September 1st 1991- Little Whinging, Surry

Harry woke up early for a Sunday morning. Most of the street wouldn't be awake until they needed to go to church, which gave Harry a chance to escape Privet Drive without anyone spotting him as he left. Harry had been sensible and made sure that everything was packed ahead of time so that he wouldn't need to rush in the morning and would be able to get out of Privet Drive with enough time before the Dursley's woke up.

Harry moved his few belongings downstairs in his case, moving slowly so that he wouldn't make any major noises and finally he opened the door, finally free from the hell that was his home with the Dursleys.

Harry walked down the dimly lit streets surrounding the cul de sac silently hoping and praying that this would be the last time he would ever need to step onto the street that for his childhood, and adolescence in his previous live, had been his own personal torture chamber. Harry knew that there were ways to avoid having to end up back here but most of them involved outsmarting the genius known as Albus Dumbledore.

Harry finally reached where his seemingly aimless walking had led him, a small little play area on a field just a few roads down from Privet Drive. Harry stared at the play area and wondered about all the memories that had happened in this field, when he first saw Sirius Black after his escape, and nearly getting run over by the very bus that he was about to call and ride today. The Dementors attacking him and Dudley which had led to his near expulsion from Hogwarts. And in the air space above, his final departure from Privet Drive in the previous timeline and the battle of the Seven Potters. In some weird way this park had always represented his escape from Privet Drive, even when he was stuck here it was a place where he could come down and actually be a child away from the leering views of his Aunt and Uncle.

With his reminiscing over Harry took his wand from out of his back pocket and reached it out over the edge of the pavement, waiting for the Triple Decker bright purple bus to arrive. It was only a couple of seconds later that the Knight Bus came screeching round the corner and to an abrupt stop just in front of Harry.

A scrawny boy who could be no older than 17 stood at the back of the fast paced bus. Harry recognised the boy as Stan Shunpike, the kid who had been arrested for Death Eater activities by Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour just so he could be seen as doing something. But Harry had never believed that the kid standing in front of him had ever been willingly a Death Eater.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor for this evening" Stan read off the notes written on the back of his hand. Harry could tell that Stan was a lot more nervous than when he had met him in the original timeline, but Harry suspected that Stan had only just left Hogwarts a few months ago with probably not many O.W.L's considering his current occupation; so nerves were understandable.

"Tickets are 11 Sickles, but for 13 Sickles you get an 'ot chocolate, and for 15 Sickles you get an 'ot water bottle and a toothbrush in a colour of your choice"

Despite it being the early hours of the morning and almost dawn the bus was still in night mode so Harry got a handful of the silver coins out of his bag and counted out the 11 Sickles to get him from Surrey to King's Cross station.

Stan was intrigued by the kid who had boarded the bus however and wanted to question the kid sat in front of him

"Ain't you a bit young to be riding on your own" the nosey conductor asked

Harry, not wanting too much information about his travels and knowledge of the wizarding world getting out, stared at the floor and softly responded "I'm alright"

"You starting 'Ogwarts this year then"

"Yeah, how did you work that one out"

"Well, you're going King's Cross on September First and I only just left 'Ogwarts and I ain't ever seen you before"

Harry was impressed at Stan's quick calculation and realised it probably wouldn't be as easy to misdirect a fresh out of school Stan than the Stan who had spent an extra two years spending the most time with Ernie, the crazy bus driver.

"So 'ow comes you ain't going via the floo to King's Cross" the conductor asked

Harry was confused as he had never heard of anyone using the floo to get to Platform 9 ¾ before and didn't even know that that was an option. "The floo? You can use the floo to get to the platform?"

"Blimey, how comes you didn't know that one, you're clearly not a muggleborn as you knew about the Knight Bus so why ain't you using the Floo like all the other families with Wizarding parents?"

Harry was even more confused, every single time he had gone to platform 9 ¾ before it had been through the barrier in between platform 9 and 10. But it made sense in Harry's mind as he couldn't imagine someone like Lucius Malfoy, with the disdain that he had for muggles, wanting his son to have to go through a muggle train station to get to school. But then why hadn't the Weasley's ever used the floo, Harry knew that they had a fireplace that was connected to the floo network, and yet every single year they had used the Muggle entrance, even though it would probably be a lot easier to get the amount of children they had through the floo.

Harry had been stunned into silence when Stan spoke again "So where are your folks? Why you on your ones?"

