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-- (Hogwarts Express, Somewhere in Northern U.K.) --

“Mind if I join you? Everywhere else if full.” Said the Ginny’s brother, Ron.

“Sure.” Harry and Hermione said in unison before bursting into fits of laughter again.

“I’m Ron by the way, Ron Weasley.”

“I’m Hermione Granger and this is…”

“Harry, Harry Potter. I believe we’ve already meet.”

Ron jaw dropped and he paled.

“Rea…Really? When Ginny said…I thought she was…Really?”

“Yep.”

“I’m…ahh…sorry for…ahh…blowing up on you but…ahh…well what’s a bloke to do when he sees someone holding his sisters hand?”

“It’s totally understandable mate. I would have done the same if I was in your position. She was just showing me how to get onto the platform nothing else.”

“Yeah well…um…sorry.”

“Apology accepted.”

The compartment door slid open again, Ron’s brothers (the twins) and a toad entered.

“Well if it isn’t…”

“Ickle Ronniekins.”

“Looks like…”

“you have found…”

“a compartment after all.”

They said.

“Oi, Gred, is that not the kid who was holding Gin-Gins hand.”

“It sure is Forge.”

“Gin-Gin?” Harry laughed. “I don’t think she would like you calling her that.”

“Yeah well…”

“we don’t like it…”

“when little punks…”

“who we don’t even know…”

“tell us what to…”

“call our baby sister…”

“or hold her hand…”

“for that matter.”

“So who are you?”

“And don’t try to…”

“pull that crap…”

“that Ginny tried…”

“about you being the…”

“bloody-boy-who-lived.”

Harr y just smiled and pulled back his hair revealing his lighting bolt shaped scare. The twin’s, like Ron, paled and began to stammer their apologies. Harry bent down and picked up the toad.

The compartment door opened yet again.

“Have any of you seen a toad? I’ve seemed to have lost mine.”

Harry extending his hand that was firmly gripping the toad.

“Trevor! Thank you so much.”

“No problem.”

Then Fred said “We would…”

“love to stay…”

“and chat…”

“but Lee is…”

“waiting for…”

“us down in…”

“his compartment.”

“See-yah” They finished together.

After Fred and George had left, introductions were exchanged. Neville, to Harry’s relief, didn’t think much of his famous (or infamous as Harry thought of it) title. Ron took his Wizards Chest set from his trunk. Harry and Hermione were surprised when they learned that no physical contact with the pieces was required to play. Harry heard Hermione mutter something about the game being “totally barbaric” when she found out that once a piece was defeated by another pieces, it was pounded into a pile of rubble. After Ron had trounced Neville three times in thirty minutes, Harry thought it was time to relieve him from yet another crushing and humiliating defeat. To everyone in the compartments surprise, Harry beat Ron in five minutes flat only to beat him another six times before he, due to his superior chess playing skills, made Ron swear that he had given up Wizards Chess for life. It was about that time that the food trolley came around and Harry, with the gold from his vault that his parents had left him, bought a round of food and candy including Bertie Bots Every Flavored Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and various other sweets for everyone. Hermione, her parents being dentist, was reluctant at first to have anything with sugar in or on it (which was practically everything Harry had bought) but soon caved in due to hunger. Ron then went on to explain the significance of his “pathetic” rat.

“Fred gave me a spell to turn him yellow. You want to see?” He said eagerly.

Everyone nodded their heads and told him to proceed.

“Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.”

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

“Are you sure that’s a real spell?” Hermione questioned him. “Well, it’s not very good, is it then? I’ve tried a few simple spells just for practice and they have all worked for me. For example…” she said pulling out her wand and aiming it at Harry’s face. Harry leaned back, fear and surprise evident in his eyes. Hermione just smiled and said calmly “Reparo.”

The tape on Harry’s glasses rolled up and disappeared. Harry took off his glasses to examine them. It was as if they were completely brand new.

“There that’s better, isn’t it?” Hermione asked.

“Yeah, much better. Thanks.” Harry replied with smile.

At that moment the compartment door opened and a blonde haired boy followed by what appeared to be Dudley’s twin brothers entered the already crowded compartment. The blonde haired kid surveyed the occupants of the compartment. His eyes passed onto each person before coming to rest on Harry and stayed there, his eyes fixed upon his scar. After a moment he finally spoke.

“Is it true?” the boy said slowly and suspiciously “They are saying all up and down the train that Harry Potter is in this compartment. So my question to you is, is it true? Are you Harry Potter? The-Boy-Who-Lived? The One who defeated the Dark Lord?”

“Yes.” Harry said calmly.

