September 1st, 1993

Harry had woken his entire family up at the crack of dawn just so he could be one of the first to arrive at the station. Harry wanted as much time as possible to acclimate to his surroundings before being forced into a prolonged social situation. He also wanted to get a good look at the train, which was a huge part of the Hogwarts experience.

Harry could not help but admire the Hogwarts Express with it's beautiful crimson red paint covering thousands of pounds of shaped steel. The steam billowing out from the engine was fueled by a magical renewable coal furnace. Something about the train simply exuded power that resonated with something very primal inside of Harry.

Everything about the train fascinated him. The fact it had been built nearly two hundred years ago by over a hundred and sixty muggles, none of whom had any recollection of building it. Afterward, a team of warders and enchanters came in to place well over a thousand different charms on the train. Not to mention the thousands of miles of track and the platform itself that had also needed to be charmed to avoid detection by muggles. The project had been one of the biggest and most expensive projects done in Avalon since arrecting the statute of secrecy.

Even more interesting was the reasoning behind it all. Magical travel was much faster and more convenient than that of muggle travel. A portkey, for instance, could take a person from one side of the world to the other in a matter of seconds. For hundreds of years, students made their way to Hogwarts without the use of trains. The express from a practical and logistical standpoint was nothing but a huge inconvenience.

Minister Ottaline Gamble was the one to commission the train. She had a fascination with muggles and their technology; often times she'd walk around London studying them. When she stumbled upon King Cross station, she was completely mesmerized by the trains.

When an accident involving a defective portkey resulted in the death of a student, Gamble seized the opportunity to get public support to commission the Hogwarts Express. The Wizengamot was still largely divided on it, but the bill managed to pass with a narrow majority.

Surprisingly, the train was a hit, and a second train was commissioned three years later. Along with the second train was the expansion of the tracks that now would travel between all sixteen magical communities across Avalon. The second train was appropriately named the Avalon Express.

Monty and Orchid were still in their pyjamas; they had every intention of going back to bed after they said good-bye. His parents weren't much better dressed casually in shorts and t-shirts. If Uncle Charlus or Aunt Dorea saw them, they certainly would be scolded for representing the family name so poorly.

Harry, for his part, elected to dress in his school uniform, not wanting the hassle of needing to change on the train or the overall awkwardness of changing in front of others.

He had gone out of his way to iron everything, even his socks. The schoolrobes were plain black but charmed to change when you were sorted into your house, the same with his tie that was done up a little to tightly at his collar. The crisp white dress shirt had a pocket square neatly folded in his breast pocket that would also transform.

"You know the train doesn't actually leave for another two hours, right?"

"Yes." They had already gone over this a few times now, and his father knew his reasoning. The problem was his father always had difficulty understanding Harry.

"Stop it, James. It's his first year, and he's excited. Sev and I bussed down the night before and slept in London so we could get here when the platform opened." His mother tried to defend him.

"Yeah, well, you and Sev were also bullied your first three years at Hogwarts, so not the best example."

His father was clearly baiting his mother, and she didn't hesitate a moment before responding. Which obviously pleased his father as much as it had infuriated his mother.

"We were bullied by you! You insensitive prat. Harry will be fine; children are much more mature these days than they were back in our time."

"Back in our time? You make us sound ancient. We're still in our thirties for Merlin's sake."

"We have a child attending Hogwarts; we are ancient James."

The three siblings all awkwardly watched as their parents did their typical arguing/flirting they both seemed to enjoy. Harry couldn't imagine why and was certain he wouldn't replicate their contrived foreplay when he was married.

"That's not a proper metric because technically Harry attended Hogwarts with us most of our seventh year. Actually, we should probably check to see if he could get credit for that and graduate early."

"Will you shut up, James. Our children certainly don't need to know you got me up the duff while we were still at school."

Harry took a quick look around to make sure the platform was completely empty. His birth was controversial enough at the time the last thing the family needed was all news being dredged up again. Unfortunately, his parents didn't seem to care they were in public.

"Then you probably shouldn't have taught them math, Lil's. Besides, it's not a big deal we were married; its not like Harry is a bastard."

"For goodness sakes, James. Do you want to be a grandfather by forty? Stop putting ideas in our children's heads."

Children certainly hadn't crossed Harry's mind before that point, but he hoped the conversation was a long way off. At the very least, he wanted to finish his studies and establish his work before contemplating heirs.

"I don't think you want me to answer that."

His father was smirking, forcing his mother to shake her head before turning and looking straight at Harry.

"Harry, please don't be like me and fall in love with an idiot. The happiness isn't worth the headache."

