Chapter 116: "Hogwarts Express"

The morning of September 1st was full of activity at the Bones Manor, as everyone got ready for the trip to King's Cross Station. Sirius, Amelia, and Susan were bustling around, grabbing last-minute items and double-checking Susan's trunk.

Harry, who had arrived earlier for breakfast, was already packed and ready. He could have traveled to the station by himself, but he didn't want to miss the chance to accompany his younger sister, Susan, on her first journey to Hogwarts.

"Come on, Susan, we're going to be late if you don't hurry!" Amelia called out, trying to speed things along.

"I'm all set, let's get going!" Susan responded, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and nerves about starting her first year at Hogwarts.

Amelia couldn't help but smile at Susan's eagerness, though she felt a sense of relief too. Ever since Harry and Sirius had introduced Susan to some basic spells and pranks, she had turned the house into her playground, often using Amelia as her unsuspecting target. The mischief had reached a point where Amelia had half-seriously considered going to the Ministry to put the Trace on Susan early just to get some peace.

Fortunately, a stern warning had been enough to curb the pranks, at least towards Amelia, and things had settled down.

With everyone finally ready, the group used apparition to travel directly to King's Cross Station.

Once they arrived, Sirius took care of the luggage, allowing Susan to soak in all the excitement and chaos of the bustling station. They made their way to the magical entrance of platform nine and three-quarters, where the Hogwarts Express awaited.

After a flurry of hugs and last-minute reminders, Harry quickly said his goodbyes. He was eager to find his own friends and didn't stick around to watch any emotional departures.

Leaving Susan with Sirius and Amelia for their farewells, Harry headed off to find his compartment.

The platform was unusually crowded that day, and Harry quickly figured out why. The center of attention was Charles Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Unlike Harry from the books, this Boy Who Lived was a true celebrity, often seen in public and thus had amassed a large following. It was no surprise that a throng of fans had gathered to give him a grand send-off to Hogwarts.

Charles, dressed in his new Hogwarts robes, looked like a younger, slightly chubbier version of Harry, except for the hair. While Harry's hair was neatly combed, Charles sported the iconic messy Potter hair that Harry had managed to tame. These differences were enough to tell them apart, and Harry was glad for it; it meant no one would confuse him with his brother.

The Potter family stood near a train compartment, surrounded by people making a fuss over Charles. Harry had no desire to get close. Their last encounter a month ago was still fresh in his mind, and he wasn't keen on another confrontation, especially not on a platform swarming with Charles's fans who might not take kindly to him.

With a shake of his head, Harry steered clear of the crowd and hurried off to find the compartment where his friends were waiting. He wanted nothing more than to avoid any drama and start the school year on a peaceful note.

Harry quickly found himself in a compartment with Reggy, Arabella, Elvinia, and Roger, while their other friends were just next door.

"Excited for the year, Harry?" Arabella asked, her voice curious as Harry slid the compartment door closed behind him.

"Same as always. But I have a feeling this year might be more eventful than usual," Harry responded, finding a spot to sit among his friends.

Roger made a face, looking slightly worried. "Really? Do you think it'll be like our first year? I didn't like always being scared to walk through the corridors."

"Don't worry too much," Harry reassured him, trying to ease his friend's concern. "It's just a hunch. Besides, if anything really serious happens, we've got the professors. They'll take care of it."

Elvinia, noticing the tension in the air, decided to change the subject. "Let's talk about something more cheerful. What electives did everyone pick?"

Harry was in a compartment with his studious friends. All four of them had chosen to study Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes.

The maximum number of electives a third-year could take was three. Any more than that, and their schedules would clash. Harry found it peculiar that in the books, a young teenager like Hermione Granger was allowed to use a Time-Turner to manage her schedule.

In his world, such powerful artifacts were tightly regulated by the Department of Mysteries, and rightly so. The idea of entrusting something so dangerous to a child seemed irresponsible. Despite his efforts, Harry had never managed to get his hands on one.

As the conversation turned to his own elective choices, Harry's peers were intrigued.

"I picked Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," Harry announced, surprising his friends a bit.

"Divination, really? That doesn't seem like your kind of subject," Reggy commented, a bit amused.

Harry laughed. "Well, I've already earned OWLs in Arithmancy and Muggle Studies, and I've studied Ancient Runes well ahead on my own. I had to pick two electives, so why not Divination? I've heard it is fun. The professor enjoys predicting the doom of a student in every class."

Harry truly chose Divination just for the enjoyment of it. While he could have opted for Ancient Runes, the idea of experiencing Professor Trelawney's dramatic classes, as depicted in the books, intrigued him. He imagined the humor in fabricating elaborate prophecies and observing his classmates' reactions—perhaps even witnessing a few tears. He was curious to see if the class would be as amusing as he expected.

Arabella raised an eyebrow. "Predicting doom? That sounds more alarming than entertaining. And isn't Divination sort of pointless without the Sight?"

"If it's not as enjoyable as I hope, I'll switch out," Harry replied with a shrug. "We have a month to change our minds about electives. Maybe in that time, I'll discover I have a talent for foreseeing the future."

His friends groaned at his light-hearted approach, but they couldn't help but smile. Their talk then meandered away from academics to the latest Hogwarts rumors, lightening the mood in the compartment.

The Hogwarts Express had left the station, beginning the long ride to the school.

Arabella, looking a bit concerned, shared some news with the group. "I've heard that the Malfoy heir is starting at Hogwarts this year. I hope Warrington doesn't get any new ideas. The last two years have been so peaceful without his mischief."

Reggy, always the optimist, reassured her, "No need to worry. If he starts causing trouble, the pranksters will take care of him. They always do."

Harry nodded, adding his own assurance. "Absolutely, and I've picked up a few tricks from Sirius recently. If he bothers either of you, just let me know. I'll make sure he regrets it so much, he won't want to leave his dorm."

While they were deep in conversation, the compartment door swung open suddenly, cutting off their chat. The group glanced toward the door, visibly annoyed by the interruption.

In the doorway stood a girl with bushy hair looking quite confident, alongside a timid boy who seemed like he was trying to escape but was held back by the bushy-haired girl.

Harry quickly recognized the boy as Neville, which meant the girl with him was probably Hermione Granger. Harry didn't immediately recognize her because she looked different from Emma Watson, the actress who portrayed her in the movies. Instead, she looked like any other British girl with bushy hair.

Even though Harry was somewhat familiar with Hermione's character from the stories, her abrupt and impolite entrance annoyed him, diminishing his initial impression of her.

Arabella, clearly annoyed, snapped at the newcomers, "Hey! Ever heard of knocking?"

Hermione started to explain, looking a bit flustered, "I'm sorry. My friend lost his pet toad. I was just trying to help him find it..."

Roger cut her off, his voice firm, "No toads here. Remember to knock next time before you barge in. Now, could you please close the door on your way out?"

With the door shut and the first years gone, silence fell over the compartment.

Harry stood up, deciding to take action. "I know the boy. I'll go out and help him. I'll be back in a minute," he announced to his friends, then he stepped out of the compartment.