Authors Note: I'm SO SO happy to be back. I'm also really glad I had 2/3rds of this chapter complete from July, so I was really able to add, polish, and get back into the groove without an overwhelming task upon me. Now that I'm on Winter Break, I have some time. It's still college admissions season, but I was really in the spirit to get a new chapter out. This story is officially off of the break, for Winter Break. Possible extension into the New Year, who knows? Reading through my first nine chapters, I noticed some errors. If anyone wants to edit, please let me know. I can, but it might be a while before I get around to it. I'd rather produce more chapters than nitpick a few noticeable dozen spelling errors or grammar mistakes throughout the first 50,000 words. Additionally, this chapter marks the end of the Introductory Arc.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, even though I do own 12 pairs of Harry Potter socks.

Chapter 10:

The Next Day, August 5th, 1991

I decided on a blue robe similar to what I had worn before but paired it with blue pants to spice things up. Gosh, men's fashion was so limiting. Some people hated monochrome, but I was a big fan. My friends and I already had our lesson for the day, carving multiple runes for one effect, and I was ready to leave for my meeting. I had foolishly sent a letter asking the publications to come to my home, so I sent a follow-up letter changing the location to a private room at the Leaky Cauldron. I didn't need Rita Skeeter snooping around my underwear drawer. Andromeda would be meeting me there, at the Cauldron.

Flooing to the Leaky Cauldron, I wasn't the first one there. What looked like almost a dozen people were in the room, all bickering and talking with each other. Andromeda was already inside, keeping to herself. When I walked in, the room hushed. Then, they all started introducing themselves very loudly, attempting to get my attention.

"Sorry, sorry. Please, quiet down. It's nice to meet you all. I'm Harry, this is Andromeda, my lawyer, but before I say anything we have a non-disclosure for you to sign. I'll give you a briefing on the story I have to share, and then I'll take bids on it." I said, as Andromeda passed out the form.

"Is this really all necessary, Harry?" a woman who I could easily identify as Rita Skeeter asked.

"Yes." I said. They all signed quickly once the NDAs were put down.

"Well, take a seat," I said, and they sat down in groups. An older man with Rita and a younger man with a camera. A very old witch, a less old witch, and a young witch with a camera. Then, a middle-aged witch and two young witches, one with a camera.

"So… I was raised by muggles and was abused by them. Starved and locked in a cupboard. I'm on a regiment of healing potions now for malnourishment. My healer will certify my claims, and I have the scars to prove it." I said, metamorphing into the version of me that was real and bony and scarred. "I'll give a full interview about it, and take a few photos. I'm also a metamorphmagus by the way, which is why I look healthy, information which comes as a part of the deal. Who wants to start the bidding?" I asked. They all look flabbergasted. Then, the Daily Prophet wizard said, "500 Galleons. Barnabus Cuffe, Editor of the Daily Prophet"

"600. Spella Montgomery, Spella Weekly." The older witch, said.

"750," The middle aged woman who I now knew was from Witch Weekly, said.

"1000." Cuffe replied.

"1200." Spella upped.

"1500." Witch Weekly betted.

"1800." Spella said, with a bit of reluctance and finality. This was her final bid.

"2000." The Prophet offered.

"2500." Witch Weekly countered.

"3500." The Prophet soared forward.

"4000." Witch Weekly said, as if they'd never stop.

"5000." The Prophet said, seeming angry at the magazine for making them go this high.

"It's yours. I could tell you wanted it and could pay for it, so I thought I'd let them wring your pockets." the witch from Witch Weekly said to Barnabus. "Ilia Greengrass," she followed up, extending her hand to me.

"We'd love to purchase a few posters of you using your metamorphmagus abilities, that we will publish after the Prophet publishes the information. We'll offer 200 Galleons."

"Does anyone else want to bid on that?" The others at the table shook their head.

"Deal." I said to her. Then I turned to Mr. Cuffe, "Pleasure doing business with you. Please hand over the contracts and then we can take Witch Weekly's photos first, since that won't take that long, and then we'll do the interview. Mrs. Spella, is there anything I can do for you?"

