Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.k. not me.
When he was finally able to leave his mothers vice like grip he walked over to in front of the barrier. He sent one last look at his parents before he closed his eyes and ran straight at the seemingly solid brick wall. A small part of him was terrified that he was going to crash so he was immensely relieved when he only felt a slight tingle of magic as he came through the barrier.
Harry opened his eyes and had to stop himself from gaping. The platform was huge and filled to the brim with families sending off their children to school. Harry could a huge scarlet steam engine on the opposite end of the platform. It looked more magnificent than he'd ever thought it would be. It was definitely better than those other trains he had seen on the muggle platforms.
With a grin he set off through the crowd towards the train. He wanted to get on the train quickly so he could find a compartment. What he hadn't counted on was the stir he'd caused when people started to notice him.
"Merlin," one women said in a loud enough voice to attract everyone else. "Its Harry Potter."
Before he'd even realized what had happened the people of the train station were surrounding him. He felt people hands on him as they all tried to shake his hand or touch him in some way. Everyone was shouting questions so he couldn't hear what any single person was saying.
There were more people surrounding him than he'd ever seen in his life. And they were all so close. There was no way for him to get away. He was trapped in a sea of people who were all groping him. Unconsciously his breathing had started to quicken and he started to break out in a nervous sweat. But still the crowd of people pressed closer to him.
Just as he was getting dizzy from lack of oxygen to the brain someone broke through the crowd and blocked off the people still trying to get to him, while another sent off loud explosions with his wand. There was silence immediately.
Harry unconsciously moved closer to the people protecting him from the mob of people. From seemingly far away he heard someone yelling at the crowd of people. He didn't listen to what was said he just tried to get his breathing under control. He closed his eyes and mentally counted to five before taking a breath. It took a few minute for him to get his breath back and when he finally opened his eyes he noticed that he was leaning against someone in a corner of the platform. The mob of people was no where to be seen.
His cheeks burned with embarrassment as he pulled back from the women, he could tell it was a woman, who had been comforting him. He looked up and saw a plumb homey looking woman with frizzled red hair looking down at him worriedly. Standing next to her was a tall balding man who also had red hair. Their kind faces were currently looking at him concernedly.
"Are you ok dear." the women asked kindly.
Harry blushed and nodded. "Yes ma'am. Thank you for getting me away from the crowd. It was rather... large." he said trying to hide his embarrassment.
They both chuckled slightly at his understatement. "I don't know what they were thinking. Attacking a child like that." The women said fiercely.
Harry stuck his hand out in a gesture of good faith. "My names Harry Potter and I'm pleased to meat you." He said with a small smile of appreciation.
"It's nice to meat a young man with such nice manners." the women said before taking his hand. "I'm Molly Weasley."
Harry smiled as he released her hand and shook her husbands hand, who's name was Aurthor Weasley.
"Thank you again for all your help." He said sincerely. His parents had after all taught him to be polite. "I really should be getting on the train now."
They said their goodbyes and Harry hurried to the train. Almost everyone was off the platform, which ment that there wasn't really any hope for him finding his own compartment.
Sending one last wave at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley he boarded the train. He nervously smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes before looking for a compartment.
Lady luck turned out to be on his side because after only looking for a few minutes he found an empty compartment in the middle of the train.
Harry pulled out his trunk and tapped it with his wand to enlarge it. It really wasn't a spell per say more like he was undoing his fathers spell. The first thing he did was pull out his communication journal from his third compartment. Then he put his trunk up on the rack.
He was still feeling sick from his earlier encounter. The only thing he wanted to do right now was wash his body. When he closed his eyes he could feel everyone's hands on him.
He sincerely hoped that that never happened again.
'Mum' he wrote. Hoping she would answer.
To his eternal relief it only took her a few minutes to answer. She had probably been checking it every few minutes to see if something went wrong
'Hello son, did everything go all right?' Minerva wrote.
