Harry yawned widely as he walked next to Albus through King's Cross Station.

"Albus, it is six in the morning. Why are we here so early? Also, why are we at King's Cross? I thought you were just going to…" Harry paused as he looked around the distinctly non-magical station and lowered his voice into a whisper. "…going to use a faster travel method."

Albus smiled pleasantly. "We are here to take the European international train on Platform 8 2/3, and we are here early because we need to time to ensure your travel papers are in order. And we are not taking the faster travel method you are alluding to, because I would rather not make use of the less than legal international travel methods unless it is needed. Finally, Harry, as a tip for acting in an unsuspicious manner, it is best not to pause mid-sentence and then look around for possible eavesdroppers. It merely draws attention to you."

Harry winced slightly. "I'll keep that in mind. I just didn't know that there were magi… special trains in addition to the one to school."

Albus chuckled. "Of course, there are more trains. The cost of maintaining and updating the wards on the station would be prohibitive if they were only used a handful of times a year. They are only for international destinations, as the Knight Bus is a far more cost-effective means of transport domestically."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow! What wards? And should we be talking about this with so many people around?"

Albus gestured for Harry to stand near a metal barrier so they could talk without being in the way.

"It's fine to talk openly, just try not to speak too loudly. Before I answer your question, let's see if you can figure it out on your own. When getting onto Platform 9 ¾, how do you avoid detection by the non-magical travelers in the station."

Harry shrugged. "I guess that we're supposed to just be subtle about it. I mean, in my first year I saw that Percy and the twins just walked through casually."

"And did you walk through casually?"

"No… I was told to run through if I was feeling nervous. So, I ran through."

Albus nodded knowingly. "That is a common approach for first time students coming from the non-magical world. And how do students exit from the magical side to the non-magical side?"

"They just… I don't know, they just walk through… casually?"

"Very true Harry, that is how most students do it. Despite their questionable casualness, do you see a problem there?"

Harry had started to suspect the problem when he first thought about running through the barrier, so his answer came immediately. "We're not really being subtle, are we? We're just disappearing and reappearing in plain sight. But, wouldn't people just dismiss that as a trick of the eyes?"

Albus smiled with a pleased chuckle. "That is an excellent question, and I want you to keep that in mind. Yes, most people will ignore it. But…?"

Harry frowned in concentration and spoke slowly as he formulated his answer. "But… 'most' is not 'all', so that means… some people will not ignore it. Since students board the train over a period of hours, a muggle could easily see over a dozen people and carts disappearing. I know that would be enough to pique my interest. Oh! And we do it the same day every year, so they could even bring more witnesses. Living with Dursleys really taught me how much people like to gossip, so that could easily get out of hand. Just someone with a video camera would be enough to reveal the secret of our world to the muggle world!"

Albus patted the shoulder of a visibly upset Harry.

"Calm down, Harry. You have figured out the primary concern, so why should you not be worried?"

Harry took a deep breath and let his body relax. After a minute of silence, a small smile formed on his lips. "We haven't been caught yet after… how long?"

"Over a century"

"Right, so if we were going to be caught here, it would have been long ago. So, those wards work… I guess. What do they do?"

Albus gestured to the small stream of people passing by them and standing nearby. "I already gave you a hint, but here is another one. We have been talking openly about magic for several minutes. Do you see anyone paying attention?"

Harry looked closer at the muggles and noticed one woman get a confused look on her face as Albus mentioned magic. The woman's face cleared, followed by a chuckle and amused shake of her head as she continued walking. He then thought about the question he was supposed to keep in mind, and he looked over at a man standing nearby who was likely waiting for a train. Keeping his focus on the man, Harry spoke loud enough to ensure the man could overhear.

"Hogwarts is a school where people learn how to perform magic."

The man shot a confused look at Harry, but then shrugged as his face cleared and then went back to waiting for his train as if Harry had said nothing. Harry smiled in understanding.

"I said 'some' is not 'all'. The ward turns that 'some' into an 'all', doesn't it?"

