'I was right in my assumption. The one female that has no airtime in the canon story, but is known throughout all Harry Potter fanfictions. Daphne Greengrass,' Harry mused, observing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed youth.
"A pleasure to meet you, Heiress Greengrass," Harry said smoothly, inclining his head. "I'm Hadrian Potter, but you can call me Harry."
A smirk played on his lips as he swiftly took a seat across from her, leaning back and making himself comfortable.
Daphne blinked rapidly, then tilted her head. "Are you really? You look nothing like the stories claim."
Harry chuckled at her confusion. "Those books are simply made-up. If the adventures I supposedly had were fabricated, you can imagine what else they lied about." He knew that truth would be a shock to the majority of Britain's wizarding population.
His glasses were now gone. The scar had completely disappeared, though Harry maintained a faint one to ensure Dumbledore would be fooled. Plus, his height and muscular build had changed too, showing he fit snugly into his robes.
"Huh," Daphne muttered as she schooled her features. "Well met, Hadrian. Are you looking forward to your first year at Hogwarts?"
Harry smirked internally at her words. 'She's obviously cultivating that Ice Queen persona already. Hopefully she thaws a bit; I'd like to make a couple of friends.'
"Of course. I'm hoping Hogwarts is everything I've read about. Though I'm worried about the sorting situation. Do you have any idea which house you'll be joining?"
"I would assume either Slytherin or Ravenclaw. My parents were in those houses. Will you be joining Gryffindor, like your parents?"
Harry shook his head before replying. "Gods, no. I couldn't think of a worse house for myself. I'm torn between Ravenclaw and Slytherin myself."
Harry chuckled as he watched Daphne's facial expressions subtly shift at his words. He knew his soul had completely transformed everything that was Harry Potter. No longer would he be the embodiment of foolishly brave bordering on stupid.
"It's fine. I know about the past, and how odd it sounds for me to hate the thought of Gryffindor. But I'd rather make my own choices, instead of following everyone's assumptions."
Daphne merely shook her head at 'The Boy Who Lived'. Her parents had warned her to be cautious of associating with him due to their wariness of the light-centric families, especially Albus Dumbledore. How would her parents react when they found out the Golden Child was nothing as they assumed?
Lost in their own thoughts, they were interrupted by the compartment door slamming open as a red-headed boy barged in.
"Have any of you seen my best mate, Harry Potter? He should be on the train today!"
Harry couldn't help but grimace at the question. Ron Weasley was a carbon copy of his movie version, though he seemed slightly more unhinged, with an almost fanatical look in his eyes at the mention of Harry's name.
Daphne glanced at the boy, her lips pursed.
Quickly breaking the silence, Harry answered. "No Harry here. He might be near the prefects; best go and check there."
Ron nodded quickly, before turning around and slamming the door shut.
"That's your best friend?" Daphne mused, a quirk of her eyebrow accompanying the question.
"Never met him in my life. Must have been dropped on his head as a child."
The duo snickered slightly at the absurdity of Ronald Weasley's introduction, before falling into a comfortable silence as the churning of the Hogwarts Express came to life, indicating they were Hogwarts-bound.
Harry leaned back into his seat, then fished out his book on Occlumency. Thumbing through the pages, he continued his progressively positive studies. After the Horcrux was removed, Harry realized that his mental faculties seemed to grow exponentially.
The first stage of the skill had come with quick ease, as he sorted through his past life memories and those Harry Potter had. This allowed Harry to begin safely storing and recalling his memories instantly. Now he was beginning to build simple defensive measures that, in reality, would be able to hold against passive and wandless Legilimency.
"That's not a first-year book, is it?" Daphne inquired, peering at the cover. She had been observing the 'Heir' Potter, building up an image that went against everything she was told about him.
Closing the book, Harry smiled. "Want to hear a fun piece of information I've discovered?"
Daphne subtly nodded, wondering how this would answer her question.
"I've learned that the headmaster and Head of Slytherin are proficient in Legilimency."
Daphne's mouth opened slightly, her eyes widening. Clutching the book in her hand, she spoke quietly. "They read students' minds? That's barbaric!" Her voice grew louder at the end of the sentence, her Ice Queen persona fracturing completely.
"Hence, the book. I found it a couple of weeks ago and have been practicing it daily to ensure my mind remains private," Harry said smoothly.
The compartment fell silent once again, though this time one of the occupants was deep in thought. Harry knew he could have kept that information to himself, but he wanted to cause a little chaos and possibly gain an early ally.
'Even if Gacha grants me absolutely broken powers, having people I can rely on can make a world of difference.'
Closing his eyes, Harry rested while continuing to practice the mind arts.
Hours later, Harry opened his eyes. The daylight had been replaced by moonlight filtering into the train, his shapeshifting eyes automatically adjusting to the low light, making it as clear as day.
He peered over at Daphne and chuckled internally. She was subtly glancing at him, her lips pursed as if holding herself back from speaking.
Deciding to make it easier for the girl, Harry spoke. "Heiress Greengrass, would you like to spend some time training when we arrive at Hogwarts so you can build your own shields?"
Daphne's shoulders slumped almost as if a weight had lifted, before she smiled lightly. "If you have the time, I would appreciate it. I'll be sure to repay you somehow in the future."
Harry shook his head. "How about we just start off as friends? I don't require anything, and I'm always happy to help a friend."
Daphne paused, then spoke. "Friends. I can do that."
She extended her hand towards Harry, who gently grasped it and shook.
"To many years of friendship, Daphne."