With plenty of time left until the train departed, Harry put his trunk and Hedwig's cage away as he settled down in the compartment he chose while looking out the window.
Outside the train, numerous families were saying their last goodbyes before their children and siblings left for the next ten months, filling the air with the sound of chatter accompanied by the hooting of owls and yowls of cats. Soon he noticed a familiar head of bushy hair in the crowd, accompanied by a couple that were obviously her parents.
Sure enough, like a hound, Hermione found him moments later as she slid the compartment door open.
"Hey Harry!" Hermione declared as she entered the compartment. "Are you excited that we're finally going to Hogwarts?!"
"Sure." Harry replied with a wry smile at her enthusiasm, which reminded him of his own kids that he raised in Skyrim.
As they got closer to the departure time of 11, more and more families appeared on the platform with varying degrees of urgency depending on how close they were cutting it. Even less than ten minutes until they departed, an entire clan with vibrant red hair arrived as they hurried to get all of their kids on the train, four boys from what Harry saw, along with a girl who looked too young to attend Hogwarts just yet.
In that time the train was steadily filling up, and minutes before they departed the compartment door opened again.
"Hey Harry, Hermione. Mind if I sit with you two?" Justin Finch-Fletchley asked as he arrived.
"Go ahead." Harry replied while nodding to the seat opposite his, as Hermione had claimed the seat beside his to read the books he brought.
A minute later and door opened again, showing two more familiar faces.
"Hey guys."
"Hi!"
Dean and Sally-Anne both said as they arrived as well.
"Hey. Make yourselves at home." Harry said, nodding to the other empty seats, though he wasn't sure if they would remain empty for much longer.
A few minutes later, it was finally time to leave as a whistle sounded, and the train began to move.
"I can't believe this is actually happening!" Sally-Anne stated excitedly as the train left King's Cross.
"Right? Who would have thought there would be an actual magic school?" Justin replied with just as much excitement.
"Are YOU excited, Harry?" Dean asked him curiously, drawing Harry into the conversation.
"Hmm... Well, based off of what I've seen so far, this world's magic does seem like it'll be interesting to learn." Harry replied thoughtfully, thinking of the few spells he had looked up in the previous weeks.
One that pissed him off to no end though was Alohomora. Harry spent YEARS mastering Lockpicking, and now he had a basic spell that eleven year olds could learn to instantly pick any lock with a flick of their wands? As a professonal thief, Harry was both offended and annoyed at his luck.
"Have any of you thought about which House you wanna be in?" Hermione asked suddenly, before quickly adding, "I'd like to be in Gryffindor myself. It sounds like the best, and it was the House Dumbledore was in. Though I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. What about you guys?"
"I don't know, though Gryffindor sounds good now that you mention it." Dean answered without giving it too much thought. Though if Harry had to guess, Dean probably just gave the same answer as Hermione becasue he didn't actually look into the other houses.
"I'd just be glad to be picked by one." Justin added while his nerves began to show slightly.
"Hufflepuff seems like it would be nice." Sally-Anne said after a moment of thought, before all four heads turned towards Harry.
"Gryffindor." He answered the unspoken question, making Hermione beam happily.
"That tracks." Justin said, recalling the stories Harry told them on the day they met.
"Though I suppose Slytherin wouldn't be too bad as a second option." Harry added, surprising them.
"Isn't Slytherin the house that produces the most dark wizards?!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Supposedly, but that's not always the case. Take Sirius Black for instance. He was a Gryffindor, best friend of my father, and yet he still betrayed my parents and became Voldemort's right-hand man." Harry answered, noting how they all flinched at Voldemort's name yet again.
"..."
"I guess that's true..." Hermione said slowly, before she pulled out The Real Barenziah and buried her nose in it.
Harry went back to looking out the window, noting that they had left the city behind and were now going past some farms. To Harry, it was nice to see some real country again.
Soon however, the door slid open again.
"Has anyone seen a toad?" Asked a round-faced boy who looked as if he were on the verge of tears.
"I haven't. Any of you?" Dean asked while looking at them, though everyone just shook their heads no.
"Ok..." The boy said while fighting back a sniffle. Before he could close the door though....
"Just follow that line of light." Harry said as he casually waved his hand, casting the Clairvoyance spell. As he did so, a line of light appeared on the floor that led out of the compartnment, and down the train.
"!!!"
"Thank you! I really appreciate it, uh...."
"Harry Potter." Harry finished for him as the boy faltered, making his eyes go wide.