"How about just an interview about your upcoming year at Hogwarts? We can offer 100 galleons for that."

"Of course. Why don't we just set that as the going rate for the table? If you want a statement from me, or a short interview, under five minutes, 100 galleons. Photoshoots are 200. Just send me an owl. Sorry, a boy's got to make bank, I'm sure you understand?"

The whole table sighed, nodded, and huffed at the truthfulness of that statement. In reality, I didn't really need the money, but it didn't hurt and I didn't want interview requests every day, just when I was relevant.

Then, we got to work. It must have taken twenty minutes before Witch Weekly got all the shots they wanted. They had me turn into an older and taller version of myself for one shot (I definitely looked like a teenage heartthrob for that one.) Then they showed me pictures of celebrities which they asked me to turn into. After that, they had me mix faces of other people, like becoming what the love-child of Gilderoy Lockhart and Gwenog Jones would look like. It was actually kind of fun and a test of my abilities. They left, and then I did the interview with Spella Weekly which only took five mutes. Then the long interview was with the Daily Prophet. It was with Rita, but I ensured no Quick Quotes Quill was being used and I got final approval. It took about an hour and twenty-five minutes before I had "told all" from Harry's memories enough to satisfy them. They'd likely get plenty and plenty of articles out of this. Then they got photos of my natural body, and I even let them get one of my scarred natural back. It had been healing so it wasn't as bad as it could be, so I just morphed it to its worst state. The Dursleys might be attacked in their home because of this interview.

It was a couple days before the Daily Prophet published. When they did it was only hours before Pobby was overloaded with mail for me from all over Britain.

HARRY POTTER ABUSED BY MUGGLES

HORRIFIC CHILDHOOD AND MORE SCARS

By Rita Skeeter

Harry Potter has endured more than we ever knew. After surviving the killing curse, he was placed at the home of his muggle aunt's house, the sister of Lily Potter. Petunia, the sister, had married a muggle man, Vernon, and had a child, Dudley. When they took Harry in, they put him in the cupboard under the stairs which became his bedroom. They starved him, only gave him hand me downs, hit him with a frying pan, let their child torment him, didn't tell him his name until he was five, and treated him as a house elf would be treated by a bad master. Emotionally abused, physically abused, and traumatized... read more on page 2.

HARRY POTTER METAMORPHMAGUS

A Legendary Ability for a Legendary Hero

By Rita Skeeter

The front cover contained a photo of me with my scarred back and scrawny body and a photo of me shifting from the Harry I showed the world, and the real body I had.

Journal Entry from Harry Potter, August 31st

Over the past few weeks, I've been having an Ancient Runes class every weekday with my new friends. We've just finished the curriculum from the first two years. We can all confidently write about 200 runes now and identify over 400. My favorite is the rune for silence, which kind of looks like concentric crescent moons. I can charge up a block of silence and read peacefully instead of hearing my snakes chatter with each other left and right. I love them, but sometimes they won't shut up. I've had my History of Magic classes on the weekend, which mostly consists of just reading the textbook and discussing it with Remus and Sirius. Remus knows the stuff from the book quite well, and Sirius knows so much outside of it. I guess it comes from his pureblood upbringing. That reminds me, I need to ask Remus about his childhood. I started using this journal to write down everything I remembered about the Harry Potter series because I'll likely forget it all as time goes on in this world. I even used my runic knowledge to passcode lock this journal ("rise from the ashes"), and make it so none but my eyes could see it (which required just a bit of help from Remus).

Marcus Fenwick-Hitchin. He's fun. I like that like me, he doesn't really know much of the wizarding world but yet wants to learn about it and experience it. Doesn't hurt that he's cute.

