Chapter 2: Four Friends Formed

After gathering all of my other supplies, my robes, my books, my ingredients and such, we bid the Weasley's farewell and agreed to meet them the following week to depart for Hogwarts.

We anticipated the day to go to King's Cross Railroad Station. There we would board the magnificent train that would take us to Hogwarts. We were scurrying around trying to find all of our belongings. Mine was the easiest, since I'd had it packed for weeks in advance. I'd already read all my books, pressed my robes and uniforms, as well as had my new shoes shined like stars. I was ready.

"Come on Ellie! We need to get going!" Mum called from downstairs. I peaked my head out the door and could see her through the banister.

"Alright, I'm ready!" I called. Dad came down from the third level with the boys tailing behind him, their trunks all packed.

"Need help with that, Ellie?" Dad asked. I shook my head.

"Dad, I'm a big girl. I can do it myself." I explained. He looked a little hurt that I had rejected his help, but he quickly got over it when I couldn't make it down the stairs with my overly large trunk. After stuffing our car with all our belongings, we headed off.

The station was bustling with people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and packages. Some were traveling light, while others were much like us: going somewhere far away. I looked longingly at all the trains, anticipating the moment when I would step on mine and embark on the most amazing journey of my life.

"Don't dawdle Ellie, we don't want to be late." Dad said, pulling my arm.

"But I can't help it, I'm so excited to be here!" I exclaimed.

"Get's boring after a while." Mark commented. "The same train ride, the same food, the same-"

"Don't be such twit!" Paul said, flicking Mark on the head.

"What? I was just telling the truth."

"For once in your life, lie to her." Angela commented. We came to a stop at a brick wall, between Platform 9 and Platform 10.

"Well, I don't see the Weasley's. Perhaps they've carried on to the other side."

"Other side of what?" I asked.

"The brick wall." Paul explained. "That's where the train is." My mouth went wide.

"We have to go through a brick wall?" I clarified. Paul nodded. "Why?"

"So the Muggles just don't happen upon it." Mum explained. "Now, Paul, Mark, you first." The boys stepped back and then rammed straight on through the wall. My eyes went wide.

"Angela go ahead, we'll meet up with on the other side." Angela gracefully strode through the wall behind the boys. Mum and Dad took my hands as we walked calmly but briskly through the wall. It was the most sensation-less feeling I've ever experience. It was like walking through air. One moment you're facing the brick wall, the next you're on the other side surrounded by others trying to get onto the train.

"Come on, let's find you a seat." Mum said.

"I'll just be putting Athena and your luggage in the baggage cart." Dad called and headed off with my trolley. Mum and I jumped on board the gigantic train. It was a bright red with golden window panes. Steam billowed out of the engine, and the horn sounded and shook the ears of everyone in the area. Mum and me found an empty compartment.

"This one looks good." Mum said. She handed me my knapsack. "Now, I've got you a change of robes so when you get closer to Hogwarts, you'll be able to change. I've also left you your journal, a bottle of water, and some snacks. There's also a little money if you want some treats." She smiled down at me, stroking my hair. I could see she was beginning to cry.

"Mum, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm just going to miss you so much darling. You're my baby girl."

"I'm not a baby anymore, Mum." I said very matter-of-fact.

"I know, I know. You're all grown up now. But, just remember Eleanor, you are a very special girl. And when you get down, just remember, I have always loved you, and I will always love you. No matter what." She kissed my forehead when the last whistle blew. She stood up just as Dad found us.

"Come on Ella, we'd best be going." Dad said taking Mum's hand. But, Dad stopped and gave me a quick hug and a big kiss.

"You be good now, and no matter what you are not a squib." He teased. He gave me one last kiss before Mum pulled him from me.

"Come on Henry, there's not much time left." They left me, and just as they disembarked, the train began to move. There was soon a knock on my cabin door. A boy with black hair and bright green eyes hidden behind glasses opened the door.

"Sorry to bother you, but-" He looked at me and squinted. "Do I know you?" he asked.

"Oh yes! You're Harry-something!" I announced with glee. He smiled.

"And you're Eleanor, right?" he asked. I nodded brightly.

