12 Train ride

The compartment door slid open, and a young red-headed boy with freckles on his face and smudge on his nose entered.

"Anyone sitting there?" pointed at the seat opposite to Harry. Harry simply shakes his head and the boy sat down.

Harry was looking outside the window, watching the sceneries passing by.

"Hi. I am Ronald Weasley. You can call me Ron," introduced the boy to reduce silence in the compartment.

"Harry Potter"

"Whaat... Are you really?" blurted out Ron.

Harry raised his one eyebrow and nodded.

"Sorry, I just got carried away." said embarrassingly.

"Do you really got... you know?" asked Ron pointing his forehead.

"what? " asked Harry, clearly knowing what Ron is asking.

"The scar," replied Ron.

Harry showed the lightning shape scar by pulling back his bang.

"Wicked. so that is where you know who...?" trailed Ron without completing the question.

'He clearly knows this by reading those stupid books, then why he is asking. Can't he understand how sensitive these things are?' thought Harry but didn't show any reactions outside and calmly nodded.

Then Ron started to ask all sorts of questions to Harry, to which he replied without interest. Just to be polite to the boy.

"Tell me about your family, Ron," asked Harry as he knows Weasley's are a pureblood family according to books. So he wants to learn more about the wizard families and doesn't want Ron to ask any stupid questions.

Ron talked about his family for a long time.

From all the talk, Harry understood a few things about Ron, a big family, poor and jealous of others.

"He is scabers. He is Percy's old rat, as he got owl for being made a perfect I got his rat."

When Harry looked at the rat, he felt something. He didn't know why, but that rat felt wrong to him.

"Sigh Bill's old robe, Charlie's old wand. The unicorn hair itself, showing outside." Showed his old wand And he muttered under his breath, "I too want some new things for me."

Harry felt pity for the boy but didn't have a good impression of him. After that, they didn't talk about anything and maintained silence.

Around noon an old lady came with a cart came to their compartment and opened the door, and asked

"Anything of the cart, dears?"

Harry wanted to try all different things, so he bought one of every kind of eatables in the cart.

After the lady went away, Ron looked at Harry as he put everything on the seat.

"Hungry?"

"No, I just wanted to try new things. You can take some," replied Harry.

"Really, you don't mind?" asked Ron

"Help yourself."

After that, they tried different things, and Harry enjoyed himself. Ron explained every chocolate, cake, pastry they bought.

Ron stuffed his face with the pastry. Harry was surprised at his behavior but didn't say anything.

Harry had fun trying Bertie Bott's all flavor beans. Then he opened frog chocolate and collecting the famous wizard cards.

Ron was busy eating the frogs and talking about his card collection. But Harry didn't listen to him at all.

When Harry got a card which shows an older man with half-moon glass, long crooked nose, silvery hair, long beard, and mustache.

Under the picture was the name of the wizard Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

"So you are that Dumbledore." Harry gritted his teeth and said slowly.

"Did you say something." asked Ron.

"No. I was reading the contents of this card," replied Harry.

"Oh, you got Dumbledore. I have more than 20 cards of him. What I need is Agrippa." said Ron and started to search for the card.

While Harry was reading what was mentioned in the back of the cards,

Even though he didn't like Ron, he didn't avert him too. He felt pity for the boy who used old clothes like him, for different reasons.

That's why he shared what he bought and didn't mind when Ron ate more than him.

There was a knock on the door, and a round-faced teary eyes boy entered the compartment.

"Hello. Have you seen a toad?"

Ron and Harry shook their heads.

"I have lost him. He always gets away." said the boy pitifully.

"You can ask the seniors. There might be some spells to find things. So don't worry and ask them I'm sure they will help." advised Harry.

The boy nodded and thanked them. He closed the door left.

"Don't know why he wants to find that toad. I will lose it as quick as possible if I have a toad." said Ron.

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "You have a rat."

Ron was embarrassed, and they both stopped talking.

'It felt like heavy rain stopped. Finally, some peace. He was talking even with his mouth full of chocolate.' Harry thought.

Harry's luck seems to be bad; as soon as he had that thought, the door to the compartment was slid open with force.

Hermione pov.

'Sigh, I just want to help that boy to find his toad so that I will gain a new friend. But no one replies appropriately. Some are even so mean; it's exactly like before in school. Noo.... this time it'll be different. I will make many friends.'

Hermione took a long breath and opened the next compartment door.

"Have you seen a toad, a boy named Neville lost it."

