The Missing Year

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Disclaimer: The World of Harry Potter does not belong to me. While my story is fanfiction, and my creation, the Canon characters, locations, ideas... belong to JK Rowling. This is a work of fiction produced for the single purpose of entertaining fans of Harry Potter, and no Copyright infringement is intended.

Ch 1 – Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters

He had done it.

Nerves - excitement - anxiety - apprehension - wonder - awe, all rolled through him as he took in the scarlet steam engine waiting next to the platform packed with people.

Harry's eyes went everywhere the engine's smoke didn't cover. Cats of every colour roamed between the legs of the chattering crowd. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. Heads of students hung out the windows of the first carriages, clearly already packed, calling and waving to their families still on the platform.

A small lump formed in his throat, a small pang in his chest. Taking a hard swallow, Harry tried to ignore the parents still circling their children, those helping a student put his trunk onto the train, or children themselves saying their goodbyes...

He pushed his own cart off down the platform; concentrating on the prospect laid out in front of him: this magical world he was now truly a part of.

He passed a round-faced boy wailing about a lost toad to his gran. Another boy with dreadlocks lifted the lid of a box in his arms; the people around him shrieked and yelled all while a long, hairy leg poked out.

Still Harry moved down the platform, his nerves and excitement only continuing to build in equal measure, until finally, nearing the end of the train, he found an empty compartment. Pulling his trunk from the cart (now more than ever appreciative of whatever spell the shopkeeper had put on it to be lighter), he dragged it the few steps to the train in one hand while holding Hedwig's cage in the other.

Harry took the first step onto the train and — a strange rush went through him.

He felt his handle on both his trunk and Hedwig's cage twist away from him and redoubled his grip. The next thing he knew, everything went black; he was being pressed very hard from all directions; he could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around his chest; his eyeballs were being forced back into his head; his eardrums were being pushed deeper into his skull; all leaving Harry feeling as though he was being forced through a very tight rubber tube. And then —

He gulped great lungfuls of slightly stale London air. The distant sounds of a bustling crowd slowly started to ring in his ear, gradually getting louder and louder; as was the cacophony of disgruntled hoots coming from close by.

He opened his streaming eyes. His comprehension catching up with his senses, it was a few seconds before Harry realized he was lying spread out on his back, staring up at the ceiling, inside the train.

He blinked several times before slowly turning his head to the side to find Hedwig's cage knocked on its side – the snowy owl looking very much displeased within, the unhappy hoots only slowly calming.

Not that Harry was feeling much better. It was no stretch to say that had been the most uncomfortable, if not downright unpleasant sensation he had ever experienced; - and that was counting Dudley's Harry Hunting and the time Ripper had bit at his ankles with Harry ending up spending the rest of the day hiding up a tree.

Speaking of which, an increasing pain in his foot made him look down, for Harry to find that the trunk must have dropped painfully on it before it had fallen on its side next to his leg.

It was on said very shaky legs that he tried to lift himself back up.

Unfortunately, still feeling rather nauseous and unbalanced, the next moment Harry was only able to watch in slow motion and unstoppable dread as he found himself falling forward, his face—

"Whaaah there!" Two large hands gripped his shoulders securely but not painfully, stopping him mid-fall.

"You alright there, kiddo?" The voice called once more from above, as the hands helped right him up.

Only once back on his own two feet and somewhat stable did Harry look up.

His first thought it was one of the twins from earlier. The boy looking down at him with concern had the same bright red hair and similar broad, good-natured face. However, Harry quickly noticed that while having a similar stockier build as 'Fred' and 'George' rather than the long and lanky of oldest and youngest, 'Ron', this student was still taller and clearly older and more muscular. His face seemed slightly weather-beaten and frecklier that he looked almost tanned. His hair was also slightly darker and longer, reaching the nape of his neck. Then there were the black school outer-robes, with bronze-and-royal blue peaking from beneath, rather than the gold-and-red the eldest had already been wearing.

Silently wondering if this was possibly a cousin of the first family, Harry half-stuttered, half-panted, "T-thank you," still feeling queasy and out of breath.