"Please sit down." I said eagerly. It was a lot better than sitting alone.

"Thanks." He said and sat on the bench across from me.

"Are you wicked excited?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yes, very."

"Which house do you want to be in?" I asked. He looked a little confused.

"House?" he asked.

"You know, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw?" He still looked confused. "Don't you know about Hogwarts?" I asked.

"Actually, I just found out that I'm a wizard." He said.

"Oh, are you Muggle born?" I asked.

"No, I'm not. At least, I don't think I am."

"Oh, so you're a halfy."

"A what?"

"Half Muggle, half wizard?" I explained.

"No, I think both my parents were wizards."

"Were?"

"They died when I was a baby." Something sparked in my mind.

"What's your last name?" I asked incredulously.

"Potter." My eyes went very wide.

"Harry Potter?" He nodded. "The Harry Potter?"

"I think so." He assumed.

"Mother of Merlin! You're the Harry Potter?" I burst. He looked a little terrified. I calmed down.

"Sorry, my Mum says I get over excited a little too easily." He chuckled.

"That's alright."

"So, what's it like?" I asked nosily.

"What's what like?"

"Being raised by Muggles."

"Terrible actually. My aunt and uncle raised me, and I have a cousin named Dudley."

"What kind of a name is that?" I asked. I realized that was a rude thing to say. "Oh, I'm sorry. That was unkind."

"No, its true. He's a horrible person. He liked to use me as a punching bag."

"I'm assuming he's a fairly large person."

"He's ignoramus! At least five times bigger than me." He explained. I giggled.

"You are pretty tiny." I stated.

"Well so are you." He countered in a teasing way.

"Yes, but I'm a girl." I pointed out.

"What's the difference?" he asked. I thought about it for a moment.

"You know, I don't know. People always tell me that boys are supposed to be bigger than girls."

"Why's that?"

"So the boy can protect the girl. Like in the story of Beauty and the Beast. The Beast is much bigger than Belle, and he protects her."

"You know Muggle fairytales?" he asked, surprised.

"My Dad used to read them too me. Belle was always my favorite; also because she's very smart. I hope Hogwarts will make me smarter." We both giggled. I noticed his hair was covering something.

"Can I see your scar?" I asked. He nodded, lifting up his bangs. The lightning bolt scar was the stuff of legends. He was The Boy Who Lived. Everyone knew his story.

"Do you remember it? What happened to you?" I asked, then realized I was being nosy again. "Sorry, that was nosy. You don't have to tell me."

"No, it's ok. I've never really remembered anything, but I have flashes of memory some times. Occasionally I'll remember something really random, like a flash of green light or a flying motorcycle."

"A flying motorcycle?" I asked incredulously.

"I know, it's ridiculous." Suddenly, the door was knocked on again. Ron popped his head in.

"Hi Ron!" I said excitedly. He looked shyly from me to Harry.

"Might I sit with you? All the other cars are full." I nodded and gestured to the benches. He sat next to Harry.

"Harry this is Ron Weasley. Ron this is Harry Potter." I

"Hi."

"Hi." They said to each other. Then Ron realized what I'd said.

"Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?" He asked.

"I'm assuming so." Harry said. "I guess this is going to be happening a lot." He pointed out.

"Don't worry about it, once people know who you are, they'll have no trouble remembering your name." I said smiling. We went on to enjoy lovely conversations.

After the snack trolley came and went we enjoyed a lot of delicious snacks, especially when Harry had pulled out a stack of gold galleons and offered to buy us the treats.

"These are delicious." Harry commented after trying one of everything. I giggled at the fact that this was all new to him.

"My favorite are the Cauldron Cakes and the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans." I commented.

"I love the Licorice Wands." Ron added. We all laughed as we watched Scappers (Ron's rat) climb into an empty box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and take a nap. Suddenly, the door to the car flew open. A girl with wild frizzy hair and slightly large front teeth came in.

"Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one." We all shook our heads. She sighed and took a seat next to me. We were all stunned by her forwardness.

"Well, this is disheartening. The poor boy says he has a problem with keeping track of things. He's very forgetful you see, and so I thought that if I could help him find it perhaps I could put a charm on his frog to help him remember things."