Hermione Granger. She's amazing. Yes, she has that whole "respects authority" thing I need to smooth out, but she knows so much and loves to talk intelligently. While sometimes I get reminded the others are eleven, Hermione always makes me feel like I'm talking to someone intelligent. I don't know how. She's truly the brightest witch of her generation. Or at least the one with the most photographic memory.

Lily Moon. She's cool. While sometimes a bit mysterious, she's daring and has no problem challenging Remus (even when she's wrong). I think Remus is an old friend of her family.

Roger Malone. He's the funniest guy I've ever met. He takes any and every opportunity for a joke. Honestly such a blonde sometimes, but he's always just joking about it. He is genuinely really smart. Somethings he doesn't care about much though, he just loves living life.

Oliver Rivers. He works really hard, and he is a bit uppity but honestly, I like that. It only shines through when he lets his guard down. It's not blood puritism at all, I just think he thinks he's better than other people in general. Good thing this group serves humble pie 24/7 with all of our wit beyond measure.

Since we've been really busy with classes, I haven't really gotten to hang out at any of their houses yet, but we did get to see a Hollyhead Harpies Quidditch match together. We don't really exchange letters because we see each other five times a week.

I haven't even had much time to experiment with the artifacts yet. I talked to my parents with the stone, and they were really nice and even helped me with my studies, but they cautioned me not to use the stone often, or I could become addicted. While it did do what death promised and summoned people from the next realm on command, it was also a trick of death to lure you closer.

I haven't had any important potions to run through the cup, so it's gone unused.

I've practiced walking through walls with the locket, and it is quite cool. I've floated around my room, reading, but I haven't been able to try it out outside due to the Statute of Secrecy.

I managed to get all the gifts that had been sent to me as a child sorted, a portion of the profits from all unofficial Harry Potter merchandise, and got all of my current fan mail under control. I'm getting letters from every corner of the world. Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Iceland, Costa Rica, Peru, and even one witch from Antartica! Pobby is helping me answer it with uniform letters.

I was even able to give subtle hints to Sirius and Remus about the Invisbility Cloak of my father, and I think they've got it from Dumbledore and plan on giving it to me for Christmas later this year.

Tomorrow, I leave for Hogwarts. I'm so excited!

September 1st, 1991

12 Grimmauld Place, Harry's Bedroom

Single professors at Hogwarts were requested to live in the castle, while faculty with spouses or children usually lived in the village, although they could live in the castle if they so choose. Hogwarts had an almost seemingly endless supply of space, and it was good to have as many faculty as possible in the castle. Sirius and Remus decided to live in Gryffindor Tower, together, in one of the flats on the third floor of the tower which housed faculty and came fully furnished. Faculty needed to live near the students so the students had someone to come to in the middle of the night if a third year accidentally jinxed their ear irreparably.

Remus and Sirius didn't have too much to move, so they decided to move in on September 1st, the same day I'd be coming on the Express. They'd floo immediately to the castle, though, for their new professor's orientation, after dropping me off at the platform. We had already decided to all stay in the castle for Winter and Spring holidays but would return home to 12 Grimmauld Place for the summer.

