Chapter 10

SEPTEMBER 1ST

The trip to platform 9 ¾ was a lugubrious affair. Lara, like always was trying to hold in her tears. She was overly emotional. Jon was fine, or he acted fine. As a Policeman, Jon has seen a lot of crime, the average person would breakdown eventually, but Jon never did. So it was odd to see him sad every September first, odd but understandable.

This was his family, with one missing of course. Over the summer Ewan decided that he was going to let Harry do his own thing. It was hard for many muggle born and muggle raised to enter the Wizardry World, and Ewan didn't want to make it harder for Harry. Ewan would help him if needed, but tell him the truth when Harry was ready for it.

So, he decided that he would watch Harry from affair and not get involved with his day-to-day life. 'I could try and be his friend… maybe… would he be in the same house? That would make it easier…'

He had just gotten on the train as it started moving. Meaning all the good seats on the Hogwarts Express were taken. Passing compartments upon compartments he finally found on that only had two people in it. Knocking and then opening the door he saw Ronald Weasley and a black hair, greened-eyed boy, both were firsties.

"Mind if I join you two Ron? I can't find your brothers and I'm tired of looking."

"Hey Ewan, come on in." Ron answered, then turning to Harry. "Harry, this is Ewan Tyler, third year Ravenclaw, and friends with Fred and George, my older brothers. Ewan, this is Harry Potter."

Ewan sat shocked for a second, 'I'm not even at Hogwarts yet and I meet him! He's small, and scrawny, what's with those glasses?'

"Nice to meet you Harry." Said Ewan.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" asked the old witch with the cart.

Ron blushed with embarrassment and said something about having sandwiches. Harry looked confused. Ewan got up ordered three pumpkin pastries and three chocolate frogs then sat back down and passed Ron and Harry each one.

Harry's face looked like Christmas had come early, Ron muttered a thanks.

A few minutes after they were done eating and Ron finished telling Harry about the chocolate frog cards, with Ewan bored and twirling his wand with, when a girl with bushy brown hair opened the door.

"As any of you seen a toad, a boy named Neville lost one?"

"No" answered Ron.

The girl however was eyeing Ewan's wand. "Oh you're doing magic then, I've on tried a few simple one myself but they've all worked for me. For example 'oculus reparo!' she said pointing her wand at Harry. Harry who had taken off his glasses to look at them was shocked. "Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter, I'm Hermione Granger and you two are?"

"I'm Ron Weasley" said Ron, eating Ewan's chocolate frog.

"Pleasure, and you?"

Ewan, who had been quiet through this whole demonstration, blinked. "Wow, you talk fast, was there even a breath taken in any of those sentences?"

Ron snorted.

"For you're info, I'm Ewan Tyler, third year Ravenclaw."

"You're in Ravenclaw! I read in Hogwarts: A history that, that Ravenclaw emphasizes the traits of intelligence and wit..."

"Oh yeah." interrupted Ewan. "I'm very witty, very, very witty. Yup" he finished sarcastically. The girl ignored him.

"I also read the Ravenclaw uses a riddle rather than an actual password for their common rooms."

"Yeah that's true too."

"Can you give me an example?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to see if I can answer it."

"I don't know..."

"Please..."

"Okay, okay. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" he said quickly.

"I don't... what!?"

"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" Ewan said slowly.

"That's not a question!"

"Is too!"

"Is Not!"

"Is too!"

"Is Not!"

"How would you know?" Ewan asked.

The girl was silent.

"Snap!"

"If you're so clever then what's the answer?"

"It depends on three factors: (1) the woodchuck's desire to chuck said wood. (2) The woodchuck's need to chuck the aforementioned wood. (3) The woodchuck's ability to chuck the wood. Nevertheless, the answer is clearly there... you still don't know?"

The girl was silent but gave the look that read 'you are wrong.'

"The answer little first year is: A woodchuck would chuck all the wood that the woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood."

The girl looked furious. Ron and Harry were laughing, "Give me another!" The girl demanded.

