Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

1

The journey from platform 9 3/4

Harry cleared his throat to let them know he was in the room, Dudley screamed and ran away.

'Er-Uncle Vernon?'

He grunted in response.

'I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to-to go to Hogwarts. Would you... take me?'

He grunted again. Harry took that as a yes.

'Thank you...'

He turned to go when Vernon actually spoke.

'Funny way to get to a magic school, by train. Magic carpets are all frayed?' 

Harry didn't know what to say.

'Where is this school anyway?'

'I don't know.' Harry admitted. He looked in his pocket and took out the train ticket to read it. 'I just have to be at platform nine and three-quarters at eleven to take the train.'

Both his aunt and uncle stared wit unreadable expressions.

'Platform what?'

'Nine and three-quarters.'

His uncle got a nasty smile on his face.

'Right, of course.'

Unnerved, Harry fled the room.

Next morning, Harry woke up at five o'clock and couldn't go back to sleep. He pulled on his clothes, checked his school list and materials once again, made sure the door to Hedwig's cage was well shut and, many hours later, his heavy trunk was loaded on the car and the family were on their way to London. Aunt Petunia had to waste some time on convincing Dudley to sit in the back next to Harry. They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Being strangely kind, Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk on a trolley and wheeled it into the station for him, then, he stopped dead at the platforms and turned to Harry with that same nasty grin of the other day. 

'Well, there you are boy. Platform nine-platform ten. Have a nice term.'

And he just left without another word. Harry's mouth went dry. What was he going to do? Alone, pretty much abandoned, he hurried to look for help. He stopped a passing guard to ask about the train but didn't dare mention the number of the platform, still, the guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry was unable to say where it was located started to look annoyed. Running out of ideas, Harry asked for the train leaving at eleven o'clock. The guard said there wasn't one and huffed away. Harry tried not to panic. The clock hanging on the wall told him he had ten minutes left, Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him some secret way in like in Diagon Alley. He was thinking of getting his wand to tap the wall in between the platforms when the words "packed with muggles" reached him from somewhere behind him.

Harry swung around, a family of read heads was heading his way, all the boys had a trolley with trunks and one of them had an owl. 

'Mom, can't I go?' Said a girl holding the mother's hand.

'You're not old enough yet Ginny. Now, Percy, you go first.'

The tallest of the boys stepped up. He confidently marched towards the wall, Harry didn't dare blink, afraid he'd miss something important-but just as Percy was about to reach the divide a crowd of tourists chose the moment to pass through, blocking his view, when they were all gone so was the boy. 

'Fred, you're next.' Said the mother, turning to one of two identical brothers.

As they were arguing about the real identity of the boy-who claimed to be George- Harry chose to approach them. 

'Excuse me?' Harry said to the woman.

'Hullo, dear.' She smiled genially at him. 'First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new too, you know.' She continued, gesturing to her youngest son. He was tall and thin, with slightly gangly limbs, and a long nose on a face full of freckles. Fred and George ran off when she got distracted and Harry didn't see where they went. 

'Uh-yes. It's just-I don't know how to...' He trailed off and gestured vaguely. 

'How to get onto the platform?' She offered kindly. Harry nodded. 'Oh, don't you worry dear. All you have to do is walk through the wall in between nine and ten, don't think you'll crash into it-you won't. Here, why don't you go before Ron?' 

'Ok.' Harry pushed his trolley around and faced the barrier. It looked very solid to him. 

'Best try running, if you're nervous.' Said the mother of the read heads. 

Taking a deep breath Harry started at a walk and then gained more speed, he was starting to regret the decision when he realized he wouldn't be able to stop the trolley in time if he tried, he closed his eyes awaiting the crash-and nothing. Cautiously he opened one eye to peek- and had to react quickly to avoid running over one of the twins. 

'Blimey!' said one of them.

'Sorry! So sorry.' said Harry, feeling his cheeks blush. 

'No worries mate.' assured the other, the almost victim. 'Want a hand?'

'Yes, please.'

