A/N: Here we go. Harry's finally going to Hogwarts! Woohoo! Sorry about the delay, though. Meanwhile: As usual, a huge thank-you to
PureAwesomeness13
MaddeTheLover
Sakuar
unknown
for reviewing my story. I literally wake-up hoping to open my email and find a review waiting for me. Love you guys!
Disclaimer: If I look into the mirror of Erised, I see myself owning Harry Potter. Alas, though, I do not...
"The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," Hermione read.
"Yes! You finally get to go to Hogwarts!" shouted James.
"And escape the Dursleys!" added Remus.
"And meet cool people!" finished Sirius.
"Very cool people," Hermione agreed.
"Let's just get on with it," Lily said.
Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him — in fact, they didn't speak to him at all.
"That sounds terrible," said Sirius. He could not even imagine going that long alone.
James just laughed. "Because we all know you couldn't go without your attention-fill for a day, let alone a month."
"Your one to talk, James," Lily retorted. James sulked.
Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty.
"That's actually an improvement," James remarked.
"It gets a little lonely though," Lily said sadly. "Petunia always did that to me, and it's a bit depressing. One time -"
The sound of crying cut off Lily. It was coming from the crib where Teddy was sitting. Harry instinctively made to get up, but Remus got there first. Remus scooped up the baby and went to sit back down. Lily and Alice immediately went to go sit next to him, cooing over the little baby. Harry smiled to himself. It was a very touching site.
Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.
"I see your point."
Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting.
"You actually read them before going to school!" James shouted indignantly. "How on earth are you my son?"
"He's Lily's son, too, remember?" Remus pointed out, and James had no choice but to concede to that point.
He lay on his bed reading late into the night,
"And we're sure this isn't Mione?" Ron teased laughing this time.
"It's a brand new world to him you git, of course he's reading about it," Hermione hissed in his ear.
Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.
"I don't blame you. If Petunia was running our house when I was younger, I would've been counting the days until I could escape, too," Lily all but growled.
On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.
"What a wuss," James snorted.
"Er — Uncle Vernon?"
Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.
"Er — I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts."
Uncle Vernon grunted again.
"What is he? A pig?"
"No, but his son is!" Sirius replied laughing in remembrance of Dudley's pigtail.
"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"
Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.
"You know, assuming things can get you in a whole lot of trouble," Lil advised her son. "You really should wait until he says yes or no. Besides, knowing him, he wouldn't be very happy to give you a ride.
"Thank you."
He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.
"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"
"No, stupid. It would take hundreds of magic carpets to fly to Hogwarts, but only one train."
"Besides, magic carpets are illegal."
"Right. That too."
Harry didn't say anything.
"Where is this school, anyway?"
"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.
"Scotland," Lily answered immediately, reminding him strongly of another bright Gryffindor."
"I know that now, Mom," Harry replied. Lily just blushed and busied herself trying to take Teddy from Remus, who didn't want to let go. Harry had to intervene and explain to his mother that Teddy was Remus's son, so Remus gets to hold him.
"I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.
"And the Muggles are going to be baffled by that one," Hermione smiled. "At least my parents were."
His aunt and uncle stared.
"Platform what?"
"Nine and three-quarters."
"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."
"Petunia knows about the platform. Does she help?"
"Do you think she seems like she's about to help?" Harry said coldly.
"No, not really," Lily said sadly.
"It's on my ticket."
"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."
"I bet you must feel so loved."
"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.
"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."
"No, he should go there with the tail, that way they can call him piggy- it's always good to have a nickname," Sirius laughed.
Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep.
"He really does sound like Mione…" Ginny teased.
"Are you kidding me? I never got to sleep," Hermione said. Sirius just looked at her.
"I did the same thing on my first day." Lily sighed dreamily.
"Really?" James asked, "I slept like a baby."
"You would."
James just grinned.
"Well, I wasn't so lucky." Sirius sighed dramatically. "I was up 'till bloody three o'clock in the morning getting screamed at by my bloody mother. 'Slytherin or die!'"
"I really want to meet your Mother someday." Lily said. "She sounds rather charming."
"Oh, she's not, trust me." James said.
"Remember that one time we went to pick up Sirius at his house?" Remus asked James, smiling slightly.
"Oh, not this again!" Sirius whined.
"Yeah!" James said, ignoring Sirius, "That bloody woman went mad!"
