Welcome All. I started writing this in the middle of A Different Professor and it has a completely different feel, though I realize I do have some favorites when it comes to characters. I have gone through and edited all chapters and will post those today, there are probably more but hopefully it will read better. I have had some help off and on with editing but for the most part, this is self edited.

I do not own Harry Potter.

I hope you enjoy~

Chapter 1 – Starting Out

4 Privet Drive

Petunia Dursley sighed; normality at Privet Drive would soon be coming to an end. Her nephew, Harry, was turning eleven in just over a week and she knew what that meant. It meant a LETTER. A letter with green ink and no postage stamp delivered by a person who tried and failed to dress like a normal person.

When Harry had been left on their doorstep in the middle of winter with only a blanket, the Dursleys had a long discussion about what they were going to do. Vernon, knowing the child was magical, wanted to get rid of him. Petunia had flat out refused; she might not have been close to her sister, but she felt obligated to care for the child. Realizing that he was stuck with the boy, Vernon had suggested they use him for chores and such when he was big enough. Petunia pointed out that it would look strange to the neighbors having one boy with ratty clothes doing all the chores and one boy in perfect clothes doing no chores. Both being vain people, they decided to treat Harry almost as well as their son.

As the boys grew, they discovered that their son Dudley wasn't the smartest student in the world and tended toward laziness. He passed his courses, with lots of pushing from his parents to study and do his homework but he was never going to be the top of the class. Harry, however, was nearly at the top of every class. He was a very driven student who had a gift for math and science. Harry Potter always finished his homework early and studied hard for tests. He even helped his cousin.

Dudley was a bigger boy, not overweight but he would never have his mother's slender build. Harry was a slim boy, with the beginnings of muscle tone as he exercised and stayed active.

Harry and Dudley each had a solid group of friends. Dudley and his friends liked their game systems while Harry's friends were mostly his team mates from his football team. She was so happy that neither was well acquainted with that Polkiss boy, he was trouble and the bane of the neighborhood. No, the neighbors liked her boys and she got high praise from the other ladies about how well she was raising them both.

Petunia was proud of her boys.

And then there was Magic. To this day it still made her uncomfortable.

She and Vernon hadn't exactly hidden the existence of magic from him, but they hadn't really explained things either. Vernon was terrified of it as he couldn't wield it and as far as he knew it could do ANYTHING, so they avoided discussing magic around him. As for herself, she didn't really know that much about it. After she and Lily had had their falling out she had stopped asking questions and Lily had stopped sharing. In fact, after Lily left for her third year at school the only news they shared had been major events in their lives like their weddings and the births of their sons.

Harry being a very empathetic child had realized that Vernon feared magic and she was uncomfortable around it, so had avoided asking questions every day but one; on his birthday she and Harry sat down to lunch and he could ask any questions he wanted about magic and the magical world, she would answer it if she could.

Petunia shook her head and smiled. For today, she would forget about magic, today was her Dudley's birthday. Harry sat at the table reading, that boy loved to read, and Dudley was getting dressed. She would be putting breakfast on the table in a few moments. Later, they would be taking the boys to the zoo and then after the zoo they were taking them to the pet store. Dudley had been asking for a dog for years, they had finally decided that the responsibility would be good for him. Petunia's only rule was no Bulldogs, she loathed Marge's dogs. Another reason she was allowing Dudley to get a dog was that she remembered that Hogwarts students were allowed a pet and Petunia wanted to get Harry an owl so that they could stay in contact over the school year. She did not want to repeat the mistakes she made with her sister.

She looked up at the sound of the letter box opening and moved toward the front of the house even as Harry started to rise. "I've got it, Harry, you find a stopping point and then help me set the table, breakfast will be ready in a moment."

"Okay, Aunt Petunia," Harry mumbled, right back to his spot in his book.

Petunia bent down and grabbed the mail, "Dudley, Vernon," she called up the stairs, "breakfast is ready." She smiled as she walked back into the kitchen, the table was already set, and Harry was plating the eggs and bacon. "Thank you, Harry," she said placing the mail on the counter without looking at it.

