"Mum, c'mon! Let me go," Katie complained, though she couldn't seem to bite back the little giggle that escaped her. Her mother was hugging her tightly for what must have been the twentieth time in the last five minutes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just really going to miss you," Maria said, cupping her daughter's cheek in her hand. Subconsciously, Katie leaned into the touch, all the while allowing for a small smile to paint her lips.

"I know," she said. "I'll miss you too."

She hugged her mother a final time, wrapping her arms firmly but lovingly around her. Then she turned to her father, noticed that his eyes were glazed over with welling tears.

"Dad, are you crying?" Katie teased, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"W-What? No!" Anthony stammered out, adjusting the collar of his shirt. "No, of course not. It's just a little breezy, that's all."

Perhaps he thought he was being discreet, but Katie saw him tilt his head back ever-so-slightly as he attempted to blink away the tears that were brimming his eyelids. Shaking her head amusedly, Katie stepped forward to hug him.

"Promise you'll write every week?" she asked. When she and her father parted, she noticed that she too had tears in her eyes. Parting with her family at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was indeed upsetting, but it was hard to be downcast with her destination in mind. Finally, after a long eleven years of hearing stories from her family about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Katie was finally on her way there. She would fabricate her own stories to share with Leo, her own fantastical memories to relive and cherish.

"Of course, honey," Maria said warmly. Katie's father draped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close to his side.

Katie felt a tug at her skirt. Looking down, she found Leo staring up at her with wide and teary eyes.

"Awh, come here you," she said, swooping Leo up and spinning him around. Katie was grateful that Leo, like herself, was short like their father, otherwise she would definitely have struggled to pick him up in her arms. Leo yelled out in glee as Maria and Anthony watched, smiling fondly. Maria reached into her handbag and took out a handkerchief, which she used to dab away the tears from under her eyes.

Arms beginning to ache, Katie placed Leo back on his feet where he swayed, slightly disorientated after being spun around. Although he still had tears in his eyes, his newfound grin was unwavering, and Katie crouched down so that she was at his eye level.

"I'm gonna miss you," Leo mumbled, but Katie reached out and ruffled his hair, which made his face scrunch up and his falling smile returned as he vaulted out of the way.

"I'll be back for Christmas. That's not even four months away," Katie told him. "Besides, Mum and Dad will be at home to keep you company, yeah? Now, stop crying. You're a big boy now."

She hugged Leo close, but he seemed to have gotten over his despair regarding parting from his brother and sister. He wriggled out of her grasp, suddenly conscious of any on-lookers. He was now far too old to be seen hugging his sister in public. How embarrassing that would be.

Chris, who had been standing a little further up the platform, conversing and laughing with a pair of red-headed twins, came bouncing back to his family. With a face twisted in embarrassment, he accepted hugs from his parents and, like Katie had done only moments before, he ruffled Leo's messy head of blond hair.

"I'll see you soon, buddy," he said, grinning brightly. "You're in charge of giving Mum a hard time while I'm away."

"Christian!" Maria warned.

"What?" Chris said. "Someone's got to keep up the family tradition of being a nuisance, because I sure as hell know Kat won't."

"Now don't you go putting ideas in her head," Maria snapped. "It's her first year at Hogwarts, we need to make sure she does well."

"And she will," Anthony said fondly, giving his daughter's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "You'll write as soon as you're sorted?"

"Of course," Katie responded.

Chris gave a loud snort. "You'll only be getting bad news," he taunted. "Bet she'll be put in Slytherin."

"Christian!"

"Scoping about the dungeons with all those slimy gits—"

"Christian Thomas Blair!"

Maria's face had grown so red, it looked just about ready to explode. Cackling, Chris turned and hurried away, calling back, "See you, Mum! See you, Dad!"

Maria shook her head, angrily muttering under her breath about Chris being a pest and a bother. She gave Katie a final hug, which turned out to be much more stiff than the ones that came before it, then Katie said her goodbyes and her family saw her off as she made for the train.

Katie pushed her way through the noisy and bustling crowd that had gathered on the platform, heaving her trunk along and hoping that her cat didn't get lost in the commotion. Felix, however, seemed to be having a much more pleasant time than Katie; he wound through the forest of moving legs with ease and didn't have a hefty trunk to carry.

"Need a hand?"

Katie looked around, finding a boy with strawberry blond hair grinning back at her. He had a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans in one hand, but he dropped those into his pocket and reached for Katie's trunk. Katie recognised him at once. In fact, she knew him quite well. Niall Murray—Chris' best friend, the only one that still hadn't grown tired of Katie, but was coincidentally the one of Chris' few friends that didn't live in Appleby. He had, however, spent a couple of weeks at the Blair's house the past two summers in a row, which was why Katie was so familiar with him.

"Oh, please," she panted desperately, letting go of the trunk entirely and allowing Niall to carry it onto the train for her. She followed him up the steps and into the corridor, where he turned to glance at Katie over his shoulder.

"You sitting with us?" he asked.

Katie did like Niall, and she found Chris to be alright sometimes, but the prospect of spending the day stuck inside a compartment with their friends who viewed Katie as nothing more than a bothersome toddler sounded like absolute torture.

