The school year wasn't about to start in about a month yet, but Minerva McGonagall was already quite busy with all kinds of preparations. As the Deputy Headmistress, she had a lot of responsibilities on her hands. This year in particular was also the one when Harry Potter, at last, will set foot in Hogwarts, which she personally keenly anticipated. Going through the letters that owls delivered to her this morning she was pleasantly surprised to find Potter's answering letter among them. Not that she wasn't expecting an answer from him per se, but she knew that the boy's immediate family belonged to the worst kind of muggles, someone who in her opinion were never fit to raise a magical child. She still sometimes had lingering regret for not objecting enough against Dumbledore's decision but there wasn't anything she could really do at the time.
Minerva learned from Dumbledore that an unfortunate accident occurred with the Dursleys recently leaving Harry only with his aunt as his closest relative and she hoped that it didn't affect the boy too strongly. He was already an orphan, loosing his family again so abruptly must have been a shock to him.
Piking up the letter, she frowned at the messy handwriting but was ultimately pleased with the polite wording. She inked a reply suggesting a date for a visit that was mandatory to those students of muggle origin. While Harry wasn't a muggleborn, it was likely he didn't know much about what to expect from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Therefore, it was her duty as Deputy Headmistress to ensure the boy and his family that magic was real and it was perfectly safe to enrol in Hogwarts. His aunt might be familiar with the wizarding world through Lily Evans but McGonagall doubted that her perspective was sufficient. Besides, after all these years, she wanted to meet Harry for herself.
At the arranged date and time McGonagall was greeted by Petunia Dursley who looked at her with apprehension but still invited to proceed to the living room. There Harry Potter stood looking calm and collected with only a slightly nervous smile betraying his apprehension and excitement for the meeting.
"It is so nice to see you, Professor McGonagall." the boy began gesturing for her to take a seat. There were cups and a teapot arranged at a small table.
"Likewise, Mr Potter." She took the offered seat not hiding her curiosity observing the boy who sat on the couch across her. His aunt served the tea joining her nephew on the couch. Minerva nodded in gratitude accepting the cup. So far the meeting went with more hospitality than she anticipated. Perhaps, she was too harsh remembering this family as the worst kind, or maybe it had to do with the recent loss of Mr Dursley who was always the one with shorter temper. "I'm sorry for your loss." she added looking at both Petunia and Harry.
"That is very kind of you," Mrs Dursley answered quietly, clutching the cup of tea like her life depended on it. "Thankfully, I still have Harry with me, he helped a lot with coming to terms with my grief." She looked miserable and Minerva coughed taking a sip of tea not knowing what else to add. After all, she was here so Harry could soon leave his aunt for the wizarding school and she would be damned to feel any bit sorry for that.
From years of observing different muggleborn children his age, McGonagall could tell that Harry Potter looked way more presentable for the occasion than was necessary. He was wearing a button-up white shirt and light formal trousers with such inherent grace that she had to double-check for resemblance to James Potter in his face. The boy's hair was just as unruly and he wore glasses with a delicate rectangular frame, but he also had a very visible scar on his forehead that clearly differentiated the two. Harry seemed more mature somehow, his behaviour very proper and surprisingly well-mannered. Memories of a rebelling James Potter didn't allow her to assume that Harry would effortlessly resemble a pureblood more than James could have ever tried. The image clashed and Minerva berated herself for even making an assumption, she should have known that Harry would be a separate person. She mentally sighed but still hold on to the hope that Harry would follow in his parents' footsteps and join the Gryffindor House.
"You must know why I am here today, Mrs Dursley. I'm afraid, Harry won't be staying with you for the next academic year because, like your sister, he was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Petunia nodded in understanding, "I always knew the day would come. It would bring me only joy to see my nephew entering the world that was so dear to my sister. After I told Harry about magic, he almost didn't believe me. Probably never believed truly until the letter arrived."
Harry Potter chuckled at that, "I still wasn't sure so I'm really happy to see you here personally, Professor McGonagall." he looked up and she was startled to see that smile didn't quite reach his eyes, even though his demeanour was shy and hopeful there was a tinge of heaviness underneath, "Will you show me some magic, please?"
McGonagall brushed away sudden wariness, a simple request like this was a standard procedure for her. "Of course." she said curtly and swiftly changed into a cat. It was the easiest display of magic that was harmless enough for any muggle and effectively convincing. Changing back, McGonagall was satisfied to see the boy highly impressed.
