Walking through the hallway of the train as Harry looked for an empty compartment, he saw that all of them seem to be occupied. It seems like the late bird gets none of the worms.

With a sigh, he opened the dozenth sliding door hoping that this time he did not run into a couple making out or someone doing a dangerous experiment and hopefully not masturbating- that was a sight he could do without or the rest of his life.

Just like all the others, this one was occupied too by three students, immediately he spotted their black and green colors and knew that they were Slytherins.

"Sorry," he said as he was about to close the door behind but one of them called out, "Harry, Harry Potter, right?"

"Yes," he said as he turned around to face the only boy in the compartment box, he was tall, slim, dark of skin with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes. All around a pretty boy, he would say.

"Blaise, right," he said as he was able to pull out the name from his head. "Blaise Zabini of House Zabini, a Countess House from Italy if I am to be correct."

It was rare to see a Great Wizarding House travel to another land, but it happened for a variety of reasons whether to set up a side branch, to get away from one conflict or another, or just to find more greener pastures. Plus New houses were always welcomed as it brought in great blood to the old houses.

"You sure do know your houses, huh?" the boy asked with a smile as they shook hands and Harry noticed that he held on a bit too long to feel any comfortable.

"Yes," he said as he just waved it off as the boy trying to get a feel for him. There is a lot you can learn about from reading someone's aura, it's a nice handy little trick.

"Mind if I take a seat?" he asked as they seem to be warming up to him and at this point, he imagined that he would never find an empty compartment.

"Sure," one of the two girls spoke up, she was a lean, athletic person with light brown hair coming up to her shoulders, steel grey eyes, and fair smooth skin. She had the usual tomboyish feel about her as she looked like a real spitfire. "That if you do not come with your usual Gryffindor arrogance."

"Tracey Davis, correct, of the Viscount House of Davis!"

"Yes that would be me," she said with an eye roll.

Chuckling, he smoothly took hold of her hand and lightly pressed a kiss on the back of it. "I would never dare to assume much in front of such a lovely lady like you," he declared as he held eye contact with her.

"A charmer," she said with a grin, as her other friend, he would assume so, just snorted in contempt. "Who would have ever known the boy-who-lived was such a sweet talker?!"

"Well there is a lot you do not know about me," he said with a wink which had the effect he was looking for as a blush crept up her face.

"I don't mind one bit," Blaise added as he bite his lips, "I love it!"

"Ahaa, it looks like you got Zabini very interested in you," Tracey uttered with a barking laugh.

Giving the pretty boy a wary look, he stated in his most respectful tone as so as not to offend him, "Sorry, but I am only interested in the opposite gender."

With a melancholy sigh, "Sad! You look very tasty and I would have loved to have taken a bite out of you."

Trying his best to move on to other subjects as he felt like he sweated a bucket and dodged a bullet, he turned to the last occupant of the compartment and greeted her. "And you be Daphne Greengrass of the great Earl House of Greengrass."

She was blonde of haired nearing almost snowy white which reached all the way to her back, with supple smooth skin, a lithe willowy figure, full lips, dainty nose, high prominent cheekbones, and emerald green eyes the same color as his.

All in all, she looked like a real-life princess, that has decided to grace us more peasants.

Sniffing as she did not give him the time of her day, she turned her head away from not even allowing him to touch her. But he took no offense and even if he did there would be no way he would show it, she was of equal standing to him plus most importantly of all her family headed the Grey Faction.

A circle he would need to be on his side if he wants to win the coming war.

"No wonder they call you the Ice Princess of Slytherin," he exclaimed continuing on as if she did not snub him.

"Don't call me that," she finally voiced as she deigned to look at him with hard eyes.

Ignoring her demand since that was what it was, he carried as if he did not hear her, "Ahh, I heard tale about you, your beauty outclasses all girls, your look send shivers and desire, your words are a cold winter breeze and the singsong of birds, your....."

"ENOUGH!!!" she shouted which had her friends as still as statues while he on the other hand was grinning like a champ.

Noticing that she lost control of her cool, icy persona she quickly schooled her face back to the frosty facade. "Do whatever you wish," she said as she tried to get control back of the situation.

"It seems like I got under the skin of the Ice Princess herself," he declared triumphantly, and he could have sworn he heard the grinding of teeth. "Now who can say they have that kind of accomplishment."

"Not many," Blaise said with a chuckle, "if I hadn't known any better than I would imagine she is warming up to you."