“This is Crabbe and this is Goyle,” he said pointing to his bodyguards. “And as for me, the names Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.”

At this Ron snorted with laughter.

“You think my name is funny then do you?” he spat at Ron. “No need to ask your name. Judging by your red hair, freckles, and those worthless, hand-me-downs you call robes, I’d say you were a Weasley.” Turning back to Harry he said. “You soon find out that some Wizarding Families are better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go messing around with the wrong sort. I can help you there.” He said extending his hand out.

“I think I can figure out the wrong sort for myself, thanks.” Harry replied once again calmly rejecting Malfoy’s extended hand.

“You’ve mad a powerful enemy here today, Potter.” Malfoy said threateningly as he pulled his hand back.

“Yeah, yeah I’m sure I have.” Harry said lazily before shutting the door and locking it.

-- (Train station not far from the Village of Hogsmeade) --

“Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here!” Hagrid yelled out as they stepped off the train. “All right there, Harry?”

Hagrid’s big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

“C’mon, follow me — any more firs’ years? Mind yer step, now! Firs’ years follow me!”

-- (Great Hall, Hogwarts Castle) --

The first years walked into the Great Hall looking around in wonder. Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder and pointed at the ceiling.

“It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside.” Harry informed Ron. “I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.”

Hermione beamed at him “So you’ve read it to then?”

Harry blushed as he said “I told you I was a bookworm.”

Hermione giggled.

Harry quickly looked down again. He looked up just as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard’s hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn’t have even touched it with a thirty-nine and a half inch long, Harry mused.

All if a suddenly fear gripped him. Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of things- noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth- and the hat began to sing:

“Oh, you may not think I’m pretty,
But don’t judge on what you see,
I’ll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat then me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
The Sorting Hat can’t see
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You may belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
An unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you’ve a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You’ll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don’t be afraid!
And don’t get in a flap!
You’re in safe Hands (though I have none)
For I’m a Thinking Cap!”

“So all we have to do is try on the bloody hat?” Ron whispered angrily at Harry. “I’m going to kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll.”

Harry smiled weakly as Hermione told him off for his colorful language and barely caught Ron muttering about hoping that she wasn’t in his house because she was mental or something. Yes, he thought, trying on a hat was much better than doing some complicated spell or daring stunt, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking a lot; Harry didn’t feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

“When I call your name, you’ll sit on the stool and I shall place the hat on your head so that you may be sorted,” she said. “Abbott, Hannah!”

A pink-face girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line. Professor McGonagall put the hat on, which fell right down over her eyes. A moment’s pause-

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

The table to the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.

“Bones, Susan!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!” shouted the hat again and Susan went to go sit by Hannah.

“Boot, Terry!”

“RAVENCLAW!”

The table from the left clapped this time.

“Brocklehurst, Mandy” went to Ravenclaw too, but “Brown, Lavender” became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far side left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron’s twin brothers cat-calling.

“Bulstrode, Millicent” then became a Slytherin.

“Finch-Fletchley, Justin!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

“Finnigan, Seamus”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

“Granger, Hermione!”

“GRYFFINDOR!” the hat shouted. Ron groaned.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle went to Slytherin, all of them looking pleased.

There weren’t many people left now.

“Moon”…, “Nott”…, “Parkinson”…, then a pair of twin girls, “Patil” and “Patil”…, and then, at long last-

“Potter, Harry!”

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

“Potter, did she say?”

“The Harry Potter?”

Harry walked over to the stool but before the hat even touched his head it screamed, “GRYFFINDOR!”

The hall was silent for a moment. No one had ever been sorted that quickly. Then all of a suddenly Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and another kid Harry didn’t recognize started clapping and cheering, or in the twins case, chanting “WE GOT POTTER!” as loudly as they could. Just as they had started, they were soon joined by the entire house. Harry grinned widely and ran over to his house table were he was greeted, or again in the twins case, tackled and given noggies (if I’ve spelt this wrong let me know so I can change it.) After Harry, there were a few more kids sorted. Three to Hufflepuff, one to Slytherin, four to Ravenclaw, and six to Gryffindor, but Harry didn’t pay much attention to that. He just barely paid attention the Headmaster, Ablus P. W. B. Dumbledore, announcements, but just enough to get him worried about the Headmaster’s state-of-mind. Towards the end he expressed these concerns to Percy Weasley, Ron’s older brother, asking if Dumbledore was mad. Percy replied that Dumbledore was one of the greatest and most brilliant wizards of all time. This set Harry’s mind at ease until Percy admitted that yes Dumbledore, as brilliant as he was, was a bit mad. They then left the Great Hall, were escorted to the Gryffindor Common Room, and went up to his dorm room that he shared with Ron, Neville, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan. And for the first time in his life, got a good night’s sleep. His last thought that passed through his head was: He was home.