"Let's just drop this!" Sirius said, and then gestured frantically at Hermione, who tried to start reading again,
He got up and pulled on his jeans
"And then threatened us within an inch of our lives!" Remus continued, speaking over Hermione.
because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes," Hermione started getting louder and louder.
"It was worse then Lily's threats!" James had to scream over Hermione's voice now.
— he'd change on the train." Sirius continued, screaming as loud as he could now.
"Hey!" Lily yelled, "I'm not that bad!"
He checked his Hogwarts list yet again" Sirius tried to drown out there screaming with his own, but there were three of them.
"Who are you kidding, Lily?" Remus asked, "You are down right scary when you get mad."
to make sure he had everything he needed,
"It's your own fault if you annoy me enough to get that reaction out of me." Lily screamed, "I'm normally a very gentle person."
At this Sirius stopped gesturing at Hermione to read and instead laughed. Hermione stopped reading.
"Are you serious, Lily?" He laughed, "You? Gentle?"
James and Remus joined in, all of them clutching their stomachs.
"Hey!" Lily scowled, "I can be gentle if I want to be!"
"Sure you can, love," James soothed, patting her back, still laughing.
"I hate the lot of you," Lily growled.
"No you don't," Sirius said, "You bloody love us."
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"No!
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!
"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" Hermione shrieked.
He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes —
"Good choice Harry, you don't want to draw attention to yourself," James said knowingly. Sirius and Remus just laughed loudly at that.
he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up.
"But still, not as bad as Mione," Ron said.
"What was that?" asked James.
"It's nothing, Mr. Potter," Ron said.
"Don't call me that," James stated with a shiver. "It's James or Prongs."
"Okay," everybody chorused.
Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry,
"Wuss."
and they had set off.
They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him.
"That seems…nice?" Remus said hesitantly (although it came out as more of a question) narrowing his eyes.
Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.
"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine — platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"
"Hmph, laughing at him for that," Lily glared.
"But we know Harry's going to be fine," Remus comforted.
"I know, but they're just going to leave him there, laughing at him, and Harry not going to know what to do. How many people say 'Oh, I'm just going to run at this wall and see if it takes me to a magical train that's supposedly going to whisk me off to some magical school?'" Lily growled.
No one really had an answer to that.
He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.
"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing.
"That horrible, Petunia how could you do that?" Lily sounded close to tears.
"She's a horrible person," James answered like he was stating the obvious.
"Don't say that about my sister!"
"I was agreeing with you!"
"Well, don't!"
Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone. He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters.
"Good thinking, he wouldn't have appreciated that," Frank laughed.
The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one.
"Well even if there was one he wouldn't have wanted to take it. Who knows what would have happened then," Remus said. "Muggles don't know anything about the Hogwarts Express. You could have ended up anywhere."
"Look, I panicked alright!"
In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.
"My poor baby; how does he get through the platform?" Lily cried out.
Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.
"Don't," Sirius said. Everyone stared at Sirius.
"What?"
"Nothing," Lily said. "That was just good advice."
"Always the tone of surprise."
At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.
"— packed with Muggles, of course —"
"Oh, thank God," Lily said, she was starting to get concerned.
Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair.
"Sounds like the Weasleys to me," Sirius said.
"It sounds like Molly if you ask me," Remus said looking at Harry.
Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him — and they had an owl.
Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.
"Always eavesdropping. Ah Harry," Ron smiled.
"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, "Mom, can't I go…"
"A red-headed girl, you say?" Remus asked.
Sirius looked at the book, then back at Remus, "Yup. She's a carrot top."
"Carrot top?" Lily said, and then scowled under her breath.
"You know what that means, right?" Remus asked.
Sirius thought for a moment, then grinned, "Why, of course!"
"What?" Luna asked, not liking being kept in the dark.
"Harry's going to fall in love with her." Sirius stated.
"How do you know?" Lily asked skeptically.
"Because she's a red head," Remus said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Lily asked.
"You're a red head. James's Mom is a red head. James Grandmother is a red head," Sirius said.
"It's a tradition!" Remus piped in, "Potter men always marry red heads."
"So Potters only fall in love with redheads?" asked Ginny curiously.
"I bet you would have like to have known that early, ah Gin," Ron teased. "You wouldn't have had to worry so much about Harry ending up with you, seeing as there were only about three redheaded girls at school."
"Shut up!" Ginny said sticking her tongue out at her brother.
