Journey to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Neptunia's last days before the first of September were lonely and her hair remained mostly white or pink. The day she turned up at the library with white hair was amazing Mrs Abby was worried if she had been tortured.

Neptunia remembered reassuring Mrs Abby that she was just afraid of her new school, what it might entail and what they might think of her, not to mention she was worried if the others had adjusted well. Mrs Abby just hugged her and assured her that all would most definitely be well.

Though one thing was interesting, recalling the memory it was exhilarating as well.

Neptunia walked back from her job like she did every day but today as she let out her hair from her bun, a woman appeared suddenly with an orange portal like structure behind her. She stamped her left foot and stood in attention.

"Madam, the royal high queen requests your presence."

Neptunia just blinked and walked with the woman. Although Neptunia tried to make small talk, the woman walked in daunting silence. The buildings were beautifully carved as though done by one person who, Neptunia thought, must've been a dedicated artist. It all seemed to be like the castles of those movies. It was silver, Neptunia realised with a jolt. She stopped for a moment before walking alongside the guard again.

When they reached a set of huge double doors, Neptunia braced herself for a cold court but what she got a warm atmosphere even if there weren't that many people. A black-skinned woman whose hair had been braided, with green eyes and regal appearance sat on a large throne. Beside her, there was a smaller throne(in comparison) but it was empty.

A girl stood at the base of the few steps leading up to the thrones. She was wearing a flower printed sundress. She had blonde hair and what looked like blue eyes. Alongside the walls were guards of both genders. Not a single one had the same uniform. They were all suited to, what Neptunia assumed, assets.

Neptunia walked to the base of the steps and curtsied while maintaining her cool and smooth facade.

"Rise, my protege. Rise and meet a junior and soul sister. I am your present High Queen; Oracle." The woman on the throne paused before smiling, "You may call me whatever you want."

Neptunia rose from her position to the girl beside her. Neptunia nodded at her before turning to the High Queen, "Hi...I'm Neptunia...um. You sure you wanna give this to me? I'm like eleven and she's...19?"

The woman smiled, "She looks 19, she's actually 9. Shapeshifting. I'm assuming you have the same power as well. Along with many others of course, that I foresee.."

Neptunia looked gobsmacked before the girl beside her giggled and turned to her actual size and shape. The woman on the throne got up, smiled and led them to their library, "Come, let me teach you. Time will come and soon you'll be ready.."

Neptunia giggled, yeah...that was fun. She read a few books and Ora was impressed with her knowledge. The whole thing seemed a bit iffy but she learned a whole lot about elemental culture.

As Neptunia walked, she thought of what her uncle Sev told her today, she would be fine tomorrow. After all, what could go wrong?

But as Neptunia stood on the platform, she realised that yes...many things could go wrong. As stood there, people stared at her and her hair. She moved to look around and soon saw Harry. He turned and saw her. Neptunia waved and almost ran to him.

"HARRY! I hope you have-"

"Any idea to get to our platform? No."

Neptunia bit her lip as Harry looked around. They stopped a passing guard but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when they couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though they were being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end, the guard strode away, muttering about time-wasters. Harry and Neptunia were now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, they had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and they had no idea how to do it. Neptunia looked around, hoping for a miracle.

Hagrid must have forgotten to tell them something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. Harry wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten but looking at Neptunia's 'really?' face, he quickly knew not to.

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"-- packed with Muggles, of course--"

Harry swung round and Neptunia had spun so fast that her blue and purple hair fell out of her bun. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like their's in front of them -- and they had an owl.

Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them with Neptunia close behind. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying. Neptunia almost bumped into him so she whispered out a sorry which Harry waved off.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go. . . "

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

What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it and Neptunia just raised an eyebrow-- but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear. "

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so because a second later, he had gone -- but how had he done it? Beside Harry, Neptunia had giggled at their joke but then started to focus on the barrier. Had it too had some charm that made it unnoticeable like the Leaky Cauldron?

Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there -- and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.

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

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.

"Yes, Ma'am," said Neptunia. "The thing is we don't know how to--"

"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly and they nodded.

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron. "

"Er -- okay," said Harry and Neptunia took a deep breath.

They pushed their trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.

