One of the caretakers from Wool's Orphanage dropped Thomas off at King's Cross Station.
"Good luck, kid."
Thomas smiled as he adjusted the luggage on his trolley. Along with his trunk and books, he carried a magically reinforced cage containing his pet snake. While most students brought an owl or a cat, he'd decided a snake suited him better.
"Thanks," Thomas said. "Tell everyone I'll miss them."
"I will. Now go make us proud."
Thomas gave a small wave before pushing his trolley into the crowded station.
After a few minutes, he stopped in front of the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten.
'Seriously...'
'How has nobody started rumors about people disappearing into this wall every year?'
Taking a steady breath, he pushed his trolley forward.
For an instant, brick filled his vision.
Then he was through.
The Hogwarts Express stood before him, scarlet and magnificent. Steam poured from its engine as families crowded the platform, saying their goodbyes. Owls hooted overhead while students struggled with trunks almost as large as they were.
Thomas couldn't help smiling.
"So... this is where it all begins."
He boarded the train, stored his luggage overhead, and placed his snake's carrier beside the window before settling into an empty compartment.
A few moments later, the door slid open.
"Mind if I sit here?"
Thomas looked up.
A girl with bright green eyes and fiery red hair stood outside.
He smiled.
"Sure."
She stepped inside.
"I'm Lily Evans."
"I had a feeling."
She blinked.
"You knew my name?"
Thomas shrugged.
"Lucky guess."
She laughed.
"Well... do you mind if my friend joins us?"
"If you're welcome, why wouldn't your friend be?"
"Fair enough."
She waved someone over.
A pale boy with shoulder-length black hair stepped into the compartment.
"This is Severus."
Snape gave a polite nod.
"Nice to meet you."
"Thomas Lazarus."
The three settled into comfortable silence before Lily spoke again.
"So... excited for Hogwarts?"
"I've been looking forward to it for years."
Snape studied him.
"You aren't from a wizarding family."
"No."
Thomas smiled.
"I grew up in an orphanage."
Lily tilted her head.
"You don't seem nervous."
"I've done my homework."
That earned him an amused smile.
"You really don't act like most first-years."
"I'm not most first-years."
Lily looked at his hair before grinning.
"You know... if you hadn't told us your surname, I'd have thought you were a Weasley."
Thomas laughed.
"That's rich coming from another redhead."
Snape actually smiled.
"She gets that all the time."
Thomas raised an eyebrow.
"You should charge people."
Lily laughed.
"We keep count instead."
"How many?"
"Seven."
Thomas nodded thoughtfully.
"Make it eight."
Even Snape let out a quiet chuckle.
Thomas folded his arms.
"Maybe we should start a club."
Lily grinned.
"For redheads?"
"No."
Thomas shook his head.
"'Not-Weasleys Anonymous.'"
Lily burst into laughter.
"I call president."
"I'll handle the finances."
Snape sighed dramatically.
"I see. We're not even at Hogwarts yet, and you've already started a business."
Thomas smirked.
"That's called planning."
A knock interrupted them.
"Mind if we join you?"
Thomas looked toward the door.
Two boys stood outside.
One had long black hair and confident gray eyes.
The other...
Messy black hair.
Round glasses.
Far too much confidence.
'James Potter.'
The black-haired boy smiled.
"I'm Sirius Black."
James looked directly at Thomas.
"So... we meet again."
Thomas smiled back.
"A pleasure to see you too, Potter."
James laughed.
"I was wondering if we'd run into each other again."
"There aren't many trains to Hogwarts."
Sirius looked between them.
"You two know each other?"
"We bumped into each other in Diagon Alley," James said.
Thomas nodded.
"Literally."
That earned a laugh from everyone except James.
The two newcomers sat down, and before long the conversation turned toward Hogwarts.
"So," Sirius asked, "which house are you all hoping for?"
"Gryffindor," James answered immediately.
"My whole family's been in Slytherin," Sirius admitted.
James pulled a face.
"I'd rather leave than be sorted there."
Thomas looked at him.
"Really?"
James shrugged.
"What's wrong with that?"
Thomas met his eyes calmly.
"Gryffindor's supposed to stand for courage."
James frowned.
"It does."
"So why judge people before they've even been sorted?"
The compartment fell silent.
Lily glanced at Thomas with quiet approval.
Snape looked unusually satisfied.
James folded his arms.
"Maybe I just don't like bullies."
Thomas nodded.
"Neither do I."
He leaned back in his seat.
"So let's not become the thing we claim to hate."
Sirius gave a low whistle.
"That's... surprisingly deep."
James didn't answer.
Instead, he quietly studied Thomas.
A rivalry had begun.
After a few minutes, Sirius looked toward Thomas's back.
"I've been wondering..."
"What's with the sword?"
Thomas reached over his shoulder.
"My sword."
Lily's eyes widened.
"You actually use one?"
"I do."
"Can we see it?"
Thomas shrugged.
"Sure."
He slowly drew the crimson blade.
A faint metallic hum filled the compartment.
The dragon engravings shimmered beneath the afternoon light, and for just a moment, everyone felt the sword's magic.
Sirius stared.
"Bloody hell..."
James leaned forward despite himself.
"That's incredible."
"It's beautiful," Lily whispered.
Even Snape couldn't hide his curiosity.
"That's no ordinary sword."
Thomas smiled faintly.
"It isn't."
James looked at him.
"Where did you get it?"
"A swordsmith in Diagon Alley."
"And it's magical?"
Thomas nodded.
"Very."
He slid it back into its sheath.
"It's also my preferred weapon."
James raised an eyebrow.
"In a world full of wands?"
Thomas smiled.
"In a world full of wands."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then the train whistle echoed as the Hogwarts Express began slowing down.
