt a strange need to show some magic in some twisted way of opening up to his newfound acquaintances.
"Anything from the trolley dears?"
The others begged off the woman, slightly uncomfortable looks crossing their faces. Harry looked at the loaded trolley, then into the warm eyes of the woman caring for it. He didn't recognise any of what was being sold but it all looked so tantalising for him. Chocolate frogs, cauldron cakes, and something that looked like jelly bean.
"May I have some of everything to try please?" he asked in his gentle voice, pulling out some gold and silver, a deep blush gracing his features.
George and Lee took the preferred items in their arms as Harry let out a half-grin, explaining that they were all to share. They had not asked him to spend his money on them, but they had been so nice to him, that, even unknowingly, he was gauging their reactions to his hand of generosity. Ron immediately dived headfirst into the breach, but the others all said happy 'thank you's' and unexpected offers of repayment that Harry ignored.
The others explained what each food item was, their magics and such, which was warmly received with a light giggle.
When the messy brown-haired girl barged open the door, a slightly chubby boy trailing in her wake, Harry was thinking how thankful he was that they hadn't tried to pry into his life. He had spotted a collective look between them, noticed after years of surviving by spotting people's tells, but chose to ignore it for the happy feeling he was getting instead.
"Have any of you seen a road anywhere? Neville here has lost one." Her voice was clipped, well spoken, and snobbish.
Harry and the others shook their heads, the twins simultaneously saying "nope not in here we haven't", and that should have been the end of it. Instead , the girls' eagle eyes locked on to the wand that Harry fingered with as it laid across his lap.
"Are you doing magic?"
Lee looked incredulously at the girl. He whispered conspiratorially to Harry, "Is she blind or something? We're obviously not!"
"I'm Hermione Granger, both my parents are muggles, so much of a shock when Professor McGonagall came to tell us I was a witch!"
The girl didn't stop talking, explaining how she's read so far ahead and how much she had practiced. It was not until she spotted Harry's slight frown that she asked for their names. When she started exclaiming all over his fame and how he was in books, Fred and George decided to provide some distance.
"Think maybe you should get a prefect," said George.
"Nearly there anyway, sky's getting dark, always a good sign."
"Or a bad one dear brother."
"Teachers."
"Lessons."
"Detention."
"Filch".
"She already left," grinned Lee, already used to their antics, although Ron kept changing between visible annoyance, and what he obviously thought were secretive glances towards Harry.
The boy in question was feeling sick, the butterflies floating around his stomach at the concept of something as new as Hogwarts no longer being a distant possibility, and for the intensity of Hermione Granger. Her personality was off putting, and the forwardness unpleasant.
The group pulled the blinds and quickly got changed, the, as Harry now noticed with some awe, impossibly expanded compartment allowing for enough room for them all to do it comfortably. Just a few minutes after they were done the train began slowing, then, after the roiling began to increase in Harry's gut, the train stopped.
A voice called out to leave the luggage in the train, which was followed by the sounds of all doors opening at once. The group got up together, Harry pocketing his wand, and they left the train.
Mountains sprang up in the near distance, and Harry smelt the slightly cool fresh air as a breeze gently caressed him. A loud booming voice calling for first years dragged his attention away. The older boys saying their farewells all grins.
Harry gained a forlorn look for but a moment as he saw Mister Hagrid was the one calling for the new starts.
"Hello Mister Hagrid," he intoned softly.
Hagrid looked down at Harry with a favourable smile. "Y'alrigh' Harry?"
He nodded his assent, a light grin pointed towards Ron as he looked shocked at seeing a man as large as Rubeus Hagrid in the flesh.
"Alrigh' you lo', follow me ta the boats."
The cluster of prospective students trickled slowly down the path behind Hagrid, excited whispers trailing behind them. The girl, Hermione, was talking the ear off of anyone who would listen, and Ron was muttering something inaudible to anyone but himself. Harry simply fought back his nervousness.
'What if I'm not good enough for magic. I've practiced and read and tried but what if it's not enough?' A morbid thought flashed in and out of his head, gone before it could linger. A thought of paranoia and a wish to escape. However thoughts of what magic was, of Hagrid's gentleness, and the happy time he spent on the train pervaded every sense he had. So he put one foot in front of the other, and an excitement he had only felt after being told about magic filled him. 'I'm going to learn magic!'