"No thanks," she answered quickly.

Niall shrugged. "Suit yourself."

He found an empty compartment halfway up the train and slid the door open, tucking Katie's trunk away on the rack above the seat. Felix, who had followed Katie aboard the Hogwarts Express, brushed against her legs before leaping into a seat, settling down and beginning to groom himself.

"Alright, that's that," Niall said. Katie had come to know that he always seemed to be wearing a grin. "See you later, then. We're sitting a little further up if you need us."

Katie dropped into the seat next to Felix and scratched him behind the ears. Looking out the window onto the platform, she could see families saying their final goodbyes. Almost everybody was crying, especially the children who were still too young to attend Hogwarts and had to part from their older siblings for the coming months.

Katie turned at the sound of the compartment door sliding open.

"Hey, I hope you don't mind but—" The person faltered, then exclaimed, "Katie!"

"Harry!"

She gestured for Harry to come inside and he obliged, closing the compartment door, putting his trunk on the rack and sitting down across from Katie. He was wearing the same pair of beige jeans that he had been wearing the day Katie met him at Diagon Alley, and the same battered shoes too, but he had switched his baggy blue flannel for a baggy blue shirt.

"How have you been?" Katie asked.

"Alright. You?"

"Alright," she smiled. "Getting here this morning was a nightmare. Dad insisted that we leave early and take Muggle transport. Some of those buses really are awful."

Felix curled up in Katie's lap and she stroked him gently as she and Harry got talking about anything and everything. As Harry spoke, Katie was struck with the same peculiar sense of familiarity that she had felt that day at Diagon Alley. It was only when he laughed at a joke that Katie had made and he swung his head back, causing his black hair to move aside, that she noticed the distinct lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead. Her jaw dropped.

"Merlin's Beard! You're—" Katie began, but was ultimately too awestruck to finish her sentence. Harry raised and eyebrow as Katie shamelessly gawped at him.

"Harry . . ." Harry said slowly, sounding confused.

"Harry Potter! You're Harry Potter!"

Harry sighed.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Merlin's Beard! This is insane!" Katie said excitedly. She was so amazed, it hadn't really occurred to her that she was being quite rude. "I've read about you and heard stories about you, but I never thought I would actually get to meet you."

Harry just shrugged. "Nothing much to look at," he said. "I do have this one funny-looking tooth, though, if you want to see that—"

"Harry, you stopped You-Know-Who!" Katie gasped. She didn't understand how Harry could be so modest. She must have heard his name a million times growing up, and she knew that if she had vanquished the most powerful Dark wizard that had ever lived, she would certainly brag about it. "Have you any idea how cool that is?"

"It's not like I remember it," Harry countered. "And my parents aren't exactly around to confirm what happened. I don't understand how people just know I stopped him."

Katie blinked, bewildered. Had he really no idea of the significance of what he had done? That being said, she could recall hearing one time that, after the whole ordeal with He Who Must Not Be Named, Harry had been sent to live with Muggles from his family. Had they not explained everything to him?

"Because he disappeared," Katie said. "Just like that. He tried to kill you and then—boom—gone. And a simple protection spell couldn't stop a powerful Dark wizard, Harry. Something about you stopped him."

Harry was silent for a long moment, and then he mumbled, "Neither could a baby."

Katie had opened her mouth to respond but the compartment door opened suddenly, silencing her.

"Do you mind? Everywhere else is full."

Katie and Harry looked around. A rather nervous-looking boy with a strangely long nose, fiery red hair, bright blue eyes and a face pickled with freckles was standing in the doorway, smiling sheepishly back at them.

"Not at all," Harry smiled and the red-haired boy seated himself next to Katie. She took note of the way he kept sneaking glances at Harry before promptly turning his face towards the window, trying to pretend he wasn't looking at Harry at all.

No longer being able to bear the thick silence in the compartment, Katie cleared her throat and said, "My name's Katie. Katie Blair."

"Ron Weasley," the red-head said and then, unable to control himself any longer, he blurted, "Are you really Harry Potter?"

If Harry was at all agitated, Katie thought that he hid it extraordinarily well. He gave a small nod and watched, expression passive, as Ron's mouth fell open. His blue eyes looked just about ready to pop right out of their sockets.

"Really? You really are Harry Potter? I thought Fred and George were just joking!" Ron exclaimed. Harry let out a short laugh, and Katie blinked in surprise. Fred and George Weasley were two of Chris' friends from Hogwarts. She had never met them, but she had heard many of Chris' stories about their antics. Ron must have been their younger brother.

"Have you really got—you know—?"

But Ron didn't need to finish his sentence. Harry already knew what he was going to ask. He pulled his fringe out of his face, revealing the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Ron stared. Even Katie leaned forward to get a better look at the scar, her interest spiking.

"So that's where You-Know-Who—?"

"Yes," Harry said. "But I don't remember it."

"Nothing?" Ron pressed.

"Just a lot of green light. But I don't remember what happened or what Voldemort looked like," Harry said. Ron gasped and, simultaneously, Katie's stomach twisted into terrible knots. Harry glanced between the two of them, confusion written all over his face.