Thomas looked out the window.
The great lake shimmered beneath the evening sky.
Beyond it stood Hogwarts Castle.
He smiled.
'Home... for the next seven years.'
The Hogwarts Express rolled to a stop with a long whistle.
Students poured onto the platform, chattering excitedly as they stretched their legs after the long journey.
Thomas stepped off the train and looked up.
In the distance, illuminated by the evening sky, stood Hogwarts Castle.
Its towers rose above the cliffs like an ancient fortress.
'Hopefully,' he thought, 'unlike Harry, I don't end up fighting a final boss every year.'
"First-years! Over here!"
A booming voice echoed across the platform.
Thomas turned to see a towering half-giant waving a lantern.
'Rubeus Hagrid.'
The first-years gathered around him before following the narrow path down toward the lake.
Sirius glanced at Thomas.
"You've been staring at the castle since we arrived."
Thomas nodded.
"I'm just checking if it's planning to kill us."
Lily laughed.
"I think it's only a school."
"For now."
Even Snape gave him an odd look.
Soon, the students climbed into small boats.
As they drifted across the Black Lake, Hogwarts reflected across the calm water like something from a dream.
For the first time since arriving in this world...
Thomas simply admired the view.
No plans.
No calculations.
Just wonder.
'I finally made it.'
The boats reached the shore, where Professor McGonagall waited at the top of the stone steps.
"Welcome to Hogwarts."
She surveyed the group before continuing.
"In a few moments, you will be Sorted into your Houses. While you are here, your House will become your family."
Thomas listened politely.
He already knew the speech.
Following McGonagall, the first-years climbed the grand staircase.
Massive oak doors slowly opened.
The Great Hall came into view.
Thousands of floating candles illuminated four long tables packed with students.
Above them, the enchanted ceiling shimmered with countless stars.
Then...
The whispers began.
"Who's that?"
"Look at his robes."
"Is that a custom uniform?"
Thomas ignored them.
His crimson-and-black coat, embroidered with silver thread and faint magical patterns, stood out among the standard Hogwarts robes.
Near the Slytherin table, Lucius noticed him immediately.
He gave Thomas a small nod.
Thomas returned it before joining the line beside Lily and Snape.
Lily smiled.
"You've already made an impression."
Thomas grinned.
"Just wait until I invent magical sneakers."
Snape frowned.
"...What's a sneaker?"
Thomas laughed.
"You'll find out one day."
Professor McGonagall placed an old, patched hat onto a wooden stool.
"The Sorting Ceremony will now begin."
One by one, the first-years were called forward.
As Thomas expected, history unfolded almost exactly as he remembered.
"Black, Sirius!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table.
"Evans, Lily!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily smiled brightly as she hurried toward her new House.
"Potter, James!"
The Sorting Hat barely touched his head.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
James grinned as the table exploded with applause.
"Snape, Severus!"
The hat paused for only a moment.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Snape gave Lily one last glance before walking toward the green-and-silver table.
Thomas watched quietly.
'Canon hasn't changed... yet.'
Finally...
"Lazarus, Thomas!"
The hall grew quiet.
Thomas walked confidently to the stool and sat down.
The Sorting Hat slipped over his eyes.
'Hmm...'
A familiar voice echoed through his mind.
'Well now... this is interesting.'
Thomas smiled inwardly.
'I know. Gryffindor, right?'
The Hat chuckled.
'You certainly value courage...'
'Exactly.'
'But that's not what defines you.'
Thomas frowned.
'What?'
'You chase knowledge.'
'You question everything.'
'You prepare years in advance.'
'You seek mastery simply because it exists.'
Thomas remained silent.
The Hat continued.
'Even your love of the sword isn't about battle.'
'It's about understanding.'
'Improvement.'
'Perfection.'
Thomas couldn't argue.
'You'd do well in Gryffindor...'
'But one House fits you far better.'
The Hat shouted for the entire hall to hear.
"RAVENCLAW!"
For a brief second...
Thomas froze.
'...Seriously?'
The Ravenclaw table erupted into applause.
Thomas removed the Sorting Hat and stood.
He forced a smile before making his way toward his new House.
As he sat down, one of the older Ravenclaws immediately noticed the sword strapped across his back.
"A swordsman?"
Another looked at his custom uniform.
"And an inventor, judging by those robes."
Thomas smiled politely.
"This year's going to be interesting."
Across the hall, Lily looked surprised.
"I really thought he'd be in Gryffindor."
James shrugged.
"Guess the Hat knows better."
Sirius laughed.
"I wasn't expecting that either."
Even Snape looked thoughtful.
From the Slytherin table, Lucius watched Thomas with narrowed eyes.
'So that's what the Hat saw.'
He remembered their conversation in Diagon Alley.
Thomas had claimed he wanted Gryffindor because of its swords.
At the time, Lucius hadn't believed him.
Now he understood why.
'The sword was never the reason.'
He recalled the books Thomas had purchased.
Magic Theory.
Runes.
History of Magic.
Swordsmanship.
Even Muggle science.
Thomas hadn't been collecting books.
He'd been collecting knowledge.
Lucius smiled faintly.
'A planner.'
'A scholar.'
'Someone who prepares before acting.'
'The Hat made the right choice.'
Thomas happened to glance toward the Slytherin table.
The two boys exchanged a brief nod.
No words.
Just quiet acknowledgment.
Lucius looked away first.
'Not a rival...'
'A variable.'
Thomas turned back toward the Ravenclaw table.
He looked across the Great Hall toward Gryffindor before smiling to himself.
'I wanted to be a lion...'
He rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.
'But a raven can still carry a blade.'
Above him, the enchanted ceiling glittered like a sky full of stars.
His journey at Hogwarts had finally begun.
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy