Let's check in with Neville and Hermione on how they found the boat ride and sorting. If I haven't made it clear, this fic will be entirely from Harry's POV; however, I will every now and again check in with these two as they form my little Golden Trio. Ron won't be painted intentionally as a bad guy, but we all know Ron has jealousy issues about Harry, so that will be addressed. But I want to explore Harry's loyalties to his friends outside of Ron if he didn't meet Ron first. Don't forget that Ron will eventually end up in a relationship with Hermione after the war, so we know they have some sort of friendship, and I really look forward to exploring it. But right now, let's get back to the first year.

Hermione

Hermione's mind wouldn't settle; Neville, as he'd given her permission to call him by his first name, had thrown what she thought she knew about the wizarding world on its head. None of the books she had read since finding out she was a witch told her that you had to have permission to call someone by their first name. While she knew about the various levels of wizarding nobility, she didn't realise what they truly meant. Or that she should be having an inheritance test; why wouldn't the professor mention that when she introduced them to this new world? She's truly grateful that Neville sat with her and Harry on the train. It wasn't a busy train cart, and she learned something really important. She finds it interesting that between her, Neville, and Harry they had all three blood classes: her a first-generation witch, Harry a half-blood wizard, as his mum was a first-generation witch like herself and his dad was a pureblood, and Neville a pureblood wizard. Getting off the train and seeing that it's not only dark but also really cold confirms that she's nowhere near home, and as excited as she is, she suddenly really misses home. It doesn't feel right that she's this far away from her mum and dad when she's only ever stayed with her nana and grandpops for a maximum of a week. She doesn't like that she can't have her mom and dad here for this journey after all the things they've been there for. She knows she should be grateful to have this experience, but she just wants her mom and dad. Hermione suddenly feels very alone and like she could do with a big fat cry, but she knows her mum wouldn't want her to be upset or feel lonely; she knows her mum would want her to take in all the details so that she can sit on her mum's lap and tell her all about the castle, the boats, the train, and especially the lessons when she sees her again in exactly 110 days.

Hermione is a little overwhelmed when she realises that there are more boys than girls in her year, and they all seem to have gathered together while she's separated from them. Never having female friends means she doesn't really know what to talk to people about, and the years of being bullied by popular girls just because she likes to read make her afraid of reaching out to people. She hopes that she gets along with whoever she shares a dorm with. She hopes that she can connect with them.

Getting sorted into Gryffindor with Neville and Harry puts her mind at ease that it doesn't really matter if she doesn't get along with them, as if she doesn't, she can go to her dorm to sleep and get ready, but that will be it. She can sit next to the boys during class and meals; she really doesn't mind studying on her own; at least then it would be quiet, and she could focus. While the Sorting Hat had said she could be a Ravenclaw, it also said her bravery would do her well, and she can't help but think she was very brave to just get on the train. She also thinks she'd prefer to be in a house where both Neville and Harry had a chance to get in, and the only reason she didn't think those two could get into Ravenclaw is solely because Neville said he doesn't really like studying.

Getting to the common room and sitting through the first house meeting for the next 7 years helped calm Hermione down. It tells her that she can hopefully trust her head of house to spot if something is wrong, and she likes the idea that her office is so close by, especially with her feeling homesick. She's sure she isn't the only one feeling homesick, but Hermione really doesn't like this feeling. Hermione hopes that once she gets her schedule tomorrow, she will be able to prepare better, which should calm her homesickness down. She also knows that once she receives a letter from home, she'll be really emotional, but it'll also help her enjoy being at school more as she won't be so worried that her family's forgotten her. It's a stupid thought, she knows, but she's only eleven, and she really misses home. She hopes to get at least one letter a week; even if it just tells her what the neighbour's little boy has learned that week, that'll help her feel more connected to home. Hermione goes up to her dorm, and she sets her alarm clock to wake her up at 6 a.m. so that she has enough time to get ready tomorrow. She usually takes a shower before bed so that her hair has time to dry; it also means she isn't fighting everyone else to use the shower in the morning. By the time she gets out of the shower, her dormmates are already asleep. She writes her letter home, detailing the train ride and what she learned, and then explains about the sorting and what it all meant. She put the sealed envelope on the side table, ready to be taken to the owlery tomorrow.

