Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

Author's Notes: Everything that happens in the books up until the Dursley's drop Harry off at King's Cross occurs unchanged.

This story contains character death and some age inappropriate behavior. Nothing especially graphic but it may not be suitable for some people.

I have described Tracey as an ambitious person who knows what she wants (Harry) and knows how to get it (him). Her behavior is not entirely appropriate for an 11 year old girl but it is not unheard of.

Harry Slithers-in; Philosopher's Stone: Chapter 1: Catching the Train

Harry looked at the numbers above the platforms. The Dursleys were right; there seemed to be no platform labelled 9&3/4. Nervously he looked around wondering if he could risk asking a guard.

"Excuse me."

Harry turned to the speaker. She looked to be about his own age and about the same height with brownish blonde hair, lightly tanned skin, dark eyes and an average build. "Yes?" he asked.

"Are you looking for the Hogwarts express?"

"Yeah, I am," he replied.

The girl smiled at him. "It's right here. Follow me. I'm Tracey Davis, by the way."

"I'm Harry Potter. Are you a Hogwarts student?"

When Harry said his name the girl had stopped and looked back at him, a look of surprise on her face. Now she smiled broadly and hurried a short distance to where a woman stood watching them. "Mum," she said when she reached the woman, "I just met Harry Potter. Harry this is my mother and that's my brother Robert." She pointed to an older boy a short distance away.

The woman looked at Harry and smiled. "I'm Janet Davis. Tracey is starting at Hogwarts this year and I assume you are, too, since you looked lost just now."

"Yeah, I am. Nobody told me where the platform is," Harry replied.

"Just follow me," Robert said before pushing his trolley straight towards the back of the ticket booth between platforms 9 and 10. Harry watched as he seemed to disappear straight into the seemingly solid barrier.

"That's how to do it," Tracey said. She walked toward the barrier pushing her own trolley and soon disappeared from view.

"Off you go, Harry. Walk briskly and don't be afraid. It's not as solid as it looks, although muggles cannot pass through it unless they are accompanied by a magical person," Mrs. Davis said.

Feeling very nervous Harry did as he was told. Much to his surprise, after a brief moment of darkness, he soon found himself under a sign saying Platform 9&3/4, Hogwarts Express, Departs 11am.

Mrs. Davis appeared behind him a moment later while Tracey came back to greet him; Robert had already headed off towards the train.

"Do you want to sit with me, Harry?" Tracey asked. Harry accepted her offer and they set off together towards the back of the train. When they reached the last carriage Mrs. Davis helped both Tracey and Harry lift their trunks aboard the train, Harry set of to find a compartment while Tracey said goodbye to her mother. A few moments later she joined Harry in an otherwise empty compartment. Once the two of them had settled Tracey told Harry she had guessed he might be looking Platform 9&3/4 because he had an owl with his luggage. She also admitted she had guessed who he was before speaking to him. Harry thanked her for her help.

Shortly after this another girl knocked on the door to their compartment. She was tall and slim with blonde hair to just below her shoulders, blue eyes and pale skin. "Hello, Tracey. Mind if I join you?" She asked while looking at Harry.

"Come on in," Tracey replied. "This is Harry Potter, by the way. Harry, this is my cousin, Daphne Greengrass."

"The Harry Potter?" Daphne asked. Tracey rolled her eyes.

"How many Harry Potters do you think there are who will be starting at Hogwarts this year?" Tracey asked, looked somewhat annoyed.

Daphne sat down next to Tracey looking embarrassed. "Sorry. That was a silly question," she said. Harry wasn't quite sure what to think.

Once the train left the station Harry and the two girls sat talking together until the lunch trolley arrived. Along the way Harry learnt that Tracey's mother and Daphne's father were sister and brother. Since he had not eaten breakfast Harry was very hungry and bought a lot of food, much to the girls' amusement. They both bought a much smaller quantity of food.

After eating a couple of pumpkin pasties Harry picked up a chocolate frog. "Be careful with that," Tracey said. "It might jump out at you."

Harry stopped. "They're not real frogs; are they?" he asked.

"No, but they do jump," Tracey said, laughing.

Harry opened the wrapping and caught the frog as it jumped out, quickly stuffing it into his mouth. As he chewed it he looked at the card underneath. It showed a picture of Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Turning the card over, he read about Dumbledore's achievements including how he discovered 12 uses for dragon's blood and how he assisted someone named Nicholas Flamel in research into alchemy.

"Do you collect chocolate frog cards?" Daphne asked.

"I've never seen them before. Hey, he's gone," Harry had just turned the card over and discovered Dumbledore's picture had vanished.

"Don't worry about it, Harry. In the wizarding world portraits always move. Give it a moment and he'll be back," Tracey explained.

Sure enough, after a few seconds Dumbledore moved back into the frame.

Harry decided he would collect the cards from the chocolate frogs. Soon he had cards for several famous witches and wizards as well as Dumbledore.

"Do you have any close family in the wizarding world?" Daphne asked Harry.

"Not that I know of," Harry replied. "I grew up with my mother's sister but she is not magical, nor are my uncle or cousin."

"It might be possible to find out if you do have any wizarding relatives. We could check through magical records later this year if you like," Daphne suggested.

"That would be interesting, yeah," Harry replied.

"My mother married a muggle," Tracey said. "When Robert got his Hogwarts letter dad became angry and accused mum of lying to him. They are now divorced and I have to spend part of the summer holidays with him. At least it means I am up to date with the muggle world as well as the wizarding world."

At this point there was a knock on their compartment door. Three boys stood there. The one in the middle was thin with a pale face. Harry recognised him as the boy from Madam Malkin's. The other two were tall and heavy set and looked almost as if they were body guards. Daphne went to the door and asked, "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Hello, Greengrass," the boy in the middle said. "I heard a rumour that Harry Potter was in this compartment so I decided to come introduce myself." Daphne stepped away from the door and the three boys entered "I'm Malfoy; Draco Malfoy." The boy held out his hand to Harry.

Harry glanced at the Daphne, who seemed almost bored, and at Tracey, who was eyeing Malfoy with suspicion. Harry took Malfoy's hand. "Hello. It's nice to meet you," he said.

"Wise move Potter. You will quickly find out that some wizarding families are better than others," Malfoy said. "The Greengrasses, for example, are a good family to know. They are generally respectable and have a good family history." He pointed to the boy on his left "The Crabbe family are known for their loyalty but not their brains and the same is true for the Goyle family." Malfoy pointed to the boy on his right as he spoke.

"As you will discover there are a number of 'name' families in our year and you would be well advised to get on friendly terms with them. The first step to that would be to be sorted into Slytherin. It is likely that most of the people from the 'name' families will end up there. Well, I must be getting back to my compartment. We are nearly at Hogsmeade station." Malfoy turned to Daphne. "See you soon Greengrass, and you too Davis." With that Malfoy left, taking Crabbe and Goyle with him.

Tracey hadn't stopped glaring at Malfoy the whole time he had been in the compartment. Curious, Harry asked her, "Don't you like him?"

"He's a Malfoy," Tracey replied. "To him a half-blood like me is inferior. He is just a stuck-up ponce."

A short time later a girl with bushy hair and large front teeth entered their compartment. "Has anybody in here seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one," she said. Harry noticed she was already wearing her school uniform, making Harry realise they must be nearly at Hogwarts.

"No, and haven't you heard of knocking?" Daphne replied, eyeing the girl suspiciously.

The girl seemed somewhat taken aback and mumbled, "Sorry, just asking," as she left. Daphne got up and closed both the door and the curtain after her.

"We really should get changed too," Tracey said to the room. She grabbed a small case and opened it, pulling out her uniform. Much to Harry's surprise she immediately began undressing and was soon standing in front of him wearing only her underwear and socks. Harry looked at Daphne and realised she was watching him, an evil looking smile on her face.

After Tracey had donned her uniform Daphne said, "Since you were watching Tracey so closely just now I think it only fair you should get changed here as well." Feeling somewhat embarrassed Harry very quickly grabbed his uniform and changed into it. When he had finished Daphne also changed while in the compartment. Harry tried not to watch too closely but is eyes kept drifting back to her.

"You know, Harry, you have no reason to be embarrassed about being caught watching girls getting dressed," Daphne said after she had finished. "It's only natural and neither Tracey nor I mind you watching us."

Tracey leant over and kissed him on the cheek. "I am relieved you enjoyed that. Otherwise there would have been some very disappointed girls around," she said. Harry didn't fully understand her meaning but decided not to pursue it.

Sometime later the train stopped at Hogsmeade station. They were instructed to leave their belongings in their compartments as these would be brought to the school separately. Harry stayed with the girls until he heard Hagrid summoning the first years' to him. When Harry reached Hagrid he was asked, "all righ', Harry? No problems I hope?"

"No, I'm fine," Harry replied.

"Is tha' all of yer?" Hagrid yelled. When no-one dissented he added," Righ', first years follow me."

Hagrid led the group of about 40 students along a narrow path that took them away from the town and the road and along a forest path, finally emerging at the top of a slope leading down to a lake. Across the lake stood Hogwarts. The number of gasps of awe Harry heard showed he wasn't the only one to be amazed by the sight.

The path to the shore was slippery, although Harry managed to not fall over, unlike several of the others. Whenever someone slipped there was a short burst of laughter but it was quickly stifled. At the bottom Hagrid told them to board a fleet of small boats. Daphne approached a tall, thin boy with mousey hair and invited him to join her, Tracey and Harry in one of the boats. He accepted.

Once they were in the boat and away from the shore Daphne explained her actions. "I take it neither of you," pointing to Harry and Tracey, "noticed that red-headed boy watching us closely back there? I recognised him. He's a Weasley and I wouldn't trust him. He seemed especially interested in you Harry. This, by the way, is Theodore Nott; Theo you already know Tracey and this is Harry Potter."

Theodore glanced at Harry before nodding to him. Harry returned the nod. He then looked for the boy Daphne had mentioned and saw him a short distance away still intently watching Harry. When their eyes met the boy's expression turned into a glare before he turned to the others in Harry's boat. Harry couldn't help the feeling that this boy didn't like him, although he had no idea why since he'd never met the boy before now.