"Seriously though, Harry. You owe me an immediate letter if there are actual capes at Hogwarts, it's basically like a Super powers Academy." Dudley said as they walked on the bustling railway station.
"Let your cousin breathe, Dudley. He looks nervous already." Petunia calmly interrupted.
"I'm fine." Said Harry, though he wasnt; not really. He was damn excited, he had read all the books already and made quite some progress on his Magical Energy Hypothesis.
"Now according to this-" Vernon was looking at a blueprint map of the station as he said: "There's no such thing as Platform 9 & 3/4."
"But that can't be." Petunia said.
"The ticket clearly says 9 & 3/4." Harry looked at it.
"Well, it's a magial school. Let's go find some sort of entrance between Platforms 9 and 10." Vernon decided as the others nodded.
-
There was only a barrier between the two platforms and nothing else. "Maybe we need to click a pattern of bricks to reveal a passage?" Harry asked as Vernon shook his head: "I don't think so, Harry. The last time a magical pathway was opened like this because it was secluded. But look around, this is a crowded place. There should be a way to go to your platform without drawing too much attention." He stroked his shaved chin.
Harry was thinking hard too when a large family popped up near them. Seven in total, all redhaired and alive with chatter, walked upto them.
"Oh." Cried the mother: "First year, dear?"
"Ah yes." Petunia replied: "Harry, our nephew."
The man who came with them arched up a brow as he noticed Harry's lightning scar: "Harry Potter?"
"Yes, but we'd prefer not to make a spectacle out of it." Vernon smiled at them.
They nodded in understanding as the man started: "Ofcourse, it's nice to meet you all. I'm Arthur Weasley and this is my wife Molly."
Molly nodded to Petunia who replied: "I am Harry's aunt, Petunia and this is my husband Vernon Dursley and our child Dudley."
The men shook their hands as Molly said to Harry: "That's my son Ron there, first year; same as you."
Ron beamed at him and he responded with a curt smile as Molly continued: "Right, Ron; let's go through first to show them."
Before anyone could understand what that meant, Ron and Molly went running straight into the barrier and Harry thought they would crash when in fact: "They disappeared?"
The twin redheads started laughing and followed after their mother with their trolleys as did Arthur and his youngest daughter. Their son, Percy stayed behind to help Harry's family in case they struggled.
"Come on, Harry." Vernon held Harry's hand and the trolley as they too ran straight at the barrier.
Harry closed his eyes and when he opened, he was in an entirely new place.
They had arrived on Platform Nine and Three Quarters where a steaming scarlet red train waited for all the students.
"Woah. Did we just go through a portal?" Dudley mused.
"Yes, Dudley. We did in fact move through a portal." Vernon started his observation: "They made it fool proof by setting a lower limit for the speed. If we ran just a bit slower we would have crashed."
"Can you tell me why they set this limit, Harry?" He looked at Harry.
"Not your questions again, Vernon." Petunia wanted Harry to enjoy their last moments of the year.
"It's fine, aunt. They set the limit so that any probing non magical people would never find the portal. It's because of the International Statute of Secrecy."
Proud, Vernon smiled at Harry as Petunia pulled him in for a hug. It was time for a goodbye.
-
Once on the train, Harry picked up a compartment, unloaded his luggage and changed into his school robes.
Once ready, Harry sat on the seat and started reading the extra book he'd gotten from Flourish and Blotts.
Magical Theory Advanced
He started reading to pass the time when the red haired boy from earlier knocked: "Hey Harry. Mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is already full."
He took in Harry who had already changed into his robes.
"I don't see why not." Harry replied as he smiled.
"Why did you change your clothes already?" Ron asked.
"I figured the changing rooms might be full when needed. It could waste my time that way." Harry replied.
"Oh." Ron blinked. "I didn't think you'd sound like that."
"Like what?"
"I dunno. Smart."
Harry raised an eyebrow, then returned to his book.
Tapping his knee impatiently, Ron stood up: "I think I'll go check up on my brothers."
