Here is the next chapter. Please note in this chapter that because Hagrid broke the front door at the Dursleys and every ornament he passed Harry views him as a dangerous liability. His prejudiced views on Gryffindor and Professor Dumbledore also make him a person who shouldn't be liked or trusted in Harry's opinion. Please read and review it and we'll see where it goes. Love Moon xxx
Harry had informed the Dursleys he was meant to bring a pet to school and had asked them what they thought he should bring with him. They had said he should bring with him whatever he felt would best suit him. When he'd gone to the store for his pet a couple of weeks ago he'd still not been sure what he wanted. He was stunned when he bonded with a ginger Persian cat something he'd not seen coming. Petunia was further stunned informing him his parents had gotten a cat like that when he'd turned one as they'd written to her about it. This one looked identical to the one in the photo they'd included and as he'd bonded with the cat she had told him in his head that she was the same cat. He was super happy to have something of his parents despite the cat not knowing how she had ended up in the pet store for sale again in the first place. It had caused her some amount of stress she had said. Harry had decided to call her Persephone as he didn't know what her name had been and she wanted him to call her whatever he liked.
He'd played with her often and given her many toys. She was very happy and well loved by Petunia too who found she loved the company something she had never believed possible. It was that itself which decided Petunia to go and get her own cat. Persephone would have a play mate when they returned next year. He would use a school owl to write home each month. Today however he woke up very excited as he was going to Hogwarts for the first time. He wondered where the sorting hat would place him. He really didn't want to go to his parents' house as Hagrid had been so obsessed with it he'd not been able to see the merits of any other house a very bad quality indeed. Dumbledore had thoroughly searched Hagrids memory and was stunned as someone had stolen his letter and erased the memory of it at all from his mind. Quirrel was still here though so it definitely wasn't him. In fact Quirrel had been highly miffed it had not turned up as planned. Dumbledore had been left with no choice but to design a convincing fake of his own making and once that was in place Quirrel was once more very interested. He'd done it last minute somehow assuming or hoping that the real stone would show itself at some stage in the future lest Nicholas kill him figuratively that is.
Tom had thoroughly redesigned The Leaky Cauldron and everyone loved how modern it now looked and how little he'd actually done to it when he told them about it if they asked him. Neither Dumbledore nor Nicholas could have imagined the real stone would have ended up in a pub no less. The goblins had not helped either when Dumbledore had asked after the stone claiming that he was time wasting and cancelled the floo call. He didn't have time for this. Percy was currently in her carrier playing with a toy mouse and having the time of her life. Harry went downstairs and joined his family for breakfast something they were all slowly adjusting to. Vernon however had woken up in foul humour. His alarm battery had died and so it hadn't gone off for him meaning he was now late for work. He'd called in to tell them this and they had told him not to worry about it. These things did happen after all. He stomped into the kitchen feeling vile. He absolutely abhorred tardiness. He could never stand it since he'd been a teenager.
"Harry Petunia has told me you need to catch the train today would you like a lift there or can you make your own way using that floo thing you told us about a while back?" he asked as Harry smiled at him.
"I can use the floo Uncle Vernon but I would appreciate a lift. I'm a bit nervous what with it being my first day in a new school. What if they don't like me or something?" he asked suddenly sounding highly self-conscious. What if they hated his love of books? What if they didn't appreciate his good grades?
"Harry of course I'll drive you no problem. Don't worry about what people think of you. Remember my advice. In business it is all about what you think of yourself and your own capabilities which truly does count. If they can't handle you at your worst they don't deserve you at your best. What about you Dudley?" he asked addressing his son who would be off to school this afternoon. Dudley looked weirdly at Harry. He still had some growing to do but Smeltings would help him there.
"I am fine and I'm sure they'll realise how lucky they are to have me. I don't mind boarding there at all. It will be fun to be somewhere different for a while. Who knows the place might actually be cool enough for me!" he said in a pompous tone which earned him such a glare that he ended up remaining quiet lest he say anything else stupid. After breakfast and cleaning themselves accurately Vernon and Harry piled into his car along with all of Harry's things. The train station was on the way to work anyhow so it would be no bother to stop there for a short while. He started the car and soon they were off. The trees whizzing past soon gave way to buildings as Harry thought about things.
