Chapter 4 Raised Differently

Adventures begin

Me: Hey guys, I hope you had a great Christmas! And thank you for the reviews, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

-1 September, King's Cross station-

The Potter family pushed their carts with trunks and supplies, books and robes. Their animals were in their cages.

Harry had a poisonous Spitting Cobra snake named Liza with his uncle's permission. Eleanor had a brown owl named Fris.

They reached the magical barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

The children ran forward where they passed through the magical barrier. Suddenly they found themselves staring at scarlet steam locomotive with a sign above their head that read 'Hogwarts Express'. Smoke from the engine drifted over chatting adults and students of all years.

'Do you have everything?' Petunia asked for the twentieth time.

'For the last time, yes mother', said Eleanor, irritated. She crossed her arms. 'Can we go now? I want to find a competent so I don't have to sit in the aisle.'

'Okay, okay sweetie', Petunia said before sighing. 'I know you protested going to Beauxbatons, but be careful… Do you understand?'

Eleanor and Harry nodded before giving Petunia, Alex and Flori one last hug.

'It's not fair', Flori cried. 'I want to come too! I won't see you all year!'

'Flori, we are coming home for the Christmas holidays and the summer holidays too.'

Eleanor gave her one last hug, and said: 'Okay?'

'Yes', Flori said and laughed through her tears.

'Bye!' Harry and Eleanor shouted before boarding the train.

They looked around and saw a few students fighting for a compartment or leaning toward the window and shouting at their families.

It didn't take long for them to find a compartment in the middle of the train. The two helped each other lift their suitcases and then sat down.

'I never thought this day would come', said Eleanor. 'I can't wait! We'll start learning magic soon!'

'I know', Harry said excitedly. Just then the compartment door slid open and a bushy brown-haired girl with rather large front teeth stood in the doorway.

Eleanor said: 'Hello and you are?'

'I'm Hermione Granger, the first in my family to have magic. It was a such surprise when I got my letter, but of course, I was so happy, I mean it's the very best witchcraft school there is! Of course, I have already memorized all our textbooks, I hope that will be enough. Who are you?'

'Just catch your breath, Hermione', she said. 'I'm Eleanor and this is my cousin Harry.'

'Like the Harry Potter?' Hermione asked and Harry nodded. 'I know everything about you! I've been reading a few books to get the background an you're in 'Modern Magical History' and 'Rise and Fall of the Dark arts' and 'Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.'

'We know', Harry said. 'Don't believe what some books say. Some can be misleading. When I was younger some people wrote false things about me. Uncle had to sue them.'

Hermione widened her eyes. 'I think being famous is quite difficult, just like in the Muggle world. Celebrities get harassed by the media and the press all the time.'

'You have no idea', said Harry.

Hermione sat down next to them.

The door slid open again and a boy with a tear-stained face entered.

'Have any of you seen a toad in the area?'

Before anyone could, respond, Harry's snake hissed: 'I smell the toad not far from here.. Tell him to look to his left.'

Harry looked down and sure enough, there was a greenish toad close to the compartment door. He stood up and picked up the toad: 'You were lucky he was so close to the door.'

The boy breathed a sigh of relief and said: 'Thank you. My uncle gave it to me as a gift because I could go to Hogwarts. My grandmother would have been angry if I had lost him again. By the way, my name is Neville Longbottom.'

'Nice to meet you, Marcel. I'm Harry and that's my cousin Eleanor and our friend Hermione Granger.'

'If you want, you can come and sit with us', Eleanor offered.

'Real? Then let me get my suitcase', said Neville, before he left the compartment.

He returned with his suitcase and sat next to Harry.

'Um, how did you know my toad was there?'

'This is my snake, Liza. The principal allowed me to take her with me. Don't worry, she's very friendly.'

Marcel nodded nervously, but still kept his toad away from the snake.

'Why is your animal a snake?' Hermione asked.

'That's because my dear cousin is a Parselmouth', said Eleanor. She saw the confused look on Hermione's face and Neville's terrified face. 'You don't have to be afraid, Marcel. Harry isn't a bad wizard because he can talk with snakes. Besides, don't you know that wizards who can speak Parseltongue have strong healing magic?'

Hermione frowned: 'What's so wrong with being a Parselmouth if you have healing magic?'

'The known wizards in Britain who had that ability are Salazar Slytherin and You-Know-Who', replied Eleanor. 'And since those two were well-known dark wizards, everyone in the British community thinks that everyone who has that ability must be immediately evil.'

'Also for those in Slytherin', Harry said.

'That's not right', Hermione muttered. 'No one should be judged by different people's faults and Slytherin's aren't bad, they are…'

'Cunning and ambition', Harry finished. 'Which, honestly, a lot of wizards think is a reason why they become evil.'

'I understand, but Dumbledore has to do something about it, right?' Hermione asked.

Harry snorted: 'No, that's not likely. Judging from uncle's stories, Dumbledore has favoured Gryffindor since he got the Headmaster. He doesn't really care about the other houses.'

Hermione and Neville listened with widened eyes.

'But- But he has to do something! He's the Headmaster', Hermione argued.

Eleanor snorted and said: 'Headmaster! Let me say, yes, the mask behind that grandfatherly appearance that he's trying to be.'

After an hour, Hermione and Neville found the truth about Dumbledore. At that moment the door of the compartment slid open and a boy with red hair entered.

'Hello, can I sit with you? Everything else is full.'

'Go ahead', Harry said.

The redhead smiled and sat down next to Hermione.

'My name is Ron Weasley, what's yours?'

'Harry and this is my cousin Eleanor, that's Hermione and this is Neville.'