Harry nodded as he left.
That is when Hermione came in: "Harry, nice to see you again."
"Nice to see you too, Hermione." Harry closed the book in defeat.
"So what have you been upto?" Hermione asked with a competitive spirit.
"Just the usual." Harry replied to Hermione: "Spent the whole month chatting to Uncle Vernon trying to justify magic through science."
Hermione was interested now, "That's an interesting topic. What conclusion the two of you reach then?"
Harry was about to open his journal when a boy came in: "Sorry to interrupt but have you seen a toad? I lost one."
Harry looked at him and when he was about to answer that no, they hadn't seen a toad, Hermione opened her mouth: "Let's look for it together, Neville."
-
"So where did you last see him?" Harry took to questioning the boy as Neville replied: "I- I don't remember. Probably near the food trolley?" He wasn't sure.
"It's alright." Hermione said as they moved through trying to dodge out of the way for third years and well... trunks.
Harry thought out loud: "Amphibians like warm spaces. I'm not sure why he isn't near all the radiator grilles."
Hermione scanned the corners, eyed shadows and looked for vents beneath the luggage racks in the compartments.
And then, as they came out of yet another compartment-
"Looking for something?" A voice said coolly.
They looked towards the direction to find a boy leaning against a window sill with a book in hand.
"Our friend lost his toad." Said Hermione.
"His name's Trevor!" Exclaimed Neville.
"His name is irrelevant right now." The boy replied: "Did you check the radiator grille in Neville's own compartment?"
They hadn't. They'd started looking from their own room and so his wasn't checked. It would make sense the toad would go to the nearest heat source.
Hermione and Neville rushed back as Harry said: "Thanks."
The boy went back to reading his book.
-
"Trevor!" Neville carried the toad and brought him close to his chest and then let it sit on his shoulder.
Harry and Hermione were proud of what they'd done and once they got back to their own, they got back to discussing Magical Energy Theory and the like.
-
As they wait for the deputy headmistress to lead them inside the school, someone notices Harry and starts walking towards him.
"Harry Potter. Draco Malfoy." Draco gives his hand to shake as Hermione eyes the blonde boy. Harry takes it gently as Draco looks at the girl: "And you are?"
"Hermione Granger." She states.
Granger. A surname Draco doesn't remember in the purebloods. "Are you possibly-"
"A muggle born, yes. And greatly talented." Harry intervened. He had long imagined how narrow the perception towards muggle borns would be.
"As I'm sure." Draco hid his contempt as he noticed Harry's subtle defensive retort. But he retreated back to his gang nonetheless. He saw no benefit in both a friendly or hateful remark... for the moment.
-
The students were being sorted into their houses by a talking sorting hat.
"Most curious." Harry mirrored his uncle as he stroked his chin: "Does the hat have a soul? If so, whose?" He asked Hermione who shrugged as Professor McGonagall called out: "Granger. Hermione Granger."
She looked back at Harry with a nervous smile as she walked up to the stool. Sitting on it, the hat was lowered onto her small head.
After what seemed like moments, the Hat resounded: "Ravenclaw."
'Understandable.' Harry thought. And half an hour later, it was his turn under the hat.
"I see courage, wit." The hat whispered: "But no silent thirst to prove oneself. While your ambition is great it is of a different nature than that of power."
And then, the hat exclaimed like it had found the deciding factor: "Yes, this massive hunger for knowledge and more. Better be - RAVENCLAW!"
It yelled as the Hall erupted to applause. "Harry Potter. In Ravenclaw, truly a blessing." Professor Filius Flitwick, a dwarf mumbled.
Harry went on to sit on the Ravenclaw table with the other first years where Hermione was waiting for him.
"Look who has the same house as us-" She talked to the boy who had helped in the train "His name is Michael Corner."
Michael nonchalantly waved at Harry as Harry settled in.
-
So yeah, it's a Ravenclaw fic.
Peace, OutClaw