Albus smiled with a look of pride on his face. "Wonderfully reasoned, Harry. You are correct. The wards heighten people's disbelief in magic so they will dismiss any talk of real magic or mild demonstrations of magic. Though, the protections would likely be insufficient for any excessive displays like say, as a random example, a pair of children flying a car. For minor instances however, any observers will simply dismiss what they saw as being some odd thing that doesn't deserve any extra attention. Well, unless the observer is magical or has been temporarily keyed into the wards like a non-magical guardian of a Hogwarts student."

Harry nodded and then huffed in irritation. "Just another thing Hagrid forgot to tell me. It would have been nice to know about this when I couldn't figure out how to find Platform 9 3/4."

Albus chuckled lightly. "I'm not sure Hagrid knows about the wards. We certainly don't tell any of the students. It's not exactly a secret, but we tend not to spread it around either."

"Why don't you tell the students?"

"Why don't we tell a large group of children, who are still developing impulse control and who are also eager to start using magic, that they can technically start casting without fear while still on the non-magical side of the station? It's a mystery beyond my reasoning I'm afraid."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I think I liked you better as the unreachable and mysterious Headmaster, instead of as a sarcastic tutor."

Albus smirked. "I suppose I shall have to learn to live with your disappointment in me. Come, let us make our way to our platform."

As they started walking, Harry glanced at Albus with a curious expression. "So, if it's not widely shared information, how do people find out about the wards?"

Albus shrugged. "Outside of being told for their jobs in law enforcement or as administrators at Hogwarts, it is mainly concerned parents who discover the truth. I usually received one or two letters every year where a parent told me how their student spoke about magic while standing near the platform entrance and they noticed a non-magical stranger was standing too close. Those parents were of course scared that their child would have legal problems and they needed advice on how to proceed while protecting their child. I then tell them that the standard Auror response is that the child gets a firm warning, and I inform the parents about the protections at the station."

Albus laughed lightly as he continued. "Though, in Molly's case, it was a panicked Floo Call instead of the standard letter. She can be quite the force of nature when she takes a mind to do so."

Harry looked at Albus in surprise. "Do you mean Mrs. Weasley? Did the twins do something?"

Albus's eyes twinkled in delight. "They do seem like likely suspects, but no. Molly was the one who did something that she thought was wrong. It was years ago, when she was bringing her eldest, Bill, to his first train ride to Hogwarts. She was harried as she was there with all seven of her children, and I guarantee you that handling five children aged six years and younger is a nearly impossible feat. Add a hyper first year student and a nine-year-old younger brother, Charlie, who is throwing a temper tantrum about not wanting to be separated from his older brother… It's fair to say that Molly was not in a great mental state. So, she loudly reminded her children to be calm because the station was, and I quote, 'packed with muggles'. And, just to help calm down Charlie, she tried to make him feel more involved in Bill's trip by asking him which platform they were looking for. Which of course led to Charlie loudly proclaiming the words 'Platform 9 ¾'. That night, after putting her children to bed, she realized what she had done and called me in a panic about how she had broken the Statute of Secrecy. She was in tears about how they couldn't afford a fine, or even worse she terrified of being sentence to prison time."

Albus smiled wistfully, lost in memory. "It took some time, but I was able to calm her down and explain how the wards. Once calmed down, her mood made an immediate about face, which is very common for her. She then started joking about how talking about muggles and asking the most upset child for the platform number was an extremely effective parenting technique. Before ending the call, she was seriously considering reusing that technique until her youngest child finally started Hogwarts. Of course, I honestly don't know if she ended up following through on that idea."

Harry smiled at the bittersweet memory of that first meeting with the Weasley matriarch.

With that, the two walked through a metal barrier and arrived on a sparsely populated platform, where a silver passenger train sat patiently. Albus tapped Harry's head and chest with his wand, as they headed to a booth simply labeled "HELP".

"Hello Jonathan, how are you doing this fine morning?" Albus asked the middle-aged wizard manning the booth.

Jonathan smiled warmly at Albus. "Headmaster! This is a surprise. Did Hogwarts let out early this year?"

"Oh no, the school year is still on schedule as far as I know. I have simply decided to take a sabbatical and am showing my young ward some of the wonders of the world. I have filled in the paperwork. I just need you to finish up the proper signatures to allow him to travel out of the country."

