It had been a month since Harry and Remus made their trip to Diagon Alley for his birthday, a month spent reading all of his first year texts and having Remus teach him the beginning aspects of Occlumency with help from the book he had purchased from a shady rare book store in Knockturn Alley.
Basically, it came down to learning to clear one's mind of all thoughts so that someone versed in the arts of reading ones thoughts will learn nothing; that was that basic principals of Occlumency. Remus had him, to practise Occlumency, meditate so that he can get into practise of clearing his mind of all thoughts, as meditation also required one to do the same thing. At first, Harry found it difficult because as he'd meditate, he would begin to think if he was currently thinking of nothing…which ended up being quite counter productive. In response, Remus advised him to merely focus on his breathing in and out to begin with before trying to empty his mind of thoughts.
It had taken the better part of the month, but Harry was finally able to empty his mind of all thoughts. Remus had advised him to keep practising at school because to move onto the next step of Occlumency, he would have to empty his mind of thoughts instantly, and not in the thirty minutes it took him to do so at the moment. With a promise that he would practise meditation and clearing his mind as much as possible, they departed from their home to King's Cross Station on September the first to catch the train that would take Harry to Hogwarts.
King's Cross Station during the morning was probably one of the most busiest places in all of London, which was proved when Remus and Harry arrived at said station only to be met dozens of families, people heading off to work, muggle school children and regular citizens running around and rushing to their respective trains.
Harry had never had a reason to go to King's Cross personally, so this was his first visit to the famous train station, which would explain his awed and wary state of mind as he and Remus approached. He never was one for crowds.
"Harry, stick close to me until we get to Platform 9 ¾ okay?" Remus asked with a kind smile, understanding his adopted charge's discomfort. Harry nodded and grabbed onto the back of Remus's coat allowing himself to be led through the crowd at King's Cross as they passed families that Harry was sure were magical also.
Finally, Harry and Remus arrived at Platform 10, a platform that was coincidently devoid of any muggles.
"Harry, what you need to do is run into the wall right there" Remus indicated the brick wall before them "it's an illusionary wall that you can walk right through; Platform 9 ¾ is on the other side" explained the brown haired man.
Harry nodded and was about to walk through before Remus put a hand on his shoulder "It's best to run through the first time, it can feel a little weird."
Shrugging, Harry started at a jog and ran at the wall…
…Only to slam head first into a solid brick wall.
Remus was howling with laughter while Harry was clutching his now bleeding forehead in pain.
"It's the wall on the other side of the platform isn't it?" Harry asked rhetorically.
Remus couldn't answer, he was laughing too hard.
Harry nodded and walked through the wall he just saw another family disappear through on the other side of the platform. Why had he believed Remus so easily? Was it because the number 9 ¾ closer to 10 then 9 and thus would be the wall closer to platform 10 and not 9, like he was walking towards now?
His first mistake, he realized, was trying to put logic to anything in the Wizarding world…
Rule number one of the Wizarding world was to never try to apply logic to the Wizarding world.
Harry idly wondered if a bad joke about fight club was necessary to make him forget about the pain he felt from his forehead.
Instead, immediately after crossing through the completely ordinary barrier, Harry turned around and immediately smacked Remus with a hard close fisted punch.
He had punched before he even crossed the barrier, so there was no way he could dodge it.
The hit landed true and Remus dropped like a sack of potatoes…
…that was often the case when you rocked someone in the balls real, real hard.
"Now we're even" said a smirking Harry to a Remus who was no longer howling in laughter but now in pain as he rolled around the floor clutching his testicles…
…or what Harry assumed was left of them.
People were starting to look at Remus funny as he continued to moan and wheeze on the floor clutching his groin area. With a swift kick to the ribs, Remus snapped out of it and got up, if somewhat slowly.
"That was uncalled for" Remus said with a grimace after he managed to form coherent words again.
Harry shrugged and pointed over towards a single brick that seemed to have fallen off the wall lying near the portal "be glad I used my fist and not that brick – don't think it didn't cross my mind" warned the still peeved Harry.