Nagini huffed unimpressed hidden in the far corner of a bookshelf. She wanted to observe this meeting for once to see how the news of Harry belonging to the magical world would be delivered to him after so many years of forced ignorance. What impressed her more was Harry's ability to fake emotions he so clearly didn't feel. Petunia was also an entertaining and obedient pet, the venom in her system working wonders making Nagini exceptionally proud of that accomplishment.
She perked up when conversation shifted to Harry's circumstances.
"Your parents were very kind and brave people, Mr Potter. They fought till the end against the unjust war and the man who they inevitably failed to."
Nagini caught a hint of pained confusion in Harry's emotions that was always present whenever his parents were mentioned. Harry would deny it, but Nagini suspected he had a problem dealing with the memory of them while essentially going against their beliefs by associating with the Dark Lord's Familiar. She also had not missed his implicit interest in her Master himself, which deep down probably conflicted Harry even more. If it was not for Nagini's senses she would have never guessed, Harry's emotions promptly squashed with practised ease, escaping even his attention.
"And this man… who was he?" Harry asked despite already knowing the answer, trepidation mixed with sadness written all over his face, it was almost disgusting.
"I will say it only once because you deserve to know the name of a man who killed your parents," McGonagall sighed before determination was set on her features, "his name was Lord Voldemort but I wouldn't advise you to pronounce that name in the open."
"Why not?" Defiance setted in Harry's eyes, he always found it silly how people masked her Master's name with you-know-whos. Nagini could taste that he was indeed interested to know the reason behind such nonsense but also set on not following McGonagall's advice.
"Mr Potter, you must understand that a name alone can be very powerful and as the man himself was feared greatly the same applies to his name, even to these days."
"But wasn't he defeated?" Harry's brows furrowed, "And I don't fear him."
McGonagall muttered under her breath, "Of course you wouldn't," she pursed her lips in clear disapproval. "No matter if the man is defeated, he still had a large following left, a group called Death Eaters. Most of them are in prison but some are still out there and there is no telling when they become a threat to you. So, going forward into the wizarding world, you must be prepared that not only fame awaits you for defeating You-Know-Who, but also danger of confronting those who wasn't happy about it." She looked very serious and stern, but there was an air of genuine concern around her.
Harry hummed in understanding before smiling cheerfully, "It is a good thing then that Hogwarts is the safest place to be!"
McGonagall nodded affirmatively and Nagini sensed with conviction that sooner or later these words will come to bite them.
They were on their way from Gringotts and onto the next destination on the list when Harry stopped unsure of how to talk McGonagall out of following him around. So far the meeting with her went well. He didn't know what to expect from the first conversation with someone who knew him as Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, but it wasn't awkward or in any way disappointing. Professor McGonagall seemed perfect in her role as the Deputy Headmistress answering his questions patiently but she also looked rather strict so Harry decided not to get on her bad side as long as he could help it. He also figured that she was very fair in her heart, and with that in mind he already managed to talk her into giving him the key from the trust vault for good, because essentially it was his to keep.
"But I didn't even know I had a magical guardian!" Harry said when she tried to convince him that Dumbledore, as his magical guardian, had just as many rights to the key. It was the last straw that made her give in, the firm expression on her face betrayed by a glimpse of guilt.
The trip to Diagon Alley went as fine as it could with him pretending to be awed as if seeing everything for the first time. Occasionally they were stopped by someone recognising him and he had to awkwardly shake hands. He didn't hide the lightning-bolt scar this time, saw no reason to. It was a part of him like any other and he wasn't going to be ashamed of it just because it involved some uncomfortable encounters. Besides, it was an interesting experience on its own when people knew who they were dealing with from the start. It's not like fame got to his head, he just saw potential benefits and wasn't going to shy away from using it if needed.
Petunia drove them to London since Harry wasn't sure he could handle a side-along apparition yet, especially when there was a danger of McGonagall either not accommodating for the presence of a magical snake hidden in Harry's pocket or being found out. So essentially Harry wasn't on his own, he could easily find his way to Petunia's car and safely return home. He also was used to going out almost weekly, London wasn't foreign to him and he preferred doing his shopping alone at his own pace. He told McGonagall as much trying to convey that there was no point in her tagging along.
