Standing in the street in front of Number Four, Harry held out his wand, as Professor Snape had done before. And just like before, the purple triple-decker bus appeared with a bang.
The conductor appeared, but before he could begin his speech Harry shoved a handful of silver sickles into his hand.
"I'd like to go to King's Cross, please," he said, unable to contain his eager tone.
"You, and half of the country," he grumbled, but he took the money anyway, and helped Harry with his trunk.
The Knight Bus was packed with people, most of them students. Harry got the last chair, with the vivarium on his lap and the trunk up on its side next to him. They picked up more people on their way, and by the time they got to King's Cross, it was already almost time for the train to leave.
The passengers shuffled out, Harry in their midst. He was very glad no one had recognized him, at least not yet, and kept his hair firmly over his forehead and his gaze down. He didn't need another scene like the one in the Leaky Cauldron.
As he entered the train station, Harry took out his ticket and examined it for the first time.
Platform 9 3/4? Was there such a place? He supposed there must be, if it was on his ticket.
Wishing he had left Persephone out of the vivarium for the trip, even though he knew she would have hated the crowded bus, he loaded his trunk onto a trolley. He followed the crowd, among the rest of the witches and wizards headed for Hogwarts.
What a sight their group must have made. They numbered at least a dozen students, along with their parents, trunks, and pets, and together, they walked to Platform 10.
"Are you alone?" the voice came from his right side, and he turned to look at the student who stood there. A tall, thin boy stood there, looking down at him in a concerned sort of way.
"Yeah," Harry said, a little defensively.
The older student looked curious, but didn't ask, for which Harry was grateful. He reached through the bars of a cage to pet his cat, a calico, and asked another question.
"You're a first year, aren't you?"
"I am," Harry said. "Why?"
"Do you need help getting onto the platform?"
"That would be great, thanks," he said, relieved.
"No problem," the boy said, and his cat meowed loudly. He rolled his eyes. "Sorry about Morpheus. He doesn't like the cage."
Harry laughed a bit.
"I wouldn't, either," he said, thinking of the cupboard under the stairs.
"My name is Terrance Higgs," the boy said, offering Harry his hand. Unthinkingly, Harry took it and introduced himself in turn.
"Harry Potter."
Higgs gaped, before quickly pulling himself together.
"Are you really?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug.
"Wow. I didn't expect - well, anyway, look at the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. You see, there?" and he pointed. "Look, someone's about to go through."
A young witch, a couple of years older than Harry and clutching a cat to her chest, leaned against the barrier. Harry blinked, and she was gone.
"How does it work?"
Higgs laughed.
"No idea. It's a complicated enchantment that's been there for ages. If you're nervous, you'd better run for it."
"Just run at the barrier?"
"That's right. You go first, Potter. And don't worry so much, okay?"
"Okay," Harry said, and wheeled his trolley around.
Taking a deep breath, he started forward, and broke into a run. Just as he was about to reach the barrier, he closed his eyes. But no crash came. Instead, he felt a breeze on his face, and slowed to a stop. Opening his eyes, he saw a crimson train and a sign that read Platform 9 3/4.
"Wow," Harry said under his breath. If he thought there were a lot of people on the Knight Bus, that was nothing to the number on the platform. Witches and wizards of all ages milled around, the students with their trunks. Some wore what Harry had started to think of as muggle clothing, but others wore robes, or a strange combination of both.
There was a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and Higgs stood over him, grinning.
"Well done," he said. "Let's get your trunk on the train."
Even though it had a feather light charm on it, the trunk was still cumbersome, especially when Harry added the vivarium, so he was grateful for the help. Higgs lead him to the back of the train, where there were still empty compartments, and helped him stow the trunk away in one.
"Well, enjoy the ride, Potter. There's nothing like your first trip to Hogwarts," he said, clapping Harry on the back. "Hope to see you in Slytherin."
"Maybe," Harry said, and Higgs laughed.
"Maybe," he agreed. "See you there." And he turned, and left.
Harry settled into the compartment, not sure if he should go and look for Draco or not. He had very nearly been late, and the train would start at any moment. Harry looked out the window onto the platform as he waited. Most of the students had already boarded, but there was a red-headed family that was still boarding. He watched as the youngest, a girl, started crying as her brothers boarded the train.
She must be too young, Harry thought, and felt a little bad for her. Still, she was lucky to have such a big family, and they obviously cared about her.
He turned away from them, and the train began to move.
Harry watched the station disappear from view, before reaching for Persephone's enclosure.
"Are you awake?" he hissed, opening the top. He wanted to speak to her while he was still alone. Harry had explained to her that he had to keep his ability a secret, and she had sulked for hours. Eventually, she had agreed, and as they had been working on her understanding of the English language, it wouldn't be so bad. She would still know what was going on.
Persephone slithered out and under his shirt, to her usual spot.
"Are we on the train?" she asked, nestling her head against his neck.
"Yeah, we're on our way," Harry said, running a finger down her back. She gave a sort of contented hiss.
The door opened, and one of the redheads Harry had observed from the train was standing there.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked. "Everywhere else seems full."
Harry shrugged a bit. Truthfully, he wasn't finished talking with Persephone. But he didn't want to say that to the boy.
