Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun.True,Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay inthe same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn'tshut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything or shoutat him - in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half-terrified,half-furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in itwas empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways,it did become a bit depressing after a while.
Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. Hehad decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in AHistory of Magic. His school books were very interesting.He layon his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in andout of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that AuntPetunia didn't come in to hoover any more, because Hedwigkept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went tosleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper hehad pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.
On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak tohis aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station nextday, so he went down to the living-room, where they werewatching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat tolet them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ranfrom the room.
'Er-Uncle Vernon?'
Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.
'Er-I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to-to go toHogwarts.'
Uncle Vernon grunted again.
'Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?'
Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.
'Thank you.'
He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernonactually spoke.
Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magiccarpets all got punctures, have they?'
Harry didn't say anything.
'Where is this school, anyway?'
'I don't know,' said Harry, realising this for the firsttime. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of hispocket.
'I just take the train from platform nine and three-quartersat eleven o'clock,' he read.
His aunt and uncle stared.
'Platform what?'
'Nine and three-quarters.'
Don't talk rubbish,said UIncle Vernon, 'there is noplatform nine and three-quarters.'
'It's on my ticket.'
Barking'said Uncle Vernon,howling mad, the lot ofthem.You'll see. You just wait. All right,we'll take you toKing's Cross.We're going up to London tomorrow anyway,or I wouldn't bother.'
Why are you going to London?' Harry asked, trying tokeep things friendly.
Taking Dudley to hospital,' growled Uncle Vernon.'Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes toSmeltings.'
Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was tooexcited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulledon his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station inhis wizard's robes-he'd change on the train. He checked hisHogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything heneeded,saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage and thenpaced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hourslater, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into theDursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sittingnext to Harry and they had set off.
They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernondumped HHarry's trunk on to a trolley and wheeled it into thestation for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind untilUncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nastygrin on his face.
Well,there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten.Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but theydon't seem to have built it yet, do they?'
He was quite right, of course. There was a big plasticnumber nine over one platform and a big plastic number tenover the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.
'Have a good term,' said Uncle Vernon with an even nastiersmile. He left without another word.Harry turned and sawthe Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing.Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he goingto do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, becauseof Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.
He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platformnine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hog-warts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of thecountry it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harrywas being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry askedfor the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said therewasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering abouttime-wasters.Harry was now trying hard not to panic.Accordingto the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutesleft to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how todo it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk hecould hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money and a large owl.
Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you hadto do,like tapping the third brick on the left to get intoDiagon Alley.He wondered if he should get out his wand andstart tapping the ticket box between platforms nine and ten.
At that moment a group of people pased just behind himand he caught a few words of what they were saying.
'- packed with Muggles, of course -'
Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman whowas talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each ofthem was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him-andthey had an owl.
Heart hammering, Harry pushed his trolley after them.They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear whatthey were saying.
'Now, what's the platform number?' said the boys' mother.
'Nine and three-quarters!' piped a small girl, also red.headed, who was holding her hand. 'Mum, can't I go ...'
'You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right,Percy,you go first.'
What looked like the oldest boy marched towardsplatforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink incase he missed it - but just as the boy reached the dividebetween the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists cameswarming in front of him, and by the time the last rucksackhad cleared away, the boy had vanished.
'Fred,you next,' the plump woman said.
'I'm not Fred, I'm George,' said the boy. 'Honestly, woman,call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?'
'Sorry,George,dear.'
'Only joking, I am Fred,' said the boy, and off he went. Histwin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done,because a second later, he had gone-but how had he done it?
Now the third brother was walking briskly towards theticket barrier-he was almost there-and then,quite suddenly,he wasn't anywhere.
There was nothing else for it.
'Excuse me,' Harry said to the plump woman.
'Hullo, dear,' she said. 'First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new,too.'
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He wastall,thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet and along nose.
'Yes,' said Harry. 'The thing is - the thing is, I don't knowhow to -'
'How to get on to the platform?' she said kindly, and Harrynodded.
'Not to worry' she said. 'All you have to do is walk straightat the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop anddon't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best doit at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron!'
'Er - OK,' said Harry.
He pushed his trolley round and stared at the barrier.Itlooked very solid.
He started to walk towards it. People jostled him on theirway to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. Hewas going to smash right into that ticket box and then he'd bein trouble -leaning forward on his trolley he broke into aheavy run-the barrier was coming nearer and nearer-hewouldn't be able to stop-the trolley was out of control-hewas a foot away-he closed his eyes ready for the crash - It didn'tcome...hekepton running...he opened hiseye
A scarlet steam engine was waiting nextto aplattiompacked with people. A sign overhead saidHogwartsExhress11 o'cock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wroughtironarchway where the ticket box had been, withthe wordsPlatform Nine and Tbree-Quarters on it. He had done it.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of thechattering crowd,while cats of every colour wound here andthere between their legs. Owls hooted to each other in adisgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping ofheavy trunks.