"Very well, Mr Potter," her lips a thin line. "I am indeed busy with other work, but I will still meet you in four hours at the Leaky Cauldron and will make sure you got home safely."
There was no room for argument in her voice and Harry beamed, "Perfect. I wouldn't want to make you worry." And this agreement suited him well. He only needed her away during shopping so he could go wherever he wanted on his own. His robes were ready, he had most of the equipment and ingredients for potions, only needed to replace a couple of books in his first-year set and he really didn't want to go through all of that again.
"Let's try this one," Mr Ollivander said suggesting Harry yet another wand. "13 inches, Blackthorn with Dragon heartstring." Harry took the wand and waved it but absolutely nothing happened. It was the case with about every wand he had tried for the last hour, with only exceptions when a wand went uncontrollable and something was destroyed in the shop. Harry sighed, he wouldn't call himself an impatient person but this was getting quite tiresome even for him. Mr Ollivander didn't show anything but eager excitement on his face from the moment Harry entered the shop. Harry was thinking about what kind of wand he would end up with ever since he learned about them, but now he was half resolved to just walk out without any wand at all. He already could do magic without it and maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But then Ollivander's expression shifted as he muttered to himself, "Could it be… I wonder…" and he again disappeared among the shelves at the back. He reappeared with another wand carrying it with care like he did with all the wands, but Harry could see that this one was somehow special.
"Holly, 11 inches with a feather from the tail of a phoenix," Ollivander informed when Harry carefully touched it. He felt warmth at the fingertips and once he fully grabbed it the magic itself washed all over him. It was comforting and reassuring, like he finally came home after all those years not realising that he even had a home.
"Curious," he heard Ollivander say and Harry snapped from the overwhelming feeling the wand brought him, asking the man what was curious. He noticed a glimpse of fear in his previously excited eyes. "Ah, you see, the feather in this wand comes from the same phoenix that had supplied the core of Lord Voldemort's."
Harry's eyes shot up and he felt Nagini moving around his shoulders. Surely, there wasn't anything to fear about this. Instead, awareness of a subtle connection settled in him. Yes, he reminded himself, Lord Voldemort killed his parents and targeted him as an infant, they were essentially enemies, but it was too easy to forget the more he learned from Nagini about her Master. The man wasn't a scary figure to him, nor he considered him a nemesis. The fact that Nagini found Harry due to some unknown connection was oddly reassuring to Harry for the past year and now finding out about the shared wand core only pleased Harry in a way that only Nagini would understand.
Ollivanders was the last shop on Harry's priority list so now that he still had time he decided to check out Magical Menagerie. It always slipped his mind before but the Hogwarts letter reminded him that he could bring either an owl, or a cat, or a toad. Harry wondered who in their right mind would keep a toad as a pet and was curious to see what other animals existed in the wizarding world. Just as he was approaching the shop, a huge man with a snowy owl on his shoulder stepped out nearly knocking Harry off of his feet. Harry stared. He had never seen someone so tall before but for some reason the man didn't look intimidating at all. Something changed in the man's gaze upon seeing him and suddenly he exclaimed in recognition, "Harry! I was hoping to find you!"
"Do I know you?" Harry asked cautious, of course people recognised him easily but it was the first time someone acted so familiar.
"Yeah! Um… I mean, you probably wouldn't remember me, I'm Hagrid!" the man radiated with pure enthusiasm. "I knew you when you were this big," he spread out his hand which was indeed big for a hand yet very small in reference to Harry, "And I knew your parents, they were good people, good people…" The man's expression turned solemn now and Harry was at a loss for words.
"You said you were looking for me?" he finally found himself.
"Yeah! Professor McGonagall mentioned you'd be around and I had to visit Gringotts anyway," he leaned closer whispering, "Dumbledore's orders, you know," Harry didn't know but took note of the information. "He trusts me, you see, fetching things and all that. So I decided to…" the man shifted so that the snowy owl was now at Harry's eye level. "I know it's not in two days yet, but here, this is for you. Happy Birthday, Harry."
For the first time in his life Harry heard something so sincere directed at him. And it was ironically the first thoughtful present someone had ever given him. And the owl was truly a beauty. Harry wasn't sure what to think of it but he said truthfully, "Thank you." He didn't plan to buy an owl for himself yet figuring that he could use the Hogwarts owls if needed but he couldn't possibly refuse. The man in front of him wasn't someone he could have imagined ever talking to, he was his parents' friend and close to Dumbledore, but none of it mattered really when the owl turned its amber eyes on him and hooted in greeting. Harry's only option was to accept the gift with genuine appreciation.