I dressed in my Hogwarts uniform for the ride, as Remus and Sirius told me that most everyone did who wasn't arriving the muggle way. The Hogwarts Uniform for first years was pretty simple. I wore a white collared shirt, with a light gray sweater vest layered over top, trousers in light gray, and an open black robe. We'd apparently be given our house ties once we were sorted, and they'd magically appear on our necks. Apparently, the Sorting Hat wasn't a secret at all, just not something you were supposed to talk about before you were sorted because it was bad luck that you'd never find friends in the house you joined. I guess everyone had their superstitions, even witches and wizards. I wasn't a big believer in them, but I also didn't believe in magic and where was I? About to be a first year at Hogwarts. So, I didn't say anything about the Sorting Hat, just read about it in "Hogwarts, A History" which Hermione and I both purchased at Flourish and Blotts together on her second trip to the Alley, where she picked up her newly needed books and a grey eagle owl she named Harvey. Good thing I read about the hat, too, because it apparently used Occlumency to place you. I decided to take off my locket just for the sorting ceremony, so it could properly sort me. According to Hogwarts A History, the Sorting Hat is bound to not share any student information. I would be in the clear, and somebody would know my secret. Well, something. That was nice. It made me feel less alone in this world that someone was about to know all of me. It had been over a month since I had seen or spoken to any of my friends or family back in my world. I started to tear up, just because I wasn't able to reach out to them while I was here. I was okay, and I had made really good relationships with the people here, but it was still hard. I let my tears flow, but I wouldn't cry again, because nothing is worth crying twice over. Remus actually walked into my room and saw my tears and wrapped his arms around me and said softly, "I know it can be scary, going to Hogwarts for your first year, but you're going to be great, kid, and we're going to be there. You ever need me, I'll make sure you know where to find me. That actually reminds me, I have something for you. Something to make sure you can always find me." He cradled me as I wiped away my tears. Was this what I think it might possibly be? "Sirius, come in here! I'm giving it to him!" he yelled. Sirius came dashing up the stairs onto my blue bed and excitedly said, "Yippeee! Pup, you're going to love this!"

Remus then started explaining, "This gift comes with a bit of backstory. As you know James, Sirius, and I were best friends at Hogwarts, and we actually all met on the train our first year. Peter was always hanging around us, but I'm leaving him out of this story as much as I can. We became a group called the Marauders, I was Moony, your father was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, and... Peter was Wormtail. They got their names from their animagus forms, and I got mine because I'm a werewolf. We made a set of four maps, one for each of us, called the Marauders' Map. They were four copies of the same map, and Peter managed to lose his right after we made them in our sixth year. I've always managed to keep mine, but Sirius left his copy at this house when he ran away. Your father had let Sirius borrow his copy from then on, and he held onto it until your father's death. It was given back to him by the ministry a few weeks ago, along with all the other items and clothing he had on him when he was arrested. We want to give you your father's copy of the map, as our gift to you, Harry, an amazing young wizard entering Hogwarts and who's going to take the world by storm."

"We love you, Pup." Sirius said, coming towards both Remus and me, and crashing us both into a bear hug. I teared up at this too, and then we finished up our preparations to get us on our way to Platform 9 and ¾.

September 1st, 1991, 10:30am

Platform 9 and 3/4, King's Cross Station

We traveled by floo to Platform 9 and ¾. Walking out of the fire, the train was just fifteen feet away. The Hogwarts Express appeared to be a red steam engine train. However, it ran on magic, and the coal car was just for show. It ran right along a ley line between London and Hogwarts and becomes unplottable itself a short distance into the journey. At least, that's what Remus told me. There were large compartments and small compartments. The larger compartments sat ten students with a lot of extra space, twelve comfortably, and fourteen close to squeezing. The smaller compartments were half the size and sat four with lots of extra space, six comfortably, and eight close to squeezing. The large ones ran almost the whole width of a train car with the hallway running along the side. The smaller compartments each took about half of the width of a train car, with the hallway running through the middle. Some cars contained large compartments and some contained small. Roger, Marcus, Hermione, Lily, Oliver, and I all wanted to sit together but wanted some space for others to join us so we decided to find a large compartment. Fred and George (who I had been owling to purchase Fireworks) said they'd come by sometime and say hello during the almost six-hour journey we had ahead of us. The train had an interesting magical space charm on it, as most wizarding structures did. The two foot wide doors to compartments were basically side by side, but the inside of the compartments each had plenty of space. This allowed the actual train from the outside and corridor to be small, but comfortable for all the students inside. The train was created as a means of travel to Hogwarts for many reasons. Because of Hogwarts wards, students couldn't arrive by the Floo Network. Because portkeys are unpleasant, not all wizards and witches can apparate (especially not side-along apparition), and muggleborns started to appear in the magical world at an increasing rate, the Ministry had to find a better way to get students to Hogwarts than leaving hundreds of children portkey-sick in the Hospital Wing. They came up with Platform 9 and ¾ and the Hogwarts Express. Far enough way to keep Hogwarts completely unplottable, it was, therefore, able to have access to the Floo Network. Dozens of fireplaces lined the platform wall, where witches and wizards streamed out. Hogsmeade was also unplottable, and had no floo connections: the residents knew how to apparate themselves and side-along their kids. No one could tell you exactly where Hogsmeade is. Residents of Hogsmeade were either faculty or staff of Hogwarts, approved by the headmaster to live there, or descendants of people approved by previous headmasters. It was the largest wizarding village in Britain, with around 4,000 residents. Even if a student lived in Hogsmeade, though, they were still required to board the Express at Platform 9 and ¾. It had become such a large tradition and rite of passage. The London Wizarding District, including Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, and Carkitt Market, was home to 7,000 witches and wizards but didn't qualify as a village.

