Harry's last month at home was sad; he spent most of his time copying tomes out from the Potter library into his journals and practising basic charms.

Wand-Lighting Charm

Lumos

(Loo-moss)

Causes the tip of the casters wand to emit a warm glow.

It's the simplest but best spell of them all if stuck in a pinch. Not only can the light produced illuminate dark areas like a lantern (which is in itself very useful) but it is the only known spell effective at repelling spectral foes, such as Gytrashes and malevolent spirits.

Move the hand in a swirl formation (see diagram below).

Harry copied the spell to memory as well as into his journal as the first entry, before picking up his wand and copying the incantation. He ran it through his brain before copying the hand movement. "Lumos!"

The tip of his wand lit up in a bright flash, before flickering out after five seconds. He frowned and tried again and again, before he had put it down as "Done and dusted", ticking the name in his book.

The light faded away once he stopped powering his magic to it and he flicked to the next page.

Wand-Extinguishing Charm

Nox

(Nocksss)

It is the counter-spell to Lumos and causes the light to be extinguished.

Make a wave movement with a flick at the end (see diagram below).

Harry hummed and lit his wand, before chanting, "Nox." The light went out and he grinned, flicking to the next page after making his notes.

Cushioning Charm

Incumba

(In-Cum-Bah)

Creates an unseen softening effect on a target surface. It is primarily used in broomstick manufacturing to make brooms more comfortable for riders, but it is also useful in regular household environments and even in fights.

Flick wand up and swirl (see diagram below).

Harry made more notes about the first year charms, until he finished the Charm text. He went over his notes before writing (with flourish):

Charms are a type of magic that enchant an object to behave in a way that isn't normal for that object. A charm could cause something to flash different colours, or an object to levitate; charms can make a person laugh or cry- the object or person doesn't change. They just do something unexpected. Sometimes, if a spell isn't transfiguration, it's a charm.

He smiled happily at his notes and moved onto potions.

Potions are magical liquids created by mixing various ingredients in a cauldron according to very specific sets of rules. These concoctions will usually be drunk to give their effect. The ingredients in potions range from plain ingredients, such as animal hair, to the bizarre, like dragon liver.

He flicked through his books before marking the potions he would find useful to make.

Cure for Boils

Potion to cure boils.

Add 6 snake fangs to the mortar.
Crush into a fine powder using the pestle.
Add 4 measures of the crushed fangs to your cauldron.
Heat the mixture to 250 for 10 seconds.
Wave your wand to help seal the potion.
Leave to brew and return in 45 minutes.
Add 4 horned slugs to your cauldron.
Take the cauldron off the fire before adding the next ingredient.
Add 2 porcupine quills to your cauldron.
Stir 5 times, clockwise.
Wave your wand to complete the potion.

It was a First Year potion and he wanted to make a good impression; Remus had told him that the man teaching was called Severus Snape who didn't like the Potters at all. It wouldn't do well to upset or taunt him.

Harry found the Dunderhead's Guide to Ingredients and read it cover to cover before the nights end.

Charlie bounced on Harry's bed, grinning from ear to ear. "We're going to Hogwarts today!"

Harry gave him a fond shove and wrestled his pillows and duvet into his trunk, before placing his journals and everything else in there as well. "We'll still be close, right?" Harry asked nervously. "Regardless of House?"

"Of course!" Charlie took Harry's hand in his own and Harry felt tonnes better - Charlie always had that effect on people.

"Ready, boys?" James called, taking time away from his busy job to take the boys to the Train station.

"Yes!" they chorused.

" - packed with Muggles, of course - " A familiar voice sounded above the crowd and Charlie turned to face Mrs. Weasley with a content smile on his face. He nudged Harry and the pair went to follow them to the platform. James trailed behind with a large, nostalgic grin on his face.

"Hello Fred, George." Harry greeted the two, although they seemed to have swapped knitted jumpers - Fred's maroon and golden jumper read "G" while George's similar jumper read "F". Their pleading eyes met his.

