The next day, Harry had to head diagonally to purchase his furnitures for wizard school with the professor because his aunt told him so.

Not that she accepted him for who he was but because he sort of forced her to see the truth.

By using bloody magic.

In desperation of convincing her, and the professor too, that he was totally normal, his magic manifested accidentally and broke her favorite tea set. A nice way to reassure aunt Petunia. Thankfully, the witch repaired the set almost immediately to show how they were alike and that was nothing to fear and the school could teach him how to control his burst of magic before proposing him to accompany him tomorrow to buy everything he need for the school year.

And here was tomorrow, Harry was climbing nervously into the magical transport called the night bus, that could work even at day. So were the owls, seemed like the magical world like the use nocturn things into diurnal.

The reason to ride the magical thing instead of the underground like they could? Harry didn't have any money to pay the tickets for the underground and refused to ask any from his terrified aunt who also refused to look at him and the professor also refused to ride the underground with him by paying the tickets. She said that if she was going to pay anything it would be a magical mean, so the night bus even though the drive wasn't up to par.

Once out of the disaster transport, Harry finally read the sign at the front of the bus. Knight bus. Made more sense though he didn't think the drive was that knightly.

He stumbled behind professor MacGonagall when she called him out of his staring and chanced a glance at this other sign before entering in the building, Leaky Cauldron. Only once inside did the professor told him that only the witches and wizards could notice the shop as there were protectives charm around it. Harry believed her because no 'muggle' or non-magique people could have that bad of fashion wears.

As he followed his future professor, he sighed relievedly that she at least appeared more like a nun in her dark long robe.

He's quickly proved wrong when she pulled out a pointy green hat and wore it casually, matching with her emerald green robe that changed in a blink as soon they stepped on the back of the pub. So much for hoping she would have good fashion taste. And then she elegantly pulled out a wooden stick, the same one she used to repair his accidental magic, to tap on the bricks that were enclosing them.

Of course, the bricks opened a way for them to the Diagon Alley. Right.

The alley was bustering of people because, as the professor explained, it was one of the largest concentration of magical beings in the whole Britsh isles.

"The other being the Hog wart?"

"Hogwarts, and quite close, mister Potter. It's actually the village near the school. Students are allowed to visit only starting third year."

"Why?"

"For one, for protectives mesures as the school is usually closed during school time. The second, it's so the newcomers keep to focus on learning and getting used of the school ground. Finally, it was noted that with the extra options the students had to take in third year, having those weekends breaks was really helpful and the students would be mindful enough by then to not bother too much the towns people."

"Extra options. How many main subjects do we have without counting them?"

"If you have taken the chance to read your letter, mister Potter, you would have known there are nine for the first two years, before choosing to take two additionals, minimum."

"Minimum. What about the max?"

"Two, it is advised as after making the timetables, some of the lessons overlapped. But there are five options available. Six depending on the number of student interested in the last discipline and if they could afford it."

Harry wanted to ask more, but they are stopping before the biggest building in the alley that also had guards. And what guards, guess it was a magical being that did not enter in either category of witch or wizard. Except if some had crooked nose, huge ears and around a meter tall. 

"It's polite to not stare, mister Potter."

"I think we both know I'm not the exemple of politness."

He did slam the door on her for their first meeting.

They entered in the building, the Bank of Gringotts, he barely had the time to read so to stop staring because he did have some common sense, and everywhere he looked did put up the name. Gold and shiny, and full of those weird looking magical beings.

"So, we're in the bank, does that mean I will make a loan and have to repay it by the end of my studies?"

"Well, mister Potter, we're at the Bank of Gringotts, one of the most protected place in the whole magical world of Britain, ran by goblins as they are founders of the wizard gold and many other creations, to withdraw some money that your parents left you."

"First time hearing of that."

"I reckon that your aunt did not think it could be useful to tell you that."

"Probably because my aunt didn't know anything about your magical world due to, you know, secrecy? Same with how ignorant she was about the cause of death of my parents because no one deemed necessary to tell her that, despite her being sister of one of them and someone dumping an orphan at her door."

They stared at one another, before breaking it off to advance when the line moved.

"I suppose it could be that, mister Potter."

