The Life that Never Lived ? (Philosopher's Stone)

THE JOURNEY FROM PLATFORM NINE AND THREE QUARTERS

The longer this went on, the more Harry felt right. He knew these people around him, and he knew the things that were coming. He also knew that, they weren't all good things, but after that first chapter, he decided that knowing was still better than nothing.

This chapter in particular was going to be special, of that he was sure. His guardians were speculating all sorts of things from the house he'd be in to the friends he'd make, and even his first trip on the train. It made a warm feeling settle deep within him, and he was eager to read on.

"What, why wasn't your last month there fun?" Lily and James both yelped, fearing that the Dursleys really had punished Harry for Hagrid's act.

"Relax," Harry said at once, "they mostly just ignored me. That was kind of boring, so yeah, not fun."

Remus was shaking his head and saying, "come on now Harry. Was it ever fun there, really?"

Harry fidgeted a bit, knowing full well that all present wanted to have a full on talk with him about his life at the Dursley's, but he wanted very much to avoid that at all costs. It was in the past, there was no need to keep bringing it up, so he quickly pressed on.

Lily sniffed in disdain, "I suppose not speaking to you is the vaguest form of improvement."

"Better than the alternative," Sirius muttered darkly.

"I can see that," Remus agreed sadly, though ironically he'd wished to be ignored more rather than some of the stares he got.

"Oh, that's a beautiful name, Hedwig," Lily beamed, testing it on her lips for the first time. Harry smiled sadly to himself, happy that another piece of him felt right again, but for some odd reason the sad feeling lingered. He didn't really want to dwell on why.

"Don't even," Lily said at once, when it looked like Sirius was about to make a snide comment to Harry poring over his books. "Imagine you knew nothing of the magical world. Harry logically chose the History of Magic as a basis of understanding this."

Sirius grumbled under his breath for a bit, but Harry knew better then to ask about what.

"Ew," Lily crinkled up her nose, "no wonder my mother never wanted us to have an owl. How often did she bring dead animals back to you?"

"Oh mine was awful about that," Sirius laughed, "always left them right on the kitchen table. Kreacher's spent most of his life chasing Buggle out of the cupboards."

Harry winced slightly, recognizing something in that sentence, but after a moment it faded away again, too vague to even form a feeling about it. Sighing in annoyance, he answered his mother every few days to her further disgust before he kept going.

Sad as this was, none of them could really blame Harry for hanging up a calendar and ticking down the days to leave the only place he'd ever known.

"Leaving it a bit late there, asking him the day before you're due at King's Cross," Lily worried.

"Probably so he doesn't have time to reconsider," James huffed.

"Bet you a galleon none of them could answer a single question on that quiz show," Sirius snickered.

All four boys laughed a bit at Dudley flat running in terror from Harry, hoping that one never got old.

"What if that grunt of his meant no?" Lily worried at once. "How would you get there?"

"The Knight Bus," Remus offered.

"He doesn't know how to use that," Sirius frowned, "and he didn't get a broom either."