6 The Hogwarts Express

***A few weeks later***

I'm already on my way to King's Cross. Obviously, Professor Snape is not compassionate enough to guide me to the station. He only sent me a letter through owl where the Hogwarts Express is found. Sister Anna was already provided with an explanation of where I will go. What she knows is that I will study in a private boarding school, and I don't have any expenses as the school provided me a scholarship fund. She doesn't know how I was eligible enough to enter such a school. But she thinks that I am a very bright student that caught the school's attention. Well, she's not exactly wrong in that part, I'm quite gifted in my own way.

Grandfather was also quite proud when he saw my wand. He knew a bit about wandlore, so knowing that I have elder wood as a wand convinced him that I am destined to be a great wizard. His grandson possessing a wand similar to the Elder wand, although weaker, is enough to impress him. He was the previous wielder of the famous artifact after all.

I don't know about the future though. With the next war just looming over the horizon, the future is unclear, especially that I somehow existed. I know about the butterfly effect, and I would be a fool if I say I don't believe I won't make any changes to the canon timeline. Well, my world is not a fantasy anymore, it's my reality. So I won't depend on my 'metaknowledge' too much. It's just a bit comforting that I know of a certain future, and I sure as hell will make the proper preparations for the coming war.

I stopped my inner speech as the taxi arrived at the station. I can say the station is quite... mediocre. Well from someone living from the future, our modern trains are certainly more impressive than those. I can't say anything about the Hogwarts train though. Although it's only running on steam, there's something magical about that. Maybe I'm a bit sentimental and appreciates history, and Hogwarts Express has been running for a long time. By the time I reach King's Cross, I will know what timeline I landed myself in.

I can only be sure that the timeline I'm in is after the first wizarding war as the twins are in their teenage years already. If I am the same age as the golden trio, then we will be meeting, a lot. There sure will be classes where we will attend together. But I hope I am at least a year younger than them. I don't want Voldewraith to know my existence already. Either way, I will still suffer. So fuck it, I'll live life my own way.

'Damn you, grandfather!'

I may not fear death since I already experienced dying, but the pain I will go through while dying is definitely not okay. I barely remember the torture I suffered, and I don't want anything like that again.

Now with all of my frustrations gone, I continued strolling inside the train station while pulling my trunk. Trying to find where in Merlin's beard is platform 9 3/4.

'Hm? I see something weird.'

This is something I learned from my grandfather. Grandfather only found about it when I was 8 years old. The moment he discovered, he added another subject in my torture sessions called 'training'. It seems I have a rare ability called Mage Sight.

It's the ability to see the flow of magic, whether it was a spell, wards, or runes. Anything that has magic can be seen by my Mage Sight. Some spells have magic that moves in a certain way, and a certain color. That's how I know what kind of spell is being cast without it going to the wand. It certainly is useful during duels or if the enemy knows wandless, chantless, and non-verbal magic.

This ability is very rare since the only other person recorded to have Mage Sight is Perenelle Flamel, Nicolas Flamel's wife. But grandfather nailed it to my head that while having Mage Sight is an advantage, it still can be beaten by experienced Aurors, Hit wizards, and other powerful wizards. Experience is their advantage and that thing is what I lack the most. It's not like I have someone I can duel within the orphanage.

Going back, I can see a thin trail of magic in the air. It's obvious that the one who set up the wards is either incompetent, or the wards are being neglected. Even if the magic in the notice-me-not wards is thick, the wards were not built properly as the magic keep leaking to the surroundings. Maybe there is no one assigned to the ward maintenance. It seems the wards were placed there a long time ago, and no one ever thought of repairing it. I can deduce that the Ministry of Magic here is either corrupt or incompetent. Either way, they are bad at doing their jobs. Maybe that's why the Ministry was easily dismantled by the Death Eaters in the first war, and even the war failed to cure their stupidity.

'Oh Merlin, I'm getting sidetracked again.'

The moment I found the magical pillar, I went straight through and landed on the other side of the Hogwarts Express. It's already crowded with people so I immediately went inside the train. I kept getting weird looks though. Maybe they thought I'm a metamorphmagus? Well, they'll know soon enough.

As I walked inside the train trying to find a compartment, I familiar red-headed boy passed by me and went into one of the cabins. He's about the same age as me, so I got curious. The cabin door is fortunately open, so I managed to see who is the mystery boy is.

'Oh hell, that must be Ron. And judging by his age. F*cking hell, I'm the same year as them!'

Widening my eyes in realization, I immediately ran past the cabin and went inside the nearest empty one. What I saw inside is a girl older than me. Long black hair, quite short for her age, older than me, and constantly narrowed eyes. Definitely Cho Chang. At least I met with a familiar face. Maybe not so familiar, but I know her in the books!