"…Wait. Is Ginny Ron's sister!" James asked, awed.
"…Yeah."
"As in your best mate's sister?" James laughed. "That's bold."
"Yeah, well," Harry blushed.
"Oh no, did a Wrackspurt get you Harry," Luna said.
"What?" Sirius said confused. "What's a Wrackspurt? "
"I've no idea," Remus said. Luna just kept muttering, "I knew there was a Wrackspurt in here. I knew it."
"You're not old enough, Ginny,
"HARRY AND GINNY FOREVER!" shouted Sirius and Remus happily. Said people just blushed.
now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten.
"Isn't Molly and Arthur's oldest name Bill, I don't think it's the Weasleys," Remus said.
"He probably already graduated by now," Lily said reasonably.
"Then that means they have at least six kids," James said.
"Seven," Ron told them.
Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it — but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.
"Yeah vanished," James smiled. "Straight through the wall."
"Shut up."
"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"
"Twins," Sirius laughed. "I think I'm going to like them." Harry just smiled sadly at this, it hurt to hear about the twin's antics now, knowing that Fred was gone forever and George may never be the same with the lost of his twin.
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone — but how had he done it? Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.
"It's magic," James said in an awed voice.
There was nothing else for it.
"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.
"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."
"That settles it, it has to be Molly," Remus said. "Only she is this motherly towards anybody she meets."
"Not to put a damper on you, Molly is the best, but they're plenty of people that that can be motherly," Sirius said. "Now if they said she had bake the best biscuits Harry ever tasted then yes, but…."
Everyone laughed at that.
"Either put your money were you mouth is, or shut up Padfoot," Remus said, he knew he was right at this.
"Fine, two Galleons," Sirius said.
"Fine."
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.
"Good description," Neville snorted. Ron looked affronted.
"Wait till your own," Ron laughed.
"Damn, I didn't think of that."
"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is — the thing is, I don't know how to —"
"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.
"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it,
"Yeah that should help," Sirius scoffed.
that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."
"Whoever it is, I'm going to have to thank her," Lily said glad that someone was being nice to her baby.
"Er — okay," said Harry.
He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.
He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble — leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — he wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of control — he was a foot away — he closed his eyes ready for the crash —
"Boom," Hermione said in her reading voice. "He crashes into the wall."
"What?" Ron said narrowing his eyes at her. "That doesn't happen."
"No, but it would have been funny," she laughed.
It didn't come… he kept on running… he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.
He had done it.
Cheers went up while Harry blushed.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy 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 cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."
"That's not so bad," Neville said.
"That's you?" Alice said hugging her son.
"You brought a toad," Sirius teased.
"Leave him alone," Alice said so sharply that it shocked everyone, she was usually an even-tempered girl. Sirius decided to never mess with a mother. Except possibly his own.
"Thanks," Neville blushed; he wasn't use to people standing up for him.
"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 people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.
"What is it? What is it?" James asked excitedly.
Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train.
"He didn't find out?" James whined.
"Smart boy." Lily said approvingly.
He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.
"Poor Harry," Lily cooed.
"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.
"That's nice," Neville said hesitantly.
"They can be nice, every once in a while," Harry shrugged.
"What are they normally?" Sirius grinned thinking he knew the answer.
"The next generation of marauders," Harry smiled.
"Knew it," James said and all the marauders grinned.
"Yes, please," Harry panted.
"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"
With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.
"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.
"They seem to be just as rude as everyone else in this respect," Hermione said knowing how much Harry hated people pointing at his 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.
"You didn't ever know who you are," Sirius snorted and the other boys snicker.
"Well, I wasn't used to being noticed. Besides at home I was mostly called 'boy,'" Harry said turning red. The snickering stopped immediately.
"Blimey, Harry, sorry about that," Sirius said.
"S'okay."
"I mean, yes, I am."
The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.
"Fred? George? Are you there?"
"Coming, Mom."
With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.
Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying.
"And of course he's going to listen to them," Ron smiled.
"Told you it was Molly, the red-haired family has to be the Weasley," Remus said.
"He gets his sneaking issues from you." Lily said, staring up at James.
"I would hardly call them issues, Lily." James said, "It's more of a skill."
Lily frowned, "Sure, sure."
Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.
"Ron, you've got something on your nose."
"She's not going to get it," Hermione teased.
The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.
