And here's chapter 3!

Just a quick request from me. Please leave a review if you read the chapter. I really appreciate you all taking the time to read it, and would love the feedback. Even if it is criticism, every writer needs a critic, so please feel free to review. It makes me feel like my work is being seen

Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter or any characters associated with it. I make no profit from this at all. I only own Casey Black, he is still my creation.

The Hogwarts Express

September came quickly, a bit too quickly for Casey, as nerves had started to get the better of him. The night before school started, he had a horrible dream that he was sent home, all because the sorting hat couldn't decide where to put him. And then his mother appeared and expressed her disappointment that her son had been rejected from Hogwarts. The dream was so vivid that when he was suddenly woken up by his alarm, he had to check the date and reassure himself that it was just a dream.

Andromeda would not be going with him to Kings Cross, she was still angry with him from the day before. He had kept asking her what had happened in Diagon Alley, but she wouldn't tell him. Eventually she had enough and told him to keep out of things that didn't concern him. Casey had never seen her so angry, and he felt angry that she was hiding something from him. So he had said "Fine, don't tell me. It's probably just you being over dramatic as usual" before storming up to his room.

He hadn't meant to be so rude to her, but when he got angry he spoke without thinking of the consequences. So when he came down for breakfast on the morning of the first day of school, he was met with a frosty reception from his mother.

After sitting in silence for most of the morning, Ted eventually spoke. "C'mon Casey, we better go now if we are going to get to the station on time"

"Ok" Casey went and got his trunk and put his kitten, Felix, into his carrier, then followed his father to the door. He turned and looked at Andromeda, who was still sitting at the table with a stony expression on her face. "See you at Christmas" he said

Andromeda looked at him and nodded silently, and Casey followed his father out of the house and to the car. Ted put the trunk in the boot of the car and Felix on the back seat. The journey started off a quiet one, Ted wasn't much of a talker. Casey glanced at him and opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it, he didn't want to upset Ted as well.

"Your Mum will come around eventually" Ted said, as if sensing Casey's need for conversation.

"I didn't mean what I said" Casey muttered

"I know that and so does she. Your mother is just being her stubborn self, I remember a time when she didn't talk to me for over a month" Ted said "Not that she'll do that to you!" he added quickly, seeing the look on his sons face.

"It sure seems like she will" Casey mumbled, looking out the window moodily.

Ted didn't answer but decided that when he got home, he and his wife were going to have a talk. The rest of the drive was once again in silence. They reached Kings Cross with over thirty minutes to spare. Hardly anyone was around so after unloading the car, Casey and Ted headed towards platforms 9 and 10.

"Now you remember how to get onto the platform?" Ted asked

Casey laughed. "Of course I do, I've done it loads of times"

"I was just checking, I don't want you getting stuck or something. Well go ahead then"

Casey lined himself up so he was between platforms 9 and 10. After taking a deep breath, he ran towards the brick work, closing his eyes out of habit only when he felt himself go through onto the platform did he open them again. There was the magnificent train that he would be boarding, and he noticed a few families already there. He felt Ted put a hand on his shoulder and lead him towards the train.

"Let's get you on the train. I would stay longer but I have to go to work" he explained.

Casey felt a lump form in his throat and had to blink rapidly to stop the sudden wetness in his eyes. "Ok then" he winced at how his voice sounded

Ted smiled fondly at him. "It's ok, Casey. You can cry if you want to, no one is looking"

Casey didn't need telling twice, he lunged at his father and hugged him tightly, tears soaking the older man's shirt. Ted held him just as tightly and they stood like that for a few minutes, until Casey pulled away and rubbed his eyes furiously.

"Better?" Ted asked

He nodded his cheeks going slightly red. "Well I better board then" he said grabbing his trunk.

"We'll see you at Christmas" Ted said.

Casey boarded the train and after giving his Dad one final wave, went to find an empty compartment. Surprisingly most of them had people in them, too many for his liking. Eventually he found one with just a single person in there, who he recognised immediately. He knocked on the wood of the door. "Mind if I join you, Harry?" he asked.