Without thinking, he responded.

"I'm sure Miss Greengrass won't be anything like father."

His mother stopped dead. Seemingly having forgotten about the arrangement being reminded of it was a shock.

"I'm sorry, Harry. That was in poor taste of me. I just wish the best for you. A mother's only wish is healthy and happy babies."

Harry wasn't sure how to respond or even if he should respond. The marriage agreement didn't bother him the way it clearly did his parents. He was fine with it when he heard it and even more assured when he met Daphne briefly at Madam Malkin's. She was different, intriguing, and not horrible to look at.

Unfortunately, his parents had more romantic notions about marriage partners. They were so happy together it was hard for them to understand that not everyone needed or wanted that. Harry was almost certain he wasn't capable of loving someone the way his parents loved each other.

"We probably shouldn't hold Harry up to long; he did want to be here so early so he could settle in." His father sounded dejected while his just mother nodded. Neither one was happy with his ease given the situation.

Monty stepped forward and gave Harry an awkward hug. "Try not to be to big of a nerd, alright? I'm going to be joining you in a few years, and it might effect my reputation."

Soon as Monty moved away, Orchid jumped into his arms and squeezed him tight. She was getting older, and so he stumbled a bit to catch her. "I'm going to miss you, Harry. Promise you'll write me every day, okay?"

He smiled. "How about once a week?"

"Every. Single. Day." She seemed quite resolute in her request, so he decided to try and take advantage of her empathy for animals.

"Hedwig would get worn out flying back and forth so much."

She sucked in her bottom lip into a pout as she scrunched up her eyebrows. "Fine. Once a week, but you have to bring Daphne home at Christmas so we can meet your girlfriend."

"Umm, I'm not sure if that will be possible. It's not in the agreement, but I'll try to ask." He was almost positive the answer would be a resounding 'no,' but he would try for his sister's sake. Thankfully, she seemed mollified by his answer and surrendered him from her hold.

His father approached next. He gave Harry a strong hug and a pat on the back. "Don't be to good, and remember, if you're sorted into Slytherin, I'll disown you."

"James!" His mother pulled his father away and grabbed Harry's hand. "You're fathers only joking. We'll love you just the same no matter the house you're sorted into; you'll always be our son." She wrapped her arms around him so tight he could barely breathe, and he was afraid she might break a rib. "I love you so much, Harry."

His family departed as he entered the train. He knew from 'Hogwarts A History' that the carriages were all separated by year, and students in their first year sat in the second-to-last carriage. With the final carriage being set aside for both the head boy and girl as well as any faculty aboard. With that in mind, he quickly made his way towards the back.

When he arrived at the appropriate carriage, he chose the last compartment, hoping to avoid as many people as possible. Before setting his trunk on the rack above, he pulled out his copy of 'Hogwarts A History' to review as well as some ginger root from his potion kit in case he got nauseous. For the next hour, he quietly read to himself.

About thirty minutes before the train was set to depart on knock came at the compartment door. Harry looked up to see Neville, who was grinning as he entered. The sandy blonde-haired boy was wearing grey trousers with a black turtleneck.

He was hauling a trunk and a carrier that contained a brown-furred crup inside of it. He threw the trunk atop the overhead rack with ease before taking the seat across from Harry and gently placing the carrier between them both.

"Hello, Harry. How was the rest of your summer?"

Harry carefully closed his book. "It was productive; I've already read through several of our school texts. Is that a crup? I wasn't aware they were allowed as pets at Hogwarts."

Neville's grin grew even wider. "My Gran is on the board of governors and got me special permission to bring my crup. His name is Trevor. I ain't allowed to take him out until I'm in my dorm, though, 'cause they like to cause mischief."

As Harry went to take a closer look at the puppy-like creature, the compartment door slid open again. Susan, Hannah, and Ernie all came in as a group. Neville shot up to help them load there trunks and gave them all a hug. Harry tried to shrink as close to the window as possible in the hopes they would forget about him.

Hannah sat down beside him and Susan beside her. Neville sat back down across from Harry. Ernie flopped down next to Neville, kicking his feet up on the seat. "So, Nev, how many Falcon's games did you make it to?"

"Only three mum took me to France for a couple weeks to visit my cousins."

"Those cousins?" Ermine asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Yes, but I remind you they're my cousins, and the Longbottoms aren't those kind of purebloods."

Susan groaned. "You're so gross, Ernie; how would you like it if Nev talked about your cousins like that?"

"My cousins are trolls; his are veela. There's a big difference."

