Chapter 4

September 1st

Harry was awoken by a gentle shaking. His aunt having woken him, held a finger to his lips and quietly whispered to him.

"Quickly change, the taxi should be here in a little bit." She kissed him softly atop his head and left him to change, shuffling quietly into the kitchen.

Harry grabbed the neatly folded trousers and button-up shirt that his aunt had left for him and quickly dressed himself, running a hurried hand down the front of the shirt to confirm that he hadn't missed a button before pulling on his trousers. He grabbed his glasses from their spot beside the polish on the small shelf behind him and then carefully closed the door as he stood. He spent a moment listening carefully for the sound of heavy footfalls from upstairs but after half a minute of naught but snores, he was satisfied that his uncle remained unaware of his upcoming departure.

He turned as he felt his aunt returning from the kitchen, she was carrying a parcel wrapped in brown paper which she had him store in his trunk, wincing when the lid closed again with a dull thud. She was completely silent as she helped him put on his jacket and handed him his cane before she opened the door and lifted his trunk outside.

Outside the sun had barely risen and had yet to burn off the early morning mist leaving everything wreathed in a grey fog. A few doors down, a taxi sat, its engine rumbling softly as Petunia led Harry towards it. She gave Harry a £50 note and had him tuck it into his jacket, then she handed him an envelope with his name printed in braille across the front which he tucked into his pocket. The taxi driver, a pleasant man who introduced himself as Joe, helped them load the trunk into the boot as Petunia explained that it was Harry's first year at boarding school, and he was to catch the train from Kings Cross Station.

Petunia kissed Harry again and gave him a brief hug before he climbed into the taxi, she waved and wished him good luck as the taxi pulled away, and soon she left Harry's awareness completely. Leaving Harry alone with Joe, who seemed to take pity on him and began to ask him about himself. Soon Joe had to stop the conversation as they hit the motorway, leaving Harry to his own devices in the back.

Harry decided to read the envelope Petunia had given him, he opened it and was surprised to find that it was from Professor Flitwick and not his aunt.

Dear Harry,

I realised that I did not give you all the information for boarding the Hogwarts Express, but having thought about it, I have decided to make this a little test for you.

Now, inside this envelope there is a small, folded piece of paper, at 10am on September 1st this piece of paper will reveal the secret to reaching Platform Nine & Three Quarters in Kings Cross Station.

However, I would like you to try to find the secret for yourself, using whatever tools and tricks you have at your disposal. You can of course at any time decide to simply read the note and find the answer that way, but I have a feeling that you are a curious soul and will enjoy the challenge.

I enjoyed our time together in Diagon Alley and if you require an escort again next your, I would be happy to volunteer.

Good Luck Harry!

Yours sincerely,

Filius Flitwick

Master of Charms

P.S Castamir says hello and wishes you good luck in your first year!

Harry read through the letter twice before he folded it carefully and returned it to the envelope. He fought with a brief urge to check the other note in the envelope before he slipped the envelope into his jacket pocket and settled in for the rest of the journey, mind already abuzz with ideas for how to find the secret to Platform 9 3/4.

They reached Kings Cross in good time and Joe helped Harry with his trunk and wished him good luck after Harry assured him that there would be someone waiting to help him on the platform. Gripping his cane and the handle of his trunk tightly, Harry made his way up the stairs and into the station, it was bustling but Harry was able to make his way to platform nine with relative ease.

Harry found a bench and sat down to observe platforms 9 and 10. He relaxed his body as he focussed on the platforms, searching for the tell-tale flash of colour that seemed to accompany most magic he had seen so far. The clock above him struck ten as he moved his focus from platform 10 to platform 9 and he felt the temptation to check the note in his pocket when he saw it. Just very briefly. Two people had just disappeared from platform 9. They had been walking towards the wall between the platforms and suddenly they had vanished.

