Hot,smokey air filled Harry's lungs as he tumbled onto the platform. Desperately he tied to dig his heels into the tiling to stop the momentum. Draco stood there waiting for him,a hand over his mouth to hide his smile at Harry's shocked expression.

"Did I just..what just.,"Harry spluttered,looking around dumbstruck at the various other wizard children hugging their parents,lugging trunks onto the train and sticking their heads out of window to get one last goodbye. Not to mention the large red train in front of him,which seemed to stretch on for miles.,"is that the express?"

"No ,t's a double decker bus," Draco rolled his eyes,"of course it's the express. Now come on. We need to get a cabin before they're all filled."

Both boys grabbed their carts and pushed them towards the nearest car. As they went to open the door a bushy haired girl opened it looking at them condescendingly.

"There aren't any seats left in this car so it's not worth your time to drag you trunks up try the next one ,though I doubt arriving at this time will get you an empty car. "

With that the girl turned and slammed the door. Harry looked at Draco who looked livid.

"Who does that girl think she is?,"He fumed as they walked to the next car,"I doubt arriving at this time will get you an empty car. What does she know?"

Harry sighed."I think she was trying to be helpful."

Draco rolled his eyes,"Yeah bloody lot of help she was."

The boys struggled with their trunks until they arrived at the next car which,thankfully,was free of snarky bushy haired girls. Indeed it was free of any people.. Just as they closed the doors to the car,the final whistle blew.

Harry watched out the window as hundreds of wizard mothers and fathers watched their children off. A slight pang of loneliness went through him as he thought of how his parents could've been here too. In amongst the crowd but there all the same to wish him the best at his new school.

Draco's voice brought him back to reality. "Do you know what house you'll be in?"

"The what?" Harry asked,remembering hearing about the "houses" at the station but draco hadn't finished telling him.

"Oh right,"Draco smirked,"I forgot I didn't finish telling you."

For the next fifteen minutes Draco sat beside him on a bench,fruitlessly tried to explain the various houses,the sorting hat and many other things that Harry just couldn't wrap his head around.

"So you're telling me that a hat gets placed on my head,"Harry paused,trying to sort out the details,"and it yells to everyone what house I'm in?"

"Basically,"Draco sighed,relieved Harry finally understood. There was a sudden knock on the door. Draco hopped up to answer it.

When he opened it Harry saw a lanky redheaded boy standing with a rat clutched tightly in his left hand. "Is there room in this one?" The boy asked,"I've been trying for the past ten minutes."

Draco looked back at Harry who nodded. Draco looked mildly disgusted but obliged and opened the door for the boy.

"Welcome to car 23 Weasley,"Draco spat,as he closed the car door.

"Weasley?"Harry looked at the boy confused,"is that your name?" The boy opened his mouth to reply but Draco answered for him.

"Don't be stupid Harry,"Draco mocked,"that's his last name."

"I'm Ron by the way,"The boy replied.