Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express
A tiny boy in nondescript clothes under a tattered, baggy, robe which covered his small frame stood on Kings Cross Station. He was eleven years of age, though his manner and bearing seemed to be of one who had already faced much of life's dreary onslaught.
He strode forward purposely and walked into the wall between platform 9 and 10, and promptly passed through it.
A scarlet steam engine stood on the other side, happily billowing away. For the first time since he had been to the station, the boy smiled. A smile which was equal parts mirth, anticipation, and excitement.
After an absence of almost eleven years, Harry Potter was going to Hogwarts.
No, not Harry Potter, Harry Black was going to Hogwarts...And the fate of the magical would be irrevocably changed forever.

He took his small trunk and quickly made way to an empty compartment, electing to sit and read alone instead of spending it in the company of his fellow students...especially those two...no three...he would prefer not having to see their faces if he could help it.

Sadly, as it often does, Fate decided to intervene at this point and when he looked out of the window for a small moment, he saw man with messy jet-black hair in resplendent robes hugging a boy who appeared to be a miniature version of the man. He was now sitting besides the boy and grinning as he whispered something in his ear and the boy smiled in return. James Potter and his ilk.
Besides them a family of red heads was being hugged by a matronly woman while the man at her side smiled at them genially. The sight of pure familial bliss. The Weasleys, standing by the Potter's as it had been for ages.
For a moment, a small moment, Harry envied the sight of family and happiness, but he quashed it before it could grow and he set up the emotionless facade he had quickly learnt to put up at a young age at the Dursleys. After all, tears and pain had been constant companions of his while growing up, and they had never been of help before. So, slowly he had given up on them and had perfected this emotionless mask below which he could hide and be safe from all that life threw at him. 'Face your enemies with a smile on your face, even if you fail, you'll have infuriated them', this was an old maxim he had learnt over the years.

For the smallest of seconds, his eyes met those of James Potter's, and he stared at the elder man steely, who frowned in response, before turning to the demands of his son who was pulling at him.

Harry turned back to his book, already pushing the experience to the back of his mind and concentrating on the task at hand. Transfiguration needed quite a bit of concentration, after all.

The train hooted and whistled merrily before beginning on its journey, and Harry who was already immersed in the book muttered, "Finally". He thought he could hear a rapping noise, but he ignored it, not willing to divert his attention from the fairly complex theory he was studying. He heard the sound again, but he did not give it any mind, before he heard the door slide open. A bushy haired girl had entered the compartment and taken the seat opposite his, before rummaging in her trunk for something.

"You know, it's rude to enter without knocking", he told the girl who he thought was trespassing in his compartment.

"I did knock. Quite a few times, but you were to engrossed in your book to take notice and I decided to let myself in instead of spending the next hour trying to get your attention", she said crisply. Harry raised his eyebrows at her explanation, and her cheeks coloured a little at his gaze and she held out a hand, "I'm Hermione Granger, I'm the first magical in my family, I wasn't very rude, was I?" She spoke in a quickfire way, hand still held out and cheeks red as a strawberry at having made a fool of herself, judging from the amused expression on her fellow passenger's face.

And from the range of expressions on her face, from happiness, to the pink tinge of having made a fool or herself, to the barely hidden fear that she would be seen in contempt, Harry could guess that she was scared of being mocked and teased. She was about to pull her hand back and mumble apologies, when Harry grasped it and said, "Hello Hermione, I'm Harry. Friends?"

She relaxed almost imperceptibly at that, but it was easily noticed by Harry who had grown up with the Dursleys and honed his skill of reading a person's demeanour, which had been essential for surviving the attentions of his 'loving' family.

Hermione's chocolate brown eyes widened at his words, and the full blown smile on her face conveyed the depth of her happiness at having made a friend, instead of the fiasco she thought her actions had led to.

"So are you the first magical person in your family?" Asked Hermione, her ebullient personality coming to the fore now that they'd gotten comfortable with each other.

"Na, my mom was a witch too", he said, chewing on a chocolate frog he'd picked up from the Lady with the Sweets Trolley.
"Oh you must have learnt a terrible amount from her, right? I've read a few of the books but I don't know whether it'll be enough to catch up with everyone", she spoke at a rat-a-tat rate.

Harry shrugged noncomitally, not wanting to speak about his deceased mother and chose to ignore the question in favour of amusement at her combination of excitement and anxiety.

"If you've already done as much as you say you have, I'm sure you'll easily be among the top students in our year", Harry said. His praise caused her to blush once again,and Harry realized that he quite liked making her do that.

"Really? You aren't just saying that, are you?" She asked in a small but hopeful voice.

"I wouldn't do that you you," he said simply, causing her to go red again.

The Hogwarts Express was eating the miles and the both of them were engaged in conversation, when there was a rapping at the door and the two of the three people Harry least wanted to see entered their compartment.

A boy with messy black hair in rich robes followed by a red haired one in slightly battered robes and another pudgy boy.

"Either of you seen a toad here? Neville's can't seem to find his" demanded the first boy, pointing at the pudgy faced one.

"No", Harry spoke tersely, returning to his book and trying to ignore the boy.

"Oh, alright. I'm Daniel Potter by the way. This is Ron Weasley, and that's Neville Long bottom", he said pointing at the red haired boy and the pudgy faced one.

"Hermione Granger", replied Hermione, while Harry simply replied, "Harry".
Daniel nodded, before noticing the book propped in Hermione's lap, 'Hogwarts: A History'.

"So which house do you think you'll be in?" Daniel asked her. Harry had gone back to reading his book, while Hermione was confused at his sudden change in behaviour, a need to draw him out of it, and to make new friends.

"Gryffindor, or Ravenclaw, I think", she replied. "You?"
"Dad was a Gryffindor, I hope to follow in his footsteps. So was Albums Dumbledore," he puffed up proudly at that.
"Yeah, my entire family's been in Gryffindor as well," added Ronald, while Neville merely nodded.

"And what about you?" Daniel asked, looking giving Harry and his too big robe and tattered cloak a once over.

"Wherever, doesn't matter", he replied shortly.
"You wouldn't mind being in Slytherin?"Asked Daniel, shocked. The two with him had similar expressions of disdain and contempt at the mention of Slytherin.
"Why would I mind?" Asked Harry.
"Because most dark wizards have been Slytherins. It's the house of evil", said Daniel in a whisper as if he was imparting great knowledge.

Harry snorted at that.
"You disagree?" Daniel asked, eyes narrowed.
"I find it stupid that an entire house can be evil. And why would there be an evil house in a school", Harry asked.
"You wouldn't know, Salazar Slytherin was one of the school's founders and he was evil. I'm not gonna be caught dead in that house, I'm the Boy Who Lived after all", Daniel puffed up at his own words while the two boys with him nodded solemnly.
"Good for you", Harry said with such derision that not even Daniel could miss the sarcasm.
"You're probably gonna be in Slytherin, with that attitude. I hope to see you in Gryffindor, Hermione. Don't let him poison your mind. We'll help you get settled in the house", he said, turning around and made to leave the compartment. Just before exiting, he paused and looked at Hermione, "Don't hesitate to come to us for help if this one tries to hurt you, Hermione," and with that, he and his lackeys were gone.

"You can leave with them, of you want," Harry mumbled.

This time it was Hermione's turn to be surprised at Harry's demeanour, but she realized that he didn't mean it. Perhaps he too was used to being as friendless as she was? She smiled and gave him a quick hug, "Now why would I leave my first friend and go away?" Though Harry didn't show it, he was glad that she didn't leave with the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends and stood by him for having different opinions.

He reckoned that this friendship thing was quite good.