A Short Journey

Harry sat alone in an empty train compartment after he took off from the alley, quite sad and feeling worried for what's to come.

Sigh*

He let out all his frustration and then took out the latest issue of a famous newspaper. With a quick scan of the headline with a caption that says "Most Ancient House Krum Moving to Britain" showing the photograph of a five year old Viktor Draconov Krum, the current Lord of House Krum he became curious and decided to read it.

'A young man who inherited the house when his parents passed away, much like myself. I was lucky enough to have found my sanctuary in Narko, I hope no one goes through the same experience I went through with my relatives.'

He quickly went through other news about the wizarding world of Britain. A couple of minutes later the train is ready to depart, with a whistle or two the train finally moved and left its station.

Shhhk*

Tack*

The slide door opened and a familiar face came into view.

"The other places are already occupied, do you mind if I joined you in here."

Harry can't figure out where he saw this person but the back of his head is saying 'You've seen this guy before!' so he was somehow lost in thought.

"Oh. Please. Help yourself there's plenty of space."

Harry gave a quick gesture dispelling the awkward atmosphere that has been building up from his dazed state. He went back to reading but the nagging inside his head started and wouldn't stop until his curiosity is sated, one of his faults in his own opinion. With a frown he folded the newspaper with frustration and shot his question to the other concerned party.

"Umm... Excuse me, but have we met somewhere before somehow? You just look oddly familiar and I can't seem to get the appropriate name out of the tip of my tongue."

Viktor smiled at Harry and pointed at the newspaper he was holding while marveling at the result of his intervention.

'Hopefully he wouldn't be bullied for his height. Not like any of his peers could do anything to him anyway.'

"The name's Viktor... Viktor D. Krum you can call me Viktor we would see each other a lot from now on, and no we haven't met before Mr..."

"Harry James Potter. You can call me Harry."

Harry reached out for a handshake which Viktor shook.

"Would that be fine heir Potter? You will be a Lord soon and it would be bad to not include your title in your name."

"Ughh it's fine... Besides, I have lived my whole life without these titles and it worked out just fine for me. Well it's not as if you are not doing the same Lord Viktor."

There was a short pause between their exchange as the two examined each other and then they suddenly burst out into laughter after a few seconds.

The two of them talked mostly about magic and Harry was pestering Viktor for spell tips so he took out his wand for a demonstration when someone opened the door of the compartment.

"Have you seen a toad?"

The two inside the compartment shook their heads.

"A toad? Is it your pet?"

Asked Harry.

"No it was Neville's you see I'm just trying to help. Are you doing magic? Let see it then? The name's Hermione by the way. Hermione Granger."

Viktor smiled and sheathed his wand Hermione on the other hand raised a brow not understanding why he did what he did.

"I don't know who you are or where you came from, but you are a very rude miss. You might have just spoilt my whole day."

Viktor stood up and and walked out of the compartment bumping with Neville and Ron along the way. Seeing the look on Hermione's face the two immediately asked her what happened with the toad to which she shook her head and huffed angrily.

"What a rude person! What have I ever done to him to speak to me like that?"

She looked around and her gaze landed at Harry.

"Well you are pretty rude yourself. Some people just don't like that kind of approach. Especially people of high standing."

Hermione's face grew even darker.

"Well who was that anyway?"

Ron interjected.

Harry frowned at this redhead's behaviour and shook his head. He is pretty open minded about these things but he decided not to mingle with these two people if they did not change their behaviour.

"He's Lord Krum. Viktor Krum."

"The new transfer? He looked much... older than the picture." The redhead spoke again.

"Well if looked at the date on the picture it says Viktor at five years old. Did you expect him not to grow?"

Honestly talking to these people are burning his brain cells so Harry took out a book and began reading, ignoring the antics of the three children beside him.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

After a few hours, the train whistled once more signifying that they are about fifteen minutes away from their destination. Looking out the window, a medieval looking castle can be seen in the horizon. Harry looked on with no apparent emotions but the other three are awed like rural people seeing the city for the first time.

'Its not even as big as Akademya.'

The train stopped and the first years followed the nice half giant named Rubeus Hagrid who lead them to a boat ride on a lake towards the castle. After landing, they went down to feel the ground once more with a few sighs of relief.