"Put a spell on him? We haven't even gotten to school." I said.

"Exactly. Which means we still aren't under the same rules and regulations as other students who have practiced magic."

"So, you're cheating." Ron stated. The girl glared at him.

"No. I'm simply using every little whim to my advantage." I rolled my eyes. "Oh, how rude of me. I'm Hermione Granger. Who are all of you?" She looked at me first.

"Eleanor Phillips." I said and we shook hands. She turned to Ron, who was very busy eating. He swallowed a mouthful.

"Ron Weasley." He answered. She turned to Harry last.

"I'm Harry-"

"Potter!" She exclaimed, making us jump. "I've read all about you! You're The Boy Who Lived! Oh, I've got so many things to ask you!" Before she could ask anything, the whistle blew and we all looked around. In the fair distance you could make out a train platform.

"You'd all better change into robes, I expect we'll be arriving soon." She said matter-of-fact. Her robes were already on. "I hope I get into Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor. Both are very respectable houses. Hufflepuff is too, I guess, but I'd be very disappointed if I landed myself in Slytherin." She said.

"Eleanor, you never got to finish telling me about the houses." Harry pointed out.

"Oh yeah. Well, Gryffindor is-" Before I could continue, Hermione butted in.

"I've read all about the four houses, named after the four founders of Hogwarts. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Gryffindor is for the brave of heart. Ravenclaw is full of wisdom and smarts. Slytherin is for the cunning and quick. Hufflepuff will take the friendliest into it." She recited proudly, most likely from one of the books she'd read. What a know-it-all.

"Well, I'd best be off to change into my robes." I said loudly so she'd stop talking. I grabbed my knapsack and headed off to the loo.

I loved the look and feel of my new robes. I looked at the Hogwarts emblem, wondering which house I would be in. I worried that I wouldn't be in Gryffindor, like all my brothers and sisters. I guess Ravenclaw wouldn't be bad, but Angela always told me they were snotty because they thought they were the smartest. Paul told me he had a few friends from Hufflepuff and that they were loyal and true. Mark said that Slytherin was a mean place for all the bad people. He said there wasn't a witch or wizard who didn't go bad in Slytherin. The thought made me shutter.

I heard another whistle, telling us to head to our cars so that we could disembark in an orderly fashion. I hurried back to my car, surprised but relieved to find the know-it-all girl gone and Harry and Ron in their robes. All the rubbish has been picked up while we were changing so everything looked neat and clean.

The train came to a stop with a final loud whistle. A voice came over the train.

"All first years, please disembark first. You will find your guide who will take you to Hogwarts. All other students second year and above, please wait to be dismissed. Harry, Ron, and I looked at each other, excited to get to school. We got off the train to find about a hundred other first years. All of them looked a little nervous; so was I. Suddenly, a large man started booming out instructions.

"First years this way! Come on first years don't be shy!" came the voice of Hagrid. We all turned to look at the giant man. He spotted Harry and me closest to him. "Ello Harry, Eleanor!" He said happily. We smiled up at him, Ron standing with his mouth open. He marveled at his size. "Alright first years, this way to the boats." He explained. We walked a little ways to The Black Lake, the water way surrounding Hogwarts. "Alright, there to a boat." Hagrid said. The students looked around at one another while the three of us went right to first boat behind Hagrid. I certainly wanted to be the first one onto Hogwarts ground.

Finally, after everyone had been seated, Hagrid tapped his boat with his umbrella. It was funny, because right after that the boats began to move! All by themselves! It was truly magical.

In a matter of moments that went by way too fast, we reached the dock leading us to Hogwarts. We disembarked, and walked up the steps to the great big front doors. We stood in awe as we came into the front hallway. Portraits, moving portraits, were covering the walls. Hagrid showed us the direction to take and we followed the stairs to the Great Hall. At least to the doors to the great hall. A woman in an emerald green cloak and a pointed black hat stopped us all on the stairs.

