Author's Notes:This is probably the last chapter before the Chamber of Secrets.

Read, review and most importantly, enjoy!

Disclaimer:Harry Potter and associated characters are NOT mine! So lawyers, keep away!

Chapter 3: The Magical World

At about 10:30 AM on his birthday, Harry found himself in the lobby of Gringotts' Wizarding Bank. Hagrid had told him that it was the one of the safest places in the world, besides Hogwarts. One would be mad to try and rob it. Hagrid went to the nearest goblin and said, "We have come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's vault."

"Do you have the key, sir?" the goblin asked.

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, while searching his multiple pockets. He found it after a while and handed it to the goblin.

The goblin examined the key. "That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen." The goblin read the letter carefully and placed it under some weird device, where it glowed green. "Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Hagrid and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Top secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

Harry found it odd that the top secret business was being conducted so openly. Wouldn't it have made more sense to come alone for this top secret thing - which turned out to be a grubby little package wrapped in brown paper? But in his delight at finding the small fortune that his parents had left him, he forgot all about it.

When they stepped in the lobby of the bank, a goblin came running towards them. He said, "Mr. Potter, could you please come with me? Gorcrook, your accounts manager wants to talk to you." Harry looked at Hagrid who, for some reason, looked troubled. Hagrid said, "Yeh can come later Harry, Professor Dumbledore is expectin' me by this evening and we need ter get a lotta shoppin' done by then." He wouldn't meet Harry's eye as he said that. Harry decided that he would return later to check upon his account.

At Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Harry met an arrogant boy whom he immediately disliked. He recited his father's beliefs about everything. He reminded him of Dudley Dursley. When he told Hagrid about the meeting, Hagrid told him about the houses and quidditch. Harry's dislike for the boy intensified when Hagrid told him that Slytherin house – which the blond boy wanted to get into – produced most of the dark wizards, including Voldemort himself. Later, they went to Ollivanders' where he was surprised to find that his wand was brother to Voldemort's. When Harry waved the wand, he had the same feeling of something rising within him, though it was still restricted. After that Harry bought his books and other supplies while Hagrid bought him a snowy owl as a birthday gift. Another thing he found odd that Hagrid wouldn't let him buy any book or equipment other than those listed in the letter. "Don' worry Harry, yeh will not be needin' 'em at Hogwarts, don' waste the money," said Hagrid.

After getting his shopping done, Harry wanted to stay at The Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the summer. But Hagrid said that it was not safe. So he reluctantly returned to Privet Drive. Later, he reflected that it had been a good idea. One of the shopkeepers had shouted his name for the whole street to hear. Dozens of people had followed him while he shopped. They all wanted to shake The-Boy-Who-Lived's hand, to talk to him, or simply touch him. Many of them even wanted an autograph. It was Hagrid's intimidating presence which had kept them at bay. Needless to say, Harry was highly uncomfortable for the rest of the day. He shuddered to think what would have happened if he had stayed at The Leaky Cauldron.

During the last month, the Dursleys' mostly ignored him, which suited him just fine. Since he wasn't given any chores to do, he spent most of his time sitting in his new bedroom reading his books. He tried some of the spells and most of them worked fine. By now he had realized that the something he felt rising inside him was magic. Though he couldn't understand the blockage he felt. It didn't seem natural. It was like something was preventing him from doing magic. He decided to think about it later. He named his owl Hedwig, a name he had found in his History of Magic book.

On 1st September, his uncle left him at King's Cross station as stated in his ticket and went away, smiling at his predicament, for Harry was in big trouble. He couldn't find the platform nine and three quarters. He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl. Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"- packed with Muggles, of course -"

Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him - and they had an owl. Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mum, can't I go... "She looked ready to cry. Harry felt very bad for her.

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

What looked like the oldest boy marched towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it - but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"I'm sorry, George."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone - but how had he done it?

There was nothing else for it.

"Excuse me," Harry said timidly.

It was the little girl who answered. "Hello, First time at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to-"

"How to get to the platform?" she asked, and Harry nodded.