They started to walk toward it. People jostled them on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly with Neptunia in front of him as she picked up her pace. They were going to smash right into that barrier and then they'd be in trouble -- leaning forward on their cart, both of them broke into a heavy run -- the barrier was coming nearer and nearer -- they wouldn't be able to stop -- the cart was out of control -- Neptunia was a foot away -- he closed his eyes ready for the crash but Neptunia kept her eyes open in fierce determination--

It didn't come. . . he kept on running. . . he opened his eyes and saw that Neptunia had stopped a little bit behind him. She was staring on in awe. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it. He heard Neptunia squeal with glee as he was tackled by her from the behind. Luckily, they didn't fall.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

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 pushed their respective carts off down the platform in search of an empty seat. They passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again. "

"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

"Give us a look, Lee, go on. "

The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

They pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. Harry put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He could see Neptunia easily lift her stuff even though she probably had more books than him He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot. He suspected that Neptunia was pranking him.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.

"Yes, please," Harry panted as Neptunia giggled and smirked.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help! This is heavy!"

With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment. Harry could hear a crack and movement of stone that he suspected belonged to Neptunia

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin, turning to Neptunia and staring at her chest. "Are you -- ?"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry.

"Harry Potter. " chorused the twins. "And you're Neptunia Black! Nice Prank, we're guessing."

"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am. " Neptunia beside him smiled, "Thanks boys."

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Neptunia, herself, was feeling awkward now as her hair turned orange and pink. Then, to their relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom. "

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

Harry sat down next to the window where half-hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Neptunia sat beside him and had taken out a crossword book. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

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

The youngest boy 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 one of the twins. Neptunia quietly giggled as she filled 10 across. That was pure social suicide.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now. "

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"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 one of the twins, 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 the other twin. "Once--"

"Or twice--"

"A minute--"

"All summer--"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"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. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

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

Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking. Neptunia's hair turned pink again from the blue and purple it was.

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

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!" The other twin continued, "And that girl with the wicked hair was Neptunia Black

Harry heard the little girl's voice, "Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please..."

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

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

"Poor dear -- no wonder they were alone, I wondered. They were ever so polite when they asked how to get onto the platform. "

"Never mind that, do you think they remember what You-Know-Who looks like?"

"Yeah, maybe she could turn into him! She's a meta-whatsitcalledagain?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern, "I forbid you to ask them, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though they need reminding of that on their first day at school. "

"All right, keep your hair on. "

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 their younger sister began 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. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.

Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to -- but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind. He looked to Neptunia who had abandoned her book and stared out with a wild sort of smile on her face.

The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full. "

Neptunia smiled and Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.

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

The first twin nudged the other and looked towards Neptunia, "We wish for your assistance in our pranking, fair maiden."

Neptunia giggled and waved, "Of course sir, good day."

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

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out, "And you're really Neptunia Black?"

Harry nodded as Neptunia shrugged.

"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.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

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

"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it. "

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well -- I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else." Neptunia opened her mouth but closed it and gazed out the window.

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

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Er -- Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him. "

"So you must know loads of magic already. "

The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about. Neptunia tilted her head, "Plus, you probably must know the hand movements and intricacies of verbal pronunciation. Not to mention, you must've seen a lot on non-verbal spells!"

Harry smiled at Neptunia who turned pink as Ron blinked. "I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"Horrible -- well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers. "

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie 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 really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, 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 grey 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.

Neptunia glanced at Harry who nodded at her, so she started off on her rant on how horribly poor she was before she realised her parents had left her an inheritance. She also told him about how she starved a few days to feed the others in the orphanage but she didn't tell him about Ms Crawley. She was a thing of the past.

Soon after, Harry told his story. This seemed to cheer Ron up. Neptunia smiled and watched Harry finish his story.

". . . and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort--"

Ron gasped, Neptunia rolled her eyes.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people--" (Neptunia cut in, "It's just a name Ron. You don't even know what it means in French.")

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn. . . I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class. "

Neptunia raised a hand and rested it on Harry's shoulder, "You don't know that!"

"You won't be. There are loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough. " Ron assured.

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

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?"

Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches and Harry heard Neptunia ask for one. Harry went out into the corridor.

He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry -- but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Neptunia and Ron stared as Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.

"Hungry, are you?"

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty. Harry gave one to Neptunia who took it after stuffing the last of the sandwich into her mouth.

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

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on--"

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us. "

"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa. "

"What?" "A card?" asked Harry and Neptunia

"Oh, of course, you both wouldn't know -- Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect -- famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy. "

Harry unwrapped his 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 Harry while Neptunia's eyes widened and she turned away from the beans.

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

Harry 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.

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.

"He's gone!" "No way!"

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

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped as Neptunia took the card he discarded.

"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos. "

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"

Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Neptunia had started her own collection, she not only had the same ones Harry had but more.

"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry as Neptunia smirked. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor -- you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once. "

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.