Harry sighed and proceeded to tell her exactly what happened from his point of view. She ranted for a few lines about the immaturity of wizards and witches in general for a good three paragraphs, before she stopped.
'Are you alright? ' she asked. 'It sounds like you had a panic attack.'
'I'll be fine. I just want to take a shower. I feel dirty.' He wrote.
'I'm sorry Harry this would have never happened if we had let you make a public appearance before now.' His mum wrote and he could in his minds eye her distraught face.
'Don't worry, I'm fine. And I don't blame you and dad. It was bound to happen eventually' He wrote to reassure his mother. He hated the thought of her being sad.
'As long as your alright' She wrote. 'Your father and I wil talk it over with you tonight after the feast.'
Harry was just getting ready to write something else when someone opened the compartment door. A tall gangly boy with red hair and a bunch of freckles stood nervously in the doorway. He looked like Mrs. Weasley so he was guessing this was her son.
"Do you mind if I sit here, everywhere else is full?" he asked hopefully. Though he didn't looked to hopeful.
"That sounds fine, I'll be done with this in just a moment." Harry said to the boy.
The red hair boy smiled and drug his trunk in the compartment.
'A boy just came into my compartment. He looks like a Weasley. I'll talk to you later mum, Love you' Harry scribbled down quickly.
'Have fun and be polite' She reminded him before he closed the book. He looked up at the red haired boy to see him struggling with getting his trunk into the overhead rack.
"Here let me help you with that" Harry said as he stood up. Together the two boys got the heavy trunk up into the rack. Though it did almost fall on them once. Ron's trunk didn't have a lightening charm on it.
"Thanks." the boy said. "I'm Ron, Ron Weasley" He introduced with a hand stuck out.
Harry took his hand and said. "My names Harry, Harry Potter. Its nice to meat you."
Ron's jaw dropped open. "Your him" he gasped out. "you're the-boy-who-lived"
Harry shrugged uncomfortably. He didn't think he'd ever get used to this fame. "Yeah I guess." He said.
Ron stared at him for a few seconds before he realized what he was doing and flushed.
"Do...do you really have the scar?" he asked quietly.
Harry sighed and pushed his bangs back revealing his famous scar. He was started to seriously consider getting it surgically removed.
There were a few moments of silence where Ron would pretend to look out the window while he was sneaking peaks at Harry. Harry could tell he wanted to ask a question but was to afraid to do so.
"Ron if you have a question just ask it?" He said after getting annoyed at being stared at like some animal at the zoo.
Ron blushed fiercely but asked his question anyway. "Can you remember anything from... that night?" He asked quietly.
Harry frowned. He really hoped that everyone didn't act like this. "I used to have dreams of my mother begging Voldemort" He stopped because Ron squeaked and almost fell of his chair.
"You said you-know-who's-name." he gasped out sounding impressed but also slightly fearful.
"Yes well fear of a name only increases fear of a thing so I don't see any reason not to say it. Besides Voldemorts dead what's he going to do curse me from the after life" Harry said dryly.
Ron laughed nervously but didn't say anything else on the subject.
"Any way I remember a flash of green light and then really horrible laughter. Sometime I dream of a huge explosion, but that's it." Harry finished looking at Ron.
"Wow" Ron said looking at Harry in reverence.
Harry shrugged. He personally didn't think it was cool or anything. He hated that memory. It was his parents dying for Merlin's sake.
"So who's your favorite quiditch team?" Harry asked making conversation. Ron's whole face lit up at the mention of quiditch.
The next hour passed in a flurry of quiditch debates and talk of there favorite teams. Ron apparently worshipped the Chudley Cannons, who were without a doubt the worst team in the league. While Harry supported the London Lions, due to familial reasons. They also had a large chance of going to the world cup and had one of the best seekers in the league.
They were in the middle of talking about which position was best, when the door opened. Revealing a tall blood haired boy with pale aristocratic features and two large boys who looked more like thugs than anything else.