"Harry remember to stay true to yourself and your beliefs whatever they happen to be. If someone cannot handle them then that is on them. Here you go! I don't even know how much it is but buy yourself something nice before you leave. I'd suggest a magazine and a snack for the train journey!" he said handing a wad of notes to Harry who looked stunned.
"Wow Uncle Vernon thank you so much!" he enthused as they came to a stop outside the train station. He loaded his trunk onto a trolley with his cat carrier on top of it. He had a bag on his back which his aunt had made for him. She was fine seamstress and thought it a cute idea to find out the names of all the houses and sew their emblems onto a plain black school satchel. So he had a very large crest with four segments on it each containing one of the animals for the four houses on his new bag and he loved it. Vernon who was stressed out because he was late for work had left shortly after in a hurry. Harry looked down at the notes in his hand realising how very tired and distressed Vernon had been as he'd given him one hundred and fifty pounds. Nevertheless he decided to use it or at least some of it anyway.
He walked inside the station with his trolley and entered WHSmith. In there he bought some Ribena and water for himself along with a large bag of quavers his favourite crisps. He also picked up a word search book to help keep him entertained and a pen which he could use in it. He put them all in his new backpack and headed to Greggs for some pastries which he could eat on the train. He picked up four small sausage rolls and two ham and cheese jambons which also went into his bag. As he approached the platform entrance he saw who he would later learn was Molly Weasley shouting loudly about all the muggles in the area and shuddered. A lot of the so called muggles were giving her looks as though she was mentally unstable and he laughed. It did look funny after all. He ran at the wall between platforms nine and ten and emerged on the platform gasping at the size and colour of the train. It was miraculous after all.
Elsewhere a very different Neville was arriving himself. His old Uncle Algie had insisted he get a wand of his own when he'd realised Neville had been a late developer magically and had even snapped his brothers' wand so Neville couldn't use it when Augusta tried to force him into using it when it was obvious to everyone but her that it would never work for him. It was slight abuse and something he couldn't tolerate. Augusta couldn't see it that way though until Garrick told her how dangerous it was to use the wand of another person. She had calmed down since it had happened weeks ago and with a wand of his very own Neville grew in confidence in leaps and bounds and Augusta couldn't have been prouder of him. He entered the train with Trevor getting away from him almost as soon as he was in there and Augusta laughed heartily at him as he looked hilarious searching frantically for him. It was unfortunate however that a nervous muggleborn accidentally dropped her trunk on Trevor ending his life as Neville cried over his loss. She'd been trying to put it on a rack but it was too heavy for her and she didn't know the spell yet to lighten it. She was mortified about Trevor and burst into tears herself. Trevor had been his very first friend.
Augusta entered the train and comforted the crying Neville discreetly waving her wand to remove the body of Trevor, lighten the trunk and clean it. It was obvious it had been an error and was not meant. "I am so sorry Neville. I'll get Happy to deliver you a new pet tomorrow. What would you like?" she asked as he looked at her with tear stained cheeks.
"He was my very first friend gran. I'm so sorry he got away from me like that. I should have been able to hold him tighter but I really didn't see the trunk coming and he just hopped away. Please have happy get me a cat. That would be very nice and I really am sorry!" he said as the muggleborn girl who had killed Trevor was now crying herself in such a way that they could actually see and stunned Augusta and Neville when she produced ten galleons from a pouch around her neck.
"Here ma'am. Please take this. It's ten of those galleon things and buy him a new pet. I'm so very sorry I dropped my trunk on him like that. I'm just so nervous and I didn't even see him. Oh dear. I couldn't lift it and I didn't know the spell to lighten my trunk yet. I'm oh so nervous to start school and bad things always happen to me when I get nervous. I'm Sally by the way. Sally Anne Perks!" she said as Augusta now shed a tear. Such kindness was unheard of in their world or rarely used hence it being a surprise to her.
