EPISODE 2:

ARRIVAL AT HOGWARTS

Doctrina est ingenii naturale quoddam pabulum (Learning is a kind of natural food for the mind).

-Cicero

CHAPTER 6:

ON THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS

The trip to King's Cross Station was eventful, though it could've been more so: Arthur Weasley had a Ford Anglia he had been tinkering with, using custom enchantments that were of dubious legality, like expanding the interior. Apparently it could turn invisible and even fly, but they weren't using those today, obviously. Or the car at all. In fact, they used the Floo to get to the Leaky Cauldron, and took a bus. Arthur Weasley had to go to work, and Molly couldn't drive.

They took a normal bus because Arthur and Molly had a desire to have their children know how to get around in the Muggle world. Then, they entered the secret entrance of Platform 9 ¾, a realm Harry recognised from the memory-scape Jenova had conjured for him from one of his earliest memories, apparently of his father taking him there when he was an infant.

Unlike the eerie, empty mindscape, this one was filled with a crush of children and their parents or guardians rushing around, trying to get the children on board on time. It was a wonderful chaotic scene filled with life and joy.

Harry, Aerith, Ron and Jenova, along with the twins and Percy, said their goodbyes to Molly and Ginny, who had accompanied them. Harry had grown to like Ginny, at least once her misconceptions about who he was and what he had done had gone away. True, she was still a little in awe of him, especially for fighting Sephiroth, but he pointed out that it hadn't been a glamorous adventure, but a fight to the death that he (and the others) had barely won.

Aerith, Jenova, Harry and Ron took a carriage to themselves, while Fred and George went to meet with a friend, Lee Jordan, who apparently had a large pet tarantula of some renown, and Percy went to the Prefects' Carriage. As Ron examined his rat, Scabbers, he didn't noticed the look Aerith, Jenova, and Harry shared. They suspected for some time that Scabbers was none other than Peter Pettigrew in his Animagus form, but hadn't told Ron for a number of reasons. The first was that, if he started acting strange towards Pettigrew, Pettigrew may notice. The second was that they weren't completely sure. The evidence was circumstantial. They knew the rat was older than it should have been, and that it was missing a toe. And Jenova smelt not a rat, not a literal one, anyway.

They had discussed the matter with Dumbledore discreetly, and it was decided that he, McGonagall, and Snape would covertly test Scabbers to see whether he was an Animagus. And, more specifically, whether he was Pettigrew. They kept specific information from Sirius, though they let him know they might know where Pettigrew was. Sirius agreed to let them deal with it: time spent out of Azkaban and in civilisation meant that he could understand where they were coming from. Pettigrew needed to be presented to the DMLE as a fait accompli. Do that, and have him interrogated with Veritaserum, and Sirius' name would be, if not completely cleared, then mostly so.

Time passed. Harry and Ron got some treats off the sweets trolley, and Harry was amazed at his first Chocolate Frogs and their cards. He also experimented with Bertie Bott's All-Flavour Beans, which even Aerith and Jenova tried. They did mean 'all flavours', after all, which included curry and spinach. Ron claimed that he had had ones that tasted like liver and tripe, and George got one that tasted like bogeys.

Not long after that, a round-faced boy whom they had seen on the platform came in, tears streaking his face. "Sorry," he asked, "but have you seen a toad?"

The quartet in the carriage looked at each other, before shaking their heads. Jenova, however, looked thoughtful. "No, but I may be able to find him. What's your name?"

"Neville. Neville Longbottom."

"Well, Neville, my name is Jen Calamitas. This young woman is Aerith Gainsborough, and we will be staff at Hogwarts. This is Ron Weasley, and this is Harry Gainsborough, though he was born Harry Potter. Please don't stare," she admonished, seeing him begin to stare.

"I'm sorry," Neville whined.

"It's okay, Neville. I just don't like being famous for something my parents probably did," Harry said, standing up and going over to the boy, shaking his hand.

"Now, to your toad. I think I can help you," Jenova said. "I've been meaning to try this for a while. What's your toad's name?"

"Trevor," the boy said tearfully.

"Okay." She took out her wand, waved it, and said, "Accio, Trevor!"

She hadn't been present when Sirius had tried to use the same spell on Harry, but she had seen it through his eyes, and had asked Sirius to teach her and Harry. She had picked up the spell quicker than Harry, though he did know it.

Within a few seconds, and with a startled croak, the toad smacked into Neville, and flopped to the ground, stunned, but otherwise unharmed. Neville picked him up, in time for a girl with bushy hair, prominent front teeth, and a bossy demeanour to come in. "Oh, you found him Neville!"

"It was Professor Calamitas, Hermione," Neville explained.

"Oh?" The girl turned to Jenova, who still had her wand out. "You did magic?"

"Yes. A Summoning Spell, to be precise. You are?"

"Hermione Granger. And who are you?"

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Hermione," Aerith said, handling the introductions this time. "I am Aerith Gainsborough, and this is Jen Calamitas. We will be new staff members for Hogwarts. This is Ron Weasley, and this is my adopted brother, Harry Gainsborough, though you may know him as Harry Potter."

"Are you really?" Hermione asked. Her reaction wasn't one of a fangirl, though it was enthusiastic nonetheless. "I know all about you, of course. I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in…"

"…A dozen books that don't know what they're talking about," Jenova interjected smoothly. "It was probably his parents who did something to protect him that night, Miss Granger."

Hermione, her speech interrupted, seemed nonplussed. Eventually, she said, "Well, I guess so. But nobody in my family is magical at all, so it was such a surprise to get the letter. I want to know everything I can about the magical world, which was why I read all those books."

"An admirable thing," Jenova said. "But here's something I will teach you gratis, Hermione: there are many wizards and witches who put a premium on purity of blood. Nobody in this carriage subscribes to that excremental idiocy, but there will be those who look down on you because you're Muggleborn. So be careful who you say you're a Muggleborn to. You may turn out to be a better student than Purebloods, but they won't give a damn. I look forward to teaching you, though."

"Oh yes, you said you were on the staff," Hermione said, clearly filing away Jenova's information for later. "What subject will you be teaching?"

"I will be teaching assistant for Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, while Aerith here will be an assistant healer in the hospital wing. We are both very capable witches, though. You are looking forward to the Sorting?"

"Oh, yes. Ravenclaw doesn't sound too bad, but Gryffindor, well, it's where Dumbledore once was."

Harry shrugged. "Well, yeah, but if you really like learning, Ravenclaw may be the best place to be. I don't know which House I'll be in, but I'll be happy with where I am Sorted."

Hermione looked at them, before nodding. "I'd better go. You two had better change into your school robes," she said to Harry and Ron. "I expect we'll be there soon."

After she and Neville left, Ron muttered, "Hope we're not in the same House as her."

"It'll be fine," Aerith said. "She's a bit bossy and headstrong, but she means well. She helped Neville find the toad, after all."

"And she has a desire for learning," Jenova said. "As long as she accepts that not everything in a book is gospel, well…"

It was not long afterwards that they got yet another intrusion, a rather pale, pointed-faced boy with blonde hair and a rather overbearing demeanour. He was flanked by a pair of burly boys who looked like their sole purpose in life was to be minions. "Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter is in this compartment. Is that you?"

"Harry Potter is what my name was," Harry said, a little put off by the boy's demeanour. He acted like Rufus Shinra used to. Nonetheless, he stood and walked over to the boy. He had a feeling he was someone Sirius had talked to him about. "I'm Harry Gainsborough. And you are?" He held out a hand, out of courtesy and politeness than any real desire to befriend the boy.

"My name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," Draco said as he shook Harry's hand briefly. He indicated his pet bodyguards. "And this is Crabbe and this is Goyle."

Ah yes, the boy was a Malfoy. Sirius had warned him about them, an old and rich Pureblood family. Lucius Malfoy was one of Voldemort's top lieutenants, though Dumbledore explained that Lucius managed to escape punishment by claiming to be under the Imperius curse. Which they knew was BS, but the government was credulous enough to let him go. Some bribes helped.

Harry nodded. He indicated the others in the compartment. "This is my friend," he said, pointedly emphasising the word friend, "Ron Weasley, my adoptive sister Aerith Gainsborough, and a family friend, Jen Calamitas."