The path twisted and turned, transferring from stone to dirt quickly. Trees blocked all vision, and an unnatural silence filled the air, beaten back only by the soft footfalls of the group.
He had not noticed the path creeping steadily downhill, until he noticed many rowboats moored to a small dock. Looking behind him he saw the faces of nervous children, and the pathway leading back up to the train station.
"Now, no more 'an four to a boat!" echoed Hagrid's now booming voice.
Harry deftly clambered in to the first boat he spotted, turning to assist a thankful Ron. A tiny girl, about the size of himself, looked at the boat he was in, so Harry offered his hand, which was accepted with a light blush and a small thank you.
Harry nodded and whispered a "you are welcome" to the girl, who Harry could see squint in the dark towards his forehead, before she blushed deeper at being caught out.
He sighed in response, fearing that this would be a common occurrence, and not for the first time in his life, felt an overwhelming force of needing his parents.
"Come on mate, move over," Ron complained next to him, so as to allow another girl to clamber aboard with little grace.
Harry shook his head free from the thoughts, marvelling, mouth slightly open as the boats began a slow, steady movement. Harry looked down and saw the ripples as the boat glided unaided in the water. 'Brilliant'.
Hearing that girl again nattering on about the things she had read about Hogwarts was really starting to grate on his nerves; he could hear her from a sizable distance. 'She's probably nervous too.' He shook his head and looked forward.
When the boat turned a corner sharply, electricity flooded his body. 'I'm home.'
The castle was enormous, larger than any he had ever heard of, and it was beautiful, and it was where he was going to study, and now where he was going to live. His eyes closed as he imagined the feeling of magic graze against his skin. They reopened as he ignored the disgruntled sound of his redheaded boat mate trying to get his attention. He wanted to remember this picture in his mind forever.
Too soon it was when they docked on the other end, but a feeling of completeness engulfed Harry as he and the others followed Hagrid up so much more steps towards his future. The large great doors opened , and in front of him was a stern woman who nodded in greeting to Hagrid.
She was an older woman, faint lines of age showing on her face, with strands of grey held neatly underneath a large dark green witches hat.
"Thank you Hagrid," she said in an almost hurried Scottish lilt. "I will take it from here." She crooked a finger, and with a sharp turn, continued the journey inside the castle of Hogwarts.
Harry received a wink and a wave as Hagrid trudged off through a door much smaller than himself, and hurried his small legs after the group of people in front of him.
The woman introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress, and further explained the situation for all first years. At this the horrible feeling in Harry's gut returned with a vengeance. He stood rooted to the spot, a feeling of coldness struck his skin, where small rivulets of sweat dripped unnoticeable under his school robes.
He barely took notice when McGonagall turned and left, or when the chattering of the first years began to grow, or when an annoyed Ron Weasley gave up attempting to get his attention and instead turn to another boy for conversation. He only barely glanced at the shrieks as translucent beings appeared out of nowhere to shocked shrieks, such were his nerves effecting him.
"I heard the rumours on the train, but did not know if they were true." The voice was high, and came from a light blond boy looking directly at him, a hungry glint coming from his eyes as they raked over his form. His lip curled up in an arrogant smirk as he took in all physical aspects that was Harry. "Harry Potter. My name is Draco Malfoy."
Harry tentatively took the boys hand, a weak handshake, which increased the strength of the smirk on Draco's face. "You'll be finding that there are some of us in this world who are better than others. It would be much better for you if you were to let me help you see this world for what it truly is."
His attitude was arrogant and severely off putting, even more so than his brief time with the Granger girl. Harry's eye twitched and he tried and failed to open his mouth to respond.
"At least you have not shown to be involved with the..." he paused, head turning as he glanced at the present company, lingering on the Weasley. "Wrong sort."
Harry simply nodded, overwhelmed with the attention he was getting. Hagrid had told him that he was an icon, and that he was considerably famous for something that was admittedly the worst event of his life, but he did not appreciate how people were reacting to him already.
McGonagall had returned, allowing Harry to forgo any response; a negative response was rolling around his head, almost uncontrollably about to be blurted out. Such bigotry was obvious to him, and an attitude towards people he had not even met was something he considered wrong. Sure, the Weasley irritated him, but Harry did not know him. 'Wrong sort' Malfoy had uttered. What did that even mean?