She giggled. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it. Wait, I'll come with you. Mum!" She turned to her mother who hadn't noticed him till then. She was busy scolding the third brother – apparently George – for making mischief. "Oh! Hello dear!" she said.

"Can I help him get to the platform?" asked the girl – Ginny.

"Sure, dear!"

So Harry and Ginny strode towards the barrier with the trolley. As they got closer, Harry closed his eyes. He was sure they'd crash. But the crash never came.

"You can open your eyes!" said Ginny, giggling.

Harry opened his eyes to see a scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it.

Harry turned to the little red headed girl. "Thanks! I am Harry, by the way."

"I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley. And you are welcome."

"Nice meeting you, I'll go find a compartment. Bye!"

"Bye." The girl looked sad.

"What's the matter? You look sad." asked Harry.

"Oh! It's nothing. It's a bit silly actually."

"You can tell me. I mean - if you want to..."

"It's just that Ron will be going to Hogwarts this year and I'll be all alone." She looked positively distraught.

"I'm sure they'll write to you."

"They all say so, but they never write!"

"How about I write to you?"

"You will?" She looked hopefully at him.

"Sure, if you want me to."

Her face lit up. "I'd love that." And she hugged him.

"Oi George, looks like ickle Gin-Gin has found herself a boyfriend!" It was Fred.

"Looks like it, brother mine!" said George.

Ginny blushed tomato red for a moment before turning towards her brothers, glaring, "Don't – call – me – Gin-Gin." She punctured each word with a poke in the twins' chests. Harry was amused to see the twins – who were about a foot taller than her – cowering before her. She turned towards Harry and kissed him on the cheek. "Get going, I'll deal with them. Goodbye!"

"Bye, Ginny!"

Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.

"Want a hand?" It was burly, black haired boy.

"Yes, please," Harry panted.

With his help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"I am Oliver Wood. Fifth year Gryffindor." The boy extended his hand.

"Harry Potter," said Harry, shaking the offered hand.

Wood's eyes flicked briefly towards his forehead before he said, "Nice meeting you Harry. Hope to see you in Gryffindor." And he walked off.

Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"Mum - geroff" He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now."

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front; the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once -"

"Or twice -"

"A minute -"

"All summer -"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or -"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry; ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

A whistle drowned the rest of their conversation and the Weasley boys rushed to board the train. Later he was joined by Ron Weasley. Ron seemed to be in awe of him. This made Harry uncomfortable. But as the journey went on, they grew comfortable with each other. Ron told him all about his family. Harry felt that Ron desperately wanted to get out of the shadow of his brothers. He also realized that Ron was somewhat jealous of him when he saw him buying loads of sweets. "What wouldn't I give to have a loving family like that?" thought Harry.

Later they met Neville Longbottom – a shy, chubby boy and Hermione Granger – a bushy haired, bossy girl. Neville had lost his toad and Hermione was helping him – or at least she said so. Harry suspected she was trying to find someone to befriend; with her bossy attitude, not many would want to befriend her.

About halfway through the journey the pale blond boy from Madam Malkin's showed up along with two bodyguards – errrr friends. His name was Draco Malfoy. Harry's dislike for him increased when he badmouthed the Weasleys. A scuffle broke out, which ended when Scabbers – Ron's pet rat, bit Goyle – or was it Crabbe, Harry wasn't too sure.

Author's Notes:A heartfelt thanks to all those who reviewed.

I intended to go through the sorting and Snape's first class. But there weren't many changes, other than Snape getting what was coming to him. I even had the chapter written. So for now I am leaving it. Maybe I'll show Snape's class in a flashback. Next Chapter – Two Years Later – Harry vs. Tom Riddle (I mean the basilisk)

The jump might seem somewhat abrupt, but I couldn't see the point of merely repeating the canon.

Please Review

How would you like to see old Dumbledore?

1. Not evil; just misguided. Agrees at a truce with Harry at some later stage.
2. Not evil; just misguided. Never agrees at a truce.
3. Evil; out for personal gain.
4. Evil; will go to any lengths for The Greater Good.
5. Does some evil things, but with good intentions.