He redoubled his efforts with that clue to follow and after several minutes of watching, he found something. A very thin line, so thin and faint it was barely visible. Just a vague seam of light that ran down the brick wall, and as he watched he noticed more people approaching, as they neared the line seemed to thicken, growing brighter and bolder. They were mere feet from crashing into the wall when suddenly the line blazed into light, and split, forming an archway in the wall which swallowed the three who had stepped through it.

Harry did not know how he had missed it before, although perhaps that was a part of the enchantment he realised, to disguise or hide the passageway. He watched as a train disgorged its passengers on platform 9 and as they passed by the wall, there was no reaction from the magic. The wall stayed mundane, ordinary. Until again, he watched as this time a pair, a father and son it looked like, approached with a trolley loaded with a trunk, and again, mere moments before a painful collision, the line awoke and formed the bright archway again as they passed through, seemingly unscathed.

Deciding that he had waited long enough, Harry stood and made his way towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. He was barely five feet from the wall and preparing to turn away when it happened. The white line twitched. And as he took another step closer, it brightened. His cane was touching the wall when the archway finally formed, and he was able to step through.

He had to pause for a moment as he stepped onto Platform 9 ¾, as his awareness caught up with his sudden movement. He was in an entirely new area, large and spacious, with a few people scattered across the platform, the sudden change was disorienting. It was a little like when the Professor had apparated him, but even more sudden and without the soothing darkness to transition between the two states. He took several deep breaths, tightening his grip on his cane and focussing on just his breathing as Filius had showed him in Diagon Alley.

It took a minute, but eventually he was able to process his surroundings normally again and as he made his way towards the edge of the platform, he was amazed. Ahead was a great steam locomotive trailed by several large train carriages. The train was glowing with magic. Scarlet symbols and lines shifting across its surface. A ripple of colour that hovered just above the train's exterior, with some of the lines dipping beneath the wooden panels before resurfacing further along the train. It was a marvel to watch, and he had to tear his focus from the magic when his cane tapped against the edge of the platform.

Harry was grateful once again for the enchantments on his trunk as he lifted it with little effort onto the train and as he found an empty compartment, he vowed to visit Castamir again to thank him in person. He retrieved his wand and holster along with the Standard Book of Spells Grade One from his trunk before he stored it in the overhead bracket and sat down. He removed his jacket to sling on the harness that wrapped around the tops of his arms and back before tucking his wand into the holster beneath his left arm and opening his book. He leant his cane against the window as he ran his fingers across the page of the book, already hungrily devouring the introduction before he moved on to the first chapter.

He had been reading for some time before he was disturbed by a knock on the door of the compartment. Startled, he returned his focus to his sight and was surprised by two young girls stood outside the door, he turned to face them as the taller of the two slid the door open and stepped partway inside.

"Hi, I'm sorry but do you mind if we sit here? A lot of the other compartments are full already." The girl asked nervously, her voice was pleasant and soft. Harry felt for the two girls who seemed a little lost.

"Yes of course, please come in." Harry gestured to the empty bench across from him and smiled in what he hoped was a welcoming way.

The two girls entered quickly and closed the door, Harry helped them with lifting their trunks into the storage rack before they sat down. A moment later, there was a shrill whistle from the front of the train. The whistle sounded again before, with a lurch, the train began to move. Harry could hear tearful goodbyes being shouted to the train, and a few being called back to the platform, as the train began to pick up speed.

Harry watched the magic brighten and weave around the carriage exterior as the train pulled away, wondering at its purpose. He was so engrossed in this that he almost missed the question from the girl opposite him and had to sheepishly ask her to repeat the question.

"Oh, its okay. I was just introducing myself. I'm Susan Bones, and this is Hannah, we're first years, you're one too, right?" The taller girl seemed a little more confident now and as Harry watched, her sunflower yellow magic seemed to grow a little brighter, its flow was like a current in a river, moving throughout her. The girl beside her, Hannah, had magic that was a darker mahogany red and was far more placid and still than Susan's excitedly shifting tides.