"All right - "

"It's the Potters - "

"Itty bitty Potters - "

"Off to Hogwarts - "

"With 'ittle - "

"Bittle Ronniekins!"

"What's the platform?" Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny kindly and the little red haired girl scrunched her nose up cutely.

"Platform nine and three quarters, mum!" she giggled, waving a shy hello to the Potter twins. They both waved back.

"Hello, Molly." James greeted the woman by pressing a kiss onto her hand.

"Hello James dear," she muttered, wiping a rather noticeable smudge on Ron's nose.

"Now, walk briskly to the wall and you'll pass straight through!" James instructed, before giving Charlie a large push through the barrier. He started sniggered at his anguished cries and pushed Harry through too, before stepping behind the pair.

They'd both stopped in awe at the sight in front of them.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead read Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock. Harry looked behind them and saw a wrought-iron archway where the wall had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the bustling crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between the mass of legs. Owls hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. Harry was grateful his and Charlie's had feather-light charms on them.

"Good bye, boys." James leant down and wrapped his arms around them both, trying not to show the agony he was feeling. Lily should be here with him. "H-have fun," His voice cracked. "And send me some toilet seats, and definitely blow up Snape's chambers."

"We'll write you every day, don't worry dad." Charlie murmured.

"Don't be too lonely, and don't forget about the cats!" Harry joked.

James laughed weakly and pushed them on their way, wiping away a stray tear. Lily... You would be so, so proud.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of their windows to talk to their families, some squabbling over seats. Harry pushed his trolley off down the platform in the search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again!"

"Oh, Neville." he heard the old woman sigh.

He passed a boy with dreadlocks, surrounded by a small crowd. "Give us a look, Lee, go on!" The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

Harry pressed on through the train until he found an empty compartment near the back of the train. He put Hedwig, his snowy owl, inside first and then began to levitate his trunk into the racks. Charlie whistled lowly. "Merlin, Harry!"

Harry smirked at him cockily. "I'm good, aren't I?"

Charlie gave him a look that demanded he lift Charlie's into the racks and he did, before doing a cushioning charm on the seats so that he could lie down.

"Just how much did you learn?" Charlie demanded to know, relaxing into the now comfy seats with a happy sigh. Harry tapped the side of his nose and twisted around until he was comfortable.

The train let out a loud whistle and the people still straggling outside got onto the train; it soon set off and Harry could see little Ginny Weasley, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed; then she fell back and waved.

Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed by the window. He felt a great leap of excitement well in his stomach. He didn't know where he was headed to, but it was something great.

The door to the compartment slid open and the youngest Weasley walked in. "Alright Charlie?" he said as a way of greeting and Harry felt a brief stab of jealously hit him hard.

The other two left Harry out of their conversation and he watched as the scenery sped by. They were out of London now.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Harry, who hadn't bought any sweets in Diagon Alley, leapt out of his sweet and handed thirteen sickles and seventeen knuts to the woman. "Could I have lots of Bertie Botts, Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes and... oh, you have Muggle sweets too?" Harry grinned in delight. They didn't have any Mars Bars, but they had some Galaxy bars. "A little bit of everything else, please?"

The woman packed everything into a large bag and gave him a wink. "Thrown in some extra, for being a good customer."

Harry grinned his thanks and opened a chocolate frog, biting off the head before it could leap away. He massacred the animated frog while reading his card.

Albus Dumbledore, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

He turned over the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long crooked nose and flowing silver hair, beard and moustache. His eyes flashed and he saw a younger Dumbledore with auburn hair and hardly any wrinkles. He shook his head; what was that?

"Who'd you get, Harry?" Charlie looked at him expectantly.

"Dumbledore again," he sighed, throwing the card on the floor. "That's what? The thirteenth one."

He opened the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and popped a green one into his mouth. Hm. Grass.

