Author's Note: I want to thank you all for the lovely reviews. This will be the last chapter this year, but hopefully I'll be able to get one up the start of January before I start my student teaching. I hope you all had a good Christmas or whatever you celebrate. I got a Hogwarts a History journal and a Ravenclaw scarf! My son also got a t-shirt that says 'Muggle born' and a onsie that says 'Accio Milk' and they are adorable. I'm glad so many loved the last chapter.

In this chapter I have sandwiches offered on the train since I've never liked how only sweets are sold. There ARE responsible teens out there that don't want just sugar for lunch. I also think that Neville is under used only to come out as a big hero in the last book and that has been majorly annoying to me. Let me know what you think of this chapter:-)

Lily

Chapter 8: Almost a New Beginning

After Albus left him at the station, Harry was starting to truly wish he didn't have to ride the train with everyone else. Albus had told him that the train ride would be several hours long, that they would arrive at Hogwarts a little after dark, and then have a late dinner after everyone was sorted into their houses. What in the name of Merlin, as Minerva would have put it, was he supposed to do for the next several hours? He didn't even know anyone. He also wasn't the most outspoken of people. He wasn't the type to just walk up to a random group of people and start talking to them. Past experience had taught him that that didn't usually work very well. Of course, past experiences also found him in hand-me-downs twice his size, as well as the biggest kid in school hanging over him and anyone brave enough to speak to him. That, however, was completely forgotten in Harry's mind.

Slowly, Harry pulled his trunk down the corridor of the train. Albus had dropped him off at about 20 minutes to 11, and as such, there was still plenty of room on the train. Once he was able to find an empty compartment, he pushed his heavy trunk against the wall and flopped into a seat with a sigh. This was supposed to be a new beginning for him, but he would still be friendless because he was too chicken to go out and talk to someone. Harry guessed that it didn't make things easier that Albus had refused to tell him how they were to be sorted. He said that it was a surprise, and not knowing how he would be sorted made Harry even more nervous. What if he made a fool out of himself for the entire school to see? Then he really would be friendless for eternity.

"Just suck it up and go talk to someone. That's the only way you're going to make any friends, you spineless jellyfish." Harry was giving himself a pep talk and was halfway out of his seat to force himself into the corridor, when the compartment door opened and a round-faced boy walked in and went slightly red in the face.

"Do you mind if I sit in here? There are people in every compartment." The boy looked shy, and Harry was amazed he didn't stutter.

"Yeah, go ahead," Harry said, motioning to the empty seats. He then helped the boy drag his trunk into the compartment and set it next to his.

"I'm Neville," the boy stated, plopping down into a seat, but still looking like he was going to pass out. He was clutching a large toad in both hands and held him up for Harry to see. "This is Trevor. My gran bought him for me when I got my letter; she was so proud. He doesn't seem to like being caged up, however, because he keeps getting away." Trevor seemed to prove his point as he looked like he was trying very hard to escape Neville's grasp.

"It's nice to meet you, Neville," Harry stated with a smile. Obviously, he wasn't the only nervous one here, and it really was nice to meet him. What's more, this boy had as much as said that it was his first year as well. "Don't worry, Trevor is probably just excited. There are just so many new things going on all around. He'll adjust soon, and hopefully stop running away from you."

"Oh I hope so," Neville piped up. "Gran gets so annoyed because I can't seem to keep track of everything easily." Neville sighed sadly. "I want to let him free, but I'm nervous that if the door opens again he'll escape and be lost again."

"Yeah, I would wait until the train starts moving; then there will be less chance for him to escape." Harry personally didn't think anyone else would bother coming into their compartment, but he couldn't be sure, especially since he hadn't even expected Neville to enter.

Harry was correct in assuming Neville should keep a hold on Trevor until the train started moving, because just then, the compartment door opened again. A scrawny, red-headed boy with freckles stepped in. Immediately, both Harry and Neville noticed he had a smudge of dirt on his nose, but neither boy made a comment as he was already slightly red in the face.