"Hello Susan, Hannah." Harry nodded to the so far silent girl. "I'm Harry, yes, I'm a first year too. I'm very excited to be learning magic!" This seemed to be the right thing to say as suddenly he was inundated by questions, he told the girls about how he hadn't known about magic until Professor Flitwick came, and that apparently his parents were magic, but they died when he was a baby. Harry also learned that Susan lived with her aunt, who was friends with Hannah's parents, so the girls had been close their whole lives, and both had known about magic since they were children. Harry also learned that Susan's parents had died when she was a baby as well.

"Is it rude to ask about-?" Hannah gestured to Harry's tinted glasses and cane before she yelped as Susan elbowed her. Harry chuckled at the sound before waving his hand to Susan to stop her.

"It's okay, I'm not completely blind, I can see shapes and things but its mostly darkness." Harry felt bad for lying to the girls, but Filius had warned him against spreading knowledge of his sight and he had only just met the girls, nice as they were. "Professor Flitwick said it happened when my parents were killed, something about a curse rebounding." Harry shrugged as both girls gasped.

"Wai – Wait, you're Harry Potter?" Hannah asked, shocked and for a moment Harry considered denying it before he sighed and nodded.

He was prepared to answer the inevitable questions, to which he had no answers, but was surprised when the girls just nodded. Seeing his confused expression, Susan spoke up.

"My aunt told us that you had been spotted in Gringotts and that the old rumours were true, that you had been injured that night. She told us both that we should just treat you like anyone else; I understand what it's like to lose your parents." Susan sniffed before continuing. "And we won't ask anything about that night."

Harry sighed in relief; he had been dreading that very thing. Wanting to move the conversation to safer topics, Harry decided to steer the talk back to Hogwarts.

"So, you two must already know some magic from your parents? Or your aunt?" Harry was nervous about the answer to this but decided it would be best to learn now how far behind he would be.

"Oh no, none at all really. I mean, we've seen loads of magic, but my aunt wouldn't even let me hold her wand, let alone cast anything with it." Susan explained while Hannah nodded along. "I wasn't even allowed to practice with my wand after I got it, aunty threatened to turn me into a goldfish if she even saw a spark!" Hannah giggled at that and even Harry struggled not to laugh as Susan slumped and pouted.

"My mum was the same, but my dad told me that once we're on the Express we can cast magic without the Trace going off!" Hannah whispered conspiratorially. It took only moments for the three young witches and wizard to draw the blinds on the door and begin discussing what magic they should try first.

Harry and Susan, being a little more cautious, wanted to start with the simple wand-lighting charm, but Hannah was arguing for the bluebell fire charm and only after they pointed out that they had no way to put such a fire out, did Hannah give in, albeit reluctantly.

With the spell decided on, Harry reopened his book and found the page on the wand-lighting charm at the beginning. Once he had found the correct page, he began to read aloud the description.

"The wand-lighting charm is a staple in any witch or wizard's arsenal. When in doubt, a little light is rarely a bad thing to have at hand. The wand movement is a short jab forward and the incantation is 'Lumos' pronounced 'Loo-moss'. The caster must picture the light they wish to cast in their mind clearly as they pronounce the spell carefully. The brightness of the charm is also dependent on the wizard's trinity, the caster's will, imagination, and knowledge, in this case the caster's will and imagination are most necessary. If the light produced is weak or unsteady, then greater focus is likely required. The counter charm is 'Nox' and the caster must imagine the light extinguishing for the charm to stop."

Susan was the first to try the charm, volunteering when none spoke up. She drew her wand from her long sleeve and stabbed it forward as she shouted.

"Lumos!" There had been no immediate reaction. At least none visible to the girls, but Harry had been watching carefully and he had noticed a faint mote of her yellow magic gathering at the tip of her wand before seeming to fizzle and fade.