On his way to Leaky Cauldron Harry checked the time and decided to wait the remaining half an hour at the Florean Fortescue's. Since Halloween, he didn't try anything else at the Ice Cream Parlour but today was a good day, calling for a celebration. Not only did he feel a sense of accomplishment after acquiring the wand but now he also had the beautiful owl with him, a token for his upcoming birthday. He ordered the most popular summer treat, shaped like a watermelon, strawberry ice-cream with lime undertones and chocolate seeds. To his dismay, there weren't any empty seats, the place packed with all the people preparing for Hogwarts. Harry looked around until his eyes landed on a table occupied only by a boy his age. It was a good time as any to make some acquaintances, Harry decided as he confidently moved in that direction.
"Hello," he said to the round-faced boy who upon closer inspection looked very shy and nearly jumped at Harry's greeting, "I'm sorry if I startled you but there are no empty seats left. Do you mind if I share the table with you?" Harry smiled his friendly smile and offered a hand, "I'm Harry Potter."
The boy looked surprised blinking at him with wide eyes but quickly composed himself taking his hand, "Neville Longbottom. It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry," and as an afterthought he hurriedly added, "Of course you can take a seat."
It was evident Longbottom was nervous and desperately tried not to show it. They didn't talk much after that, peacefully enjoying their ice-creams. Harry gathered that Longbottom will also be joining Hogwarts this year and now he was waiting for his grandmother to finish some business. Talking about his grandmother made Neville even more nervous and Harry respectfully didn't press. Harry recalled from one of the books that Longbottom was a prominent pureblood family, so it was worth keeping a friendly connection. Besides, Neville seemed like a good-natured boy who understood Harry's desire to stay quiet for the rest of their meal. When Mrs Longbottom came to fetch her grandson Harry could see why the boy acted so panicked, although her eyes softened just a bit when she was introduced to Harry. She seemed pleased that Neville managed to make friends with him, apparently she also knew Harry's parents and was delighted to see Harry in good health.
The encounter left Harry with a new realisation about the upcoming year at Hogwarts. So far he was content to just study looking forward to the new knowledge he would gain there. He was so used to talking to Nagini alone that it barely even registered that he would meet a lot of new people there. Some of them might become his friends or foes, he would have to be careful who to trust and to be involved with. He didn't really have any longing for friendships, Nagini was the perfect conversationalist and he doubted anyone his age would come close to her. But a lot of people already knew about Harry and some of them didn't rely on books but on their connections to his parents. He knew they had certain expectations and Harry was determined not to let it sway him in any way. He could be friendly and polite but he had no obligation to choose his friends based on preconceived notion and would rather rely on his own convenience first and foremost.
The rest of the summer went by in a blink of an eye. Harry read the new Defence Against the Dark Arts book, brew some potions, learned that Quidditch was a thing. The brooms caught his eye when he passed them by and he picked a book on the topic to solve his confusion at the sight of children watching the new model of a broom like it wasn't a cleaning object. If he was honest with himself, the idea of flying was intriguing but he was still unsure about the mechanics of it.
Harry also decided it was safe to subscribe to the Daily Prophet now that he was officially aware about the wizarding world. His birthday went just like any other day and the only notable thing was a report about someone breaking in into Gringotts. Harry was reminded that Dumbledore had some business there just a few days ago and the whole deal seemed suspicious. Harry couldn't guess if Hagrid had any ulterior motives but he was glad about the owl nonetheless.
He named her Hedwig and she was not only gorgeous but also a smart and fascinating creature. Not used to the constant presence of another animal Nagini was sulky at first but soon even she admitted that Hedwig was very intelligent and worth Harry's company. Hedwig seemed to develop mutual respect for Nagini and sometimes they playfully chased each other to the immense amusement on Harry's part.
Sending Hedwig ahead to fly to Hogwarts on her own to flex her wings, Harry went head on through the barrier McGonagall told him about. He could feel the surrounding magic which made it easier to believe that it was reasonable to run into the wall but also he had Petunia with him who checked it before him so without any issues he was now at Platform 9¾.