"Er…hi," the boy stammered. "Could I sit here? Everywhere else is full." The boy was nervously shifting his weight from leg to leg.

"Sure," Harry shrugged with a smile. Then, both he and Neville helped the other boy drag in his trunk and place it next to the other two. The trunk was battered and worn but usable. This didn't keep the redhead from blushing as he saw it next to Neville and Harry's new ones.

"I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom," Neville said with a smile. "I'd shake your hand, but Trevor will escape."

The redhead actually gave a smile at this. "You have a toad?" he asked, eyeing it with amusement. This comment made Neville blush, but the redhead just waved a hand. "That's not what I meant; I have a pet, too." With that, the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a rat. "This is Scabbers, and he's none too glamorous either. Probably less so than a toad since he doesn't even do anything. He used to belong to my brother Percy, but he got an owl for becoming Prefect, so I got Scabbers..."

Harry and Neville couldn't help but smile at that, and Neville felt better about his toad. Now it was Harry's turn to blush as Hedwig gave a light screech from her cage. Here he was, once more, the oddball out.

"I'm Ron by the way, Ronald Weasley." Ron seemed more comfortable now and plopped down into a seat. Then, both boys looked at Harry.

"You never told me your name," Neville stated plainly. The train whistle sounded just then, and they jerked forward as the train started moving.

"Oh yeah," Harry stated with a smile. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Both boys' jaws dropped at this as they started at him, and as if they were one, they shouted "NO WAY!"

"That's awesome!" Ron stated with a big smile. Harry was bright red in the face again. Hagrid and Albus had told him he was famous; the wizards at Diagon Alley had been tripping over themselves to meet him and shake his hand, but he was still getting used to it all.

"D-do you really have the...the…you know..." Neville could barely force himself to look at Harry as he spoke.

"The what?" asked Harry, truly perplexed.

"The scar," Ron whispered. This just made Harry smile and nod as he pushed back his fringe to show off the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. "Wicked," Ron stated with an awed smile as he leaned back against the seat. "Do you remember anything?"

Neville shot Ron a nervous look as if to say that they shouldn't pry, but Harry just shook his head. "It's alright. No, I don't remember anything but a lot of green light if I try really hard."

"I see," Ron stated, still in awe.

"Are both of you from full wizard families?" Harry asked, opting for a change of subject, since he had a sinking feeling that Ron and Neville knew more about him than he did. When both boys nodded, Harry sighed, "You probably already know loads of magic."

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," Ron spoke, but Neville nodded. "What are they like?"

"Horrible," Harry stated, making a face of disgust. "Well, not all of them. My aunt, uncle, and cousin were, though. I always wished for siblings, but my cousin hated me."

"I'm an only child," Neville spoke up this time. "It's really boring having nobody to play with all the time."

Ron sighed heavily and both boys looked at him. "It's not all it's cracked up to be. I have 5 brothers and a sister." Now it was Ron's turn to have the other boys hanging on to his every word. "I'm the sixth to go to Hogwarts, and I have a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left. Both were prefects, and now Percy is as well. Bill even became Head Boy, and Charlie became Quidditch Captain. Now Bill is a curse-breaker for Gringotts, and Charlie is studying dragons in Romania. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they are pretty funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal because they did it first. You also don't ever get anything new. I have Bill's old robes, second-hand supplies, and you've already seen Percy's old rat." Ron sighed again and stared out the window.

Trying to help Ron out of his slump, Harry and Neville teamed up. Harry told them that he didn't even know he was a wizard until Hagrid showed up to take him to Diagon Alley and that he was treated like he didn't even exist. Neville stated that everyone thought he was a screw-up, and for the longest time, they hadn't even thought he was magical at all because he took forever to show signs of it. Even then, they didn't think he was magical enough to be accepted to Hogwarts.