Harry knew that he wouldn't be able to lie to Stan and claim that they were muggles as he had already pointed out he knew about the Knight Bus. Harry realised he could pull the exact same trick he had done last time and pretend to be Neville Longbottom again, it had worked last time but this time through Harry wanted to be better friends with Neville and there may come a time where he and Neville were travelling on the bus together. So in the end Harry just decided to be honest, it's not like he thought he was a convict this time.

"My parents died so I live with their muggle relatives" Harry said softly but just loud enough for Stan to hear. Harry quickly watched the colour drain from Stan's face and for the rest of the journey Harry wasn't bothered anywhere near as much.

September 1st 1991- Kings Cross Station, London

Having arrived early at Kings Cross Harry quickly found a place to sit and watch the passers-by going through the passageway between platform number 9 and 10, noting down who he remembered from the previous timeline. His mind played back the nugget of information that Stan Shunpike had given him, as he realised that all of the people going through the barrier were, just as Shunpike had alluded to, muggle-born. Harry spotted Dean Thomas, his former roommate, with his Dad joking about West Ham's poor start to their second division season as they passed through the barrier.

Justin Finch-Fletchley came through as one of the only other people from his year as for the first time Harry acknowledged that there were only three muggle-borns in his entire year at Hogwarts. Everyone else that came through were in the years above, but the small number that went through confirmed that it was exclusively the muggle-borns that used this entrance.

Harry was deep in thought when he heard a familiar squeak as he looked up and in a cage just across the platform he spotted a snowy white owl being pushed by Hermione Granger and her parents. Harry quickly ran over to try and speak to the Grangers, to the surprise of Harry he was quickly dragged into a hug by Dan Granger. But Harry wasn't the only person who was surprised as behind the elder gentlemen, Hermione was just as shocked as Harry was.

"Oh Harry, I'm so happy to see you"- The dentist softly said into Harry's ear, "I was so worried Hermione said you hadn't written but I'm so glad to see that you're here safe and sound"

Harry flinched at the touch of the older man, still not entirely comfortable around adult figures, as his mind questioned what had happened to the letter. He had never known Hedwig to drop a letter before, and surely if she did drop one she would be able to find it. Hedwig was magic afterall.

The dentist had definitely noticed the flinch that Harry had made when he was touched, just furthering the point home in his mind about how Harry had been treated

Dan pulled back from Harry and started to look around "Now, where is this family of yours. I need to have a few words with them."

"They're not here, I came on my own" Harry responded, doing his best impression of a lost eleven year old

This seemed to anger Dan Granger even more as Harry could see he was internally raging at a family seemingly willing to abandon their nephew at a moment's notice. But Dan Granger used all the mental fortitude it requires to be a dentist to keep his rage internal.

"Well, how about we help you get onto the train then you and Hermione can tell you all about the weird summer she has had, I mean this owl has been following her around the past month so we just decided to get it a perch and let her take it with her."

Hermione went bright red as she realised that all of her fears this summer had been misguided, and her fathers worry had terrified her into thinking that her stupidity may have accidentally put Harry in danger.

Harry had spotted Hermione going bright red, but having known the girl for the next seven years he knew exactly what this meant. She wasn't going red through embarrassment, this was the face that she made when she realised that she had been wrong. The realisation flooded through Harry's mind, Hermione had received his letter and that's why Hedwig had been following her around for the past four weeks, she was waiting for a reply letter.

But Harry realised he needed to learn from this, he had assumed that because he was able to remember how things went before that he would be unstoppable, and that any plan that he had would be able to go off without a hitch. Harry had assumed that just because they had been friends in the other timeline that they would be able to be friends straight away in this timeline, forgetting the almost two months when they first met that they were barely more than classmates. Harry knew that he would need to be more meticulous with his planning and that knowing the future does not mean that everything will work out exactly how he wants.

"Thank you so much Mr Granger, however there is just one thing I realised I forgot in the main station, I will meet Hermione on the train" Harry quickly responded, coming up with an excuse to continue his watch over who goes through the barrier.

"Well, I'm sure I will hear from Hermione if you go against your word young man. I hope that we can meet again soon", With those words Dan led his wife and daughter through the barrier and onto the magical platform.

Harry went back to his cubby hole corner to continue watching the people entering the platform. He recognised Penelope Clearwater, Percy Weasley's girlfriend and one of the victims of the Basilisk next year, which Harry hoped she would not have to face this year. But her actions surprised Harry, as rather than being calm with the wall like all the other muggle-borns that had gone through before her, she was frantic and seemed to be urgent to get through the barrier and onto the other side of the platform. Harry wondered what that would be until a familiar voice started to loudly shout.