"Well Miss Perks thank you so much for your kindness. I will use this to insure Neville gets only the best cat and I thank you deeply for your kindness. House Longbottom will not forget it in the future if you should need anything. Do you have enough galleons yourself for the year?" she questioned as Sally blushed.
"Well in all honesty we weren't sure how much I should have so I have two hundred of them. I know all about Hogsmeade and Professor McGonagall told us all about the older students who go there buying things for the younger students. Do you think I have enough money or should I have gotten more?" she asked curiously as Augusta gasped. That was indeed a lot of money.
"That is a lot of money young lady. Take care of it please. Thank you again for your kindness. I must be off. I love you Neville have a great time!" she said kissing his forehead as he blushed.
"I love you too Gran!" he said as Sally smiled at him before going in search of a compartment of her own. Neville entered his own compartment composing himself and Harry joined him there shortly afterwards. He hadn't seen Neville inside though and was mortified to enter it and not find it empty as he had thought it would be.
"Hello I'm sorry I thought this compartment was free. Do you mind if I sit here? I'm Harry!" he said holding his hand out as Neville shook it nervously.
"Of course not. Please have a seat. I'm Neville…Neville Longbottom!" he said as Harry had to think of something sad in order to not laugh.
"Thank you Neville. I'm Harry…Harry Potter!" he said as Neville about fainted. He looked very flushed suddenly and almost as though he was taking some kind of test he'd need to get right straight away.
"Well why did you not say so? Oh my goodness me sharing a compartment with a celebrity. It's an honour Harry. I've read all about you but I must ask did you really slay that dragon in Romania?" he asked as Harry laughed loudly.
"Alas I have never slayed a dragon in my life. I've never been outside England Neville much less Romania!" he said as Neville seemed to be making up something in his head.
"Between you and me Harry I've always thought those books were rubbish. You have no glasses, brown eyes or red scar!" he said as those books had assumed he'd had James' brown eyes which he didn't. The compartment contained two couch like seats facing one another with a table in the middle of them. There were wall sconces above them and shelves on the wall at the entrance of the compartment to store their trunks on. Harry had brought his school sack to his seat with him and Percy was now currently snuggled in his lap as he rubbed her belly. Neville watched the cat in awe. She was divine. She purred in contentment snuggling into him closer and falling asleep her gentle snores filling the compartment as the train started to move. Harry had seen the red haired woman running onto the platform looking highly freaked out only moments before. It looked as though she'd lost something very important but he couldn't be sure of course.
"Neville who is that woman there? She was on the other side of the platform when I entered shouting about muggles. All the muggles were looking at her as though she had mental problems and I couldn't help but laugh!" he said as Neville accidentally dropped the Herbology book he'd taken out to read and gasped.
"That's Mrs Weasley. Gran told me about her. She has a son Ronan who will be in our year this year. I think that's what gran called him anyway. That's against the law what she did although I'll expect you know that!" he said as Harry looked at him seriously.
"Actually yes I did know that. I made it my business to know the laws of our world having come from the muggle world myself. Thankfully they all assumed she was off her chuck and left her to it. Should she be reported or something?" he asked as Neville said he'd write home to his gran about it and let him know what she said later on. Neville loved Herbology so much that he was soon engrossed in his book as was Harry in his own word search. Harry jumped and clutched at his chest in fright as their door was suddenly yanked open by a thin blonde boy who was flanked at either side by two larger boys who Harry assumed were meant to look threatening but in all honesty looked like they weren't the full galleon.
"Longbottom I didn't know you'd be here! Rumour had it you were a squib. Wonders will never cease. Who the hell are you? I have heard that Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts this year is that you?" he asked pointing at Harry who looked at him seriously. He didn't immediately answer sizing the boy up for the moment which seemed to anger Draco immensely as he'd not gotten an answer straight away.