It didn't take long, or more like because Harry was too stunned by everything to notice how long they spend in the Potters vault, the professor advise to pass first by Madam Malkin and take the measurements for his robes and let the artisan do her things while they purchase the rest of the list so they could come back later. Harry agreed on the conditions that she answer any question he will have, which was easily accepted. But as she didn't require any fix in her wardrobe, she left him to the next shop, about broom and magic sport equipment. Something to ask after. 

The shopkeeper welcomed him warmly and made sure it was for the school before leading him to stand on a stool, letting magic tools take his measurements magically. During a whole quizzical moment, Harry had his face all scrunched up waiting for one tool to miss his maim and injure him but then the stool next to him got taken by a boy who looked as bewildered as him to have flying tool working around him. 

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. The boy looked at him in startle, making the tools recoil too. 

"My bad, I'm not laughing at you but we had the exact same reaction at those things." 

Said things jumped at his words, as if understanding, before returning to their work. It amused both boys, making their figure sag and the shopkeeper reminding them to stay straight to not fault the measures. 

"I get that you're also new to this world?" Harry spoke up again, once his back straighten. 

"I am. Name's Kevin. My parents had already enrolled me into 'muggle' school so we were at trip oversea and got some huge surprise at our return, hence why we are shopping this late. What about you?" 

Harry blinked at the speed the boy was spilling his words in excitment. He tried to smile but hesitated how to answer.

"... Harry. I'm pretty much in the same situation. My guardians had already enrolled me in my local comprehensive and it took some paperwork to deal before it was decided that I better go to magic school instead."

"I know right, my parents said it was an opportunity and that if I had magical power, the least I could do was to have them under control. They were negociating with the professor that I go just for a year to discover but the short teacher keep telling them that couldn't be possible because it's a seven year courses. Five, if we really want to take the short route. Here, they're still arguing."

Harry glanced at the windows where three people were arguing animately. The couple, that Harry could see the ressemblance with the boy next to him with their shared black hair and blue eyes from the mother and tan skin from the father, were looking down at the really tiny human being. Feeling sudden jealous that he didn't have any relatives to go with him today too, he tried to point at the tiny professor to his future classmate.

"I don't mean to offend but don't you think the professor look like those goblins working at the bank?" He whispered.

Kevin laughed, to his surprise.

"Oh, he's actually part-goblin, he told us when he lead us there and was quite proud of this fact. That didn't mean he could forge money or any other artifact as his ability was in duelling, his words. Oh, and fortunately, duelling is not part of the course."

"Indeed, or the professor who came with me would have let it slip. Though, it's actually a loss. We should be able to practice the spells we learn or, at least, have something like a club for self-defence."

"Right, the teach said that thankfully, we're at a day where we don't need to be on guards and that the aurors and hit wizards, magical equivalent of polices, were enough to apprehend criminals. Not that it reassured my parents, mind."

Harry would bet. Even though, he grew up in some calm neighbourhood, he and Dudley were encouraged to learn self-defence martial arts, because of stranger danger, bragging and maintain their body.

"They do have a magic sport, I think. There was this one shop selling sportwears and sport supplies."

"Yeah, Queerditch, I think? Mr Flitwick said it's the most famous sport in the magical world, it's played on the broom."

"Bet. The first year are just not allowed to own their own broom. And of course, you can fly with any other broom but magical ones."

"Look like even witches and wizards couldn't fly without a prop, or you're considered as a real genius."

Their conversation's cut short when Madam Malkin signed Harry that he was done. He went to pay and greeted the boy goodbye and to see tomorrow in the train. Once out, he realized that he did get done with the uniform after all and he gazed painfully at the pointed hat, whishing it could be removed from the list. Only the gloves were missing because he had to go to the equipment shop.

Which was not the same as the cauldron shop because the market of cauldron is really specialized, not that Harry was interested but since he asked, professor MacGonagall delivered an answer. The purchase for the equipment finished in a blink after that, especially with a trunk to move easily. 

Before going for the books, they passed before the menagerie and Harry asked why those three animals only.