The countryside that was now flying past the window was becoming wilder; the neat fields had gone. They were replaced by gnarled trees and twisting rivers.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy from earlier came in, tear tracks visible on his face. "I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen a toad at all?" When they shook their heads, he wailed. "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"Well maybe you should stop bothering us - " Ron began harshly, but a cold look from Harry silenced him.

"What's his name?" Harry asked kindly, removing his wand from his sleeve.

"Trevor!" The boy sobbed, his face red and wet from crying.

"Calm down," Harry soothed. "I'll try to find him. Accio Trevor!"

Harry blinked as his hands became full of a writhing, fat toad and he handed the startled thing back to the (much happier) boy. "Oh, thank you! I'm Neville Longbottom!"

Harry held out his hand to shake. "I'm Harold Potter; it's very nice to meet you, Neville."

Neville blushed and took Harry's hand in his own; forget the fanboy that was screaming inside of him, his Pureblood manners told him to be polite and collected. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. I would have never found him without your help."

Neville left the compartment and Harry wiped his grimy hands on the seats.

"Don't know why he's so bothered." said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad, I'd lose it as quick as I could! Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

Harry gave him a disdainful sneer and sat down. Harry was just about to change into his robes when the compartment door slid open again. There was Neville Longbottom and another girl, already wearing her new Hogwarts robes. "Which one of you did the summoning charm?" she breathed excitably; there was someone in her year who was capable of doing such magic already?!

"I did," Harry admitted sheepishly. "I'm Harold Potter, who are you?"

"Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I received my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the best school for witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learnt all of our books off by heart of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger! I've been practising basic spells already and some of the ones towards the back of the book haven't worked for me, but the summoning charm is a hard spell! How did you learn it so quickly and efficiently?" She said this all very fast and Harry was left quite clueless. "I've read all about you, of course, I got a few extra books for background reading! I didn't want to come into the Wizarding world unaware. You're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"I wouldn't believe all that was wrote in those, if I were you," Harry told her gently, guiding her to sit down next to him. "I just need you to know that my mother, Lily Potter, was an excellent Muggleborn witch who went to extensive lengths to save her family. She is never congratulated because of the ritual she used."

Hermione absorbed all of this with wide eyes. "Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I'm thinking Gryffindor, it sounds the far by best, I hear Dumbeldore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad..."

"I think I'll be in Ravenclaw," Harry shrugged.

"Probably Gryffindor," Charlie added and Ron went beet-red.

"Well I reckon Harry here will be in Slytherin, with the rest of those dirty bast - "

Harry pulled out his wand and shoved it under Ron's neck, his emerald eyes glowing brightly. "I wouldn't finish that statementif I were you. Just remember, mate, the Potter's have you in their debt."

Ron flushed an angry shade of red while Hermione and Neville watched in confusion. "What's wrong with Slytherin?" Hermione asked curiously, looking at Harry for the answers. He seemed the nicest out of the lot, even though Charlie was smiling warmly at her every-so-often.

"It's the house that You-Know-Who came from," Charlie told her quietly. "But the Weasley's have always had an issue with the house."

Hermione nodded to herself and gave Harry a tiny smile. "You may want to get changed into your uniform and robes soon, we're nearing Hogwarts."

With those parting words Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom left the compartment, leaving Harry and Charlie with a flushed menace.

Harry quickly changed, just in time for the compartment door to slide open again. This time, there was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's - Draco Malfoy.

"Hello again, Mr. Malfoy." Harry grinned cheekily at the other boy. Draco sniffed in reply.

"Are you coming to sit with us, Harry?"

Harry peered out of the window; it was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep-purple sky. Harry shook his head. "I won't, but we'll meet up somewhere to see if we have any lessons together..." Harry gestured to his owl. "Go up to the Owlery and send me a letter using Hedwig, if you want."

Draco seemed hurt by the rejection, but he perked up as Harry went on. "Of course, Harry - may I call you Harry?"

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

"Oh!" Harry turned around and gave Charlie a kiss on his cheek. "I'll go with you then, bye Charlie!"

