Minds in motion

Hermione's eyes never left Harry as she ate the chocolate frog. Her mind was in chaos as this contradicted everything she had heard about magical abilities. Wandless magic was considered advanced, typically mastered by very few, such as Dumbledore. Voldemort, another known practitioner, was dead. Is Harry already that powerful, performing complex magic without a wand? It raised questions about his capabilities, challenging what little Hermione knew. After all, isn't Harry just a child like her? How could he possess such advanced magical skills, especially in their first year at Hogwarts?

Silent contemplation lingered, and Hermione found herself grappling with the unsettling notion that Harry, apparently just a child like herself, might possess magical prowess beyond what she had anticipated for their first year at Hogwarts. The mystery left her searching for answers in the recesses of her limited magical knowledge, a pursuit that would undoubtedly shape her curiosity in the days to come.

Harry was looking at Hermione who has not stopped looking at him, ever since she sat down. He smirks to himself as he knows that Hermione's mind must be in chaos right now, trying to figure out his powers. Harry was eating one of the licorice wands when he heard the door to their compartment slide open. A boy with a pale, pointed face, blonde hair stood at the door looking around the compartment. There were two other boys standing behind him, one very round and the other tall but still quite big. Draco Malfoy and his gang. Draco's eye stopped at Harry then caught sight of his scar. 

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes, pleasure to make your acquaintance. And you are?", Harry smiled. 

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my names Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

"Well hello Draco, how may I help you?" 

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." 

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." extending his arm towards Harry.

Harry stood up and took his hand. A cold smile plastered on his face. 

"My my, why thank you for such a frivolous offer, but you just insulted one of my friends that I hold very dear, Mr. Malfoy." Harry squeezed his hand tight causing Draco to wince in pain. 

"You see, I know all about the noble houses of the wizarding world, and how many of them were serving Voldemort. While I have no business getting into why they did what they did, but Voldemort killed my parents. So, that makes everyone who served him my enemy as well."

Harry used his magic to squeeze Draco's hand even harder causing Draco to fall to his knees screaming. Harry still had that cold smile on his face,

"While I largely appreciate your kind intentions on helping me decide the better wizarding families. But I will have to refuse that offer, since I have my own criteria for my friends. But thank you very much for your offer", Harry let go of his hand. 

"Now please get to your compartments, we will be reaching Hogwarts shortly if I am correct", Harry smiled. 

Draco and his gang clamored out of his compartment. Harry looked at Ron and could see his ears were red. Probably because of how Harry had defended him. Hermione was still looking at Harry, but her face this time had a mixture of shock and a slight tinge of respect in it. Harry smiled as he closed the door to their compartment. 

He turned to both of them, "I think we should change into our robes. I believe we will be arriving in roughly ten minutes." 

Ron and Hermione nodded. Hermione got up to go to her compartment, then she turned to Harry, "Are we friends?"

"Of course we are, Hermione", Harry chuckled. "Would you rather not be friends with me?"

"That's not what I meant...I would like to be friends with you", Hermione said with a blush. Harry saw that blush and chuckled. He would have to set up Ron and Hermione together much earlier than he intended if he didn't want to go down that path. 

"By the way, you have something on your nose", Hermione said to Ron before she went back to her compartment. Harry laughed, something will not change ever huh. He looked at Ron who was rubbing his nose vigorously. Harry then got up to change into his robes.

As Harry said, they arrived at Hogsmead station in 10 minutes and a voice echoed through the train, "Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." 

Both Harry and Ron climbed out of the train. It was quite a crowd as students climbed out the train pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Suddenly a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and a loud voice said, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!". s A big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads at the students. And there was Hagrid.

"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody

spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!" The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.

Harry turned to Neville and Hermione, "We meet again". Both Hermione and Neville smiled and nodded at him. 

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were

carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. Harry was already letting out his magical energy to sense around the castle. He could see corridors, stairs, owlery. He felt around the entrance hall. Just behind the door was a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes, who Harry recognised as Professor McGonagall. He then proceeded to feel about the Great Hall, he could see four tables with numerous students sitting on each of them. He could feel the teachers table and suddenly his magical energy was cut off. He heard Dumbledore's voice in his head, "Well Harry, be patient you will see it soon enough." 

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.