"Actually, mister Potter, the letter was putting insistance on the fact to only bringt one pet at time. There was once a student who brought all three and ended up losing two of them. Besides, the school has its own owls in the aviary so we could provide you help to take care of it. The cats and toads are the usual pets students would brought along to feel more comfortable living in a boarding school."

"So, there's no reason in particular but to go along the tradition? As it goes for the pointed hat? You know it's really a fashion faux-pas? Not that's my point, and you lot were careful enough to not mingle with the non-mage, but why use owl for sending letter instead of, I don't know, crows? It's less suspicious to see a crow in broad daylight, though still a bad omen."

"No one managed to adapt crows for this kind of service, maybe you could be the first. And if you're so curious about how the owls were made witch's messengers," she added by opening the door of Flourish and Blotts "I recommand you to read this very book about magical creatures to enlighten yourself. And this copy of Hogwarts : A History, on top of all your course books."

Harry did just that and added the copy of Quiddtch (and not Queerditch as Kevin believed) Through the Ages, because he'd like to know what kind of physical activity could interest witch and wizards. Then, the copy of The Tales of Beedle The Bard, because the professor said it related all the popular bedtime stories that anyone in the magical world knew.

If he was going to make his entrance in the magical world tomorrow, he better knew the general knowledge and not passed for a moron and an outsider.

Finally, they arrived at the last shop, the one that will acquire him his wand.

After all the exchange about the wand that chose the wizard and the core and what those of his parents were best at. Oh, and also, he had the brother wand of the killer of his parents. Professor MacGonagall gasped at that before eventually sitting him down back in the pub and tell him about the death of his parents and their murderer and how the man shook the magical world before his death. And how Harry played a part in his defeat.

"So, you reward me by dropping me at my aunt's door one Hallowe'en's night? And not even thinking it would be fair to tell my aunt that story?"

"I'm afraid I wasn't made known of what was said to your aunt, mister Potter, but I understand your feelings and will take the matter in hands so you can find justice."

"It's more for my aunt than anything. She never asked to have another mouth to feed."

"That's a really kind intention, mister Potter."

Harry shrugged before requesting to go back for his last night at Privet Drive. 

Neither his aunt nor him said anything about the visit of the witch or even his little crusade in the magical alley so he was not shunned by the other two member of the family. With a little luck, they won't even know.

Because Petunia didn't actually tell him that he was a freak, he thought he still had some of her affection but the morning of the first September she straight out told him to not ask anything from them anymore because she didn't want to be related to a freak and left him to go to King's Cross station by himself. She won't say anything to Vernon but that he suddenly chose to be in boarding explainging why they won't be seeing him for ten months. And hopefully they won't be hearing from him either.

He barely had any memory of calling for the Knight Bus and paying and arriving to the destination that he was rolling his cart with his trunk on it.

Suddenly, though, he stopped.

Was there actually a reason for him to go to Hogwarts?

Sure, he could learn new things that he should have been part of, maybe even ask around about his parents that he never got the chance to know, but could he really integrate in this new world where he was known as savior? What if he didn't know how to perform magic, would everything he read be enough? And then what? What would become of him after this year end?

His aunt's last words looked ominously like she was abondonning him now that his legacy was uncovered despite her efforts to make him normal. Was he going to live in the street by the summer? Could he ask shelter in the school? Would he want to?

A cold feeling settle at the bottom of his stomach and a bile started to raise to his throat and he found himself struggling to find air to breath.

If only he rejected more fiercely the demands his aunt wouldn't have discover anything and he wouldn't have been abandonned. He tried so hard to please them only to be shunned eleven years later, well, ten if he believed MacGonagall's tale about him defeating a dark wizard at only one year old.

The more he thought about it, the more he found the story incredible.

If he was really the savior of the magic world and they left him in the non-magic world, why would they want him back after ignoring him for a decade? Only to destroy eveything he did, couldn't they have left him there if he did his part of the job, non-consent should he add?

That was so unfair, no one ask him anything, to who should raise him and to what he wanted. Who said he wanted to live in the magic world, go to Hogwarts and be a wizard? He never-

A cart bulmped into his and his feet almost tripped on the wheels. In the background, he thought hearing a panic cry.

"My goodness! I'm so sorry! I'm a little in hurry, mate, and then, it was suddenly windy! Nothing broken?"