Harry pov

When the door opened, Harry saw a brown bushy-haired girl with a rather large front tooth. She asked about the toad to help that round-faced boy who came before.

'Isn't she the girl I followed in the train station?'

Third-person pov

"He already came here. I advised him to ask seniors to help him find it using a magic spell. He might already found it by now." said Harry.

"Good. Why I didn't think about that. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way." introduced Hermione.

"Harry Potter."

"Ronald Weasley."

both introduced them, but she was shocked by knowing Harry, the boy who lived. It didn't seem like she listened to Ron.

"Are you really? I know all about you... I bought extra books for understanding the magical world. I read about you in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of Dark arts and Great wizarding events of the twentieth century." said Hermione very fastly.

"That's all lie." replied Harry stoically.

"What. How can it be lies?" Hermione replied, her eyes wide with shock

"I was raised in the muggle world, until last month I don't know anything about the magical world." replied Harry.

"Butt.... the books about you...."

"It's all just fantasy stories written without me knowing." said Harry.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She didn't trust Harry that much. she thought Harry was teasing her. After all, how can lies be written in books.

"Here you are. I found the trever. The fourth-year girl helped me find it." said Neville to Hermione.

Hermione was back from her musings. And looked at Harry " You better change, I expect we will reach soon." said Hemione and left the compartment.

Neville once again thanked Harry and left.

Ron felt angry and jealous as no one even noticed him and talked only to Harry.

He felt he was left out, just like what happens in his family.

"Whatever house she is in, I hope I won't be put in the same." said Ron with anger in his words.

Harry didn't mind; he also felt Hermione was a little bossy.

"I want to be in Gryffindor," said Ron with excitement. "All my family was in Gryffindor. Ravenclaw too not bad.. but if they put me in Slytherin my mom will disown me, I think".

" Why?" asked Harry confusedly.

"That is the house of you know who."

"Oh. So?"

Ron gasped at what Harry said. "Everyone in that house is dark wizard Harry."

"Then why are they allowed in Hogwarts." asked Harry.

Ron didn't know what to say. So he awkwardly changed his topic to Quidditch and started talking enthusiastically.

Harry didn't find the appeal of Quidditch. He looked at the rules of the game. He felt like it's one of the most dangerous game and easy to cheat games. Well, everyone has their taste.

'This guy really knows to talk.'

"I like to go out for a minute," said Harry and went out without waiting for a reply.

"Well, he needs to go to the toilet," muttered Ron.

Harry met three guys in the corridor. A pale face young boy with slicked blonde hair, two buff guys with him.

"Are you Harry Potter." asked the pale boy.

"Yes."

"I am Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe and Goyle." introduced the boy.

"Nice to meet you." Harry shakes his hand.

"I heard you are raised in a muggle family. I can help you in the wizarding noble etiquette and other things." said Draco.

"Thank you for your offer. I will ask you if I need your help." replied Harry without accepting or declining his offer.

"Hope we will be in the same house. See you at school." Draco left with his friends. From start to finish, the remaining two didn't make any conversation.

'Sigh, he just wants to tie me to his group to use me.' thought Harry.

He saw Hermione walking towards him,

"What are you doing here. I just talked to the conductor he said we would reach soon. You better change." said Hermione.

"Do you always talk like this."

"What?"

"Nothing. Thanks for informing me I'll go and change." smiled Harry.

Hermione smiled and walked away. She felt happy because someone finally accepted her advice without glaring or saying harsh words.

Harry went back to his compartment.

He informed what Hermione said. He un-shrunk his trunk and took his robe to change.

Ron looked at the trunk and robe with envy.

Harry overlooked that. Even if he did, he wouldn't have cared.

"Do you know about Draco Malfoy?" asked Harry while changing.

"I have heard of his family. They are the first to come back to our side after you know who disappeared. Said they were bewitched. My dad didn't believe it. Why you ask about him?" explained Ron.

"I just met him outside. He introduced him." answered Harry.

"You should never mingle with him Harry. " said Ron seriously.

"Hm."

'One kid wants to tie me to the dark side; another one thinks I'm light side. Interesting.'

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be taken separately." a voice echoed throughout the train.

Harry left the trunk in its place and didn't shrink this time.

He took Hedwig down, " Girl, you will be placed in Hogwarts owlry. I will come and look for you often, ok." said kindly to Hedwig.

"Hoot."

"Yes, I will visit you often. " smiled Harry.

The train slowed down and finally stopped.