The Eighth Horcrux

Albus spent a whole month living with the Dursley's as his father. Albus couldn't wait to go back to school so he could find out what was happening to him. He knew he wasn't crazy. He wasn't Harry Potter. He knew that. Albus didn't really know what to do. Dudley was so scared of him he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Petunia and that horrible Vernon guy didn't force him to do anything. As a matter of fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Albus supposed they were too scared of him now. Although this was an improvement in many ways, Al would have preferred if they'd yelled at him. He'd had plenty of yelling from his mother growing up. But they didn't. Albus was left ignored. Albus wondered how his dad had survived before Hogwarts. This house was horrid.

So, Albus stayed in his room. He had decided to read his schoolbooks. Once everything was sorted out and he was back where he was supposed to be, Albus would have already read ahead. Some of them were very interesting. He lay on the bed reading late into the night. Every night before he went to sleep, Albus ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.

On the last day of August, he realized he'd better speak to-ugh, those people-about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room to where they were.

"Hey."

Dudley saw Albus, screamed, then ran out of the room.

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening. Albus rolled his eyes. Couldn't these people even SPEAK to him?

"I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to go to Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

"Will you take me, please?"

Grunt. Albus supposed that was his stupid way of saying yes.

"Thanks."

He was about to go back upstairs when Vernon actually spoke.

"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

"What? Magic carpets?" Albus was confused.

"Eh...never mind. Where is this ruddy school of yours, anyway?"

"Scotland." said Albus, "In the mountains near a loch. " He said. "I don't know precisely. No one does. It's Unplottable. I just get on the train at platform Nine and three-quarters and it takes me there." Was this progress? Albus wondered. At least they were speaking to him.

His great aunt and uncle stared at him.

"Platform what?" Vernon asked.

"Nine and three-quarters." Did he stutter?

"Don't talk rubbish," said Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."

"Of course, there is." Albus defended.

"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of you. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."

"What's in London?" Albus asked.

"We're taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."

Albus figured that was all that was going to be said on the matter, shrugged, then went back upstairs.

...

Albus didn't sleep at all that night. He was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. Finally, it was September 1st. He was going back to Hogwarts. Soon this would all be a terrible nightmare. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything, saw Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then waited for the Dursleys to get up. Once they had everything, they set off.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Vernon dumped Albus-or rather Harry's really-trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Albus thought this was very unlike him, until Vernon stopped, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

Oh. So that's what he was up to. Since he was a muggle, he didn't know how to get onto the platform, so he just thought he was being clever.

"Have a good term," said Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word.

Albus took his trolley and started to look around. He found it soon enough. Platform 9 and Platform 10. He'd never been his without his mum and dad, but he found it quick enough. He was getting ready to go in, when he heard a woman's voice.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the voice. Albus stopped and turned around. He would know that voice anywhere. It was his Grandmum Weasley. Sure enough, Albus spotted her with her children. His family. He quickly got out of the way and hid behind a pillar. They didn't know him. Not yet. It wasn't like he could let his emotions take him over. He had to be calm.

The first thing he noticed, in particular, was how young his grandmum looked. She had been beautiful. Not that his grandmum wasn’t still beautiful, but age was a certain thing that just covered up a person’s inner beauty, that he saw here in his grandmum for the first time.

But she wasn’t his grandmum. Not yet. Right now she’s just Molly Weasley, taking her kids to the school train.

He looked closer.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small voice, who was holding Molly's hand, "Mom, can't I go... "

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

Wow. That was his mother. His mum. Wow, she was small. She looked to be around 10 years old here. It was amazing to see her this young. But kind of creepy, too. It was weird seeing his mum so young.

Tearing his gaze away from his mother, he looked at his Uncle Percy as he started running.

Albus watched as his Uncle Percy went through the barrier.

"Fred, you next," Molly said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said Fred. Albus knew it was Fred...because he was the only one he didn't recognize. He and George really did look strikingly similar. But he'd know his Uncle George anywhere and that boy was Fred, not George.

'Doy, Albus' he thought to himself. They'd been twins. Of course, they'd be identical.

"Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?" Fred teased.

"Sorry, George, dear." Molly said.

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. George called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone. Albus's heart couldn't take much more of this. He'd have to say something.

Coming out from behind the pillar, he spoke. "Excuse me,".

"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was a tall, thin, and gangling boy, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose. Uncle Ron hadn't changed much from when he was a kid.

"Yes," said Albus. "It's my first year. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, dear." Albus looked at his grandmother with a few tears in his eyes. He couldn't let them fall.

"Hi." his uncle said, holding out his hand. "I'm Ron Weasley."

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Albus said, holding his hand out for his uncle to shake. "You ready to go?" Albus asked.

Ron nodded, and they both pushed their carts through the barrier. And suddenly, it was as if the last month had been a terrible dream. The scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, and cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. They had even passed a boy crying about a toad.

"Would you like to sit with me? I don't really feel like sitting alone." Albus asked his uncle.