"They're only a quarter veela mate, and they're no different than regular witches. Lay off, mate, so I don't have to defend their honour."

Ernie raised his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. No need to draw wands." He turned to the girls. "How about you ladies? Did you do anything fun?"

"No, I was stuck back at home with my little brothers. It was apparently important for us to bond before I left for school. It was so boring, and I will scream if I have to hear anything about quidditch or gobstones for at least a week." Susan ranted.

Ernie turned to Hannah. "What about you, Blondie?"

Hannah gave him the two-finger salute. "Just helped my mum in the pub and hung out with Mikey." Mikey was Hannah's twin brother who was born a squib and couldn't attend Hogwarts. Harry had a picture of the three of them in diapers sitting on the floor of the cottage in Godric's Hollow. It had probably been three years since he saw the boy last.

"How is Michael? What is he going to be doing?" Neville asked. He was always the attentive friend.

"He's going to stay with Uncle Tom in Diagon City; he'll go to MIM's in the mornings and help out at the Leaky in the afternoon." There was a definite titch of sadness in Hannah's voice while talking about being separated from her brother.

"MIM's?" Ernie was puzzled by the acronym.

"The Muggleborn Institute of Magic. It offers courses for squibs." Hannah supplied.

The four friends continued their conversation discussing their summers and excitement for Hogwarts while Harry faded quietly into the corner, reading his book and chewing on some ginger root. If he was lucky, they would just forget he was there.

Daphne awkwardly dragged her school trunk out of the floo. The charms made the trunk lighter, but they didn't make it any less cumbersome, and as a result, she had already bashed her shins three times. She was cursing herself for refusing her father's assistance because she wanted to prove her independence.

Her parents were standing with Astoria off to the side, out of the way of the floos. Daphne quickly made her way over to them. This time when her father offered to help with the trunk, she allowed him the honour, and then as a family they left the floo chamber.

The platform was crowded with scores of families seeing their children or siblings off. It was a lot to take in with the steam billowing overhead, the slight whistle of the engine, and the smell of the coal burning. People of all ages were laughing, crying, hugging, and going about their lives.

When they got nearer to the train, her father stopped and turned around to face her. "I swear it was only a few weeks ago that I held you in my arms for the first time, and now already I'm sending you off to Hogwarts. You are growing up far to fast for my liking, Queenie. Are you sure you want to leave us? It's not to late to arrange homeschooling."

Daphne briefly panicked, worried that her father was being serious instead of just sentimental. She had been dreaming of going to Hogwarts for as long as she could remember. It felt cruel that you could not attend until you were thirteen; eleven felt like a much more appropriate age, but that wasn't how the world worked.

"You're scaring our daughter Daedric; she's probably picturing you locking her away in her room until she's thirty."

Instantly in her mind's eye, Daphne became Rapunzel, locked away in a tall tower. She ran her fingers through her hair, imagining what it would look like forty feet long. Then she thought about how long it would take to brush every day and how she had enough split ends as it was already.

"Queenie knows I'd never be so cruel. She'd be allowed to walk about the manor and visit the horses as long as she stayed under the wards."

Daphne rolled her eyes and smiled at her father.

"Please don't use that name where people can hear you. The last thing I want is to attract some silly nickname before I even start school. Though I do appreciate that you would still let me see my horses, it's quite benevolent of you."

"Daphne, my darling, there are much worse names to be called than a queen. In fact, when I was in Slytherin, all the girls wanted to be called the queen. It meant you ruled over the house." The wistfulness with which her mother spoke, Daphne was almost certain that Seraphine Selwyn was once known as the queen of Slytherin.

"Please, mum, Daphne would hate Slytherin; she's much more suited as a Puff." Astoria quipped, insuring wasn't forgotten.

"Take that back; I'd rather die than be A Hufflepuff." Daphne glared at her younger sister, the threat clear in her voice.

Astoria just doubled down. "I'll be sure to make arrangements for your funeral then, my Hufflepuff sister."

"Enough you two. There's nothing to be worried about; certainly my daughter will be a Ravenclaw like her father." Their father stepped in before the fight turned ugly between the sisters. Neither of whom were above hair pulling and name-calling.

"I'm not certain, dear; she has always favoured the colour red. Perhaps we have raised ourselves a brave little lion? Though part of me does hope she ends up in Slytherin."

It was very clear to Daphne that her parents held certain biases about certain Hogwarts houses. They were both hoping she would be sorted into their alma mata. Perhaps it would be best if she was in neither so one couldn't gloat over the other. Though Astoria was certain to be snake, the conniving little witch she was. If Daphne went to Ravenclaw, she could gain some favour with her father.