"Your unconscionable conduct in barging into this compartment as though you own it truly astounds me! Who do you think you are? Do you truly feel like those boys to the left and right of you actually look threatening? First impressions are everything and yours leaves much to be desired to say the least. Next time you elect to enter a compartment please think to knock. Rudeness gets you nowhere. I am Harry Potter now what it is you wish to discuss with me?" he said as Draco paled considerably.
"Yeah well I um didn't know that and I am Draco Malfoy heir to the most noble and ancient house of Malfoy and pureblood extraordinaire. That is all you need to know about me. Wanna be friends? I can show you the right sort of wizard to hang around with no offence Longbottom!" he said with a slight sneer in Neville's direction.
"I could tell the moment I saw you Draco that you wouldn't know the wrong sort if it came up to you and bit you. Have a look in the mirror and you will find the wrong sort. You have not only insulted my friend Neville here but then have the audacity to request friendship from me. Get out you idiot and go say your ridiculous drivel to someone who has the time to care!" he snapped as Draco reeled in horror. His father had told him to befriend Harry and would be mad he'd not been successful.
"I um I'm sorry. Can we please start again?" he asked sounding highly desperate and obviously visibly stunning the two boys with him.
"Apologise to Neville and I will consider it. I was busy reading and you disturbed me!" he said as Draco did as he was asked to do and quietly left. Harry had taken Draco down a peg or two using only strong words and not raising his voice one time. He loved how intelligent and powerful it made him feel to correct Draco's ridiculousness all without shouting once. He returned to his word search after Neville thanked him profusely for his help. He took out his pastries a few hours later reheating them and shared some with Neville who had never tasted anything so beautiful. He loved the sausage rolls but really didn't like the Jambon.
A couple of hours later the cart lady arrived at their compartment and Harry thought ahead as he didn't want anything now. He bought several multipacks of sugar quills and chocolate frogs putting them inside his backpack for later. This way he'd have many things later on in the year whenever he wanted them. He now had fifty of each item and felt great. Neville was stunned he'd not thought of this and did the same. As the journey continued Harry introduced Neville to word searches who loved them. He found them fun. He had since met Ron and Hermione but neither had struck him as very interesting. Hermione for example talked a mile a minute prejudging everyone she ever met and Ron was so Harry Potter obsessed that he couldn't see Neville nor did he even want to anyway. He had told Harry that he should be in Gryffindor after which Hermione had informed him that as it was the house of his parents and Professor Dumbledore had gone there too it was highly unlikely he'd end up somewhere else something which annoyed him no end. He asked them both to leave. Ron did try and return after Hermione had gone claiming that she was a bloody mental pain in the ass. It took a mild imperious from Harry to get Ron to go away and stay away as he kept trying to return again and again for some silly reason. Thankfully Neville hadn't noticed him do the wandless magic. Ron had been so damn relentless in hounding him to be friends that he had no choice but to use it. He was nervous enough about attending a brand new school, he didn't need the anxiety Ron was giving him as well.
As they arrived he almost slapped his forehead in rage as he spotted Hagrid outside and assumed he was there for him probably to cause him yet again more hassle. He was so cumbersome and silly you couldn't but see him. No doubt this Professor Dumbledore guy had asked Hagrid to personally introduce Harry to the school and the oaf was so clumsy Harry would arrive severely hurt because of his foolishness. If his actions at the Dursleys were anything to go by judging based on what he said and how many things he'd broken including the front door Harry knew he'd need to put an end to this madness now. He wandlessly made Hagrid leave again thinking he needed to go home and sleep for the night. Now he couldn't take Harry somewhere he didn't like while everyone else went on to the castle. Of course everyone in the older years were shocked when Hagrid wasn't there and in the confusion the first years were just sent to school in the carriages with Professor McGonagall greeting them in a different place and thoroughly stunned about their arrival and wondering where Hagrid was. To Harry's amazement she seemed furious he wasn't there. Had she wanted Hagrid to harm him too? What was it with people here and that large danger of a man who couldn't take one step without wrecking something he was so large. This had never happened to them before. This was it.