Neville

Meeting Harry and Hermione on the train wasn't on his to-do list when he set off for platform nine and three-quarters this morning, but he's damn sure glad he did. Neville's goal was to not lose Trevor, and he did that. Then it was to not fall into the black lake; again, he did that. He wasn't sure which house suited him more, if any, but he wanted Gryffindor so that he could follow after his mum and dad, and he was so excited that he got it that he ran off with the damn hat still on his head. But spending 7 hours with Harry Potter – his godbrother bearing in mind, on the train and having to educate him on wizarding nobility just never even crossed his mind. The second Neville saw Harry in the carriage window, he hoped there was space for him to sit with him because even if Harry doesn't know him and Neville are godbrothers, well, Neville does, and he would be so upset with himself if he went to go see his mum and couldn't tell her anything about Harry; he just knows she'd be disappointed even if she can't remember either of them. Seeing him wearing those muggle (wait, no, non-magical) clothes, he realised the stories that had been sold about them were all lies. Harry wasn't raised fighting dragons, and to kill Acromantula's, he looked tiny, beaten down, and broken. When Neville mentioned just one thing about Harry's parents, it looked like it meant the world to Harry; maybe that's why he didn't overwhelm him with information, but the book was definitely a good start. He can't have his godbrother looked down upon because he doesn't know and follow societal rules, even if he's the one to teach him.

Neville will be writing to his Gran tomorrow morning to ensure she's caught up with how little Harry knows about the magical world because she's been trying to see him ever since Neville started his lessons three years ago. She always told Headmaster Dumbledore that he had no business involving himself in business regarding a higher station than his house. She'd moan to Neville's Great Uncle Algie that Harry should be given to her after that man got himself thrown in prison, and while that didn't really make sense to Neville, he knew better to question Gran on it. Now, that's not to say Neville couldn't ask questions; oh no, it just means that Neville is the heir to House Longbottom, and it was much more important to learn exactly what that means so that Gran didn't have to overwhelm him during holidays. "It's better to know your place in society now," she'd say.

Neville sometimes wishes it were his dad teaching him all this because surely, he could explain it a lot better than Uncle Algie could, seeing as he wasn't raised as the heir to a Most Ancient and Most Noble House. That's not to say he wasn't extremely grateful to Gran and Uncle Algie for everything they have done for him, but sometimes a boy just needs his dad. Neville also has to mention that his wand is still not working for him in his letter. Gran said maybe when he was sorted, it would work for him better, but he couldn't even set an alarm on it. After Harry fell asleep without setting one, he had to ask Seamus to do it; otherwise, none of the boys would be up in time for first class, let alone breakfast. Nope, he's going to have to ask her to get him a new one; this one is obviously still very loyal to his dad, and he can't blame it. When he was reading a beginner's guide to wand law book, it stated that unless rightfully won while the previous owner is still alive, the wand remains loyal to them, even if they can't use the wand for whatever reason. If Gran doesn't respond by Wednesday, then he will be asking Professor McGonagall to take him to Ollivander's. He has the galleons to buy himself one, so it's not a problem. He just doesn't see why he should spend the rest of his time at Hogwarts without the proper wand, and he can just tell the wand isn't right for him. It doesn't help that just picking Harry's wand up off the floor where it fell made him feel so much more magical than his dad's. He wants to be a great wizard like his dad, but the wand lore books say having the wrong wand will hurt a person's magic. He also wants to mention to Harry and Hermione that they should get a wand holster rather than keeping it in their pockets like he saw them doing earlier. Yes, on Wednesday, he will not leave it a day longer. If by lunchtime Wednesday he hasn't heard from Gran, he will speak to Professor McGonagall. Setting his letter aside, he lays down and hopes he's in the same room his dad was in.