She put the bowl of cut fruit on the table just as the rest of the family made it to the room. "Happy Birthday, Dudley," she said as he sat down.

"Yeah, Happy Birthday, Dud," said Harry grinning.

"Right," Vernon grunted, "eat up. We've got places to go."

When everyone was finished, Harry started clearing the table, Dudley had gotten up to do it, as it was his day, but Harry insisted on doing it as it was Dudley's birthday.

Petunia started sorting the mail, handing a few cards to Dudley, what looked like bills to Vernon, and dropped the rubbish onto the counter. She paused when she came to the last piece of mail.

Mr. Harry Potter

Bedroom on the Left

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging, Surrey

Odd, they hadn't had someone bring Harry's acceptance letter. "Harry," she forced out as cheerfully as she was able, "there is a letter here for you." He looked up questioningly, "It's from Hogwarts."

Harry rushed around the counter and took the letter from her almost reverently. He opened the letter and absorbed the words on the thick paper. He grinned, then frowned slightly. "How am I supposed to send my acceptance? I don't have an owl."

"How about you write your reply and then we'll go outside. The owl that dropped that is probably waiting around somewhere." He nodded grinning again and rushed out to get some paper. "Oh, ask someone to come give us an introduction. I have no idea where you are supposed to get your supplies." She looked at the rest of her men, "We will leave as soon as we get his letter sent, I promise."

"It's fine, mum," Dudley said standing. "I'll just finish opening these cards and then get my shoes."

Vernon frowned, "Inconsiderate lot, not sending anyone to explain things to normal people."

"Perhaps it is an automatic system." Petunia smoothed her husband's shirt, "Had Harry's parents survived he would have had all the knowledge he needed long before his letter came." She laughed softly, "Knowing my sister, she probably would have had him out shopping the moment the letter arrived, if not before."

He nodded somewhat grudgingly. It made sense they would have an automatic system; lots of normal places were doing that nowadays.

Transfiguration Office, Hogwarts:

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor house and Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sat in her office going over the acceptance letters she received that day.

She was nearly finished with the home visits for the muggle born children, she only had one left, and now she just needed to recheck the wizarding raised students. The Bones girl, check, Miss Li, Misters MacMillan, and Boot. Mister Malfoy, the Crabbe and Goyle boys, good lord she hoped they weren't like their fathers. Mister Longbottom, how she hopped Gussy hadn't been too hard on that boy. And if young Mister Longbottom was attending that meant…

Dear Deputy Headmistress McGonagall,

Let me begin by saying that my name is Harry Potter, and I will be attending Hogwarts come September. I am excited to attend the same school as my parents.

I would like to request that a member of the school's staff aid me in preparing for school. My aunt said we need the "Muggle-born" introduction. Neither my aunt nor my uncle is magical, and while my mother was, my aunt does not remember much from that time in her life. She has shared with me what she could but there are many questions for which I do not have answers, the most prominent one being, where does one buy a wand or cauldron?

My uncle works during the week and would prefer not to be involved, magic makes him uncomfortable, so if someone could come any day but Saturday and Sunday that would be wonderful. My aunt and cousin are interested in seeing the shops.

I hope to hear from someone soon.

Sincerely,

Harry James Potter

Minerva put the letter down and sighed. How could she have forgotten that Harry Potter was living with his muggle relatives? Of course, he would need help acquiring his school supplies, his aunt wouldn't be able to see the Leaky Cauldron and probably didn't even know where it was. She looked at her calendar and noted she had an opening in 2 days' time, a Thursday. Perfect.

She wrote a quick reply informing Mister Potter and his family that she would be at their home Thursday at 10:00 am to give him a proper introduction. She also apologized for her not doing it that way in the first place.

In just a few short days she would be seeing the child of her lost students for the first time in ten years. She almost couldn't wait.

Kings Cross Train Station:

The Dursley family, plus their nephew were walking through Kings Cross pushing a trolley holding a trunk and an owl cage, though the cage was empty; the professor had suggested having his owl, a snowy owl he named Hedwig, fly ahead to the school.

Harry Potter was excited. He had barely slept the night before but was still a bundle of nervous energy. He was going to Hogwarts.