Harry got his wand and left with Draco in tow to wait in the corridor. Harry's stomach leapt with nerves and his already-pale skin paled further. The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry had to grab onto Draco's hand so not to lose him.

The boys shivered in the cold night air. A lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and Harry heard a loud, booming voice: "Firs'-years! Firs'-years! 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. It was so very dark on either side of the boys and Harry felt a tiny stab of fear in his stomach; the dark was not his friend.

His mum appeared at the side of him and gave him a comforting smile, but her concerned eyes sought out her other son. It was torture not being able to speak to her family, only having Harry. It just wasn't fair.

Nobody spoke much. Neville was sniffling. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec'," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "Jus' round this bend 'ere."

There was a collective, "Wow!"

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

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called and the two boys, Harry and Draco, immediately nabbed one of the boats near to the front. Two rather rotund boys got in the boat with them and they grunted occasionally; Harry didn't bother to ask for their names. They were Crabbe's and Goyle's, he was certain.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"

The little fleet of boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake. The ripples made were smooth, as if the water itself was smooth like glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle ahead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats met the cliff; they all bent their heads as the boats carried them on through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried underneath a dark tunnel which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of under-ground harbour, where they clambered out on to rocks and pebbles. From there, they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's bright lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadows to the castle.

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

Hagrid rose a meaty fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry knew this was the Minnie from his fathers tales.

Lily giggled to the side of him, floating just above the woman's head and pulling funny faces. "God, Professor McGonagall! How I've missed her!"

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said, his chest puffed in pride.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was so big! The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones in the Castle, the ceiling was too high for Harry to properly see and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led up to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Draco could hear the drone of hundreds of students and whispered to Harry about it. "I wonder what we'll have to do to get sorted?"

Harry hummed in reply as Professor McGonagall showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather close to each other than they would have usually done, peering about at their surroundings in nerves and awe. "Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can take your seats you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting ceremony is very important because, while you're here, your house will become something akin to family away from home. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room."

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has it's own noble history - "

"Except Slytherin," Ron sniggered. Harry's eyebrow noticeably twitched.

"Peter Pettigrew helped kill my mother and he was from Gryffindor, Ron." Charlie snapped, his brown eyes flashing.

McGonagall coughed loudly and gave the first years a disdainful look. "And each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs are your houses triumphs and you will earn house points. Rule-breaking will reflect badly within your house and lose you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope that each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the whole school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can." Her eyes lingered a moment on Neville's cloak which was fastened beneath his left ear and the dirt smudged into Ron's face. Harry carded his fingers through his hair and he attempted to smooth it out as best as he could. Soon, it was back to an elegant quiff that covered his scar very well.

"I shall return when we are ready for you." she murmured. "Please wait quietly."

The moment she left, the room burst into noise. "How do you think we'll get sorted?" Harry asked Draco quietly.

"They place a hat on your head that's said to be enchanted by the Founders themselves," Draco gushed, smiling. "I hope we get into the same house." Draco started to... Pout. A Malfoy... Pouted.

Something happened behind him that made him jump a foot in the air - some students started screaming.

"What's that?" Draco asked.

Harry turned to stare as around twenty ghosts streamed through the wall behind them; Lily began to wave at Nearly Headless Nick, who gave her a solemn look. Pearly white and near transparent, they floated above the first-years heads, chatting. Harry assumed that once you were dead, all you could do was talk. He didn't want to die, ever.

"Forgive and forget!" One small but fat monk was saying. "I say, we ought to give him another chance!"

"My dear Friar, haven't we all given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives every ghost a bad name, you know, and he's not even a real ghost! I say - what are you doing here?"

A ghost wearing the strangest of clothing addressed the new students, but nobody replied.

"New students!" The Fat Friar beamed down at them. "About to be sorted, I assume?"

Harry nodded. "I hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. Lily gave Harry one last hug and he pecked her cheek quickly, before she sped off to ask questions about what her son was. Even now, she was clueless.

"Form a line and follow me."