Both boys talked about everything under the sun concerning magic. Harry was relieved to be able to talk to some kids that had been around magic their entire lives and was even thrilled to learn that they hadn't been able to practice magic. There were also tons of kids from muggle families, so Harry was not as far behind as he had feared. He was also able to ask lots of questions; he may have been with Albus and Minerva for two whole weeks, but they were busy, and Harry didn't like to annoy them with lots of questions. He had learned a bit staying with them, however, so he didn't feel like a complete idiot.

About half past 12 their compartment door slid open. A kindly looking woman was pushing a trolley of food and smiled, before asking, "Anything off the trolley dears?" Harry was famished and leapt to his feet. Neville also leapt to his feet, but that was because he saw Trevor leap out the door for freedom.

"Excuse me," he stated and pushed his way into the corridor shouting, "TREVOR!" Nobody noticed Ron's blush as Harry stepped forward to see what the lady had to offer.

She had lots of candy, but she also had some sandwiches. The candies were wizard candies, of course, and Harry was fascinated. Albus had, of course, used Harry as a taste tester for just about every type of sweet in existence, but Harry still liked the hopping chocolate frogs and other things the wizarding world offered to those with a sweet tooth. At the same time, however, he could hear Minerva telling him he had better get some real food into his system as well or he would regret it.

When he finished his purchases, he sat back down and watched a red-faced Ron pull out a package of squished sandwiches. Harry felt bad for him and wound up sharing his sweets. Ron was hesitant, but after a few moments he joined Harry, and Ron's sandwiches were forgotten. Harry made sure to eat two grilled cheese sandwiches, however; that way he would honestly be able to tell Minerva that he had eaten something besides candy. After all, he still had to give her his 50 lines she had set him yesterday since she had left right after breakfast.

Harry and Ron were experimenting with the one sweet Albus hadn't introduced Harry to—Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans—while Ron talked him through the wonderful game of Quidditch, when the compartment door opened, and the blond boy from Diagon Alley entered. He was flanked by two boys that were about as big as Dudley, and he showed a lot more interest in Harry than the day they had met. It turned out that his name was Draco Malfoy, and Harry didn't like where this confrontation was going from the very beginning. As it turned out, he had been right to worry; it didn't end well, but it was still quite entertaining because Scabbers wound up biting one of the goons that flanked Malfoy, and they were finally left alone without having to worry about fighting.

·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·

The rest of the train ride passed without excitement. Neville returned teary-eyed because he still hadn't found Trevor but pushed his troubles aside when Harry offered him some chocolate frogs and told him that he was sure Trevor would turn up eventually.

Neville's mind wasn't to return to Trevor soon because they arrived at the train station and were ushered into boats by Hagrid. This would have been interesting, but the 3 boys were joined by a bushy-haired girl that wouldn't stop talking. She kept going on about how much she had read about Hogwarts, but she finally shut up when they rounded a bend and the magnificent castle came into view.

·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·

The next hour or so was a complete blur to Harry. Hagrid had led them into the castle and turned them over to Minerva. She looked even more intimidating standing in front of the sea of first years, and Harry was immensely pleased when she spoke to them as a group and didn't single him out in the crowd.

Then there was the major shock of meeting the Hogwarts ghosts, followed by finally being led into the Great Hall by Minerva. Harry repeated "Professor McGonagall" in his head over and over again as he walked to remind him that at school she was no longer Minerva to him. Once inside the Great Hall, however, Harry felt like his knees had turned to water. They stood before the entire school, and he hated it. They then had to try on a battered old hat that would shout out which house they belonged to. Harry about had a heart attack when the hat tried to put him in Slytherin, but he somehow managed to convince him that anything was better than Slytherin, and he ended up getting put in Gryffindor, along with Ron, Neville, and the annoying girl from the boat.

Now he was seated at the Gryffindor table and eating as many good things as he could fit on his plate. Everyone was chatting about different things and just looked comfortable. Now that the sorting was over and they were eating, most, if not all, of the stress seemed to have disappeared.