"I hear Harry Potters on the train." The blonde said with a bored drawl.
"And if he is" Harry said carefully. His parents had warned him that some death eaters and their children might try and take revenge out on him for destroying their master.
The blonde looked him over appraisingly and approvingly. He obviously liked what he saw. "The names Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." The blonde said arrogantly like it was supposed to mean something. To Harry it did. Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater who escaped Azkaban by paying off the minister. This must be his son.
Ron gave a slight snigger, which he tried to cover up with a laugh, but failed quiet badly.
Draco Malfoy sneered at him. "Think my names funny do you? No need to ask who you are. My father has told me all about the Weasleys. Red hair, freckles, and more children then they can afford." Ron turned red with embarrassment.
Draco turned to Harry next. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You have to be careful not to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He said with a hand held out.
Harry looked at him for a moment wondering if he was serious or not. This boys father was a Death Eater and had killed innocent people. He Harry was the reason his master was dead. Did they really expect him to become friends with his son. Especially when it was obvious that he held the same beliefs as his father.
"Define 'wrong sort'." Harry said cooly while looking at the blonde with narrowed eyes.
"Why mudbloods and blood traitors of course." The blonde said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I think I can sort out the wrong sort for myself thanks." Harry said in an even colder voice. His birth mother had been a muggle born.
A pink tinge appeared on Draco's pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you Potter" he said with a distasteful look. "If you don't learn some manners you'll end up the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. "
He would have said more but Harry had stood up and was now inches away from his face with his wand drawn and pressed into his chin. He had never tried any spells before but he had read about a fare few. One of them was bound to do something.
"I think you've out stayed your welcome Malfoy. Leave. Now." Harry said in an authoritative voice. The two heavy set boys who had remained motionless until now stepped forward in front Malfoy and blocked him from view.
Harry just glared at them both with a fire in his green eyes. "Leave, before I hex you into next month." he said firmly.
Malfoy glared at him darkly but did as he was told . "Come on Crabbe, Goyle. Lets go before I catch something."
Harry put his wand back in his pocket and turned around, he was surprised to see Ron standing behind him also also putting his wand away. Harry smiled at him. He was great full for the show of support.
"So do you have any brother's or sisters?" Harry asked starting a whole new discussion about their families. Ron told him how he had five older brothers and one younger sister.
Ron was in the middle of describing how his oldest brother Bill was a curse breaker in Egypt when the compartment door opened again.
The trolley lady was outside of their compartment. "Anything off the trolley dears?" she asked with a smile. Ron muttered something about having a packed lunch, but Harry had no such restrictions. His dad had handed him a handful of galleons especially for this.
He ended up buying a large pile of chocolate frogs, a few bags of Bertie Bott's and some Pumpkin Pasties. He made sure to buy extra incase his new friend wanted any. He'd seen the state of his sandwiches and it hadn't been good.
The rest of the train ride went uneventfully. They started a game to see who would eat the worst flavored Berties Bott's that lhad asted until a girl with bushy brown hair had come into the compartment looking for a toad. Ron had taken an immediately disliking to the girl because she told him he had dirt on his nose.
A message came over a magical intercom saying that they'd be at Hogwarts in ten minutes and to get dressed into their uniforms ending the playful atmosphere.
Ron and Harry had to hurry to get dressed in their uniforms before they got to the school. They were barely fastening their cloaks when then train pulled into a stop at Hogsmeade station. Harry could feel the butterflies in his stomach flying wildly.
"Where do we go?" Harry asked Ron. No one had ever told him what he was supposed to do after he got on the train.
"Just follow everyone else I suppose." Ron said with a shrug. Harry smiled nervously at him and stepped out of the compartment into a sea of students. Luckily no one recognized him or if they did they didn't attack him like the people t the train station.
The two boys followed everyone off the train and down to the platform.