Ron widened his eyes. 'Harry Potter? Is it true that you have a scar? Do you remember anything about You-Know-Who?'

'That's a rude question', said Hermione. 'Why do you want to know that?'

Ron blushed with embarrassment. 'Right, sorry, it's just… I didn't mean to sound like that, I was… curious, that's all.'

'Apology accepted', said Eleanor, grinned. 'What's your favourite Quidditch team?'

As Eleanor and Ron argued about which Quidditch team was the best, the door slid open again, but this time a smiling woman appeared.

'Do you want something from the cart?'

'Sure, do you want anything, guys?' Harry asked.

'Drop wands and cauldron cake, please', Neville said.

The rest shook their heads. Harry bought some of all and paid the woman eleven shekels and seven knouts. He closed the door and gave the candy to Neville.

Ron pulled out a lunch box and took out of four measly sandwiches.

'You're not going to eat that, are you?' Hermione asked.

'Yes, have some of the sweets', said Harry, handing him a chocolate frog.

Ron shook his head and took a closer look at the sandwich.

'Eww, corned beef. Mom knows I don't like that. But then again, there are nine of us, so she doesn't have much time.'

'Nine?' Eleanor looked at Ron.

'Yes, I have six older brothers and a sister one year younger.

'You could say I have a lot to live up', Ron said sadly. 'Bill and Charlie have already graduated-Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was a captain of the Quidditch team. Now Percy is a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get good grades and everyone thinks they're funny. Everyone expects me to be as good as them, but if I am, it's nothing specials anymore because they've already done it.'

'Not so negative, Ron. It's true that your older brothers were great at Hogwarts, but now it's time to show them what you can do', said Eleanor.

'That's right. Would you like a chocolate frog?' Harry asked.

Ron started to open his mouth, but closed it again and gave them a smile. 'Yes, please.'

'Thanks', Ron said as he took the candy. 'So which house do you think you'll be sorted into?'

'Gryffindor', said Eleanor, before pouting. 'My father says I look a lot like him. He was reckless and did crazy stunts on a broomstick.'

'Gryffindor, my whole family was there', said Ron. 'I don't know what they'll say if I don't get sorted there… I don't think Ravenclaw would mind, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin.'

Harry frowned: 'And what's wrong with being sorted into Slytherin? My family thinks I'm being classified there.'

'But that's the house for dark wizards and witches', Ron argued. 'That's- that's also the house You-Know-Who was in!'

Hermione turned to Ron: 'And what Merlin, the great wizard, was sorted into. He did great things, and yet he was sorted into the house of cunning.'

Ron bit his lip. 'I guess… You have a point there. I just haven't heard anything good about that house since… well, yeah, you know…'

'Same goes for me', Neville muttered.

'It's better to see and hear it yourself than from other people', Harry said.

'I think I'll give the Slytherins a chance if they're nice', Ron said. 'Most purebloods don't like us Weasleys, because my father likes Muggle stuff. And you, Neville?'

'Um, I think Gryffindor, because that's the house where my grandma wants me to be', Neville said. 'She wants me to follow my father 's footsteps.'

'She shouldn't do that. You are Neville, not your father', said Eleanor.

Neville sighed: 'I know, but it's hard to change her mind.'

Harry was about to say something when the door slid open again, but this time Draco stepped in, behind him stood two boys who looked extremely mean.

'There you are Eleanor. I looked everywhere for you', Draco said. 'These are Crabbe and Goyle, I've know them since I was young.'

'Hello Draco. This is my cousin Harry and the other three are Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger and…'

Draco looked at him in horror. 'You don't have to tell me who he is. My father told me that all Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford.'

Ron's face turned bright red with shame and anger.

'That was a mean thing to say to someone you don't really know', Hermione said.

'Granger? Are you related with Hector Dagworth-Granger?'

'Um, I don't know', Hermione replied nervously. 'I recently learned that I'm a witch when I got my letter.'

Draco frowned and started to say something but Eleanor beat him to it.

'You never know you might be related to him, right? And he has the same last name, so he could be related, right Draco?'

'You've got a point there', he muttered. 'If you'll excuse me, I still have to put om my robes and we're getting close to the station, so if I were you I'd do the same.'

Draco left the compartment with the two boys.

Harry peered out the window, but could hardly see anything because it was dark.

The boys would leave the compartment and to get dressed in the bathrooms, while the girls in the compartment. After a few minutes, the boys returned and heard a voice echo: 'We'll reach Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, the luggage wild be taken to school separately.'

Harry and the group left the compartment and joined the crowd of students. The train finally stopped and the students made their way to the door, out onto a small, dark platform.

Suddenly they heard a loud voice: 'First years! First years over here!'

There stood a huge man with long, shaggy hair and a wild, tangled beard. He held a lantern and waved his large hand.

'Come on, follow me. First years, follow me.'

They followed the great giant up a steep, narrow path and walked to the shore of a large lake.

'No more than four per boat!' shouted the giant, pointed to a fleet of boats.

Eleanor and Harry sat with Ron and Neville, Hermione sat with other students.

'Does everyone have a boat?' shouted the giant, who had a boat to himself.

The boats suddenly moved on their own and slid across the lake. Everyone fell silent and stared in awe at the great castle above their heads. Soon they found themselves in a dark tunnel, which seemed to take them right under the castle, until they reached some kind of underground port.

Eleanor helped Harry out of the boat and then walked over to Hermione, Neville and Ron.

They followed the giant to a passage that led to one of the side entrances of the castle.

Eleanor and Harry grinned: 'Let the game begin…'