Turning a sickly pale white as he realized how close he was to never being able to father children again, Remus just nodded and put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Then I shall congratulate you and we shall never speak of this again" Harry had to agree, it was rather embarrassing.
"So that's the Hogwarts Express huh?" Harry asked rhetorically as he pointed to a large red and gold steam train accepting passengers before it took off in half an hour.
"Yep, wonderful isn't it?"
Harry just snorted "Hardly, it's rather an eyesore, let me guess, the headmaster was an avid Gryffindor" Harry replied, not waiting for an answer as they both knew very well that Albus Dumbledore was indeed a Gryffindor in his youth.
However many centuries ago that was, what…being one hundred and sixty something years old.
Remus just chuckled "Oh well, I guess this is it huh?" Remus said, failing at sounding cheerful, this will mark the first time since Harry could remember that he will be away from the werewolf for so long.
"Yeah…you know Remus…I got you a present…" Harry said, completely throwing Remus for the loop; it wasn't rare for parents to get their children something to mark the first time taking the Hogwarts Express, but the other way around? Ridiculous!
"Oh? And what's the occasion?"
Harry just shrugged "Call it a 'thanks' I guess" he said as he pulled out a letter with the Gringotts seal on it. Puzzled, Remus opened the letter and gasped when he saw it was the deed to an empty storefront in Knockturn Alley.
"I know it's hard for you to get a job and all, but I figured, if you owned your own business you wouldn't need to worry about that, especially if it's in Knockturn Alley seeing as the Ministry of Magic steers clear from there anyway. So long as you don't start a drug smuggling ring or start selling slaves, they won't need a reason to trouble you either…"
Remus just continued to gape at Harry with glassy looking eyes unable to believe what his charge had done for him. He had always wanted to make his own way in the world, to make an honest living, sort of a way to prove all werewolf haters wrong, but it was nigh impossible to do so…Harry had just given him a chance.
"You have my key and my account manager knows to expect you, the deed is a gift but anything you take from my account to start up the shop can be repaid with 2 interest within five years if it bothers you so much, not that I care or anything, but I know how you feel about charity" Harry said, grinning up at Remus only to be engulfed in a huge bear hug.
"You don't know how much this means to me Harry" an emotional Remus said, still hugging the boy tightly "You're a good kid, you know that?"
Harry snorted and tried to pry Remus off of him "Remus, people are looking, first you were moaning and clutching your testes and now you're hugging a small boy, people will wonder…" he trailed off with a smirk as Remus let out a bark of laughter.
"You be good ok, and I guess you'll be coming home for Christmas no doubt?" Harry nodded with a sad smile as he remembered what he usually did every Christmas, it's not that he didn't enjoy it, but it just brought up bad memories.
Harry nodded but before he left he turned to grin at Remus "Try and get laid Remus, you have to be blue ballin' something shocking…I feel for you" and with that, he boarded the train, ignoring the indignant cry from Remus that followed him.
Once on the train, Harry walked down the corridor of the train, going from cart to cart until he found and empty compartment. Seeing as it was almost time for the express to depart, he didn't end up finding a compartment until somewhere towards the back of the train, forcing him to weave around all sorts of students, young and old, on the way.
The compartment he chose to sit in already had two occupants within, one of which was a girl with long black hair tied in a low pony tail and tanned skin who was seemingly annoyed with the other person in the compartment. The boy, who was having a one sided conversation with the girl had dark brown hair, pale skin and high cheekbones, giving him an aristocratic look, he also seemed to have a permanent cheesy grin on his face that he wouldn't drop, even while he talked.
"You don't mind if I take a seat do you?" asked Harry to the two as he opened the door after knocking politely "everywhere else is rather full…"
The girl seemed to be relieved to have a welcome distraction while the boy was merely trying to size him up…like he was some sort of competition.
"Sure, as long as you don't talk as much as this fool" he girl said with a smirk as she motioned towards the boy who had a hurt look on his face.
