Chapter 3

Hogwarts Bound

When it was time to leave home, Harry, Lily, Remus, Neville and Neville's grandmother, Augusta all packed up and headed for King-cross station. Harry found himself feeling sad as he left home. For eleven years it was all he had known. Since learning of Voldemort and his father, Harry realized that he had been living a sheltered life. Not one he regretted. He, until now had felt nothing but happiness. He just wished that his world had been bigger before entering this new one. Still, it was all very exciting.

There was a slight moment of confusion for both Harry and Neville when they were told that the train was on platform nine and three-quarters, but that confusion was cleared up right away, when together they stepped through the secret passageway that would take them to a hidden platform where the bright scarlet steam train, The Hogwarts Express, would be waiting for them.

"Do I need to write a list of do's and don'ts?" Lily asked Harry the second they were alone. Normally things like a goodbye would be wrapped up warmth and emotion. They loved each other very much but Harry's relationship with his mother was quite different to most.

"I'd rather you didn't." Harry grinned. "Besides, I think Severus is enough reason not to get in trouble."

"Good boy." She said told him, and leaned down to see his face better. Harry could already see the sparkle in his mother's eyes that suggested tears were on their way, "I'd say learn something, but judging from the holes in your wall, I would bet that sending you on your first year is going to be useless."

"I don't know," Harry said jokingly, "I hear they've got a bigger library than ours. Besides, if I get bored there is always the Forbidden Forest."

"Which will instantly lead to your sudden and imminent death the moment you came back from it." Lily warned him, slightly joking and largely threateningly. "Behave, be smart and above all else."

"Be kind." Harry smiled with a nod. "I'm the kindest person out there, I mean, I let a werewolf stay in my house."

"Your house, is it?" Lily chuckled, pulling her son closer and forcing a few kisses onto his cheeks and nose.

"Alright, alright, you can have it while I'm gone!" Harry laughed, attempting to stop Lily's attack on his face. "

"Very kind of you," She, said with a chuckle.

"See, kindness is my middle-name, Harry, James, Kindness, Potter," a heavenly air to his voice, placing a hand on his chest as if to appear noble and modest.

"Alright, Mr Kind, on you get before you're left behind," Lily said, laughing as she guided him to the train and nudged him forward. "And write to me, I want know all about your first week, understood?"

"Yes," He promised her, then leaned forward for another hug."Love you mum."

"Love you to sweetheart,"

The train journey had been an eventful one. Harry and Neville had made their way past the many compartments, noticing all the different people. In one compartment there was a whole family of red-haired children, all them dressed in black and green robes, which had a set of twins teasing the smallest of the group. When the pompous looking one gave them a nasty sneer, Harry decided that this wasn't the compartment for them and pulled Neville along with him. They'd run into a few more friendlier looking people, some casting spells, others reading books and magazines, some talking about the wizard sport known as Quidditch. Eventually, they found a compartment with a boy who was sitting alone. He was a pale, pointed faced young man with long blonde hair that was a bit un-tidy. Thinking that the boy looked a bit miserable, Harry pulled open the compartment door and smiled as the boy looked up.

"Hey, everywhere is full, mind if we join you?" Harry asked politely, the boy seemed a little surprised to be spoken to, sounding nervous when he said, "Um, sure, if you want."

"Thanks," Harry said brightly, instantly taking the seat across from the boy, sitting nearest the window while Neville closed the door behind him, "I'm Harry, Harry Potter, this is Neville Longbottom,"

"Draco Malfoy." Draco replied, looking from Harry to Neville as if he'd never seen other children before.

"Nice to meet you." Neville added cheerfully. "First day nerves?" He asked Draco, "I've got them to, some people say I talk a lot when I'm nervous, but not today, nope, I live with my Gran, this is my toad Trevor, Harry and I have been friends for years, do you have…"

"Neville, do the world a favour and learn to breathe." Harry said, giving his friend a nudge, then winking at Draco, making the blonde boy chuckle loudly.

"So, what subjects do you think you'll like?" Draco asked, he was clearly trying to make small talk, and Harry got the impression that Draco didn't speak to people all that much, which was going to make a nice balance between Neville talking too much.

"Herbology for me," Neville said proudly, ignoring the way that Harry rolled his eyes and leaned back getting comfortable.

For a good 20 minutes Neville talked to Draco about all the different plants and things that lived in Lily Potter's Garden. He had gone into such depth, that Draco made Harry laugh when he asked, "Do you live there or does Harry?" Which made Neville blush heavily.