-- (Transfiguration, Classroom #209, 8:07 A.M. Monday September 4th) --

Harry and Hermione were sitting together reading up on the theory of turning a pin needle into a match. A cat was sitting on the desk, it’s tail hanging off the side, swinging absentmindedly, when all of the sudden the door burst open and in came, wheezing and gasping, Neville and Ron who made there way to the front of the class to where Harry and Hermione sat, the only two seats left empty in the classroom to Ron’s dismay.
Harry and Hermione shook there heads and returned to there work.

As they came closer and caught there breathe Ron said.

“Great! She’s not here yet.”

“Yeah,” Neville replied “can you imagine Professor McGonagall face if she knew we were late.”

As if on cue, the cat leaped off the desk and in mid-air transfigured into the form of there Professor and Head of House.

Ron and Neville gaped at her before Ron was able to choke out “That was bloody brilliant Professor”

“Why thank you Mr. Weasley but compliments do not excuse tardiness. Five points each from Gryffindor. Perhaps I should transfigure you or Mr. Longbottom into a pocket watch, then at least one of you would be on time.” She said sternly.

“Sorry Professor,” Neville said nervously. “we got lost.”

“Well then perhaps a map would be a better suit. I’m sure you don’t need one to find your seats.” She replied.

Ron and Neville quickly sat down.

Other than the beginning, the rest of the class went rather well. Harry thought it was going to be a good until they had Potions which was taught by Professor Snape. During the lesson Harry got the distinct impression that Snape was out to get him. When he got every question, that his professor asked him, right, Snape docked points from Gryffindor because Harry was being an “insufferable Know-It-All”. Harry glared at the Professor who was daring Harry with his eyes to argue. As there eyes locked, Harry began to see flashes of an older looking him and a young, greasy haired boy be humiliated in front of the whole school. Another black haired kid stood besides the older version of Harry laughing along with the audience that had appeared to watch the show. It was with great horror that Harry recognized at least to of the kids. One was obviously Snape. As for the other, well Hagrid had once told him that he looked just like his dad expect for his eyes. Harry had green eyes, while the boy causing Snape’s pants to fall off had hazel eyes.

Snape saw the horrorified look on Harry’s face and frowned.

“P-p-professor?” Harry asked hesitantly.

“What is it Potter?” Snape sneered.

“May I speak to you after class…alone?”

“And why, may I ask, do you think you are worthy of more time than I am forced to permit you already?” Snape questioned.

“It’s…it’s about Snivellus, sir.”

It was Snape’s turn to have his eyes widen in fear.

“Class dismissed! Everyone but Potter out!” he snarled.

The students weren’t sure what to do at first.

“NOW!” he roared.

Faster than a blink of an eye, the room was empty. Harry was completely alone with someone on the verge of exploding. Murder clearly evident in his eyes.

Whipping out his wand he asked in a low hiss “Who told you about that?”

“N-no one.” Harry stammered.

“LIAR! TELL ME THE TRUTH BOY!” Snape roared.

“I TOLD YOU NO ONE!” Harry yelled back.

“We’ll see about that!” Snape proclaim. “Legilimens!” he yelled.

The force of the spell hit him full on. Harry’s skull felt like it would explode and he stumbled backwards. Flashes of his life flew in front of his eyes. He was four, hugging himself in the cupboard under the stairs as thunder boomed out side. He was six, the Dursley had taken him on a vacation with them and he was drowning in the lake while they just watched and laughed. He was eight, Uncle Vernon was beating him and calling him a freak. He was nine, Dudley’s gang were beating him up. Earlier in class, he was witnessing his father torturing Snape. No, Harry thought, you have no right to see those.

Harry’s eyes began to glow. A golden light started to emanate from him; the air was crackling around them. Harry limply raised his had before it, in a quick movement snapped up, palm facing Snape. All of a suddenly Harry’s eye’s darkened into a deep venomous green and his hair phased back and forth between black and yellow. Snape’s mental assault was stopped dead. With lighting fast speed Harry struck a counter attack.

Though Snape was a great Occulmens, he was no match for his own attack to be thrown back at him with ten times the strength. Harry witnessed many more of Snape’s less than “happy” memories from when he went to Hogwarts as a child before…

“Harry! What are you doing!?!” a scared voice cried out.

