It had been a very fulfilling summer practising all the magic he wanted but it was finally time to leave for Hogwarts. He had looking forward to this since the day he had found out he was in the Potterverse. He didn't want any complications today and he set out of the house immediately after breakfast. His mother was impressed by how smoothly he navigated to King's cross station using muggle transport and he managed to pass it off as knowledge from the muggle studies textbooks. They were at the station by 10 o'clock and well in time before the departure at 11.

They took the trolley towards the entrance to platform 9¾ as he thought back to the last few days. He had managed to convince the shopkeeper at Wiseacre's wizarding equipment to enchant his trunk with an undetectable extension charm for a galleon. So, he could fit in all his equipment, clothes and books into the trunk easily. He had taken the entirety of his book collection, wanting to have all his books at hand at Hogwarts. He and his mother travelled to the station in muggle clothes, looking significantly better coordinated than most wizards due to his help. He was wearing a casual untucked shirt over boot-cut jeans and sneakers while his mom wouldn't have looked out of place at a muggle office in her beige pantsuit combo with a brown shirt and black heels. They walked through the magical barrier and emerged onto the crowded wizarding platform. It was already full of parents and children lugging around trunks and owl cages and students milling about in both casuals and robes.

They ditched the trolley and he levitated the trunk and cage containing Dusk ahead of them as they made their way to one of the compartments that seemed fairly empty. He got the trunk aboard and over one of the seats and came back down to stand with his mother. She told him to enjoy his stay at Hogwarts and study well. They stood on the platform and watched all the people bustling about as his mother told him some anecdotes from her time at Hogwarts. She was a Ravenclaw in her time as was his father and she was almost certain that with his bookish tendencies, he would be following the tradition. He didn't think too much into it. Though he didn't mind Ravenclaw in the least, he felt being in Gryffindor would be more satisfying and he could meet more people he knew there.

It was a quarter to eleven and they were just saying their farewells when he noticed a gaggle of redheads making their way onto the platform. The Weasleys made their way through the crowd to the train and he could see that all of them except Bill and Ron were there. He calculated a bit and managed to figure out everybody's respective year in Hogwarts. The twins would be 2nd years, Percy in his 4th and Charlie in his final year. Ginny would likely start a couple of years later. He supposed that Bill had already started work at Gringotts and Ron, that lazy git was sleeping at home. He had had a lot of time to think about the various people he would meet in the wizarding world and his interactions with them. He was going to try to get along with the twins. He liked them and maybe he could bump their plans ahead by a few years. He was going to avoid Percy like the plague. The pretentious, conceited prick didn't interest him at all. Charlie was worth getting to know. The guy was known for his love of dragons and other magical creatures and getting some extra knowledge on the subject wouldn't hurt. He looked forward to meeting Bill but was not sure how to go about that. The guy was a curse-breaker like his dad and getting some advice from some active personnel would go a long way in helping him succeed in the profession. He wasn't planning to have much to do with Ron. He was a jealous, attention seeking, disloyal prat and he would keep him at arm's length. Even Neville would be a better choice of friends, he was loyal and could sum up his courage when the occasion called for it. He just needed somebody to help him out a bit and boost his confidence.

Meanwhile the Weasleys had got aboard the train and he had to do the same. He noticed with great delight that the twins were on the same compartment as him. He bid goodbye to his mother and after one last farewell hug, boarded the Hogwarts Express. He made his way to his seat and noticed the twins on the opposite seat with a parchment lying on the seat between them. He immediately recognised it as the Marauder's map and had to control himself before he gave his excitement away. He had almost forgotten about this miraculous piece of parchment. Seeing as they had it laid out in the open, they likely hadn't figured it out yet. He was most curious about the magic used to create it and the underlying principles. He decided to be proactive and greeted the twins first to get the ball rolling.

"Hi there, got something interesting there?"

The twins were shaken out of their reverie and turned to look at him. They scrutinised him and had perplexed faces. He had always felt that they were much cleverer than given credit for and were just not bothered about the exams which gave people the different impression. Then they spoke in that interesting twin speak where they completed each other's sentences.

"Hmm, a new face – but looks our age or older – we know nearly everyone in all the houses – still, unfamiliar face – Who are you?" They both turned to ask the last question. He had to hold himself from bursting out in laughter at their two-man act.

"My name is Darius Icarus, a freshman and I already heard about the infamous Weasley twins so no introductions required there. I was just curious about what was interesting enough to keep you two so occupied?"