Since it was a little bit hectic on the platform, we decided to all meet at the very back of the train, early, because that was a meeting point we could all recognize rather than "Coach 11" or "Coach 5". Even with the extended space of the train, there were a lot of coaches. The coaches looked to be about fifty feet each, and had twenty-five or fifty compartments, depending on whether they were made up of large or small compartments. When I got there, at 10:25am, I peered into the the last train coach and discovered it was full of small compartments, so moved one forward, to Coach 14, where there were large compartments. The coaches connected via a little tube like a hallway. Opening the door to the last compartment on that coach, I saw Hermione already waiting.

"Good! You're here. I was worried people wouldn't have the same thoughts I did once they saw the last car was full of small compartments." she said. Then I got my first look into the compartment. This one had blue plush velvet bench seats framing a window. The compartment was huge with just two of us in it, we could both lay down on one of the benches and would probably not even touch both of the walls. The window looked out into the platform, where I could see the faces of Sirius and Remus waving to me. The Grangers were standing right next to them. Above the seats were racks, which were for luggage. I had my trunk within my backpack, and my backpack within my locket, because most of my things I didn't want anyone seeing. I had Hedwig fly ahead to Hogwarts, and just stored her cage for her. My snakes were currently sleeping in my pockets. They were very aware I wouldn't speak to them around others, but were perfectly well behaved without me needing to talk to them all the time. Plus, I could hear them, and the more time they spent around me the more they came to understand human speech beyond parselmouth. I had discovered that no, all snakes weren't as smart as humans. When snakes interacted with Parselmouths, they gained intelligence. The more they did, the stronger and more permanent their intelligence becomes.

After that thought, Marcus arrived. "Hey, guys! Glad I got here early, we were worried, going through the muggle entrance and all. The others here yet?" He asked.

"No." I said. "Well, aren't you guys glad we made friends beforehand, and took two whole years of Ancient Runes in a month? It's like we're starting off a step ahead."

"Yeah, we met for six hours practically every day, but I agree, totally worth it for the friends, ability to enchant a box to stay locked by password, and Pobby's cooking." Marcus laughed.

That's when a boy and girl came up to the door and the boy asked in a bit of an Italian accent, "Can we sit with you all?". The boy was one of the most beautiful boys I had seen, probably ever. He had black hair and his face was strikingly attractive. His sister, while pretty, didn't have the effect he did.

The girl followed up with, "You are all going to be first years, right? We don't know anyone, because we're from Italy."

The boy then said, "I'm Luca Caruso, this is my twin sister Valentina."

"Harry Potter," I said. They looked surprised."Nice to meet you. You don't happen to be part veela do you?" He recoiled a bit, flicked his eyes up to my scar, and then immediately lightened up with a look of understanding on his face. "I'm sure you get it too, actually, being you. I'm surprised you could even tell, since I'm only a fourth veela. My allure is usually only picked up on as being unnatural by the strongest witches and wizards and then, of course, pretty much all veela girls. I came to Hogwarts because the constant hounding was the worst from part-veela girls, and there aren't any veela communities in Britain. They would never leave me alone. I came to Hogwarts to get away from them, all they ever wanted was to have me have their babies. I'm literally eleven, all I want is to have a good time, study, and play some Quidditch."

