The One In Which It Starts Off Rocky

September 1, 1991

The last month for Harry had him the happiest he'd ever been. It was like something that caused the Dursleys to be so horrible to him had finally been gotten rid of. (Dudley was still a git though.)

They didn't do a complete one eighty, but it was progress. He was given proper portions of food that Aunt Petunia had made and he wasn't given any unreasonable chores anymore, but he still liked gardening.

Harry had even grown a few inches and filled out properly, no longer looking like a newly hatched baby bird. His hair had even grown a bit longer, just past his chin though. Leaving it like that made it more tamer.

If they spoke to him directly—which was rare nowadays for him—Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia actually used his name instead of 'Boy' or 'Freak'.

They mostly ignored him though which was a perfect arrangement for Harry.

Harry mostly stayed up in his bare little bedroom practicing quill writing, rereading his schoolbooks and other extra books mostly.

Recently though, to keep himself from getting bored out of his mind because he could do all the spells and such in his sleep, Harry had started experimenting with Potions he would make this year using the large Potions kit and cauldron Minerva had gotten him.

Now it was the day Harry Potter could finally attend Hogwarts.

Breakfast had been oddly quiet. Not an awkward quiet...It was more of a comfortable silence with everyone focused on separate things.

Petunia had given Harry two thick books without a word when they had finally reached Kings Cross. Harry was baffled, but didn't comment. The Dursleys left Harry in the sea of people and had gone to back to their car.

Now Harry looked down at the ticket he had received from Minerva as he wandered a bit, doing his best not to knock people down with his trolley.

Platform 9 3/4? How did Minerva say you get in again? Oh yes! Go in between Platforms 9 and 10! Harry thought to himself doing exactly just that. When the bespectacled boy had reached the aforementioned platform, he saw what could only be described as a brood of redheads.

What seemed to be the youngest boy who was about his own height (if not taller than he) appeared to be embarrassed at the noise his mother was making. She was talking about where the platform was for all the Muggles to hear! Surely she knew where it was! She had older children who had attended Hogwarts for awhile now!

She appeared to be looking for someone...Odd...

Harry shook his head in disbelief before crossing to the other side...

Harry couldn't help but gasp in wonder and astonishment. The gleaming red Hogwarts Express looked so beautiful. Parents were all around saying their goodbyes to their children, promises to write and holiday plans could be heard all around.

Harry felt a bit upset that he would probably never get the chance to have his own parents bid him farewell when he went to Hogwarts. But then again, life is life—you can get dealt with crappy cards.

The warning whistle blew and Harry quickly broke out of his musings and boarded the train. He decided against going to the back compartments due to the overwhelming majority of students who wanted to go and sit there and headed towards the front compartments where he almost immediately found one that was free.

Harry shut the door behind him and closed the curtains. Now he was stuck on how to put his trunk on the rack above the window...

A soft knock from the door sounded. Harry's heart almost skipped a beat. Someone was by the door!

"Come in..."Harry called out. (I just realised that was the first bit of dialogue in the book... I can't even...)

The door slid open and there stood that redheaded boy he had seen. The embarrassed one. His clothes were a bit faded and his hair messy like Harry's was but on a smaller scale.

"Hullo,"the boy greeted. "My name's Ron Weasley... I hope you don't mind me sitting here, but I didn't want to be alone the whole train ride..."he ended off awkwardly.

Harry smiled, understanding Ron's predicament. He was honestly glad someone wanted to sit with him. He hoped that he and Ron could end up as friends...

"No! No, it's okay. I understand you. You can sit with me,"Harry said. "But I need to find away to put my trunk up because it's too heavy."

"I can help you!"Ron volunteered.

Harry gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks. Then I can help you."

The two only took a short time to get the trunks onto the rack before dropping onto the seats, relaxing.

Before Harry could even introduce himself, someone else had come in. It was that Malfoy boy. He had come with two other boys. One boy was as tall as Ron with caramel skin, curly black hair and the most unusual purple eyes. The other was shorter with straight, chestnut brown hair and sea blue eyes with extremely pale skin, but not as pale as Malfoy's.

"I heard that Harry Potter was on the train,"Draco stayed smoothly. "Have you seen him?" Harry hadn't had the chance to introduce himself at Madam Malkins before Minerva had whisked him off to some other place.

Harry leant back into the chair, arms folded. His face remained blank.

"Who's asking?"he asked coolly.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

Ron couldn't help but snort at that. Draco turned his his full attention to the snickering redhead. His delicate elfin features went and turned into an ugly sneer.

"You think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who YOU are. Red hair and hand-me-down robes?You must be a Weasley..."he hissed.

Ron flushed a deep red, his mouth open to retort. Before he could say something that would truly damage the chances of being friends, Harry stepped in.

"Woah! Woah! Woah! All of you—slow your roll. No need to get your panties in a twist!"Harry shushed, stepping in between both Ron and Draco who were basically glaring daggers at each other.

"B-But he insulted me!"Ron whined.

"He laughed at me!"Draco complained.

"Ronald, say sorry. You know shouldn't have laughed..."Harry ordered sternly.

"But—!"

"Ron,"Harry said with a strange ring in his voice that only made Ronald only want to obey him.

Ron huffed. "I'm sorry for laughing, Malfoy..."he mumbled reluctantly.