If Susan was deterred, she didn't show it as she tried twice more, each time the yellow magic gathering a little longer and it was only after Susan's third attempt that Harry realised what was wrong. The magic wasn't forming a proper shape or form. Every spell he had seen cast, the magic formed symbols or lines, something to give it purpose or direction he presumed, but Susan's magic was just collecting at the end of her wand with no purpose to it.

"Why don't you try picturing the light you want to make?" Harry suggested, and having no better ideas, Susan closed her eyes and sat quietly for a moment. Her brow furrowed and her nose scrunched as she concentrated hard before she jabbed her wand forward and softly called out.

"Lumos!" This time there was no delay, the yellow magic collected in her wand and coalesced at the tip before it formed a small but bright orb. Harry was not surprised by Hannah's gasp this time, but he did join in with her clapping and cheers.

After Susan succeeds with casting the spell and then dismissing the light a further three times, it is Hannah's turn. It took Hannah eight attempts before Harry could see her dark red magic forming an unsteady orb as she succeeded in casting the spell, much to her and Susan's delight.

The girls soon turned to Harry for his attempt. He did not want to admit it, but he was nervous, he hasn't seen normal light since he was a baby, and he certainly didn't remember it. Not knowing how else to proceed, he decided to focus on what he did know. He knew how the spell should look when it was forming. He focussed on his wand, seeing the gold and red mixing with his dark green magic. He pictured the magic flowing into his wand, collecting at the tip, but no matter how hard he concentrated the magic continued to flow around his self as normal.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Of course, his sight was magic, and he knew how that could be triggered. Feeling inside for the warmth in his chest that accompanied his sight, he pushed but instead of outwards like he normally did, this time he focussed the push down into his wand. He pictured a bead of pure white light shining from the tip of his wand as he intoned.

"Lumos" For a moment there was no change, but then he saw green surging up his wand and swelling at the tip, rolling, and growing. Then darkness. Not just of his wand, but everything. He is blind again.

"Well done, Harry! It was only quick, but that was definitely a light!" Susan cheered.

"Yeah, and on your first try as well!" Hannah clapped him on the shoulder.

Harry was confused for a moment before he realised that his spell had worked, however briefly. Buoyed by his success, he reached for his magic and pushed again but this time he focussed on his awareness, wanting to trigger his Fulgomancy. After brief struggle, the warmth in his chest, his magic, resisted for a moment, before it began to flow again, his awareness erupting out from him again, chasing away the darkness with colour all around him.

Releasing a breath he didn't realise he had been holding, Harry was pleased to find that Susan and Hannah didn't seem to have noticed anything odd as he thanked them for their kind encouragement. He was relieved when there was a knock at the door as it distracted the girls from asking for a second attempt, he had no wish to succumb to blindness again any time soon.

Standing in the doorway stood a slightly chubby boy, his deep brown magic was a little like Hagrid's but flecked with bright greens, like leaves on an old oak tree. The boy was clearly nervous and stuttered out a question about a lost toad.

The girls shook their heads, but Harry knew a fair bit about animals, and recalled everything he had read in the school library about amphibians.

"Have you tried checking the washrooms? Toads and frogs like dark damp spaces normally." The boys face split into a wide green as he thanked Harry before rushing off.

"Poor Neville, he's very nice but he's rather clumsy and shy, I think his grandmother disapproves of his Herbology obsession." Hannah informed them as she slid the door closed.

The conversation soon returned to Hogwarts and then onto the Houses. Harry knew little of the Hogwarts Houses and didn't really have a preference as the two girls discussed the merits of each house.

They were discussing the pros and cons of Ravenclaw when the door opened with a slam.

"Oh, it's you." The boy scoffed at Harry as he turned to the rude boy from Madam Malkins stood in the doorway. "Someone was saying Harry Potter was in this carriage, have you seen him Bones?" There was a moment where Harry feared she would announce his presence. HaH

"No Malfoy, we haven't, now we were having a pleasant conversation before you rudely interrupted, so if there's nothing else?" Susan stood and reached for the door as the rude boy sneered and walked away without another word. "I would avoid him if I were you Harry, his dad … well let's just say my aunt has always thought he got off too lightly." She advised as she closed the door and sat back down.

Not long later there was an announcement, a voice echoed down the train to announce they were only 30 minutes away from the station. At this Susan asked Harry if he could step outside while they changed, though Hannah suggested quietly that since Harry was blind, he didn't really need to. So, a blushing Harry stood outside before the door opened and the girls announced they were dressed. Harry was only swapping his jacket for his robes so allowed the girls to stay.

The train soon slowed to a halt as another announcement instructed them to leave their trunks on the train and disembark. Harry let the girls go in front and followed them out onto the platform, his cane tapping away in front of him. He almost stumbled as he misjudged the distance between the train and the platform, but Susan steadied him with a hand and guided him down.

They followed the crowd of students down the path until they reached a figure Harry recognised, his mammoth form was unique.

"Firs' Years, follow me!" Shouted Hagrid as he swung his lantern and led them down to a small dock next to an enormous lake. "No more 'n four to a boat!" The giant warned as he settled himself into a slightly larger boat and gestured for them all to join him.

Harry, Susan, and Hannah all clambered into one and were joined by a cheerful Neville holding his toad who he introduced as Trevor. Neville thanked Harry for his advice as he settled in, but Harry only nodded absently. He was looking at the glowing symbols that covered the boat they were in. Most were a pale blue, but a few were a dark yellow and all were running along the surface of the wood, like little fish swimming in a river as they flowed around each other.

With a heavy slap from Hagrid's massive hand on the exterior of his boat, all the boats gave a jolt as they began to sail across the lake's surface. There were a few splashes from behind along with squeals at the chill of the lake water, before Harry was surrounded by gasps of excitement.

"We can see Hogwarts from here Harry," Susan explained gently. "Its beautiful, its huge and filled with lights, I'm sorry you can't see it for yourself."

Harry sighed sadly, he had long grown used to the limits of his form of sight and one of them was his lack of vision over great distances. It was a shame he did not get to see the castle in its entirety, but he would be able to witness its magic, and he consoled himself with that knowledge as the boats passed through a long tunnel.

It didn't take long for the boats to reach the far side of the lake and as they stepped onto land, Harry was the one to let out a gasp. There was a wall of magic ahead of him. Only a few steps away was a veritable kaleidoscope of coloured lines and symbols stretching into the ground and reaching up into the sky as far as he could see. The majority of the magic was blue, red, green and yellow, with a few other colours interspersed throughout but the depth and brightness were incredible, and Harry stumbled as he tried to tear his focus from the entrancing magic.

As Hagrid lead the first years up a path and through the wall, Harry watched as strands of the colours seemed to reach out touch each person who passes through, just brushing against them before they crossed the boundary. He shuddered to think what might happen if the magic didn't want you to enter.

They followed Hagrid up to the castle and to a set of large wooden doors where the giant knocked heavily twice. Almost immediately the doors opened revealing a tall witch, her crimson magic swelling and settling as she stepped forward to greet the man.

"The firs-years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said in his deep rumbling voice.

The witch nodded to the large man.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She said in a stern tone with a slight Scottish accent.

The witch then turned and gestured for the group to follow her before making her way inside the castle. Inside the castle entrance hall was lit by flickering torches lining the walls next to suits of armour and a series of statues in the corners. The Professor led the group across the hall until she reached another set of large doors, not far from a stone staircase. She stopped and turned to the group before the doors, looking them all over before clearing her throat.

"Welcome to Hogwarts" She began. "The start-of-term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony, while you are here your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house

becomes yours.

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are

waiting."

She nodded sternly at them and then whirled around and made her way to a smaller door a little further up from the grand hall doors.

Immediately conversation broke out among the crowd as theories were discussed, some far wilder than others. Harry, Susan, Hannah and Neville stood together as Hannah tugged Neville's cloak down from beneath his ear.