"Huh? Oh, yeah sure. Let's find a compartment."

Albus and Ron pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment. Even with Ron's help, Al was having difficulty putting away his trunk.

"Need some help?" Came a pair of identical voices. It was Fred and George.

"Yeah, I could use a hand, thanks." Albus told them.

With all his uncles' help, Albus's trunk was put away neatly.

"Thanks," said Albus, turning to face them.

"What's that?" said George suddenly, pointing at Albus's scar. Well, Albus supposed, it was technically his DAD's scar, but...

"Blimey," said Fred. "Are you?"

"He is," said George. "Aren't you?" he asked Albus.

"What?" asked Albus.

"Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.

"Oh, him," said Albus. "I mean, uh...yes, I am." Albus supposed it would be for the best if he just went along with it for now. It's not like he could've told them the truth. They would've thought him mad.

The three boys gawked at him. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Ronnie? Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom."

With a last look at Harry, the twins and Ron hopped off the train.

Albus sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch his family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Grandmum had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

His uncle tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"Mom - geroff" He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said Fred.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" asked their mother.

"He's coming now."

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Albus noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it. His uncle Percy had been prim and proper forever, Albus supposed.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said George, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said Fred.

"Once -"

"Or twice -"

"A minute -"

"All summer -"

"Oh, shut up," said his uncle Percy.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said Fred.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek, and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or -"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Albus supposed they were about to talk about him. Or his father rather.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?" Fred asked.

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!"

Albus heard his mother's voice pipe up.

"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please..." Albus smirked. He had heard stories that his mother had fancied his dad for a while. This must've been the very start of it.

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."

"Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered..."

"Never mind, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?" Fred asked excitedly.

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on." Fred sounded annoyed.

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and Albus could see his mother begin to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!"

"Only joking, Mom."

The train began to move. Albus tried to keep his eyes on his family for as long as possible. But soon, he saw as his mum and Grandmum Weasley disappeared as the train rounded the corner.

The door of the compartment slid open, and his uncle Ron came in.

"Sorry about that." he said, sitting down at the seat opposite Albus. "Mum does that every year. She just has to see us off."

He noticed his Uncle Ron staring at him, then looking quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked.

"Hey, Ron."

The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Harry," said Fred, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."

"Bye," said Albus and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

Albus nodded, although he was lying, it wasn't like he could just tell his uncle who he really was.

"Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know..."

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Albus pulled back his...his father's...his...bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who.."

"I suppose." said Albus, keeping up the farce. "But I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

"Nope, sorry. Guess I'm not very exciting, huh?"

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Albus for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

"It's okay, I don't mind you staring. It must seem kind of cool, huh?" asked Albus.

"Uh...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...,” said Ron.

Albus laughed. "It's okay. Really. I have a feeling that we'll be good friends, you and me."

Ron smiled. "I'd like that."

Albus stuck out his hand for his uncle to shake. "Well then, it's very nice to meet you."

Ron shook it good-naturedly. "Likewise."

For a while they were in silence before Ron broke it.

"So... I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"The ones I were living with? Ugh, awful. They hate magic, and everything about it. I was barely even allowed to mention Hogwarts in their presence. In fact, once I got my letter, they wouldn't even speak to me."

"Ugh, sounds like they were right awful." his uncle said.

Albus nodded. You could say that again. "Well, what about you? What's your family like?" Albus asked his uncle. It wasn't as if he didn't already know, but for his uncle's sake at least, he felt like he should ask.

"Well, there's seven of us," said Ron. He was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. My little sister Ginny is going next year. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie, my brothers, have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks, and everyone thinks they're funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the other members of my family, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

Scabbers. Albus's eyes widened. Peter Pettigrew. That was a name he recognized. What...what should he do? Should he...should he do something about it? About Peter? I mean...here he was in his uncle's hands. It would be easy...but maybe he shouldn’t be rash. Peter Pettigrew didn’t escape until his dads third year, he remembered that much, at least.

He must've been a little too quiet, cause his uncle spoke up.

"You alright, mate?"

Albus shook his head a little, then nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. I spaced out a little bit, I suppose."

"What were you thinking about?" Ron asked.

Albus waved it off. "It's nothing. Nothing important, anyway. Sorry. Umm...so anyway, who's your favorite quidditch team?" Albus asked. He must've said the right thing, because Ron started to talk on and on and on.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Since Albus had only had breakfast, he supposed he'd get something, but Ron's ears went pink, and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches.

Albus figured that he'd be able to clear his mind and think more clearly if he had sugar. It was his one weakness. He'd always loved sugar. Chocolate frogs and Droobles, licorice wands and Bertie Bott's beans. So Albus packed on a whole lot of sweets and brought them into the compartment.

Ron stared when Albus tipped it all onto an empty seat.

"You must be hungry."

"Of course," said Albus, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty. "I love sweets."

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Take some of these" Albus offered, throwing about half of his sweets in Ron's direction.