"Good evening students. I am Professor McGonagall, teacher of Transformations and house leader of Gryffindor. Behind these doors begins your future at Hogwarts, but before that, you must be sorted into your houses. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. When you walk in, your name will be called, the Sorting Hat will be placed on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses. Now, just give me a moment to find out if they're ready for you." She turned and went quickly through the doors, unable to give us a glimpse of what lay behind. The students around us began chattering.

"So, it's true then?" A voice barked, gaining all attention in the room. We turned to see a boy with white blonde hair, pointed nose, and a sour disposition. He was looking right at Harry. "What they're saying on the train; Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." Suddenly a ripple of 'Harry Potter?' went throughout the room. "This is Crabbe." He said gesturing to the a short brute who looked like a stuffed pig. "And Goyle." He gestured to the other brute on his left who was tall and looked like a stuffed pig. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." The boy said very high and mightily. Ron let out a snicker. If he hadn't, I would have. The boy jerked his head towards Ron. "Think my names funny do you? Don't need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand-me-down robe. You must be a Weasley." He said with disgust. Ron looked down, ashamed. Harry glanced at him, and I could see a flicker of anger. "Be careful Potter, you'll find that some wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sorts." I snickered. He jerked his head towards me. I stared at him.

"And what's your problem?" I looked around.

"Me? I don't have a problem. The only who's got a problem here is the one who seems to be running his big mouth." I blurted before realizing what I'd said. He stepped right up in front of me.

"I know you, you're that Phillips girl. The misfit." I glared hard at him. But before I could do anything I'd regret, Professor McGonagall came through. She tapped Malfoy on the shoulder, a parchment scroll in hand. Malfoy backed away.

"We're ready for you now." She said and led us through the massive doors. Inside was even better than outside. There were four long tables full of students but enough room to fit the lot of us. They all wore their house colors and sat with one another like best friends. At the far end was a table facing the room horizontally. There were much grander chairs for the teachers, and a master chair for the Headmaster.

The headmaster, from what I was told, was named Albus Dumbledore. He had a long snowy white beard and wore half moon spectacles. He wore robes of purple, adorned with stars. He looked like the kind of grandfather every child would want. Serious, with a sense of humor.

Just after the long house tables and before the staff table stood a rickety old stool. On top of it was an old leather hat, that looked like a dog had chewed it up and someone had tried to repair it. Badly. But, it was without a doubt the sorting hat that everyone talked about.

As I passed the Gryffindor table, which was the second table in from the left, I saw my siblings all looking at me happily. They waved at me and I waved back. I finally looked up, and realized that there were floating candles and beyond that, it looked like the entire night sky was exposed. It was uncanny.

"Alright students, gather round." Professor McGonagall called. "When I call your name, you will be sorted into your houses." She began starting off with names, while I looked around at all the tables. Kids of all different ages, races, and shapes and sizes were here. It was a school full of wonder and anticipation for any awaiting student.

"Granger, Hermione." I heard being called. I watched as the know-it-all girl went up, muttering to herself.

"Mental that one, I'm telling you." Ron whispered to Harry and I. We both tried to suppress a giggle. The hat shouted 'Gryffindor!' and she walked away happily to the Gryffindor table. Other names were shouted out when I heard 'Phillips, Eleanor.' I nervously went and sat on the stool. When the hat was placed on my head, it began to speak to me.

"Hmm, another Phillips. The last of a great line of witches and wizards."

"I'm not that great." I mumbled.

"Oh, you don't realize how great you are, and how great you can become. Which is why, you should be in…GRYFFINDOR!" He exclaimed. I happily went and sat by the others in my house.

'Potter, Harry.' Harry looked at us and then went to the stool. It seemed like the Sorting Hat spoke to him for longer than the others. Finally, the hat shouted 'Gryffindor!' Harry happily came and joined us.

All the students were sorted until there were none left. The headmaster then stood up, gathering our attention.

"Let the feast, begin." He said gladly and mountains upon mountains of food appeared before us. We gobbled it down, along with desert. I took the time during the last minutes to glance at the people in my house. I would be with these people for the next seven years of my life, taking breaks to go home during the summer. I would have another family during the school year, and be around a lot of young witches and wizards my age, going through the same things as me. It was then that I glanced at Harry, Ron, and even the know-it-all Hermione, and began to contemplate what having them as friends could be like.