They stood waiting nervously for a few minutes before the doors swung open to reveal Professor McGonagall, and behind her, the Great Hall. Four long tables stretched down the length of the hall, with banners and lit braziers hanging from the rafters above.

The stern witch instructed them to form a line and follow her as she turned and lead them to the front of the hall where a raggedy pointed hat sat upon a small stool. As they reached the front of the Hall, Harry saw a few colours he recognised; Hagrid's warm brown, Filius' blue and gold, and beside them some new colours. One figure had magic of dark grey that sat still and unmoving, another had pale yellow magic that seemed much dimmer than the others, and the man in the centre had dark violet magic dotted with white, dark and deep with stars of white twinkling from it.

Professor McGonagall stopped the line as she stepped up to the stool and turned to face the hall which grew silent. As Harry watched he noticed the hat, which before had seemed rather plain, seemed to draw in colour from the air around it, streams of red, blue, green, and yellow filling it as it seemed to expand and straighten itself. Once the hat was saturated with colour, a small rip near its brim tore open before-

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

(Taken from The Philosophers Stone – not mine!)

The hall cheered and applauded as the hat closed its mouth and settled back before Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and unrolled a scroll that seemed too large to fit in her pocket.

"Abbot, Hannah" There was an audible gulp from the girl as she stepped forward with a pat on the arm from Susan. She sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head, its wide brim falling far enough to cover most of her face. A few moments of silence before-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted and the table to Harry's left erupted into cheers and claps as Hannah made her way down to the table, a thread of blue magic flashing between her and the hat for a moment before dissipating.

"Bones, Susan" Was the next name to be called and Harry gave the girl an encouraging smile as she made her way up to the stool. The hat was on her head for a little longer, almost a minute before it called out again.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Again, the table to Harry's left erupted into cheers, with Hannah stood clapping for her friend.

Next up was Terrence Boot, a tall blonde boy, who was sorted into Ravenclaw, the table to Harry's right cheering at this. Then a short girl, Mandy Brocklehurst, who was also sorted into Ravenclaw. After that were two girls, one sorted to Gryffindor and the other into Slytherin. Harry had begun to grow nervous about his own sorting and lost track of most of the other sorting's, though he did notice when Neville was called up and sat for almost three minutes before the Hat sorted him into Gryffindor.

A few minutes later Draco Malfoy was called up, he pushed his way to the front and the Hat had barely touched his head before it shouted "SLYTHERIN!" and the boy strutted over to the far-left table as they cheered loudly for him.

Soon it was Harry's turn, Professor McGonagall called out "Potter, Harry" and the hall fell silent as Harry made his slow way up to the front, his cane tapping in front of him, the sound echoing through the hall.

Harry sat on the stool, his hands gripping his cane tightly, before McGonagall lowered the hat over his head, the brim covering his glasses. The moment the hat was upon his head, the volume of the hall picked up again, whispers of 'blind' and 'crippled' crept across the tables.

Harry would have been more embarrassed, but he had been distracted by the tendrils of magic that filled the Hat as they swirled around him, fingers of multicoloured magic brushing up against his own forest green. He was barely surprised when the voice echoed within his mind.

"Hmmm, difficult. VERY difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. A loyalty there as well, to friends you have only just met and made as well. A thirst to prove yourself, to live up to your parents' legacy. Oh, and a keen mind, very eager to learn, aren't you?" The deep voice resounded within his head.

Harry didn't know if the Hat was asking him or just talking to itself and settled on simply watching the unique magic it held instead. It was interesting, the four colours flowed and swirled around each other, but each remained distinct from the next.

"Very difficult indeed, you would fit well in any of the houses. Slytherin perhaps? They would help you on your path to greatness, no doubt there."

The image of the arrogant Malfoy boy flickered across his mind and he recoiled a little at the thought of sharing a house with the boy and others like him for seven years.

