"Professor Dumbledore gave it to me," he finally answered.
Her eyes widened.
[Headmaster… trained…]
"Has the headmaster given you any other training?"
He frowned. "No training, just the book."
He felt her relief or… something. He struggled to identify. She was… scared that the headmaster might have trained him. No that wasn't quite right. Why? Would others be put on edge from that too, or was it just her?
She meets my eyes even after seeing I'm studying the mind? She must believe that she would detect a breach or otherwise that I can't do it wordlessly, let alone wandlessly.
It was a fair assumption, against most first-year students. That, or she was simply ignorant about the mechanics of the art; also possible.
He returned to his book and the landscape passed them by them in silence for what felt like hours. He felt extremely uncomfortable. In the end she had withdrawn a notebook two write something down before getting a book of her own to read.
There was another knock. A bushy haired girl with large front teeth opened the door without preamble.
Rude.
"Have either of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost his."
Daphne looked up and shook her head while Harry looked at her confused.
"Why don't you use the point-me charm?"
The bushy haired girl seemed surprised. Harry pulled out his wand from the pocket in the front of his robes near his chest and held it out.
"Point-me Neville's Toad."
The wand swung to the right angled towards the bushy haired girl and towards the front of the train.
"It's that way," he informed her softly.
"Was that one of our charms? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you. Are you a second year?"
Harry blinked and looked at her.
She's just anxious. She's worried she won't make any friends and she'll be miserable here.
Just like me.
"I'm Harry Potter, and this is Daphne Greengrass. I'll be a first year here." He realized he wasn't certain if Daphne was a first year. He looked at her.
"I am also a first year," Daphne added politely.
The bushy haired girl looked at Harry, ignoring Daphne and looking at his forehead.
Even more rude.
"Are you really? I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
What?
"You've read all about me?" Harry felt concerned. He most certainly hoped she was just being rude and wasn't telling the truth. He would hate if everyone already knew all about his family.
"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."
She left as swiftly as she came. Dragging the boy – Neville, Harry presumed – with her.
My sympathies.
He wrinkled his nose.
"She made it difficult to be polite," said Daphne.
Harry stood up and shut the compartment door.
"She was a bit much, but I imagine that she's nervous. It might be difficult being a muggleborn, getting sent off to school to another world." Harry blinked. "What did she mean about houses?"
"Houses are just a way to divide the students into similar groups. It makes it easier for us to make friends." Daphne returned, she seemed happier answering his questions than asking him questions.
He met her gaze.
"You don't put much stock in the houses?"
She shook her head. "My mother was in Ravenclaw and my father was in Slytherin. It doesn't really matter which house you are in. You can still be friends with people outside of yours."
It made sense Harry decided.
"Your family are all also magical?"
She closed her book and set it on her lap.
"My father, mother and sister. I have more extended family than that, but largely, yes."
Harry nodded. "More family?"
She bit her bottom lip and Harry realized he could have been more specific with his question.
"Most pureblood wizards and witches are related. You and I are probably seventh or eighth cousins or something." Harry narrowed his brow at that.
The compartment door slid open again, this time without even a knock. Harry scowled.
Three boys entered, and the middle one immediately spotted Harry. "Is it true?" He asked. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So, it's you, is it?" His eyes flicked over to Daphne. "Greengrass," he drawled with a smirk. He reminded Harry of Dudley at that moment.
I should have locked the door.
"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards, or bookends.
"Oh, this is Crabbe," the blonde muttered absently as he turned back to Harry, "and this is Goyle. My name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Daphne seemed to snicker. Harry felt confused. He didn't know what to do. He cleared his head as swiftly as he could.
Draco gave an arrogant leering look at Daphne, "You're laughing at me? I expected better from you Greengrass, it's not like your name is completely dirt." Daphne glowered at Draco.
He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."