After a good long time running around the train, Neville had given up and began sobbing. Best as I could, I led him back to the room and sat him in his seat.

I tried comforting him, "He has to be on this train Neville, we'll find him eventually"

"Gram is gunna be so mad…"Neville wiped his eyes. He slumped in his seat, staring where Trevor sat on his lap.

"You stay here," I said, not really thinking he'd move anytime soon, "I'll go see if Hermione has had any luck"

I walked down the hall where I last saw her stride away. After a few carts, I found her walking back toward me, beaming.

"No toads, but you will never guess who I just met!"

Curious, I waited for an answer.

"Harry Potter!"

I couldn't breathe.

"I guess he does turn eleven this year, but I never thought that he'd actually come to Hogwarts with us!"

Harry Potter. Famous Harry Potter. The boy who lived and defeated the Dark Lord before he was potty trained. I'm not that big on celebrities, but my mom is enthralled with Harry Potter. She loves to talk about how great he is, and what a wonderful thing he did for us all. She likes to tell me how much he has saved me personally, and how he may never know it. I guess she meant all the bad stuff You-Know-Who would do otherwise.

I couldn't believe it though, the one person who my mother always wanted to meet, and he was on the very same train as I.

I wish she were here.

"I was looking in rooms," Hermione went on, "Thinking Trevor might have jumped in when the trolley came around, and there he was, sitting eating his lunch!"

"Wow, that's amazing," As interested as I really was, thinking about missing the trolley was making me hungry.

Thank goodness for the Hogwarts feast.

Despite my urge to run down the hall toward Harry Potter, Hermione and I went back to check on Neville. He hadn't moved since I left.

"You know," Hermione started, "Toads have been known to have great instincts, he mind find you before you find him!"

"Sure," I reassured. "Anything is possible."

Neville sniffled.

Hermione changed the subject quick. "While I was looking I decided to change into my robes. You might want to do the same; I expect we will be arriving soon."

I couldn't believe how much time had passed! The sun, once high in the sky, was setting way off in the distance.

"Maybe we should," I said to Neville. Despite his depressed state, he stood up and walked out with me. He went towards the boys room, and I squeezed into the tiny train bathroom for girls.

As I carefully put away my muggle clothes, I felt the locket bounce around with the motion of the train. When I had my robes on, I quick took a look inside it again. I caught the paper before it fell out, and I stared at my mother's picture. She was just smiling as usual. She gently waved in the photo, and blew me a kiss. I blew one back, shut the locket, and tucked it under my robes.

Somehow, this felt like home.

I got out quickly and shuffled past the line of girls waiting to use the bathroom. When I got back, Hermione was reading a book. No sign of Neville. I took my seat and looked out the window again. The sunset was really marvelous, I had to admit. The way the rolling hills hugged the rays like that, it reminded me of days driving down country roads in Mom's RV, just for the fun of it.

After a long reminiscence, I realized the train was slowing down. Neville still wasn't back.

"He is most likely still looking for the toad." Hermione was packing her book away. "I wouldn't worry."

The train came to a halt. People scrambled out, chatting away and looking all around them bewildered.

"Alright, first years!" a large booming voice carried over he crowed. "First years this way to the docks! Follow me!"

It wasn't hard to see who it was; a man the size of three was carrying a lantern and leading us all toward the water. Everyone else began walking to a nearby forest.

Hermione pointed toward them. "Returning students travel by carriage to the castle to settle in and prepare for the feast. We go by boat to give them time."

Sure enough, about forty or so little boats were sitting at a large dock, and students were already piling in together. The large man took up one all by himself. Up ahead I saw Neville crawl into one with a bunch of guys, while Hermione and I sat amongst a group of girls.

"See up there?" Hermione pointed again toward more boats. "Next to man who led us here, the boat with all the boys? Harry Potter is in there."

At first the only boy clearly visible was one with fiery ginger hair. When the boats slowly began to row themselves though, I could see a boy with thick rimmed glasses and messy black hair. Pushed that hair aside though, I'm sure you would find that lighting scar on his fore-head, if you could tear away from his piercing green eyes.

I was sure that was him.

Before I could get a really good look though, my attention was taken away. People were gasping and pointing ahead, and I had to look with them.

And there it was.

Towering over us like a mountain stood the greatest castle I had ever seen. It stood tall, and gleamed amongst the moonlight like a mystery, just waiting to be explored.

Finally. I was here.