Harry shook his head and jumped once recognizing the person before him. It was the boy he met in the witch clothing shop. The other recognized him too.

"Oh, hey! Harry, right?"

"Yes, yeah, that's me. How are you, Kevin?"

"Well, as you can see, a lil' bit in hurry despite having telling my parents to get out of the house early!"

Faintly, Harry listened to the boy arguing with his mother who said they still have time, really, Kevin was just being too self-conscious. The father added that was understanding, after all, where the bloody will they find the inexisting platform 9 3/4.

"That's why I told you to be out early! What if it was some sort of private joke between them? And we just fail the test and the train ticket is just a kind way to let me down!"

Harry pulled out his own ticket, and noticed the numbers on it. Then he remembered the last instructions he was giving before parting ways.

"Actually, the professor that introduced me that day told me how to get on the platform, let me get you there. You still have to punch the ticket, though."

They got to the spot between platform nine and ten, ignoring the board that was definitely not displaying their destination, and Harry presented the wall to his future classmate and his parents.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm as new as you are in this. But since we got the gist of their deal, I think we should just believe in it and get in?"

"After you?" Kevin nicely yield the place while checking around.

For, you know, the upcoming humiliation of crashing into a wall like some drunckard.

Harry let out a deep breath, belately reminding that he found the air since a moment now, and walked into the wall...

...and got out on a whole platform fulled of weird outfit mixed with really bad taste in non-magic clothes. He was at the good place.

A gasp behind him told him that the boy finally joined him with his parents and the family was stunned by what they see. Which, understandanble. After some bidding goodbyes, the two boys were finally left alone in their compartment with their cases in the luggage rack. As they both came to the station quite early, probably for different reason, they still have time before the train take off but Kevin's parents have to go for work, both civics.

"I see you got yourself some additional reading, on top of the course books."

"Yeah, I finished those three if you're interested to read them for the duration of the ride. Professor MacGonagall, my chaperone, told me it's around six hours ride. There's a buffet car somewhere on the train, though."

"Professor Flitwick told me there will be possibility for us to purchase magical sweets on some trolley."

"Guess will see once the train takes off."

For now, they settled on reading. Harry, having took out the four books before letting the father of his friend help him put his trunk above head, was reading seriously the copy of Hogwarts : A History already in the middle while leaving the choice for Kevin with the book about magical creature, magical sport (that he missnamed) or the one with the magical tales. Finally, the train let out a whistle and smoke that blinded those still stuck on the windows, waving goodbye to their relatives. None of that bothered them, still deep in reading and they only raise their head when someone knock on their compartment.

A set of ginger twin asked them if they could let their younger brother with them because he was new and they easily agreed, amused to know that Hogwarts welcomed siblings and probably kinsfolk. The boy introduced himself as Ron Weasley and had a stain on his nose that put out with his freckles. But before either Harry or Kevin could say anything or just introduce themselves back, something squeaked and Ron had to pull out his pet rat.

"How come you can bring a magical rat while the letter specially states that students could only bring either an owl, cat or toad Funny, your pet miss a toe?"

Ron took a look at his pet with a wince and shrugged.

"We had it in our family for a decade, though it belonged to my brother Percy before he gave it to me. Now that he's in fifth year, so in second cycle, and prefect of Gryffindor's house, he didn't need a pet anymore. Since I'm making my entrance at Hogwarts, he thought it could be good to let me have it. No one but me would take care of Scabbers, not even Charlie, an animal loving that graduated this summer, would want it so yeah, I'm taking care of it. Charlie also left me his wand."

"What a big family," Kevin could only say, at loss of words.

"I thought it's the wand that choose the wizard?"

"Charlie's going in Romania to study dragons, his passion as I said, and he said he was going to get a new wand that help him more. And his former wand didn't react too badly with me so I got it."

Harry's starting to feel kind of bad for him. Sure, sometimes, he would get Dudley's clothes because the wonder boy grew too quickly, mostly in width than height, but the Dursley would give him new things when it's necessary, only after he achieved some feats though.

"Was it your brother Charlie who chose the name Scabber?" Kevin tried again.