"Firs' years! Firs' years! Over here!" A booming voice called. Harry and Ron walked hurriedly toward it. Harry's eyes widened. There standing in front of him was the biggest man Harry had ever seen. "C'mon follow me, any more firs' years? "
The group of first years followed the giant man, who Harry recognized as Hagrid the grounds keeper from his parents description. They had said he was larger than most but this man was huge, even bigger than Vernon, something he didn't think was possible.
Everyone followed Hagrid down a path that lead to the lake. "You'll be seein yer firs' look o' Hogwarts in a mo'ment."
The entire crowd gasp as one as they turned a bend and there was Hogwarts in all her glory. Even Harry who had grown up in the castle had never seen her like this. It was the most breath taking sight he'd ever seen. Next to him he heard Ron swear insurprise that that was where they would be going to school.
"Alright no more'n four to a boat." Hagrid said and it was then that Harry realized that there were boats in the lake waiting for them.
Ron grabbed his arm and pulled him to the closest available boat. They were joined shortly later by a somewhat chubby boy who had mousy brown hair and a elegant red head.
With a jolt the boats started to move forward. The red head who looked as if she was trying to sit as far away from them as possible tipped and would have fallen in the lake if it wasn't for Harry's quick reflexes. He grabbed her arm and steadied her.
She looked at him with a masked face. "Thank you" she said carefully.
Harry gave her a crooked grin. "You're welcome. Could you imagine having to get sorted soaking wet?"
Her lips twitched up in more of a smirk than a smile. "It happened to my eldest brother." she said though there was a twinge of sadness in her voice.
"I'm Harry, and this is my friend Ron" Harry said pointing to Ron who had been oddly silent. Though he smiled when Harry introduced him as a friend.
"My names Daphne." she introduced.
"It's nice to meet you Daphne." Harry said and he gave her a small bow, or at least the closest thing he could get to a bow while sitting in a small rickety boat. Harry smiled when he saw her lips twitch, almost as if she wanted to smile. He wondered silently if she ever really smiled.
He turned to the last boy who looked like he would be sick he was so nervous. "Hi!" he said hoping he could help the boy relax. "I'm Harry."
The boy blushed but answered. "I'm N...Neville"
"It's nice to meet you Neville." Neville smiled shyly and nodded.
"So" Ron said after a few minutes. "Does anyone know how we get sorted. My brothers told me you had to wrestle a troll but..." he trailed off with a shrug.
Harry laughed. "We can't wrestle a troll. First years couldn't possibly do it and come out alive." he said with laughter in his voice. He knew about the sorting hat of course. When he was younger he used to try it on when he was in his dads office and try and persuade it to tell him his house.
"My Father told me that all we had to do was try on a hat." Daphne said joining in the conversation. Harry stayed silent not wanting to reveal his knowledge on the subject.
The conversation would have lasted longer but the small boats suddenly went into a tunnel under the school.
"We're almost there." Harry said in a excited voice. Now that he had met some of the people he'd be going to classes with the thought of school didn't seem so scary. He was actually looking forward to it a small bit.
The boats knocked against a dock and Hagrid helped everyone out of the boats. A door at the other side of the room opened and Harry chocked on the spit he'd been swallowing.
There stood his mum, only she looked completely different then he'd ever seen her. He had known that she projected a different image while out of the safety of their rooms but this was weird. She looked completely different. Even Harry who had know her his entire life was intimidated by her. She stood tall and straight, with her hair up in a tight bun. She had a aura of sternness that rolled off her in waves. He silently vowed to himself to never make his mother angry again.
Then his mums dark green eyes met his and she winked stealthily at him. A wave of relief filled him. She was still his mum. Even if she was dressed funnily in bulky green robes that made her look like and old spinster.
"I'll take them from here Hagrid." she said in a firm voice.
"O course p'fessor" Hagrid said.
"Follow me." Minerva said her voice only slightly higher, but it still caught the attention of everyone in the room.