"Not funny, Zabini," Tracey uttered as she rested her hand on her friend's shoulder and whispered to her. Shaking the hand of, Daphne turned away, clearly wanting to be left alone.

"Come on," Blaise said, "it was a bit funny."

Giving him a hard glare, Blaise immediately decided it was best to shut up, then she turned the look towards him.

"What?" Harry asked as he made an open-handed gesture and put on a look of pure innocence. Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere with the cutesy innocent look, he sighed and turned to look at Daphne.

"I am sorry, I should have not pushed your buttons and consented to your request," he apologized but nevertheless he had want he wanted. As Sirius put it so eloquently, if you can't get a girl's attention- get her wrath that would put you in their head for a long time afterward.

Saying nothing on the subject any more, Blaise took that as his chance to cut in, "Alright, are we good now? We gave the muggle apologies and everything."

"Ahh, I can stay mad at you for so long," Tracey said with a murmur, "if only you weren't so handsome I would be...."

"So I am curious to know," Blaise asked as he took out a Mirror Phone 1 Plus, "did you really invent this like all the papers say?"

"Who me?" he asked in fake surprise, "No, it was my family's researchers that built it."

"Really?" Tracey spoke up and then they began to converse, talking about anything and everything. He never imagined that this would be coming out of his mouth, but who knew hanging out with Slytherin would be fun.

Maybe it was Draco that arrogant little prance fool that ruined the image of Slytherin for him, but he enjoyed his time with them. After a while, the trolly witch came by and they bought an assorted amount of sweets and cakes.

As they were munching away and having a good time, it seems like the universe wanted to cut things short as their door slid open.

Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer.

"Daphne, my dear," he said with an exaggerated bow.

"She isn't your dear, leave Malfoy," Tracey growled out on behalf of her friend.

"Nobody was speaking to you, half-blood," he spat out which had her flinching back.

"You gave a problem with half-bloods, Malfoy?" Harry asked coolly as he gave the boy the sharpest glare he could muster. That seem to have done the trick as it had all three of them, recoiling back with a hint of fear as they must have caught something real dangerous in his eyes.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy, so why don't you run along, huh?" he demanded of him as if he was a petulant child not worth his time.

Perceiving the slight, he immediately went red in the face, "What are you doing here Potter?"

"What can I not hang around pleasant company?" he asked with a snort. "Unlike what I could say about yours," he stated as he eyed the two brutes behind him.

Harry never knew that it could have been possible for someone to go even redder as the arrogant brat couldn't hold himself back and shouted, "As if I would want to hang around the likes of you, Potter."

"What's that supposed to mean, Malfoy?" Blaise demanded, Harry already knew the thoughts inside of his head like the back of his hand. The punk was just a simple-minded fool once you got to know him, a mouth piece of his father's ideologies that he keeps to himself which the idiot wasn't wise enough to do.

Ignoring the question, he gave them an imperious look while not giving Tracey the time of his day, "I can't even believe that you would socialize with the likes of him."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it Malfoy, you are a racist piece of trash," Harry said with an eye roll, "would you like to wear it around your head?" he asked as he had his wand out quick as flash.

Unable to hold her laughter, Tracey let out a sweet giggle, it seem like only she understood the term.

"What's that suppose to mean?" he asked, knowing that it was an insult but unable to make heads or tails of it while he took a step back from his wand in his hand as if it was a gun which it basically was in this world.

"Don't worry," he said with a grin as he silently cast a Blackboard Writing Spell on his forehead with RACIST in bold letters. Thanks to Sirius's very extensive drilling, he picked up this little useful skill and could just say the words in his mind. That had a lot of practical uses like having the element of surprise on his side since the person could parcel out what he was doing and he could be very sneaky like right now.

"Don't make me have a word with daddy dearest, alright." he uttered, "Shoo, you aren't wanted here."

Looking hesitant at the mention of his father, he still milled around not wanting to listen to him but also fearful of his father. What broke the camel's back was Daphne who finally spoke up, "You heard him," she said with an imperious sniff, matching him haughtiness inch for inch, "Leave!"

Giving them all a glare, at long last, he left with his two minions at his heel and Zabini shouting taunts behind his back.

"Thank you," Harry said with a nod.

"I didn't do it for you," she uttered, too shy to accept the appreciation in his opinion.

"Still it's the effort that counts," he said with a grin, "so thank you!"

Nodding her head briskly, she spun around to look outside the window, giving her her space, he turned to face Tracey.

"Hey its alright if your a half-blood, I am one too and I think its better than being a stiff back pure-blood."

"Hey," Blaise shouted in mock offense.