"Actually, it's my big brother Bill, the eldest. He graduated Hogwarts three years ago."

Harry couldn't help but whistle. "Wow, just how many sibling do you have?"

"Six. With me, we're seven children. Those two trickster are twins, you guess it, and Ginny will make her entrance next year."

"Your parents must really wanted a daughter, no offence."

"None taken, it's the truth."

The door suddenly slided open and a girl with wild hair checked the place before introducing herself as Hermione granger and asking them immediately if they heppened to have seen a toad. Its owner lost it sometimes ago and was looking for it. The three boys denied and Hermione had to point out the smudge on Ron's nose, making Harry and Kevin pass for sods to not say anything.

"You're reading Hogwarts : A History?" She turned to him now. "May I assume you're not raised in the magical world? I'm also a muggleborn, as they called us. My parents and I were so surprised when we received my acceptance letter!"

Kevin intervened at that. "I know right! Professor Flitwick, a half-goblin, told us and answer all our question! We still bemused why there must be money since wizards could cast a spell for light, since they do not have electricity, grow crops and water them for foods and clothes or even conjure parchment. But anyway, if that means we could learn magic in a magic school, why not!"

Look like Kevin had those thoughts for a while. That did make Harry think about the need of money in the magical world, like it did to Hermione, but before they could say anything more, Ron spoke up, with a lost look.

"What is eklectrity?"

"It's an energy that allowed muggles to live. It could light light bulb, heat up all kinds of devices, like heating, kettle, hotplate or burner. It also really valuable if we want to take a call to contact someone on the other side of the world."

"Blimey! It's like muggle's equivalent of magic!"

Hermione frowned before nodding slowly, but as she was opening her mouth, Harry feared another long explanation for any kind and cut her up.

"Who was your chaperone, Hermione? To go to Diagon Alley? I went with professor MacGonagall and Kevin with professor Flitwick as he said."

"Professor MacGonagall, too. But to be honest, I went the year before. The letter stated that you can attend Hogwarts if you're 11 before the first September, but I was born on the nineteenth. At least, it gave me time to read eveything I had to know about the magical world. I have a lot of referencial books if you two need them."

"Actually, we do, so that's really nice of you. Unfortunately, I only have those three books in exchange, I don't know if you find them interesting."

"I already read the magical creatures one, but I had to admit that those two are foreign to me, professor MacGonagall only explained me that Quidditch was the most famous sport in the magical world and I never thought of checking about tales from the magic world. I hope we would still have the chance to make the deal even after the sorting ceremony."

"I'm sure we will. But weren't you looking for a toad?" Ron reminded her.

"Right, Neville! See you guys, later! And maybe, you should wear your robe."

Ron shook his head once she closed the door. "We still have a long way before arriving." Scabbers squeaked as if agreeing.

The door slided open again and the head of a trolley appear.

The lady behind asked if they want anything and since neither Kevin nor Harry knew anything, they took almost everything. Harry also made his personal mission on purchasing the biggest quantity possible of chocolate frogs after Ron mentioned there would be cards about famous witches and wizards.

Not only the frogs moved, the picture of the cards did too, which surprised Ron about them being surprised. Once opening and catching all the frogs, Harry now knew a little more about both headmasters of Hogwarts, the historian author Bathilda, Bertie Bott the creator of his Every Flavour Beans. Oh, and Celestina Warbeck, Ron's mother's favorite singer.

There were the four founders of Hogwarts, pr MacGonagall, Merlin and Morgana, the wandmakers, someone who produced squib and gaining some new magic term thanks to Ron, then most surprisingly, himself.

Though, he didn't know if he should really be surprised after what the professor told him or what this new guy stated.

Draco Malfoy, a blond boy with grey eyes, was bragging about his father's statement saying that he just knew that the savior of the wizard world would make his appearance after vanishing for a decade. His eyes went to Kevin and him and Harry thought it was about time to come clean.

And despite the enmity between him and Ron, Harry accepted the hand because his knowledge about pur-blood was interesting and Harry needed all the info he could. But when they were left alone to change into their robe, Harry changed a look with Kevin and promised to follow the boy wherever he would be sorted, because for now, he was his only ally and friend.