"They're small, winged people like Tinkerbell in Peter Pan . They have magical abilities and are awfully nice to young boys and girls."
"Okay. Big difference here is that those little blighters are as mean as all heck and you should always smack them away or they'll bite. That's a difference. But they've still got plenty of magical juice, so that's the same. See? Not everything is as you think it should be. What I mean by all this is that you a muggle-raised and have not been around magic all your life. It's natural to assume what people are saying is the truth until you get your own ideas on things. Just take it with a little healthy does of skepticism.
"And just so you know, I heard rumors that Ron Weasley's older brothers were pranksters. They probably gave him some weird ideas, like fighting that troll or something. We can only hope that he's still thinking it is true and is working himself up into a dither about it."
Hermione laughed slightly at the image of a puce-faced Ronald thinking he had to fight a Troll.
"We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in a little while," Pam said, getting up to leave. "We should get our school robes on." Her friend Edward also rose and together they left.
"Harry, do you think I might see a little more magic?" Hermione said her eyes wide.
"Oh?" Harry replied noncommittally.
"You see, when I got my letter, a few days later Professor McGonagall came by and demonstrated some magic. I was then taken to Diagon Alley to purchase my school supplies but after that I didn't see any magic and since we were not allowed to do magic outside of school, I… I… I just can't wait to see more of it. I've read up on some spells and all that, but haven't actually practiced any. And magic is simply astounding. And there you are able to conjure or transfigure or whatever and…" She stopped suddenly and her eyes went downcast.
"I'm sorry. I know I get easily excited when it comes to magic and I know I ask a lot of questions. People say I tend to annoy people when I ask questions. Sorry to annoy you." She got up to leave (again).
She had only taken one step before Harry grabbed her hands in his and gently said, "You're welcome to ask me any questions you want. I understand that you're a muggleborn, and that's okay. I don't mind the questions. I'm sure you have plenty of things you can tell me like who invented liquid soap and why. After all, what are friends for?" Harry smiled.
She had a hesitant smile. "Really? You'll be my friend?" she asked. This was certainly new territory for her.
"Of course!" Harry smiled.
She giggled and grinned. "Thank you."
The boat ride was uneventful. Hermione had gone back to her compartment to gather her things and her robe. She had met Harry near the boats and they met a couple other first years named Parvati and Padma Patil. Once on the boat it proceeded to the castle.
The only constant thing Harry heard on the entire ride was Longbottom bragging. It was amazing that his head didn't capsize the boat.
"… so you'll want to listen to what I tell you once we get there since I know most of it anyway," Neville said to two other boys that Harry recognized as Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. "I've simply been flying for years and as the Boy-Who-Lived, I've had plenty of tutors in magic."
Harry was simply amazed at the boy's ego and how anyone else could literally fit in that boat. Harry shook his head. Hermione saw it and quirked an eyebrow his way. Harry's head motioned over to Longbottom and his discussion of how he became a popular acronym (TBWL) to Dean's and Seamus' amazement. Harry shook his head again and rolled his eyes. Hermione followed suit.
In this one example of how his life could have been different, Harry was glad that he hadn't been raised to have such an ego in his own dimension. He would have rather not had anything to do with the Dursley's if given the chance, but at least he wasn't stuffed full of himself. It was hard to see the difference between his old friend, the caring Neville he'd gotten to know before he'd died, and this stuck-up version. He so desperately wanted to reconnect to his old friend, not this piece of work.
Events continued to unfold as they did for Harry the first time around. Hagrid dropped them all off at the castle, Professor McGonagall met them and escorted them to a room. There, they met some ghosts, which startled all the muggleborns, most of the half-and-half's, and even a few of the purebies. Harry wasn't startled so much as left to ponder what the Bloody Baron's visage on him meant. He'd floated in with the Friar and hadn't said a word even though Hufflepuff's ghost was keen to answer any question. Instead, he floated over to Harry and looked down on the boy with a piercing gaze.
When they approached the Great Hall, Hermione slipped into lecture mode telling Harry about the bewitched sky she heard about. "Hermione I know, I read Hogwarts, A History as well," Harry said smiling at the intelligent girl who was now blushing.
Cheeks red, she looked down at her feet again. "Sorry. I forgot," she muttered.
"Like I said, it's okay," he grinned back, patting her on the back. Moments later they overheard Ron Weasley tell other students they had to fight a Troll to get into a house they wanted. Harry and Hermione shared a silent laugh.
Professor McGonagall gave the same speech that Harry remembered, explaining the houses and how they were to be your family and all that. Harry didn't really listen since it didn't matter what house you were in, students would be students and there was a very good chance you wouldn't like who you were bunked with, no matter what.
"All right, children, once you go through these doors you will be sorted one at a time. Wait until you are called before coming up. Okay, let's form a line. There you go. Now follow me."
The new students were paraded into the Great Hall where Harry got his first new look at his old classmates. As expected, there were a few new faces in the crowd that Harry didn't remember last time around. That was to be expected since his first time around he spent with his own clique instead of hanging out with the outgoing graduation class, like any normal 11-year-old would have.
As expected the line stopped and Professor McGonagall marched the rest of the way up to the front of the hall, stopping next to a stool holding a worn, black hat.
The motionless hat was no longer motionless and a mouth grew out of the brim. The rest of the students quieted down as they waited for the hat to begin its sorting song. Harry remembered this tradition. He'd certainly seen a few of them.
At the head table, Professor Dumbledore smiled and his eyes twinkled. This was his favorite time of year. Seeing the fresh new faces of wizards and witches coming to his school. It couldn't get any better than that.
The hat's "eyes" (black cloth that they were) opened and the "mouth" looked to begin saying something.
Cruised into a bar on the shore
Her picture graced the grime on the door
She a long lost love at first bite
Baby maybe you're wrong but you know it's alright
That's right
Backstage we're having the time
of our lives until somebody say
Forgive me if I seem out of line
Then she whipped out of her gun
tried to blow me away
Dude looks like a lady
Dude looks like a lady
Dude looks like a lady
Dude looks like a lady
"Minerva, the hat's on the fritz again," Professor Dumbledore said to his deputy.
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