"Why my dear Stephy-flower, you wound me!" the boy exclaimed over dramatically with a hand over his heart to add effect.
The girl, Harry assumed her name was Stephanie, seemed to be rather miffed with the name the boy had referred to her as, especially if the murderous look that crossed her face was anything to go by.
Withdrawing her wand quicker then either Harry or the boy could track, she had it pointed at his family jewels in a heart beat "Call me that again, and the ancient and noble Montague line will be ending rather prematurely."
Trying and failing to hide a smirk of amusement at the two's antics, Harry watched as the boy paled and leapt away from the girl as if she were a leper "No need for that Steph, calm down and put the wand away" he said warily.
Finally realizing again that they had company, Stephanie turned to him and nodded "I'm Stephanie Zabini, this fool over here is Archades Montague" she finished, motioning to the boy with a rather large amount of distaste present on her beautiful face.
"Yeah, but no one calls me that, just call me Archie!" he said rather exuberantly.
"Harry Potter" Harry introduced with a nod as he sat down across from them in the compartment against the window and tuned everything else around him out.
Stephanie and Archie looked at each other with confusion, wondering if they had done something to earn the 'silent treatment' Harry was giving them. Shrugging it off, the two went back to what they were doing before Harry walked in – Archie talking his head off and Stephanie ignoring him.
Harry, on the other hand, was completely focused on a certain scene transpiring outside of the train. The scene wasn't spectacular or noteworthy in particular, but he couldn't help looking on with a strange sense of longing and jealousy. He was sure that even if he wanted to, he couldn't pry his eyes away from the scene.
He was looking at a rather young looking mother and father seeing their child off at the platform, the mother fussing over the child by fixing his hair and cleaning off any imaginary dirt on his face and the father ruffling his son's hair playfully and affectionately. He knew he shouldn't be jealous, people had, of course, had it much worse off then he did, and Remus was a wonderful guardian…
He couldn't help it though, it was like a reminder of what his purpose at Hogwarts was staring right at him with arrows and lights flashing and pointing in its direction.
Remembering his Occlumency exercises, he focused on clearing his mind as he ruthlessly crushed the thoughts of jealousy and sadness that were rising up from within and stopped looking out the window less he brood the whole train ride.
It didn't take long, but eventually, the train took off from platform 9 ¾ with the year's batch of students ready for a year of learning magic.
The train had been travelling for five hours of the estimated eight hour journey and the sun was beginning to set in the horizon. The image of the lush greens of the Scottish countryside being painted orange and red by the sunset was definitely something Harry would admit to finding a beautiful sight.
Unfortunately, within the compartment, the noise hadn't died down much at all. Harry wouldn't have believed it possible that someone could talk so much for so long about pretty much nothing in particular, but Archades Montague proved him wrong on that. He could understand why the Zabini girl had snapped at him earlier, if Harry had to put up with that constantly, and by the looks of the two, they seemed fairly familiar with each other, he would snap also.
"So, what house do you think you'll be in Harry?" Stephanie asked, trying to start up a conversation with the green eyed boy, hoping to quell Archie's need to talk for at least a few minutes and earn some well deserved silence.
"Doesn't matter" Harry said with a shrug "as long as I can learn about magic, I don't much care what house I'm in" he trailed off, not even looking at the people he was speaking to as he spoke; he'd much rather keep his eyes set on the beautiful countryside that was rapidly passing them by.
"Definitely a Ravenclaw then" Stephanie said with a nod, seemingly sure of herself "No prior prejudices about any of the houses and a will to learn, I bet you'll be a Raven. My family has always been Slytherin so I'll probably end up there" she said, skilfully dancing around the topic on whether she wanted to be in the house of snakes or not.
"I'll be in whatever house my dear Stephy-poo will be going in!" exclaimed Archie exuberantly; Harry wondered if the boy ever ran out of energy.
"Don't call me that you baboon!" shrieked Stephanie at the brown haired boy who just laughed her off. Harry snorted in amusement at their antics, wondering if they realized that they were bickering like an old married couple.