"Why don't you just get sorted into Ravenclaw and you and the knocker can have fun together!"

"I don't know, Gryffindor sounds by far the best."

"Gryffindor is not 'by far' the best, no offense Ron. Poor little ickle Ronnie's whole family is in Gryffindor, same as you little Potter, your whole family is in Gryffindor, well except for you brother..." Ewan said. After a second he realized what he said 'You idiot!' he thought to himself.

"My brother?" asked Harry.

"Aww, I'm sorry Harry, of course you must be devasted losing your parents and older brother to You-Who-Who…" said the girl.

"It's alright mate, Ewan didn't mean to be stupid." Said Ron.

"Apologize." demanded Hermione.

"Sorry, for bring up bad memories Potter." said Ewan.

"It's okay, I don't really remember anything." said Harry.

"I should go find Fred and George. Can't let them get in trouble without me, you know." said Ewan, grabbing his trunk and leaving the

Finally after another long search, he found Fred, George, and Lee with a Tarantula.

***

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can top them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a steady mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

It was hard, really hard for Ewan to concentrate, for all he wanted to do was eat then sleep. 'Why does everything take forever?' Names started being called. New Ravenclaw's were sorted, the boy, Draco, got his wished and was sorted into Slytherin; he kept tapping his fingers on the table. Finally, the name Potter was called. He stopped his irritating tapping. Whispers quickly broke out. Trying to ignore it, he watched as the small black haired boy sat down, and the hat was placed on his head.

Minutes passed. 'What is taking the hat this long!?' he was about to continue tapping his fingers when suddenly the hat shouted: "Gryffindor." Ron Weasley was one of the last and became a Gryffindor also. 'At least he'll have a friend.'

Finally the Headmaster had gotten up. Every year, the headmaster would only say a word or two before sitting back down and enjoying the feast. He hoped this year would be the same.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" Then he sat back down.

'Same old Headmaster.' Ewan mused.The food appeared and Ewan was content. He caught up with Roger, Liam, and Le on their summers, and met some of the new Ravenclaw's. There were ten new Ravenclaw first years: Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Micheal Corner, Stephan Cornfoot, Kevin Entwhistle, Anthony Goldstein, Su Li, Morag MacDougal, Padma Patil, and Lisa Turpine.

Ewan, thought is odd that most of the intelligent students seemed to be in Ravenclaw. Also odd that Hermione Granger wasn't in Ravenclaw, but got her wish to be in Gryffindor.

After the main course was pudding, Ewan helped himself to some Treacle Tart while taking to Roger about quidditch. Roger was made Chaser last year along with him, though Ewan was a reserve player in his first year, unlike Roger. Roger was a huge quidditch fanatic.

After awhile, the Headmaster stood and gave his usual speech. Ewan had heard nearly the same speech every year and could just about mimic the Headmaster. 'No magic in the corridors, tryouts for quidditch teams are coming up, and the forbidden forest is forbidden. Wait, what was that…?'

"…Third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." The Headmaster said.

'What? Why?' There were small whispers, but it all ceased when the Headmaster called for the school song. A song Ewan hated, because singing in front of people was embarrassing. So he never sang, although the Weasley twins seemed to enjoy it very much. He ignored it the best he could.

Prefects escorted the first years to the dorms, while the upper years dawdled behind. Eventually, Roger, Le, Liam, and Ewan arrived at the knocker.

"I see without seeing. Noise is an ally. What am I?" asked the Knocker.

"See without seeing… Where's a seventh year when you need one?" asked Liam.

"Noise, noise, noise. Stupid door open!" complained Roger.

"If we say please, will you open?" asked Le. "If we get caught outside after hours it'll be bad. I mean it'll be just our luck if we get caught by Snape."

Roger groaned. "Uh, the greasy bat of the dungeon."

"That's it! The answer is bat." said Ewan, the door swinging open. "Way to go Roger."

The four boys laughed as they made their way to their dorms, up the stairs to the top was the door with a sign that now read 'THIRD YEARS'.