It didn't matter anyway, McGonagall opened the doors with a flick of her wand, Malfoy turned to follow the crowd, and the magic of Hogwarts was truly visible to Harry Potter for the first time.
The hall was enormous, with four long tables taking up a majority of the space as they began lined up with the great doors they just walked through. What was obviously the staff table faced the students at the other end of the hall, and all eyes were on him. At that was how it felt.
As he walked down the middle of the hall, to his left he caught the eye of the Weasley twins, both giving over exaggerated winks at him, immediatelylifting his spirits.
When they reached the end, the Professor moved to the side, grabbed a ratty old stereotypical witches hat, and placed it upon a stool. He stared almost dumbly at the item in question, wondering what was to happen. Hagrid and his new friends from the train had explained to him the house system and his they were to be 'sorted' but none of them had told him exactly how.
A rim near at the base of the hat opened and Harry was once again reminded how much magic could be impressive, as the hat began 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 Gryffindor's apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuff's 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!"
The applause thundered throughout the hall as Harry clapped unthinkingly along with them. 'It thinks!' he thought in awe, 'But what is it going to do?'
His answer came almost immediately as Professor McGonagall began listing off names. "Susan Bones!."
The girl who jumped into his boat last stumbled forward, shaking nervously as she turned to face the students and place herself onto the stool. The hat practically drowned her head as McGonagall deftly placed it upon her. It only took a few seconds before the hat shouted out the word "Hufflepuff!"
It carried on in this vein as the names were read off one by one, the Granger girl going to Gryffindor, while Malfoy was sent to Slytherin. Finally, "Harry Potter!" was shouted to the school, and the intensity directed towards him was near palpable.
He was completely numb by the time the hat was placed on him, his tiny frame smothered by the feel of the object, almost glad that he would no longer be able to see the gazes of the school.
'Isn't this an interesting mind?'
'Hello Mister Hat.'
Harry could hear a sound like laughter, but not an unpleasant one. 'Hello to you too Mr Potter. Now, shall we see where to put you?'
'Yes please.'
'My, my how polite. Oh my, such loyalty to those you have only met fleetingly. So full of want and need.' The hat paused. Harry held back a gentle laugh, imagining the hat needing to take a breath. 'A desire for connection, yes, yes I see. Truly the potential for loyalty; Helga would be most pleased to have you in her house. But what is this? An ambition too? But an ambition for what I wonder?'
Harry had no way to know if the bated breath the four houses were holding, each one wondering where the boy who lived would end up, each hoping it would be their own house.
'I'll go wherever you think best Mister Hat.'
'Oh I know Mr Potter, it is, however, very difficult to place you. For I see a bravery within you, one that not even you have seen inside yourself. It lingers there, on the edge of your soul, and it will truly reveal itself when you least expect it. And, oh my, such a thirst for knowledge, and such desire. Magic really is appreciated by you is it not Mr Potter? Well I know where to put you now at least. Though all four would suit you, each house will effect you, but you would do best in... GRYFFINDOR!'
The hat was removed to the sound of what seemed like drums as the table of red and gold erupted into cheers and applause. Harry leapt off the stool, thanking McGonagall, which gained a small smile in response. His walk was hurried as he moved to a new empty space in between an older girl with long, black hair and kind eyes, as well as either Fred or George Weasley who was shouting "WE GOT POTTER!" to the heavens of the magically reflected ceiling that portrayed the night sky.
The cheering died down soon after, allowing the sorting to continue unimpeded. Ron soon made his way over to the table, sitting next to another first year, Seamus Finnegan, and another redhead that Harry recognised from King's Cross. The last name was sorted, Zabini into Slytherin, and a long-bearded man rose from a gilded throne in the middle of the staff table.
The man, headmaster of the school, was apparently Albus Dumbledore, a near legendary figure apparently. Harry thought he looked wise, and that he held a grandfatherly feel to him, at least from what he assumed it would have felt like.
"And the third floor corridor is out of bounds for all those who do not wish to die a painful death."