"Sure thing, Headmaster. Just hand them over."

Albus handed the papers over and that man quickly reviewed the bureaucratic red tape, before pausing and flipping back to the first page. He looked up at Harry, and then back at Albus.

"Your ward's legal name is Harry James Potter?"

Albus simply nodded and shrugged in a way that seemed to convey amusement and resignation. Meanwhile, Harry prepared himself for the normal reaction of being examined like some sort of interesting zoo animal. The man's eyes did travel to Harry's scar, but then quickly moved down to Harry's chest, followed by the man chuckling.

"I simply don't understand kids these days. I mean, I have heard of kids wanting to be Harry Potter themselves, but this… well, as long as it's legal and you vouch for him, Albus…"

Jonathan signed and stamped the papers. As he handed them back to Albus, he looked over and spoke to Harry. "Better luck next time, 'Harry'. You may want to try tidying your hair up and replacing those glasses, they're completely wrong."

Before Harry could respond, Albus spoke up as he shuffled Harry off to the train. "Thank you, Jonathan, he will certainly take that to heart. Wish your family good health for me."

"Will do, Headmaster! Have a good trip!"

The pair made their way on to the train and found an empty compartment to sit down in. Once settled, Harry's confusion bubbled over.

"What the hell just happened out there?"

Albus chuckled and conjured a mirror for Harry.

Harry sighed and looked at his reflection. It looked… like him. It was just plain old Harry… except something seemed slightly off. He looked at his hair and glasses, they were in their normal state. He then allowed himself to look at his hated scar and… what?

"Why does my scar look like someone drew over it with thick red lipstick that has been smudged?"

"Look at your chest."

Harry looked down to see a badge stuck to his shirt. Once he read it, he felt his eyes roll of their accord as he looked back up at Albus.

"Annual Harry Potter Look-A-Like Contest, 2012, 3rd place. Really, Albus!?"

"Well, maybe you'll do better next time in the upcoming contest this year if you take care of your lack of Harry Potter's signature hairstyle and glasses."

Harry leaned back into his seat and pinched his nose in irritation.

"So, that man thinks that I'm not the real Harry Potter, I'm just some obsessive Harry Potter fanatic who legally changed my name to be more like my idol?"

Albus shrugged. "Hopefully."

"Why lie to him?"

"Technically, I did not lie. Everything I said was true. Remember that if anyone asks. Now, I lied to Jonathan because I had received a letter from Cornelius where he was panicked about your leaving Hogwarts and begging me to convince you to return to 'where you belong'. I wouldn't put it past him or one of his subordinates to put out orders to not allow people like Jonathan from approving the paperwork to grant you the legal right to international travel. Of course, I wouldn't have been afraid to bypass Jonathan to insure you got your desired freedom, but needlessly breaking or massaging the law is a bit of a hassle."

Harry nodded in understanding. "OK… I can see why you did that. But, couldn't you have gotten my paperwork approved without embarrassing me like that?"

Albus smiled innocently. "Certainly, and with great ease."

Harry watched as Albus pulled out his trunk, expanding it. He waited patiently for the older man to pull out whatever the other option had been. His waiting proved useless when Albus pulled out a newspaper, flipped it upside down, and began to read.

"Well!?"

Albus, lowered the newspaper to meet Harry's eyes. "What?"

"What was the other way you could have gotten my paperwork approved?"

"Since my resignation will be active tomorrow, I am still Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. The Chief Warlock has the authority to authorize international travel, provided that the British representative to the ICW approves and gets the agreement of the Supreme Mugwump."

Harry looked at Albus with growing annoyance. "So, you would have been able to sign the paperwork yourself?"

"Yes. It would have been tremendously unethical of me, and I would have had to sign in three different places, but it was possible."

"Wasn't it unethical to lie to Jonathan?"

"Absolutely! But I spared my wrist from having to sign a form in three different places."

"You… you chose to dress me as a Harry Potter fanatic just to avoid signing a form three times?"

"Of course not, Harry. That would be rather lazy of me."