The twins lead the way to a magnificent scarlet engine, Harry was so enthralled by it that it took him a moment to realize King's Cross was gone and he was on a different station altogether. Strangely dressed families were all around, children-some dressed in the school robes-saying their goodbyes or getting onto the train themselves. 

'Oy, Fred! Help me with this.' said one of the twins upon reaching one of the doors, bending down to pick up Harry's trunk. 

With the brothers help Harrys things were loaded onto the train and tucked into a compartment in a minute. 

'Thanks.' said Harry, pushing his hair out of his face.

'What's that?' spoke one of the twins, pointing at his head.

'Is that-?' said the other. 'Are you-?'

'He is.' said the first. 'Aren't you?' he directed at Harry. 

'Am I what?'

'Harry Potter.' they chorused.

'Oh, him.' said Harry, 'I mean-yes. Yes, I am.' 

The boys gawped at him, Harry went red and started to fidget. Then a voice reached them from outside.

'Fred! George! Where have you gone?'

'Comin' Mum!' Said the twins and they left, not without one last look back.

Harry looked through the window at the family down below, the mother was trying to rub something off Ron's face with a handkerchief when the twins reached them.

'Guess what. Guess who we just met on the train?' said one of them, gesturing towards his compartment.

Uncomfortable, Harry grabbed his trunk and drug it down the hallway. He was patting his hair down to cover his forehead and looking into the almost full compartments for somewhere to sit when a flash of electric blue caught his eye. In a compartment, all on her lonesome, was a girl. Her black hair faded into the shocking color that caught his atention and the ear it was tucked behind seemed to be more metal, chains and stones than flesh. A pair of neon green glasses were perched on her nose, almost falling off as she looked down into a book. Her clothes were black, and the long jacket she wore was just as decorated with studs and pins as her ear. She had her long black platform boots kicked up onto the seat across her. The moment he first saw her-truly saw her- he couldn't help but think that she had to be the incarnation of everything the Dursleys feared and hated, the more he looked the more he thought so, he inmediately wanted to get to know her. So, as the train started to advance, he entered the compartment thinking of introducing himself.

'Er-Hi.' said Harry. She didn't look up, but he did see her eyes shift to him. 'Is it okay if I sit here?' In response she took her feet off the seat, the only available seat he realized, the one she was sitting on was occupied by her, a backpack, a rucksack and a book bag. 'Thanks!' she nodded her head at him and went back to reading. 

Harry struggled with getting his trunk in and out of the way for far too long for his liking, but finally managed it and closed the door before sitting across his-hopefully-new friend. 

'Um, I'm Harry.'

'Alexander.' she said, she didn't look up.

'Oh!' Harry exclaimed. 'So,er-you're a boy?'

This time he did look up, seemingly amused. He took a rectangular pin on the overlap of his jacket and held it up for him to see. Over a shiny black background in silver gothic letters it read: R. Alexander. There was a skull at the end. 

'Alexander is my last name. My name is Rain.' The corner of his lips twisted up. 'And I'm a girl, by the way.'

'Oh!' Harry felt stupid. 'Right.'

'I could be a boy, if you wanted me to?' Harry had the impression she was teasing him. 

'No! No need.'

'Are you sure?' she continued, raising an eyebrow. 

'Yup! Totally, completely sure.'

Rain snorted-aunt Petunia would have hated it, not very lady like-and went back to her book. Rain, Harry thought, was a name the Dursleys definitely wouldn't approve of-so Harry instantly liked it. Rain, what kind of parents did one need to be to name their child that? Rain. 

'Yes?' Rain said, without looking up from her book.

Harry realized he had said it outloud and hurried to think of something to say.

'That's a really pretty name!' he blurted out. 

'I know. I like it a lot.' Harry didn't know what to say to that and she didn't seem in a hurry to speak more. Then, as if startled, she looked up to him. 'Thanks!' she said with a small smile. The smile looked awkward and out of place on her face, very unlike the quasi-smirk of before.

'Don't mention it.' On the inside, Harry thought: please don't. 

