Fan Fiction ❯ Last Hope ❯ 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Harry looked up at the looming spectacle of Hogwarts as he stepped off the Hogwarts Express and onto the platform. He heard Hagrid calling for the first years and smiled to himself, remembering that first time he'd come to the famous school for young witches and wizards. He'd been terrified and amazed at once, but had quickly adjusted to the wizarding world, finding it much preferable to the muggle world he resided in during the holidays with his hated Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. The discovery that he was a wizard had changed his life and opened his eyes to a world he hadn't thought possible.

Harry was jolted out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look into the smiling, freckled face of his best friend, Ron Weasley. "All right, there, Harry?" he asked, his short red hair being mussed even more by the slight wind. "All right. Just thinking about our first year." Ron let out a huge sigh. "Yeah, things were a bit different then, weren't they?" "Not really. We just didn't know then about all the horrible things that were going on. Now that we do, things seem much worse, but it's really all a matter of perception," came a lilting female voice. Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes and grinned as the female member of their little trio reached them, looking and sounding just as smart and cheeky as she always did. Hermione Granger smiled at them, her eyes shining brightly, her hair just a bit bushy around her face, as usual, and then glanced at the imposing figure of their school. "Well then, we should probably get going shouldn't we? Wouldn't want to miss the sorting." Following Hermione's sure-footed lead, Harry and Ron walked slowly toward Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.