"You don't mind?" asked Ron.

"Not at all. Go on, take whatever you want." said Albus.

"Cool, chocolate frogs. What card did you get?" Albus asked Ron.

"Morgana. Again. I've already got about six of her."

Albus unwrapped another Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half- moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"So, this is Dumbledore..." said Albus, who had never met the man. He thought his dad might have taken him to meet his portrait when he and James were little, but he didn't remember it that well.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have another frog? I might get Agrippa."

Albus turned over his card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

Albus looked at his namesake. He had a twinkle in his eye when he smiled. The picture waved at him, then left the frame.

"Aw...he's gone and left..." Albus was hoping to look at him a while longer.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got ANOTHER Morgana again and I've got seven of her now... do you want it? You can start collecting." Ron said.

Albus nodded his head. "Yeah, sure." Once Albus had pocketed the card, he looked back at Dumbledore's card. Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs anything, and Albus agreed. He would collect the cards later, once he was back in his own life in the Slytherin dorm...

Slytherin. Oh no. His dad was sorted into Gryffindor, not Slytherin. What would the hat do? Where would it put him? If he was living as his dad, he should be in Gryffindor, but if he was being true to himself, he was a Slytherin. Albus decided not to think on it for now. The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone, and now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Albus had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up eventually, I'm sure," Albus comforted.

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..."

He left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad, I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." Albus sneered at the Animagus on Ron's lap. Pettigrew was still snoozing there.

"He might have died, and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust.

Albus rolled his eyes; Of course he knew the difference. If only Pettigrew would have died, right now, then he wouldn’t have brought back the dark lord Voldemort 4 years from now. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway..."

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

Albus grinned. Aunt Hermione. Wow she was small. And what in Merlin's name was wrong with her teeth?

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er - all right."

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. That prick Pettigrew stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said his aunt. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

She said all this very fast.

Albus looked at Ron and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Albus, who was getting irritated introducing himself as such.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.

"Hm. I can't say I knew." said Albus.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"Yeah, it didn't really sound like a real spell. What, uh...what house are your brothers in?" asked Albus, already knowing the answer, but trying to keep the conversation going.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Albus asked, only a little offended.

"It was the house that...You-Know-Who was in. They say that not a single witch or wizard who went bad wasn't in Slytherin." said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true." said Albus, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. He knew he didn't have anything to worry about anyway. Ron would be in Gryffindor, just like his entire family.

"So, what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"

Albus knew what his family did when he was in his right time, but did they always do that?

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault."

That got Albus' attention.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Er - I like the Holyhead Harpies," Albus said. "My mum...I mean a friend of my family's...was a member of the Harpies, so it's kind of default in me to like them."

"Oh, yeah, they're a good team. Don't suppose anyone likes the Cannons anymore."

They were starting to talk a little more about quidditch when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys entered, and Albus recognized the middle one at once: it was Draco Malfoy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Albus, when he smiled.

"They were saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So, we meet again." Draco said.

"Yes," said Albus, trying to keep things friendly. He was looking at the other boys. Both were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Albus was looking."

Albus held out his hand for all of them to shake. "Nice to meet you. Would you like to sit down with us?"

Draco, with a bit of a condescending smirk, nodded.

"Sure. Thanks." Draco said.

Ron looked like he didn't really want to be sharing a compartment with a Malfoy, but he bit his tongue.

"Oh, Ron, Draco. Draco, Ron."

Malfoy smirked at him. "I know who you are. My father's told me all about your family. Red hair, freckles, and too many mouths to feed." he said.

Ron turned red, but bit back. "And I've heard a lot about your family too, Malfoy. Your family were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Malfoy. "Well, that's just what I've heard. Who knows, really?" Ron and Draco sat glaring at each other for a good minute before Albus spoke up.

"Okay, guys, come on. You can't dislike each other just because your parents don't like each other. Draco, you're not your father, and Ron, you are not yours. Can't we just bury the hatchet and try to be...friends?" Albus asked.

Ron and Draco continued to glare at each other before Ron sighed.

"Okay. Okay Harry. You're right. I shouldn't judge him based on his father."

It looked physically painful for him to do so, but Ron held out his hand.

Malfoy stared at him for a moment before sneering and taking it.

"Well, maybe not friends...but not enemies." Draco said. Suddenly, the door to their compartment slid open.

"Hey, you all hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!" She chided, seeing the animosity in the compartment.

"Whatever- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said his Aunt Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Albus peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were already in theirs. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Albus sighed. "Come on, you guys. Let's get going."

They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd in the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Albus shivered in the cold air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Albus heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" Albus nodded, to show he'd heard.

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"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. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Ye' all 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 onto the edge of a great black take. 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 Draco and Hermione. Crabbe and Goyle were seated in a separate boat. "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.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. 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.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid asked Neville.

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. Albus sighed. He was finally home again. Soon he'd speak with Dumbledore, and he would help him figure out what was going on.

...