Aunt Petunia didn't stand out much among other families who saw off their children to Hogwarts. Harry noticed some adults were muggles too and seemingly no one was concerned about it. He knew people recognised him and shot curious glances at his direction, it didn't put Harry off. He wanted to make a point that he indeed had a loving family as he hugged Petunia to say goodbye.
"You will smile and wave me off," he hissed in her ear his final orders, "And then you will go home and live your life as usual and then you will die in your sleep six months from now on." He let go of her and smiled sweetly, when Petunia obediently waved at him. He had come to this decision long ago ever since he started accumulating facts around Petunia to solidify his alibi. Even McGonagall had to hear her complaints about poor health. It was best if she were to die when Harry was away and he honestly had no use for her anymore. He planned to figure out his future accommodation later on and ensuring that he didn't have to return to Dursleys anymore, even if it was only Petunia at this point, was the first step to take.
It was supposed to be a joyous day, what with finally departing for Hogwarts, the day he so long waited for, but Ron Weasley wasn't happy at all. First, he had to endure his mother's fussing, his brothers' teasing, his father's enthusiasm over a muggle train station, then he had to go through the Hogwarts Express with his heavy trunk just because no one remembered to put a light-weight charm on it distracted with doting on Ginny who wasn't even going to Hogwarts yet. At least, his mother packed some lunch for him even though she forgot, again, that he hated corned beef. When he finally found an almost empty compartment and it turned out Harry Potter himself was there, Ron was elated. He couldn't believe his luck. He was hoping to meet the boy since forever and what could be better than travelling to Hogwarts together. But the realisation quickly dawned on him that it might be not so easy to become friends with Harry as he had imagined. He wasn't sure what exactly he imagined Harry Potter to be, but certainly not this! Harry Potter somehow seemed cold and not at all enthusiastic about making new friends. Sure, Harry was friendly enough and he didn't kick Ron out of the compartment but Ron wasn't stupid, he knew from experience when someone would rather do anything else than talk to him, like reading a book. The worst part was when Draco Malfoy barged in and despite acting like a prick as usual, wasn't kicked out either. On the contrary, he was invited to sit with them and now was effortlessly chatting with Harry Potter as if it was the most normal thing to do. They both were dressed in obviously better and more expensive robes than him and Ron suddenly felt very insecure.
"Harry, you can't be friends with him!" he blurted out angrily.
Potter turned to him without any change of expression, his tone even, "I believe, it isn't your place to decide who I am to be friends with, Weasley." He didn't use Ron's first name which angered him even more.
"But… but! His father is a Death Eater!"
"Cleared of all charges!" interjected Malfoy.
"No one asked you! And we all know how that went." Ron folded his arms in annoyance.
"I don't." Harry provided unhelpfully.
"He lied that he was bewitched by You-Know-Who the whole time, can you believe it?"
"He did not! He had a fair trial and was proclaimed innocent!"
Ron huffed indignant, he heard this story too many times from his dad, and Dumbledore confirmed that Lucius Malfoy lied his way from the trial, and Dumbledore couldn't possibly be wrong. Malfoy was just an idiot. He looked at Harry for support but there was none of it. Potter just shrugged as if it didn't concern him and pointedly resumed reading his book again. With how things were going he wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in Ravenclaw, which would be a disaster. Harry Potter was supposed to be in Gryffindor, that's what everyone was saying. Ron also hoped to be in Gryffindor, he was positive he'll be sorted there because all his family was, so for the sake of developing future friendship Harry had to be in Gryffindor too! But watching him practically glued to the book with his thick black glasses, like he was some kind of nerd, Ron wasn't sure anymore. Shockingly, Malfoy continued his conversation with Harry Potter, who politely answered his questions and seemingly not minding the interruption from reading. This angered Ron once again. But his outburst was interrupted by the door sliding open. A girl with bushy brown hair entered with a timid boy behind her.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville has lost one." her voice was very bossy and Ron had the urge to say something back at her just to spite but Potter spoke first.
"Hello, Neville." he said as if he already knew him and the boy answered, "Hello, Harry," which meant they definitely knew each other. No way!
"Do you know each other?" Ron shouted, his eyes bulging at the revelation.
"Yeah," Harry confirmed nonchalantly. "We met over the summer at Diagon Alley."