The first few carriages were already packed with students,some hanging out of the window to talk to their families,some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his trolley offdown the platform in search of an empty seat. He passeda round-faced boy who was saying, 'Gran, I've lost mytoad again.'
'Oh, Neville,' he heard the old woman sigh.
A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.
'Give us a look, Lee, go on.'
The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms and the peoplearound him shrieked and yelled as something inside pokedout a long, hairy leg.
Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found anempty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwiginside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk towardsthe train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardlyraise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.
'Want a hand?' It was one of the red-haired twins he'dfollowed through the ticket box.
'Yes, please,' Harry panted.
'Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!'
With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked awayin a corner of the compartment.
'Thanks,' said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out ofhis eyes.
'What's that?' said one of the twins suddenly, pointing atHarry's lightning scar.
'Blimey,' said the other twin. 'Are you -?'
'He is,' said the first twin. 'Aren't you?' he added to Harry.
'What?' said Harry.
'Harry Potter,' chorused the twins.
'Oh, him,' said Harry. 'I mean, yes, I am.'
The two boys gawped at him and Harry felt himself goingred. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through thetrain's open door.
Fred? George? Are you there?'
'Coming, Mum.'
With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.
Harry sat down next to the window where, half-hidden, hecould watch the red-haired family on the platform and hearwhat they were saying. Their mother had just taken out herhandkerchief.
'Ron, you've got something on your nose!'
The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but shegrabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.
'Mum - geroff.' He wriggled free.
'Aaah,has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosiey saidone of the twins.
'Shut up,' said Ron.
'Where's Percy?' said their mother.
'He's coming now.'
The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had alreadychanged into his billowing black Hogwarts robes and Hamynoticed a shiny red and gold badge on his chest with the letterP on it.
'Can't stay long, Mother,' he said. T'm up front,the Prefectshave got two compartments to themselves -'
'Oh, are you a Prefect, Percy?' said one of the twins, with anair of great surprise. 'You should have said something, we hadno idea.'
'Hang on, I think I remember him saying something aboutit,' said the other twin. 'Once -'
'Or twice -'
'A minute -'
'All summer -'
'Oh, shut up,' said Percy the Prefect.
'How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?' said one of thetwins.
'Because he's a Prefect,' said their mother fondly. 'All right,dear,well,have a good term-send me an owl when you getthere.'
She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left.Then she turnedto the twins.
Now,you two-this year, you behave yourselves. IfI get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up atoilet or-'
'Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet.'
'Great idea though, thanks, Mum.'
'It's not funny. And look after Ron.'
'Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us.'
'Shut up,' said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twinsalready and his nose was still pink where his mother hadrubbed it.
'Hey,Mum,guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?'
Harry leant back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.
'You know that black-haired boy who was near us in thestation? Know who he is?'
'Who?'
'Harry Potter!'
Harry heard the little girl's voice.
'Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, ohplease...'
'You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn'tsomething you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How doyou know?'
'Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning.'
'Poor dear-no wonder he was alone. I wondered. He wasever so polite when he asked how to get on to the platform!'
Never mind that, do you think he remembers whatYou-Know-Who looks like?'
Their mother suddenly became very stern.
1 forbid you to ask him,Fred. No,don't you dare.Asthough he needs reminding of that on his first day at school!''All right, keep your hair on.'
A whistle sounded.
'Hurry up'their mother said, and the three boys clamberedon to the train. They leant out of the window for her to kisthem goodbye and their younger sister began to cry.
'Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls.'
'We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat.'
'George!'
'Only joking, Mum.'
The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' motherwaving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running tokeep up with the train until it gathered too much speed; thenshe fell back and waved.
Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the trainrounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window.Harry felta great leap of excitement.He didn't know what he was goingto- but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.
The door of the compartment slid open and the youngestred-headed boy came in.
'Anyone sitting there?' he asked,pointingatthe seatopposite Harry. 'Everywhere else is full!'
Harry shook his head and the boy sat down.Heglanced atHarry and then looked quickly out of the window,pretendinghe hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a blackmark onhis nose.
'Hey,Ron.'
The twins were back.
'Listen,we're going down the middle of the train-LeeJordan's got a giant tarantula down there.'
'Right,' mumbled Ron.
'Harry' said the other twin, 'did we introduce ourselves?Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. Seeyou later, then.'