Harry had spent the month before school absorbing all he could from the books he bought at Flourish and Blotts. He had bought a few extra books on top of his school texts, History of the Noble Houses, The Wizengamot; Justice System of Magical Britain, Curses and Counter Curses, Wizarding Jobs, and a few more. He had read each one and had even read about 5 chapters of each of his school books. His favorite had been Hogwarts: A History, the school sounded amazing.

All his extra books had gone into his three-compartment trunk, something he had wanted but wasn't going to spend the extra money on, but his aunt had insisted that he get it. He now had essentially 3 trunks in one and all it took was touching the correct rune and he could dig into any of the three compartments. He had a section dedicated to clothes, one to books and one to supplies.

They had lucked out. The first of September was a Sunday and that meant that his whole family could be there to see him off. Petunia and Dudley were happy to be there, Vernon was nervous but agreed to come so his wife and son could; had it been a week day he would have needed to drop Harry off on his way to work.

At Harry's insistence they had gotten to the station extra early. He guessed, correctly, that it would be easier to find a seat if he got there well before the 11am departure time. It was just about 9:45 when they pulled into the King's Cross station parking lot.

The group of four approached the barrier that was the entrance to Platform 9 ¾; Professor McGonagall had brought them to the station the day she had taken them shopping to ensure Harry knew where the barrier was and how it worked.

Harry shook his uncle's hand, "Thank you, Uncle Vernon." Vernon just grunted and stepped away, glancing around at the people as though searching for other magical oddities.

Harry turned to Dudley and gave him a high five and a brotherly hug. "Make sure you study and if you have questions just owl me, I'll help if I can. Oh, and make sure you take Beans running daily. He'll love it and it will keep you in shape." Dudley had named his Brittany Spaniel puppy Beans for some bizarre reason that Petunia and Harry could not fathom.

"I will, Harry, don't get too caught up in those big books, you wouldn't want me to be faster than you next summer."

"Now why would I let you beat me in a race?" the boys laughed.

Finally, Harry turned to his aunt. "I'll write at least once a week and tell you all about school." He hugged her and whispered, "Thank you, Aunt Petunia."

"You're welcome, Harry," she hugged him tighter too her, "Make your mother and me proud by being the best student you can be, Harry. Make your father proud by having fun and making great friends."

Harry stepped back and smiled. He took hold of the trolley handle and pushed it at a steady walk through the barrier, making sure not to run and not to look anxious; he didn't want to draw any attention to himself after all. Just before he passed through the barrier her looked over his shoulder at his family and simply said, "Bye."

Platform 9 ¾:

Harry sucked in a breath at the amazing sight before him. The train was amazing. An older style steam engine train painted red and black. It was truly spectacular.

He walked forward slowly, taking in all he could, then paused. He pulled his school bag, a shoulder bag he had bought with a feather light charm so that it wouldn't weigh more than 5lbs, no matter what he had in it, and pulled out one of the everyday robes he had purchased. It was forest green and was styled to be worn open, so you could see the clothes beneath. There, now he looked like a wizard.

Looking around he noticed that there weren't that many people around, so now would be the best time to find a compartment and stow his things. Once that was done he could wander all he wanted. The only problem was, he realized standing outside one of the passenger compartments, that he didn't think he could lift his trunk onto the train by himself.

"Do you need a hand?"

Harry turned and saw a taller boy with brown hair and a wide smile. "If you don't mind, that would be great."

The older boy smiled, "No problem, I'm Cedric Diggory and I am starting my third year this year."

"I'm Harry Potter," he replied as the two hoisted the trunk onto the train, it wasn't that the trunk was overly heavy, the size just made it awkward to lift. "and obviously I will be starting my first year."

The older boy hid his surprise well. Cedric set his side down in the hallway and offered his hand, "Nice to meet you, Harry." Harry shook his hand and smiled. "Any idea where you might like to sit?"

Harry looked up and down the hallway, "Anywhere is fine really, and it is very nice to meet you too."

Cedric slid the door next to him open and peered inside, "Well, this one's empty so let's just set you up here."

