"I'll see you in a few hours." Severus said, leaning down to hug Harry.
Harry sighed. "I still don't see why I have to sit on a train for hours and hours, just to get to my house."
"Because you are going to behave like a normal student." Severus replied.
Harry frowned. "Does that mean I have to call everyone at Hogwarts, 'Professor'?"
Severus smiled slightly. "I will ask Dumbledore and let you know."
Harry smiled back. "Okay. See you in a few hours."
Harry boarded the train and walked down the isle to the very back of the train, where there was an empty compartment, and sat down. Just after the train started moving, a red-headed boy poked his head in.
"Do you mind?" he asked. "Everywhere else is full."
"Not at all." Harry said, gesturing at the seat across from him. The boy smiled and sat down.
"I'm Ron, by the way." he said. "Ron Weasley."
"Are you Fred and George's younger brother?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Yes, I am." Ron answered. "I'm assuming that you're Harry Potter?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, and this is Scabbers." Ron added. "Want to see a spell that Fred gave me to turn him yellow?"
"That spell doesn't work." Harry quickly informed him.
"How would you know?" Ron asked.
"Because Fred told it to some kid in his year last year, and he tried." Harry explained. "It doesn't work."
"Oh, yeah, you live at Hogwarts, don't you?" Ron asked. "What's it like living with Professor Snape?"
"It's good." Harry thought for a moment. "I don't remember my parents. I lived with my aunt and uncle until I was three. I don't remember them, either, and Dad won't talk about them."
"You call Snape, Dad?" Ron asked.
"Well, yeah." Harry said. "I don't remember any other father. Besides, I lived with him since I was three. He won't tell me why he took me from my aunt and uncle's though."
At that moment, a girl with bushy brown hair entered.
"Has anyone seen a toad?" she asked. "A boy named Neville's lost one."
"No." Harry and Ron answered in unison.
The girl sighed. "Well, if you see one, come find us. We're in compartment eleven." she left.
"Fred told me that you have to wrestle a troll to get sorted." Ron hesitently began. "Is that true?"
"No." Harry explained all about the Sorting Hat.
"Do you mean to tell me," Ron looked outraged. "That all you have to do is try on a stupid hat?"
"No." Harry said. "You get to try on a magic hat."
"Yeah yeah, same difference." Ron waved his hand, as if waving aside the conversation.
"Anything off the trolley, dears?" a voice from the doorway asked.
"No thanks." Ron said. "I'm all set." he held up a sandwich that looked very unappetizing.
Harry looked at it. "We'll take the lot." he said, taking some money out of his pocket.
"How'd you get that?" Ron asked after the trolley witch left.
"Dad took some money out of my vault before we went shopping in case there was anything I wanted to buy." Harry explained. "And I had some left over. So I kept it in my pocket in case of emergencies."
"Well, this was an emergency." Ron laughed.
Idle chatter kept the boys busy throughout the duration of the trip, and, before they knew it, they had arrived at Hogwarts.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