"Bleaaargh -- see? Sprouts. "

They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper. Unfortunately for Ron, He and Neptunia started a contest. They both had a packet and were eating beans together. Ron kept getting the bad ones with one or two good ones while Neptunia had the opposite. HArry suspected a prank with the way Neptunia was smiled.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. 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 Harry 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," said Harry.

"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. " Neptunia smiled and tried to look stern, "Ron."

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

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

"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. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "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. Neptunia replied just as fast, "Hey! Yeah, I doubt a spell would be like a rhyme, from what I've read, they seem to be Latin or translations of different languages. Not to mention wand movements. Did you really? I did too, I thought I'd be the only one. I'm an orphan but my parents were magic, though I just found out -- so it was a shock for me that magic existed, I wondered how the technology worked around magic when I did find out -- I'm Neptunia Black." She held out a hand for Hermione to shake

Hermione blinked, smiled and shook Neptunia's hand. Harry 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 Harry.

"Are you both really?" said Hermione, looking from Neptunia to Harry. "I know all about you both, 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. "

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed. Neptunia nodded, "We are, not to mention, there are some wild theories on how we defeated Voldemort."

"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. "

Neptunia shrugged and shook her head. And she left, taking the toadless boy with her. Neptunia took her robes and walked out to help the toadless boy.

When Neptunia walked out of the washroom, after changing into her robes. She spotted Hermione and the toadless boy. She jogged towards them and patted the boy on the shoulder, "Hey, my name's Neptunia Black. Do you need help?"

The boy turned around, "Yes, please! My name's...Neville...Neville.."

Neptunia smiled and prompted him to speak, "Neville...?"

Neville continued as Hermione nudged him, "Neville Longbottom."

Neptunia smiled, "Nice to meet you, Neville, now I think I know a spell that might help us. What's your frog's name?"

After taking out her wand and learning the frog's name, Neptunia cleared her throat. "Accio Trevor the frog." Neptunia quickly put her wand away and looked around for a flying frog.

Hermione and Neville looked confused and started looking around too. Soon Neville noticed a frog coming at a high speed. Neptunia saw it too and she jumped, catching it smoothly in her hands.

Hermione smiled and Neville gasped, "Trevor!" Neptunia grinned and walked away, waving to the duo, when she reached to her compartment, she heard Ron tell Harry about Gringotts. "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. "

Harry stared as Neptunia's eyebrows furrowed.

"Really? What happened to them?" "That's odd."

"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." (Neptunia rolled her eyes at 'You-Know-Who.)

Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

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

"Er -- I don't know any. " Harry confessed.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world -- " And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry and Neptunia(who looked positively thrilled) through the finer points of the game 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 Harry and Neptunia recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them 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 Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. " Neptunia smiled, "Nice to see you again Draco."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford. " NEptunia gasped and hit Draco on the arm, "Rude. Apologize!"

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there. "

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. He turned towards Neptunia expecting support but she just said, "You're being rude. You should be the one to apologize."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you. "

Both Harry and Ron stood up as Neptunia turned and faced Draco as her hair turned a terrifying red.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.

"But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some. "

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron -- Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle -- Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once with splashes sounding behind them as though they were wet. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.

"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No -- I don't believe it -- he's gone back to sleep. "

And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley. Neptunia shook her head, "I thought I told him about this kind of stuff. Ugh! I thought he listened!"

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They 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 Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better 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!"

Neptunia smiled assuredly, "Don't worry, I'll take care of them. Besides...they started it!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

Neptunia frowned at Ron's words and turned to Hermione, "Hey, I'll come with."

"All right -- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said 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. Harry 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.

Neptunia walked with Hermione, "Give them a chance, they're alright. Not what you're thinking." Hermione hummed and walked ahead.

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. "

Neptunia's hair turned a light grey. Neptunia grabbed her hair and stared. Black for mystery and White for fear...huh. She turned to the crowd and started walking with the others.

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

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 that Neptunia thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll 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 suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. 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.

Neptunia blinked, "Oh...how I would love to draw this. This looks like something out of a fairytale."

Beside her, Draco, who was standing without the presence of goon one and two, nodded before doing a double-take at who said it. "Hey."

Neptunia looked at Draco who looked sheepish. "I'm not going to talk to you until you apologize."

Draco sighed, "Alright, I'm sorry. I felt like I was brushed off by both of them."

Neptunia smiled, "It's okay...just try to be nice to people, alright? No matter what house they're from." Draco nodded.

Neptunia went back to staring at the castle, vowing to draw it soon.

"No more'n five 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 Neville, Hermione. Neptunia walked forward and joined them.

"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 harbour, 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. Neptunia sucked in a breath.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. Well, Neptunia thought, welcome to your new life Neptunia.