"Hello. Is there anyone else sitting here?" I asked her.

She raised her head from the book and turned to me. She was a bit startled and...nervous? Well, I can see she's cuter and prettier than Katie Leung.

'I should really stop gawking, for Merlin's sake she's 12!'

A few moments later, she sighed.

"Well my friends will come any minute, but there will be a free space for you." She said

"Thanks. I'm Frederick by the way, but you can call me Fred." I offered a handshake.

"I'm Cho Chang. Nice to meet you. You can call me Cho if you want. I must say, you're quite intimidating back there." she joked.

"I get that a lot. I don't know why though. I don't even look scary at all... Do I?" I asked, genuinely curious. Cho laughed at that.

I have few people in the orphanage I can consider acquaintance. The rest are either weirded by me or scared. They can't bully me since the nuns will quickly admonish them. They might not know, but all the nuns like me in the orphanage. the reason the other kids are scared was grandfather's fault. He taught me passive intimidating magic without me even knowing. He explained to me how every wizard he faced felt pressure when they battled him to throw them off their game. He told me that not only the amount of magic thrown and dueling experience is important when battling, but the state of their mind too. A wizard that doesn't have a clear mind might not be able to make quick decisions or produce magic at all, since will and intent are required in casting spells. He said Dumbledore was quite affected by it too. But he eventually overcame it when he fought him toe to toe. The intimidating magic is turned on when I was inside the taxi so the driver won't have any ideas and kidnap me or something. I must have forgotten to turn it off.

"Oh, you don't look scary, but you certainly look odd. Are you a pureblood?" She asked.

"I am what they call a muggleborn since I was raised in an orphanage," I said. I didn't say no or deny the claim of me being Pureblood since I don't even know who my parents are.

" Well, maybe you have a muggle disease. Itt's definitely weird even for wizards to have silver hair like yours. Are you a metamorphmagus?" She asked again.

"A lot of people have been asking that. But no, I am not a metamorphmagus. I can't even change my hair color at all." I said jokingly.

" Maybe you can use transfiguration to change it? But it will be too advanced for you since you're still the first year." Cho Chang suggested.

" I think I'll decline, but thanks for the suggestion. This hair has been part of me you see. It's how people knew me. You won't see many people with Silverish-white hair after all." I countered.

Cho Chang acknowledged it with a nod.

"What house do you think you'll be sorted into?" Cho Chang changed the topic.

" Well, I don't know either. I may be Hufflepuff since I'm quite loyal to the people in the orphanage, and I'm definitely hardworking too. I may not be as cunning and as ambitious like those in Slytherin, but I have some goals I wish to achieve. I can also say I'm brave myself like those in Gryffindor since I've fought bullies even when I was still in a muggle school. And I also think I can be a Ravenclaw because I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge." I explained.

"Wow, it will be hard for you. But I hope you can be in Ravenclaw. You'are fun to talk with." She said teasing. No, I already passed the torture called puberty, so you won't see me embarrassed. At all.

"Oh, I'm honored that I managed to entertain a gorgeous lady like yourself." That sounded a lot better in my mind. When it came out of my mouth it suddenly became cringe. I hope she doesn't get angry or something.

When I turned to her, her cheeks were slightly dyed in red. Wow, never thought that would work. They are still children, so it's all fair.

'The result is not what I expected, but it certainly is welcomed.' I smirked.

A few seconds later, her friends came. When they saw me, they asked about my hair, and that's it. It seems they'll have their talk within the group and I have no plan in joining them. So I just sat there and practiced my Occlumency. I can not afford to record any lesson from my grandfather in a book so I stored it inside my mindscape. I stuffed my personal journal inside the vault in the basement of my mental library since I'm the only one who has access inside and knows it's existence.

Anyway, my personal journal contains a lot of pointers my grandfather told me, so they are very useful. I still can't create my own spells, but I think I can create less complicated ones by the end of the year.

I might have been inside my mind for a long while because Cho Chang nudged me to wake me up. The train is approaching Hogsmeade, and we have to wear our robes now.

"Had a good dream, are we?" She teased.

"Even men need some beauty rest too." I joked, then she playfully hit my arm.

"I heard Harry Potter's inside the train." She said.

"Who?" I asked, pretending not to know.

"Oh right, muggleborn. But I'm a muggleborn too. Just a year earlier than you. Long story short, he's the hero of Magical Britain since he saved Magical Britain from an evil wizard." She explained to me.

"How poetic," I said and she chuckled.

