A/N: Hello Everyone. Yep, this is also a revised version. Hope you like it. And of course, thanks to Mikee who was my beta some time back. It is quite close to cannon but there was not much scope for difference here.

Chapter 4: Hogwarts Express

When Dudley and Harry entered their compartment, they noticed that they would be sharing the compartment with a girl. She was lean and seemed to have very long legs, wheat-coloured skin, and she had short curly hair. She was wearing khaki shorts with a t-shirt and she was asleep in a very awkward pose. Not wanting to disturb her, both Harry and Dudley sat on the other seat, but neither of them was in any mood to talk. Both were busy thinking about the surprises their school would be throwing at them. Harry was wondering how people will treat him there.

In his previous school, he was constantly bullied by Piers. That had led to many people staying away from Harry. Harry had not told this to anyone, but Dudley came to know of it and since then he had been on a "Save-Harry" mission.

Dudley loved sports, especially tennis, so his body was well-built even for this age. He was somewhat obsessed with running and many times made Harry go with him to the park. In fact, sports were what made Dudley's day and had made him famous in his school. He had been learning Karate since the age of five so, in addition to being well-built; this was another reason people would not dare tease Harry. All this had resulted in no friends for Harry. But Dudley was the best buddy he could have asked for though sometimes he was too protective of Harry.

Lost in his own thoughts, Harry did not notice the whispering going on outside his compartment.

"I think I heard your name, Harry." said Dudley, moving towards the door. Even Harry heard his name.

"I bet 10 galleons, Harry Potter is on the train somewhere but, I don't know which compartment. I heard the twins telling that to Lee."

Harry sighed and took his seat. Dudley followed him.

"You okay, Hardy?" This was the favourite habit of Dudley's, to manipulate other's names.

"I don't know how to react in such a situation. I can avoid them here but what about at school? It seems they know a lot about me, whereas just a month-and-a-half ago, I, myself, didn't know that I am a wizard," answered Harry sadly.

"Oh it's okay, Haddy. We always had each other, and we will always have. We won't have any problems."

Just then, the door slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.

"Do you have a vacant seat?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."

Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and Dudley and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.

"Hey, Ron."

The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train -– Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"What's a tarantula? Can I come to have a look at it?" asked Dudley, excitedly.

"Well sure," said the other twin, "Harry, did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother."

"Hi. And this is Dudley, my brother." answered Harry.

"Come on Dudley. Bye guys," and off they went, explaining to Dudley about tarantulas. Harry could already see a friendship developing there.

"Bye," said Harry and Ron.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

"Who? ... oh … yea … I mean I am Harry Dur … Potter" answered Harry, somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh - well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron after a while. "What are they like?"

"Awesome. My mom and dad … er … aunt and uncle are the best people I could have. And my brother … er … cousin is my best friend." Damn, it is becoming confusing. "But I wish I had three wizard brothers"

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of the Quidditch team. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny.

"Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much because he went back to staring out of the window.

Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd also seen bad times when things had gone wrong with Dad's business. This seemed to cheer Ron up.

"... and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about me and Dudley being wizards or about my parents or Voldemort"

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people --"

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn ... I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class ... well maybe better than Dudley, though"

"You won't be. There are loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quickly enough. By the way, who is the girl? Is she asleep?"

"No idea. She was there like that when we got here."

They went quiet for sometimes. There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three quarters came in, accompanied with a girl. He looked tearful.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

"Nopes," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand, which Ron had taken out to try something on his rat.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er -– all right."

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Doesn't look like a real spell," she said, "I have been practising quite a lot. I mean, I have read all the boys and learnt them by heart. I hope that's enough, though."

Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned the entire course books by heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Dursley … I mean Potter," said Harry. Again!

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "You are quite famous. You are mentioned in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know," said Hermione. "Anyway, do either of you know what house you'll be in? I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad ... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad."

And she left, taking the toad-less boy with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell -– George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

Just then, three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop, Harry had the misfortune to meet. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Oh … Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? You must be Weasely. Red hair, freckles and second hand stuff." He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

"I think I can tell who the wrong sorts are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Both Harry and Ron stood up.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than he or Ron and Dudley was not yet back.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? What's that, Weasel? A toy?" Malfoy said, looking at Scabbers.