'Bye, said Harry and Ron.The twins slid the compartmentdoor shut behind them.
'Are you really Harry Potter?' Ron blurted out.
Harry nodded.
'Oh-well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George'sjokes,' said Ron. 'And have you really got - you know...'
He pointed at Harry's forehead.
Harry pulled back his fringe to show the lightning scar.Ron stared.
'So that's where You-Know-Who-?'
'Yes,' said Harry, 'but I can't remember it.'
'Nothing?' said Ron eagerly.
'Well-I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else!'
'Wow,' said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a fewmoments, then, as though he had suddenly realised what hewas doing,he looked quickly out of the window again.
'Are all your family wizards?' asked Harry, who found Ronjust as interesting as Ron found him.
Er-yes,I think so,'said Ron. 'I think Mum's got a secondcousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him!'
'So you must know loads of magic already!'
The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizardinefamilies the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.
T heard you went to live with Muggles,said Ron. Whartare they like?'
Horrible-well,not all of them. My aunt and uncle andcousin are,though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers!
Five,'said Ron.For some reason, he was looking gloomy.T'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts.You could sayI've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left-Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch.Now Percy's a Prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot,butthey still get really good marks and everyone thinks theyrereally funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others,but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You neverget anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's oldrobes, Charlie's old wand and Percy's old rat!'
Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat,which was asleep.
'His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakesup. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a Prefect,but they couldn't aff-I mean, I got Scabbers instead.'
Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said toomuch,because he went back to staring out of the window.
Harry didn't think there was anything wrongwith notbeing able toafford an owl.After all,he'dneverhad anymoney in his life until a month ago, and he told Ronall'Osabout having to wear Dudley's old clothes and rnevergettingproper birthday presents.This seemed to cheer Ron up.
...and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything aboutbeing a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort'
Ron gasped.
'What?' said Harry.
You said You-Know-Who's namel' said Ron,sounding bothshocked and impressed. 'I'd have thought you, of all people -'
T'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name,'said Harry. 'I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean?I've got loads to learn ... I bet,' he added, voicing for the firsttime something that had been worrying him a lot lately, 'I betI'm the worst in the class.'
'You won't be. There's loads of people who come fromMuggle families and they learn quick enough.'
While they had been talking, the train had carried themout of London. Now they were speeding past fields full ofcows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching thefields and lanes flick past.
Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outsidein the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back theirdoor and said, 'Anything off the trolley, dears?'
Harry,who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, butRon's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd broughtsandwiches.Harry went out into the corridor.
He had never had any money for sweets with the Dursleysand now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver hewas ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry-butthe woman didn't have Mars Bars.What she did have wereBertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans,Drooble's Best Blowing Gum,Chocolate Frogs,Pumpkin Pasties,Cauldron GihesLiquorice Wands and a number of other strange things Htanhad never seen in his life.Not wanting to miss anything,hregot some of everything and paid the woman eleven sihveSickles and seven bronze Knuts.
Ron stared as Harry brought it allback into the com.partment and tipped it on to an empty seat.
'Hungry, are you?'
'Starving,'said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkinpasty.
Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it.There were four sandwiches in there. He pulled one of themapart and said, 'She always forgets I don't like corned beef!'
'Swap you for one of these,' said Harry, holding up a pasty.'Go on -'
'You don't want this, it's all dry,' said Ron. 'She hasn't gotmuch time,' he added quickly, 'you know, with five of us.'
'Go on, have a pasty,' said Harry, who had never had anythingto share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nicefeeling, sitting there with Ron,eating their way through allHarry's pasties and cakes (the sandwiches lay forgotten).
'What are these?' Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack ofChocolate Frogs. 'They're not really frogs, are they?' He wasstartingto feel that nothing would surprise him.
'No,' said Ron. 'But see what the card is, I'm missing Agrippa.
What?'
'Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs havecards inside them,you know, to collect-Famous Witches and Wizards. I've got about five hundred,but I haven't got Agrippaor Ptolemy.'
Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up thecard.I showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had along crooked nose and flowing silver hair, beard and moustache.Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.
'So tbis is Dumbledore!' said Harry.
'Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!' said Ron.
'Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa - thanks -'Harry turned over his card and read:
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE,currently Headmaster of Hogwarts.Considered by many the greatestwizard of modern times,ProfessorDumbledore is particularly famousfor his defeat of the Dark wizardGrindelwald in 1945, for the discoveryof the twelve uses of dragon's bloodand his work on alchemy with hispartner,Nicolas Flamel.ProfessorDumbledore enjoys chamber musicand tenpin bowling.
Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment,that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.
'He's gone!'
Well,you can't expect him to hang around all daysaid Ron. 'He'll be back. No,I've got Morgana again andI've got about six of her ... do you want it? You can startcollecting'
Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waitingto be unwrapped.
'Help yourself' said Harry. 'But in, you know, the Muggleworld, people just stay put in photos.'
'Do they? What, they don't move at all?' Ron soundedamazed.'Weird!'
Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the pictureon his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was moreinterested in eating the frogs than looking at the FamousWitches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyesoff them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana,but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe,Paracelsus and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from thedruidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bagof Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans.
You want to be careful with those,' Ron warned Harry.When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour-youknow,you get all the ordinary ones like chocolateandpeppermint and marmalade, but then you cangetspinachand liver and tripe. George reckons he had a bogey-Alavouredone once.'
Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully and bitinto a corner.
'Bleaaargh-see? Sprouts.'
They had a good time eating the Every-Flavour Beans.Harry got toast,coconut,baked bean,strawberry, curry, grass,coffee, sardine and was even brave enough to nibble the endoff a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch,which turned out tobe pepper.
The countryside now flying past the window was becomingwilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods,twisting rivers and dark green hills.
There was a knock on the door of their compartment andthe round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine andthree-quarters came in. He looked tearful.
'Sorry,' he said, 'but have you seen a toad at all?'
When they shook their heads, he wailed, T've lost him!Hekeeps getting away from me!'
'He'll turn up,' said Harry.
'Yes,' said the boy miserably. 'Well, if you see him...'
He left.
'Don't know why he's so bothered,' said Ron. 'If I'd broughta toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I broughtScabbers, so I can't talk.'
The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.
'He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference,'said Ron in disgust. 'I tried to turn him yellow yesterday tomake him more interesting,but the spell didn't work. I'll showyou,look...'
He rummaged around in his trunk and puled out averbattered-lookingwand.ltwaschippedin placesandsomethinewhite was glinting at the end.
'Unicorn hair's nearly poking out.Anyway-
He had just raised his wand when the compartment donrslid open again. The toadless boy was back,butthis time hehad a girl with him. She was alreadywearingher newHogwarts robes.
'Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one,' she said. Shehad a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair and ratherlarge front teeth.
We've already told him we haven't seen it,' said Ron, butthe girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in hishand.
'Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then.'
She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.'Er-all right.'He cleared his throat.
'Sunsbine, daisies, butter mellow,
Turn this stupid,fat rat yellow.'
He waved his wand,but nothing happened. Scabbers stayedgrey and fast asleep.
'Are you sure that's a real spell?' said the girl. 'Well, it's notvery good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practiceand it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic aat 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 ofwitchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learnt all our set books offby heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'mHermione Granger, by the way, who are you?'
She said all this very fast.
Harry looked at Ron and was relieved to see by hisstunned face that he hadn't learnt all the set books off by hearteither.
I'm Ron Weasley,' Ron muttered.
'Harry Potter,' said Harry.
'Are you really?' said Hermione. 'I know all about you, ofcourse-I got a few extra books for background reading, andyou're in Modern Magical History and Tbe Rise and Fall of the DarkArts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.
'Am I?' said Harry, feeling dazed.
'Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everythingI could if it was me,' said Hermione. 'Do either of you knowwhat house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hopeI'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledorehimself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad··.Anyway,we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. Youtwo had better change, you know, I expect we'll be theresoon.'
And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.
'Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it,' said Ron. Hethrew his wand back into his trunk. 'Stupid spell-Georgegave it to me,bet he knew it was a dud.!'
What house are your brothers in?'asked Harry.
Gnytfindor'said Ron.Gloom semed to besetiling onhinagain. Mum and Dad were in it,too.ldoni know wharthensay if I'm not.I don'tsupose Ravenclaw nould be to bad beimagine if they put me in Slytherin.'
That's the house Vol-I mean,You-Know-Who was iny
Yeah,said Ron. He Aopped back into his seat,lookingdepressed.
You know,I think the ends of Scabbers's whiskers are a bitlighter,' said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.Sowhat do your oldest brothers do now they've left,anyway?
Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finishedschool.
'Charlie's in Romania studying dragons and Bill's in Africadoing something for Gringotts,' said Ron. 'Did you hear aboutGringotts? It's been all over the Daily Propbet, but I don'tsuppose you get that with the Muggles-someone tried to roba high-security vault.'
Harry stared.
'Really? What happened to them?'
'Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't beencaught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizardto get round Gringotts, but they don't thinktheytookanything, that's what's odd. 'Course,everyonegets scaredwhen something like this happens in case You-Know-Who'sbehind it.'
