Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (DISCONTINUED)

Hogwarts

The compartment door slid open yet again, but this time is wasn't Neville or Hermione Granger. Three boys entered, the middle had platinum blonde hair and a pale face.

"Is it true?" He asked. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," Harry replied.

Both of the boys that were standing behind the pale boy were thickset and looked extremely mean. They looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," the pale boy said carelessly. "And my name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger and Alexandria held back a laugh. Draco Malfoy looked between both of them.

"Think my name's funny do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford." He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held his hand out for Harry to shake but Harry kept still.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same as your parents. They didn't know what was good from them, either. You hang around with riff-raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you.

Harry and Ron both stood up. Alexandria sat up straight.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," Harry said.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell. Scabbers was hanging off his finger, his teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle. Crabbe and Malfoy backed as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, they disappeared at once when Scabbers flew off and hit the window.

A second later, Hermione Granger came in.

"What has been going on?" she asked, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."
"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," Ron said darkly. "There were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched."

"Uncle Arthur doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need a excuse to go over to the Dark Side," Alexandria added, walking  over to her trunk.

"Can we help you with something," Ron asked, turning to Hermione.

"You'd better hurry and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you. You'll be in trouble before we ever get there!"

"Scabbers had been fighting, not us," Ron scowled at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," Hermione replied in a stuffy voice. "And you're dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. Alexandria left the compartment to go change into her robes as Ron and Harry took of their jackets. She came back just as they sat down. Moments later a voice echoed through the train:

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Harry and Ron crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets while Alexandria put her book back into her bag, tucked her necklace underneath her robes and they are joined the crowd thronging the corridor.
The train slowed right down and out on a tiny dark platform. Alexandria passed her bag when a man held his hand out. Harry and Ron shivered in the cold night air and they heard a voice:

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

A large man's head came into view over the sea of the heads.

"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years. Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed the man down what seems to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them, that they thought there must be thick trees. Nobody spoke much.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," The man called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here.
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, it's windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n five to a boat!" The man called, pointing to a fleet of little boats in the water by the shore. Harry, Ron, and Alexandria were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.

"Everyone in?" The man shouted. "Right then — FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone as silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.