The summer at the Weasleys went quite fast. If Harry ignored all of the worry from mr. And Mrs. Weasley, he could say that he had a lot of fun there.
When it was their last night at the Burrow before going to King's Cross so they could leave and go to Hogwarts; Mrs. Weasley has conjured a feast that contained only Harry's favorite meals and at the end was served a cake. Harry remembered that this happened in the original too. He even told Mrs. Weasley that (again) she didn't have to do it (again), and she (again) said that she didn't mind and that he (somehow) deserves it.
Fred and George ended the night with a show of joke products from dr. Fillibuster - afterwards the kitchen was suddenly full of red and blue small sparkling stars, which bounced of the walls and ceiling for almost half an hour. Finally at the end came time for hot chocolate and afterwards it was time to go to bed and sleep so they'd atleast get a little sleep before tomorrow.
When tomorrow came it took them a really long time to finally drive off. Sure, they got up at sunrise, but it still seemed like they had a lot of work to do. Mrs. Weasley frowningly looked for socks and wands; half-clothed members of the house were meeting on stairs with half-eaten breakfast; mr. Weasley almost broke his arm when he tripped over a lost chicken in the garden while he carried Ginny's luggage.
When everyone was inside the car the kids sat comfortably next to eachother in the backseats and Mrs. Weasley said: "muggles are probably smarter than we think, right?" She doesn't know that the reason why the kids are so easily able to comfortably sit in the backseats and how all of their luggage fitted in the compartment is because of all the enchantments that mr. Weasley has done on this car.
Mrs. Weasley is sitting in passenger's seat with Ginny, but the seat is in length as long as a shorter bench in a park. "I just want to say that when you look from the outside you wouldn't believe just how much space is inside."
During the ride they came back to Burrow three times: first, becuase Fred and George forgot their box of joke products from dr. Fillibuster; second, because Fred forgot his broom; third time because Ginny forgot her diary (Harry just hopes it not the diary...).
Afterwards the pressure in the car was rising, not literally - emotionally.
Mr. Weasley looked at his watch and then at his wife.
"Molly, dear..."
"No, Arthur..."
"But nobody will see us... this small button that I installed here will make this car invisible... it'll float us upwards... and we'll fly above the skies. In ten minutes we'll be there and no one will notice anything..." mr. Weasley tried.
Mrs. Weasley seemed to consider her answers and sighed, "I said no, Arthur... it's dangerous, especially during the day..."
Mr. Weasley sighed in resignation and done what his wife wanted.
When they've finally arrived at the King's Cross it was fifteen minutes before eleven o'clock. Mrs. Weasley ran across the street to go and get trolleys for their luggages and then all of them quickly went through the station to get to the platform nine and three quarters.
When they were finally at the barrier Percy went first then Fred and George did and then mr. Weasley.
"Harry, Ron you two go now, me and Ginny will go after you..."
Harry and Ron nodded and Harry ran through the the barrier and then just behind him Ron appeared.
And after a short while Mrs. Weasley and Ginny appeared.
Harry is surprised that he's surprised but he shook of the feeling.
The kids got on the train quickly, seeing as they only had a minute left to get onto the train, so everyone got on.
When Harry and Ron searched for where Hermione is they've found her in an empty train compartment somewhere in the middle of the train.
"Oh, there you are, almost got worried you didn't make it in time," Hermione said as soon as she noticed her best friends.
"Oh, yea, just grateful that the barrier wasn't sealed unlike when I and Ron wanted to pass through it in my original life," Harry shrugged.
Hermione and Ron are taken aback at that.
"W-what?"
"What do you mean sealed?"
"Oh, right, you don't know," Harry remembered.
"Tell us,"
"Okay, so..."
And so Harry begun to explain how, in his original life a house elf Dobby first stopped Harry from receiving the letters.
"Mom says she always wanted a house elf!" Ron suddenly exclaimed.
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"You know - to help out in the house and stuff," Ron explained.
"Oh," Hermione seemed to understand, and then she frowned, "wait... did you say he stole the letters in your original life?"
"Well, I guess that's one way to put it," Harry thought out loud and then looked at his best friends, "he did give them back to me after I've told him to give them to me when I found out," he shrugged.
Throughout their ride to Hogwarts they talked about a lot of stuff, especially about how Ron and Harry got to Hogwarts on a flying car when the barrier was sealed in Harry's original life and how they crashed into the Whomphing Willow, how they almost died and that Ron also broke his wand and was forced to use it for the rest of the school year - oh, and how the car gained its own conciousness and drove into the Forbidden Forest.
"Bloody hell..." Ron and Hermione are absolutely surprised.
"And you didn't get expelled??" Hermione is absolutely confused.
"Nope," Harry casually answered.
"How?"
"Told you already - when we were at Hogwarts we've done much worse things and still didn't get expelled,"
"How many times did we get expelled?"
"Hmm..." Harry began to think, "I think both of you almost got expelled - like - well, Ron only once? - I think. And you Hermione, you probably would've been quote on quote expelled if you went to Hogwarts for seventh year,"
Now his best friends are both shocked and lost.
"And you? How many times did you almost get expelled,"
"Hmm," Harry began to try to remember just how many times he's almost got expelled, "twice? If I counted correctly that is - Oh, and when it comes to seventh year I would be the same case as Hermione - except I wouldn't just get quote on quote expelled," Harry shrugged.
"Just why would you and Hermione not be allowed at Hogwarts for you seventh year?" Ron is completely lost now.
"... that doesn't matter now..." Harry tried to prevent his friends from talking about it - that topic really did make him uncomfortable after all.
"Why?" Ron pushed.
"Because I don't want to talk about the war, okay?"
"War?"
"Yea"
Luckily, his friends agreed to change the topic.