It wasn't fair! Now Ron won't get to be Harry's very first friend. And here he thought how lucky he was to meet him alone in this compartment. Not that Ron's chances to become Harry's friend at all weren't slipping from him with each passing minute but still! He at least prided himself in being the first one to meet him. Of course, it was stupid if he were to think about it now, there were obviously other people that Harry could have met previously, but still… Ron sighed, defeated, this day just couldn't get worse.
Harry contained the urge to pinch his nose. He was getting tired from all the noise and attention he was getting. He thought that maybe he could have a peaceful quiet trip on the Hogwarts Express once he found an empty compartment. And he indeed enjoyed it at first, when it was just him, a calming sound of the train and Hogwarts: A History. He already read the book before but decided to reread it selectively just for the occasion of finally being on his way to Hogwarts. It was also a light reading perfect for the ride when he didn't want to learn anything new before classes preferring to simply relax, and not at all suspicious if anyone were to ask what he was reading.
He managed to enjoy the ride for exactly fifteen minutes before his peace was ruined by Ron Weasley. The boy was annoying to say the least, overly enthusiastic to speak with the Boy Who Lived going so far as demanding to see the scar up-close even though it was perfectly visible in the first place. Harry didn't allow himself to be irritated, but it didn't stop him from forming an unpleasant opinion about the boy. He was saved from further annoyance when another boy entered the compartment. But it was a wrong assumption to make because things have got even more disturbing when the boy introduced himself as Draco Malfoy and he and Ron Weasley started bickering right away. Harry politely shook Draco's hand ignoring Ron's indignant protests. Harry wasn't particularly inclined to be friends with either of them but at least Draco could be helpful in the future with the Malfoy family being one of the most influential families in the pureblood society. Besides, Lucius Malfoy obviously was one of the Death Eaters and Harry wasn't about to form ill relations with them.
Seeing Ron fuming over every little thing Malfoy said would be funny if it wasn't so loud. Harry already missed the days he spent in Nagini's company with only hushed hisses between them. So when he saw Neville with a bossy girl looking for a toad he was relieved to get some sort of distraction.
"I'm Hermione Granger by the way," the girl introduced herself and proceeded to tell all about her muggle family and how excited she was to find out she was a witch. No one asked her, he heard Draco snickering and Ron grumbling. Harry listened to the rest of Granger's speech out of politeness and when the girl looked expectantly at him, he replied, "I'm Harry Potter, these are Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy." Neville shot a dubious look at them, which Harry answered with a shrug, not sure himself how those two managed to share a compartment for so long. At the expense of Harry's nerves, it seemed. Hermione merely acknowledged them with a nod and turned to Harry again.
"Harry Potter? I know everything about you, I read it in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century." Harry knew these books, they were the least offensive of the bunch and the most accurate on the historical part but far from revealing everything there was to know about Harry. He didn't hide his displeasure, Hermione tried to sound smart but it was the silliest thing Harry ever heard.
"Now really, do you?" he inquired, "What is my favourite colour?" he asked innocently and Hermione spluttered realising her mistake.
"I mean, not everything, obviously!" she turned a shade of red but quickly composed herself. "So has anyone seen a toad?"
Harry shook his head, while Ron and Draco answered at the same time, "Nope." and immediately glared at each other.
"It's okay," Neville piped in looking apologetic for some reason. He caused the least inconvenience so far. "I'll just… try looking for it again."
Harry stood closing the book with a snap, sensing a chance to leave an unwanted company, "I will help you." And left the compartment before anyone could stop or follow him.
He went to the bathroom first hiding there and procuring Nagini from his shoulders. He truly missed the times when she was his only companion.
"Say, Nagini, do you fancy chasing a toad?"
"Can I eat it?" she inquired lazily.
Harry pretended to think about it before answering, "No."
"Pity. I was almost eager to unleash my hunting instincts."
"You still can have fun, just not as much fun as you would like."
"You mean, no fun at all."
Harry looked at her pointedly not denying her claim, he knew she won't be able to refuse him anyway. Nagini hissed annoyed, "Fine. But I will eat the rat of that Weasley boy."
Harry didn't pretend to think about it, honestly considering the option, but he didn't want to attract any attention to sudden disappearances of students' pets and risk Nagini's exposure. "No." he said firmly and explained why it was important to be cautious. Nagini didn't look convinced but agreed to help. Harry hid her again under the shirt not allowing her to roam free on the train. He was just going to go through the train back and force waiting for Nagini to hiss once she sensed something.
