Platform nine and three quarters is a unique place. Hid behind numerous charms to deter muggle attention is the gateway to one of the most iconic places in the wizarding world. As I passed through the solid barrier I was assaulted by smells and sounds. Hoards of students and parents shuffled about, their voices carrying through the platform. Cats weaved to and fro underfoot while owls hooted at each other.

The train itself looked amazing, a gleaming crimson titan. This was my first time seeing a train and I was excited for the new experience. Smoke billowed from the train at regular intervals, and it brought up quite a few questions. Is the train still steam powered, or had it been changed to run off magic? Was it visible to muggles, and if so, what did they think of it? I know Hogwarts and Hogsmeade were unplottable and thus concealed from muggles, so where did they think the train led to? I had no answers for this yet, but I'm sure I could find out at Hogwarts.

I'm an hour early, the train won't depart until eleven am. I entered the train and looked for a compartment. As it was still early the train was mostly empty, with only a few compartments inhabited, so I was able to pick a compartment near the back. I sat near the window and pulled out the one new book on the curriculum this year, The standard book of spells, Year 4. I shrunk and applied a lightweight charm to my trunk earlier in the day, and after retrieving the book I shrunk it again and put it back in my pocket.

As I read, time passed and more and more students came on the train. Eventually a shrill whistle emanated from the train, and shortly after it began to move forward. I saw hordes of parents waving their children away and wished that Griselda was here to see me off. I pushed that thought away and concentrated back on my book. Before I could delve too deep into it there was a knock at the door. It opened to reveal two girls. Both girls were around my age, the first a redhead with brown eyes and the second a blonde with silver eyes not unlike my own.

"Excuse me," said the redhead, "do you mind if we sit here with you? Every other compartment we passed was full."

"Not at all," I replied.

"Thank you." Both girls entered carrying two trunks. Both were able to lift their trunks to place them overhead, so they must have been enchanted with a lightweight charm as well. Those things were heavy.

"I haven't seen you before," said the redhead. "Are you a new student?"

"Yes. I'm transferring into Hogwarts this year."

"Where were you learning at before?"

"I was homeschooled. But I heard that Hogwarts is the best school around, so I came here to enroll. While I was at The Leaky Cauldron, I received a letter from Professor McGonagall. She came and talked to me and evaluated me on the curriculum. I was able to finish the first three years and so I was enrolled in fourth year."

"So, you're a year above us. I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley. This is Luna Lovegood." She extended her hand, and I shook it. I turned to the blonde, Luna, to do the same but she just stared at me.

"You have beautiful eyes," she said. "I've never met anyone else with silver eyes. And your hair too."

"I know right," Ginny said. "It looks better kept than mine! That's not fair, you're a guy. What's your secret?"

"Umm… I just shower often." By her disbelieving stare I could tell she didn't believe me. We started talking and the subject of Houses came up. Each House has their reputation, and each of the girls believes that their house is the best for different reasons. Gryffindor carried a reputation for being brave and was the best house according to her. Luna said Gryffindors could be noisy and overbearing which earned her a stink eye from Ginny. Ravenclaws were intelligent, and while Ginny called them bookworms Luna said they were simply people who loved to learn. Slytherins were ambitious, and by the way Ginny talked about that house it seemed to be the worst of the lot. Even Luna had nothing nice to say about them And the Hufflepuffs were friendly. That nothing else could be said about them said enough in my opinion.

After we talked for a while there was another knock on the door, and it opened to reveal a cart filled with food pushed by a middle-aged witch.

"Anything off the trolley dears," she asked. Luna stood up to buy some food and I followed, curious about the sort of food wizards had. I noticed Ginny stayed seated and figured she must not be hungry or had her own food. I bought two of each, feeling a little disappointed they only carried sweets. Thanks to being raised by the church I never developed much of a sweet tooth. Now that I think about it, it's ironic that I could now be considered a warlock. 'Thou shall not suffer a witch' and all that.

I brought the armful of snacks back and sat closer to both girls. As I started opening the first package, a snack of pumpkin pasty's, I noticed Ginny take out some sandwiches from her trunk. We were quiet for a few minutes, less of an awkward silence and more of us just enjoying our food, when I noticed Ginny glancing at the treats we bought.

"You can have some,' I told her. "I bought two of everything because I was curious about the snacks, but I won't be able to eat all of this myself."

"No, it's okay I don't want any. I brought my own food."

"There's no need to be shy," Luna said. "If he offered it then he's ok with you taking some."

She still looked unsure, but I had an idea. "How about we trade? One of your sandwiches for some snacks."

"You wouldn't want these," she told me. "My mom made them. Its corned beef."

"I love corned beef. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of sweets anyways." She hesitated for a moment but smiled and nodded. She handed me a sandwich and grabbed a few sweets. I ate the sandwich, glad that I got some proper food. It wasn't particularly good, but it was less about flavor and more about nutrition. Carbs and protein would help me more than sugar would.

