After being shown the barrier to platform 9 ¾ by the magical family, didn't someone say Wealy? Wheely? Eesly? … The noise of the crowd and the sheer number of people meant Harry was more lost and confused than he had ever been before
Some of those names sounded funny, but Harry couldn't judge, after all, he was first shown the magical world by a man called Rubeus and going to a school with a Headmaster named Albus. Maybe wizards were more … traditional in their names, as Aunt Petunia liked to compliment some of their well-to-do neighbours. Vernon usually called them 'nancy swots' out of their hearing.
The noise on the platform was almost unbearable for Harry, who had not had any experience with large crowds, and had no practice at all in distinguishing words from the hubbub of sound. There was easily several hundred people there wearing robes of some sort. Harry wondered how on earth they'd all fit on the train. And where they all brought their robes – Diagon Alley didn't look that big to him.
As a boarding school, the students would all use the train to get to the school on the first day, somehow. At least that was how he thought boarding schools worked. Harry began looking around for a second train, or maybe some flying carpets like Uncle Vernon said. But still, wherever he looked, the number of people, all hidden from muggles made Harry's head spin, so it was very hard to focus on looking for carpets. How they could all gather on the platform, in one of the busiest stations in London, without being seen, was nothing short of … well, magical.
Head still spinning, Harry shifted his trunk towards the door, holding Hedwig's cage in his other hand. Eleven years of living in a cupboard, with small meals and relying on speed to dodge his cousin left him without the strength to lift his rather heavy trunk onto the carriage. Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to have some family or friends they needed to say goodbye to.
Which did not bring up a lump in Harry's throat, not at all.
"Need a hand with that?"
The bespectacled eleven-year-old turned to find his eyes at – erm… chest-level with an older girl. He knew, of course, that staring was incredibly rude, and so quickly flicked his eyes up to the girl's face, and completely forgot about the whole rudeness of staring…
Bright pink hair, leather jacket, and a look that could only be described as cool. Even the most outrageous wizard in Diagon alley was less noticeable than this girl. Aunt Petunia would hate her.
"Erm, yes please."
"Ah cool, you grab one end, I'll get the other."
The girl was much stronger than she looked, taking most of the weight of the trunk, it didn't help that Harry, being rather small for his age had to lift the trunk quite high to get on the train.
"Thanks." He wheezed out. He really shouldn't have put so many heavy books in there, no matter his recent interest in wizard history.
"Nah its fine, being a muggle-born and finding out about Hogwarts is one thing, lifting a bloody heavy trunk on the Express is another crate of bludgers altogether. I'm Tonks by the way."
And with that, - what on earth was a bludger? - the girl turned and disappeared so fast that, if Harry hadn't pulled the trick dozens of times himself to get rid of Dudley, he would have called that magic.
Harry knew, being skinny and small that he would get trampled by the older children, so quickly began looking for a compartment, dragging his heavy - magical! - trunk behind him
Don't try to go round other compartments by yourself if you're shy, grab one early, the spaces fill up incredibly quickly.
Harry thought about the advice from Mr Rees and quickly realised that he wasn't too keen on dealing with loads of new people. Most of them would know about him (like in the Leaky Cauldron) and would know more magic than him (like that boy in the robe shop). He knew from primary school that being with other children that knew more than him was annoying.
Sitting down in the first empty carriage he found, Harry wheeled his trunk under the table – there was no way he could lift it up onto the racks above the seats! That completed, he settled into, well, he supposed it was his carriage, for however long he stayed there
Like how the cupboard was yours. Harry quickly stopped that thought, knowing through experience where it would lead. He wanted his first trip to Hogwarts to be happy, not upset.
Harry managed to get one of the smaller Charms books out, 'Pocket-sized: Christoph's Charm-ing Compendium. It was quite funny how so many wizarding books had titles like that, he was sure there was a word for it, but couldn't think of it now. Anyway, that thought was quickly forgotten, since he might be able to do some proper magic at last!
He could hear more and more students getting on, greeting their friends, and moving into their own carriages
It wasn't long before he was joined by another boy, from the family who helped him onto the platform.
"Hey, do you mind if I sit here, everywhere else is full."