The summer past by in a warm blur, reading old books like they were new and avoiding his relatives like the plague. If there weren't blood wards, Magic always said, they'd be gone in a heartbeat. Today was September 1st, and his heart was pounding in his chest. He felt sick, and afraid, knowing full well the dangers that lurked outside of his home. Albus Dumbledore wanted to use him, Tom Riddle wanted to kill him, and children would crowd him for his money and fame. As he stood outside of King's Cross Station, Ouroboros wrapped securely around his neck, Harry knew he had to be cautious; had to vet his friends, and make sure he didn't make any enemies. And with that thought, he disappeared into the throng of people, intent in his head and anxiety in his stomach.
'There are too many people here Speaker.' Ouroboros whined into his neck, his forked tongue flicking wildly, tickling Harry's skin. The boy, now student, stroked his scales softly, hissing quiet reassurance as he traversed the station. Platform Nine and Three Quarters, obviously not the kind of station a muggle would have. He stopped walking and stood on the bridge over the tracks, looking at the wall between platforms nine and ten. 'There?' He asked his mother, hoping he didn't have to ask someone else for help.
'Aye my son, just walk right through the wall, it's nothing but an illusion.'
Harry looked harder at the wall, and suddenly it looked very off compared to the brickwork around it. Subtle loss of detail made it look very out of place and he was once more bewildered that muggles never noticed anything around them. How oblivious did one need to be? Gripping the handle of his trunk in a clammy hand, and holding the cage to his beautiful snowy owl in the other, Harry went through the wall, and out the other side. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed full of people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts express, 11 o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words Platform nine and three quarters above it. He had done it.
Smoke from the engine had drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of trunks. Harry was thankful his trunk has a featherweight charm on it, carried easily by the boy.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting overseas. Harry slinked through the crowd until near the end, finding an empty compartment right at the back. He tried to push the trunk through the thin door but the corner always got stuck, and years of cramped spacing and small amounts of food left him not strong enough to get it through the door.
'Want a hand?' Asked a tall ginger boy from behind him.
'Yes please!' Harry said, exasperated with the effort of getting it on.
'Oy Fred! C'mere and help!' Another boy, presumably Fred walked over, and it was clear the pair were identical in every conceivable way. With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in the corner of the compartment.
'Thanks,' Harry said, brushing his hair out of his eyes.
'What's that?' said not-Fred, pointing out Harry's lightning scar.
'Blimey,' said Fred, 'Are you?
'He is,' said the other, 'Aren't you?' he added to Harry. Harry nodded quickly, a blush staining his face.
'I'm Fred, that's George,' said not-Fred. Harry raised an eyebrow.
'I thought you were Fred?' Before the could respond, a loud, shrill voice called for the boys, and they ran off the train. Harry sat down in the corner of the compartment, making sure the door was shut behind him. The train started moving, slowly then all at once. It was impressively fast, watching the city disappear behind them in a dizzying blur that hurt Harry's eyes to look at with too much concentration. He had never been on a train before, and the London buses were slow, stopping every five minutes to sort out an old dear with too much shopping for her to carry easily. But there weren't any stops here. From London to Scotland, one way, for hundreds of miles. It was the introduction of the blonde boy from Madam Malkins that interrupted Harry's stupor.
'Hey! I've seen you before! Harry Potter.' Harry was shaken from his thoughts and looked up to greet the boy and his hulking bodyguards behind him.
'Draco right?' The boy puffed his chest out, clearly proud that the boy who lived had remembered his name.
'Yes, and this is Crabbe and Goyle.' Harry wondered what sort of name Crabbe was, reminding him of those ugly sour apples that people leave to rot in parks.
'Nice to meet you.' Crabbe and Goyle were clearly the strong and silent type, nodded in response and then filing in after their clear leader, who took a seat opposite Harry.