Harry looked at the twinkling eyes of the man, breathed deeply, and pressed on. "Then, please tell me, why did you decide to take the route that would embarrass me?"

Albus clearly repressed a grin before responding. "The lesser answer is that I wanted to show you that it was possible to use your fame to hide in plain sight."

Harry's eyes widened slightly, as his irritation had blinded him from the truth of that statement. After a few moments, his mind reparsed Albus's answer and his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"And what is the major answer?"

Albus smirked as he shrugged. "I have to find my entertainment somewhere."

With that, Albus raised his newspaper and blocked Harry from his view. Harry stared at where the man's face would be with a sense of fond annoyance.

"You know, when I learn enough, I will start getting you back for all of your pranks."

Albus did not lower his newspaper but did respond with a pleased tone of voice. "I look forward to that day, Harry. As you come up with ideas, feel free to ask for my assistance in focusing your studies into whichever areas you think might help you in achieving your pranking vengeance. Oh, and if you intend to follow through on your plans to contact Remus, he might be willing to assist you."

Harry chuckled as he relaxed into his seat.

After half an hour of Harry conjuring increasingly complex plans for pranks on Albus, the silence was interrupted by a knock on the compartment door. Albus lowered his newspaper to look towards the entrance to the compartment, as it was opened by an elderly tall blonde witch.

"Hello Genevieve, how are you doing today?"

Genevieve smiled in delight.

"Professor Dumbledore! Oh, this is a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you for at least another week. I am doing wonderfully as always. I'm thinking this weekend's free trip to visit Sweden again. Thank you again for getting me this job!"

Albus shook his head in resignation. "My dear, it's been more than a few decades since I put in a good word for you. You really don't need to keep thanking me every time you see me."

Genevieve laughed airily before responding. "And I have ignored you for all these years. When are you going to accept that I am going to keep thanking you?"

Albus chuckled. "I guess we will see if one of us has given up by the next time we meet."

Genevieve beamed. "Yes, we'll see if you finally have seen reason by then. So, where to today?"

Albus handed a pair of tickets to the pleasant woman. "The both of us are on our way to Paris."

"Oh, Paris! I haven't done a Paris trip in over a year. I hope you and…"

Genevieve looked over at Harry, taking in his button and smudged lipstick scar, and held back a laugh (though she did produce a small snort of amusement).

"Sorry about that. I hope you and 'Harry' here have a wonderful trip. We're making a stop in Germany and Spain first, so you are looking at somewhere between half an hour to a full hour. Take care Professor."

"Thank you my dear, you as well."

Genevieve the looked at Harry. "It was nice meeting you 'Harry'. As a piece of advice, work on your posture. Everyone knows the Boy Who Lived has perfect posture. Better luck next time!"

Harry stared at the door as it closed, then looked over at Albus, who quickly raised up his newspaper (though not fast enough to hide the look of pure amusement on his face).

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I sometimes hate you. You know that, right?"

"You have mentioned that, yes. And for what it is worth I am sorry about the badge."

"Thank y…"

"Had I noticed your posture I wouldn't have given you such an unrealistically high placement as 3rd place. Maybe next time we'll use a 5th place badge?"

Harry stared at the man as he lowered his newspaper to catch Harry's eyes. Harry couldn't stop the laugh from escaping his lips.

Harry grinned after his laughter ceased. "I think I deserve at least 4th place."

Albus grinned back. "Hmmm, very ambitious. We'll see how you progress."

After several pleasant minutes, Harry felt the train lurch forward. He felt happy and excited as he looked out the window to see the station start to fall behind the train. After five minutes, Harry found himself wondering how they were supposed to reach Germany, Spain, and France in less than an hour.

With a loud bang, the landscape outside changed suddenly. After another minute, there was another loud bang and the landscape changed again. Bang! Traveling through a forest. Bang! Exiting a tunnel in a mountain. Bang! Traveling by the sea. Bang! Traveling through a city.

Within ten minutes, they were pulling into a train station in Munich, Germany.

As the passengers began to enter and exit the train, Harry looked to Albus.

"If trains can travel this fast, why does the Hogwarts Express take so long?"