"Can you believe how strict Professor McGonagall is?" Ron asked with a mouthful of mashed potatoes. Neville just nodded silently beside him.

"She's not that bad," Harry stated with a smile. "She's definitely strict and doesn't put up with funny business, but she at least tries to explain things. She's also very fair, but I'll tell you now that she's not a woman you want to anger."

Ron's mouth was now hanging open, but it was his brother Percy that spoke up. "You just explained her nearly perfectly Harry. You got all of that after just a 5 minute lecture?"

Harry's face was slightly red and he shook his head. "No, I lived with her for the last two weeks of summer."

Percy's eyes were as big as saucers, Hermione looked like she had a new best friend, and Ron and Neville looked at him like he was from space. "Why did you spend some of the summer with Professor McGonagall, Harry?" Percy was the one to speak, but the others were hanging on his every word.

Harry just shrugged. "It wasn't just Professor McGonagall. I stayed with her and Alb... I mean, Professor Dumbledore together." Ron had started eating some fried chicken and about choked on it. Percy's eyebrows about shot into his hair in shock, and Hermione looked like she would drill him for information the minute she found paper and a quill.

"Why were they together?" This time Percy's question wasn't directly towards Harry, but he looked up at the Head Table.

Harry was growing increasingly red in the face and started moving his peas around on his plate just looking for something to do and wishing desperately that he had kept his mouth shut. "They rescued me from my relatives' house in August. They are now going to get married so they can adopt me." Percy had put a goblet of pumpkin juice to his lips, but this statement made him spit the juice all over the table in shock.

"What did you say?" he demanded so forcefully that Harry wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. He repeated his statement, though, and Percy just stared at the Head Table. "He's twice her age," he whispered. Then, he started talking to himself about how strange of a match it was, and Harry wondered if he should have kept this to himself.

"Barking," Ron muttered as he stared at his brother. Then he rounded on Harry again. "Why didn't you tell me you were living with the bleeding Headmaster?"

Harry just shrugged, but Hermione beat him to it. Honestly, she was so annoying. "You have to remember that you've only known each other a few hours." She was annoying, but she had a point.

Ron, however, didn't appreciate her opinion. "Yeah, well, Harry's my best mate and knows all about my family." Then, they were off in an argument that Harry didn't want to be part of. Instead, he turned to Neville who just shrugged.

"I doubt you'll be able to say anything that won't interest at least somebody," he stated, before shoving a piece of kidney pie in his mouth.

"Why is that?" Harry asked in horror. He wanted friends, yes, but didn't want everyone hanging on his every word.

"You're Harry Potter," Neville stated simply. "You've also been out of touch with the wizarding world for 10 years, so naturally everyone is going to want to know what you've been up to, what your life has been like, and what you have to say about everything."

Harry just sat there in horror. He stared up at the Head Table once more, mostly to distract himself. Scanning it, he saw several faces he recognized. There were Minerva and Albus, of course, then Hagrid, and Professor Quirrel. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Then, he saw a face he didn't know—a teacher with a curtain of long, greasy, black hair and a long hooked nose was watching him. Harry didn't know why, but he got the sinking feeling that this particular professor didn't like him, didn't like him one bit. This was just great.

This was supposed to be a new beginning, a way to make friends and just start over. He just had to be the Boy Who Lived, though. Therefore, he was never going to be normal; instead, he would have to deal with people like Malfoy who just wanted to be his friend because of his fame and who knew what else. In a way, this wasn't a new beginning. No, he had started this story 10 years ago; then, he had taken a break, but the rest of the world hadn't. Ron would complain about having a lot to live up to, but at least that was just his family. Harry had just shown up in this wizarding world, and it was clear that he had a lot to live up to, and he didn't even remember why everyone practically worshipped him. No, this was not the new beginning he was hoping for, not even close. Well, at least it was almost a new beginning; that would have to do.