Then behind him a girl said, "We're not all like that you know. Some of us know how to behave ourselves. Anastasia Belikov. I'm from Russia and I decided to come to Hogwarts for a similar reason. Can I sit too?"

"Oh, of course everyone, just come in." I said.

Then a girl a few feet down the corridor asked, "Can I come too? I'm afraid I don't know anyone either. My sister and I are both coming to Hogwarts for our first year but decided to sit separately on the train, to make different friends." She crept forward to the compartment door, levitating a trunk behind her. "I'm Padma Patil, nice to meet you guys."

That's when Oliver and Lily and Roger decided to show up, saying they had tried to all get a compartment in the last car (thinking we'd still go there despite it being full of small compartments) but had then heard us in this car and came up here to join us.

Hermione took one of the window seats, and I took the other across from her. Marcus sat beside me. Luca, Valentina, Anastasia, and Padma all sat next to Hermione, opposite of Marcus and I. Roger sat next to Marcus, and then Oliver and Lily.

I could see it was about time to leave as Remus and Sirius started to wave goodbye. Suddenly, the train lurched, and we started inching forward. I could see all the parents on the platform waving goodbye to their kids, and suddenly we started getting faster and faster, rushing away, until the platform was out of sight. All of us looked out the window to get the last few glimpses we could, then we turned to each other. We needed to get all of the luggage everyone brought up to the top rack.

"Hey Padma, since I see you know the levitation charm, can you move all of these trunks up?" I asked, pointing to the racks. She brandished her wand and levitated up and over all of the trunks which were taking up space in the middle of the compartment. "There," she said, "much more room now."

I could see everyone more clearly now that six foot trunks weren't in the way. Padma was an Indian girl, but very beautiful. Anastasia somewhat implied she herself was a part veela, and I could see that. She had hair as blonde as gold. Luca and Valentina looked very much like twins, and even had matching black owls. Roger had brought his pet that he had told us all about. It was a two headed dog, an Orpheus, that looked like a golden retriever but with two heads and two tails.

In that moment I realized all these kids weren't from Britain, and I had no clue why they were all at Hogwarts.

"Your pet is awesome, Roger! Where's your huge bird you always talk about?" I asked.

"You sent Hedwig along to Hogwarts didn't you? Well, I sent Wendelin too. You'll see her soon." Roger replied.

"Roger claims he has a Giant Storm Petrel Bird. I don't believe him." Lily explained to the newcomers, Luca, Valentina, Anastasia, and Padma.

"So, you all know each other?" Anastasia asked, while petting her Kneazle that looked like a Russian Blue cat, but twice the size.

"Yes, we took lessons together in Ancient Runes over the summer with a tutor." Hermione explained.

"Oh, that's awesome. Runes are so interesting. We can't wait to start. We only know a few from casting basic spells. Valentina and I did some Arithmancy tutoring over the summer to go into the second-year class." Luca added.

"Really? I'm Oliver Rivers, the Seventh, and this is Lily Moon, we're both going to be in the second-year Arithmancy class too. Hopefully we end up in the same one!"

"I actually studied with a muggle tutor on the weekends when we didn't have Ancient Runes, and I'm going to be in 2nd Year Arithmancy, too." Hermione said.

"Wait what? You didn't tell us that." I exclaimed.

"Well, I wasn't sure if I was going to get through the material in time. I owled Deputy Headmistress McGonagall and she said that it was fine as long as I owled her before September 1st with my plan. I mean, it's not like you offered for us to join your History lessons, so I had the time." she said.

"Well, I didn't think you or your parents would want to have you out of the house everyday." I explained.

"Harry we're talking about me. I'd learn every hour of every day if I could." she said, but with a smile and a slight laugh to let me know she wasn't really mad.

"Are you taking Arithmancy, Harry?" Anastasia asked, further saying "I'm just going to be in the first year class. My parents did get me prepared to go into second-year History of Magic, so I'll join you there, though, if you're taking that too."