"Something funny Potter?!" Stephanie yelled, her fiery temper showing itself and Harry couldn't blame her, she must be close to snapping after having to put up with Archades for so long and then being called such a ridiculous name.
"Yes" Harry answered bluntly, halting Stephanie's temper from rising as she looked at him with a puzzled expression while Archie looked at him like he was the next coming of Merlin himself.
"Oh my god, you got her to calm down and all you said was one word!" he gushed "That was amazing; you have to teach me how to do that one day! She was all like 'Something funny Potter?'" he mimicked Stephanie's voice very poorly as he enacted the scene that had just transpired for them, Stephanie seemed to take offence to his acting skills "and you were all like 'Yes' and it was all cool and stuff…"
Stephanie was grinning as Archie kept ranting on how cool he thought Harry was – he was now commenting about his earrings – right at Harry, quite smugly, he thought, at the fact that she had gotten Archie to stop talking to her. Harry glared at the seemingly victorious girl before turning to Archie.
"Archades, did you know most girls like it if you can hold a deep and meaningful conversation with them for hours on end?" Harry prompted, causing Stephanie's grin to change into a look of horror and Archades to look pensive.
"No, I didn't know that…are you sure…?" he asked, and Stephanie got her grin back; it seemed that Archie wasn't stupid enough to fall for that trick – Harry wasn't done though.
"You say I'm 'cool' right?"
"Well…yeah" Archie agreed.
"And because I'm cool, I would know how to impress girls, right?" Harry prompted.
Archie looked to Stephanie with a 'thinking' look on his face "He is pretty cool, so he must know what he's talking about" he agreed again.
"NO! Archie, he's lying, don't listen to him…" Stephanie tried, but it was all in vain.
"Would a cool person lie to you Archades?" Harry asked with an understanding and sincere look on his face. Archie just crunched his nose and eyes up as he scrutinized Harry before shaking his head.
"No, a cool person wouldn't do that…"
"So talk to her, I bet she really likes you but is hiding her feelings from you because she's just embarrassed" he said with a smug being sent right back to Stephanie who had gone from being smug a moment ago to looking at him with horror and betrayal. Harry 1, Stephanie 0. Archie on the other hand, seemed to think Christmas had come early.
"Iknew you always loved me my Stephy-bear" Archie swooned as he wrapped Stephanie up in a tight hug, who was still looking at Harry with shock. As Archie went to lean in and claim his prize, that being his fair lady's lips, Stephanie immediately snapped out of her stupor and kneed Archie in the groin.
"She wants to take it slow Archades, you can't just throw yourself at her like that" Harry scolded the boy as he grunted from the floor, indicating that he heard. Stephanie however had that same murderous look in her eyes that she reserves for Archades burning right into Harry's skull…
…Fortunately, or unfortunately for the two, they were interrupted when two red headed boys barrelled into the compartment, closed the door behind them and hid below the window as not to be seen.
"Brother of mine, I think that girl is crazy…"
"I am going to have to agree with you Gred; I don't think she would prank her ever again if we want to keep out bits…"
"Too right, old chap"
Harry, Stephanie and the recently recovered Archades looked on in confusion as two red headed twins their age seemed to be conversing with each other without any special regard to who else was in the compartment with them.
"What should we do next do you think Feorge?"
"We could steal all the chocolate frogs and let them loose on the train…"
"Or we could throw dung bombs in the toilets…"
"Or we could magically tie Charlie's show laces together…"
"Oh, that is just devious brother of mine"
"Why thank you old chap"
Harry, Stephanie and Archades were watching the exchange between the two boys like a tennis match. Before they were about to leave their compartment as quickly as they barged in, they turned around revealing pale skin and freckled faces – they seemed to be identical twins.
"Thanks for not snitching us out, I'm Fred…"
"…and I'm George Weasley" they introduced themselves with huge Archades like grins.
Immediately, as soon as they left Archie looked up to them and grinned "I like 'em."