Harry looked concernedly at the Weasley twin, who was already unhappy about the added lost of now prohibited items to the school. The twin shrugged his shoulders, a face of confusion also on his face, yet still managing to unintentionally calm Harry's racing nerves by just responding.
His whole mind shut down as he turned back to face forward. Dumbledore had sat down, and a veritable feast was heaped in front of him. Any kind of food that he could think of was splashed in front of him, resplendent in its appearance. He looked down to see gold and silver cutlery and dishes to eat with and his mouth dried up instantly.
He ate sparingly, sinking in to himself as the noise rose to unbounded levels of chaos. The older girls cooed at him thinking him cute, while the older boys tried to pry food onto his plate.
He was told about all the teachers, what the taught and what their names were, but he could not exactly picture them, nor remember everything he was told. He learnt the names properly of his fellow first year Gryffindor's as they explained who they were and how they learned about magic, whether inherited through family or not. He also learned the name of the people around him, with Fred and George introducing him to three girls on his right: Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell who was sat directly next to him.
It turned out they were hopefuls on the quidditch team, all three extremely close friends who had originally bonded over the love of the sport, even if Katie was a year below them.
It made Harry dizzy, uncomfortable, but also welcome and appreciated. It began to sink in that he was to be away from Privet Drive, and in a place of real magic. It was a dream that had made it's way into reality.
People asked him about his life, their own fantasy's and fairy tales the first questions out of their lips, but the Weasley's, and strangely enough the Bell girl, steered the conversation away from that as they all saw how distressed it was making him. With a harsh look from Katie being directed towards Granger when his silence irritated her.
Harry was thankful to the lot of them, and was even more so when Dumbledore ended the feast with a strange choir that had him giggling when Fred and George sang a funeral march tune to the apparent school song.
Katie and the other girls smiled and said their goodnights to Harry, along with the Weasley twins and a distant Lee Jordan who waved also. He responded in kind, and trailed to the back of a line forming behind a Prefect who was to direct them to their house dormitory.
The Prefect, Percy Weasley, directed the first year Gryffindor's through a maze of corridors to reach what he called the 'Grand Staircase'. Moving staircases drifting into corridors and doors on each floor, every one of them leading to a myriad of more corridors and secret passages and rooms galore.
It truly felt like a fairy tale for Harry. The whole concept of what magic could do had his heart soar, and he couldn't wait to be able to learn everything he could about magic.
Eventually, when his legs felt like lead as he had to walk even quicker than most of the others, Percy stopped in front of a moving portrait, which had the added effect of making Harry's wonder increase even more than before. Percy explained that each house had a different circumstance for protecting their common room, with Gryffindor's being a password protected portrait know colloquially as 'The Fat Lady'.
Percy uttered the password, and ushered the tired students, who now had red and gold trims placed artfully along their black robes with an unnoticed display of magic, into a cosy looking large room. Comfy looking sofas, armchairs and stools were displayed along the room, with a roaring fireplace burning adding to the homely feel.
Harry breathed it all in, finding a place of relaxation in the peace the room exuded. He was directed up some stairs, apparently the boys dormitory, after a speech about how Gryffindor's were to act noble and other such that he took next to no note of. He stepped through the door on the first floor of the winding staircase and picked out his belongings next to the bed closest to the door.
He barely had time to change and commit to his nightly cleaning ritual before darkness overtook him, and he quickly passed out, sweet dreams of magic and friends filling his head.
Authors note: so this is the second chapter of my Harry Potter fanfic. Not going to lie, didn't think I'd be back to writing but here we are.
So the whole story is completely planned out, with, what I hope, will include all 7 years, at something like a potential 80 chapters total. But we'll have to see how long it takes to actually write but I really want to make it to the end.
So this Harry isn't going to be a powerhouse, and people may not like my portrayal of the story and characters, but with some liberties and some what ifs, we shall traverse the life that is my version of Harry Potter.
The sorting hat's words may or may not be key to the story, see if you figure it out later as the plot unfolds.
How I've got this story planned out will make it go from fast paced to slow with near to no warning. I'm not too concerned about describing every little thing that happens in Harry's life; it's a story about him, not about how life changes for everyone around him. Although we will see some things that I choose to implement into the chapter.
Next chapter: First Lessons
Stay safe and keep well
KhaosOnion