"Sure," he said, and the other boy entered and sat down across from him.
"I'm Ron Weasley," he said, introducing himself. "And this is Scabber," he added, pulling out a grey rat from his pocket.
"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said, but before he could introduce Persephone, the boy gasped loudly.
"Are you really?" he asked excitedly. "Have you really got, you know...?" and he pointed at Harry's forehead.
"A scar?" Harry completed. He pulled his fringe aside to show the jagged, lightning-bolt mark that crossed his forehead. He might as well show him, even if he thought that it was kind of rude to ask. He was just another first year, after all.
"So that's where-"
"Yeah," Harry said, cutting him off. He was finding Ron Weasley to more irritating by the minute. Professor Snape and the Malfoy's hadn't pointed at his scar, and neither had Higgs. "That's where I was cursed."
His voice must have come out harsher than he intended, because Ron looked cowed.
"Sorry," Ron muttered, face going slightly red. Harry tried to ignore his guilty feeling. He hadn't done anything wrong, after all.
"Are all your family wizards?" he asked, wanting to change the subject.
"Er - yes, I think so,'" said Ron, looking relieved. "I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."
"Why not?"
"What?"
"Why don't you ever talk about your mother's cousin?" Harry was curious. Did wizards not have accountants?
"Well, he's a squib," Ron said. Seeing Harry's puzzled expression, he elaborated. "A person without magic who has magical parents. Kind of like the opposite of a muggleborn."
Harry frowned.
"Does that mean he lives with muggles, then?" he asked.
"I guess so. I sure wouldn't want to live with magic and not be able to use it.
Harry wondered if squibs were common, and if they were, did they all live in them muggle world? It must be awful, to know that magic existed, to grow up with magical parents, and not be able to take part in anything. But was it worth giving up your family?
Once again, Harry changed the subject. He didn't think that Ron knew much about squibs or muggles.
"Do you already know a lot of magic?" he asked.
"Nah. You can't get a wand until you turn eleven, and mum and dad never let me try with theirs. "I heard you went to live with muggles. What are they like?"
"Horrible," Harry said thoughtlessly. "Well, not all of them," he added quickly. "My relatives are, though. I saw your family on the platform. How many brothers do you have?"
"Five," Ron said, and for some reason, he sounded miserable. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was captain of quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers."
Harry had a hard time feeling sorry for Ron. He would give anything to have his parents still alive or to have brothers or sisters. Instead, he was stuck with the Dursley's, who hated his guts.
Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he said too much. Harry was about to try and reassure him, when Persephone poked her head out from his shirt collar. Ron yelped.
"Merlin! There's a snake!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "Hold on, I'll get a prefect. They'll vanish it for you."
Vanish Persephone? Harry was horrified at the very idea.
"Stop," he said loudly, reaching for his wand just in case. "She's my friend!"
Ron looked horrified.
"You mean that thing is your pet?"
"She's not a thing," Harry said stiffly, moving to cover Perse with his hand. "She's my familiar."
If possible, Ron looked even more shocked.
"You've bonded with a snake?" he said, sounding disgusted at the idea. "Now you're going to tell me you want to be in Slytherin!"
"I might be," Harry said, barely holding onto his calm. "You don't know until you get there, do you?"
"You might be," Ron repeated faintly.
"Why not?" Harry asked. "I've met the head of Slytherin house. He's very nice."
"You mean Snape? I've heard my brothers talk about him. He's supposed to be the nastiest teacher at Hogwarts."
Harry frowned. Snape hadn't been exactly warm and fuzzy, but he had introduced Harry to Diagon Alley, and had been kind enough when Harry had questions.
"He's not nasty," he said coldly. "He took me to Diagon Alley for my school things."
"Rotten luck, mate," Ron said, as if he wasn't picking up that Harry didn't agree with him.
"I'm not your mate," Harry snapped. "Professor Snape was perfectly nice to me, and I'd be lucky to be in his house."
"You're barking if you think you'll end up there," Ron said, clearly bewildered. "You'll be in Gryffindor for sure."
"You don't know anything about me," Harry bit out. "How do you know where I'll be sorted?"
"But you're the Boy-Who-Lived!" Ron exclaimed. "Where else would you go?"
Harry was beginning to hate that name.
"All the houses have their merits," he said instead of repeating the insult he had heard Uncle Vernon use once. "That's what the books said."
"Not Slytherin," Ron said darkly. "It's full of dark wizards. You-Know-Who was a Slytherin."
"I don't care," Harry said, and he found it was true. His first human friend wanted to be in Slytherin. Draco's family was all in Slytherin. Professor Snape was head of Slytherin house. It couldn't be all that bad.
"You're mad," Ron whispered. "I bet you're a dark wizard, too," he said louder. "That's why He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named went after you - to get rid of the competition!"
"Why don't you leave if you think that!" Harry nearly shouted. What a stupid idea.
"Fine, I will!" Ron shouted back, and stormed out of the compartment.
Harry shook his head.
"What a silly boy," Persephone said, and Harry laughed, bitterly. His second potential friend hadn't worked out so well at all.
"A very silly boy," Harry agreed. "Come on, let's go find Draco."
[A/N: Some of Ron and Harry's dialogue is taken directly from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.]