"As long as I'm not Hufflepuff, I really couldn't be bothered. Though mother is right about the colours, I wouldn't mind wearing red and gold."

Her father placed his hands on her shoulders. "Whatever house you're in truly doesn't matter; we'll always be proud of you, daughter. Your mother and I love you, and we are going to miss you dearly."

Daphne surged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her father's waist and burying her face in his chest. She didn't let herself speak, as she knew if she did, her dreaded stutter would reappear like it did every time she got emotional.

The second she let go of her father, her mother pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Please don't forget to write, dear. Even if it's dreadfully dull, we want to hear from you."

Daphne nodded as she pulled away. Standing just off to the side, looking uncomfortable with all the emotion, was Astoria. She reached out her hand, and Astoria jumped at her, pulling them together into a tight embrace. Daphne was going to miss her sister most of all, even if half the time she couldn't stand the little brat.

"Don't worry, Dorthy I'm just getting the school ready for your arrival."

"Please, Queenie. I'm going to pretend I don't know you next year; being related to Hufflepuff would be damaging to my reputation."

It was nearly eleven when she finally got on the train. She had entered at the wrong carriage and had to awkwardly drag her trunk past the majority of the older students. The first-year students all stayed in the second-to-last carriage, so it was a long walk from the front where she had entered.

The train was already moving by the time she arrived. Almost every compartment was already full, with the exception of one with only four girls, none of whom she recognized. Perhaps it would be a good time to make friends with some strangers who had never heard her stutter before.

"Greengrass, where are you going? Join us." Daphne turned to see Pansy Parkinson waving her over to the compartment just on her left.

She winced. Of all the witches she had been forced to spend time with growing up, Pansy was the worst. Her father, Peter Parkinson, raised acromantulas to harvest their silk, which was an extraordinarily profitable endeavour. The result was a pug-nosed, spoiled brat who wore a high-end cocktail dress to what would be considered a casual engagement like a train ride.

Reluctantly, Daphne entered the compartment and instantly recognized Tracey Davies, who was the daughter of Jonas Davies, a liege lord to her family. They owned both a tree farm and the mill in Appleby. Daphne had attended school with Tracy since they were young, so she was quite familiar with her. Tracy was wearing a yellow summer dress that brought out auburn in her hair nicely.

Sitting next to Tracey wearing a white sleeveless blouse and straight black skirt was Parvati Patil. Daphne's parents did a lot of business importing potions and ingredients from India; that was all done through Parvati's father, Sahil Patil. Almost any time either family had hosted a party of any sort, the two of them would see each other.

The other two girls Daphne didn't recognize.

Pansy sat down next to a large girl with broad shoulders and a square jaw. Her hair was thin and mousy brown, cut short at the shoulders. She had a strangely dainty nose and gentle blue eyes that seemed to fit with the girl's quiet demeanour. She was wearing a grey jumper under denim overalls.

Pansy gestured at the girl. "This is Millicent Bulstrode; her father owns the docks in Ballycastle, and her grandfather is Lord Bulstrode."

"It's nice to meet you, Millicent; I'm Daphne Greengrass." Daphne gave on odd curtsy out of habit when she greeted the girl.

"Ai, you can call me Millie; only ma' mum calls me Millicent." The Irish lint was heavy in her accent.

Parvati sat across from her between Tracey and a girl with brown eyes and dirty blonde hair.

"Daphne, this is my best friend, Lavender Brown. We're neighbours up in Montrose; her father owns the Magpies."

Daphne had to admit Lavender was quite pretty, though a little on the plain side. She wore tight-fitting muggle-style clothes. A plush red jumper with capree jeans and cute black heels. Daphne couldn't help but be envious of that the girls boobs that were much larger than her own nearly nonexistent ones. Lavender was clearly developing much faster than the bulk of their peers.

"Parv tells me you're family owns Appleby; I guess that would make you an Arrows fan?"

"Not exactly. My grandfather is the Earl of Appleby, but his title passes to my uncle or my cousin. My parents just own a few appothecaries and sell potions. It's actually Lord Perks who owns the Arrows I do try to support them when I can but don't follow the league much.

Lavender seemed to be just nodding her head but clearly not fully invested in what Daphne was saying. The girl eagerly waited patiently for Daphne to finish before trying to turn the conversation into something more interesting.

"The sport itself is dreadful, but the players are dishy. I mostly go to games to stare at their bums in their quidditch pants."