"Ahh yes, a pity, but I suppose since you have already chosen your mentor, who am I to stand between you." A pause. "Perhaps it is fitting, after all you have her sight."

"RAVENCLAW!" Roared the hat and the table once again began to cheer and clap, a few even stood to applaud as he made his way down the table to the open space next to young Terrence Boot. The boy welcomed Harry with a pat on the back and introduced himself as Terry, his pale sky-blue magic a soothing colour.

The two boys were quickly joined by another, Oliver Rivers, who sat opposite them and introduced himself. His magic a dark orange, he was quiet but seemed friendly enough.

Soon the sorting ended with a Blaise Zabini being sorted into Slytherin. The hat and stool were carried out by Professor McGonagall as the man whose violet magic was so entrancing stood.

"Welcome to a new year here at Hogwarts!" There was another cheer from the tables before the man continued. "Before we begin our feat, I would just like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" At the last word a flash of colour appeared over each table before being replaced by mounds of food. Platters of roasted meats, vegetables cooked every way, bread rolls and pies covered the tables. It smelled incredible and Harry hadn't eaten since sharing the sandwiches and flask of tea his aunt had packed on the train, so he dug in.

Terry asked a few questions to everyone seated around them as they ate, he had a very friendly and likeable quality and made most of them laugh a few times. A few older boys sat further up the table asked Harry about his eyes partway through the meal and he decided to stick to the story he had given Susan and Hannah, so he told the table that he could see vague dark shapes but not much detail and anything distant was impossible for him to see, so he used his cane to help him navigate. This was not far from the truth as he did struggle with some details and he did use the cane to help navigate, his sight was not perfect and he often missed small dips or changes in the ground, his cane had saved him from falling many times. And things made of plastic or certain metals had a fuzziness to them which made it very difficult for Harry to see them properly.

A few of the older girls had cooed at this and one of them, Penelope Clearwater, she later introduced herself as, told him that if he ever needed help navigating the castle then he could come to her.

Once the food was gone, Professor Dumbledore stood again.

"Thank you! Now, to our new students, I bid you welcome, and to our returning students, welcome back! Now I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. For our first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch has asked me to inform you that the list of banned items has been increased to include Fanged Frisbees and Japes Stinking Powder, the full list, which I believe now numbers 137 items, can be found outside Mr. Filch's office. And finally, I must inform you that the third floor corridor in the west wing past the old alchemy classroom is now out of bounds to any who do not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you" The Headmaster sat back down and turned to talk with Professor McGonagall beside him which seemed to be the sign for the hall to empty.

Penelope and a tall boy who introduced himself as Jeremy, called for all the first years to follow them as they made their way out of the Hall. Harry followed Terry to the doors and then across to the large stone staircase. As they stepped onto the staircase there was a shudder and scraping sound before the staircase began to shift.

"Yes, be warned the staircases move, normally you will find they help, sometimes to avoid a crowd or reach a classroom quicker, but they do have a mind of their own and have been known to play tricks." Jeremy explained as the stairs settled in their new position and he led the group up and through a corridor, then up another flight of stairs and along another corridor before they reached a bronze statue of an eagle, its wings unfurled wide and a large round brass ring hanging from its beak.

Jeremy reached up and knocked with the ring once, causing the eagle to suddenly shiver and shift, its beak opening before a deep voice asked.

"What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?" Jeremy turned to the group then as they stood in confusion.

"In order to enter Ravenclaw Tower, you must answer the guardian's riddle, if you can't or get stuck, you will have to wait for someone else to come along and try. You only get one attempt per person. It was Madam Ravenclaw's way of teaching even when not in class. Does anyone want to try?" Penelope explained as she gestured to the bronze statue.

There was some whispering before Terry piped up.

"It's the letter M I think?" As he finished speaking the eagle shifted its head to look at him for a moment before it replied.

"Be more confident in your answers, but well thought out." The eagle dipped its head slightly before it folded its wide wings to reveal a doorway behind it, which Jeremy led the group through.