While Cho Chang and her friends were talking, I secretly put my wand inside my trunk. I remembered a theory about how Trace is imbued on underage wizards. By riding the boat to Hogwarts. Sure, I can use wandless magic. But it doesn't mean I want my wand having the Trace. And I won't even neglect my wandless training too. Grandfather said that wandless magic is like training your muscle. When you don't use wandless magic regularly, you'll eventually lose your touch. And the more you train wandlessly, the more efficient you are in casting spells without a wand.

When I stepped outside the train, I heard the booming voice of Hagrid. Although he's loud, his voice doesn't sound intimidating at all. What a gentle giant. All the first years were amazed at his height. Especially the muggleborns, including me. I don't know people can get that big. Considering Hagrid is a half-giant, that's possible. I just wondered how was he created. His mother was a giant and his father was a wizard...

'No. Just stop.' I sighed.

"Firs' year's! Firs' years here! Firs' will go to Hogwarts' by boat. 4 students' in one boat. Now off ye' go!" He urged us. He first rode one boat for himself. While I ride one with one chubby, Brown-haired kid. He seems to be very shy and kept looking around.

While we're moving across the lake, I decided to introduce myself to the other three.

"Hello. My name's Frederick. You can call me Fred though. What seems to be the problem?" I asked after I introduced myself to the three students. I don't know the other student but I'm very familiar with the bushy brown-haired girl. Buck-teeth looks like Emma Watson... Yep, it's Hermione. The favorite girl of the franchise, and the favorite heroine of every cliche fanfiction. I can't deny it though. Her character is better than even Harry Potter. Without Hermione, the two boys would not even survive the first book. But I don't plan on joining them in their adventures. I have my own adventure and if no one befriends me, then I'll enjoy it myself. The Forbidden Forest sounds a good place.

The other one introduced himself as James Jonas. Wow, his name sounds... charismatic. Must be a Yank then. I intend to know the first years though, even if no one ended up being my friend. My doom bomb already started ticking the moment I stepped outside the train, and the party will just start there.

"H-hello, I'm N-Neville Longbottom. Y-you can call me Neville though if you want. My t-toad Trevor seems to be m-missing." He stuttered.

"Well, he must be already in the school." I comforted him. Obviously, he didn't believe me. But he was thankful for the consolation.

"I'm Hermione Granger. We've been trying to find Neville's toad inside the train. How can you be so sure the toad is already inside the school premises?" She asked, very sure of herself. She's similar to Professor Snape in a way, but with less brooding and bossier.

" I don't know. Magic?" I shrugged and Hermione rolled her eyes. I know what will happen, but I'll let them see for themselves. We continued in silence though. With Neville still trying to find his toad.

"And how did you get that hair?" Hermione asked again.

"I was born with it." I shrugged. I am getting tired of answering their questions. Well, Hermione is a special case since she likes sticking her nose in another's business.

A few moments later, we reached a small cavern, and Hagrid shouted.

"Duck!"

I laughed at that. But my other boatmates have one of their eyebrows raised, except Neville who is still frantically finding his toad.

" What's funny about that?" James asked.

"Well because Hagrid's huge so he has to duck. But we're children and small. So we don't have to." I said while still laughing. Man, that was a good laugh.

They just shook their head while I occasionally laugh when I try to remember what just happened.

Eventually, we all got off the boat and Hagrid led us to a giant wooden door. I let out a deep breath at that.

'Okay, deep breaths. Your life will only get miserable once we are sorted, so no pressure.' The pressure suddenly became heavy as I unconsciously toggled my magic. I quickly turned it off.

"What the hell was that? I just got scared for a moment, then it disappeared." Someone loudly whispered.

"Maybe we're all just nervous. This is Hogwarts after all."

Okay, I need to put up my shields so it won't happen again.

The rest went on the same in the movie. The whole group went to the end of the marble staircase, waiting for Professor McGonagall. I went actually a bit behind Harry, just beside Neville.

"Fancy meeting you here Neville." I greeted him. He just smiled as he looked around, worried for Trevor. I saw Hermione quite at the back, must be because she's quite small to squeeze through the group. I only went here because I want to witness Draco and Harry's first meeting. Chatting with Neville was a bonus.

"So it's true then, Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." Draco walked in front of the group with Crabbe and Goyle in tow. The were whispers after that. The-Boy-Who-Lived is very famous after all.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle, and I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He spoke with as much as confidence he had in his body.

Ron snorted and I coughed a little, trying not to laugh. Now I understand why Ron thinks it's funny. Fortunately, the snort is more obvious so Draco's attention turned to Ron.

Then it all continued the same as the movie until McGonagall arrived and tapped a sulking Draco on the shoulder. When she got in front of the group, she scanned all of us until her eyes landed on Harry. Then her eyes turned to me. Must be because either my hair is too eye-catching, or the whole faculty already knows my secret. Her eyes stayed on me for a few more seconds until she started her speech.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. Now my story truly begins.