All the girls except for herself and Millie burst into giggles. Lavender was clearly singularly focused on boys. Which was abundantly clear when her focus turened towards Tracey.

"Hey Trace, is it true your older brother is quite handsome, or is Parv just making it up?"

Tracey made the gagging motion with her finger. "Ugh, my brother is the worst; I couldn't even fathom what Parvati is talking about. All he does is fart and talk about quidditch with my dad."

"She's just saying that because it's her brother. Pans, Daph. Tell her how dreamy Roger is." Parvati looked towards Daphne, pleading with her eyes to agree with her.

Daphne, however, wouldn't dream of it. "I'm on Tracey's side; Roger is an ape."

Pansy chirped in with a smirk. "Greengrass isn't wrong, but the ape does look good in dress robes."

The giggles started up again.

The conversation continued like that for what felt like hours. Mention of some boy followed by giggling. Daphne had hoped this kind of talk was still a couple years away, but clearly she was out of luck as it monopolized the entirety of the conversation.

"So, Pans, are the rumours true about your family and the Malfoys? Are you intended for their son?" Apparently, aside from boys, gossip was also popular, and Lavender certainly thrived at both.

The irritation was clear on Pansy's face. The topic for her was as tired as it was old and had been going on since the beginning of the summer.

"Ugh, bloody Rita Skeeter and her gossip column. My mother and Lady Malfoy have been close friends since Hogwarts, so there's been talk about it, but it's mostly them being silly. I grew up with Draco; he's practically my brother, so I'd rather not marry him."

Parvati gave the other witch a sympathetic nod before sharing her own woes. "My father said unless I can bag someone who will inherit a Wizengamot seat, he'll marry me off to someone back home in India. Padma has been promised to a boy already, but he'll be moving here once he's done school and training to take over Papa's business."

"Daddy doesn't care as long as I don't try to marry a Quidditch player. Which is awful because that's all I want to do."

Lavender was really the worst.

"Pops is hoping I can seduce Daphne's cousin when I'm older. Though I'm pretty sure Dorian will be married before I'm done school." Daphne was certain that would never happen. Her grandfather wouldn't allow a marriage that wouldn't be advantageous to the family. Dorian had already been scolded when grandfather heard a rumour of Dorian dating a Half-blood.

"I was just told that Grandfather would rather me be a spinster than for me to settle for someone of common blood." Millie added with a shrug.

"Have you been told anything yet Daphne?" Tracey asked curiously.

Daphne froze. She should have realized where the conversation was heading, but she had let her guard down. She was not ready to admit out loud about Harry Potter. These hyenas certainly didn't need to be told so the entire school would know before she even entered the castle.

"I actually think I need the washroom. Excuse me."

"You doing alright, Harry? You're always so quiet." He lifted his head up from his book. Hannah had her hand gently on his shoulder. Her and Susan both looked a little concerned. Out of the corner, he could make out Neville silently warning Ernie not to say anything.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, not sure what to say but desperate to get the attention off of himself. "Yeah, uh, I guess I'm just not a big talker."

Susan gave him a sassy smile. "Ah, the shy quiet type, hey?" She threw in a wink at the end, and Harry wasn't sure what to do with that.

"Uh, I guess." He was feeling off foot.

"Did you write to Daphne? How does she feel about everything?"

He knew Hannah's intentions were meant well, but he was about to have a panic attack. He had to keep reminding himself how to breathe while ignoring the giant weight that was on his chest. He could feel the sweat starting and swore the compartment's temperature had raised several degrees. His eye shifted nervously, and he realized everyone was staring at him.

Neville seemed to realize Harry needed help and came to his rescue. "Come on, girls, leave him alone. We shouldn't pry on others private lives."

"Sorry, Harry. I just wanted to make sure you're doing alright; we know it's a lot, especially so young." Hannah looked sufficiently remorseful, and so did Susan.

Harry calmed and gave them a smile. The panic was quickly receding.

"Thanks Hannah I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine with the whole thing. We don't actually have to marry until after Hogwarts, so we will have plenty of time to figure things out so we don't need to rush."

The two girls both looked like they wanted to disagree with Harry but kept their mouths shut. Ernie took the moment of silence as an opportunity to add his two pence.

"Bit strange, though normally they wait until the girls have their debut in a few years before talks start happening. Makes you think what's wrong with her, yeah?"

Something in Harry snapped at Ernie's words, and he was overcome with the urge to defend Daphne. When Harry spoke, it was in a tone that was unfamiliar to himself; it was filled with strong emotion.