After eating we continued to talk, the girls telling me about their classes. I asked about the electives, and from what they told me Care of Magical creatures and Study of Ancient Runes appealed most to me. The first would teach me about the strengths and weaknesses of various creatures I would encounter, which might one day save my life. And Ancient Runes carried potential. Plenty of civilizations had their work encrypted, and this class would eventually help me decrypt them. And the ability to encrypt my own notes carried potential as well.

The rest of the train ride was uneventful. Eventually people started walking down the train -prefects ginny called them- and told us to change as we were almost at Hogwarts. I waited outside as the two girls changed, and then we switched, and they did the same for me. Once the train stopped and we disembarked Ginny and Luna escorted me to the first years, not that it would have been hard to miss. The giant practically screaming for first years was hard to miss, and when I asked about him the two girls informed me he was believed to be half giant. That I could believe; he looked as big as Vasco Strada was rumored to be. I ignored the looks of the younger children as we all got on the boats. I could see Hogwarts in the distance, a majestic behemoth that seemed to belong in the environment as much as the surrounding hills themselves.

The boats carried us across a lake larger than any I had ever seen before. I activated touki and could see hundreds of energy signatures swim through the water, and a truly massive one right underneath the boats carrying us all. It seemed to resemble an octopus, although one larger than any I had ever heard of. It seemed curious and I doubted a creature this large could escape detection for long, so I classified it as nonhostile. I doubted the teachers at this school would leave a hostile creature so close to their charges. Still, the sooner I got off the boat the happier I would be. Swimming had never been my strong suit and the large octopus made me nervous.

We soared through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We were carried along a dark tunnel that seemed to flow under the castle itself until we reached a harbor where we all climbed out of the boats. We followed Hagrid to a set of Large Oak doors that undoubtedly lead into the castle. Hagrid pounded on the doors three times and a moment later Professor McGonagall walked out. She thanked Hagrid for escorting us and bade us in.

She guided us across a hall with a flagged stone floor. I could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right, but Professor McGonagall showed us into a small empty chamber off the hall. The younger kids crowded in as Professor McGonagall gave a detailed summary of the four Hogwarts houses, and I couldn't hear any bias despite knowing she was the Gryffindor Head of House.

"The sorting will take place in a few minutes in front of the entire school," she said. "I suggest you all smarten yourselves up while you wait." Her eyes swept across the gathered students and lingered on me for a moment. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Wait quietly."

As soon as she left the chamber the younger kids began to chatter about what the sorting would entail. I heard one mention having to fight a troll and immediately wondered how the trolls from here differed from the ones back home. After a few minutes Professor McGonagall returned and ushered us all into the great hall.

As we entered the Great Hall my breath hitched for a moment. The Hall was lit by thousands of candles that floated in mid-air over four long tables where the rest of the students sat. The tables were laden with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led us up there so that we came to a halt in a line facing the other students with the teachers behind us. The hundreds of faces staring at us gleamed like pale lanterns in the glimmering candlelight. I caught more than a few stares at being noticeably older than every other student sorted and tried my best to ignore it. I wasn't used to this many people, even less so at being stared at by all of them.

I turned my attention to Professor McGonagall who placed a pointed hat on a four-legged stool. The hat looked ancient, frayed and filthy. It looked Griselda would force me to scour the floors clean with a brush if I ever brought back. A rip on the brim opened like a mouth and the hat began to sing. Its song was yet another summary of the houses. As much as I liked Professor McGonagall's style, the hat was quite the salesman. As the song ended the hall burst into applause and the hat became still again.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a roll of parchment. "When I call your name," she said, "you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

She began to list the names alphabetically. It was a straightforward process. A student would walk up, put the hat on, and after a few moments it shouted which house they belonged to. Then the lucky kid would walk off to join their house. Since my name began with Q I would be one of the last students sorted so I tried to appear calm even if I was a bundle of nerves inside. I could face down a troll, but being in front of other people made me nervous? It was ridiculous, but after spending so long with the same group of people I was nervous about being someplace new. I would have to carve my own place here, and there's no Ian or Griselda to hover over me this time. I'm on my own.

Eventually my name was called, and I did my best to ignore the whispers that began as I walked up to the hat. I sat down and within seconds my vision was obscured as the ancient hat settled atop my head.

"Hmm," a small voice said inside my head. I felt a chill as fingers seemed to dance across my spine and memories came to mind unbidden. "Difficult. You wield power, far more than most children your age. And there's rage, oh yes, much rage indeed even if you hide it. You possess the courage to help others like you did with the girl, and to survive despite the odds, but it is not what drives you. You chase knowledge, but it is merely a means to an end. No, what you crave is power. Power to never be weak again. Power to avenge the wrongs that have been inflicted upon you. That only leaves one choice really, better be" "SLYTHERIN!"