All of the boys from the future and past except Ron broke out laughing at that.
"Mom— geroff" He wriggled free.
"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one 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 already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.
"Yuck, Prefect," Sirius said.
"What's wrong with that?" Lily, Alice, Frank and Remus said.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with it when it's you two, but I'm sensing this boy gets really into it."
"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves —"
"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."
"Good old Fred and George."
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once —"
"Or twice —"
"A minute —"
"All summer —"
"Oh good on them," Sirius said. "I can tell we came from the same mold."
"Merlin, I feel sorry for you," Remus said.
"Hey," both James and Sirius said, because even though he hadn't said anything, James knew that he was like the twins too.
"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.
"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.
"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there."
She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.
"It looks like she gives the universal mother-to-prankster warning, too," James smiled. "It's not like it's going to help."
"Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've blown up a toilet or —"
"Brilliant idea, Molly!" Sirius shouted.
James looked at him, faking the deep-in-thought look. "Prefect's bathroom, fifth floor."
"Perfect."
Remus looked exasperated. "We should've skipped that sentence."
Lily slapped James on the arm playfully. "You can't do that now, because you just told the Head Girl and a Prefect about your plans."
"Never stopped us before," Sirius muttered to James. The two shared another grin, and Remus continued.
"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."
"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."
"It's not funny. And look after Ron."
"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."
"Am I the only one concerned about Ron's safety?" asked Lily. There was a chorus of "No, Lily," before Hermione started reading again.
"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.
"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"
"The famous Harry Potter!" James shouted.
Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.
"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"
"Who?"
"Harry Potter!"
Harry heard the little girl's voice.
"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, oh please…"
Neville burst out laughing at this. "I can't believe she said that," he said turning red.
Harry just chuckled at that, he forgotten how bad Ginny's crush was, though at the time he didn't think much about it, he now found it kind of cute (he chanced a glance at Ginny to see her blushing fiercely.)
"She's already got a crush on little Harry!" Sirius fake crooned.
"It's love!" Remus agreed.
"See, told you, red-heads," James said turning to Alice. Lily just huffed at this.
"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?"
"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there — like lightning."
"Poor dear — no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."
"And mum already loves Harry," Ron smiled.
"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"
Their mother suddenly became very stern.
"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."
"I like her," Lily stated, she would like anyone that looked after her son.
"All right, keep your hair on."
The marauders all laughed.
A whistle sounded.
"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.
"She cried?" Neville said incredulously. Then he looked at Ginny. "You cried?"
"She's going to be all alone now," Hermione said logically, though she looked shocked too, Ginny really wasn't one for tears.
"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."
"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."
"Good one," James said through his laughter.
"George!"
"Only joking, Mom."
"I bet they do send her one," Sirius said, he thought he had a handle on the twin and he felt comfortable saying that they likely would do this.
"Nah, though I'm sure they will blow one up," James said, also having a good handle on the twin, but having more experience with a red-head mother and knowing its not wise to cross one.
"Two Galleons she gets one," Sirius said.
"You're on mate."
"Hold on I wasn't finished," Sirius said. "You only win if they did blow up toilet seat."
"That's fair enough," James conceded.
"Boys, you bet on everything," Lily said.
"Says the girl that already bet twice," James tease and she just stuck her tongue out at him.
The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.
Harry couldn't help but remember the scene and smile at the image it brought up, Ginny sure was a cute little girl.
"Aw. Gin was adorable," teased Ron.
Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to — but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.
"That's how I felt, too," announced Ron.
The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.
"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."
"Oh good, make friends with him," Lily said.
"Okay mum, I will," Harry said laughing lightheartedly.
"Yeah, Weasleys make really good friends," Remus said.
"They are not Weasleys, Moony," Sirius pouted, he was already sure he was wrong.
Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.
"And of course Harry wouldn't tell him about that," Hermione laughed.
"Why is that so funny?" Lily asked.
"You'll see," Hermione smiled.
"Hey, Ron."
The twins were back.
"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
"That's what it was!" James exclaimed excitedly. "I had been wondering."
"Right," mumbled Ron.
"Looks like Ickle Ronniekins doesn't like spiders."
"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley.
"Told you, pay up," Remus said.
"We still don't know it that was Molly," Sirius argued, he was already reaching in his pocket to pay his smirking friend.
"For Merlin sake, it is Molly," Harry said smiling. "And Remus is right she is the best."