Harry and Stephanie simultaneously rolled their eyes in annoyance before going back to what they were doing previously – Harry looked out the now dark window, Stephanie ignoring Archie and Archie talking animatedly.
The Hogwarts express finally stopped at Hogsmeade, a village on the outskirts of Hogwarts itself that, according to 'Hogwarts: A History', was visitable by third years and above during the school year with parent permission.
Not half an hour ago, right before they arrived, a voice carried over the train telling them to change into their school robes before they arrived…that had caused the situation which eventually caused Archie to get a huge black eye. It was weird for a kid his age to be such a pervert, and it seemed Stephanie didn't appreciate it too much.
Hogsmeade station was so dark that even when the students got off the train, they could barely see more then 10 feet in any direction. The cold Scotland air also assaulted Harry's senses as soon as he stopped off the train and leaving the warming charms of the express behind.
Eventually, after the first years waited by themselves for a while as they watched the older students walk off in the direction where some carriages were, a large bobbing light started coming form the opposite direction.
"Firs' years, Firs' years, this way please" yelled a booming voice over the sea of first years. The huge man had to be over ten feet tall with a huge bushy beard and beady eyes while wearing a large haggard coat.
"Come on Firs' years, my name's Rubeus Hagrid, but everybody calls me Hagrid, follow me up te the castle now, its cold out" he said, turning around and motioning for them to follow him "try te keep up now, no fallin' be'ind"
The path they were lead on was narrow, cold and even darker then back at the station. If it weren't for Stephanie standing directly in front of him, he was sure he'd probably walk off the patch. The crunching of dry leaves could be heard after every step they took but Harry could honestly see no trees of shrubbery, merely blackness, the back of Stephanie's head and Hagrid's lantern.
Eventually, Hagrid stopped walking and turned a corner in the forest they seemed to be in to reveal the most beautiful sight Harry had ever seen. They currently stood before a huge black lake that seemed perfectly silent and still, on the other side of the lake however was a huge cliff with a large castle with many tower sand torrents illuminated from within letting the windows glitter like stars. The night sky above the castle with the half full moon gazing down at it bathed it in an ethereal light which made everything look surreal and incredibly…magical. Harry now realized why they took first years this way instead of with the rest.
"All righ' everyone, four to a boat, no funny business ya hear?" the huge man warned with his thick accent indicating to the dozens of wooden boats lined up at the lake's shore.
Archie, Stephanie, Harry and another handsome looking boy with light brown hair and rosy cheeks boarded the boat closest to them and jumped slightly in surprise as the boat took off on its own when they were all safely on. The boy that boarded with them, according to Archie's conversation with him, was named Cedric Diggory and he was just as nervous as apparently Archie was about going to Hogwarts too.
Harry watched with amazement as huge tentacles broke the surface of the lake and waved about in the air amidst the shocked gasps and frightened shrieks as if welcoming them to the school.
"Tha's just Betsy the Giant Squid, she won't 'urt you unless you 'urt her first – wonderful beast she is" he commented, sounding almost wistful to Harry's amusement. He idly wondered if the two should get a room before shivering at the disgusting mental picture that thought provided.
They eventually reached the cliff side that the castle was residing on revealing a dimly lit cave going into the cliff. The quartet on the boat had to duck their heads slightly so they wouldn't bonk their heads it was that low, but not painfully so. The boats all docked within the cave by a sturdy looking pier that was no doubt being held up and strong by some sort of magic so it wouldn't wear away and collapse.
Hagrid then led them up a large flight of stairs that eventually lead out to a large grassy clearing. Across the clearing, merely a few hundred feet from them seemed to be the front gates of Hogwarts and up close, she looked even more imposing and magical.
Hagrid led them across the gassy clearing to the large wooden door and knocked three times with his huge hand so that someone would open up. Eventually, a stoic looking black haired witch opened the door for Hagrid and looked at them coolly.
"Here's the firs' years Professor McGonagall ma'am" presented Hagrid proudly to which the woman responded with a small smile and nod in thanks.
"Children, welcome to Hogwarts"