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What?
"You've read all about me?" Harry felt concerned. He most certainly hoped she was just being rude and wasn't telling the truth. He would hate if everyone already knew all about his family.
"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either 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 in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."
She left as swiftly as she came. Dragging the boy – Neville, Harry presumed – with her.
My sympathies.
He wrinkled his nose.
"She made it difficult to be polite," said Daphne.
Harry stood up and shut the compartment door.
"She was a bit much, but I imagine that she's nervous. It might be difficult being a muggleborn, getting sent off to school to another world." Harry blinked. "What did she mean about houses?"
"Houses are just a way to divide the students into similar groups. It makes it easier for us to make friends." Daphne returned, she seemed happier answering his questions than asking him questions.
He met her gaze.
"You don't put much stock in the houses?"
She shook her head. "My mother was in Ravenclaw and my father was in Slytherin. It doesn't really matter which house you are in. You can still be friends with people outside of yours."
It made sense Harry decided.
"Your family are all also magical?"
She closed her book and set it on her lap.
"My father, mother and sister. I have more extended family than that, but largely, yes."
Harry nodded. "More family?"
She bit her bottom lip and Harry realized he could have been more specific with his question.
"Most pureblood wizards and witches are related. You and I are probably seventh or eighth cousins or something." Harry narrowed his brow at that.
The compartment door slid open again, this time without even a knock. Harry scowled.
Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards, or bookends.
"Oh, this is Crabbe," the blonde muttered absently as he turned back to Harry, "and this is Goyle. My name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Daphne seemed to snicker. Harry felt confused. He didn't know what to do. He cleared his head as swiftly as he could.
Draco gave an arrogant leering look at Daphne, "You're laughing at me? I expected better from you Greengrass, it's not like your name is completely dirt." Daphne glowered at Draco.
He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it. He saw through Draco. He felt the connection and pushed, the endless boredom of Harry's cupboard and the pain of a beating slipped into Draco's mind. The boy flinched stepping back wildly from Harry. He had no occlumency, no defence.
Harry clumsily shoved fear behind Draco's eyes before he lost control of whatever he was doing.
His body guards stepped forward and Draco fell back scrambling away. The two oafs were too dumb to understand what was happening. Draco fled from the compartment and his lackeys trailed behind looking confused with scrunched faces.
I hope I don't look like that when I am confused.
He shivered at the thought.
Harry stood and closed the door again with a huff. Daphne was watching him. It was a little unnerving, but he attempted to ignore it.
That was careless of me. He might have known occlumency. Stupid.
Harry breathed deep and tried to forgive himself, but he couldn't help but cringe at the memory of his actions.
When Hermione returned and immediately opened the door again, Harry actually snapped his book shut in frustration.
Daphne giggled lightly. He spared her a glance only long enough to discover that she found his attempts to keep the door closed and other people's attempts to open it comedic.
He could see it, and the different perspective calmed him enough to turn to Hermione without a scowl.
"What now?" He asked, tone no longer quite as polite, but still soft.
Hermione blinked at him owlishly.
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
"There's been no fighting, and everyone keeps entering this compartment." Daphne returned. Her tone was a great deal more measured than his.
"All right." She gave them that curious look again. "I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors."
Daphne giggled lightly at Harry's frustration as Hermione left.
Harry stood. "I'll leave while you change," he said simply. He stood without further ceremony, took his robes out, and departed for the loo to change.
When they did finally arrive, the First-Years gathered around a giant of a man named Hagrid. Harry ended up sharing a boat with Daphne, a freckled brunette girl and a boy of African descent with dark hair and darker eyes.
Harry saw the castle and immediately fell in love. It was sitting there across a great dark lake, still like a mirror, and perched regally atop a mountain. Its windows sparkled with orange and yellow light, while the turrets and towers rose around the castle like an ornate stone crown.
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