Daphne strode purposefully through the crowd on the platform toward the scarlet steam engine, ignoring the masses of people congregated around the train. She had no desire to associate with any of them.

She waved her grandmother's wand, which Ollivander said she had been chosen by after Adeline's death, and levitated her trunk into the train. She was glad to be able to use the wand, and supposed it had chosen her because her personality was similar to her grandmother's.

She made her way to the back of the train and chose an empty compartment- she did not want to give the impression that she was willing to befriend someone by sitting with them. With a wave of her wand, she closed and locked the compartment door. It was not a perfect locking charm, she knew, but it would keep any of the other first years from entering, and she doubted any of the upper years would want to associate with a firstie.

She gazed out the compartment window and saw the boy who had annoyed her at Madam Malkin's. She, of course, knew who he was, but was not about to fawn over the Boy-Who-Lived. He was, without a doubt, interesting, but his title meant little to her. She watched as he levitated his trunk in front of him. Without a wand. She felt her interest in Harry Potter grow.

Harry Potter hustled to board the Express. He knew he was in no danger of being late, but did not want to take any unnecessary risks. He carefully avoided the more boisterous compartments, and looked for one in which he could read his Charms text again.

As he approached the rear of the train, he saw a compartment with an open door. Inside was a bushy haired girl hunched over a Transfiguration book. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Not at all," she responded without looking up from the book.

Harry levitated his trunk higher and stowed it for the journey. The girl finally removed her nose from the book as she noticed the display of magic. "You've been practicing magic as well? I've yet to try levitating anything so large, but all the magic I've tried has worked. I'm Hermione, by the way. Hermione Granger." Her speech was quite rapid, and Harry wondered if she always talked so quickly when she was excited.

"I'm Harry Potter."

Hermione gasped, "I've read about you."

Harry chuckled at her reaction. In his short amount of time in the wizarding world, he had begun to expect to be recognized. Fame could be useful, he supposed, but he disliked the fuss with which it came.

He spent the next hour getting to know Hermione and was surprised to find that he liked the girl. He could not tell how powerful she was magically, but she was brilliant. He suspected she would compete with him to be top of their year.

"Which House do you think you'll be in?" he asked her.

"Probably Ravenclaw," she answered, "but Gryffindor wouldn't be so bad. What about you?"

"Either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. I'm not foolhardy enough to be a Gryffindor."

"I should hope not, Potter," drawled a boy with sleek blond hair as he opened the compartment door. "I imagine father would send me to Durmstrang if I were sorted into Gryffindor."

"Is that right?"

"Yes," he confirmed as he examined the rest of the compartment and noticed Hermione, "Though I doubt you'll make it into Slytherin with the company you keep."

"And why is that, Mister…?" he asked, as his eyes turned cold.

He puffed out his chest and responded, "Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. You'll soon find out that blood is important, Potter. You wouldn't want to be seen associating with someone… below your station."

Hermione had told him that both her parents were Muggles. Harry cared far more about intellect than blood. His Mum was a Muggle-born, after all. "You're a Pure-blood, then?"

"Of course," he answered, offended at the idea anyone would think any differently.

"I suppose blood is important, isn't it?" he asked.

Draco grinned wickedly and extended his hand. "Indeed."

"Let's see some magic," Harry demanded.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Take out your wand and show us what a Pure-blood can do, Malfoy."

"My father wouldn't let me practice in the Manor," he growled, lowering his hand.

Smirking, Harry said, "I guess blood isn't all it's made out to be. Is it, Malfoy?"

Draco's face turned red as he turned and stormed out of the compartment. Harry and Hermione read their books in companionable silence until another visitor intruded upon them. A gangly red-head walked through the door and took a seat next to Hermione. "My brothers kicked me out of their compartment. Do you mind if I sit here?"

Hermione looked at Harry and grinned. "Show us some magic."

The boy squinted as he tried to recall something. After a few seconds, his face lit up. "Well, my brothers taught me a spell to turn my rat yellow." He pulled an old rat out of one pocket and a wand out of another. His face scrunched up in concentration as he began waving the wand foolishly. "Sunshine, daisies," he began.

