The first day of September was quite chaotic. Dudley had to go to Smelting and Harry needed to reach the Kings Cross station in London. Vernon decided to take Dudley in his car. This also gave him a good excuse to not go to London, where there were bound to be many 'freaks' going to their school. He still drove Harry and Petunia to the nearest train station, where they could take the express to London.
Petunia hugged Dudley tightly, kissed him and pleaded for him to write at least once a week. Vernon helped Harry take his own luggage out and then said his goodbye. "Well, boy, It looks like you're going to that school up north. I hope you do your best and make us proud. Your mother used to be the best student in her class. I expect you to follow her example."
"Yes, Uncle Vernon. I'll do my best to make you proud, as well as my parents, if they're watching me from wherever they are."
"And don't get caught doing any mischief! Your father was one of the greatest pranksters at school, but he was only caught once, and even that was due to one of his friends," Vernon continued.
"If I ever do any mischief, I'll make sure not to get caught," Harry promised just as seriously.
"And make sure to come back no worse than you left. Keep away from danger as much as you can."
"I'm very aware of danger and I promise to avoid it as much as possible. I've also learned some tricks to help me get out of situations, if needed."
"Well, then, good luck, Harry. I expect to see you back at Christmas." Vernon hugged Harry awkwardly and then turned abruptly and entered his car.
Dudley was already at the car's door. "Stay safe, Harry. I know there may be many dangers there. I trust you to handle them properly."
Harry smiled. "I'll be safe. Now, don't slouch once I'm not there to push you. You can be a good student, but you need to pay attention. Don't forget your exercise either. Make me proud of you!"
Both smiled and hugged shortly. Dudley entered the car and it soon moved away, with Dudley still waving through the back window.
Petunia's face was tear-stained. She wiped her face and turned to Harry. "Let's move now. We still have a long ride in front of us."
They arrived at King's Cross with some time to spare. Harry already knew where the platform was, as did his aunt. They stopped not too far from the barrier, where Hermione was already waiting with her parents, looking more enthusiastic than after getting her letter. The children hugged tightly, and Harry tried to calm her down a bit with that hug. She did seem calmer once they stopped hugging, yet he wasn't sure if it was the hug or merely his presence.
The Grangers hugged Harry just as tightly, wishing him a good journey and a fruitful term at school. He then turned back to his aunt who had some more to say.
"Harry, you're going into a world that is strange to me, where I can no longer help you as I'd like to. Please stay safe and make your parents proud. Try to write to me at least once a week, please. With both you and Dudley away, I'll miss you very much." She then surprised him by hugging him tightly for the first time in public, holding the hug for some time, until Hermione approached with her luggage.
"Time to go in," Hermione reminded them.
The children waved goodbye once more and then passed together through the barrier.
It was as if they walked into a different world. No electric lights, no moving advertisements, nothing looking more modern than the late nineteenth century. They weren't surprised, though. Having visited Diagon Alley many times already, this was kind of expected. Still, it was a very big change, especially since it happened within only a few paces.
The change helped them in one way, though. Without even talking to each other, they both shrunk their luggage until it fit in their pockets, not even taking their wands out, and moved the trolleys aside. They could now move freely and the luggage would not burden them.
Harry was quite excited to see the train, and especially the locomotive, which looked almost as if it was taken out of books for small children, yet he followed Hermione closely, mounting the train and finding a free compartment. Many were available. "Shouldn't we just take one of these?" Harry asked, pointing at the compartment they had just passed.
"No. I think one of the last compartments will give us more privacy. They're bound to find out that the famous Harry Potter is on the train. If we stay in the middle, you'll have no peace at all. Sitting at the back may help you have a pleasanter trip."
Harry thought she was right. He also noticed that the platform and the train were curving a bit. Sitting at the back could give them a better view of all the students boarding the train. That could also be helpful. They finally settled into the first compartment of the last car, which Hermione considered the best.
Looking through the window they saw the platform becoming full of people. They saw the magical families escorting their children to the train's doors while the children from non-magical families came alone, looking somewhat sadder and the younger ones seemed quite a bit confused. Harry recognized the haughty boy he had met at the clothing shop. His parents seemed just as insupportable. He saw a boy being escorted by an old woman with a stuffed vulture on her hat. He barely recognized him as the shy boy he had met more than a year earlier, Neville. The boy seemed confused and distracted and Harry pitied him. He opened the window and called, "Neville, would you like to join me and my friend?"
Neville seemed to be frightened even by this, yet his companion seemed pleased and urged him to accept the invitation, if Harry was any good at reading gestures. "I'll join you in a moment. Thank you!" Neville called back.