"No actually, I'll be in the fourth year Arithmancy class. But yes, I will be doing the second-year History of Magic class."

There was a round of surprise at that statement because skipping three years was an extremely rare jump.

From there talks about classes morphed into talks about the Hogwarts Houses, where everyone thought they were going to be in Ravenclaw except for Hermione who thought she might be in Gryffindor, but wanted to be in Ravenclaw, and Anastasia who thought she might be in Slytherin, but hoped she was in Ravenclaw. Later, Fred and George even popped by and slipped me my package of fireworks, and I slipped them some galleons. They even stuck around to chat for a bit before heading off. At the end of that conversation, a witch with a trolley full of candy arrived. I had stayed away from wizarding sweets, just because I wasn't huge on candy. But now that it was all right in front of me, I was smitten. The witch was wearing a white and pink robe, and the cart must have been specially built just to fit the size of the hallway.

Looking through the the multitude of candy options, I purchased a few acid pops, a dozen packages of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, a dozen Blood-Flavoured Lollipops (which Hermione raised an eye at, but I had always liked the taste of blood ever since I had lost teeth as a kid), a couple dozen Chocolate Frogs (because I needed to start a card collection), a package of Exploding Fairy Dust (which seemed to be like Pixie Stick powder that exploded if you shook it too hard) and basically one of everything else.

Then the door opened. A boy who looked just like the round little firstie Neville Longbottom from the movies asked, "Have any of you seen a toad?" as he looked to be almost in tears.

"No. We haven't. Would you like me to help you look? I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione, rose, outstretching her hand to shake.

"Yes… Thanks." he softly replied.

"Hermione, just get a Prefect to summon the toad. That'll be easiest."

"Oh! You're right. I was going to go compartment knocking." she said, looking me in the eye with a small laugh as she shut the door of the compartment behind her as she left with Neville.

"What's a Prefect?" Anastasia asked, twirling her blonde hair behind her ear.

"Oh, they're like students with extra responsibilities in the upper years. My mom was one. She told me all about it." Marcus explained. "They get picked because they're the most responsible and top of their houses. There's a few for each house of each gender in each year 5th through 7th. Seventh year each house gets a head boy and a head girl. They have to hallway patrol a couple times a week and mentor firsties like us. They can use the restricted section of the library whenever they want. They get their own bathroom and study room. They can take away house points and give detentions too! It's a sweet deal."

"They can only take away points from students in their house." I further explained.

"How do house points really work? Like, do they even matter?" Valentina asked.

"Well, yes. But it's kind of complicated. I think they explain it when we get there." I said.

From there the conversation moved to my guardians who were both going to be professors at Hogwarts, to the articles about me in the Prophet and Witch Weekly (which Roger kept a photo of to taunt me with as such a "golden pretty boy"), to Roger's parents latest travel to New Zealand, to the other magical schools they would have attended. That was a fun conversation. Luca Caruso seemed to know the most, as he said he did a full read-up on every school when he realized he wanted to get away from the veela girls in his life who would be going to Olympus. I knew the basics from Hogwarts, A History, but it really did focus on Hogwarts.

"So where would you guys have gone to school if you didn't come to Hogwarts?" I asked.

"Koldovstoretz Institute in Russia." Anastasia replied.

"Olympus School of Sorcery in Greece," said Luca and Valentina, at the same time.

"I actually live in Britain, so Hogwarts. But, if my family still lived in India then Aum Academy of Sorcery." Padma jovially explained.

"Gold Coast School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Australia." Roger responded, "that's where my two older sisters are."

"What's different about those schools from Hogwarts?" Lily asked.

