Chapter 118: "From Hogwarts Express to Voldemort"

The journey on the Hogwarts Express after Harry's chat with Hermione and Neville was quite calm. He and his friends spent the time chatting about what they did over the summer and what they expected from the upcoming school year.

The conversation quickly turned to Quidditch when Angelina, full of energy and excitement, piped up. "I practiced a lot over the summer, got quicker, and learned loads of new tricks. I'm pretty sure those Slytherin Chasers have no chance against me this year. I can almost guarantee that the Quidditch cup will be ours!"

Roger looked towards Harry, enthusiasm in his eyes, "This year the cup is all ours, right, Harry? The Ravenclaw team is counting on you."

Harry gave a noncommittal shrug, "I'm not sure I'll even play. Quidditch is great, but it's really cutting into my study time."

Roger seemed a bit annoyed, "Come on, Harry. You're always studying. You already know everything they teach us. Why not take a break and help Ravenclaw clinch the cup?"

Reggy, who was always intrigued by Harry's academic prowess, chimed in, "Seriously, Harry. With the amount you study, you could probably sit for the OWLs right now."

Harry just smiled, "Perhaps, but I'll sit for them with everyone else when the time comes."

Roger persisted, "Could you at least think about playing? Maybe just like last year?"

Harry considered it for a moment, "Alright, I'll think about it, but only if I can play as the regular Seeker, under the same conditions as last year. Only as the regular seeker can I guarantee our best shot at winning the cup."

"That's a tough condition, but I'll talk to the captain and see what I can do. It might be hard to convince them to let you play without joining the regular practices. But the dream of winning the cup might just sway them," Roger responded, hopeful yet unsure.

Angelina couldn't help but laugh, "I kind of hope he doesn't convince them. If Harry plays, he might finish the games too quickly, and I won't get to show off my new moves!"

Their conversation was interrupted as more friends squeezed into the already crowded compartment, shifting the conversation to another competitive topic.

Arabella changed the subject, "Let's drop Quidditch for a bit. What about the House Cup? You Ravenclaws really stole it last minute last year."

Elvinia, always keen on competition, chimed in with a spark in her eyes, "This year, it's definitely going to be Slytherin's. Professor Snape has finally warned the bullies in our house to stop losing points needlessly. If they actually listen, we might just win."

Harry, however, didn't share the same enthusiasm, "I don't really get why everyone makes such a big fuss about the House Cup. It's just a trophy at the end of the year."

Cedric added his perspective, "It's more than just a trophy for us in Hufflepuff. Winning the cup two years ago really lifted everyone's spirits. It meant a lot."

Harry remained skeptical, "But the point system isn't exactly fair. Now that Snape is really after the cup, he could just dock points from other houses whenever he wants. There's nothing really stopping him."

Reggy countered, "Maybe, but that hasn't worked out for him the last two years, and I doubt it will this time either."

Harry chose not to continue the debate. He thought to himself that this might be the year for Gryffindor to unexpectedly come out on top. If things went according to the canon, Dumbledore might just end up awarding a hefty number of last-minute points to Gryffindor, as a way to bolster his favored Chosen One and his house.

As the Hogwarts Express neared its destination, Harry made one last round to check on Susan and her group of friends. He found them in high spirits, laughing and chatting away, which eased Harry's concerns. It seemed Susan was off to a positive start at Hogwarts, surrounded by friends.

However, Harry's hopes of encountering his brother Charles on the train did not materialize. After their recent public dispute at the bank, Harry had thought that his parents might finally explain the truth about him to Charles, possibly prompting his younger brother to seek him out. Unfortunately, like many of his previous expectations regarding his family, this one also led to disappointment.

From snippets of conversation and rumors swirling around the train, Harry learned that Charles had spent the entire journey in his compartment with his best friend, Ronald Weasley. The two apparently enjoyed a variety of snacks brought by fans and the trolley lady.

There was also a minor scuffle mentioned between Charles and Draco Malfoy, but it seemed like a trivial matter that might become a common occurrence, so Harry didn't dwell on it.

As the evening sky turned dark, the Hogwarts Express finally pulled into Hogsmeade station. The students quickly disembarked, their voices filled with excitement and anticipation for the new school term.

Harry, along with his friends, joined the crowd moving toward the horseless carriages that would transport them to the castle of Hogwarts, ready to start another year.

On the carriage ride to Hogwarts, Harry was preoccupied with thoughts of Voldemort whom he was going to meet in a few minutes if things were happening according to the canon. Voldemort should now be residing in the back of Professor Quirrel's head. Harry wished he could end Voldemort, who was responsible for his grandparents' deaths, this year itself but he knew he did not have that ability yet.

Dealing with wraiths, the form Voldemort was currently in, came under Dark magic and Harry had yet to start learning any Dark magic. His grandfather, Arcturus, had advised him to wait until he was seventeen to start such studies because diving into these dark arts too early could harm his developing magical core and potentially corrupt his mind.

As the carriages pulled up to the castle and Harry entered the Great Hall, he immediately felt an unsettling probe against his mental shields. He was almost certain it was Voldemort attempting to infiltrate his thoughts to gather information about his brother, Charles. While this invasion ignited a flare of anger in Harry, he managed to keep his composure.

Rather than directly confront Professor Quirrell, where he suspected Voldemort was hiding, Harry discreetly scanned the room. He needed to behave as if the mental intrusion merely unsettled him without showing that he knew exactly where it was coming from.

Harry's gaze paused briefly on Snape, who looked back at him with a confused sneer. This was needed for the act because Snape was a well-known Legilimens.

Harry was careful not to dwell too long on Quirrell, to avoid revealing any suspicion. The general perception was that Quirrell was a weak and incapable wizard, unlikely to know anything as advanced as Legilimency. Focusing too much on him might suggest to others that Harry suspected something unusual, which he wanted to avoid at all costs.

Sitting down at the Ravenclaw table, his friend Reggy noticed his mood. "What happened, Harry? Why is your expression a little twisted?"

"Nothing. Forget it. Just thought of something bad," Harry dismissed, trying to shift his focus to the lighter banter around him.

Once he felt more at ease among his fellow Ravenclaws, engaging in light conversation, Harry cautiously turned his gaze towards the staff table. His eyes finally rested on the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Quirinus Quirrell, who wore a distinctive purple turban and exhibited a slight twitch and shiver.

To anyone else, Quirrell might appear merely odd, but Harry knew better. Hidden beneath that turban was the dark lord Voldemort, a secret that few could imagine.

Harry had a feeling that Dumbledore knew all about Quirrell's little secret. Whether it was Dumbledore's extensive experience with dark wizards or the Hogwarts protective spells alerting him to any darkness, Dumbledore must be aware of the dark lord's presence in the castle.

Yet, just like in the canon, Dumbledore seemed to do nothing about it. Harry thought this might be because Dumbledore saw no real threat from Voldemort, who was significantly weakened, and Quirrell, who seemed harmless enough as a professor.

It was also likely that Dumbledore was using this opportunity to see if his theories about the "Power He Knows Not" mentioned in the prophecy would hold true.

As Harry looked at the new DADA professor, he half-expected Quirrell to try and probe his thoughts again with legilimency.

But Quirrell didn't show any interest in him this time, which made Harry think that Voldemort might be trying to discreetly use legilimency from behind the turban, and Quirrell was none the wiser. Voldemort probably wanted to know more about Charles but, knowing that Harry had strong mental defenses, he might not risk another direct attempt.

While Harry was considering these thoughts, the atmosphere in the Great Hall changed. The doors opened, and Professor McGonagall walked in, leading the first-year students.