"Hi Darius. Wow we must be getting real famous now that even first years know us before even entering the school. Well, since you asked, this paper here is something we nicked last year from a drawer labelled Confiscated and highly dangerous in the office of Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts. We just haven't managed to find out how it is dangerous and how to use it against that wretched caretaker and his cat."

He couldn't help but laugh out at that and tried to help them along in discovering the pass-phrase of the map. Maybe he could even borrow it sometimes, when the need came up.

"Well, considering where you found it, it is likely from a student and not too dangerous. Let me give it a try." Waving his wand, he chanted, 'specialis revelio'. There was no response, as he had expected but the twins were impressed with the magic.

"That was impressive Darius. We got that spell in the summer from one of mum's books but it didn't help. How did you know about it and do it even before entering school?"

"I have an avid interest in magic and have been practising magic since the day I got my wand. Since that idea didn't work, let's put our heads together and figure out how to get it working. Knowing where you guys found it, I'm sure it was just used by some students who were up to no good."

He had held the wand to the map as he said the last words and the map glowed for a second before dimming down. The twins noticed that and got excited at the first reaction from the map. They quickly figured that the secret lay in the words Darius had spoken and after almost an hour of trial and error based on the intensity of the glow from the map, they managed to get the pass-phrase and the map was used for the first time by the new generation.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map unfolded and thin ink lines spread from the point where the wand touched. They spread like a spider's web, criss-crossed and fanned to every corner of the parchment and curly words appeared across the top, that proclaimed:

"Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP"

The twins took barely a minute before realising the potential applications of the map and identical evil grins broke out on their faces. They turned towards him and looked about ready to kiss him.

"Thanks a lot for the help Darius. You have no idea how much this little beauty is going to help us. Let us know whenever we can help you out."

"No thanks necessary. Just lend it to me once in a while when I need it or want to research it. It’s an incredible piece of magic. You should also figure out how to return it to the blank state. You can't go around with a map like that in the open after all."

They easily agreed to his request and it took them almost no time to figure out the way to blank it. They played around with it a couple of times before putting it away with satisfied smirks. I knew from their faces that they were going to raise mayhem this year.

We were getting close to Hogwarts and the twins and I pulled our robes on before settling down again and they told me several things about Hogwarts as we played exploding snap to pass the time. Soon enough, it was dark and we pulled into the Hogsmeade station. It was a familiar sight having spent a decade in the village and he got down from the train. The twins had told him that his trunk and owl would be transported to the castle and not to bother with it. It was most likely the house-elves that did it. It was cold out and there was a minor drizzle as they made their way. He spelled himself with the 'impervius' charm to keep himself dry and did the same for the twins, once again impressing them with his magical abilities.

A large lamp was visible and he saw Hagrid's giant figure beckoning over the first years towards him.

"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! C'mon, follow me – any more firs'-years? Mind yer step!"

He liked Hagrid as well. Though the man did blunder at times, he had his heart in the right place and it was worth it to strike up a friendship with him. Maybe he could go to Hagrid's hut while strolling on the grounds someday.

They made their way to the far end of the lake from Hogwarts through a slippery and narrow, sparsely wooded path in the dark before finally halting in front of a small fleet of boats. The roughly forty students were sorted into fours. The girl next to him was vaguely familiar but he put that out of his mind when the boats started sailing silently across the lake after a forward command from Hagrid. The lake was placid and they finally reached the cliff upon which the great castle stood. Making their way through the curtain of ivy, they reached an underground harbour. They got down from the boats and made their way up the marble staircase before standing in front of a great wooden door. Hagrid knocked thrice and the door swung open to reveal the stern countenance of Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take over the first years from here. You can head over to the Great hall."

Hagrid left and the rest of us silently followed the great witch as we made our way through corridors and staircases before standing in front of the entrance to the Great hall. The students crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously. She asked us to wait awhile and left us there. Darius helped out the people around him by drying out their clothes and finally recognised the girl next to him. It was Katie Bell, Griffindor chaser-to-be. They were all grateful to not have to stand in front of the entire school looking like bedraggled rats and rather impressed with his skills. McGonagall returned right then and he noticed her narrowed eyes settling on him briefly before turning to all of them.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! 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 honour. 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, though I can see some of you have resolved the situation already."

She looked at him again during her last comment before turning to open the doors and striding in with all of us first years at her heels. It was time for the sorting.