{Hogsmeade Station, Hogwarts}
{29th June 1992}
{Harry's POV}
Harry stood on the edge of Hogsmeade Station's platform, the late June sun warming the back of his neck. Pockets of steam drifted around the gleaming scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express, its brass fixtures reflecting dappled light. Students—some with excited grins, others already lost in conversation—moved in clusters, their trunks thumping along the wooden boards. Gone was the gloom of exams as everyone had the exuberance of youth once again, their wands waving excitedly—for some, a final time before the rules restrict their magical freedom.
Harry tightened his grip on the worn handle of his trunk. The image of Hogwarts Castle, perched on the distant hills, cast its familiar silhouette in the bright morning glare. He couldn't believe the year was over. Ten months ago, he knew next to nothing about magic. He was excited as he was finally free of the hellhole in Privet Drive. Now, he was going home to a different person.
He spotted the familiar mess of red hair hovering right beside him. Ron Weasley was looking at something or someone. A small frown etched onto his face as he gazed into the distance. Harry pushed his shoulders lightly.
"All set?" Harry asked, hefting his trunk with a grunt. A battered owl cage was balanced precariously atop it, Hedwig chirping from inside.
Ron, still a little distracted, nodded nevertheless. "Ready as I'll ever be."
"Let's go and get a compartment before we run out of space..." Hermione's voice called out from in front, her bushy brown hair much tamer than in the early days. Her addition had brought a sense of direction to their little group. The frown on Ron's face eased as he shared a look with Harry before moving through the crowd.
Harry followed as they maneuvered their things onto the train, stepping into the narrow corridor. The carriage smelled of polished wood and faint, nostalgic whiffs of Chocolate Frogs. The first few compartments were full, and there were stragglers along the way, people claiming compartments for their groups.
"This one's empty," Ron called out. As he pushed open the gate, Harry leaned in and noticed the lack of any luggage on the upper shelves.
Harry and Ron edged into the compartment with a chorus of grunts and began the thankless task of lifting their trunks overhead. Hermione moved to help but received an eye roll from Ron, who grabbed onto her trunk. Harry quickly helped balance the other end.
"Would you believe," Hermione said, arching an eyebrow, "that some people had the nerve to try and sneak their broomsticks and fly to the train station?"
Ron snorted, sinking onto the plush seat. "Not a bad idea. Though I don't know how they were planning to transport their luggage on a broom." He gave Harry a conspiratorial grin before opening the window to let fresh air fill the compartment.
'He's just fishing Hermione for info on how to do it.'
"The shrinking charm, of course," she sounded affronted at the boy's lack of knowledge as Ron's grin widened. Her eyes narrowed as she realized what had just happened.
Harry ignored the bickering that he knew would soon happen and looked outside; some people were saying their goodbyes, which seemed a little early, but to each their own. A tall figure towered above everyone else—Hagrid, waving enthusiastically somewhere down the platform. Harry lifted a hand in greeting. The memory of Hagrid showing up at Privet Drive just as he was planning his departure from hell last summer flashed through his mind, an enormous silhouette telling him he was a wizard. In just one year, Harry's entire existence had undergone a profound transformation.
The whistle blew sharply and echoed. Steam billowed, partially obscuring the platform. Gradually, the crowd shifted, and soon after, the station began to slip away, replaced by the rolling Scottish countryside. The train's steady chug was a soothing counterpoint to the swirl of reflections in Harry's head.
Harry gazed out the window as hills and farmland blurred past. For a moment, the tension in his shoulders eased. The school was over—at least for now. He wouldn't have to endure Professor Snape's frigid sneer or memorize complicated potion ingredients until September. He wasn't sure if he should be thrilled or disappointed.
The magic was a mixed bag. Repeated motions did take away some of the novelty of learning an esoteric art, as many students went through the same motions and learned the same material, which made it seem more mundane for some reason. Don't get him wrong, he could still make something not too heavy float in the air, which was wicked. But was this all there was to it, 7 years of magical education before settling into a job at the ministry or something?
'Maybe Sirius could help me decide on what I want to do, the pathway of going to college to get a job seems so far away now...'
Ron, who'd propped his feet on the seat across from him, produced a stack of Exploding Snap cards from a pocket in his robes. He was rummaging for an unburned set when Hermione cleared her throat.
"Ron, do you ever think about relaxing without something that might set your eyebrows on fire?" Hermione's voice echoed around their compartment, dragging Harry out of his musings. He looked back to look at Ron grinning with the cards in his hands, and Hermione already with what looked like their first yearbook in her arms.
He rolled his eyes, though his grin betrayed affection. "Exploding Snap is a staple of wizarding travel. You can't possibly object to that."
Harry smiled at their banter, letting it wash over him. It was all so…normal. He treasured these ordinary, even silly, moments in a life that had often lacked normalcy.
Hermione pulled out a quill and a small diary, smoothing a page with bullet points. "I've been thinking about the electives we must take in our third year. What do you think about-"
That was as far as she could go before Ron made a face and interrupted her. "Absolutely not. I can barely keep up with the classes we have. No offense, Hermione, but I'd like to enjoy my summer without diving into something that we don't have to do for at least two more years."
Harry leaned back and was about to echo Ron's statement when there was a knock on the door. The door slid open, and Rigel's head popped into view.
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" he offered as he took a step into the compartment, his luggage floating behind him, capturing all of Harry's attention.
"Rigel!" Hermione exclaimed with a smile, and Harry swore he could feel Ron seethe beside him. Still, this was a change from the status quo; Rigel usually avoids him like a ghost in school, and even talking to him was quite difficult, with him being surrounded by the rest of the Slytherins almost all the time.
"Of course not," Harry replied, eliciting a betrayed look from Ron. Suppressing his annoyance at Ron, he looked as the floating trunk easily slid into place on the upper rails, right beside Hermione's, before his dark-haired cousin slid next to Hermione.
"So what are we talking about?" He asked, snapping Hermione out of her daze as her eyes became determined.
"How did you do that with your trunk and the levitation charm?" She asked, her voice almost feverish.
'That's something I would like to know as well. It's difficult for most students to even hold a feather floating for long. How long did he float his trunk, from the carriage till the station and then our compartment... that would take at least a few minutes if not longer.'
...
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AN: Starting now, there would be a little more interaction with the golden trio as Rigel would be living with Harry and Sirius.
P.S- 50+ advanced chapters on P.atreon!