"Put that thing away," Harry interrupted him. "You'll poke someone in the eye."

Ron frowned as his face flushed in anger and embarrassment. He, too, vacated the compartment. Hermione smiled, "Let's try not to maketoomany friends today, Harry."

Harry returned her smile and nodded his head. "Well, I suppose we should get our robes on, eh Hermione? Which one of us has to leave the compartment?"

"You," Hermione said simply. She laughed quietly as he left the compartment, grateful to have found a friend.

Daphne had enjoyed a relatively quiet train ride. Aside from Draco Malfoy pounding on the door for the better part of ten minutes, she had not been disturbed.

She looked up from her book and noticed that Harry Potter was standing outside the door. She smirked at him, knowing he would be unable to get past her locking charm.

Harry finally saw the girl from Madam Malkin's. He had been unable to find her after following her through the barrier onto the platform. She obviously wanted some privacy, as she had locked the door. Harry respected that, and was about to turn and leave until he saw her smirk at him. She did not think he was capable of beating her locking charm. "We can't have that," Harry said under his breath.

Harry grinned and waved his hand, unlocking the door, before walking back to his compartment.

Daphne was frustrated. Harry Potter had beaten her. He had undone her locking charm, and he had done it wandlessly. He had smiled that damnable smile of his and left immediately after his victory. He did not even stay to bother her. What was he playing at? She scowled as she cast the charm again.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Harry was glad to have made his first friend and hoped he and Hermione would be in the same house.

After the train came to rest, he disembarked and followed the voice of Hagrid. The large man was nice enough, but Harry doubted they would ever be friends. He and Hermione found a boat with two empty spaces and settled themselves for the trip across the Great Lake.

Harry gaped as the castle came into view. It was truly an astounding sight, with thousands of brightly illuminated windows and turrets towering over the Scottish countryside. Harry's eyes did not waver from the castle until his boat bumped gently against the shore.

He and the other first years were led inside the magnificent castle and greeted by the stern looking Professor McGonagall. She explained the House system and led them into the Great Hall for the Sorting.

A patched, old hat began to sing, and Harry's jaw dropped. Hermione giggled softly as she gently pushed his chip up and closed his mouth.

When the hat finished its song, McGonagall began calling up students to be Sorted. The hat, apparently, was responsible for placing the students in their Houses. Harry found his attention drifting as the Sorting progressed. He looked up and saw the night sky on the ceiling.

He pulled his eyes away from the impressive piece of spell work when he heard Hermione's name called. The hat had no more than touched her head when it called out, "RAVENCLAW!"

"Greengrass, Daphne!" Harry finally knew the name of the girl from Madam Malkin's, and he was determined to learn more about her.

His musings were interrupted when he heard the hat yell, "SLYTHERIN!"

He saw Malfoy get his wish when he was sorted into Slytherin, and before long it was his turn to be Sorted.

"Potter, Harry!"

The hall erupted in whispers after Harry's name was called, but he was not surprised. He walked confidently to the stool and sat down gracefully as McGonagall placed the hat upon his head.

He was surprised to hear a voice in his ear. "Harry Potter." He thought he could detect a smile in the hat's voice. "You are a difficult one, aren't you?"

"What gives you that idea?" Harry asked, amused.

"You've a sharp mind, Mr. Potter; one of the three sharpest in this class, in fact. There's no shortage of courage in here, though you don't seem as reckless as most of the Lions. You've never experienced love, but will be terribly loyal to those you consider friends. But there's something more here. You have a lot of talent and desire. You want to prove yourself worthy of love. You wish to be great, perhaps the greatest. You have the ability to achieve that regardless of your House. But where shall I place you?"

"Place me where I'll do the best."

"You are truly unique, Mr. Potter. You have the cunning and ambition to strive in the House of the Snakes, but you thirst for knowledge and power. I suppose it had better be – RAVENCLAW!"