The smile slid off her face incredibly fast as she went back to reading. The silence was encapsulating, things weren't going the way Harry had hoped, figeting a little he looked around for things to say. His eyes fell on the book resting on her lap, it seemed well-used, with many colorful markings sticking out of the pages, on the cover a red pig was shown wearing a crown. It read: Animal farm.

'Er-what... what are you reading?' 

She jumped on her seat, her face swung up to him in a blur and he was amazed at her expression. She was beaming, a grin from ear to ear, and her eyes were wide and shiny beneath her glasses. She gripped her book tightly and trembled slightly, she inhaled deeply and Harry was getting ready to mantain an actual conversation when someone opened the door to the compartment and shouldered in. It was the read head boy, Ron. 

'Oy, can I seat here? Everywhere else is full.' he said.

Harry looked to Rain in doubt, her face was scarily blank. She shrugged and looked down at her book. 

'Er-sure.' Harry said to Ron, not very sure. 

'Thanks!' Ron dragged his trunk in and noisily pushed it under the seat, right next to Harry's, he then snapped the door shut and sat down. Harry noticed Rain wince at the loud sound. 'I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley!' he said and held out his hand at Rain. She didn't look up but seemed to know she was being adressed.

'Alexander.' she said, she didn't take Ron's hand. 

'Aren't you a girl?' He asked, not taking back his hand.

'Yes.'

Ron frowned but shrugged and turned to Harry, offering his hand instead. Harry hurried to shake it.

'Harry.' he said. 'Harry Potter.' 

Ron's eyes widened.

'Are you really?' he asked in wonderment, his eyes went to his forehead. 'Do you have-? The-ah.' he gestured vaguely to his own head. 

'Oh, yes.' Uncomfortable, Harry lifted his bangs to show his scar.

'Wicked.' breathed Ron.

Harry looked sideways at Rain to gauge her reaction. She was looking at him, her face just as blank, but there was something shrewd in her gaze he wasn't sure he liked. He wanted a change in topic, now. 

'So... Rain. Your book?'

Rain blinked, like coming out of a trance, her face was starting to fill with the surprising joy that had seemed to come out of nowhere when he asked earlier-and then Ron had to insert himself in the conversation. 

'I don't like books.' he said with a sour look, the look Rain shot him was even sourer, but he didn't notice. He was looking at her beloved copy with a wrinkled nose. 'Quidditch is way better! What is it even about? The animals you find on a farm?'

'Yes and no, it's-'

'I live near a farm.' he interrupted. Harry was starting to worry for Ron's continued health, at first Rain didn't seem angry or even bothered but he had seen a similar expression on aunt Petunia's face many times, nothing good ever followed. But Ron obliviously carried on. 'And my family keeps chickens-oh!' He looked for something in his pocket and pulled out a furry greyish bag. 'This is Scabbers! He used to be Percy's but he got an owl and left him to me.'

Harry looked at it and then realized what he thought was an ugly purse was in fact a rat. Rain suddenly sat down with them, sandwiching Ron in the middle, Harry saw her face had once more transformed. She held out something cupped in her hands.

'This is Shadow.' she said. 'She's ten months old. She likes strawberries and plain yogurt. She knows how to count to three, spin, bow, play fetch and say hello. She is learning to sniff things out and paint.' she said all this very fast and with great enthusiasm. Shadow, another rat-a black one, was sniffing curiously in Scabbers' and Ron's direction. 'Say hello Shadow. Hello. Hello.' 

Both Harry and Ron looked at her and her pet dubiously, but then, to their atonishment, Shadow the rat stood up on its hind legs, streched its right front leg away from its body and shook it up and down repeatedly. 

'Buena chica Shadow, buena chica.' Rain cooed, giving her pet a treat.

'Wow.' said Harry. 

Ron huffed moodily.

'Big deal.' he said. 'Any magical rat could do that.' 