"What?" he asked.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" Ron exclaimed. Katie was sure she had never heard the name spoken out loud before. Scarcely, she had seen it written down, and maybe she had heard it whispered quickly in the back of shops and whatnot. To hear it spoken so clear and heedlessly, and by Harry Potter of all people—

At that moment, the compartment door slid open yet again. This time, three boys stepped inside. The one in the middle had pale skin, sharp features and hair so blond it almost appeared to be white. Katie took note of the fact that he had salient silver eyes, almost as striking as Harry's. The boy's cold gaze lingered on Katie for a moment before it quickly jumped to Harry.

"Is it true then? Everyone on the train is saying that Harry Potter is in this compartment. Are you really him?"

Katie couldn't help but look at the two rather large boys who were standing on either side of the blond-haired boy like bodyguards.

"Oh, and these two are Crabbe and Goyle," he said, pointing to both of his companions when he noticed Katie's line of sight. He held a pale, long-fingered hand out to her. Locking eyes with him, Katie reluctantly shook his hand. She felt herself shrink under his stare. The way he looked at not only her, but at Harry and Ron too, gave the impression that he was disdaining them.

"What's your name?" he asked, though he didn't sound at all polite.

"Katerina Blair," Katie replied. "But I prefer to be called Katie."

"I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," he said. Ron let out an odd noise that might have been a snicker, bringing his hand to his mouth in an attempt to conceal it, but Draco had already heard him. His eyes narrowed, snapping towards Ron as a sneer crept onto his pointed face.

"Think my name is funny, do you? I don't think I need to ask you yours. My father told me all about the Weasleys. Red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford," Draco snarled. Ron gulped and looked down at his feet, at a loss for a response.

Then Draco's attention was suddenly on Harry again.

"You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter," he said sharply. "You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort." He jerked his head towards Ron. "I can help you there."

Draco held out his hand for Harry to shake. Harry, however, simply stared long and hard at Draco's outstretched hand, before looking him straight in the eyes and saying, "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks."

A smirk played at Ron's mouth and, this time, Katie was the one left fighting back a laugh. She hid it much better than Ron. Draco's face hastily fell, and Katie swore that she saw a hint of a blush pricking at his cheeks, but he was quick to cover up his embarrassment with anger.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he spat. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riff-raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you."

Katie, Ron and Harry all jumped to their feet. Felix leapt from Katie's lap, letting out a great hiss. Draco grimaced distastefully down at the cat.

"Say that again," Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Come on boys, I think it's time we left," Draco said, and Crabbe and Goyle exited the compartment. Katie stared after them and, just as Draco was about to close the door, his eyes met hers. He stared at her for many moments, completely silent, before saying, "You coming, Blair?"

"I—what?" Katie was taken aback. "No."

"Suit yourself," Draco shrugged, and then he was gone.

In the absence of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle, a drawn-out silence hung in the compartment. Katie, Harry and Ron slumped back into their seats.

"Well, he was lovely," Katie broke the silence, her voice dripping with sarcasm, and Ron let out a snort of amusement. Harry went on to explain how he had met Draco a few weeks prior when he was shopping at Diagon Alley and their encounter had been far from pleasant.

"I've heard of the Malfoys," Ron said darkly and, based on what Katie herself knew about the family in question, his tone was appropriate. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He sharply turned to Katie. "What were you doing, shaking his hand?"

Katie felt suddenly defensive. "How was I to know that he's a Malfoy?"

"I dunno. Magic?" Ron joked. Rolling her eyes, Katie got to her feet and excused herself to the bathroom. She must have been gone much longer than she expected because, when she returned, the compartment seats were covered in sweets, a girl Katie hadn't met was standing in the doorway, and Ron was casting what he stupidly believed was a genuine spell.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

As one might expect, the spell did not work, and the rat that was wriggling in Ron's lap did not turn yellow. Katie decided not to question why Ron had a rat or where he had gotten it from.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl in the doorway said. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard—I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will all be enough."

The girl spoke so fast that, by the time she was finished, Katie felt out of breath and she hadn't even been the one that was talking.

"Pleasure to meet you too," Katie said dryly. The girl flinched in alarm. Evidently, she had not heard Katie return from the bathroom.

"Oh, hello there," she said brightly. "I'm Hermione Granger. I just came in to see if Neville's toad was around here."

"Who's Neville?" Katie asked.

"Doesn't matter," Hermione said. "Who are you?"

"Katie Blair."

"Ron Weasley."

"Harry Potter."

"Are you really? I know all about you, of course. I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

Harry looked rather dazed, and Katie was sure there was a faint green tinge to his face. "Am I?"

"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me." Katie did not understand how one person could talk so much and so very quickly, but Hermione continued on. "Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. Anyway, I'd better go look for Neville's toad."

Before Hermione left, she turned to Ron. "You've got dirt on your nose, by the way. Did you know?" And then she was gone.

Katie found it quite comical that Hermione asked what houses the three of them thought they would be in and then left before getting any answers.

"Cheery lot, these first-years," Katie chortled.