She walked out of the door and the first years followed her into the entrance hall and into a small empty chamber to the left of the hall. Everyone crowded in and looked to Professor Mcgonagall for furthere instruction.
"Welcome to Hagwarts" she said. "The start of term feast will begin momentarily. Before that you, of course, have to be sorted. The house you are sorted into will be your family within these walls. You have classes with your house, live in closed quarters with your house and eat meals with your house.
"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house is valued for there own traits and outstanding witches and wizards come from each. While you are at Hogwarts any rule breaking will lose you house points, while triumphs will gain you house points. At the end of each year there is a house cup that is rewarded to the house with the most points.
"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few moments. I suggest you smarten your selves up, its in front of the rest of the school."
Harry made a show of flattening his hair while looking into his mothers eyes and smiling. She raised an eyebrow and bit down a smile at her cheeky son.
"I shall return when we are ready for you" she said after tearing her eyes from Harry's. Then she left the chamber.
No one really spoke except for the girl who had told Ron about his dirty nose, she was chatting with anyone who would listen.
Harry stood in thought about which house he would be sorted into. He wanted to be a Gryffindor, because both his parents and his birth parents had been in that house, but he also knew he had traits from other houses.
When he was younger and in his fathers office he would try and convince, Timothy, the sorting hat to tell him which house he belonged in. The only thing he got for his efforts was annoyed Timothy telling his father that it had been he and Nathan who had charmed his socks to run from him. His dad hadn't been amused, if he took one thing serious in his life it was his socks. After that he'd left the evil, at least in his opinion, hat alone.
Screams from the back of the room attracted his attention. He turned his hand on his wand ready to spout out the few curses Nathan and the twins had taught him. Only to see the Muggleborns and half-bloods staring in awe and fear at the ghost's of Hogwarts.
Harry smiled mentally. He'd met Sir Nicolas during Easter vacation when he was eight. His father had closed the school down, saying something about it needing repairs. He, Nathan and the twins had been playing hide and seek in the North Tower. Harry was the seeker and had been hiding in an abandon classroom to count to a hundred. He was a thirty-five when the ghost happened to float through the class room.
Harry remembered being so shocked at the sudden appearance that he fell off the desk he'd been sitting on attracting the ghost's attention. Nick, as he'd been told to call him, was just as surprised to see him as he was. Harry had had to explain to him why he was there and once Nick was satisfied that he wasn't a forgotten student or someone causing trouble, he helped Harry find his siblings.
Ever since Nick would come to their rooms every once and a while and tell them the latest gossip of the castle and stories of students past. He even told them some stories of his birth parents that he hadn't known before.
Harry winked at Nick and shook his head negatively, telling the ghost he would explain later. Nick only raised an eyebrow, but other wise didn't draw any attention to Harry.
The only door to the chamber opened and his mother walked in looking if possible even sterner than before. "The sorting ceremony is about to begin." she said looking at the group with a contemplative gaze. "Form a line and follow me."
Harry jumped in line behind Ron and in front of Daphne. The group of first years followed the professor out of the chamber, through the entrance hall and into the Great Hall. Almost everyone gasped at the halls beauty. Harry looked around and pretended to be interested in it.
It was only when he looked to the front of the room that his step faltered and he almost fell. What he assumed was his father was sitting in the center of the head table smiling broadly. Harry had to consciously tell himself to keep breathing and not to laugh uproariously. The beard and hair were bad enough, but what in the world possessed his father to wear purple and orange robes.
The first years were left standing in the front of the hall under the scrutiny of the upper classmen, while his mum went to go get the sorting hat. Harry looked up and met his fathers raised eyebrow. Harry just gave him a look then looked purposely at the mans robes.
His dad smiled secretly and winked at him before motioning to Harry to pay attention. Harry followed his fathers eyes and noticed that his mother had entered with the sorting hat and he hadn't even noticed. Butterflies started to jump around in his stomach as he came closer to being sorted. This was the most important moment in his life, so far, that he could remember.