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A Different Path: The Sorcerer's Stone

By Dishonorable

Chapter Four: Those People You Meet on the Street That Are So Annoying You're Really Glad That You're Never Going to See Them Ever Again

I have edited Chapter Two; please go back and reread it. You will be extremely confused if you don't.

If you are here that means you have decided that Harry will sneak off to the alligators from Chapter Two.

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Without another look at the Dursleys and Piers, Harry turned to the directory and followed the described route to the alligator exhibit. Straight, then left, then straight again, and then right...and there were the alligators. There were six or eight of them, lazing around or eating the food pellets visitors threw down. It was only too bad that Harry didn't have any spare change to buy any food.

He looked intently at one that was lazily swimming and he heard a small child call, "Oh, mummy, look at that crocodile."

There was a disdainful sniff beside him and Harry turned to see a bushy haired girl with a frown on her face.

"These are alligators, not crocodiles," she explained, "You can primarily tell by their snouts, alligators have a broad one while crocodiles have a thinner one. Also, alligators are mostly gray or black in color and crocodiles-"

"She's just a little kid," Harry interrupted, sure she was going to lecture him on all the differences between crocodiles and alligators, -mannerisms, appearance, habitat, internal organs, etc.

She looked disapprovingly at him, "You're never too young to learn, you know."

Harry shrugged, "Whatever."

The girl's frown deepened, "And you are?"

"Harry Potter," he replied. The girl was starting to grate on his nerves more and more...

"Hermione Granger," she said, sticking out her hand, "Age eleven."

"Ten," Harry said, reluctantly shaking her hand.

She looked delighted, smiling revealing large front teeth, "What's your summer reading list? I've already read all of my books and a few extra. –How far have you gotten?"

"Err, I haven't started yet."

"Well, you should," she lectured, "So it doesn't catch up to you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry muttered, stepping a bit away and closer to the railing, but she followed, continuing to chatter.

"I was ever so excited to come to the London Zoo, my mother and father decided to treat me for my good grades," she smiled and started to speak, but Harry pretended not to notice and interrupted.

"I came with my cousin, -he's celebrating his birthday," Harry said quickly, "In fact, I should be getting back to him."

Hermione looked annoyed, "Why'd you leave him on his birthday in the first place?"

"He wanted to go see the snakes and I wanted to see the alligators so we split up," Harry explained, "I'm going to go now, though, so goodbye um, Hermione."

"Goodbye," she replied politely, though she still looked peeved.

And Harry hightailed it out of there.

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The cool, dark reptile house provided relief from the Sun that had Uncle Vernon sweating like a pig. To Harry's surprise, it was very nearly empty. He had thought this would be a popular attraction, next to the lions, but there was only an elderly woman staring curiously at the plaque next to an entanglement of small snakes along with the Dursleys and Piers. They took no note of Harry, having followed Uncle Vernon's lead, ignoring him.

"Let's go, mum," Dudley finally said irritably, "None of these are any interesting."

"Alright, Dudley," said Aunt Petunia lovingly, "Where would you and Piers like to go next?"

"How about the alligators?" Piers suggested again.

Dudley shook his head, "Nah, let's go look at the lions. Maybe they'll be being fed!"

Piers looked irritated for half a second before gamely following the bigger boy's lead. Unfortunately for Dudley, the lions were not being fed, but he managed to still have a good birthday, bullying several kids out of souvenirs, ("They gave them to me once they found it was my birthday, mum."), and money when his parents weren't looking.

Harry never did see the forceful, bossy-voiced Hermione Granger that day again, but fate loved to be a cruel bitch and once more pushed them together again on a train, set to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy...for Harry was a wizard and Hermione was a witch and Hogwarts was one of the better places to learn how to be the best damn wizard or witch you could be.

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Somehow, Harry ended up at Kings Cross with a ticket to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, a wand, a snowy owl, and absolutely no idea how to get on the train to his new school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. -Hagrid had forgotten to tell him.

"Now what's the platform number?" a woman asked behind him.

"Nine and three quarters!" said a little girl's high voice, "Oh, mum, can't I go? Can't I?"