Harry then remembered the circus mice he had seen at Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley and suddenly didn't find the trick as surprising. Looking better at the two rats he couldn't help but notice the differences. Scabbers was fat where Shadow was of leanear build. Scabbers' fur looked scraggly and dirty where Shadow's was sleek and shiny. Scabbers' eyes looked kinda funky where Shadow's were brigth and pretty. Scabbers was just lying there while Shadow was busy sniffing and looking around. Yes, Ron had it right with this one, Shadow was clearly the superior rat. Perhaps that's why he seemed jealous? Was he upset that he'd been shown up? Either way, Rain was just as oblivious to Ron's upset as he had seemed to hers previously. Rain's face was that of surprise, she leaned into Ron's space and exclaimed. 

'There are magical rats?' She almost yelled. 'Where can I get one? Tell me! Tell me!' 

'Wait- you mean that's a normal rat?' Ron sounded scandalized.

'Yes, wait-it's yours magical?' Rain stared at Scabbers as if she expected him to start levitating any moment. 

'No.' Ron admitted, his ears red. 'We just found him in the field.' He then looked at Scabbers as if it had offended him. 'Why doesn't he do any of that?'

Rain sat back and looked at him in silence, then she said:

'Have you trained him? At all?'

'You mean like a dog?' asked Harry.

'Exactly like a dog.'

'You trained yours?' said Ron.

'Of course! You didn't think she was born knowing how to do that, did you?'

'I didn't know you could train rats!' he defended. 

'Me neither.' mumbled Harry.

'You can train almost any animal.' said Rain nonchalantly. 

'Not Scabbers.' declared Ron. 'He's too stupid.'

'Rats are very intelligent animals.' said Rain, seemingly offended in Scabbers' behalf. 'How old is he?' 

Ron looked to the ceiling in thought.

'Nine-ten years?'

Rain stared at him, then at Scabbers, then at Ron and then back at Scabbers.

'Brujería.' she whispered.

'What?' asked Harry. 

'Ron Weasley.' she said, her face thoughtful. 'Domestic rats, rats in general, have an average lifespan of two-three years. The oldest ones on record were five years old.' she pointed at Scabbers, almost poking it. 'That is not a normal rat.' 

Scabbers suddenly jumped into movement and went back into Ron's pocket. 

'You mean he's magical?' Ron looked at his pockets dubiously. 

'Or something.' said Rain. 'Either way, it's not normal.' 

'Then why doesn't he do tricks?' asked Harry.

Rain seemed to think about it. 

'Maybe he's lazy?' she offered. 'Or afraid of expectation.'

'Lazy.' said Ron with finality. 'Definitely lazy.'

Someone knocked on the door. Rain streched to open it revealing a greying smiling woman. 

'Anything off the trolley dears?' 

Harry jumped from his seat, after discovering he was a wizard he now had more money than he knew what to do with and with no Dursleys around he was ready to buy every Mars Bars he could find. The kind lady had no Mars Bars but she did have dozens of magical candy Harry had never heard about, excited he bought a bit of everything and carried it inside. Without getting up, Rain picked a few things herself and paid for it, she then closed the door. Then she opened it again, thanked the lady, and closed it. Rain placed Shadow on her shoulder where it burrowed in her hair-Harry realized it must have been hiding in there the whole time- and crossed to sit back next to her things. 

'You didn't want anyhting?' Harry asked Ron. 

'No.' he said morose. 'I've got this.' He said taking out a packed lunch. 'Mum made it for me.'

Harry remembered Ron had a family, a large one, and felt a bit upset his mum was thoughtful enough to pack him lunch. He tried not to let it get to him. He looked to Rain, she had put her book away and was inspecting one of the candy she had bought with a serious expression. 

'You didn't bring anything Rain?'

'Yeye made me some salad.' she said exchanging one candy for another. 'I'm not hungry though.'

'What's a Yeah-yeah?' asked Harry. 

'Ieh-ieh.' she corrected. 'My mother.' 

She put the candy away and picked her book back up. Somewhat bummed up, Harry sat down with his armful of candy, it didn't seem as appetizing now.