Albus lowered his newspaper and began to put it away as he answered. "That is an interesting question, Harry. One that comes up every decade or so. The answer is somewhat related to why we have the wards around King's Cross Station. Dozens of children who have been denied the use of magic all summer and who are reuniting with their friends, enemies, and romantic partners for the first time in months, need time to burn off their energy. Of course, there are practical reasons like briefing the new Prefects and giving them a chance to get a patrol under their belt. Also, it helps the professors to get their last-minute plans finalized. But primarily it is because it gives the children a chance to catch up, reignite their pointless rivalries, revel in some chaperone free opportunities to enjoy their romance of the month, cast reckless magic, and transition to the more controlled environment of Hogwarts."

Harry frowned. "I am sure you could get the same sort of results if students just arrived earlier in the day."

Albus nodded. "That is the counter-argument that is often given. But, then the portraits of Headmasters past start chiming in. According to them, before the Hogwarts Express came into being, the children arrived early, and the first week of education was all but lost every year. I think there is something about the open spaces of Hogwarts that let students take their time in calming down for school. Cramming the students together really does the trick. For those unconvinced, we then mention the cost of updating the Express and they no longer seem to care enough to push the issue."

Harry stared at Albus, not quite believing the answer. But he also found he didn't truly care enough to push the issue. Thinking of Hogwarts however reminded him of the two remaining letters in his pocket. Deciding to get it out of the way, he pulled out the letter from Arthur Weasley.

Five minutes later, he put the letter down. There was nothing truly special to be found within the pages. It contained expressions of profuse gratitude and promises to someday find a way of repaying Harry for saving Ginny's life. While he had never previously received a letter from a parent thanking him for saving their child's life and the risk of his own, he would be willing to wager that this would easily meet the standard for that specific subgenre of letters. It was also clear from what was written that Mr. Weasley did not know about how his children had abandoned Harry, and he seemed to believe that Harry left Hogwarts voluntarily instead of having been expelled. That annoyance aside, it was a nice letter. As little as it had happened in his life, it was nice to be thanked for doing something.

As Harry folded up the letter, he looked out the window to see the last passenger boarding and the doors closing. He contemplated informing Mr. Weasley about the behavior of his children, but as the train pulled forward, Harry decided he just didn't care enough to write a response. Chuckling, he decided that if Albus couldn't be hassled to sign a form in three places, Harry could decide not to be hassled to write a full letter.

With that, the train began its series of bangs and rapid jumps.

Ten minutes later, they were pulling into a train station in Madrid, Spain. It was hard to believe that last night he was watching Star Wars in a bowling alley, and now he was about to visit his first foreign country.

As he waited for the passengers to finish entering and exiting, he looked over at Albus who was gazing out the window himself.

"I forgot to ask last night. Who was your favorite Star Wars character? It was Obi Wan, right? He's the older teacher who teaches his student how to use Space Magic and is OK with telling lies. Well, he technically tells the truth, but is really lying. Or, maybe Yoda!? For… really the same reasons, except he also likes to prank Luke."

Albus smiled. "I do identify with both characters, true. I also identify with Vader, for… well I like the idea that a person can go dark and still be redeemed by their love of family. Alas, none of those three are my favorite."

Harry paused, deep in thought. "Would it be… Han? You do have an apparent disregard for the rule of law."

Albus chuckled lightly as he shook his head in disagreement.

"… Chewbacca? Because you're very hairy and I can rarely understand you clearly?"

Albus laughed outright at that, causing him to take half a minute to catch his breath and shake his head.

"Then, who?"

Albus's eyes twinkled as he smiled broadly. "C-3P0. He's an expert in his field, and yet is forced to take part in activities outside of his preferred duties. He constantly complains and can't help but find the negatives in any situation. Honestly, if you just have him be a little meaner and complaining about anyone named Potter, you have yourself a Golden Droid version of Severus Snape. One of the great joys I will miss is when Severus begins ranting at me, and I imagine him talking with C-3P0's voice."

Harry stared at Albus, as his mind flew back over the years. He began remembering his conversations with the loathsome man, but with him speaking in C-3P0's voice.

"Ah yes, Harry Potter. Our new… celebrity."

"Library books are not to be taken outside of the school."