Harry turned around instantly at the girl's announcement of their platform destination. There was a large family of redheads and if their conversation was true then they were magical like Harry.

"You only have one more year of waiting, Ginny. Now be quiet," said the mother, "You go first, Percy, and show Ron how it's done."

A tall boy, probably the oldest by the looks of it, marched importantly to the diving barrier between platforms nine and ten. A pack of tourists swarming about blocked Harry's sight though, and the boy had disappeared by the time Harry could see again, but he waited. The others looked of school age too and they would surely get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters via the same way.

A boy named Fred, -no George –no really Fred, went next and then his twin, George. They had both ran quickly to the same place as Percy, but had disappeared within the blink of an eye. Perhaps a magical device or trapdoor transported them to the correct Platform?

"Go ahead, Ron," the plump mother was looking around for someone as the smallest redhead boy headed in the same direction as his brothers. The woman spotted Harry ducking his head a way as soon as she saw him. She smiled broadly as she strode toward him.

"Is this your first time going to Hogwarts, dear?" she asked kindly.

"Yes, ma'am," said Harry, "Do you know how to get onto the platform?"

Her smile deepened, "Don't worry; all you have to do is walk straight at that barrier between platforms nine and ten. You'll go right through to the correct platform. Go ahead, dear."

"Alright," said Harry. He started at a trot and then began to run toward the barrier...but the crash did not come.

There was a scarlet train next to a platform that was packed with witches and wizards, hugging children, handing off items and pets, talking...He walked amongst the crowd, passing a boy who had lost his toad and his grandmother and then a boy with dreadlocks who was surrounded by a small crowd.

"Go on Lee, give us a look."

He lifted the lid of the box in his arms, and the surrounding crowd shrieked in delight as something poked out a long hairy leg. Harry looked on curiously. Sharing a cupboard with them, had somewhat endeared, or at least allowed him to tolerate spiders and it looked like there was a tarantula in the box. Another leg poked out and the crowd pressed closer, blocking his view and he moved on until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train.

He stowed his snowy owl which had been a gift from Hagrid in first and pulled out his wand. He had looked through his school books previously, out of curiosity and in search of a name for his owl, and had come upon a neat spell.

Squinting his eyes a bit, Harry swished and flicked his wand, "Wingardium Leviosa," tried Harry. His trunk didn't move. With a quick look around to make sure no one had saw his pitiful attempt, Harry tried once more, more eager to succeed lest someone see his failure at magic, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

To his delight his trunk rose and followed his wand movement and was stowed in the corner of the compartment.

"Oh, that's the levitation charm!"

Harry turned to see an impressed bushy-haired girl grinning, revealing large front teeth.

"Oh, you're the boy from the zoo," she said, looking delighted at seeing a familiar face, even if it was one she wasn't sure she really liked.

"And you're...Hermione, right? Hermione Ranger?"

"Granger," she corrected, "I didn't know you were famous! I read all about you in the extra books I picked up at Flourish and Blott's."

"I haven't been interviewed," Harry cautioned, noting that Hermione still retained the same mannerisms she had had at the zoo.

In fact, she looked positively scandalized that anyone would even hint that a supposedly nonfiction book was not factual.

"Well, perhaps they interviewed people who knew your family."

"Maybe," Harry shrugged.

"Anyways," Hermione continue on, "I haven't been able to get the levitation charm," she looked rather annoyed at this, "Would you mind helping me with it?"

"Just make sure you do the wand movements correctly and say the words clearly, that's supposed to be very important."

Hermione nodded, but she seemed irritated at the poor aid, "Thanks, I suppose. Can I join you?"

"Actually," said Harry, "I'm kind of with someone, -oi! Mate!"

A nearby boy with blonde hair turned at the call and Harry nodded at him, smiling but looking rather pleadingly at him.

"Weren't we just about to play um, chess?"

"...Sure," said the blonde boy amusedly, "Just about to, mate."

"You can join us, if you want," Harry said, sounding as if he preferred if she didn't.