Luca took a deep breath and then started a monologue, "Well, Gold Coast is based off of Hogwarts, so it is actually really similar. Ilvermorny, in America, also draws a lot of inspiration from Hogwarts. All of the great 13 schools have commonalities, but differences too. Gold Coast is like a third of the size of Hogwarts, for instance. But, Aum, in India, is like seven times larger. They all have their academic focuses, too. Like Olympus, where we would have gone, has a focus in Ancient Studies. Beauxbatons has Charms, Durmstrang the Dark Arts, but like Koldovstoretz, Aum, Hogwarts, and Gold Coast are all generalists, and teach practically all subjects as if they're of equal importance."

That's when Hermione walked back in, without Neville, and said, "I'd mostly agree. However, what is unique about Hogwarts and why some call it the best wizarding school is because it has many options to further learning in certain subject areas."

"Isn't it nice that Hogwarts has started taking international students recently?" Anastasia asked.

"Well, they're only doing that because there was such a drop in births due to the war that the class size would have been humiliatingly small." Luca responded, "but yes, quite nice."

"I'm so excited to go." I exclaimed. "But all the other schools seem interesting."

"I hope they all have books like Hogwarts a History about them." Hermione said. "By the way, we found Neville's toad. It was in the luggage of some girls' compartment. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. He ended up joining them. Seem like Hufflepuffs."

That's when the compartment door opened, and in walked a beautiful and pale platinum blonde haired boy and two gigantic sidekicks. Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. It's you, right?" Draco said, looking right at me.

I got up and approached him.

"Yes, and you?"

"I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy. Oh, and this is Crabbe and Goyle."

"Ah! Cousin Draco, so nice to meet you." I said, embracing him in a hug. I had been preparing for this moment.

"Cousin?" he stammered, not much returning the hug.

"Well, your mother is Narcissa Black, yes?" I asked.

"She was."

"My godfather is Sirius Black, her first cousin!"

"I guess that does make us family, in a way." he said, "Well, it's nice to meet you… Cousin Harry." he said, outstretching his hand.

I shook it.

"And who are these…?" he asked.

"Marcus Fenwick-Hitchin. Hermione Granger. Anastasia…?"

"Belikov." she supplied.

"Lily Moon, Oliver Rivers, Padma Patil, and Luca and Valentina…?"

"Caruso." they said.

"Nice to see you Lily and Oliver, it's been a while. Are most of you international?" he asked.

"Yes." some of them murmured.

"Ah. That's why I don't recognize your last names."

"Belikov, though… Belikov as in the Russian Minister of Magic Alexandre Belikov?"

"Yes," she sighed. "My father." "...I'd prefer if you didn't tell anyone. I don't need any special attention," she said.

"Of course." Draco smiled.

"Well, I feel the train slowing down. We better get going to collect our luggage," Draco said, embracing me in a full hug as he left, "Hope to see you in Slytherin!"

I could feel the train slowing beneath me too. "Well, that wasn't bad." I said.

"Did you think it was going to be?" Hermione asked.

"Well, Draco is a staunch blood purist." Oliver explained. Everyone got a bit rigid at that revelation.

"People won't change if you don't give them the opportunity to." I said.

"That's very true." Valentina replied to me.

A voice then 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."

We all started to collect our luggages, and us boys left quickly to allow the girls who hadn't changed to do so, and then we flip-flopped. We went super quickly.

Marcus had on cute little fish boxers, and Luca had on silver silk ones. Roger and Oliver had shown up dressed like me. Marcus was still buttoning up his white shirt when we started to really slow down.

The train finally stopped. We collected our belongings we wanted to keep with us and walked out into the corridor. I guess they had the house elves take our stuff. Other, older students pushed their way toward the coach door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. The air was frigid and it was September 1st! I was going to need a lot of warming charms come the winter. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and I heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"Of course." I chipped.

"Good. C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, we followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow stone path. Nobody spoke much."Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!" from basically everyone. I was stunned.

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Hermione, Marcus, and I got a boat and were joined by Anastasia. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over us as we sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; we all bent our heads and the little boats carried us through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking us right underneath the castle, until we reached a kind of underground harbor, where we clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. From there, we walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.
"Everyone here?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.