"Just like every year, packed with Muggles. Now Ginny dear, what's the platform number again?" The unmistakable tone of Molly Weasley shrieked out.

"Nine and Three Quarters Mum", The smaller voice of ten year old Ginny Weasley responded.

As they got closer and closer to the barrier Harry started to think, he knew that the platform hadn't changed since it got put in in the 1850's (Hermione had a tendency to recite A History of Magic in her sleep in the tent) so surely the platform would have been the same as when Molly Weasley herself was at Hogwarts, and it was definitely the same as when Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George had all started Hogwarts, Stan Shunpike had pretty much confirmed that to Harry. So if the platform hadn't changed then why did Molly Weasley need to get it confirmed by her daughter.

They made it to the barrier and Molly started talking to her youngest two as the eldest three made their way through onto the platform.

"Any sign of him, Ron, Ginny?" The matriarch of the Weasley clan said to the two kids

"Nothing yet mum, does this change the plan at all?" The young Ron said in reply

"Not at all, damn someone else must have helped him, you still go and find him on the train, he will be there after all and must be his friend, Dumbledore's orders. Now I need to have a word with Dumbledore, he gets me to risk the statute of secrecy and it's all for nothing".

With those words from Molly Weasley everything made sense in Harry's mind. Hagrid had essentially only taught him one thing about the wizarding world, the word Muggles, and left him with a ticket that had no instruction about how to get onto the train platform, which clearly the Muggle-borns had got as all their parents knew exactly how to get onto the platform without any confusion. Then Molly Weasley shows up and mentions the two magical things that Harry is supposed to know about, to try and help him get onto the platform. But why?

Molly Weasley had mentioned that Dumbledore was involved which, considering the last interaction that Harry had had with the Headmaster, did not fill him up with hope about their intentions. But what hurt Harry the most, was the plan that Ron had mentioned. Ron was set up to be his friend, ordered to be such by Dumbledore. To have your supposed best friend and find out that your first interaction was completely manipulated hurt more than any cruciatus curse Riddle had ever put on him.

Harry gave a bit of time before going through the barrier himself, he had all the information he needed and he had made a promise to find Hermione on the train.

September 1st 1991- On the Hogwarts Express

As Harry walked down the train he looked into all of the compartments and saw all of the faces that he recognised, Fred and George Weasley were sat with Lee Jordan. Daphne Greengrass, Tracy Davis, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott were all sat together, Harry assumed that they had been brought up together considering most of their parents had high ranking jobs at the Ministry. Harry found himself pained by the fact their childhood friendship had probably been ripped apart by petty house rivalries and promised to himself that he would attempt to end the cruelty that was shown between the different houses. One thing that he had noticed as he made his way up the train was that none of the carriages were full.

It didn't take long for Harry to find Hermione on the train and to Harry's luck she wasn't alone in her carriage, sitting opposite her was the small nervous little boy known as Neville Longbottom. Harry had known that Neville and Hermione had met on the train considering that they had come together to try and find Trevor but he hadn't realised that they had spent the entire train journey in the same carriage.

"Hey, I believe that I promised to your Dad that I would come sit with you" Harry joked as he entered the compartment

Hermione went bright red to that and having just been very chatty around Neville, suddenly went very shy.

Harry sat down next to Neville and quickly introduced himself

"Hey, I'm Harry Potter"

Neville, who had just taken a sip of his drink, choked and spluttered at this revelation and stared at Harry as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Neville Longbottom", Neville replied, almost embarrassed by his own name compared to the legend of the great Harry Potter.

"Longbottom? Oh you must be my god-brother, it's great to meet you".

Once again, Neville choked on his drink, amazed that the famous Harry Potter knew who he was. He was just about to question everything when they got interrupted by someone else arriving at the compartment door.

Having slid the door open, and looking clearly out of breath, stood a lanky freckled red-headed boy, which Harry knew to be Ronald Billius Weasley. There was a layer of frustration written over his face, which Harry suspected to be due to the fact that he wasn't alone in a carriage but instead with two other people.

"Excuse me, Can I sit with you? Everywhere else is full." Ron quickly asked, ignoring everyone else in the compartment except for Harry.