Harry noticed some girls, wondering who would become Hermione's dorm-mate. Somehow, he didn't think that some of the boys would soon become his dorm-mates.
Neville came a few minutes later, barely carrying his trunk. He glanced at the high racks above the benches, where Harry and Hermione had already stowed their luggage, after having returned it to its original size. "I don't think I can put it up there. Maybe I should ask a prefect for help."
"We can help you," Harry offered. As he grabbed one side of the trunk and Neville grabbed the other, Hermione cast a weight reducing charm on the trunk, making it really easy for the boys to put it in place.
"Wow! You're really strong," Neville admired Harry.
"I'm in shape. I do practice almost daily to be in shape, though, and so does Hermione," Harry said.
Neville still looked confused. "I know I've seen you once, but I just can't remember your name," he said apologetically.
"I'm Harry, and this is my good friend Hermione."
Hermione moved her hand forward to shake hands, but Neville took her hand and kissed her knuckles, a gesture which surprised her, despite having read about the etiquette in magical high-society. "Glad to meet you, miss Hermione."
Hermione giggled silently. "I'm glad to meet you, Neville. I can see you come from a very distinguished family."
Neville smiled nervously. "Yes, my family is quite old, yet I'm its last scion." He then turned to Harry. "I remember you now. You're Harry Dursley, aren't you?"
Harry smiled, shaking Neville's hand. "I'm Harry, alright, but I no longer use the Dursley name. I'm Harry Potter."
Neville's jaw dropped. "Harry Potter?! THE Harry Potter?"
Harry shrugged. "Yep, that's me. Why are you so surprised?"
Neville gulped a few times. "I shouldn't have been. I've already known that we are about the same age and Gran even told me that I just might bump into you on the train. But..."
His explanation was interrupted as a toad jumped out of his pocket and hurried to the corridor.
"Oh, my toad! It always tries to escape. How can I find it now?"
"Simply," Hermione said. She stood up, went to the compartment's door and put her hand out. "Accio Neville's toad," she said.
A moment later she had the toad land on her hand. Hermione grimaced at the feeling of the squirming wet animal. She silently cast a calming charm on the toad, making it less prone to suddenly move. "I think you should put it in a cage or something."
"It was living in a large aquarium at home, but I couldn't bring it along. I really don't know what to do, yet Gran insisted that I take it with me."
"Will this do, at least for the ride?" Harry asked, silently conjuring a small aquarium with a heavy lid.
"It's perfect!" Neville said, and then frowned. "How did you do it? We're only supposed to learn such advanced magic in the fifth year, and you didn't even use a wand."
Harry shrugged. "It's not that difficult. I've studied some books from my family's library and then tried it. I didn't have a wand, so I managed without one. I can teach you, if you want, and so can Hermione."
Neville smiled but turned sad a moment later. "Nah... That won't work."
"Why do you think so?"
"I'm sure you're going to be sorted to Gryffindor, or at least Ravenclaw, while I..."
Both Harry and Hermione knew about the houses and the sorting, probably more than most Hogwarts students. "What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I don't think I'm brave enough to go to Gryffindor and not smart enough for Ravenclaw. I'm not sure I'm even magical enough to attend Hogwarts, really."
Harry subtly used some passive Legilimency. He found that Neville had a serious problem with self-esteem, yet he couldn't see why. He was also surprised to find only his grandmother in Neville's mind and none of his parents. Was Neville an orphan, like Harry? While at it, he also searched for Neville's magical core. That was something which he had only tried once, on Hermione, and wasn't sure it would work correctly. Still, a few seconds later he found out that Neville's core was on par with Hermione's, so that there was really no cause for worries, yet he couldn't tell this to Neville.
"I'm sure you're just too nervous. It's the first time that you're going to live among strangers, away from home, for a prolonged time. I'm sure you can eventually get sorted to whichever house you put your mind to, making your parents proud." It was a shot in the dark, and he hoped it wouldn't go badly.
"My parents wouldn't know either way," Neville said with deep sadness in his voice, "but I hope Gran will be pleased if I manage to get into Gryffindor, like my father before me."
"You will. Just make sure to think of what you want during the sorting. I'm sure it will help."
The train had already blown the horn, ready for departure, when they noticed a family of redheads arriving. The elder boy wore a prefect's badge and seemed a bit aloof. Two younger twins seemed to find everything funny, to the dismay of their plump mother. A boy who seemed to be Harry's age looked nervous and uncertain, and the little girl that accompanied them seemed sad not to be able to come along. The boys lifted their luggage to the nearest car and jumped on the train just before it started moving.
"How foolish of them, coming at the last moment, barely making it on time," Hermione commented.
"These are the Weasleys," Neville informed them. "I've heard they're always like that."