"Sounds good to me." Together they wrestled the trunk onto the rack above one of the benches and put his empty owl cage next to it.

"If you don't mind me asking, Harry, where is your family? Usually they at least help get luggage on the train before they leave."

"My uncle isn't really comfortable around magic. My aunt and uncle aren't magical, so they don't really understand it, we said our goodbyes on the other side of the barrier, so he wouldn't have to witness anything really magical."

Cedric nodded, "That does happen from time to time with the parents of Muggle-born students, sometimes the parents embrace all the new things and sometimes they can't adjust to the changes. A kid in my year in Ravenclaw went to live with his grandmother because his father couldn't handle being around magic." He sighed, "At least your uncle sucked it up enough to be in the station."

"Yeah, he does try, mostly we just avoid discussing it around him though." The two made their way off the train and back onto the platform.

Someone called Cedric's name down toward the back of the train, and the older boy turned and waved, "Well, if you're all right now, Harry, I'm going to head down and catch up with my friends, it's been awhile since I've seen some of them."

"That's fine, Cedric, I think I see someone I know anyway. I'll see you later."

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff, Harry!" the other boy called as he walked away.

Harry watched him go for a moment before he started to make his way toward the back wall of the platform, he would recognize that hat anywhere.

"Neville," Harry called seeing the other first year standing next to his grandmother, who was once again, wearing her ridiculous vulture hat.

Harry had run into Neville when Professor McGonagall had taken him to Diagon Alley. The boys had bonded over their excitement about going to Hogwarts, the fact that they were born a day apart and all the interesting things they were seeing and buying.

Neville's grandmother Augusta, however, Harry had not liked much for some unknown reason.

It seemed that the professor had not been happy with the old woman's attitude at all.

It had started off at their first stop after the bank when they went to get their supplies for Potions class. Augusta Longbottom would not let her grandson touch anything. She wouldn't let him carry the bag or touch the cauldron; everything they purchased she shrunk and stuck into her bag without a thought to the boy standing dejectedly next to her. The same was true for each shop after.

At Madam Malkin's, she had been exceptionally rude to the assistant that had started to measure Neville and then started to degrade Neville for not looking as slim as Harry. Harry was almost certain that the poor assistant had gone in the back to cry after finishing up with the Longbottoms.

Professor McGonagall had gone off on the older woman after she suggested getting their wands though. She had seen Neville deflate moments before Madam Longbottom had said that Neville would be using his father's wand, because that was his only chance of being any good at magic. The professor had forced a smile, looked at Harry, his family and Neville, and asked them to excuse her while she had a word with 'Gussy.'

Harry had asked why they could not hear what was being said, it was obvious that the professor was shouting; Neville said that it was most likely a silencing charm. The slightly older boy looked stunned that someone had the gall to shout at his, admittedly formidable, grandmother.

When the two women returned, she informed BOTH boys, that they would be going to Ollivander's to get their wands. Neville found his after trying 8 wands, it was a 13" cherry wood wand with a unicorn tail hair as its core. Harry tried a grand total of 47 wands before he found his 11" holly and phoenix feather wand. Both boys found Ollivander to be incredibly creepy and were glad they would not have to go back into his store every summer, or at all.

Augusta Longbottom had been fairly subdued after that but seemed to regain her domineering attitude when their made their way to the owl emporium. Apparently, Neville was getting a toad, which Neville did not seem excited about, at all. The professor had given the Longbottom matriarch a look before asking Neville if he wanted a toad, to which he replied with a definite no, he wanted to get an owl because they were useful and self-reliant. Neville wasn't entirely confident in his ability to take care of an animal so an owl would be best for him due to the creature's ability to feed itself. If he got an owl it also meant he wouldn't have to bother his grandmother's owl. Her owl was just as obstinate and unfriendly as she was.

Harry and Neville had searched the store together. Neville was almost instantly drawn to a gold and white barn owl with a perfect heart shaped face, he ended up naming him Alden. Harry wasn't so much drawn to an owl, as claimed by one. The moment he stepped around one of the aisles, a lovely snowy owl had swooped down and landed on his shoulder, nipping at his ear playfully.