Harry went to respond to the question, going to explain about all the empty or half empty carriages he was when he walked up the train, including one with Ron's own brothers in it, but he got cut off by Hermione.

"That's impossible" she said, "all of the carriages are designed to extend should they need to fill more people, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History"

Ron suddenly showed a vitriol that Harry had only ever seen once during the other timeline, and that was when he was wearing Slytherin's locket, as he glared at Hermione as if she had murdered his parents.

"I wasn't talking to you, you bloody bookworm". Ron's anger and attempt to use anything as a slur against Hermione gave Harry the sinking impression that if he had known about Hermione's blood status at this point he may have used that against her.

Harry jumped to his feet, despite being quite a bit shorter than Ron he attempted to go face to face with the red-headed boy.

"You just insulted my first friend in the wizarding world, and yet you expect me to let you sit with us. This wasn't even my carriage, they allowed me to join them. Yet you want me to rule over them with decision, Hermione was right, none of the carriages are full, so go and find one of your brothers and go and sit with them"

Harry pulled Ron closer to him and softly whispered into his ear

"And maybe, when you get to School you can send a little owl off to your Mum and tell her than the plan failed because you were to much of a loud mouthed idiot"

Harry pulled away from Ron, who had gone as white as a sheet, and watched him scarper away out of the compartment.

Harry sat down and was just about to continue his conversations with Neville and Hermione when there was another interruption to their carriage.

Harry quickly turned around to see who was in the door well, expecting to see Draco Malfoy as he was the only other visitor he had received in the last time line. However whilst there was a blonde haired soon to be Slytherin standing at the door, it wasn't the Scion of Malfoy, but Daphne Greengrass, Tracy Davis, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott.

Daphne, who was clearly the leader of the group spoke first, in a formal tone that Harry wasn't expecting

"Heir Potter, it is great to see you again. In a different life we would have all grown up together, including Heir Longbottom here. However due to tragedy striking the both of you that wasn't able to happen. So we come to offer an olive branch of friendship to make up for the time we lost"

Harry was stunned, he knew that one of his goals was to increase his social network and make more friends at Hogwarts but he thought it would be more difficult than this. He hadn't expected it to fall into his lap.

(In a realm above mere mortal comprehension Lister knew that the banishment of Ron Weasley had prevented him from casting a Notice-me-Not Spell on their compartment door)

Susan Bones was the next to speak, "We understand that we will probably all be sorted into different houses but between the four of us we have all promised to cross house barriers and always have each others backs, and we with to extend this offer to the two of you"

"Three", Harry quickly replied "Hermione is my friend, if she isn't part of this deal then neither am I"

Tracy Davis responded next, "Then the offer goes to all three of you, I apologies for excluding you and for not knowing your name"

"Heiress Granger" Harry filled in, matching their pure-blood bravado.

Hannah Abbott then spoke, "Then Heiress Granger is welcome to join us as well, we do hope you accept out genuine offer of friendship and support, as we just wish to have the friends that we should have had if it wasn't for the tragedy of He who must not be named"

"We will send you a message in the first few days of school once we know what houses we are all in, and we can find a spot in the castle that can be our meeting space. We hope that you will join us", Daphne Greengrass said before giving the most genuine smile Harry had ever seen the girl known as the Ice Queen give and walking out with her childhood friends in tow.

Hermione was astounded, at her previous school she had never really had many friends, yet before she had even made it to her first day of school she had two people sit in her compartment wanting to be friends, and another four come in and one of her new friends making sure that they included her. Especially considering she had essentially let down the friend who was making sure she was included.

Hermione was deep in her thoughts before being dragged out of them by another visitor at their carriage, Hermione wondered if this could be another friend or was she getting too greedy.

"So it is true, the famous Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts" the sneering voice of Draco Malfoy proclaimed to the carriage.

A/N

Sorry for the delay for this chapter, I've had a busy week with work as well as being rather ill so I haven't had as much of a chance to write as I would have hoped.

Now that it's mostly concluded I wish to talk about why I put the tension between Harry and Hermione in the story, despite a lot of people not liking it. The reason it was in the story was as a reminder to Harry that despite him being an 18yr old mind in a 11yr old's body, a lot of the people he is going to be interacting with aren't. As such they are going to misunderstand adult topics and messages he tries to send, this plot point was there to remind Harry that he needs to bring people along with him not just drag them along.

Next chapter will be the first meeting of Draco Malfoy, Hermione and Harry discussing Hermione's misunderstanding, and the sorting ceremony.