The common room had walls of deep blue with silver accents and the ceiling was enchanted like the Great Hall to mirror the night sky above. There was a small fireplace with several sofas and comfy chairs around it, towards the back was a group of tables and chairs next to a large wooden bookshelf and beside that were two staircases that disappeared above.

"Right, well welcome to Ravenclaw. We are the house of knowledge, but that doesn't mean we expect you to be geniuses, we don't expect perfection, we just expect you to work hard and do your best. We are seekers of knowledge, either for a purpose or just for the joy of the process. Over there is where we study, there will always be a prefect there to assist you with your studies, but they are there to help and guide you, not to do your work for you.

We also have a small library, filled with books donated by Ravenclaw alumni, you cannot remove the books from the common room, and you must return the books in good condition. This is a privilege and if you damage the books, you will be punished appropriately." Jeremy looked them all over and nodded before continuing his speech. He explained a few other rules and then informed them that if they gathered here at 7:30 tomorrow morning, he would escort them to the Hall for breakfast and point out most of the classrooms they would be using in their first year.

As Jeremy finished his speech, the door to the common room swung open to reveal the form of Professor Flitwick. The professor made his way to the front of the room and hopped up onto a footstool before he turned to the group.

"Hello new Ravenclaw's! I am Professor Flitwick, Master of Charms here at Hogwarts and Head of Ravenclaw House. I know you have all had an exciting and tiring day so I will keep this brief for you. You will see me pop in at least once a week here to check on things, if you have any questions for me, you can of course ask me then, but I also have the afternoons on Monday's, Wednesday's, and Fridays after classes when I will be in my office and available for any questions or if you just want a cup of tea. Of course, in an emergency I am always available and if you do need me urgently, you can call out for Rook in the common room or dormitories, and I will be here as soon as I am able. Now I am sure you are all exhausted so, I will see you all tomorrow at breakfast. Goodnight!" With that the professor jumped down from the stool and after a brief conversation with Penelope, he left the common room.

The group of first years were indeed exhausted and so were shown to their dormitories, the girls taking one staircase and the boys the other. The boys' room was large and the five boys noticed that their beds all had their trunks in front of them, and above was a small plaque with the name for each bed.

'Harry Potter'

'Terry Boot'

'Oliver Rivers'

'Anthony Goldstein'

'Michael Corner'

The latter two of the boys were apparently old friends and chatted away to themselves as the boys all prepared for bed. Harry was pleased to find that the side table next to his bed had a small hook that he could slide his cane into, it made it far easier to find in the mornings.

Exhausted by the long day, the boys all fell asleep quickly, Harry's last thoughts were of excitement at the prospect of learning magic. Though he did remind himself that he would need to speak with Professor Flitwick about the problem he had with his sight on the train when he had cast the wand-lighting charm. It was worrying and he did not want to give up his Fulgomancy, even in exchange for casting magic. But that was a problem for tomorrow, he was more interested in watching the faint lines of magic that threaded throughout the ceiling of the room, watching even as he drifted into sleep.

[End of Chapter 4]

A/N Hey everyone, apologies I know I told a few of you that this would be released yesterday, but while I was editing, I decided to combine what was originally two shorter chapters into one longer one.

I hope you all like the chapter, I tried to keep elements of canon in there, but this story WILL be different to canon, diverging more and more as time goes on.

I've had a few people ask about bashing and I will say now, although there are some bashing stories that work well, some also go too far and are just annoying. I will be writing this story with the original characters in mind, but with Harry not being in Gryffindor there are things that will not be the same, for instance Ron and Hermione will not be Harry's best friends in this, not because I don't think they would be friends with a blind Harry, but just because I wanted to mix things up and explore different relationships and how they would affect the story.

Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited, and reviewed! I have been blown away by the support the story has gathered.

Please continue to review if you like the story, and if you don't like parts then please do tell me so I can work on it!

Many thanks,

Daedalus Smythe