He went about like that along the train discovering that a number of students, apart from Longbottom, actually had toads as pets. He stumbled upon Neville again at some point and they continued their search together.
Harry looked at the boy from a corner of his eye, "A toad?" conveying all his disbelief in a single question.
Neville ducked his head self-consciously, "Great Uncle Algie… it was a gift for the first time I showed magical ability." Neville's cheeks flushed, indicating that there was more to the story but instead of proceeding with the story he exclaimed, flailing his arms in desperation, "Oh Merlin! My grandmother will kill me!"
Well, that explained a lot. No wonder Neville looked so miserable, he wouldn't put it past Mrs Longbottom to commit murder over a toad of all things.
At long last, Nagini hissed again and this time the toad wasn't with any of the students, but sitting alone… on the roof of a carriage. It was no wonder they couldn't find it before, not predicting the toad's ability to stay firmly upside down like that.
"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed in relief once Harry pointed at it, "Thank you, Harry!"
As he watched Neville snatching the toad with shaky hands and radiating relief, Harry patted Nagini affectionately through the clothes. Sometimes it wasn't so bad to help someone just for the sake of it.
When he returned to the compartment, surprisingly Weasley and Malfoy were still there arguing about Hogwarts Houses.
"Obviously Gryffindor is the best! Dumbledore was there and my whole family too!"
Draco wrinkled his nose in apparent disgust, "All the more reason to stay away from it. Slytherin is the best because it was founded by Salazar Slytherin and my whole family was in Slytherin too!"
"Pfft, and clearly Godric Gryffindor was better than your Slytherin so it's still the best House!"
Harry sat unnoticed by the boys and opened the book again. Coincidentally, it was a part on Hogwarts Houses which described each house with their prominent traits anyone could be proud of.
McGonagall at some point also declared the Gryffindor House as the best one, not so subtly trying to convince Harry that his parents would be very proud if he followed in their footsteps. Maybe it was indeed expected of him but Harry didn't really care about such expectations. He had done many things already for which his parents would certainly not be proud so a Hogwarts House would be just a drop in the sea.
He didn't share the enthusiasm about Gryffindor like Ron, nor did he have any of the same aversion to Slytherin. Draco was adamant that Slytherin was the best and only being sorted into Hufflepuff would be worse than Gryffindor, with Ravenclaw as his second-best choice. Harry didn't particularly think that any House was better or worse than any other. It seemed the opinion of them only depended on personal beliefs and connections to family or friends. Nagini would have said that Slytherin was the best because Voldemort was there but Harry wasn't about to be influenced by anyone. So when he was finally noticed by Ron and asked which house he wanted to be in, Harry just shrugged.
"Any house is fine." he said.
"Even Gryffindor?" — "Even Slytherin?"
Draco and Ron shouted at the same time, their faces full of incredulity. Harry gave them an unconcerned look, "Yes, and even Hufflepuff."
That seemed to shut up the boys who turned thoughtful not daring to voice any other opinion on the subject.
Harry discovered it wasn't so bad to shock people into silence either as he finally was able to return to the book and actually read it.
The rest of the journey to Hogwarts was fairly uneventful, Draco eventually leaving for his own compartment to change into school robes and Harry managing to stray away from Ron on the way to the boats. He nodded at Hagrid in recognition and found himself on a boat with Granger and two unfamiliar girls who looked identical. Granger spoke fervently about the castle reciting all the facts she learned from the book. As it came in full view Harry could agree that the sight of Hogwarts in all its glory was truly magnificent.
It was at this moment, when all of them gazed at Hogwarts with fascination, that Nagini shifted under Harry's robes positioning herself closer to his ear. Harry casually leaned in not taking his eyes off the girls in case they noticed anything suspicious.
"I must inform you," Nagini hissed with unveiled joy in her voice, "the closer we get there the stronger I can feel the link to my Master."
Harry stilled, all the noise around him instantly disappearing, all his focus solely on Nagini's voice as she continued.
"I felt it earlier, but was not sure. It is extremely weak. You were close to me all this time and I might have mixed it up before. But it is different. It is not you, it is another link."
Harry didn't say anything, he didn't want to attract attention to himself and he didn't exactly know what to say. Just a little, Harry noticed, his heartbeat sped up. Harry turned his gaze at the castle once again as they drew closer. Somehow, it seemed different now with all the scattered thoughts compressing into one. He is here. Voldemort is here.