Author's Note: This could be used as a stand-alone, however, I'm thinking of using this as the 'Arrival at School for the start of second year' in my "Second Chance" story.

Harry's trolley impacted the wall savagely, throwing him to the floor, and letting his trunk and Hedwig's owl cage collapse on top of him. Hermione managed to pull her trolley to a stop before impact. Behind them, Ron was scowling at the two.

"Are you gonna sit out here all bloody day?" He snapped.

Harry looked up, ignoring the hostility in the tone. "The portal's shut." He said, placing his hand on the wall. Normally, his hand would have passed through, but now it rested on the cold brick. "Why has the portal shut?"

Ron looked at him for a moment, before his face lit up. "I know! My dad's car flies!" He looked at Hermione. "We could use that to fly to Hogwarts!"

Hermione glanced at Harry, matching his expression of incredulity. "Are you serious?" She snapped. "You expect us to take an illegal flying car to school?"

"Yeah!" Ron said in a jaunty tone, nodding vigorously.

"No!" Harry replied, using the exact same tone of voice. "I refuse. I'll send Hedwig on."

Ron scowled at Harry, before turning to Hermione, who shook her head. He grabbed his trolley and dashed out of the door.

"Shouldn't we stop him?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "I seriously doubt we could, at least, not without hexing him. And we can't do that in public." He head the sound of the battered Ford Anglia start up, Ron grinding on the gears, before the car backfired. Harry peered out of the door, and saw the Anglia, in full view of the people around the train station, start to rise into the air.

"The obliviators'll have a hell of a time explaining that one." He muttered, before heading out of the exit.

"What do we do now, Harry?" Hermione asked, following him out of the door. "And why couldn't we get through the portal?"

"Well, the first part's simple. We head back to my place, and I'll send Hedwig on to Professor Dumbledore explaining that we couldn't get through. Alternatively, we could take a Portkey directly to school." As to your other question, I don't think I can really explain that Dobby's being a little arse and trying to keep me away.

Once the two were outside, the ducked into an alley to shrink their trunks, and headed into the sunshine, Hermione shyly taking Harry's hand. "What's a Portkey?"

"It's a form of magical transportation. Basically, it allows very fast travel through... well, let's just call it space. You can go from one end of the country to the other in a few minutes. Similar to apparating, but there's no danger of being underage." Harry said, leading them back to Charing Cross Road.

"And where do we get a Portkey from?" Hermione asked, squeezing his hand gently.

"Normally, you'd need to contact the Ministry of Magic, who'd charge you for it."

"Normally?"

"Well..." Harry blushed lightly. "As the head of an Ancient and Noble family, I automatically have Portkey creation rights, so I can make them. I've been playing around with them over the summer. I thought I could use them instead of the Floo."

Hermione sniggered. She'd seen Harry's attempts to Floo. No matter how he entered the fireplace, he'd come flying out of the other end. "I understand that, Harry. I've seen you Floo."

Harry mock-glared at her, before relenting, and letting out a small laugh. "The main problem I've found with Portkey travel is... well, it leaves me feeling... naked."

"Naked?" Hermione squeaked.

"Not literally." Harry was quick to reassure her. "I don't mean that you end up unclothed at the end of the journey. It's just..." He thought for a moment. How best to describe the sensation? "Imagine being in the eye of a cyclone, spinning around wildly. That, combined with the sensation of somebody dragging you around by a hook in the navel, and that's a Portkey."

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "Sounds unpleasant."

Harry nodded. "It is. So, I started thinking to myself. What if you were inside a Portkey?"

"How would that work?" Hermione asked, entering the Leaky Cauldron, Harry close on her heels.

"Well, I was thinking. If you were to make a Portkey out of a box or something, you'd be inside, and the Portkey itself would contain the sensation, leaving you without the horrid sensation."

"That sounds like it makes sense." Hermione allowed. "You'd be a bit uncomfortable, though, being inside a box."

Harry scoffed as he opened the portal onto Diagon Alley. "Hermione, do you forget you're a witch? All you'd need is a space expansion charm, and you'd have plenty of room."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Sometimes, Harry, in my excitement, I do forget some of the important parts of our world." She gave a mock-sniff. "That's no reason to mock me."

Harry could read Hermione like a book, and gave her a hug, even though he knew she wasn't upset. "You know I'm not mocking you, Hermione. My Only." He added the last part tenderly.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Are you going to insist on using that ridiculous nickname?" She asked.

"I think it fits you rather well." Harry defended himself. "You are My Only, Hermione." He gave her his 'heart-stoppingly gorgeous' smile, making her knees go weak for a moment.

"Fine." She pouted. "I still need a nickname for you, though, Harry."

The two approached the vacant shop, no. 93 Diagon Alley. Harry glanced around, making sure no-one was looking as he opened the door. They entered the flat, Harry locking the door behind them.

"I'm sure you'll think of something, My Only."

She looked around. "So, where's this box?" She asked. "Don't tell me you don't have one." Harry took her hand, and led her to his bedroom. "Harry, if my parents were to walk in..."

He rolled his eyes. "Please, I'm twelve. Not quite ready to do that." He cocked his eyebrow. "Yet." He added impishly. Hermione looked at him, probing him with an intense stare. He shifted, slightly uncomfortable with Hermione blatantly checking him out. "Plumbing's not quite ready for that, yet."

She relented, smiling warmly at him. "Not a problem. I'm not ready to do that, either." Although when I am... I hope it's with you.

Harry opened one of the cupboards in his room, where a tall metallic grey box rested. It was about seven feet tall, three feet wide and three feet deep.

"Not a lot of room in there." Hermione commented. Harry arched a brow at her, making her nod in realisation. "Right, space expansion charm. Got it."

He opened the door, letting her in. She got her first glimpse, and let out a tiny gasp. Inside the box was a large, well-lit room. In the centre of the room was a round console, with some kind of technological device sitting on top. For a moment, she thought the blue spikes inside looked like interlocking-fingers, before she made her way over, and looked at the console.

There were a number of pieces of technology on the console. The only thing she truly recognised was a laptop computer, which appeared to be melded to the console. "Harry? What is all this?"

Harry went over to the console, and tapped a few buttons. "It's mainly Muggle electronics, charmed to work off magic. Have you heard of the GPS system?"

She nodded. Her dad had been desperate to buy one of the devices when it had been release a couple of years ago. "From what I understand, satellites in orbit determine where you are, and give you your exact position, to a couple of feet."

"Spot on." Harry said, smiling at her warmly. "There's a GPS positioning scanner inside the console. As such, we'll always know where the box lands."

"What else?"

Harry looked at the packed console. "Well, the laptop's for interfacing with the GPS scanner, also useful as a CD player, and can play games on it." He looked at her, a little sheepish when he admitted that. "That panel," he pointed to a large panel, with a shiny reflective surface, a few buttons and an odd funnel, "is for communications. The mirror is the same as I gave you for last Christmas, the buttons are actually Runes. That weird little nozzle is actually a connection to the Floo system. You can't travel through it, but you can use it to communicate."

Hermione ambled over, looking at a small numerical keypad. "What about this?"

Harry glanced down. "Ah, that hooks into the portable telecommunications network."

"Huh?"

"It's a link into the mobile telephone grid. You can use that to contact any telephone line in the world." He grinned at the last part. "It's free, too."

Hermione glanced at him. "And is that legal?" She asked archly.

"Well..." Harry glanced at her. "It's not illegal... as such..."

"What about this bit?" Hermione had abandoned her bollocking for the next panel.

"Ah, the internal dimensions." Harry said, eager to leave the telling off. "Basically, it's another set of Runes for manipulating the space enchantment charms. You can use that to expand the inside, or shrink it down."

Hermione nodded. "This is really cool, Harry. How did you make it?"

Harry picked a book up off the floor, and handed it to her. It was a Runes textbook, an old one by the look of it. "It's all in there. It took me a while to inscribe the Runes. And, I had to use blood-runes, so that only I would be able to use it."

Hermione stared at him. "And how does this console work with the box? If you make this into a Portkey, wouldn't just the console go?"

"Again, Runes." Harry said. "The centre of this console is sitting on a... well, I call it a Runic Keystone, which is etched into the floor of the box. That, and a Permanent Sticking Charm."

"And this has nothing to do with that TV show Dad was trying to get you to watch over the summer?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked taken aback. "Hermione, do you really think I'm that shallow?" He grinned. "Okay, it does. But, hey! That was a cool TV show."

She looked at him. "Fine. So, you made your own TARDIS? Should I start calling you 'Doctor'?" She asked, with a grin, which slowly faded away. "You know... that's not actually a bad nickname for you." She said, musing to herself.

"What?" Harry asked. "Calling me 'Doctor'? Why would that be a good nickname?"

Hermione smiled shyly at him. "'Cause you always make me feel better."

Harry dashed round the console, wrapping Hermione in a firm hug. "I should be calling you that, My Only. You always make me feel better, too."

Hermione squeezed one last time, then pulled away slightly. "Ah, but we can't have two 'Doctor's, now, can we?"

"True, My Only. What would two Doctors do together?" He frowned in mock-thought. "Maybe they'd open a dental surgery together, fall in love and have a daughter called 'Hermione'."

"Prat." Hermione said, swatting him on the arm. "So, when are you gonna do the outside?" She asked.

Harry pulled away, and grabbed his wand. "It's just an illusion charm. If I tie it into another Rune, it'll always be there."

An hour later, Harry had finished his work, and the newly-christened TARDIS was ready to begin its first flight.

Harry dashed back inside, and jabbed his wand into a small hole on the console. He closed his eyes, picturing the Great Hall, while calling his magic to himself. After a moment, he released the magic along his wand, whispering "Portus." His wand flared with light for a moment, and the console lit up.

"That's it." Harry said, pulling out his wand. "When do you wanna get going?"

Hermione's mischievous side, rarely see, came to the forefront. "Well... I take it you want to make an entrance?"

"Hermione!" Harry gave an innocent look. "You know I hate my fame. Why would I do more to call attention to myself?" Hermione just stared at him. After a moment, Harry relented. "Fine, yes, I do want to make an entrance. What do you reckon? During the Sorting?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, then. That usually starts about seven, so we'll set off then."

Hermione grasped Harry's hand, pulling him into the kitchen. "Since we have to wait... Cookies!"

Harry just rolled his eyes, before starting to gather the ingredients.

After an afternoon of eating cookies, watching telly and sneaking glances at each other when they weren't looking, the two were prepared to set off.

Hermione pulled her trunk from her pocket, and dropped it onto the floor, waving her wand to increase it's size.

Harry followed her, dumping his trunk next to hers. He looked at her, a mad smile on his face. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, smiling at his silly expression. "I am. Are you?"

Harry nodded, pushing her to the console, and placing her hand on a rail. "You might wanna grab on. This will probably get a little rough." She nodded to him, grabbing hold of the handle.

Harry inserted his wand, and twisted, smiling with joy as a wheezing/groaning sound filled the room, the strange 'fingers', as Hermione had called them, in the centre of the console starting to move up and down.

Hermione tightened her grip as the floor began to shake, while Harry laughed madly.

In the Great Hall, moods were strained. Ron Weasley's... unorthodox arrival had sent Snape into a massive rant on foolish Gryffindors. It didn't help that McGonagall agreed with him, assigning Weasley a month of detention with Mr. Filch.

Of course, when Ron had told McGonagall and Snape that Harry and Hermione couldn't get through the barrier, but had refused to join him, they became a little worried. Harry's owl was certainly capable of making the journey from London to Hogwarts in less than six hours, and they had yet to hear from him.

When McGonagall reported this to Dumbledore, he advised her to wait until after the Sorting, then they would be able to send someone to get them.

McGonagall led the first years into the hall, and took up her customary place at the side of the stool with the Sorting Hat on.

She was about to call out the first name, when a wheezing/groaning sound filled the air. All the teachers, and several of the older students, drew their wands. Quickly looking around, McGonagall saw a flashing light in the corner of the hall, jest next to the stage and staff table. As the sound got louder, a tall blue box began to appear, filling slowly as the sound reached a crescendo, then became silent. After a moment, the door opened, revealing Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, both carrying their trunks.

Harry waited until Hermione was out, then shut the door, and waved his wand. Instantly, the light on top of the blue box began to flash slowly, and the wheezing groaning sound filled up, as the box gradually began to dematerialise.

Harry took Hermione's free hand, and led her to the Ravenclaw table, ignoring the odd glances he was receiving from the rest of the students.

"Thank you, Doctor." Hermione said as she sat down.

TARDIS Note: I don't plan to use this during my "Second Chance" story very much. In fact, I can only think of three possible uses. They are: 1.) Getting to school after Dobby blocks the portal at Kings Cross. 2.) Linking Hermione's Time-Turner in third year, and using it to help Buckbeak and Sirius escape. 3.) Holiday arrangements during the World Cup in Fourth year (similar to my 'Sillyness at the World Cup' story.)

Please, let me know what you think, or tell me it's a dreaful idea like MagnaMorbius (my evil Beta) did.