"I assure you there's nothing wrong with Daphne. Obviously I'm the one with something wrong. We all know I'm not exactly normal."

The girls gasped. Neville slapped Ernie across the back of the head and gave him a glare so fierce the Scottish boy didn't even protest to being assaulted.

"Harry, mate, no one thinks there's anything wrong with you or Greengrass. Ernie's just a pillock who likes to yap, yeah?"

Harry glanced between the two other boys and the girls. Everyone looked worried. He centred himself with a deep breath and nodded his head. He just wanted to move past the uncomfortableness and go back to being invisible.

However, that was not to be. Just as things settled down, the door violently burst open, eliciting shrieks and shouts. Harry stumbled to the floor as he tried to pull his wand out of its sheath. He turned his head to see who their assailant was, only to see his honorary cousin beaming down at him.

Nymphadora Tonks stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. She wore tight denim shorts and combat boots that went nearly to her knees. Her shirt was cropped, exposing her belly button, which had a jewled skull pierced through it. The sides of her head were shaved, and what was left was coloured a vibrant, unnatural shade of pink that fell down to her chin, framing the left side of her face.

"There's my favourite cousin! I've been looking for you everywhere for you, Harry. This is the third door I've kicked in, and firsties terrify pretty easily." She looked around the cabin at all their quiet, petrified faces. No one said a word, but Harry shook his head as he got to his feet.

"Perhaps you should have tried knocking?" He knew it was pointless to preach manners to Tonks, but it was pretty much a compulsion for Harry.

Tonks just grinned.

"Where's the fun in that? You know I like to make a memorable entrance. Now introduce me to your friends."

"This is my very distant cousin, Nym." Harry was abruptly cut off.

"Tonks. Just Tonks. And Harry likes to emphasize the distant cousin part because he has a crush on me, but I'm basically his older sister, so it's really kind of gross on Harry's part. Not that I can really blame him; I'm bloody gorgeous."

Harry was certain that his face was beet red as he felt heat rush to his cheeks. Around the cabin, he could hear the muffled sound of giggles. Harry had known Tonks most of his life, primarily because they shared the same godfather, Sirius Black. They were also distantly related through marriage; Harry's Aunt Dorea was born a Black just as Tonks' mother Andromeda was.

When he was younger, Tonks would often watch over Harry and his siblings while their parents socialized. Like many young boys, he developed a silly crush on the babysitter. Perhaps he had also proposed, but he was to young to truly understand what he was asking at the time. Tonks, of course, never let him forget it.

"I was only seven for goodness sakes!" Harry defended weakly.

Tonks wasn't having it.

"Oh, don't pretend, Harry. I know why you put a pillow on your lap when you come over for movie night. It's also just coincidence that all the beach photos of me from our trip to France last summer mysteriously disappeared after you came to visit."

The cabin stopped trying to suppress their giggles as they all burst out laughing at his expense. Harry burried his face in his hands. He couldn't think of anything to defend himself, besides saying he thought he was being more discreet than he had been.

"Don't none of you start teasing Harry. I know all you boys hide photos underneath their mattresses, just the same as how I know the first charm all young witches want to teach themselves."

The blushes spread across the entire compartment, and the laughter quickly stopped.

Susan used the brief silence to quickly change the subject. "Don't you work at the Auror office?"

Tonks nodded. "I interned there the last two summers. I'm starting my last year at Hogwarts. Should have been named Head Girl, but it's all political, and there's a rampant bias against Puff's on the voting committee. You won't convince me it's not all just rampant nepotism or that Abigail MacDougall isn't just a wet sack of flour."

"Don't even get me started on Michael Flint being named headboy. He's a horrible bully, especially to those who's family hold no titles. That's just Slytherin House in general; from what I hear, they like to roleplay like they're on the Wizengamot."

This seemed to peak Hannah's interest, who quickly inquired. "What can you tell us about the houses?"

"Well, obviously, Hufflepuff is the best of them. Everyone is pretty chill and sticks together, and we're right by the kitchens, so its to grab a snack. Ravenclaw is uber competitive about everything, not just grades, and they can be dicks if you fall behind on anything. Gryffindor's are good for a party or a laugh, mostly jocks though and super cliquey. They bully almost as bad as the Slytherins, sometimes worse, and I already told you about the house of bigots."

"Honestly, though the house stuff doesn't matter to much if you ask me, some take it seriously. We all share classes and extracurriculars together anyways, so we spend a lot of time with everyone. There is also not much to do in the dorms besides sit around and sleep. Though I am a Hufflepuff, so maybe my opinions are skewed on the matter."

