Absolutely Not Harry!

One.

"Ah, you are an interesting one,"

Ollivander muttered. Henry wondered what that meant. Ollivander's wrinkled, stiff hands ran over many boxes, and, finally, abruptly stopped at a dark red one. He pulled it out, slowly opened it, and handed the grey wand to Henry. When he gripped it, he felt a feeling that would best be described as "feeling at home." Henry let show a slight grin, which showed Ollivander that the wand he was holding was the correct one.

"Ah, there you go. The wand had chosen you." Ollivander said, letting out a low chuckle.

"What is it made of?" Henry said shyly, but genuinely.

"Hm, curious, are you?"

"Very," Henry spoke clearly now, with more confidence.

"Silver lime, which is only used in a single wand, this one, thirteen and a half inches, and a rare thestral tail hair core."

"Interesting, thank you," Henry gave him the correct amount of money and left to meet his parents. Henry, going into his third year, needed a new wand because for the past two years he had been using his father's old one. The wand didn't work well alongside him, because, after all, the wand does choose the wizard. Both his parents agreed to let him get a new wand, but only if Henry paid for it himself. It took him about a year to come up with the money, and as he had made the deal with his parents the previous summer, this had been his first chance to get it.

"Henry! Henry!" said a young voice. Henry whipped around to see Easton Alcorn, one of his closest friends from the past two years.

"Easton! How was Japan?"

"Incredible. Quite fascinating, really. How was your summer?"

"Alright. I never left Brighton, though."

"But did you enjoy it or study the entire time?"

"Bit of both," Henry was at the top of his class, and Easton always mocked him for it. "Where's Lydia and Eliza?"

"Around the corner at Honeydukes, but they told us to meet them at the Leaky Cauldron."

"I've finished gathering supplies, so I'll head over there now."

"Well, so have I, so I will accompany you."

They walked together to the Leaky Cauldron, where Lydia and Eliza were waiting. Eliza was the only Hufflepuff of the group of four, the rest belonging to Ravenclaw. When Lydia spotted Henry and Easton she rushed up to them, seeming extraordinarly excited.

"Henry! Easton! You'll never guess what I've found!"

"What?" Henry said quizzically.

"I'm a Metamorphmagus!"

"Er..." Henry stuttered, absolutely befuddled.

"I can change my physical features into those of an animal!" She demonstrated this by sprouting cat ears from her head. "There's only a few things I can do right now, but I got in touch with Nymphadora Tonks, who is teaching me more and more each day."

"I've seen Nymphadora before, and her hair changes color according to mood, doesn't it? You're still a... mousy brown," Easton says with an intrigued glisten in his eyes.

"Nym - sorry, she goes by 'Tonks' - says that my hair changing color indicates mastery of the powers."

"Oh - Eliza! How was your summer?" Easton said, acting as if she hadn't been there the entire time.

"Eh," she said half-heartedly. "Could've been better. We visited my sister in Reykjavik, but that was really the only thing we did."

"Oh..." Easton seemed puzzled of what to say next, "Sorry to.. er.. hear.. that..." There was an awkward pause before Lydia said something.

"Well we shouldn't just stand out here, depriving the Leaky Cauldron of our business! I'm in the mood for a Butterbeer!"

"I'll second that," Henry said, and they marched inside.

Eliza finds a table for the four of them, and they order four butterbeers. Once they come, Henry slowly sips from his pint glass, enjoying every ounce of the golden goodness that he hadn't had all summer. Easton, on the other hand, slams down his empty glass, and unfastens his dark-skinned hands from the handle, and exclaimed in a very satisfied tone,

"Boy! Did that hit the spot!"

"Oh no! No! No!!" Eliza shouts. She points at the clock. 2:45. Suddenly they all knew what she had shouted about. The train, the Hogwarts Express, leaves at three!

"This is not good; we'll never make it!" Lydia sounds frantic.

"What're you lot in needin' of?" inquires a low, raspy voice. They all slowly turn to the unknown voice. "Not to scare ya or anythin'. Just askin' if you needed 'elp. I'm Ollie Sentry. I 'help 'Agrid a lot with... game-keepin'." He extends a massive hand to Henry, who shakes it. "I wasn't meanin' to er... eavesdrop or anythin', but the lot of you need to get to nine and three-quarters?"

"Right," Lydia speaks up, the rest of them petrified from intimidation.

"Right then, take my hand, all of you. This is what I 'elp 'Agrid out with most." They all, reluctantly, take his hand. "Ready?" They nod. Suddenly, they all feel stretched, dizzy, and clueless. They then find themselves behind a large pillar.

"You'll learn that later," Ollie says, and disappears. The four look at each other in confusion and utter disbelief, then peek around the edge of the pillar. Platform 9 3/4.

"Five minutes early," Easton says, and chuckles to himself.

"I'm going to find a phone, and... explain the situation to my parents," Henry said.

"I'll save you a seat," Lydia says, and she, Eliza, and Easton run to the train. Soon, they'll be where they all felt at home.