The Outside Perspective

Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Alex walked with Connor and Cameron and found a compartment to themselves. While they were in the compartment, Alex began to tell Cameron about his dream, and that he was worried he'd be in Slytherin.
"Don't worry mate, You'll be fine, you'll get in Gryffindor just like Con will" he said with a smile.
"I hope so, so what house do you think Potter will be in?" Alex questioned his friend.
"Gryffindor I reckon...I mean his parents were Gryffindors and everyone says he's brave and that" Cameron said.

Suddenly, the compartment door opened and who Alex saw before him was the most beautiful girl he had ever met. She had long brown hair, beautiful hazel eyes and a smirk that made her look like she knew exactly what she was doing. Alex in this moment just fell in love. She opened her mouth as if she was about to speak. "Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one" she said. Alex hung onto her every word but quickly came back to reality when his brother elbowed him. "Ow what was that for?  Oh, sorry" the look from Connor told him.
"No we haven't" said Cameron with little care to how rude he was being.
"Sorry about him, what's your name?" Alex asked.
"I'm Hermione Granger, who are you?" She stated with great confidence. Alex loved her voice, the articulate way she said things.
"Oh, uh I'm Alex, this is my brother Connor and across from me is Cameron." He said. Hermione nodded but then had to move into the compartment.
"Anything from the trolley dears?" A little old lady walked by almost pushing Hermione into the compartment. She tripped and fell on Alex's lap.
"So sorry, I uh...tripped..." she said, a little flustered.
"Not to worry, our uncle always says chocolate makes anyone feel better, would you like a chocolate frog?" Alex said with a kind smile.
"Oh, um, no thank you, I mean, I'd love to stick around but I need to help Neville look for his toad..." Hermione said seeming a little disappointed to leave. She left the compartment and Alex let out a sigh. "She's amazing!" He said breathlessly.
"She was okay, but you totally creeped her out..." Cameron sniggered.

"SLYTHERIN!" The sorting hat said. Alex looked around him and saw Hermione looking at him with disgust. He turned to see Voldemort smiling at him and he was ushered to a table "no, no please! I belong in Gryffindor!" He shouted in desparation.

Alex jolted awake again. The sun was setting and in front of him looking worried were Connor, Cameron, Natalie and Darren. "Wha...what happened?" He said, sweating and panting.
"You fell asleep an hour or so ago, you had the dream again didn't you" his sister said.
"Yeah, only it was different this time, Hermione was there..." he said clapping his hand to his chest in relief it was only a dream.
"Here, eat this, you know what uncle Remus says about chocolate" Darren says while holding a piece of chocolate in front of Alex's nose. He took the chocolate and ate some of it before realising everyone else was in their robes already. "How far away are we?" He asked Connor.
"About half an hour" Connor said, thrusting the clothes into Alex's lap.

After changing into his robes The Hogwarts Express started to slow down. Everyone rushed to the doors so they could get onto the platform. Alex fell behind Connor and Cameron and in his haste to catch up with them he was knocked over by the boy with jet black hair he saw in Diagon Alley.
"Sorry, I wasn't looking..." he said.
"Not to worry, my fault too" Alex said cradling his left arm because he must have landed awkwardly on it.
"You all right mate?" A red haired boy stood next to the boy with jet black hair asked.
"Yeah, yeah fine, what's your name?"
"Ron Weasley" the red haired boy said.
"I'm Harry, Harry Potter" the jet black haired boy said. So Alex was right, Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts.
"Nice to meet you both, I'm Alex Pavell. I'm trying to catch up with my brother and his friend"
"Not to worry, you can come with us"  Ron said.
"No sorry, I really need to catch up with my brother" Alex said and ran off leaving Harry and Ron puzzled.

"There you are! We've been looking all over for you!" Cameron said in relief at the sight of him.
"What did you do to your hand?" Connor asked.
"N...nothing I fell..." Alex said.

"Firs' years! This way!" A man both Alex and Connor knew to be Hagrid called out.
"Come on, that's us...I've got a lot to tell you" Alex said. When he finished telling Cameron and Connor about his encounter with Harry and Ron they both looked shocked with a hint of jealousy. "Wait so...you met...him?" Cameron said positively star struck.
"Yes, but he's hardly Superman, he's just an ordinary boy"
"Ordinary! He defeated you know who!" Connor almost shouted.
"Yeah, but something tells me he just wants to be treated as an ordinary boy like us" Alex said, puzzled as to why Harry seems to not know anything about his defeat of Voldemort.