'So- you both have big families?'

'We're just four.' mumbled Rain, too deep in her reading to pay much attention. 

Ron on the other hand had a much bigger family. Besides the mother, three brothers and one sister at the station he had a father and another two brothers that had already graduated and left home-and they were all wizards! Harry was amazed. Rain was either unimpressed or she hadn't heard him.

Harry and Ron spent the next few hours chatting and sharing Harry's candy, Ron explained to him chocolate frog's cards and the dangers of Bertie Bott's every flavored beans, Harry did his best to include Rain in the conversation but he was starting to realize she wasn't one to speak unless directly adressed-otherwise her book was way more interesting than making friends and Harry wanted to be her friend, he really did, but he wasn't the biggest reader either and he was finding shared ground with Ron far more easily. Still, he wasn't ready to give up, in his mind the idea of having friends over for the summer and the Dursleys coming face to face with out-of-norm Rain was way too good to let go of. Besides, he reminded himself, anything the Dursleys would dissaprove of must be worthwhile. 

At some point, Rain took out her salad and dug in, halfway through she stopped herself and cleared her throat.

'Would you like some?' she offered, on her face was that same small awkward smile from hours ago.

'Er-no, thanks.' said Harry.

'I'm good.' said Ron, eyeing the greens distrustfuly. 

Rain stopped smiling and resumed eating, Harry was starting to notice she wasn't a very expressive person despite the earlier excitement. At that moment someone opened their door again-this time, a girl with long hair and black skin. Behind her, a short blond boy was shyingly peeking at them. 

'Have you seen a-' they never found out what they were supposed to have seen, the girl suddenly fell quiet and her face went pale. 'Alexander.' she exhaled. 

Rain looked up at hearing her name and stared at the girl-and stared, and stared some more. Then, she straightened up and clapped her hands.

'Hermione Granger!'

'You didn't recognize me?' Hermione Granger had a complicated expression on her face.

'I have a hard time with faces.' said Rain. 

Hermione Granger closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

'Have any of you seen a toad? Neville lost his.'

'No.' said Harry.

'No.' said Ron.

'No.' said Rain.

'Very well then.' and Hermione Granger left, taking the shy boy-Neville-with her. 

When Harry looked back at Rain she was reading as if nothing had happened. 

'So-who was she?' he asked.

'Hermione Granger.' she replied. 

'Yes, but where do you know her from?' Harry insisted.

'Oh! That's what you meant. I don't really know her-we go to the same school, not in the same class. I see her name as an honourable mention at the bulletin board sometimes, that's why I knew her name but I had a hard time placing her face.' 

'She didn't seem to like you very much.' commented Ron. 

'Not many people do.' she shrugged unconcerned. 'Most think I'm too strange-sometimes, I scare people. Or my parents do.'

'Well, I don't think you're scary at all.' Harry jumped in to reassure her.

'Yeah! You're cool.' Ron said. 'Like my brother Bill!'

'Yes, some people think that too-but then they get to know me.' Harry thought that was very sad. Rain musn't have many friends, just like him. Rain suddenly popped up from behind her book. 'Thanks!' she said, seemingly umprompted. 'For saying I'm cool and not scary.' she smiled that awkward smile. Harry smiled back. Rain's smile widened, looking more genuine. 

'Don't mention it!' he said.

'Well, whatever house I'm in I hope it's not hers.' said Ron. 'Can you imagine?'

'What are houses?' asked Harry.

'In Hogwarts school they separate the students into houses.' explained Rain. 'There's four of them. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Each house represents different qualities and character traits.' Harry stared at her, Ron did too.

'I thought you were a muggleborn!' he exclaimed. Harry thought so too. 

'Hm? Oh, I am.'

'Then how do you know that?'

'I read it in a book.' she patted one of the bags next to her, it made a "hard" noise. 

'In what house do you think you'll be in then?' asked Ron. 'I'll be in Gryffindor! My whole family's been there!' he sounded very proud of the fact.