Harry turned this news over in his mind.Hewasstartingto get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Whowasmentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying'Voldemort' without worrying.
'What's your Quidditch team?' Ron asked.
'Er- I don't know any,' Harry confessed.
'What!' Ron looked dumbfounded. 'Oh, you wait, it's thebest game in the world -'And he was off, explaining all aboutthe four balls and the positions of the seven players,describingfamous games he'd been to with his brothers and thebroomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was justtaking Harry through the finer points of the game when thecompartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Nevillethe toadless boy or Hermione Granger this time.
Three boys entered and Harry recognised the middle oneat once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop.He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'dshown back in Diagon Alley.
'Is it true?' he said. 'They're saying all down the train thatHarry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?'
'Yes,' said Harry. He was looking at the other boys.Both ofthem were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standingeither side of the pale boy they looked like bodyguards.
'Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,' said the pale boycarelessly,noticing where Harry was looking. 'And my name'sMalfoy,Draco Malfoy!'
Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding asnigger.Draco Mlalfoy looked at him.
'Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who youare.My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford.!'
He turned back to Harry.
Youll son find out some wizarding families are muahbetter than others,Potter You don't want to go making friemthwith the wrong sort. I can help you there.'
He held out his hand to shake Harry's,butHarry didn'ttake it.
I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself,thanksihe said coolly.
Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared inhis pale cheeks.
T'd be careful if I were you, Potter,' he said slowly. 'Unlessyou're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hangaround with riff-raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid andit'll rub off on you.'
Both Harry and Ron stood up. Ron's face was as red as hishair.
'Say that again,' he said.
'Oh,you're going to fight us, are you?' Malfoy sneered.
'Unless you get out now,' said Harry, more bravely than hefelt,because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him orRon.
'But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten allour food and you still seem to have some!'
Goyle reached towards the Chocolate Frogsnext toRon-Ron leapt forward,but before he'd so muchastouchedGoyle,Goyle let out a horrible yell.
Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp littleteeth sunk deep into Goylé's knuckle -Crabbe and Malfoybacked away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round,howling,and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit thewindow,all three of them disappeared at once.Perhaps theythought there were more rats lurking among the sweets,orperhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later,Hermione Granger had come in.
'What bas been going on?' she said, looking at the sweetsall over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.
'I think he's been knocked out,' Ron said to Harry. Helooked closer at Scabbers. 'No - I don't believe it - he's goneback to sleep.'
And so he had.
'You've met Malfoy before?'
Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.
'I've heard of his family,' said Ron darkly. 'They were someof the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Whodisappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn'tbelieve it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to goover to the Dark Side.' He turned to Hermione. 'Can we helpyou with something?'
You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just beenup the front to ask the driver and he says we're nearly there.You haven't been fighting,have you? You'll be in troublebefore we even get there!'
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us,' said Ron, scowling ather.'Would you mind leaving while we change?'
'All right-I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly,racing up and down the corridors；said Hermione in a sniffy voice.'And you've got dirt on your nose ，by the way, did you know?'
Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peeredout of thewindow. It was getting dark. He could seemountainsandP!pforests under a deep-purple sky. The trainseem to beslowing down.
He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their longblack robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see histrainers underneath them.
A voice echoed through the train:'We will be reachingHogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage onthe train, it will be taken to the school separately!'
Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, lookedpale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with thelast of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. Peoplepushed their way towards the door and out on to a tiny, darkplatform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lampcame bobbing over the heads of the students and Harry hearda familiar voice: 'Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! All rightthere,Harry?'
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.
'C'mon, follow me - any more firs'-years? Mind yer step,now! Firs'-years follow me!'
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down whatseemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there.Nobody spoke much.Neville, the boy who kept losing histoad, sniffed once or twice.
Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid calledover his shoulder, 'jus' round this bend here.'
There was a loud 'Oooooh!'.
The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of agreat black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the otherside,its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castlewith many turrets and towers.
'No more'n four to a boat!' HHagrid called, pointing to aAeet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.Harryand Ron were followed into their boat by Neville andHermione.
'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself,Right then-FORWARD!'
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, glidingacross the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone wassilent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered overthem as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which itstood.
Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached thecliff;they all bent their heads and the little boats carried themthrough a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliffface.They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed tobe taking them right underneath the castle,until they reacheda kind of underground harbour,where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
'Oy,you therel Is this your toad?' said Hagrid, who waschecking the boats as people climbed out of them.
'Trevor' cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock afterHagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grassright in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded aroundthe huge, oak front door.
'Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?'
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times onthe castle door.