A/N: I'm going to make this clear. I don't own the Harry Potter series or it's characters. That right goes to JK Rowling

A Trip From Platform 9 3/4s to Hogwarts

Harry been counting down his days until September 1st.

In the previous seven years, Harry counted down when his father go to work and Harry was watch by one of his uncles. But this time was different. This time Harry get to attend Hogwarts as a student.

Harry was so anxious he spend the rest of his summer reading his course books. He even named his owl Hedwig, after a name he found in A History of Magic.

Harry was staying with the Weasleys in their several story high house in Ron's room, while James was at Hogwarts, preparing for the first semester.

So when Harry woke at five o'clock that morning, he was excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans and shirt, making him look like a Muggle. Never a good idea to dress in wizard clothes in a Muggle train station.

By time Molly called Harry and Ron down for breakfast, both boys were up.

Down stairs, they joined the rest of Ron's siblings who were still attending Hogwarts: Percy, who was tall and thin with vivid red hair and freckles, wearing horn rim glasses over his blue eyes and a red and gold badge with the letter P on it indicating he was now prefect. Then twins Fred and George with the family flaming red hair and freckles, but they were shorter than Percy, and yet the same height as Ron and taller than Harry. Finally, there was the youngest and only daughter/sister in the group Ginny Weasley—a year younger than Ron and Harry, who had long flaming red hair, a petite stature and bright brown eyes.

There were two other siblings, Bill and Charlie Weasley, who had already graduated Hogwarts and moved out of the house, but that doesn't stop them from visiting the family when they can.

Ginny was complaining to her mum about not being able to go to Hogwarts.

"Can I please go to Hogwarts?" Ginny asked.

"No, Ginny," Molly argued. "You still have a year left before you can go."

"But Harry got to go before he became a student!" Ginny argued.

"That's because Uncle Padfoot snuck me in to see my dad," Harry responded.

"Which he wasn't allowed," Molly argued. "Now help me make everyone sandwiches."

Harry couldn't blame Ginny for wanting to go to Hogwarts. Even when Sirius snuck Harry in to the school, it seemed not be enough. Harry wanted to be an actual student and learn from the school.

Molly manage to cook six sandwiches before they had to take off. They called in several taxis.

They drove to London to a Kingcross train station where they lugged their trunks full of school supplies along with Percy's new owl Hermes and Harry's owl Hedwig onto carts before heading off.

"Of course the place is packed with muggles," Molly said as she led them through the train station as they reached a dividing barrier between platforms nine and ten. "All right, "Percy, you go first."

Percy marched toward the dividing wall with his cart and raced toward it. A crowd of tourist swarmed in front of him and when they clear way, Percy was gone.

"Fred, you next," Molly said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said Fred—using one of his pranks on his mum. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said Fred before he run off. Soon enough Fred was gone and soon followed by George.

"Okay, Harry, Ron, go on," Molly said.

Harry and Ron nodded and started rushing forward with their carts. Both boys fazed through the barrier and entered a hidden magical platform packed with wizards and witches. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry stayed with the Weasleys though.

One boy with dreadlocks that Harry recognize as one of the twins' friends was 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! Ron!" Neville came toward them. He must have already loaded his stuff because he wasn't carrying a cart.

"Hey Neville, you and your grandmother made it okay?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Neville responded. "Hey, I found us a carriage for the three of us."

"Thanks, Neville," Ron said.

"Hold on Ron," Molly took out a handkerchief and started wiping Ron's nose. "You've got something on your nose."

"Mum—geroff," he wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" George asked.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" Molly asked.

Harry noticed for the first time that Percy wasn't among them.

"He's coming," Fred said.

At that moment, Percy came striding into sight, already wearing his new black robes—new robes as a reward for him making prefect.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves—"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" Fred asked with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said George, "Once—"

"Or twice—"

"A minute—"

"All summer—"

"Oh shut up," Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes anyway?" asked George.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. Which isn't really something new. Harry knew for the fact that both Charlie and Bill Weasley were prefects, and Bill was even made Headboy while Charlie was Quiditch captain.

"All right, dear, well, have a good term—send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two—this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've—you've blown up a toilet or—"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mum."

"It's not funny."

"Come on guys," Neville said. "Before the compartment is filled."

"We're going mum," Ron said.

"What—Okay. Be careful you three," Molly said giving Ron and Harry each a kiss on the cheek before scolding the twins.

Neville did pull it off as his grandmother was waiting at an empty compartment.

Augusta helped Ron and Harry load their trunks and Hedwig in her cage before they headed in.

However, as soon as they were loaded, Neville was already frantic.

"Where is he?" Neville asked.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Trevor, my toad," Neville said. "He was here the last time I saw him."