"That's alright," said Hermione frostily, "I'll go find another compartment. -I wouldn't want to disturb your chess game after all."

And without another word, she flounced off. Making sure she was out of earshot, Harry turned to the boy, "Thanks, she's right annoying, that one," Harry said, shaking his head, "I owe you one."

The boy grinned, "Think nothing of it, mate. The name's Terry Boot, Halfblood from Bristol."

"Harry Potter, err, Halfblood too," Harry held out his hand and Terry shook it briskly.

"Now what's this about a chess game, Harry?"

Later...

Except the run in with Hermione Granger, the train ride had been pleasant all around. Terry Boot had declared he was going to Ravenclaw as "all the other houses sound like shite. Nobody trusts Slytherins, Hufflepuffs are looked down upon, and Gryffindors are known as all brawn and no brain golden children." He had a little sister called Sheila and was hoping to have a job in the Ministry of Magic someday, preferably the Department of Mysteries. ("I bet they're doing all sorts of cool experiments in there!")

However, they had been interrupted once more by a redhead named Ron, the youngest of the Weasley brood whose mother had helped Harry get onto the platform. Without so much as a how-do-you-do he settled in and proceeded to tell them he was aiming for Gryffindor. Ignoring his rude intrusion, Ron proved to be an alright fellow, if not dense in most manners excluding chess, which he whipped both Terry and Harry in...

"Boot, Terry!"

The stern witch called Professor Minerva McGonagall startled Harry out of his thoughts as she announced his new acquaintance's name.

Terry stepped eagerly forward, beaming charmingly at his professors. Only a greasy-haired man seemed to have a bad reaction, scowling ferociously. If anyone had been quite close to him, he or she could've heard the man mutter, "Obnoxious little brat". The sorting hat than proceeded to grant Terry's wishes and landed him in Ravenclaw after a few minutes of deliberation.

The next name called that Harry took note of was, "Granger, Hermione!"

She nimbly stepped around people from the back of the line, but shoved past Harry rather roughly. Hermione took even longer than Terry, but was eventually sorted into Gryffindor. Harry was glad; although Ron had told Terry and him to shoot for Gryffindor, they both had decided to go to Ravenclaw. It was certainly nice that Granger wasn't in the same house as him.

"Perks, Sally-Anne!"

Only a few seconds later, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

A roaring applause from the table under a yellow and black banner depicting an eagle burst into applause and then –"Potter, Harry!"

"Go for Gryffindor," Ron Weasley whispered one last time as Harry passed by him and walked quickly over to the stool amidst whispers. The hat dropped over his eyes as soon as he sat down and he waited patiently.

"Hmm...very difficult, you are, Mr. Potter...A good deal of courage...not to mention some smarts and the talent to achieve...and oh my yes, the ambition to achieve success and a place for yourself...what's this? Oh...you certainly want a place for yourself...You are certainly very just; though your venom for your living relatives is unfortunate...hmm, but it seems you want Ravenclaw, Mr. Potter..."

Yes, please. I'd like to be in the same house as Terry.

"Yes, that is quite nice, but that's also a Hufflepuff way of thinking Mr. Potter...not to mention your raw courage and ambition. The other houses do outshine your little Ravenclaw tendencies..."

I swear, I'll become the biggest bookworm you've ever seen if you put me in Ravenclaw.

The hat chuckled quietly, "Oh, but it's your talent and good mind that enables you to go into RAVENCLAW!"

The hat shouted the last word to the whole hall and Harry pulled it off to face the occupants excluding the professors. (Had he turned he would've seen a sneering Potions Professor, a disappointed Headmaster, and beaming tiny Head of Ravenclaw.) More than the a few Gryffindors at their table looked disappointed at this announcement and Ron looked absolutely flabbergasted for some reason...but over on the right, the table under a blue and bronze banner depicting an eagle burst into applause and he could hear Terry cheering...

"Sorry, Ron," whispered Harry as he passed the redhead as he headed toward the Ravenclaw table. Terry made room, clapping him on the back, and Harry sat down, grinning widely.

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Please go to Chapter Ten once it is up.