Harry looked around for his friends adjusting the bag on his shoulder that his trunk was in. They stood on the platform 9 ¾ the cheery red steam engine puffing out steam all around. Harry saw Neville with his gran looking for him and he grinned waving. Neville looked exactly like his pictures, he was the same height as Harry but where Harry was lean and muscular Neville was pudgy with a round face, brown hair and brown eyes. He grinned as he saw Harry and walked up shaking his hand.
"I am glad to see you Harry!" Neville said, "I am so glad I am going to Hogwarts, didn't think I was magical enough you know."
"Well you are, did you get any spells down?" Harry asked him as they headed to get a compartment.
"Yes, Lumos, Nox, and somehow I am good at making bubbles!" Neville said grinning, "thanks you your help."
"Me?" Harry said, "all I did was tell you what works for me."
"Oh look I think that is Fred and George!" Hermione said.
It was true, two stocky red headed boys identical down to the last freckle on their faces strode up. They had blue jumpers on, one had a large F on the front in gold the other G in gold. They grinned at the "ickle firsties" and helped them get Neville's trunk to a compartment. They were impressed when both Harry and Hermione took what looked like books out of their bags, un-shrunk them and stowed their trunks. Hermione's trunk only had three compartments, one for clothes, books, the third one still had to be made into a space, but it could shrink like Harry's. Her parents had gone out and traded in her trunk and got her this one along with paying to get a featherweight and expansion charm put on her pink leather book bag.
"Brilliant, simply brilliant!" Fred said.
"Agreed brother dearest." George replied then seeing Neville, "ah brother dearest this is must be the esteemed Neville Longbottom, George Weasley at your service!"
"Fred Weasley at your service, and here is your toad," Fred said catching the toad with ease that was trying to get away. "I can charm a pocket so he will want to stay there for you."
"Sure thank you!" Neville said letting Fred set the charm.
"Right we have to leave but you need anything we will be there to help you." Fred said.
"Anything for Harry and our dear potions master." George said, "you cannot let anyone know though he likes us, he has a reputation to uphold."
"S-Severus Snape head of S-Slytherin?" Neville stammered, his gran was not nice in the tales she told of the potions master, she did not like him and so terrified her grandson with tales of him, "h-he is really mean!"
"Nah, just strict." Harry said, "he has always been good to me, you cannot tell anyone this but he is my magical guardian."
"Really? Oh well then he cannot be that bad then." Neville said brightening up a bit.
The children settled in and they looked up as the door opened and a young girl peered in. She was shorter than the others with long straight black hair, brown almond shaped eyes, a small nose and olive skin. She was clad in a silk red robe patterned with flowers and black silk trousers. Harry recognized her as part of a magical noble family formerly of China. Her being here meant that her family was in exile as China no longer allowed nobles to stay nobles in their lands.
"Excuse me but everywhere is full, may I join you?" The girl asked in a soft voice.
"Sure, I am Hermione Granger, this is Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom." Hermione said.
"I am Su Li, pleased to meet you and thank you Harry, for what your mother did." Su said softly.
"You are one of the few that recognize it was my mum who stopped Voldemort." Harry said smiling, "thank you."
"You are a Li, of the Li Magical Silk imports?" Neville asked, "my gran gets her formal gowns from you guys."
"Yes that is us." Su said.
The train ride went by quickly as the four children became friends and learned a lot of each other. Harry had decided to not keep it a secret how his aunt had treated him growing up. He would be honest in all he had gone through though he had a few things he had to keep secret, his trunk was one of them. Another was his powers, and the fact that Hermione quiet possibly was a Shapeshifter herself, she still had the magical tests to undergo. There were a few people who came to see the "famous Harry Potter" but for the most part they were left alone. That is until a young boy with a pale pointed face, gray eyes and well groomed white blond hair opened the door and strode in.
"Ah so there you are Potter, I was wondering where you got to." He said.
"Hi Draco," Harry said knowing Draco from the few letters they had written each other. "Looking forward to school?"
"Yes, what house do you think you will be in?" Draco asked.
"Gryffindor, they have great parties, though I am partial to green." Harry said, "think I could redecorate their common room?"
"Funny Potter, I see you have made some good friends, mostly." Draco said his cold eyes flicking over Hermione, "muggleborn?"
"Yes she is and if not for her family coming to my rescue my evil aunt would not be in jail." Harry said coldly, "they saved me and Hermione is a good friend."
"These two lumps are Goyle and Crabbe, my friends." Draco said pointing to two large boys behind him.
"Nice to meet you." Neville said.
"Here, we have extra sweets." Harry said tossing the boys some chocolate frogs, "see you around?"
"Of course." Draco said.
He was smart enough to know when he was dismissed and he was impressed with Harry. This was no weakling, he knew what he wanted and how to get it, it was too bad he would not be in Slytherin. Draco realized he had to take his mother's advice to heart, he had to make good connections, even if he did not make a true friend out of the person. It was too bad Harry had to still stay with muggles but at least these muggles seemed to care for him, he heard his evil aunt had put some sort of spell on her husband as she was not purely muggle herself and when Harry was rescued he was taken out from under it. Maybe this muggleborn Granger was it? Would not be so bad to be around.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Severus sighed yet again as he came up from the dungeons and saw Sirius Black nearly bouncing on his feet in anticipation. Remus Lupin stood by him, he was the new history professor as Binns had crossed over and Remus needed work. He was a perfect fit and he looked from tall Sirius Black to Severus Snape hoping they would stay civil as they had done for so long. Remus was a short man only standing five and a half feet tall, he had tawny hair with flecks of gray and intense blue eyes. Sirius was looking very healthy now, still too thin but at least he was not gaunt and he had shaved all but a carefully trimmed goatee and had kept his hair long to his shoulders. He stood four inches taller than Severus and he was clad in jeans, a yellow button up shirt, purple vest with matching boots and rich velvet maroon robes. Remus was in new high collared buttoned robes and brown boots with matching belt, Severus was like usual all in black.
"I can hardly what, James said he would accept me when you tell him I am here but what if he does not I mean I was in prison I hope he likes me you think he will Sev Remus huh?" Sirius said.
"Yes mutt he will like you, and you will behave." Severus said. "Oh and don't call me Sev, I will kill you for that."
"Of course, I really did mean my apology, I never should have been so petty to do that to you." Sirius said. "Because if me you and Remus well, I am sorry."
"I do not mind Remus now, I have seen him on the Wolfsbane with Minerva, he makes a cute little fluffy puppy." Severus said smirking, "besides you met Shadow?"
"Yes, I thought you would be a bat." Sirius said, "not a cute puppy."
"I am not a puppy, I am a black wolf!" Severus said coldly to him, then looking at Sirius closely, "you do not seem concerned I am Harry's magical guardian why is that?"
"Lils, she talked to me for a long time." Sirius said, "as did James, you have been so good to him, and well he likes you, and he likes the Grangers, no way am I taking him away from all that."
"Why Black you grew up!" Severus said smiling.
"Never!" Sirius said, "I am Sirius Black."
"And anything but Serious." Remus said.
Sirius would have given Remus pink hair but McGonagall came down the stairs and fixed all three men with a glare that made them feel eleven again. She was a tall stern woman clad in a green gown with her black hair tied back from her face and square glasses perched on her nose. She knew the day that Severus Snape and Sirius Black started to get along the school was in trouble, prank-wise and what was worse the headmaster would never believe Severus would ever help in a prank! Why take a look at the Weasley twins, she knew, knew he helped in some of the pranks but she never could pin them on him. She knew that Hogwarts would never be the same with these men working together and she was so very right.