"Yea, I guess we have a certain perspective into both worlds," she said with a grin.

"Yep, and yes minority need to stick together," he voiced as he gave her hand a squeeze.

"Thanks," she said with a nod and a smile, "I will make sure to jump into your waiting arms like a swooning maiden."

"Now that doesn't sound too bad," the Italian wizard commented.

"Indeed, not bad at all," she spoke under her breath as she gave his body a once over.

Chuckling as he got up, he announced, "we are almost there at Hogwarts why don't I change clothes," he said as they were already in their house robes.

"Well there is no way we are leaving," Blaise declared.

"Yea, so you're left with no choice but to strip in front of us," Tracey added as even Daphne turned to glance over.

"Not going to happen if you guys aren't going to return the favor," he said as he took out one of his Acromantula silken robes. Then with just a quick spell, his muggle clothing was in his hands and his robes were on.

"Come on," Blaise said in disappointment, "I would have done the trade any second, right Tracey?"

Blushing a bright red, she stuttered out, "I don't know... if I would have... exactly done that.... per say."

Putting his clothing away into his trunk and putting it below him under his seat for the house-elves to pick up, he could feel the train slowly stopping in the station as students started to pile out of their compartments.

Coming out to the slowly falling rain, he spotted a very familiar bussy brown hair up ahead, and turned to his group. "Hey, its been fun hanging out with you guys, want to do it another time maybe?" he asked.

"A Gryffindor and some Slytherins hanging out, what would the school think?" Tracey asked in a scandalized tone.

"I don't care what they think, I'm the boy-who-lived let's see what they can say about me, anyways I consider you guys friends, if the feeling is mutual."

"Same," Blaise voiced, "and I do not think that because you are handsome. I can still think them both.

"Yea, you aren't so bad as a Gryffindor," Tracey said with a shrug.

Then turning to look at Daphne, she gave them a 'What the fuck do you want' look, but seeing that they were still expecting an answer, she said with a sigh, "I guess having the new Lord of the Earl house of Potter as a friend isn't too bad."

"Yes," he said with a exaggerated fist pump, "got the approval of her highness, herself."

Laughing all around, he finally decided to call in a farewell, "Alright, hang in there, guys," he said, 'I will see you around."

Giving him waves and goodbyes, he made his way through the packed crowd of students. Before long he was upon the figure he spotted, "Hey, Hermione," he greeted his best friend.

Spinning around, she gazed up at him and exclaimed, "HARRY!" as she gave him a tight grip hug. Returning it as he smelled her wonderful scent, he broke away and before he could get anything out of his mouth, she spilled out.

"Oh, Harry I read the newspaper, is it true what they say? I knew you should have been taken away from those animals, are you hurt, who are you staying with right now? Did you eat properly? You continued with your studies, you finished your summer assignments?"

"Hey, hey, hey," he said as he tried to slow her down, "I can only answer so few at a time."

Ignoring his comment, she gave him another hug as he could hear the break in her voice, "Why didn't you tell me, Harry? I would have spoken to my parents? They would have gotten the authorities involved. Did you not trust me, were you afraid? I should teach those savage animals a lesson!"

"I am alright, Hermione," he tried to comfort her, but she was having none of it as she gave him a thorough check up nearly stripping him of his robes.

"Hey," he cut in with a grin, "if you are going to strip me naked why don't we do it some were private, huh? I am sure I can show you every nock and crany of my body from you inspection."

Blushing until her cheeks were as red as ripe tomatoes, she lightly shoved him, "Harry," she said in her bossy tone, "you should know better."

"Hey, I am not the one who tried to remove my clothes, you could have just told me and I would have gladly given you a strip tease."

"Oh, where did you learn all that stuff? It like you where hanging around a degenerate scoundrel all summer long," she said with a shake of her bushy hair.

Far away back at the Black Family home, Sirius gave a sneeze as he looked around trying to spot the person that just spoke of him.

Chuckling out loud, Hermione gave him a light slap on the wrist, "that not funny, Harry," she said.

"It just that swear it was like you were talking about the man I was living with," he said as he wiped away at the tear at the corner of his eye.

"Your not joking," she said as she had a scandalized and very horrified look on her face.

"Let's get on a carriage first," he said, "I can tell you all about it on the ride."

Holding his hand out as they come to one that seem to be empty, "My lady," he said as he offered to help her up.

"At least you have learned some manners over the summer," she said with a smile grin as she took his offered hand.

"O, I can promise you that's the least of what I learned," he said as he gave her a suggestive look.