The teenagers all nodded their heads, intrigued to get a more honest and in-depth opinion on Hogwarts and its houses.

"You all got the look of puffs, except for Harry. He's a swot, so he is definitely going to be a claw. Though his parents were both in Gryffindor, so that might just throw him in there as a legacy placement." Tonks reached out and ruffled Harry's hair much to his annoyance.

"I'm actually hoping for Gryffindor. It was my father's house." Neville stared at Tonks, ready for the older witch to refute him.

Tonks shrugged. "You got the look off a Gryff and the attitude, that's for sure, but I can tell that you're loyal to a fault, and that's all Puff."

Neville relaxed. They then all started discussing houses and asking Tonks questions about Hogwarts. Harry stayed silent for the most part but listened in on the conversation. Eventually Tonks grew tired of hanging with teenagers and made her escape after messing up Harry's hair one last time. He was forced to follow her out so he could fix his hair in the washroom.

Daphne splashed water on her face. She had no desire to return to her cabin. If she told them about the arrangement her family made, it would make it real, and she was firmly in the camp of pretending it was not. She took another moment to collect herself before exiting the bathroom, only to collide with someone the second she left, knocking her down on her bum.

She looked up to see the last person she ever wanted to see. Harry-Stinking-Potter. Oddly, he was already dressed in his school uniform and plain black robes. Daphne hated that she found that somewhat endearing. Obviously, it just meant that he was an overly eager swot.

"I'm so sorry, Daphne... Miss Greengrass. I should of been paying more attention to where I was walking." His words were sincere and sweet, and the prat even had the audacity to offer her his hand to help her up.

Daphne, however, wasn't some damsel to be rescued or some debutant for him to charm with his chivarous whiles. She smacked his hand aside and helped herself to her feet, determined to give him a piece of her mind. However, the light hit his eyes just right, making them sparkle, and she completely lost her train of thought.

"I wanted to apologize to you about running away the other day. It was cowardly of me. You just looked like you were going to yell at me and I panicked. This whole situation honestly just makes me anxious and panicky."

He offered her the most awkward smile she had ever seen, and so help her if it wasn't kind of adorable in an infuriating way.

"Look, Potter. As far as I'm concerned, I have no obligations to you until after we both graduate. Until then, I hope to pretend the arrangement doesn't exist. So I really see no reason we need to even talk to each other before then."

"Oh. I just was hoping we could get to know each other and perhaps be friends, but I understand and will respect your wishes." He sounded quite downtrodden.

She hated the look of hurt on his face.

"I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I've looked forward to attending Hogwarts for years. I want to discover who I am and be independent for once in my life. My life may one day be yours, but I am determined to be my own person for as long as I possibly can." Daphne was as honest and sincere as she could be and was hopeful he would understand where she was coming from.

He seemed to be puzzling it over in his head before carefully sorting out his reply. "I never thought of it like that, but I'll give you your space. Enjoy the rest of the train ride."

Daphne watched him saunter off. Strangely, she missed his company even though she had just fought against having it. Clearly she was a very complex young witch.

Harry made his way down the path from the station to the docks. It felt wrong to leave belongings behind on the train, and for some reason he kept checking his pockets as if his trunk would be there. The absurdity of his thought process was not lost on him.

"First years over 'ere!"

Harry looked up ahead to see the biggest man he had ever seen in his life. It was one thing to hear about a half-giant and entirely another to actually see one. His parents had mentioned Hagrid to him plenty of times, but Harry's imagination hadn't done the man justice. He was nearly twice Harry's height, at least three times his size.

When they got to the docks, there were a dozen small wooden boats, each with a lantern hanging from the front. There were two older students Harry assumed were prefects helping Hagrid organize all the first years onto the boats in groups of four. Harry held back in the hopes he could grab a boat with fewer people on it.

It didn't take long for them to fill up. The two older students both got on separate boats with three first years each. There was just one boat left, and only Harry and Hargrid left.

"Alright, you two with me."

At that point, Harry looked behind him and cursed. Standing there looking pale was Daphne. He was meant to be avoiding her, and now it would look like he had deliberately waited so he could ride on a boat with her.

"I don't do well on buh-buh-boats." Her voice was so shaky that she had a small stutter. Looking into her eyes, it was clear she was terrified. Even though he was certain she would curse him for it, he tried to ease her nerves.

"It's only a short trip across the lake, and you never have to do it again. You'll be alright." He offered a small smile that was hopefully reassuring but probably just looked as awkward as he felt.