Draco smirked. Harry raised his eyebrows and and pursed his lips.

"Don't think you're off the hook either, Draco. You were also in the wrong,"Harry ordered. "Apologise,"he ordered again with the power laced voice.

Draco's face fell fast. The two boys behind him looked like they wanted to burst out laughing.

"No! I don't even know who you are. You can't tell me what to do,"the blond snarled. "You aren't my superior!"

Everyone did a double-take when they saw Harry growl, his canines elongate and his his iris turn a pitch black. Draco shrunk into himself and whimpered.

"Do not make me angry. I am merely annoyed with your stubbornness when you—and everyone in this compartment—knows that you're WRONG. I will not ask you again after this. Apologise,"Harry ordered.

"I'm sorry for disrespecting you, Weasley..."Draco said.

Harry went back to normal and stared at nothing, very confused. What the two boys did didn't deserve such an overreaction...Where did it even come from.

He coughed before smirking. "Much better. Why don't we try this again and reintroduce ourselves, yes?"

"Of course,"came the simultaneous reply.

"Who wants to go first?"Harry asked pleasantly.

The caramel skinned boy picked up a hand. Harry nodded for him to continue.

"Hello. My name is Blaise Zabini..."he said awkwardly.

"I'm next. Theodore Nott. You may refer to me as 'Theo',"the brunette added with a nervous glance at Harry.

"I'm Draco Malfoy,"the blond drawled with a charming smile.

"Ron Weasley!"Ron said with a grin.

"And I'm Harry Potter,"Harry introduced himself. Ron and Draco were shocked (Draco hid it better) while Blaise shrugged and Theo arched an eyebrow.

"Blimey!"Ron exclaimed. "Do you have the scar?"he blurted out.

Draco gave the redhead a sideways glance.

"That's a bit rude, don't you think? Asking someone to mostly likely relive their past..."he chided.

Ron blushed a bright red. "Sorry. I was just excited. I've heard stories—,"he began before he was cut off by an irritated Harry.

"Stories that aren't true. Just forget about whatever you've been told about me since it's all probably not true!"he growled.

"Uh...okay...I'll do that,"Ron said with uncertainty.

The compartment fell into an awkward silence. Suddenly another knock was heard on the door.

"Come in,"Harry called. A girl with tied up straight honey brown hair, lightly tanned skin and cinnamon coloured eyes walked in with a teary eyed boy who had dark mousy hair, pale skin and chocolate brown eyes and a wavy dark redhaired girl with alabaster skin and bright blue eyes. All three wore the Hogwarts uniform when there were still a few hours before reaching the school.

"Hello,"she greeted with a smile. "My name is Hermione Granger. I'm asking if you have seen a toad by any chance? Neville here lost one and Susan and I are helping him look for it..."

"No,"Harry said. "Haven't you tried to ask a Prefect to Accio the toad for you?"

"Accio? Isn't that a Fourth Year spell?"Susan asked. "My Auntie told me about it..."

"Yes, I got other books in Diagon Alley so that when I got bored of my textbooks, I could read those..."

"How could you get bored of your textbooks?"Hermione asked incredulously. "I reread mine!"

"And I haven't even started them..."Ron mumbled.

"Me neither..."Blaise muttered back.

Theo snorted while Draco snickered.

"I just do,"Harry replied simply.

Hermione made an indignant noise. Harry couldn't help but smile.

"My name's Harry Potter by the way—"he told her but she cut him off.

"You're Harry Potter? I know all about you! I heard that you defeated You-Know-Who back in 1981–!"

"You don't—!"

"And you were only a year old!"Hermione carried on without hearing him. "Did you know—?"

"Granger—!"Blaise cut in yet he too was ignored.

"—you were the the only person to survive the Avada Kedavra Curse? That's amazing! How did you do it?"she gushed.

"I don't know and want to. Please leave..."Harry asked her tonelessly.

"Yes, please do leave, little Mudblood! You're upsetting him!"Draco said nastily.

Hermione knew an insult when she heard one. She had done it again! She was too—too spontaneous and now she probably won't have any friends yet again. Susan and Neville had been looking for his toad and she had forcibly thrown herself into the group. The two were too nice to say anything. She didn't want to sit a compartment all on her own...

No. She wouldn't cry in front of them. Especially that blond boy.

"If that's what you want, then okay..."

She took off at a fast pace, not hearing the cries for her to come back.

"Draco! Seriously, why did you have to go and upset her like that?"Harry scolded.

"She has what we Wizards would call 'dirty blood'. She is near the bottom of the hierarchy. You should stay with those higher up,"the blond boy told him simply.

"The kinder term is 'Muggleborn', Draco. You don't know if she is one!"Theo scolded him.

"Your father told you to stop with this 'Mudblood' business, Malfoy. Should I go and send a letter?"Blaise asked him sweetly.

"N-No!"Draco stuttered, terrified of his father. "Please don't!"

"That was mean, really! You can't just insult people like that, Malfoy!"Ron spat.

"True! When we reach Hogwarts you are going to apologise to Hermione!"Harry said.

Susan and Neville decided to walk out before the heat became too much between the four boys.

"Fine. Whatever..."he mumbled. Even if I don't see a reason to do so. he thought petulantly.

"Good,"Harry said. "We should be getting dressed. We're almost there."