"Lockhart is so great~! Have you read his books?" Hermione dreamily said.
"No," Ron and Harry answered at once.
"Well - it's impressive just how many lives he's saved!" Hermione added.
"Saved?" Harry almost laughed at that.
"Yes, Harry, saved," Hermione said, sounding like she's about to start defending their professor.
"He didn't save anyone," Harry said casually.
"Yes he has," Hermione crossed her arms.
"That fraud only cares about himself - trust me, he didn't save anyone,"
"What do you mean 'fraud'?" Ron questioned, sounding curious.
While Hermione still has crossed arms she also looks curious.
"Well, all the adventures he describes in his books," Harry begun.
"Right..." Ron nodded.
"Well, other people have actually done that, not him,"
"What??" Ron is completely taken aback.
"You're just jealous," Hermione said, trying to sound like she doesn't believe what Harry is saying.
"Why do you think that?" Harry asked.
"Because he's more famous then you!" Hermione tried.
"More famous then Harry?" Ron questioned Hermione.
"Hah! I doubt that," Harry said, unable to contain the laugh anymore.
"Yes, and you're jealous"
"Okay..." Harry is trying his best to stop laughing because of just how unreasonably funny the idea of him being jealous of Lockhart is, "first of all, I doubt he's more famous then me - second of all, I never wanted to be famous, especially for something that wasn't even my doing," Harry explained, laugh completely gone.
"Wait..."
"You mean that, that when you survived that night it wasn't your doing?" Ron asked, astounded.
"You thought it was?" Harry asked.
"Well, yea... you're 'the boy who lived' afterall..."
"Well, I survived 'cause of my mom," he explained.
"What do you mean?"
"Well... she sacrifed herself for me which made me able to survive the killing curse..." Harry explained, trying to stop remembering how he accessed Voldemort's mind that one time and saw his parent's murder.
"..." Hermione and Ron are completely speechless and in absolute awe.
When they've arrived to the station at Hogsmead everyone got out.
First years gathered around Hagrid.
Second and upper years walked away towards the carrieges that take them to the castle.
Hermione and Ron stopped, absolutely stunned.
When Harry realized they aren't behind him (who's about to get on the carriage).
"Huh?" He looked around and noticed them looking at the Thestral that's about to pull the carriage.
"W-what is this?" Hermione said, seeming a but frightened by the winged hirse.
"A Thestral," Harry answered as he stopped next to his best friends.
"Fred and George told me that the carriages are pulled by themselves..." Ron sounds absolutely lost.
"Your parents didn't tell you...?" Harry asked Ron.
"Didn't tell me what?" Ron questioned.
"That becuase you saw Quirrell die you'll most likely be able to see Thestrals," Harry explained.
Then the trio sat into the carriage and it began to move.
"So you can see them too?" Hermione asked just after they've sat down.
"Of course," Harry said, sounding like that's not something he's particularly proud of.
"Is it becuase of Quirrell?"
"No," Harry sounds like he's uncomfortable by the topic.
"Then who did you saw die that-"
"I don't want to talk about who I saw die that made me be able to see them - okay?" Harry interrupted Ron.
"Okay - sorry," Ron apologized.
Harry looked like he wanted to apologize but the look in Ron's eyes said, 'mate, stop apologizing so much, it's me who asked', that stopped him from apologizing.
After a short while they've arrived to the castle and (along with the crowd) walked to the Great Hall.
After everyone has sat down they've all waited for the new first years to come inside.
The new first years looked very nervous when they came in.
McGonagall placed a small stool infront of them, and on it she placed the Sorting Hat.
After a while the hat began to sing:
"Though I may look worn and shabby,
Frayed and patched in every seam,
Don't be fooled by thread and leather,
I'm wiser than I seem.
Many years I've sat and watched
Young witches and wizards grow,
I've seen triumphs, hopes, and failures,
Far more than most will know.
There's little hidden in your thoughts
That I cannot uncover,
The secrets buried deep inside,
Or dreams you try to smother.
You may belong in Gryffindor,
Where courage lights the way,
Where those who stand for what is right
Grow stronger every day;
Or perhaps in Hufflepuff,
Where loyalty runs deep,
Where patient hearts and steady hands
Their promises will keep;
Or maybe wise old Ravenclaw,
Will be your destined place,
For those who seek both truth and knowledge
Often win the race;
Or perhaps in Slytherin,
Where ambition burns bright,
Where clever minds and determined souls
Will seize their chance to fight.
So place me on upon your head,
And let your future start,
For houses are not made by fate,
But choices of the heart."
The hat quieted again and everyone (except for the first years) began to clap and the hat bowed to all four tables where the students are sitting.
Then McGonagall came to the front and she said that if she calls out someone's (from first years) name, they are to come, sit on the stool and put on the hat.
Harry payed little to no attention to the actual sorting, only noticing that, unlike in his original life, Colin Creevey got sorted into Hufflepuff, that surprised him but shook off the surprise very quickly.
After the sorting was done Dumbledore stood up and began to talk.
"Welcome everyone!
It's truly a pleasure to see all of you once again, and it's truly even better to see all of our new students!
Seeing as we're all waiting for the amazing feast that's awaiting us, I just have a final thing:
May you all have a great year of learning!
Thank you!"
Then Dumbledore sat down and then the feast appeared.
The feast was just as good as it always was.
When the feast has ended, Dumbledore made the expected announcements: that the students are strictly prohibited from going to the Forbidden Forest; that spellcasting in hallways after classes is also prohibited, as well as all joke products that Filch has forbidden.
Then he introduced their new professor to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, Gilderoy Lockhart himself.
At that everyone began to clap, some people enthusiastically, some simply becuase it's polite, and Slytherins didn't clap at all.
After all of this was done Dumbledore has sent everyone to their Dormitories to get a good night's rest.