"One million points from Gryffindor!"

Harry began to laugh, as Albus watched on bemused. Several minutes later, he calmed down and looked back up at Albus.

"Well, now I'm going to try to only remember him talking like that. Although, now I want to figure out a way to actually make him sound like that for a day."

Albus grinned. "If you are serious about that, remind me of it tomorrow and I can begin to put together a study plan that will let you modify how people talk."

Harry smiled in delight. The twins would love hearing about the sort of lessons he was getting!

Harry's smile faltered and then morphed into a frown. He reached into his pocket for the letter that Albus said was from George. He didn't hold out a lot of hope for what it contained, but he supposed it was best to get it out of the way before arriving in Paris. With a sigh, as the train began to pull forward, he opened the letter.

Harry,

Fred and George here. When we found out that you had left Hogwarts and were going off with Dumbledore, we tried to send a letter to you a few times. The owls just didn't want to make the journey. We were so desperate that we even went to go see… a professor!

We know! That doesn't seem like us, voluntarily talking to anyway in authority, but you are worth it mate. Now that McGonagall has given us Dumbledore's post address, we just hope you eventually read this letter.

Mate, we are total and utter prats. You needed us to be there for you, and we abandoned you. Growing up, we would be told stories where the evil Parselmouth would send his snakey minions to do all sorts of evil deeds. And then, when we found out you could speak to snakes, it freaked us out. But we knew you and knew that all those stories were just stories. And then… someone showed us a book that said that Parselmouths can't help but be evil, and… mate we went all Percy on you! We put books in front of friendship. We are so sorry, Harry!

Even if we didn't already feel like we were the worst people in the world after you saved our sister, despite our horrible treatment of you, we would still want to apologize to you. If you were here, we would have done it in person. We can not apologize enough. Sorry!

Of course, thank you for saving Ginny! We can't believe…

As the train banged and jumped along to their destination in Paris, Harry finished reading the letter. The twins began to meander a great deal, profusely apologizing and thanking him at every turn. They did go off on the odd tangent here and there, mainly guessing at what sort of magic Dumbledore was going to teach and offering to prank anyone that Harry requested. Clearly, writing apology letters fell well outside their comfort zone.

As the train started to pull into the Paris station, Harry thought on what he had read.

They had admitted, unprompted, they were in the wrong, though they didn't mention Hermione as being the provider of the book that said Harry was evil. Then again, he wasn't sure if he wanted them to call out Hermione or not. Would he have felt that they were trying to shift blame? Would he have felt that they were showing his friendship was less important than Hermione's friendship? Albus brought up Remus earlier, and Remus was the victim of a friendship falling apart because of fear. Should he forgive the twins because fear had made them stupid? Would he… he didn't even know all the questions he had floating though his mind.

The train came to a stop as Harry's mind raced. He stood mechanically, not even fully noting when Albus tapped Harry's head and chest with his wand.

As they walked off the train and into the station, Albus spoke up.

"Would you like to speak about George's letter, Harry?"

Harry sighed as Albus directed him to a blank section of wall on the platform. "I just… I think I want to forgive the twins… but, I also want them to pay for abandoning me… and… and…"

"And you don't know what to do. I understand. Well, take as much time as you need to figure out if you want to forgive them. There is no rush. You're about to enter your first foreign country, and you should enjoy it."

"I… guess…"

Albus put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "As for punishing them, I was saving this for the right moment, but I can teach you the trick to identifying the twins with perfect accuracy. By face, voice, or writing."

Harry felt the corners of his lips slightly tick upwards. That would… that would drive them crazy. Maybe, just maybe, he might be able to keep a couple of friends from Hogwarts, even if by letter. He'd sleep on it, but his heart felt lighter.

As his shoulders relaxed, he felt Albus's hand squeeze. He concentrated on his cure for apparition discomfort, and after a quick and comfortable trip he looked at his new location. A grimy and pungent darkened alleyway.

Walking out, he found all thoughts fled from his mind.

There, a short walk away, stood the Eifel Tower.

He didn't know much about France, but he knew that one landmark.

He was in France!

He was in a different country!

Holy Crap!