"Maybe he got out of the train," Ron said.

The train whistle blown and the train started moving which caused Neville to start weeping.

"Maybe he didn't leave the train," Harry suggested, "Maybe ask around see if anyone have seen him."

Neville nodded and left the compartment.

As soon as Neville left, the compartment door opened and Fred and George poked their heads through.

"Hey, Ron," Fred said.

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

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Check on you two later." The twins left.

The train carried them out of London and Neville still haven't returned.

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

Ron and Harry looked at each other. Although Mrs. Weasley packed them sandwiches for lunch, this might be their best time to order something.

Harry took out his coins, "We'll three of everything."

After paying the witch, and carried the treats to an empty seat.

"I wonder what wizarding card I'll get this time," Harry opened a chocolate frog. It was basically chocolate in the shape of a frog. Harry ate it before checking the card that came with it. On the card was Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore," Harry said. "What about you, Ron?"

"Morgana," Ron grumbled.

As soon as they were done with the chocolate frogs, they went for the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which basically mean what the name said as the two boys had a contest of who can get the most good beans.

They were about done with one box to decide the winner when the compartment door slid open. Neville was back, but he wasn't alone as he had a girl with him—who was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes."

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

"Still can't find Trevor?" Harry asked.

Neville shook his head.

"You know him?" the girl asked.

"Well, yeah, we did practically grew up together," Ron said.

"I got so busy searching for Trevor I forgot where we were staying," Neville mumbled.

The girl didn't seem to hear Neville. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way. I'm the first one in my family to be able to use magic. All my family are muggles. It was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard—I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, and I've even tried a few simple spells just for practice, and it all worked for me. By the way, who are you?"

She spoke so fast Harry and Ron were stunned.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," Harry said.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you—"

"I highly doubt that," Harry said.

"Of course, I do. I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Let me ask you Hermione, did any of those books mention my mom died protecting me?" Harry asked.

"Well—a little—"

"Or how my godfather/uncle was almost framed for working for the Dark Lord because no one knew my dad and mum changed secret keepers for a charm that was suppose to protect them."

"Well, no—"

"How about the fact my dad and I spend months away from home after that night before my dad got the courage to return?"

Hermione practically was speechless.

"My dad never interviewed for those books, and I was too young to understand most of what was happening to me and the only one who knew what really happen that night is dead or vanquished," Harry said, "Because of it those books are filled with some third source story full of nothing but theories."

For the first time since she came into the compartment, Hermione Granger was speechless. It was ten second before she said something and it was: "Sorry about your mum." Before she left.

"I think you might have gone overboard, mate," Ron said.

"I think it's more of the fact she's just not use to find out what she read in some book isn't the full story she thought it was," Harry said. "But since she did help Neville try to find his toad, I'll apologize to her when we get off."

Neville nodded before realizing he still haven't found his toad. "My Grams is going to kill me."

"Well, since you're a dead man, I guess you don't want your chocolate frog," Ron said reaching for the remaining chocolate frogs.

Neville quickly snatch them and joined his friends.

…

By sunset the three boys removed their jackets and slipped on their robes as the train started slowing down. Ron's robes were a bit short for him as Neville and Harry could see his sneakers underneath them.

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 Ron and Neville started cramming their pockets full of sweets before joining 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. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of students and Harry heard a familiar voice: "First years! First years over here!"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. Ron Harry and Neville instantly headed that direction.

"C'mon, follow me—anymore first years? Mind your step, now! First years follow me!"

They followed Hagrid through what seemed to be a slippery narrowed path. Everyone kept slipping and stumbling as either side of the path was dark.

"You'll get your first sight of Hogwarts in a second," Hagrid called over his shoulder. "just round this bend here."

Everyone let out 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, with its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a huge castle with many turrents and towers.

Harry had seen Hogwarts before, but it still amazes him every time he sees it. Mostly because even though he knows stuff about the school most First Years don't, there were still mysteries of the castle Harry have yet discovered.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry Ron and Neville got into their boat, along with Hermione, for some reason.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself (being half giant does have its upsides). "Right then—FORWARD!"

The fleet of little boats started moving on their own at once. Each boat glided across the smooth glass like lake as everyone stayed quiet—staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as they reached the cliff. Everyone bent their heads down as their boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached an underground harbor where their boats docked so everyone could get out.

"Oy, Neville! Isn't that your toad?" asked Hagrid as he checked the boats.

"Trevor!" Neville cried as he held out his hands. Hagrid chuckled and handed Neville his toad.

Once everyone was out of the boats, and Hagrid was done checking them, the group of first years and their escort clambered up a passageway in the rock that lead out into smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around huge oak front doors.

"Everyone here? Neville, do you still have your toad? Yes? Good!"

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