'I told you we'd meet again, didn't I? Hogwarts at last! I just wish I didn't have to share it with Dumbledore in the castle. He drives my Father nuts he does.' It was clear Draco liked the sound of his own voice, and with Crabbe and Goyle hanging off of every word like it was gospel, Harry knew that he talked a lot. With the mention of Dumbledore, Harry made a face.
'What, you like Dumbledore do you? That lousy wizard parading around like the leader of the light. Pleeeaaassee don't tell me you're a fan.' The chosen one huffed in indignation.
'I most certainly do not like Albus Dumbledore, he really needs to keep his nose out of everyone else's business.' Draco nodded eagerly, pleased that they had common ground.
'This is fantastic! Dumbledore's professed golden boy doesn't even like him! Oh, wait till my Father hears about this! Mother and he will have a field day!' Harry tuned him out, nodded here and there, and mumbling a small 'mhm' every so often. He so desperately wanted to just crawl into his trunk and go to sleep, not used to such boisterous social interaction.
'I can bite him and shut him up Speaker, if you want!' Ouroboros whispered, but it didn't go unnoticed by Draco that the boy had a snake wrapped firmly around his neck. Harry stifled a laugh.
'I don't think that's a good idea, what did mother say? Don't make enemies.' If snakes could pout, this was the equivalent. But it was too late to delay the flurry of questions thrown at him by the soon to be Slytherin.
'Merlin's beard! Is that a snake? I thought snakes weren't allowed? Did you just talk to it? Are you a Parslemouth? Does that mean you're going to be in Slytherin?!' Harry sighed, taking apart his word vomit bit by bit.
'Yes, that's my pet Ouroboros-' Ouro hissed 'Fine, fine, Companion, Ouroboros. I am indeed a parslemouth, and the Hogwarts policies dictate that a parslemouth cannot be stopped from having a snake as a familiar. I sincerely doubt I'll be in Slytherin though, far too much of a Ravenclaw for that.' Harry grinned, finally satisfied that he had shut Draco up.
'That's amazing. Does he bite people that you tell him to?'
'I more often than not have to tell him not to.' Ouroboros lifted his head and bared his teeth, showing the fangs glinting menacingly. 'He can do a lot of damage I'm sure, but I only let him eat mice.'
'Crabbe, Goyle, why don't you see if Pansy and Blaise need some company? Stars know what kind of trouble they could get into.' This wasn't a request, it was an order, but after they left Draco visibly relaxed. The rest of the train ride was surprisingly pleasant, and Harry spent it discussing their expectations of Hogwarts, with small inputs from Ouroboros that surprised Draco every time Harry spoke back.
The sky seemed to be dark now, an inky black painted with a light speckling of stars. A voice echoed through the train: 'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it would be taken to the school separately.' Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and he could see Draco was slightly paler than before if that was even possible. Harry left Ouroboros on the seat, with strict instructions to get in the trunk and not bite the house elves, and the pair joined the crowd thronging the corridor.
The train did seem to be slowing down, but the soft rocking of the carriages made it difficult to stand unbalanced. People pushed their way towards the door, and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. A lamp came bobbing over the heads of students and Harry heard a loud, booming voice that made him jump.
'Firs' years- Firs' years! over here! C'mon follow me!' It sounded more like a child training a dog than any responsible adult, and he felt rather patronised by his tone. The man was tall and wild looking, with a dense bushy beard and tiny beady eyes. Harry had to crane his neck to view him properly, he was easily eight foot, possibly more, and built like a tank.
Slipping and stumbling, they followed the man, called Hagrid but the whispers around him, down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much, not even Draco had anything to say.
'Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in jus' a sec!' Hagrid called over his shoulder. 'round this bend 'ere.'
There was a unanimous gasp as the path opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, it's windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
'No more'n four in a boat!' The giant instructed, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Draco filed into one, behind them a ginger boy and a girl with enormously bushy hair.
'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid, and it seemed he had very little control over his volume. Being close to this man was sure to give him a headache, and he tucked that information away for later. The fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, in awe of the great castle ahead, and in no time at all all the first years were waiting outside, as Hagrid gave three great thumps on the castle door.