They met rowdy ghosts along the way which fascinated the young Harry and the others who saw ghosts for the first time in their lives. Most of them are jumpy at this time, if not for the accompanying professor who looked like an old love frustrated librarian from the muggle, world they would have ran sprinting back to the boats.

Entering the hall, the students were awed with the four long tables filled with all sorts of food, magic lighting from the ceiling that reflected the skies, and students clapping for the fresh meat in welcome. It was a very weird feeling if you were not a diva or an artist who is used to getting attention.

......,.......

Viktor was sitting on the Slytherin table, he was not a first year and just transferred from a blood purist school of Durmstrang Institute so it was previously arranged for him to be in house Slytherin and need not be a subject to the overly talkative sorting hat. We'll this poor hat only gets the chance to talk once per year in the opening of classes so let's not judge the dirty, sentient, and possibly dangerous wizard hat.

"Ronald Weasley"

Ron was dumbfounded, his mouth opened and closed in disbelief, he wanted to say something but couldn't at what was happening in front of him, he was previously told that he would have to face an ogre to be admitted only to realise he's been pranked once again by the twins.

His face is simply annoyingly fun to poke and make fun of, and the twins could be seen pointing at him while laughing their ass out.

(Why are there annoying people who annoy us without doing anything?)

Professor Minerva continued to call names of student in an order similar to that of the movie plot and they were sorted into the four great houses of Hogwarts.

"Harry Potter."

It was finally Harry's turn to be sorted when McGonagall called out Harry's name. Everyone in the hall stopped what they were doing to look at the young man who was famous for defeating the previous dark lord who cursed his own name becoming a Moldybutt in some shows for children.

Some snorted with disdain, they are dissatisfied at the clearly undeserved fame, envious that they are not the one in his place, while some (mostly girls who hasn't even grown their bush) have hearts in their eyes from finally meeting the hero of modern wizarding Britain. Someone they have been fantasising about in their idle times after reading falsified claims of feats unfit of his age. Oddly enough, such claims went unquestioned by authorities not the publisher of such claims.

Well girls can't help it. This Harry is simply a panty magnet. His dark well kept hair, green piercing eyes, tall stature, lean build... simply an Adonis who came down to pop cherries here and there.

Harry didn't care about these things about love nonsense and walked straight to McGonagall and sat on the stool in front of everyone.

"Ohh... Interesting. A Ravenclaw yes... Someone who is hungry for the truth can only be a Ravenclaw... Hmmmm, there's also loyalty... Great loyalty in fact to a fault like a Hufflepuff, reckless and brave like a Griffindore and sly like a Slytherin... Yes... Yes... What a talent lad you are... I bet you'd be best grow to your potential when put in...

SLYTHERIN!!!"

Clap*

Clap*

Clap*

The Slitherin table cheered and received the young Harry into their long table sitting along with the other freshmen who are sorted in Slytherin house.

The dinner continued and after everyone ate their fill, headmaster Albus Dumbledore walked in front of the owl inspired rostrum.

"Just a few words now that we are fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you."

"First years should note that the forest on the ground is forbidden to all pupils. And some of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore looked around while slightly pausing to focus on the troublemakers of the four houses. A particular duo are now looking at the ground while elbowing each other, not willing to meet eye to eye with the headmaster.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

Filch was smiling (trying to) very eerily by the side while nodding his head and rubbing his hands.

"Quiditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."

The older students are nodding along with some of the professors.

"And finally I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

The warning was indeed very effective as some people are already so curious about the third floor that they are whispering about how they would sneak out to explore and see what the source of danger is.

Viktor sighed, he knew it was Dumbledore's aim to incite the curiosity of the younger students.

"Alright first years line up, don't lose your way we're heading to our common room."

The prefects of the four houses were responsible for guiding the first years to their common room, they lined up and headed to their dungeon house.

They arrived pretty quickly in their common room so Viktor went straight to his personal quarters that the head guardian Golie had arranged beforehand when negotiating with the school board for Viktor. It was quite small but Viktor is fine with it as long as the bed can be slept on, he went to take a relaxing hot bath and slipped in a barthrobe to dry himself. He drank a set of potions to help quickly replenish his strength and then a sleeping potion for his mind rest.

He slept peacefully after laying out some alarms and precautions are placed in his room just to be safe, there's no such thing as an 'extra careful person', only paranoid ones like Viktor knows that it is never enough... Never enough... Never enough... For him.