"THE Harry Potter?!" He exclaimed in awe.
"Yes, THAT Harry Potter. But you better hurry. That spell doesn't last too long, and you don't want it to run out before you find your toad." Harry told the boy, who recalled that he was in fact looking for his toad, and quickly left to find it.
"Do you think he'll find it before the spell runs out?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"I don't see any reason why not, especially since that spell will last another hour at least." Harry answered.
"But you just said..."
"What I needed to get him to go. It gets annoying when people gawk at me like I'm a strange animal." Harry responded nonchalantly.
"I guess it probably does get old..." Hermione said quietly.
For the most part the rest of the trip continued peacrfully as the group interacted with each other or just looked out the window at the passing landscape, which had changed to mountains and forests as they headed further north. Just as the sun was about to dip behind the mountains, another group came to see them.
"Is Harry Potter in here?" Drawled the boy who opened the door, with platnium-blonde hair, pale skin and a pointed face. Standing behind him were two larger boys that looked like hired help as they glowered at everyone else in the car threateningly.
"No he isn't, sorry." Harry immediately said before anyone else could speak, immediately drawing the attention to him.
"Is that so? And your name is?"
"Harold." Harry responded, using the name he was given in Skyrim.
The boy didn't seem entirely convinced though as he ran his gaze up and down Harry's body.
"Ok then, Harold. If any of you see Potter, then tell him that Draco Malfoy wants to speak to him."
His piece said, the boy, Draco, closed the compartment door as he and his two cronies presumably stalked their way up and down the train looking for Harry Potter.
"How come you didn't want them to know who you were Harry?" Sally-Anne asked as soon as they were gone.
"Because he reminded me of someone I dealt with before, and I didn't feel like dealing with them." Harry replied, a few certain faces coming to mind as he said that. And to this day, he never regretted his part in Maven Black-Briar's head being mounted atop the north gate of Riften alongside her sons, Hemming and Sibbi.
Shortly after the trio left the group all slipped their robes on over their clothes, and got ready to depart the train after the announcement was made that they were approaching Hogsmeade Station. Of course, Harry made sure his trunk was locked and secure when they were told that their luggage would be taken to the castle separately.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Boomed a voice as soon as they all stepped off of the train, and a towering giant of a man came into view that was swinging around a lantern.
Harry moved towards the giant with the rest of the tiny first year students, while the others were climbing into carriages that were being pulled by sinister-looking skeletal horses with wings. They kinda reminded Harry of his favorite steed, Arvak.
While Harry was thinking about how he should take Arvak out for a ride soon, with all of the space Hogwarts should have, the giant approached Harry in particular.
"You alrigh' there Harry? Gave me a righ' scare you did." He asked with genuine concern in his eyes and bearing.
"You must be Hagrid. Sorry about before. I thought we were being attacked by a giant or something." Harry immediately appologized for sending him flying.
"Bah! Don' you worry yourself over tha'! It'll take more than somthin' like tha' to be rid of me!" Hagrid bragged while rising up to his full height once again, where he looked out over the crowd of first years that had gathered around.
"All the firs' years here? Good. Now I need ya to follow me!" Hagrid boomed as he held the lantern high and led them down a certain path.
The way was twisted and dark, resulting in quite a few students tripping and stumbling as they walked with Hermione clutching to Harry's robes like a lifeline, and Harry even had to catch the same round-faced boy who lost his toad earlier as he was about to fall.
Harry meanwhile moved silently as if he had traversed this path a thousand times, stepping as if he knew where every single root and stone were as he avoided them altogether. Sometimes it paid, both literally and figuratively, to be an agent of Nocturnal.
"Yeh'll get your first of Hogwarts in just a sec!" Hagrid called back to them, right before they rounded a bend to one of the most spectacular views any of them had ever seen.
A cloudless starry sky was the backdrop for a massive and majestic castle that sat across a lake from them, both the stars and the lights from the castle twinkling on the surface of the water.
"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called next, as he directed them all towards a fleet of small boats that were moored on the shore in front of them.
Harry climbed into one of the boats with Hermione, Sally-Anne and the round-faced boy, while Dean and Justin both ended up in another boat along with a kid with bright red hair and freckles, and a girl with light-brown hair.
Once everyone had settled into a boat, Hagrid took one by himself as he pointed a pink umbrella and commanded, "Forward!"
Each of the little boats immediately took off over the water as they seemed to glide effortlessly towards the castle. Even Harry had to, reluctantly, admit awe as he took in the sight of the marvelous castle. It wasn't as if this castle was any better than the College of Winterhold though!