The witch working the counter had stared at the owl in shock before saying, "I'll give you a great deal on that one if you take her, she's been a menace and you are the only person I have seen her not try to attack if they got too close."

Harry had smiled, "I'll take her, and whatever else I need to care for her." He looked to the owl while stroking her downy chest feathers, "I will have to think long and hard on a name for you, an owl as smart and beautiful as you, deserves an amazing name." The owl had preened in response.

Buying their owls had been their final task and the fast friends had been forced to say their goodbyes, promising to sit together on the train.

It had been a month since they had seen each other, though they had written.

Neville turned and smiled, "Hey Harry, how are you?"

"I'm great, Neville, how are you?"

"I'm excited and a little nervous."

Harry turned his attention to Neville's grandmother and bowed his head slightly, "Good morning, Lady Longbottom, how are you doing today?"

She raised an eyebrow, "I am very well, Mister Potter, thank you for asking." She looked to her grandson, "Why don't you and Harry get your things settled on the train?"

"Thanks, Gran," Neville turned to follow Harry, who had started pushing his trolley toward the train but stopped. He threw his arms around his grandmother's waist, "Goodbye, Gran, I'll miss you."

"Goodbye, Neville, make me proud." Augusta Longbottom watched her much more confident grandson walk toward the train. For some reason she wasn't so afraid of him failing anymore. Perhaps Harry Potter was just what he needed to find his inner strength.

The Sorting:

"Potter, Harry," called the stern professor at the front of the hall.

The hall went completely silent for a moment and then the whispering started. The entire population of Hogwarts watched a fairly tall, well-built first year with messy dark hair and bright green eyes walk toward the front of the room. Wasn't Harry Potter supposed to have glasses?

He sat, and the hat dropped over his head. And they waited.

Slytherin was ready to sneer as the 'golden boy' was sorted into Gryffindor. Where else could the savior of the wizarding word be sorted? Of course, if he was sorted into the house of snakes that would be brilliant.

And they waited.

Ravenclaw was attempting to show disinterest; fame and fans would be a distraction for their house after all. Of course, the Boy-Who-Lived should want to learn all he can, so that he wasn't just famous for living past the age of one, right?

And they waited.

The Hufflepuffs were excited. Another first year to teach and welcome. It didn't matter to them where he went as long as it was the best place for him and being Puffs, they would welcome anyone with open arms, especially THE Harry Potter.

And they waited.

Gryffindor was electrified. They were barely seated; many were prepared to jump up and cheer when their new house mate joined them. This was Harry Potter after all. If anyone was a Gryffindor, it would be Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. His parents were Gryffindors and nearly all of the Potters had been Gryffindors before them. Heck the only ones who weren't lions had married into the Potter family. He just had to join them.

And they waited.

The teachers were stunned. Harry Potter, a hat stall? Perhaps the wizarding world was wrong to assume he would be just like his parents.

The head of Ravenclaw thought that perhaps the boy would take after his mother and be a brilliant student, which would make him perfect for his house.

The head of Slytherin house was praying to any and every deity he could think of, though he did not believe in any, that the boy was not sorted into his house. He would wait and see before he judged him though.

The head of Hufflepuff house just smiled; good, now people would stop seeing the boy as some overly powerful chosen savior instead of an eleven-year-old boy.

The head of Gryffindor was both nervous and happy. Yes, she wanted Harry in her house, but she wanted him there because that was where he belonged and because it was where he would find acceptance. After meeting him she wasn't sure where he would fit best.

The Headmaster was seething. He told that blasted hat that Harry Potter was a Gryffindor. Everyone knew that, so why was it taking so long? The boy had a role to play after all.

And they waited.

The students were beginning to shift in their seats. They couldn't start talking, they might miss it, but just sitting and waiting was starting to fray their nerves. You could even see some of the Slytherins starting to crack, though only the younger years.

And they waited.

The first years yet to be sorted were starting to worry. What if the hat took so long, they didn't have time to sort the rest of them? Would they still get to eat dinner?

And they waited.

The hat shifted, and the occupants of the hall all leaned in closer.

"Better be…"