Goyle reached toward the rat – Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell. Soon his yell was followed by that of Malfoy and Crabbe's. They turned towards the corner where the girl had been sleeping. She was fully awake now and holding something in her hand.

"What was this about? What is that you are holding?" yelled Malfoy, rubbing his head where he had been hit by something.

"How easily people keep forgetting manners. Well, to your first question, this is slingshot," answered the girl, holding it in front of her, "and to your second question, that was to teach you manners. You are supposed to say please before taking something from someone. Try saying it, it's not difficult. 1 … 2 … 3 … Please! See, it's easy!"

Just then, Dudley entered the compartment with Fred and George. Experience with Piers told him that these three people were the bullying sorts. Seeing themselves outnumbered, Malfoy decided to leave quickly. Harry quickly told all of them what had happened. Then all of them turned towards the Asian girl with slingshot.

"Hi," said the girl cheerfully, "I am Ayesha Malhotra, from India. I hope they were not your friends"

"No, they were not. What did you do, by the way? We thought you were sleeping." asked Ron, eyeing the slingshot.

"Oh, nothing much. Just hit them with marbles using this slingshot." answered Ayesha, winking, "and I was not sleeping. Just listening to songs on my music player." She said showing the Sony player and then she added, "So who are you all?"

"Hi. I am Fred and he is George. And sorry, we have to leave. Lots to do." And with that the twins left smiling mischievously.

"I am Ron Weasley. Those twins are my brothers." said Ron shaking hands with Ayesha.

"I am Dudley Dursley." Now it was Harry's turn and by now Harry had become wary of people's reaction to his name.

"Hi. I am Harry … Harry Potter"

"Hi everyone. Nice meeting you all. I just hope the food trolley comes soon. I am hungry"

Harry, for once, was relieved that he did not have to deal with his fame. But maybe that was because the girl was a Muggle, as she appeared to be because of her clothing.

Soon they were all chatting and eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry and Dudley had never seen before. Not wanting to miss on anything, they had bought some of everything, which made a nice pile and could only be finished with the help of others.

Dudley had got a Dumbledore trading card with his first Chocolate Frog and had started his collection right then. Harry and Dudley had been shocked to see that Dumbledore did not stay in the photograph, whereas, Ron was shocked to hear that in the Muggle world people stay in their photos and at first he did not believe them. It was only after Dudley showed him their family's photo, did he believe them. Ayesha seemed used-to to either world.

Then they moved on to discuss Ron's brothers and what they do. It was interesting to know that Charlie works with dragons or something, and Bill works at Gringotts. The discussion then moved on to Quidditch, a wizard sport. Since neither Harry, nor Dudley, knew anything about the sport, Ayesha explained that it's like basketball and tennis combined.

"I have never been on a broom before but I hope I am a good flyer. It would be boring not to be able to play the only sport wizarding world has to offer. Why don't they play other sports like tennis?" asked Ayesha no one in particular.

"You play tennis?" asked Dudley

"Oh, yes. I was on the junior school team."

"That's great!" Dudley was quite excited about this, "We both can play --" and they went on discussing the finer details of the sport.

Ron, who had never heard of tennis, looked confused. Harry decided to help him and started telling him about various muggle sports.

It was getting dark outside. The discussions were interrupted when the door of the compartment was slid open and Hermione entered. Clearly irritated by her, Ron asked her, "What do you want?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? I heard something like that. You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"They were not fighting, Miss Bossy" answered Ayesha. She certainly had a knack for saying only the truth. "It was Malfoy's doing."

Hermione, who had not noticed Ayesha till now, looked offended. "All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. And with that she left the compartment.

Ron glared at her as she left. "What is her problem?"

"Nothing much. It's just that she knows too much and it keeps overflowing." answered Ayesha winking at Ron.

Harry peered out of the window. It was getting even darker. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

Ayesha got up and pulled on her long black robes. Harry, Dudley and Ron followed suit.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Dudley looked equally nervous. Ron was looking pale under his freckles. Ayesha, as usual, looked quite at ease. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry, Dudley?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. "C'mon, follow me -– any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Dudley, Ron and Ayesha sat in one boat. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then -– FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. After the boat ride, they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.