Mid-way through the journey, it had become quite clear to Harry and Neville, that they now had a new friend. Draco, once he had relaxed a little bit, had shown himself to be funny, charming and a little strange, in a good way. He told them that he lived with his Aunt Andromeda, Uncle Ted and his cousin Tonks. Draco explained that his parents were killed when he was only a year old, during the war against Voldemort. He wasn't very forthcoming on the details, which was something that Harry could understand. But this small connection of lost parents, brought the trio instantly closer together. It was also at this point in the journey, that the compartment door slid open and a girl with long bushy brown hair. Slightly large front teeth and a bossy looking expression on her face appeared.

"Is anyone in here looking for a toad?" She asked, holding out a familiar looking, wart coloured friend of Neville's. "I found this one bouncing down the corridor."

"Trevor!" Neville gasped, reaching out and taking his toad back from the girl, "How did you get out?"

"You best take better care of him," The girl said bossily, "There are some rather strange and odd people on this train, I saw a set of twins attempting to eat flobberworms a moment ago, in fact, I think this place feels rather safe actually."

"Why don't you join us?" Harry suggested sarcastically, only after the girl had shut the door and sat herself down a few inches away from Draco, who looked a little uncomfortable having a girl near him.

"Thank you, I'm Hermione Granger and," She paused looking at all three of them one after the other, "You all are?"

Once introductions were made, it was made clear from the start that Hermione had all the makings of someone who was incredibly bossy, a complete know it all, spent more time with her head in books than talking to people, and wasn't really use to making friends. It was only after a 20-minute debate with Harry over the use of charms, that she eventually lost her temper enough to leave the boys to change into their school robes. When the train finally arrived, Harry, Neville and Draco all walked together with the other first years, to meet a man named Hagrid. Hagrid was the biggest man that Harry had ever seen, he also seemed to be exceptionally soft for a man of his size. Hagrid had led them all to a collection of boats, which they all climbed in to. Harry, Neville and Draco all made sure to climb into the boat that didn't have Hermione Granger in it, instead they ended up with the red-haired boy, who Harry had seen being teased by his brothers on the train. The boat ride to the school had been a pleasant one, with a wonderous view of the castle in the night sky. Once they arrived, they were led up to the great hall where they met Professor Mcgonagall – a stern witch who explained that they would be sorted into the different houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

"Slytherin is the one Severus is in charge of," Neville whispered to Harry, "Not for us," He chuckled.

"My mum was Slytherin, Aunt Ravenclaw, Uncle Hufflepuff, Tonks was in that one as well," Draco said, following the group into the great hall.

"Let's just agree that no matter what house we're in, we're friends, yeah?" Harry said to them, Neville agreed instantly, but Draco looked shocked to be considered a friend by someone, so it took him a few seconds to nod his head.

The sorting ceremony was a long process, each student had to approach the little stool and have a hate that talked placed on their heads. Harry watched with great nerves when Neville and Draco had both been accepted into Gryffindor house, then when it was his turn, sat down and waited while the sorting had tried to decide if he should be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.

"Wouldn't mind Gryffindor, my friends are there," Harry whispered to the hat, he thought it was a long shot asking, but when the sorting hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" There was a round of applause, and much relief for him, when Harry went to join the table, sitting next to Draco and to his slight disappointment, Hermione Granger.

"SLYTHERIN!" The sorting hat eventually called out, sending Ron Weasley to join his brothers who all cheered for him. "The Weasley family," Draco whispered, "My mother once said that there was ever rarely a collection of pure-bloods who hated muggle-borns more than they did,"

"My mums a muggle born," Harry said, instantly taking a disliking towards the Weasley family, then smiled only a little when Hermione said, "So am I, they best not try anything with me, or else they'll be straight to professor Mcgonagall,"

For the rest of that evening Harry spent his time eating as much food as he could fit into his stomach, all thanks to the great feast that had been prepared for the school. Listened to the conversations around him and even got in on a few, met the house ghosts, managed to get a glimpse of Severus chatting with another teacher. Harry didn't like that he couldn't just walk up to Severus and speak to him now, it almost made him feel like they weren't friends anymore. Still, Harry's first night in Hogwarts had been one to remember. It was only after a long and strangely odd speech from Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of the school, that they were all sent to their common rooms – The Gryffindor common room was located in a tall tower behind a portrait of a fat lady, when soon after that it was time for bed and finally, for Harry, his first year would soon begin.