Harry Potter got some help from one of the ginger brood, hauling his chest onto the train. After that, he settled into a compartment by himself, and opened a book he had kept specifically for that purpose. It was his Potions book, actually. Harry had always liked cooking, and chemistry had sounded fascinating enough already - so how much more brilliant would it be with the addition of magic?

Harry Potter had spent the last month reading, true, but he had mostly read books on Wizarding culture and lore. If he was settled in a house with people who wanted to look down on Muggles (as was apparently quite common), he wanted to be able to at least look knowledgeable, if not proficient.

Before the train actually started, a redhead popped in - from the gangly look of him, Harry Potter figured he was about eleven. Maybe twelve. "Is this your first time?" he asked mildly.

"Yeah, but I've got older brothers, and so I've heard all about it!"

"I'm jealous. What have you heard?" Harry Potter responded, feeling a brief twinge of "why couldn't i" before suppressing it.

"Cor! Big brothers are nothing but trouble! Why, last week Fred and George pinched one of my schoolbooks, and they wouldn't even tell me which one. So of course I couldn't go complain to Mum, because for her to get it back, she needs to know which one!"

Harry muffled a snicker.

"Enough about my brothers. Hogwarts is a grand place full of magical staircases and ghosts, and even a poltergeist!" Ron said excitedly.

"What's your name?" Harry Potter asked.

"You are new, aren't you? Name's Ronald Weasley, but better just call me Ron. Hardly anyone ever uses my full name except mum." Harry Potter considered this information for a moment, before nodding absently.

"And what house are you going to be in?" Harry Potter asked, wondering what he'd say. Had harry gotten it wrong, and would he just not know? Did everyone come knowing where they'd be sorted, except the Muggleborns?

"Oh, my entire family's been Gryffindor for four generations. And, since that includes five older brothers, I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm going to be in Gryffindor." Ron said.

"Is that what you want, though? Or is it just what's ... expected?" Harry asked carefully.

"Bit o' both, really. I'm not the smartest knife in the shed, so I'd probably not fit Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff would be fine I suppose - but then my parents would get this look in their eye, and they'd say that 'It's perfectly alright to be a Hufflepuff' in such a way that I'd know they were disappointed in me, just a bit." Ron said all this in the space of three breaths, and Harry Potter wondered if having such good lungs was one characteristic of younger boys in large families.

"And - if you got into Slytherin?" Harry Potter prompted, not at all phased with having to lead the other boy around by the nose. Ron was right, he really wasn't the sharpest knife in the shed.

"Oh! But I wouldn't. Everyone knows Slytherins are nasty sneaks and liars. Cor! If I got into Slytherin, I'd just as soon kill myself!" Harry Potter nodded, not so much in agreement as in judgement. This child was just as credulous as Hagrid, Harry Potter thought.

Unlike Hagrid, this one could prove useful.

"Excuse me!" a bossy, brown-haired girl said, pulling open the door to their compartment. Behind her was a pudgy sandyhaired kid, looking uncomfortable and almost shy. "Has anyone seen a frog?"

"No, I quite think I'd remember that." Harry Potter said, his eyes sparkling just a bit. I suppose someone had to bring it, if it was allowed as a familiar.

As the girl pulled the door shut, Ron said snidely, "I hope we don't get put in the same house as that girl. She's a sight!" Harry Potter kept his face still, though he liked Ron making fun of people even less than he liked Dudley doing it. Dudley at least had Uncle Vernon to blame.

A while later, the confections truck came by, and Harry noticed exactly how many different wizarding candies they had. Looking at his ample pursestrings, he said, "I'll have one of each." Rather belatedly, he saw ron looking covetously at him, and, realizing he knew precisely what it felt to be left out of a towering temptation of treats, he paused, and said, "Better make that two of each."

"Are you sure young man?" The lady asked kindly and he said, "Absolutely"

As the pile on the ground between the two boys grew larger, Ron's eyes got wide as waffles.

There was a knock at the door, and Harry Potter got up to get it. He saw the bushy haired girl, and her trusty sidekick. "Excuse me, can we sit here? All the other compartments are empty."

"Free country." Harry Potter said, and Hermione Granger smiled, delighted. They both entered, Hermione sitting down first.

"I'm Hermione Granger. Who are you?" Hermione said.

"I'm Harry Potter - but can you keep it down?" Harry Potter said, his voice low. Hermione nodded quickly, and even the sandyhaired boy nodded, still staring gapemouthed.

"Blimey! I've been talking to the one, the only, THE Harry Potter, Boy whow lived, fo rhours without even knowing it!" Ron said, shocked.

"Oh, give it a rest." Harry Potter said offhandedly.

"So, I got two of everything - since I didn't realize we'd have company. Take as much as you like!"

Nevile dove in, but not quicker than Ron - both of them busy sorting out their absolute favorites. Hermione just looked awkward, and a little shifty.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"My parents are dentists. I dont think this much sugar is good for our teeth." Hermione whined.

"Well, then you'd better chomp down! Or would you rather leave us to our ill-gotten gains..."

"Ill-gotten gains?"

"Cavities, of course!" and Harry and Hermione joined in laughter.

There was another knock on the door, and that platinum blonde from earlier showed up, "Has anyone seen Harry Potter?"

Hermione had her mouth open, so there was really no reason why not to step on her foot. Leavng her stifling a lump, Harry Potter stood up and said, "no, I certainly haven't seen him. The three boys left without a word.

[a/n: you'll like this.]