"First year?" asked the teen kindly with a commiserating smile. His eyes continued to look over Harry, clearly checking that he was in fact alright.

Harry nodded, "yeah."

Finally letting go of Harry's much smaller frame, evidently also happy with his current stability, the taller boy gave a nod to the trunk and Hedwig, "Need a hand with that?"

"Yes, please."

The next moment though, Harry found himself automatically flinching backwards as the older boy swiftly pulled out his wand from inside his sleeve.

"Woah! Sorry there," giving Harry a sheepish smile. Continuing to look slightly guilt for having obviously startled Harry, the teen pulled back his sleeve to show a – "wand holster; it's always good to have one, especially once you start spell casting," explained the red-head, giving Harry another smile. With a wink he then added, "Wouldn't want to accidentally blow up your left butt-cheek now would you?"

Harry's eyes widened drastically at the thought, while the older boy righted Hedwig's cage and passed both owl and enclosure to Harry, "now, I'm going to leave this beautiful bird in your capable hands, while I..."—

There was a flick and a swish, and the trunk suddenly hovered off the floor. The older boy waved his wand once more, and guided it into the closest compartment and up onto the shelves above the seats.

Evidently noticing the look of awe still on Harry's face when looking back at him, the red-head gave him another cheery wink, "You'll learn to do that at some point in your first semester; – though not with a trunk mind you. Probably a leaf or a feather or piece of fuzz... it was a piece of cotton fluff in my first year. –Oh, here I go again, not yet introducing myself; mom and Molly would be horrified. – Fabian Prewett," the teen stated, all while sticking out his large, slightly calloused hand to Harry.

Quickly switching Hedwig and the cage to his left hand, Harry readily shook it, "Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you, Harry Potter," giving Harry another smile before dropping his hand. "Well, I'll let you and this beauty-" giving Hedwig a nod, who straitened herself and fluffed her feathers at the compliment, "-settle in-"

Harry mood dimmed slightly. He supposed Fabian Prewett already had a compartment with older students. Nor would he really want to hang out with a first year.

"-But I'll see you later Potter, yeah?"

Harry gave a small nod and weak smile.

"And if you see a slightly less good-looking version of me, that's my brother Gideon – he's a prefect, so he can help you out as well if you need any help. Try not to hold the Gryffindor part against him," he added with a wink, and he was off, sliding the compartment door shut behind him.

No sooner had Harry sat down that the compartment door slipped open once more to reveal a tall, light-brown haired boy about Harry's age with a slightly battered trunk by his side.

He shifted nervously, his eyes going between Harry and the rest of the space, asking, "Umm... is it is alright if I join this compartment? Everywhere is filing up rather fast."

Harry nodded, for the boy to drag his trunk and slide it under the seat facing Harry, before sitting down.

He glanced at Harry, eyes going from his face to his clothes – Dudley's old clothes – to quickly look out the window, pretending he hadn't been looking. Harry for himself noticed the few light scratch marks on the boy ear and neck and his own clothes slightly shabby-looking.

Still, not wanting to be caught staring, Harry ended up copying him and also looked out the window. Half hidden, he watched the families still milling about on the platform. Another small pang ran through Harry as he watched them smiling and waving at their un-seen children in the train. A few mothers had taken out handkerchiefs. There was no sign of the red-headed witch who had helped him through the barrier though, nor did he see the round-faced boy with the missing toad's grandmother. He supposed they were nearer to the front—

There was a sudden small jerk. Harry thankfully this time caught himself on the window edge before nearly stumbling forward. It wouldn't do to fall on his face twice in the same day. Somewhat embarrassed, Harry was rather relieved to note that the other boy seemed to have been caught just as off guard as him given his pink ears and cheeks. They gave each other sheepish smile to end up both laughing.

They both looked out the window to realise that the train had begun to move. They watched several parents and the occasional too young child waving some rather teary-eyed, one small boy even running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed to which he then fell back and just waved.

When the boy, parents and station disappeared Harry as well as the other boy sunk back into their seats.

Harry's bright green eyes met amber ones; each giving the other another sheepish smile.

"I'm Harry... Harry Potter."

The small shy smile of the other boy's grew, "I'm Remus Lupin."