As they approached the castle Hagrid led the fleet of little boats to a section of cliff face covered in ivy, which they sailed directly into while Hagrid called, "Watch yer heads!"
They sailed directly through the curtain of ivy and into a little alcove that took them down a dark tunnel. And at the end of the tunnel, was a lighted staircase that stood above a pebbled beach where the boats docked, allowing them to disembark.
"Everyone here?" Hagrid called once everyone was standing on the pebbled shore, before leading them up the stairs to a massive oak door, where he knocked three times.
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
Three booming knocks echoed as Hagrid slammed his fist against the door, before it was promptly opened by a thin elderly woman that Harry recognized.
"The firs' years for ya professor McGonagall." Hagrid announced to her.
"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here." Minerva replied, to which Hagrid bowed his head before shuffling past her. She then turned towards the rest of them, and said, "If you will please follow me."
She then led them into the castle proper, where they could all hear the chatter of the other students who had already arrived.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Before you may take your seats for the banquet, you will need to be sorted into your Houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history, and each has produced scores of excellent witches and wizards over the centuries. I hope each of you will become a credit to whichever House you join."
Her piece said, Minerva opened the doors and led the first years into the Great Hall for the first time.
Four long tables filled the hall, each filled with students wearing robes of black trimmed with red, yellow, blue and green. At the other end of the hall was a raised long table that stretched from one side of the hall to the other, where the teachers were sitting with Albus right in the center.
The most spectacular part of the Great Hall though, was the ceiling over head that perfectly mimicked the night sky.
Seeing all of this, and knowing this was just where the students and staff of Hogwarts ATE, Harry decided to up the game at the College of Winterhold if he ever got back to Skyrim.
As Minerva led them down the middle of the hall, Harry could hear the other first years around him muttering about their current situation.
"Its not really the night sky." Hermione was whispering to another girl. "Its just bewitched to look like the sky. I read about in Hogwarts: A History."
"My brothers told me that the sorting is really brutal. Fred was even going on about wrestilg a troll." The same redhead Harry noticed earlier was telling another kid beside him, his face pale at the prospect of fighting a troll to determine their Houses.
Harry didn't know what the actual process was, but he sincerely doubted it was THAT. Even when he first enrolled at the College of Winterhold, all it had taken was him displaying a form of magical talent. Him being Dragonborn hadn't hurt either.
Sure enough, when they got to the space in front of the head table, a hunchback shuffed in that had pasty pale skin, sunken cheeks, long hair with a bald spot on top. And in one hand he held a stool, while the other was holding a old and worn hat that was covered in patches.
After putting the stool down, and hat on top of it, the man shuffled off as a rip appeared near the brim, and a deep voice sounded out.
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
As soon as the hat finished singing the rest of the hall broke out in applause, while Harry heard several sighs of relief around him as they realized they just had to try on the hat.
"I'm gonna kill Fred." Swore the redhead from earlier.
Once the applause died down, Minerva stepped forward while unrolling a sheet of parchment, and stated, "When I call your name, please step forward and you will be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"
And so began to sorting as the hat decreed which House everyone belonged to, making its way down the list alphabetically.
Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Lavender Brown. One by one, the crowd of first years dwindled as they were called up to be sorted.
Justin was the first amongst the small group Harry knew, and he was promptly sorted into Hufflepuff. Soon after, Hermione was called up, and eventually sorted into Gryffindor. Harry could see her beaming all the way.
The list continued on and on as more students were sorted, until it was Sally-Anne's turn, and she was sent to Hufflepuff along with Justin. Then, it was Harry's turn.
"Potter, Harry."
Silence descended upon the Great Hall as Harry strode forward to try on the hat, curious to see where it would send him.
As Harry sat down on the stool, Minvera placed the hat atop his head before it slid down to cover most of his sight.
"Interesting. Very interesting." The whispered into Harry's ear. "To look so young, and having done so much. Yet, I'm still torn between where to put you."
"Either Gryffindor or Slytherin would be fine." Harry replied quietly.
"Indeed. Those two would be the most fitting. However, I can see that your cunning and ambition were mostly traits used to serve a greater purpose, not a part of yourself that you intentionally pursued. On the other hand, you repeatedly threw yourself into danger for the sake of others without a single care for your own well being.
"You WOULD do well in Slytherin, thrive even, but as a man after Godric's own heart, there is only one place I could send you. GRYFFINDOR!"