39. New Friends

"I will take care of the aftermath" Harry's words filled them with a new sense of freedom and courage. It made them happy that at least someone was willing to understand their insecurities and instead of taking advantage of it, helping them.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone trying to open their cabin's door.

"It's Draco. He is trying to get in. But I didn't lock the door when entering.." Daphne said looking at the blonde hair pounce trying to force open the locked door.

"It's alright. I locked the door to not be disturbed by people. He will leave after getting tired." Harry explained while they could hear Draco leaving with his favorite catchphrase, ' My father will hear about this'.

"But Harry, When did you lock the door? We didn't see you getting up from your seat even once." Hannah asked what was puzzling her, Susan and Daphne.

"Come on, I'm a wizard. Why would I need to stand up to do this simple task.. " Harry said with a show of magic by opening and closing the door wandlessly and wordlessly.

"You can already do magic!!" Hannah exclaimed.

"Hannah that's not the main point. He did magic non-verbally." Susan shouted.

"You guys... Why are you talking about those insignificant things.. Did you not see just now that he performed magic wandlessly.." Daphne said with a dumbstruck expression on her normally cold face.

"Guys why are you getting awestruck. I'm Harry Potter, someone who had defeated and subdued dragons and nundus in his childhood." Harry said chuckling.

"You really played with Nundus!! " Again exclaimed Hannah cutely causing Harry to pinch her cheeks.

"Oh come on Hannah.. They are obviously just fiction." Daphne couldn't help herself from correcting her.

"But he can really subdue Dragons and Nundus.. " Hermione's complete faith in Harry didn't help the poor little girls.

They spent the rest of their journey chatting and playing. They all were very happy and became good friends with each other.

"Alright, please listen to me." Harry gathered everyone's attention after they all got changed into their Hogwarts Robes. "When we reach the Hogsmeade station, I want us all to alight separately. Me and Hermione, Susan and Hannah, and Daphne you will go with others would be Slytherins. You all will also pretend like you never met me, except Hermione."

"But why? " Daphne asked with a hurting expression.

"Hey.. hey.. Please don't think anything negative. I promise you it's just for today. I will give you guys a gift tomorrow if you are willing to listen to me.." Harry pacified them. He had to do so because he didn't know much about Dumbledore. After observing Dumbledore's past he would decide what approach he would need to take.

The train reached its destination and students started alighting. Harry and others acted according to the plan and alighted separately. Hermione and Harry were together as they pushed their luggage. Hermione shivered in the cold night air prompting Harry to hold her hand and cast a quick warming spell, causing Hermione to smile sweetly at him.

Then Harry heard a familiar voice, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" Said hagrid but then was stunned speechless. His eyes widened and pupils dilated looking at Harry's new look but he quickly composed himself. Harry could practically see gears in his head turning.

They are sat on the boats and reached in front of the huge, oak front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. Harry immediately recognised her as professor McGonagall.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." said professor McGonagall.

"The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room. "The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose but then looking at Harry face she was stunned for a moment, her gaze softening as she nodded at him in a greeting manner.

Harry nodded back at her with a cute smile. He had already checked sith his abilities and confirmed that she had only good for Harry in her heart. It's just that Dumbledore had warned her about her soft feelings for Harry saying that she should not be biased towards him.

McGonagall is an upright woman but too many responsibilities and a huge workload had made her overlook many things. In fear of being partial towards her house she didn't realize when she started being biased against them.