'I don't really care. Everything seems so pointless and like a waste of time to me.' she said. 'But if I am forced to... I think Ravenclaw or Slytherin would fit me well- perhaps Hufflepuff.'

Harry had absolutely no idea what the two of them were talking about. 

'Slytherin!?' yelled Ron. Rain dropped her book to cover her ears, screwing her eyes shut. 'Why in the world would you say that!?'

'Ambition, resourcefulness, determination, and cleverness.' she counted each trait on her fingers. 'Yeah, that sounds like me.' Harry had to admit, that sounded a bit like him too.

'Slytherins are evil!' countered Ron. 'They're all dark wizards!'

Rain seemed hurt. Harry was, too.

'Didn't you just said I was cool?' 

'That was before you said you were a Slytherin!'

Rain started snapping some colorful rubber bands Harry had thought were bracelets against her wrist. 

'Every time i trust someone they show me why i shouldn't.' she mumbled. 

A voice echoed through the compartment: 'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.'

Rain was off her seat like a shot, fighting with the compartment door for a second and then off she went down the hallway. 

'Rain- wait!' Harry hurried to follow her.

'Leave her.' said Ron, grabbing him by the sleeve. 'Good riddance, no wonder people don't like her.'

Harry shook Ron's hand off. 

'You're a git! You know that?' he told him then left to look for Rain. 

The hallway was crowded, people were leaving their compartments and pulling on their school robes. Rain was nowhere to be seen. The train slowed down and stopped, people hurried to get off and Harry found himself being dragged by the crowd. Outside was cold and dark, Harry looked this way and that but finding Rain wasn't easier out in the open than inside the train. Up ahead, a lamp bobbed above the students heads and a voice called out: 'Firs' years! Firs' years, over here!' It was Hagrid. Relieved, Harry went to him. 

'Hagrid!' he called out. 

'Arigh' there Harry?'

'Hagrid, I need your help! Have you seen a girl with blue hair?'

'Blue hair you say? Nah, I dun' think I have.'

'Well, can you see her now?' he insisted, unsatisfied. 'You're taller than everyone-and she's a first year! Don't you see her anywhere?'

'Ah-yea' I see her. She's at the very back.'

'Thanks!'

Harry pushed his way through the crowd of first years to reach the back as fast as possible, apologising all the way. He finally emerged from the throng and saw her. Rain wasn't just at the very back, she was separated, away from everyone-many steps back. She was looking to the ground and cupping Shadow to her chest. Harry feared she was crying. He approached her slowly.

'Rain?' he called. 'Are you alright?'

She looked up slightly, she wasn't crying but her eyes were empty just like her face. It was scary. 

'Look-don't listen to Ron, he's an idiot.'

She didn't say anything-didn't even blink. Was she breathing?

'Are you... mad at me?'

She looked back down and shook her head no. 

'Oh, good.' he wanted to hit himself. 'Not that the situation is good-I'm just glad you're not mad at me.' She didn't move. 'Do you want to be alone?' he tried. She shrugged. 'Do you want me to go away?' She shook her head. 'You don't want to talk?' She shook her head. 'Ok. It's ok, sometimes I don't feel like talking too. Can I come closer?' She nodded. Harry approached her slowly, he felt like trying not to scare off a wild animal and felt bad for the comparison. He stopped just shy of too close. 'Hey, can I tell you something? I didn't know anyhting about the houses, but-' he hesitated. 'But I think I'm a Slytherin too.' Rain looked up at him, her eyes looked just a little more bright. He smiled at her. 'So, y'know-if we both end up in Slyherin-or anywhere else! Can we be friends?'

She didn't nod or shake her head, instead she closed the distance between them and placed one of her pierced ears against his chest, resting her head on him. Harry felt flustered.

'Do I take that as a yes?' she nodded, rubbing her cheek against him. 'Great! Um-we should hurry, or they'll leave without us.' 

Rain got off him and started walking with dragging stepts towards the crowd, she took Harry's sleeve in her hand. When he caught up, she didn't let go and he didn't ask her to.