The other boy jumped and looked at him with startled eyes, but relaxed as soon as he saw who it was. "Of course" he said motioning to the seat opposite him.

Casey placed his trunk on the rack above the seat and sat down, looking at the scrawny boy. It looked as if he'd gained a bit of weight, but still looked severely underweight to Casey.

"So are you looking forward to school?" he asked

"Yes I am, it's just I'm worried" Harry replied.

"About?"

"That I won't be good enough and that I'll be sent home" Harry confessed

Relief washed over Casey, at least he wasn't the only one worried about that. "Don't worry, I know exactly how you feel" he said

"You do?"

"Yeah, I had a terrible nightmare about that last night. We'll be fine though, if the worst happens we can always start a house of our own" Casey laughed trying to ease the other boys mind.

Harry laughed as well, visibly becoming more comfortable around Casey. They were brought out of their conversation by another voice. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit in here? Everywhere else is full"

Casey and Harry looked round and saw a boy with ginger hair and who was quite tall for his age. "Not at all" they both said

The other boy sat next to Casey and introduced himself. "I'm Ron Weasley by the way"

"I'm Harry Potter and that's Casey Black" said Harry.

Casey rolled his eyes as Ron gaped at Harry and couldn't help but look at his scar when Harry showed them.

After a while Ron and Casey began explaining Hogwarts to Harry, when the food trolley came around. Casey stood up and went to get as many sweets as he could afford. He looked round and saw Ron pull out squashed corned beef sandwiches. He was about to order extra when Harry appeared next to him and said "We'll take some of everything" and it was Casey's turn to gape as the other boy pulled out a hand full of money.

The three boys sat and ate their way through tons of cakes and sweets, each enjoying the company. Ron had even gotten out his rat, Scabbers. Casey made sure that Felix was secure in his carrier; he didn't think his cat eating his new friend's rat would go down well.

"My brother Fred taught me a spell to turn him yellow" Ron said pulling out his wand "Want to see?"

"Yeah" Casey and Harry said enthusiastically.

Ron cleared his throat and was about to start, when a girl with very large bushy hair appeared at their door. They all looked at her waiting for her to say something.

"Have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one"

All three boys shook their heads and Casey even stood up to make sure he wasn't sitting on it. The girl huffed impatiently and went to leave, when she saw that Ron had his wand out.

"Are you doing magic? Let's see then"

Ron cleared his throat again and pointed his wand at Scabbers and began.

Sunshine daisies

Butter mellow

Turn this stupid fat rat yellow!

All that happened was the box Scabbers had his head in glowed and shot across the compartment. Casey caught Harry's eye and they had to look away from each other, otherwise they would laugh.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? It's not very good is it?" the girl said snottily. She Sat next to Harry and pointed her wand at Harry and said "Occulus reparo" and the tape holding the boy's glasses together disappeared and they looked as good as new.

Harry took his glasses off to examine them and the girl gasped "Holy crickets, you're Harry Potter!"

"I know I am" he replied

Casey gave a small snort of laugher earning the girls attention. "Who are you?" she asked

"Casey Black"

She looked at him unimpressed and turned back to Harry. "I'm Hermione Granger" she said then noticed Ron "And you are?"

"I'm Ron Weasley" Ron said, his mouth full of chocolate frog.

"Pleasure" she said, disgust in her voice. She stood up and went to leave "You three might want to change, I expect we'll be there soon" she added then left the boys alone.

"I seriously hope I'm not in the same house as her, she'll be unbearable" Casey said, voicing the others thoughts. "She is right though, we should get changed"

They got changed in silence and all three fell quiet as nerves got the better of them. Casey stared out of the window, not that he could see anything as it was dark now. As time went by he saw lights in the distance and felt butterflies in his stomach.

"Hey" he said to the other two "We're here"

Well that's that chapter done! I hope you like it. Remember reviews mean everything to me. They can just be one word