"Thanks Harry."
And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."
"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.
"No tact."
Harry nodded.
"What did he think, his brothers were… oh, never mind," Frank said trailing off at the end realizing his brothers were likely to trick him like that.
"Oh — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got — you know…"
He pointed at Harry's forehead.
"I never did have much tact did I?" Ron laughed at himself.
Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.
"So that's where You-Know-Who —?"
"Didn't his mum tell you not to ask about that?" Lily said.
"Technically, she told the twins not to, not me," Ron smiled.
"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 few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.
"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.
"I never knew that," Ron mused.
"Er — Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."
"Why not?" Lily said annoyed they would just forget about their family if there were Muggle.
"I'm pretty sure that he wanted to be left alone," Ron said. "Mum was rather upset when it happened."
"Yeah. He was like an equivalent to Petunia, but to a lesser extent." Ginny defended her family.
"So you must know loads of magic already."
"Not necessarily." James said, "I didn't really know much when I came to Hogwarts."
"You barely know anything now," Lily teased.
"Oi! I'll have you know that I am top in the class!" James defended himself.
Remus cleared his throat.
"Well, after Remus." James said, "And Lily. So I'm third!"
Lily laughed, "Sure, sure."
The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.
"I don't really think he was thinking about us. You know, blood-traitors and all."
"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"
"Horrible — well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."
"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy.
"Why is he gloomy?" Alice asked.
"I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts.
"Merlin that is a lot of children," Sirius said.
You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch.
"Well at least one of them have their priority straight," Sirius said.
"There is nothing wrong with being head boy," James said in his most pristine voice.
"I guess that's true," Sirius said. "You were Head boy and you're okay."
"Gee thanks," James said, rolling his eyes.
Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really 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.
"Sounds like you have an inferiority complex," Frank said sadly, looking at Ron, who shrugged.
"I'm the first one in my family to be Harry Potter's best mate," he said loudly, but there was a bit of uncertainty hidden there.
Harry just sat there in thought, he didn't remember Ron saying that the first time, but it does explain a lot of things. Ron always worried about what everyone else thought, and thought that he wasn't good enough, not realizing just how good he was, how important. Ron never realized that Harry never could have done anything without his support, and just how much Harry and Hermione needed him to stay sane.
Ginny, meanwhile, just smacked him.
You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."
Ron shivered and glared darkly at the book for the mention of that rat.
Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.
"Ah, wormy," Sirius said joyously, the other marauders laughed, though Remus shot Sirius a warning look.
They didn't notice the furious glare that flashed on Harry's face at the mention of both the rat and the nickname that Sirius used.
"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up.
"It does remind me of him," Sirius said.
"Yeah it does," Remus laughed with his friend.
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.
"What are you embarrassed about?" James asked. "So what if you couldn't afford everything, that doesn't really matter."
"I know that now."
He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.
Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.
"What a prat," Hermione said in a loving voice.
"… and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort —"
Ron gasped.
"What?" said Harry.
"You said You-Know-Who's name!"
"Oh God, get over it!"
"Sorry! I was taught to fear the name. Harry taught me otherwise, though, but it took awhile to sink in…"
said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people —"
"I'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 first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."
"Don't worry Harry, no one really knows anything when they first get to Hogwarts," James said.
"Except Hermione!" Harry laughed.
"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."
While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.
Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"
"She doesn't sound familiar," Sirius said.
"There must be a new trolley lady then," Hermione shrugged.
Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.
He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry
"What are Mars Bars?" James asked.
"They're Muggle candy bars," Lily said.
— but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life.
"Thanks for describing them."
Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.
"Got to love cheap candy," Remus smiled.
Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.
"You better share," Lily reprimanded.
"Don't worry, I do," Harry laughed.
"Hungry, are you?"
"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.
Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart 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 got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."
"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).
"That's all it took to be friends with you," Neville said. "Share some sweets and you're best mates, just like that."
"Yeah," Harry said shrugging. "Sometimes it's easy and others… well takes awhile." Harry said thinking of how long it took him to get his other best friend (and indeed anyone that wasn't Ron).
"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.
"Ah, my favorite candy," Ron said.
"They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.
"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."
"I've got four of Agrippa," James said proudly.
"Shut up. Bet you don't have Harry Potter."
"Shut up."
"What?"
"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."
"And I've got seven of Ptolemy."
"SHUT UP!"
Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache.