Harry turned to face who ever it was that called him. It was Ron and Hermione. Instantly he lifted spell from his professor who was staring at him. Dumbstruck. Harry was exhausted and fell to his knees and was panting hard from a near magical backlash. Ron and Hermione ran over to Harry and knelt down besides him. They stayed silent for a few minutes as Harry and Snape were trying to compose themselves and get over their worst memories.

“The only way you could have seen that, is if you are a Legilimens.” Snape stated. “A natural Legilimens I would assume. Tell me have you ever seen flashes like the ones you saw today, before? Memories that seemed to have been implanted into your head, but weren’t things you had actually witnessed?”

“Once” Harry said, his voice shaky “when I was five I asked my aunt about my parents, she told me they died in a car crash. When I looked into her eyes I saw Professor Dumbledore telling her they had been murdered.”

Snape summoned two vials from his office. “Make sure he takes this,” he said handing them to Ron and Hermione “it’ll make him feel better and have him take this one before he goes to bed, it’ll allow him to have a dreamless sleep.” He turned to leave them but stopped by the door. He turned his head and muttered just loud enough for them to hear “I’m…I’m sorry” before continuing out the door.


-- (The Quidditch Pitch, Hogwarts Castle) --

“Good morning class and welcome to your first flying lesson. Go stand beside your brooms and say “up.” Come along now.”

The first years walked up besides there brooms and started chanting up. Only Harry was able to get it on first try.

After everyone had gotten a hold of their brooms, Madam Hooch began to give them instructions. While doing so, Neville’s broom lifted off the ground and he began to fly around uncontrollably. He was finally stopped when he ran into the North Tower a hundred yards above the ground and fell the rest of the way, breaking his arm.

“If I see one broom in the air when I get back, you’ll be on the train home before you can say Quidditch.” Madam Hooch warned.

As she left Malfoy picked up the Remeberal that Neville had dropped.

“Maybe if Longbottom had given this a squeeze,” he said. “He would have remembered to fall on his fat arse.”

“Give it back Malfoy.” Harry said warningly.

“Maybe I’ll leave it somewhere for him to find it. How about like on the roof?” He said snidely before taking off on his broom.

Harry made to go after him but Hermione stopped him. “Harry! No way, you heard Madam Hooch. Besides you don’t even know how to fly.”

Harry saw Malfoy wined up to throw and that’s when he took off. Quickly calculating the distance and projectory of the glass ball to determine where it would land. He sped past Malfoy and just as it was about to smash into a tower, he caught it while doing a flip. He tossed it back and forth before he decided to return to his classmates. Little did he know that his Head of House had been watching. As he landed into a crowd of cheering kids, Professor McGonagall came out and told him to follow her. She brought him to meet Oliver Wood, the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team where he was asked to be the Seeker.

That night he sat done to write Ginny a letter. He was a little hesitant at first but finally got it the way he wanted it.

It read:

Dear Ginny,

The first day has been interesting. I was sorted in Gryffindor House along with your bother Ron and a girl I met on the train named Hermione Granger. She and myself have a lot in common. Your brother and Neville Longbottom were late to Transfiguration class this morning. They got a nasty shock when she de-transfigured herself from a cat back into a human. Also I had a really weird Potions class, but I’ll tell you more about that some other time. Oh yeah! Guess what? I made the House Quidditch Team. According to McGonagall I’m the youngest Seeker in a century. Cool huh? Well that’s about it for now. Talk to you later.

~Harry~

-- (Headmaster’s Office of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy) --

“Ah Professor Snape, what brings you to my office. Shouldn’t you be teaching?” asked Professor Dumbledore.

“I let them go early.” Said Snape.

“You? Let a class out early? Not in the eleven years you’ve worked here have you done such a thing.” Said Dumbledore.

“There’s a first time for everything.” Snape mumbled.

“Indeed there is.” Said Dumbledore. “Now tell me, why is it that you are here?”

“About half way into my class, Potter started to act strange. Then asked to talk to me after class.”

“What was it he wanted?”
“That’s what I asked.” Snape said. “He…he said it had to do with Snivellus.”

Dumbledore looked up from what he was writing at this.

“So I told everyone but him to get out.”

Dumbledore groaned. Imagining what came next with the son of Snape’s most hated boyhood enemy left alone in his professor’s class after asking about one of Snape’s worst experiences while he was at Hogwarts.

“Sir this child knows both Occulmency and Legilimency. Not only that but he is a natural. Not even you or myself or the Dark Lord were ever naturals at both. No one since-”

“Godric Gryffindor. Yes I know.” Dumbledore finished for him.