This his is my round 6 entry for the quiddich league fanfiction competition.
"Excuse me?" A bewildered boy with a snow-white owl and sellotaped glasses approached us. He was skinny and short with jet-black hair that lay all over the place. His eyes were wide with confusion.
Immediately realising why this boy looked confused, Mum launched into conversation. "Hello, dear. First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new too." I gave him a smile, and the boy nodded back. He still looked worried.
"Yes. The thing is—the thing is, I don't know how to—"
"How to get onto the platform?" Mum asked, and the boy nodded. I beamed at him reassuringly as Mum explained how to get onto the platform. A minute or two later, Mum and Ginny and I followed him onto the platform, but he'd already disappeared onto the train.
"Have a good time at Hogwarts." Mum whispered to me when we were on Platform 9¾. She passed me several wrapped-up, corned beef sandwiches. I grimaced, but didn't want to remind her that I was the one who hated corned beef; it wouldn't do any good, anyhow. Then, before I could stop her, she took out her handkerchief.
"Ron, you've got something on your nose."
"Mum — geroff," I grunted, wriggling away from her as she tried to rub at my face.
"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?"asked Fred, grinning.
"Where's Percy?" Mum asked.
"He's coming now," said George, pointing over his shoulder. Percy was coming down the platform, already wearing his new robes and badge. I watched him a little jealously, and looked around the platform instead as other kids and their parents loaded luggage and pets onto the train. Then, George's voice caught my attention again.
"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train? You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"
"Who?" Mum asked.
"Harry Potter!"
My jaw dropped, and I looked around, wondering if the boy was nearby again. Ginny was whining at Mum.
"Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, oh please. . . ."
Mum gave her a look. "You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"
I was already looking along the train, the idea forming in my mind as I only half-listened to Fred, George, and Mum. When the whistle blew, I hurried toward the train and began looking into the compartments. Then, finally, I saw him sitting alone in a carriage and approached the door. I slid it open, and he looked up.
"Anyone sitting there?" I asked. "Everywhere else is full."
The boy shook his head, and I sat down. Suddenly, I was feeling a lot less brave. I looked away from him. Then Fred and George appeared at the door.
"Hey, Ron. Listen, we're going down the middle of the train—Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there," said Fred.
"Right," I replied.
"Harry," said George, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."
Fred and George skated down the train to meet Lee, and I took a proper look at the boy. He really did have a lightning-shaped scar. For some reason, his clothes were far too big for him.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" I asked, unable to contain myself.
Harry nodded, and I immediately began questioning him. I asked about You-Know-Who, whether he remembered him, and he asked me about my family. After Harry showed me the full view of his scar, I turned to my sandwiches.
"Corned beef again," I grimaced at Harry.
"Are you going to eat them?" Harry asked.
"I think so," I replied. "I was too nervous for breakfast." I devoured the sandwiches quickly, even eating the crumbs at the bottom of the sandwich bag. When it was completely empty, I crumpled the bag into a ball and stuffed it down the side of the train seat.
"I've learnt a spell," I told Harry, I picking up Scabbers and my wand.
I was just about to show Harry the spell when a girl entered the compartment. She had frizzy, brown hair and was already dressed in the Hogwarts school robes.
"Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she announced, without bothering to introduce herself. The girl caught sight of my raised wand. "Are you doing magic?" she asked. "Show me."
I cleared my throat and held up Scabbers. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
Scabbers gave a squeak of surprise at the burst of smoke that came from my wand and scampered to my bag, but, sadly, he remained a dull grey.
"Is that magic?" the girl asked skeptically. "It's not a very good spell, is it? I've learnt a few simple spells." As if to prove it, she pointed her wand at Harry's glasses and recited, "Oculus Reparo."
Harry then took his glasses off to find them completely fixed; he looked very surprised. When the girl (who had introduced herself as Hermione Granger) had left again to help Neville find his toad, a jolly lady with a trolley filled with psychedelicallycoloured sweets appeared.
"Anything I can get you off the trolley, dears?" she asked kindly.
"No thanks," I said, knowing only had five Knuts in my pocket. Harry, however, had no such reservations.
"We'll take the lot," he said eagerly, showing a handful of gold Galleons.
Mere moments later, Harry and I found ourselves barricaded into our seats by an enormous pile of Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Pumpkin Pasties, Fizzing Whizbees, Acid Pops, Cauldron Cakes, and every other types of sweets under the sun. Our task was clear.
After his first glance, Harry picked up the beans to survey the packaging.
"You get every type of flavour," I explained. "Fred claimed he got a bogey one once"
Harry chose an emerald green bean and bit it cautiously. "It's grass!" he exclaimed.
Unable to resist, I chose a white and brown one. "Marshmallow, I think," I said just before a tinge of spice settled in my throat. "My mistake. Sausage."
Harry laughed and reached for another. Over the next few hours, I'm positive that I ate at least six Chocolate Frogs (the cards were Dumbledore, two Dai Llewellyns, and three of the Hogwarts founders). Harry and I scarfed down the sweets, neglecting the Acid Pops and the rest of the Bertie Bott's.
"What'll we do with all this?" Harry asked, when the train slowed its wayinto Hogsmeade station. We'd just changed into our Hogwarts robes; Harry was pointing at the pile of Cauldron Cakes and the few sweets we hadn't managed to eat.
"If you don't want them, I'll put them in my trunk for later," I shrugged, thinking that it would be a good idea to have some snacks on hand if I got hungry later. My stomach was already starting to rumble; I wondered what they'd have for dinner at the castle. Percy always said the welcoming feast was a good meal.
Harry grinned. "Sure, take them," he laughed, handing me the Cauldron Cakes. I stuffed them in my trunk.
"Reckon they'll have roast at dinner?" I asked Harry. "I could eat a whole one on my own…"