Daphne looked at him for a second; she seemed grateful, but the second she registered, it was Harry speaking with her. She scowled. "Whatever you're attempting won't work. I'm not a damsel to be wooed by your kind words. Just get on the darn boat and don't speak another word."

Harry, sufficiently scolded, just nodded his head. Saying anything more would just get him in more trouble. He was about to turn back towards the boat when he heard Hagrid call out.

"No doddling; I don't wanna be late."

Harry scurried forward quickly as Hagrid went to get on the very small boat. Harry seriously hoped that they were charmed not to sink. He doubted a boat that size could float without magic when carrying a man Hagrid's size.

Soon as the half-giant put one foot on the boat, it sank down a half-foot. When he was all the way in the boat, it dipped down briefly before raising itself up again. Harry released the breath he was holding, feeling truly grateful for magic.

He followed Hagrid's lead and stepped onto the boat. He turned to see Daphne was shaking as she tried to get on the boat. Harry offered his hand to help her on and was shocked when she accepted it without protest. Slowly Harry guided her down; the second her second foot touched the boat, her legs gave out, and she fell into Harry's arms. Harry managed to stay on his feet as he caught her. He looked down at her, concerned. There was something clearly not right.

On it's own, the boat began to move following the procession of boats away from Hogsmeade and towards the castle. Harry found it soothing—the gentle rocking of the boat and fresh lake air breezing through his air.

"Oh, god."

Daphne fell forward on her knees so she could stick her head over the side of the boat and made a wretching noise. Vomit spewed from her lips at an alarming velocity. A strange sound started in her stomach and escaped through her throat that sounded like a wounded animal crying out, and she started vomiting again.

"There's always one that gets a little sick, poor lass."

Instinctively, Harry kneeled beside her and held her hair back to keep it out of her face and out of the way of her vomit. With his free hand, he made gentle, soothing circles on her back. He would often do the same thing when his younger sister got sick.

As the boats banked to the right, a chorus of ooohs and awes broke out. Harry looked up to see the castle come into view. All the windows were glowing with warm light. It truly was breath-taking seeing the castle for the first time like this.

He looked back down to see that Daphne had finished vomiting, but her eyes were closed and she was clutching her stomach. Her lips were moving slightly, but it was hard to tell if she was trying to mumble something or was just humming.

Harry pulled a piece of ginger root from his pocket and offered it to Daphne. "You should chew on this; it will help with the sickness and, uh, your breath." When she blinked at him confused, he added. "It's ginger."

Daphne shakily took the piece and brought it first to her nose, giving it a quick sniff before gingerly popping it into her mouth. After a couple minutes, just as the boats were starting to dock in the boathouse, she seemed to be getting better.

When they docked, Hagrid got out first and quickly made his way to the front, past all the other students. Harry pulled himself onto the dock and turned around, offering Daphne his hand. She accepted without any complaint, and he pulled her up onto the dock beside him.

She looked at him, and he swore that she had smiled at him, though briefly. A moment later, however, it was gone, and now her face was full of curiosity. "Why do you have ginger root in your pocket?"

A small chuckle escaped Harry, and he scratched the back of his neck. "I got really anxious this morning on the train and started feeling sick, so I took some out of my potions kit."

"What would make you so anxious that you almost threw up?" The slight hint of worry in her voice he found encouraging.

"I'm just not great at new situations or having to socialize. I'm probably going to develop an ulcer our first week here."

Daphne broke out into a laugh; she had a grin on her face, and her whole body shook slightly. She sounded a bit like a niffler with a pouch full of sickles. Harry couldn't help but feel warmed by the sound and how it made everything seem lighter.

In her enthusiasm, she let out a snort, and Harry chuckled only to realize she had completely stopped laughing. The look in her eyes was enough to silence Harry. The brief moment between them was gone, and it was clear he was once again the enemy.

"None of this happened. Not the sea sickness, not the vomit, and I certainly didn't snort. Are we understood?"

The look on her face scared him a tiny bit.

"Of course, I would never try to embarrass you."

"Good, because nothing happened, so there was nothing for me to be embarrassed about. We went on a boat; we saw the castle; it was all very pretty, and now we're here. End of the story, and I'll talk to you when we graduate."

Harry watched as Daphne joined up with their peers, heading towards a winding set of stairs that climbed the side of the cliff and led to the castle. Feeling quite dejected, he slowly followed while making sure to stay at the back. He hoped she would change her mind or it wouldn't be a very good next seven years.

AUTHOR NOTES

Thank you everyone for reading. The sorting is next chapter. You can help the hat by voting for which house Harry & Daphne get sorted into at .com.