I walked over to the Slytherin table, where a boy with a Prefect badge gestured me over. He pointed me in the direction of what I assumed was the other fourth years. It seemed the house sat by year, with the first years on one end and the seventh years on the other. I sat down near the middle, next to a pretty blonde girl and in front of a dark-skinned boy. I ignored the stares I received, even if most of the house was subtle in their curiosity. As the last of the students was sorted Professor McGonagall took the stool and hat away, and a truly ancient man stood up. This had to be the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

"Welcome" he said, "to a new year at Hogwarts! I am glad to see so many returning faces this year, along with the new ones as well. Prefects, ensure your new charges make their way to their dormitories. In the morning feast you will all receive your schedules for the year. I know many of you are worried about recent events. The attack at the world cup last month came as a shock to many, but I assure you all that you are safe here at Hogwarts. Cast away your troubles and concentrate on being the brightest students you can be. Now, a few announcements. First, I would like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and a dear friend of mine, Professor Alastor Moody. Second, I must remind members of all years that the Forbidden Forest is so named for a reason. And lastly, this year, after centuries, a great sporting event will be making its return. This means, unfortunately, that there will be no quidditch."

A murmur rose at the announcement, and it almost blossomed into full mutiny. The headmaster had to let off a few blasts from his wand to corral the student body.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers time and energy-but I am sure you will enjoy it immensely," Dumbledore continued as if nothing had happened. "I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-" But at that moment the doors of the great hall banged open.

Every head in the great hall turned to the new arrival; illuminated by a flash of lightning from the enchanted ceiling was the most weathered man I had ever seen. He limped towards Dumbledore, a dull clank echoing every other step. A second flash of lightning illuminated his face, and the man looked like a werewolf had carved his face out. Every inch of the mans face was scarred, his mouth looked like a diagonal gash and a chunk of his nose was missing. But it was his eye that truly drew attention; while one eye was normal, the other was large, round as a coin and an electric blue. The blue eye moved ceaselessly in every direction independently of the normal eye, and I could swear at one point it seemed to roll into the back of his head.

'That's Mad Eye Moody," I heard the blonde next to me say. "It seems this year we'll finally have a competent Defense teacher."

Moody walked to the High table and conversed with Dumbledore for a moment before sitting down and tearing into a chicken leg, blue eye spinning the entire time. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"The Triwizard tournament will be held at Hogwarts come October," he said. "A chance, for those who enter, to earn eternal glory as school champion. We will be hosting two other wizarding schools for the event. Now, I shan't keep you from your food any longer. Dig in!"

At the end of his words food magically appeared on the four tables and the hall was awash with conversation. I piled food on my plate, glad the food options were balanced.

"So new guy," said the boy in front of me, "what's your story?"

"It's not that interesting," I replied. "I was homeschooled in magic until a few months ago. My mentors decided it was time I received a proper education so I came to London because I heard Hogwarts was the best school around." That was technically a lie, but no one needed to know my real circumstance. I noticed about half of my fellow fourth years, and even some of the older students, were listening in to our conversation. "While I was at the Leaky Cauldron I received a letter of admissions from Hogwarts, and Professor McGonagall came to meet me. She gave me three months to learn three years of the course curriculum and tested me at the end. Once I passed her test she enrolled me as a fourth year student."

The blonde next to me spoke up next. "You're saying that you learned three years of the curriculum in three months?"

"That's correct."

"Well, I didn't realize we were receiving a genius this year," she said sarcastically. "Next you'll tell us you can perform wandless magic."

"I can." At her disbelieving stare I conjured a sphere of ice and made it float around her head. "I received my first wand three months ago," I told her and dispelled the ice, "and let me say, it was a blessing. It became much easier to use magic with a wand."

Something shifted in the blondes eye as I told her that and she became much more interested in our conversation. She introduced herself and our fellow fourth years as well as the other important people in our house, and I strived to remember each name and face. She explained the unwritten rules of Slytherin house, mainly to always maintain House unity. All issues were to be resolved in the privacy of the dormitory, away from view of the other Houses. She explained that Slytherin maintained a Hierarchy separated by year. Everyone would have to carve out their own place in Slytherin House.

So went the rest of the feast, with a few others joining in to explain things. I was asked several personal questions, mainly about my education. Eventually questions about my family came up, but when I mentioned my parents died when I was young the questions ended. I was glad for that, since that was still a painful topic.

So far Slytherin seemed to be welcoming. After the feast Daphne and her friend Tracy escorted me to the Dungeons where our common room was. It was password protected, with the password changing every two weeks. Professor Snape, our Head of House, gave a speech welcoming us. It wasn't particularly welcoming and our Head of House seemed like a strict taskmaster, but that was nothing new for me.

After the speech the house dispersed, and everyone went their separate ways. Blaise showed me where our Dormitories were and, having nothing else to do, I picked the first room available. The rest of my year was still catching up so I was able to pick the closest room to the entrance. Daphne informed me that house elves, and I wondered how similar those were to the elves I read about back at home, would deliver our luggage later on. I meditated until I fell asleep, eager for tomorrow to start.

AN:

I really have no excuse. It's been two years. I stopped writing, but recently became inspired to continue. I hope you all can forgive me. I reread my story and identified some things I need to fix. Line breaks is one. They don't transfer over from my word document, so I need to remember to add them in when I upload each chapter. My first and third person POV is another. Liam will be in first person, everyone else in third person.

Slytherin is very welcoming. Of course, it won't stay that way for long.

It's a short chapter, but I need to gather my wits over where I'm taking this story.

That is all. Hopefully people will start reading this story again. Please leave a review, even if it's scathing because I abandoned this for so long.