"Dumbledore!"
Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.
"So this 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 —"
"He hasn't changed much has he," Neville said smiling.
"Not much," Harry laughed.
Harry turned over his card and read:
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS
Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.
Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.
"He's gone!"
"Of course he is, he wouldn't hang around all day," Sirius said.
"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron.
"Oh no, I'm sorry Harry but your friend seems to be he's like this mutt," Remus said laughing along with James.
"He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting."
Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. "Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."
"Really?"
"Yeah," she said, reaching into her robes. She pulled out a small black wallet from her pocket and opened it, holding it out to show James. "This is a muggle photo. It's of my parents, Petunia, and me. It was taken three years ago."
James stared at the photo for a full minute. "They really don't move? Strange."
"What," Sirius said after Lily looked at him expectantly. "I know that Muggle pictures don't move, I took Muggle studies remember."
"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"
Everyone laughed.
Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off 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 the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
"I never really liked those," Remus said wrinkling his nose.
"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once."
Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.
"Don't take a green one… it'll be a vegetable," James warned.
"Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."
"See, told you," James said smugly.
"I didn't doubt you."
They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.
"Definitely a Gryffie."
The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. 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 and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.
"Good Neville is back again," Alice said.
"You're not going to say that every time that Neville comes up are you?" Sirius asked.
"So what if I am," Alice said almost harshly, but not quite managing it.
"It's rather embarrassing," Neville whispered.
"I'll try not to," Alice said softly to her son.
"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"
When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"He'll turn up," said Harry.
"That's nice," Lily said beaming at her son.
"Harry has always been nice to me," Neville said proudly.
"Good," Lily beamed more.
"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 brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could.
Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."
"Ron on the other hand…" Harry said, causing everyone to laugh.
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 to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"
He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —"
"That wand sounds old," Lily said. "Don't wands work better if you pick them yourself?"
"Yeah they do," Neville said knowledgeably, having used his father wand for his first five years of school and how much easier everything was with his own wand.
"How do you know?" Frank asked. But Neville just shook his head.
He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.
"Me," Hermione cheered.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.
"Sounds like a prefect in the making," Sirius said making a face. Hermione slapped Harry for the description.
"She sounds like a nice girl, who is helping my boy," Alice said.
"Wow, Sirius, you really are something, I've never seen Alice this sharp with anyone before," Frank said laughing.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."
She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.
"A little pushy there isn't she," Sirius muttered.
"Hey."
"Er — all right."
He cleared his throat.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
There was a pause before everybody burst out laughing.
"I can't believe he thought that was a spell," Sirius laughed.
"I bet one of the twins gave it to him," James burst out.
He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it?
"Speaking of no tact," James laughed.
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,
James tried to read the full sentence without taking breath but was unable to. "Merlin she can talk, she didn't even pause."
"She learned all the course books by heart, is she mental," Sirius gasped.
"Not everyone is like you Sirius," Lily said.
"Oh come on Lily, even I didn't read that much," Remus said. "Did you?"
"No, I guess not."
"Shut up."
of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"
She said all this very fast.
Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.
"Yeah right, I doubt that Ron even opened his course books," Ginny laughed.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter," said Harry.
"Are you really?" said Hermione.
"See even Muggle-borns knew about you," Neville said, he kind of liked teasing Harry like this.
"Thanks," Harry said. "Though I don't think most knew as much as Hermione."
"No one ever does," Ron said.
"I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"He might be, but it's all rubbish anyways," Hermione huffed.
"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.
"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;
"That's because it is," James said. "Maybe this girl not that bad after all."
"No, this girl is definitely going into Ravenclaw," Sirius said. "She read all the books, she read extra books…"
"Yeah, you probably are right," James said.
"She does seem a bit keen on learning doesn't she," Remus smiled.
"I bet she in Gryffindor," Lily blurted out.
"Come off it Lils," James said. "She kind of personifies Ravenclaw, don't you think?"
"I bet you all a Galleon a piece that she's a Gryffindor," Lily said confidently.
"Okay," Sirius said grinning cockily and James nodded his head.
"I don't know," Remus said pausing, he usually wouldn't bet against Lily senses, since she was really good at reading people, but this girl really did seem to be a Ravenclaw. "Fine, I'm in."
I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…"
"Ravenclaw? Ew," James said.
"I was almost put in Ravenclaw." Lily said.
"Yeah, me too," Remus added.