He saw how Draco's eyes roved those in the compartment. A faint sneer touched his lips when he saw Ron, but his looks were more calculating when it came to Aerith and Jenova, especially the latter. Eventually, he said, "You'll learn that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter."

"Gainsborough, please," Harry said.

"Gainsborough. I've never heard of that name being a wizarding one," he said, frowning.

"Like Harry, I'm a Halfblood, and I was adopted by a Muggle," Aerith said. She could tell this little POS was a blood purist, and wanted to see his reaction.

Draco frowned, before returning to Harry. "You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." This time, he offered his hand.

Harry took it, but said, quietly, "Draco…I believe I can choose who to be friends with myself. But thank you for your offer. I hope you do well."

Draco blinked. While it was a rather forceful rejection, Harry had followed it up with a thank you. Probably not sincere, but even at his young age, Draco could see that the forms had been followed, so to speak. Eventually, he said, "A word of warning, then, Potter. Be careful of who you hang out with. With riff-raff like Weasley or Muggles…"

"Oh, and what am I?" Jenova said, standing, and walking over to the boys. Harry moved out of the way. "I myself am a Pureblood."

"I've never heard of a Calamitas family," Draco said.

"We don't like to advertise ourselves. Now, I do know your type, Mr Malfoy. I've met others like you, so I will be blunt. If you want to be friends with Harry, you cannot force your friendship on him. However, we are more than willing to have an ally in you…as long as you don't do anything that is unbecoming of your family, or your House, whatever that may be. Am I understood?"

"You can't threaten me!" Draco said. "I'll tell my father about this!"

"I didn't threaten you. But if you think I am, then let me do so. Harry can make friends and allies with whomever he wants or chooses. He has faced deadlier things than Voldemort…" She noted with sadistic glee that he flinched at the name. "…so he won't be intimidated by you. Do anything to harm him and his friends, and I will ensure that you regret it. And your father does not scare me. I have forgotten more in my life than he has ever learned. But that is not the point. Like I said, we are willing to be allies. It is better that, than to be enemies. Don't you agree?"

Draco considered this, before reluctantly nodding.

"Good. We'll talk later. Now, if you don't mind, we'd like some privacy. We're soon to arrive at Hogwarts, and I'm sure you need to change into your school robes, hmm?" Jenova asked.

Draco nodded, before leaving, his goons in tow. "That was very restrained of you," Aerith observed.

"Snooty little brat," Jenova sneered. "He's worse than Rufus. At least Rufus can back up his attitude with more than hired goons. He can fight if necessary. Whereas that brat… Still, at least we've impressed on him that we could be open to an alliance. Better that than have him as an enemy all year."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to be friends with him."

"I don't expect you to be," Jenova said. "There's a difference between being friends, and just showing politeness and courtesy. Hopefully, he'll do that. Definitely a Slytherin, though. I don't know about cunning, but he's certainly ambitious. And you saw the way he reacted regarding blood purity. But if he is a Malfoy, it means he may be influential enough in Slytherin. Better to not have him turn an entire House against us." Looking at them, she said, "We'd better get ready. We'll be there soon…"

CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:

Well, the journey on the Hogwarts Express goes a bit like it was in canon, but also different. I decided to have Draco dealt with in a different manner to the novel, so that, while he might not ever become a friend of Harry's, the outright antagonism may not start so swiftly. Or not: Draco's a prick, after all. And he will still see what happened as a snub.

I've decided to write the next chapter from another POV. Most fanfics write the Sorting scene from Harry's POV, but here, I will write it from others'. Probably Aerith.

No numbered annotations this time.

CHAPTER 6 SOUNDTRACK:

The Quiet Boy (Neville's theme):The Force Theme, from Star Wars: A New Hope, composed by John Williams. I like the melancholy part of this theme. Plus, it ties into the possibility that Neville could have been the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One.

Hermione, the Bookworm: Daguerro, from Final Fantasy IX, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. I mean, what else could it be but the theme of a library?

Bad Faith (Draco's theme): Ada's Theme, from Resident Evil 2, composed by Masami Ueda. I thought that having a theme that was both dark but not without light would work. Ada's theme from the second game worked.