Hermione Granger walked onto the train, looking back at her parents, before swallowing and beginning to head down the hall for an empty, or at least mostly empty, cabin. She finally found one, just two, strange, inhabitants in it.

One was a dark haired girl with equally dark eyes, already in her robes, and reading a book, occasionally glancing up at the other inhabitant of the compartment, who was, admittedly, the stranger of the two. Wearing a tight black shirt with a blindfold over his eyes, his hair tossed every which way.

Stepping inside, she swallowed and said, "do you mind if I sit here?

"No, not at all," the boy said, standing, "do you need help getting that into the luggage rack?"

"I'd appreciate it," Hermione said, and as the boy approached, Hermione gasped, seeing a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, "You're Harry Potter!"

"Oh, yeah, I am. And this in Tharja Nekros," he said as he walked over and grabbed the trunk, lifting it into the air easily and slotting it into the overhead carriage, "And what's you're name?"

"Hermione Granger," Hermione said, shyer now that she realized she was talking to the Boy-Who-Lived, "Can I ask why you're wearing a blindfold?"

"Oh, yeah, that would look weird, huh?" Harry said, "What do you know about Sacred Gears?"

"Some of the books I bought mentioned them, but didn't explain what they were."

"Sacred Gears, or "God's Artifacts" are God's way of leveling the playing field against the more powerful supernatural beings for humans. They take the form of a magical trait or item that makes the user stronger."

"You believe in God?"

"When you get up to the point of dealing with Sacred Gears a lot, it's an accepted fact He exists," Harry said, "Anyways, I have the Sacred Gear Forbidden Balor View, it allows me to freeze anything I see in time. Problem is I still don't have the best control over it so I wear the blindfold, which is enchanted so I can see you, to block Forbidden Balor View from accidentally freezing people. It's gonna drive most of the purebloods mad that a half blood got it, it's hilarious."

"I wish I had one," Hermione said. Apparently even among Wizards, there were those who just got it better than others.

"Hey, it's random, including when they unlock, don't count yourself out of the running just yet, Hermione," Harry said.

Harry had changed into his robes as night fell, Tharja doing the same, Hermione had boarded the train in hers for some reason. Finally, the train pulled into the station and Harry guided the two girls out, to a loud, bellowing voice with a thick accent.

"Firs' years, firs' years over here! Can you see me!?"

It was a strange question, given the man was over 11 feet tall at least, wearing a brown overcoat and heavy Dragonhide boots, his face barely visible under the mass of messy hair he had.

They made their way over to him, and the man grinned, "Alright, 'Arry? Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys, and grounds at Hogwarts."

"It's nice to meet you," Harry said, "These are Hermione Granger and Tharja Nekros."

"Nice ta meet you two," Hagrid said, beatle black eyes crinkling, before raising his voice again, "Firs, years, over to the boats! No more than four ta any one!"

Harry found a boat, climbing in with Hermione and Tharja alongside a redheaded boy with a smudge on his nose.

"Ron Weasley," Ron said, smiling at them.

"The family bound to Devonshire pixies?" Tharja asked, and Ron went red, avoiding meeting them in their eyes.

"Yeah… That…" he said, clearly a sore topic, "Anyways, you're Harry Potter, right? I can see the scar."

"Yeah," Harry said as the boats began to move.

"My brothers wanted to ask you about it, you know, that night, if you remembered anything.

"More than you'd think, less than I wish," was all Harry said on the matter. They went under a rocky outcropping, and Hagrid called, "You'll be gettin' your first sight o' the castle and second now-"

He was cut off by a chorus of oohs and ahhs as the large, majestic castle came into sight. Harry would admit, even compared to some of the places he had seen in the Underworld, this took the top 5. Every window was lit with firelight, every spire gleaming, every stone worn with centuries to it, bit still standing tall and proud, gargoyles sat on the battlements, mouths and eyes alight with fire.

They exited the boats and Harry walked up to the entrance hall door with Hagrid.