"Me three!" Hermione admitted.
"Oh." James said, "Well…um...Hermione keep reading!"
"It better not be, because that's where you're going." Sirius said confidentially. Hermione just smiled at him.
"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."
And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.
"OW!" shouted Ron, for Hermione had just smacked him. "I don't think that anymore!" he defended.
"You better not."
He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
"Naturally," Sirius said.
"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.
"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."
"Don't even think that!" shouted Sirius dramatically.
"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"
"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.
"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.
"That's nice of you Harry," Lily cooed.
"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"
Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.
"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.
"Charlie sounds awesome," Sirius exclaimed.
"He is," Ginny said, she really liked her adventurous brother a lot.
"What does Bill do for Gringotts," Remus asked.
"He is a curse breaker," Harry said.
"That's pretty cool, too," Sirius admitted.
"Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault."
"Someone broke into Gringotts!"
Harry stared.
"Really? What happened to them?"
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught.
"And they got away, that amazing," Sirius said. "That person must be mental."
"Of course," Remus said. "No sane person would even attempt to rob Gringotts."
"No, they wouldn't," Neville said with a straight face, all the while cracking up inside.
"They don't have to be mental. Harry and his friends will rob the bank when he is older," Lily told them. James nodded.
"No he won't," Sirius replied.
My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."
Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. 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.
"Oh. My. God."
"Don't start, James."
"But Lily! He doesn't have a Quidditch team!"
"James!"
"Fine."
"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world —" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.
"You should listen to Ron, Harry," James said unable to stop himself.
"Ron's team is the Cannons," Harry said, and everyone laughed expect Sirius.
"What's wrong with that, they're going to turn around anytime now," he said.
Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop.
"Argh," Sirius groaned.
He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.
"Looks like we get to find out if he is a Malfoy or not," James said.
"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
"Ha, I was right," James said. "Pay up Frank."
"I don't think I'm going to bet anymore," Frank mumbled to himself.
Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.
"Well, it is kind of a funny name."
"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."
Everyone in the room looked mutations at that.
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."
"What an arrogant prat," Lily said.
"Yeah, besides the Weasleys are a great family," Sirius said.
"You, more then anyone should know how people like Malfoy think about the Weasleys," Harry said.
"Doesn't make it true," Sirius said.
"No, it definitely doesn't."
He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.
"Good boy, Harry."
Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.
"And thus started a great rivalry, one of the greatest in Hogwarts history, except for, possibly, James and Snape, because everyone knows about that," said Ron dramatically.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.
"Oh, shoot the boy now!" Lily screamed.
"Shoot him? Shoot him? Just kill him!" James shouted.
They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
Both Harry and Ron stood up.
"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.
"Boys," Lily reprimanded. "Not everything is solved by fighting."
"It's not?"
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.
"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."
Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.
"Why?"
Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle
"Woohoo! Go Wormy," Sirius said.
"I thought his name was Scabbers," Lily said, obviously confused.
"It is Lils, Padfoot is just being stupid," Harry said glaring at his godfather.
— Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.
"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.
"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."
And so he had.
"…That really does sound like Peter, though."
"You've met Malfoy before?"
"So are they just going to ignore you?" James laughed.
"Apparently," Hermione sighed.
Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.
"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
"Oh mind your own business," Sirius said causing everyone from the future to glare at him and scream:
"SHUT UP!"
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "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.
"Poor girl," sighed Lily.
"Yeah, well."
"And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"
"HA! That's great!"
Well that didn't help her, Harry thought trying not to laugh, noticing Ginny and Neville doing the same. "They only knew each other of five minutes and they're already bickering," Ginny whispered to him.
Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.
He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"
"Yay Hagrid!"
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 what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.
"Okay! What's up with the toad! Please stop with the toad!"
"Blame the author, Sirius, not me."
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
"It is a beautiful sight," Lily said.
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.
"I wonder if Ron complained about that," Hermione smiled.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff;
"Remember when you didn't duck," James said to Sirius.
"No… but I remember when I was brought around surrounded by people looking worried," Sirius laughed.
they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"There, you find him, now you can stop bringing him up," Sirius said.
"I don't really have control over that," Neville said, not sure what annoyed the man so much about Trevor.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
"Argh…"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
"That's it," Hermione told the room. "Which one of you wants to read?"
"I will," said Frank. As he took the book from her, he had to smile. "The Sorting Hat,"
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