Inside the gently swaying carriage of the Hogwarts Express, the scent of old wood and chocolate sweets filled the air, mingling with the sound of laughter and chatter from young witches and wizards. The afternoon sunlight slipped through the windows, illuminating the narrow corridor filled with children in new robes.
A red-haired boy walked quickly, his hand clutching a small glass box containing an emerald-green snake. Beside him, a girl with curly brown hair followed, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. They stopped in front of a compartment door at the end of the train, a faint voice from inside making the boy's heart beat faster.
"Ronald, want to come with me to find my brother?" said the voice inside, clear and full of hope. "Hagrid said he's a new student and on this train."
The boy, Larry, froze, his bright green eyes like spring leaves widening. 'Harry,' he thought, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and tension. 'Finally.' He reached out, pushing the compartment door open with a swift motion, causing the two boys inside to turn at once.
By the window, a boy with messy black hair and round glasses stared at him, his eyes green like Larry's but with a faint lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Beside him, another boy with bright red hair and a freckled face looked on with curiosity. The girl beside Larry, Hermione, stood still, her hand gently gripping Larry's arm.
"Harry!" Larry exclaimed, his voice full of emotion that felt almost real. He stepped inside, a wide smile on his face. "I'm Larry, your brother!"
Harry rose from his seat, his eyes widening with shock and joy. "Larry… Larry?!" he said, his voice hoarse. He rushed forward, hugging Larry tightly, as if unwilling to let go. "You… you're really my brother!"
Larry returned the hug, his hand gently patting Harry's back. 'My real brother,' he thought, feeling an odd warmth in his chest—maybe from Harry's emotions, maybe from points his strange system awarded for this moment. "Finally, we meet, Harry," he murmured, letting a few small tears fall to enhance his "performance." 'My acting's getting better,' he thought, smiling inwardly.
Harry pulled back, his eyes red but full of happiness. "Hagrid said you were alive, but I… I didn't believe it until I saw you," he said, his voice faltering. "Aunt Petunia said you… you were gone that night, when Mum and Dad…" He stopped, swallowing his emotions. "You're alive, Larry. Thank goodness."
Larry smiled, wiping his eyes with a gesture that seemed genuine. "Yeah, Harry. I'm here now," he said, his voice soft but confident. He studied Harry's face—just like in the stories, but thinner, more fragile. 'The Dursleys weren't kind to him,' he thought, a flicker of anger rising, though he quickly hid it.
"Hagrid said you look like Mum," Harry said, gazing at Larry's red hair and green eyes with awe. "And… yeah, he was so right."
Larry chuckled, pointing at Harry's messy hair. "And Dumbledore said you look like Dad. That hair… total James Potter, huh?"
Harry gave a shy smile, running a hand through his perpetually untidy hair. "Maybe," he said, then his face turned serious. "Larry, who did you live with? Were your aunt and uncle… good to you?"
The question made Larry pause. He knew Harry lived with the Dursleys, and from his brother's thin frame, he could guess Harry's life wasn't easy. "I… was in an orphanage," he said, his voice low but controlled, choosing words to fit his "character" as an innocent orphan. "But I was fine. They… were decent."
Harry looked at him, his eyes full of empathy. "That must've been tough," he mumbled, his voice tinged with regret. "I… Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon weren't great, but I had a place to stay, food. You…"
"Harry, stop," Larry cut in, giving a small smile. "We're here now, right? That's what matters." Inwardly, he chuckled. 'If Harry knew I was actually the favorite at the orphanage, he'd be shocked.' He felt a twinge of guilt but quickly pushed it aside. 'Focus, Larry. This is about building a bond.'
Hermione, who had been silent, stepped forward, smiling softly. "Harry, I'm Hermione Granger," she said, extending her hand. "Larry's told me a lot about you."
Harry shook her hand, his face brightening. "Nice to meet you, Hermione," he said, then turned to the boy beside him. "Oh, this is Ronald Weasley, my new friend on the train."
"Hi, Ronald," Larry said, offering his hand with a smile that made Ron a bit nervous. "Good to meet you."
"Hi… hi," Ron mumbled, shaking Larry's and Hermione's hands, his face flushing. 'I'm actually meeting the Potter brothers,' he thought, his eyes gleaming. "Nice… nice to meet you both."
Larry glanced at Ron, his eyebrow twitching briefly. 'Harry's loyal friend… and in the story, Hermione's eventual partner,' he thought, glancing at Hermione beside him. 'But now, Hermione's on my side.' He gave a small smile, feeling a spark of points from his system—maybe for Ron's awe or Hermione's warm gaze.
Harry pulled Larry to sit, taking out a small leather wallet from his pocket. "This is for you," he said, handing it over with a smile. "And this… a birthday gift, little brother." He pulled out a small box, passing it carefully.
Larry took both, feeling the weight of the wallet and box in his hands. "Harry…" he said, faking surprise though his heart had anticipated this. He opened the box, revealing a simple but elegant silver watch with delicate engravings on the back. "This… is so cool."
"Mum and Dad left us an inheritance," Harry explained, his voice warm. "I was worried you didn't have a vault key… and the watch, well, it's a birthday gift, even if it's two months late. Hope you like it."
"Harry, this is the best birthday gift I've ever gotten," Larry said, slipping the watch onto his wrist with a wide smile. 'Points for acting,' he thought, feeling warmth from Harry's gesture. 'He's genuinely kind.'
"Wait, I've got something for you too!" Larry said, his eyes gleaming. He picked up the glass box with the green snake from the small table, placing it in front of Harry. "A birthday gift from me. Bought it at a magical pet shop in Diagon Alley." He pulled out a small wallet from his pocket, handing it over. "And this, 100 Galleons. I went to Gringotts yesterday, turns out we had the same idea."
Harry stared at the elegant green snake and the wallet, his eyes welling up again. "Larry…" he mumbled, his voice catching. 'My brother thought of me this much,' he thought, his chest full of emotion. "You… you didn't have to…"
"Harry, don't cry, come on," Larry teased, though his voice was gentle. "I was worried you wouldn't like the gift."
Harry gave a small laugh, wiping his eyes. "I love it, Larry," he said, gazing at the snake with awe. "It's… beautiful. Thank you."
Larry smiled, a slight pang of guilt rising. 'That snake's to help you in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry,' he thought, but he quickly brushed it aside. "Glad you like it," he said, his voice warm.
Ron, sitting in the corner, watched them with a mix of admiration and envy. 'Look at their bond,' he thought, thinking of his siblings who teased him more than gave gifts. 'Compared to Fred and George… ugh.'
Hermione, beside Larry, smiled softly, her hand gently touching his arm. "You two… are so sweet," she said, her voice full of warmth.
Larry glanced at her, his cheeky smile appearing, and he briefly put an arm around her shoulder, making Hermione's cheeks flush slightly.
"So, Harry," Larry said, leaning back in his seat with a relaxed air, "tell me, what did Hagrid say about Hogwarts? I only heard from Dumbledore, and he… well, he's a bit mysterious."
Harry laughed, launching into Hagrid's tales of the castle, the Forbidden Forest, and Quidditch. Ron chimed in, excitedly talking about his favorite team, the Chudley Cannons. Hermione listened intently, occasionally asking bookish questions that made Larry chuckle.
As the train swayed toward Hogwarts, Larry looked at Harry, Hermione, and Ron, his mind spinning. 'My brother, my friends, and… maybe more,' he thought, glancing at Hermione. A small smile curved his lips.