ROTBTD: Hogwarts

Prologue Part 1

It was their first day of their first year. The older students were talking amongst themselves, eager to return to their school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The first years included a short, very thin boy with auburn hair so dark it could pass for brown. He was hiding in a corner, trying his best to be invisible. The train to school was about to leave, but he didn’t like the idea of fighting through the crowd of people to enter the scarlet steam engine. He soon realized he would have to; the bell sounded that told the students it was time to board. He picked up his trunk, which was considerably lighter than anyone else’s, but it still required a lot of effort for him to lift. He wormed his way through the people, earning a few curious stares along the way for the way he was dressed: a simple green outfit with a brown belt and fur vest, topped with brown fur boots. Blushing, he made it to the entrance to the train just as it started moving. He quickly found an empty compartment. He stashed his trunk on the luggage rack (exhausting himself in the process) and slumped against the seat. It was good to be alone. 

He wasn’t alone for long, however. A tall boy with messy jet-black hair and bright green eyes arrived at the entrance. “Can I sit here?” he asked the boy. “Everywhere else is full.”

The first boy nodded and looked away. The black-haired boy put his trunk away and sat down diagonal to him. Shortly afterward, another boy came in, a red-haired boy. He sat down beside the black-haired boy. Two other red-haired twins, looking exactly like the first, came in to speak to the first. “Hey, Ron,” one said. 

“Listen, we’re going down the middle of the train -- Lee Jordan’s got a giant tarantula down there,” the other said. 

“Right,” said the first red-haired boy, Ron. 

“Harry,” said the first twin. “Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then.” 

They didn’t even look at the auburn-haired boy. 

“Bye,” said the other two boys in unison. 

“Are you really Harry Potter?” Ron said suddenly. 

The black-haired boy nodded. 

“Oh -- well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George’s jokes,” Ron said. “And have you really got -- you know…” He pointed to Harry’s forehead. 

Harry brushed his bangs off of his forehead. The auburn-haired boy glanced up and saw that he had a scar shaped like a bolt of lightning. Ron was staring. 

“So that’s where You-Know-Who --” 

“Yes,” said Harry. “But I can’t remember it.” 

“Nothing?” said Ron. 

“Well -- I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else.” 

“Wow,” Ron breathed. He stared at Harry for a moment, but turned away like he had suddenly realized what he was doing. 

“Are all your family wizards?” Harry asked Ron. 

The auburn-haired boy pulled his knees up to his chest. These boys weren’t talking to him, and he was perfectly fine with that.

 “Er -- yes, I think so,” said Ron. “I think Mom’s got a second cousin who’s an accountant, but we never talk about him.” 

“So you must know loads of magic already.” 

“I heard you went to live with Muggles,” said Ron interestedly. “What are they like?” 

“Horrible -- well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I’d had three wizard brothers.”