CHAPTER SIX
The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
Harry and Finnic's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of the Twins he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut them in their cupboard, force them to do anything, or shout at them — in fact, they didn't speak to them at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry or Finnic in it was empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.
Harry and Finnic kept to their room, with each other and their new owl for company. After some debate they had decided to call her Hedwig, a name Harry had found in A History of Magic.
Their school books were very interesting. They laid on their bed reading late into the night, sharing interesting things they found with each other. Finnic was particularly fascinated with creatures and Animagus's, which is when a witch or wizard can transform into an animal. "Does that mean Werewolves are Animagus's?"
"I don't think so, Werewolves are bitten right? They didn't turn into an animal on purpose."
"Don't you mean, , , porpoise?"
Harry threw a pillow at him.
Hedwig was 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 the Twins went to sleep, they ticked off another day on the piece of paper Harry had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.
On the last day of August they thought they had better speak to their aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so they went down to the living room where they found them watching a quiz show on television. Harry cleared his throat to let them know they were there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.
"Er — Uncle Vernon?"
Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.
"Er — we need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts." Uncle Vernon grunted again.
"Would it be all right if you gave us a lift?"
Grunt. The Twins supposed that meant yes.
"Thank you."
They were 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?"
Neither of them spoke.
"Where is this school, anyway?"
"We don't know," said Finnic, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.
"We just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read. 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."
"It's on our tickets."
"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You two 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."
"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."
Harry and Finnic woke at five o'clock the next morning and were too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. They got up and pulled on their jeans because they didn't want to walk into the station in their wizard's robes — they could change on the train. Finnic checked their Hogwarts lists yet again to make sure they had everything they needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room with Harry, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry and Finnic's huge, heavy trunks had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.
They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped the Twin's trunks onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for them. Finnic was suspicious and 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, you two. Platform nine — platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"
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 and Finnic turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Their mouths went rather dry. What on earth were they going to do? They were starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. They'd have to ask someone.
Harry lost at rock, paper, scissors and stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when neither of the Twins couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though they were 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. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry and Finnic were now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, they had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and they had no idea how to do it; they were stranded in the middle of a station with trunks they could hardly lift, each with a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.
Hagrid must have forgotten to tell them something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. They wondered if they should get out their wands and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.
At that moment a group of people passed just behind them and Finnic caught a few words of what they were saying.
"— packed with Muggles, of course —"
Finnic swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like his and Harry's in front of them — and they had an owl.
Heart hammering, Finnic grabbed Harry and pushed their cart after them. The family stopped and so did he and Harry, just near enough to hear what they 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, "Mom, 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 toward platforms nine and ten. Harry and Finnic watched, careful not to blink in case they 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 them and by the time the last backpack had 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, you 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. 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.
There was nothing else for it. Harry walked up to the woman with Finnic following closely behind holding Hedwig.
"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.
"Hello, dears," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."
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.
"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is — the thing is, we don't know how to —" "How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and they both 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, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."
"Er — okay," said Finnic.
Harry pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. Finnic was behind him, half ready to watch his brother slam into the barrier.
Harry 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 —
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. Finnic came barreling behind him and Harry barely moved in time. Finnic righted himself and then stared at the train.
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 and Finnic pushed their carts off down the platform in search of empty seats. They passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad 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 people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.
Harry and Finnic pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. Finnic put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift the trunk up the steps but could hardly raise one end up, twice he dropped it painfully on his foot, ignoring Harry's laugh.
"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins they'd followed through the barrier.
"Yes, please," Finnic panted.
"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"
With the twins' help, Finnic's and Harry's trunks were 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.
"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you two—?"
"They are," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry and then Finnic.
"What?" said Harry.
"Harry and Ava Potter." chorused the twins.
"Oh, them," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am Harry."
"And my name is Finnic not Ava, nice to meet you."
The two boys gawked at them, and Harry and Finnic felt themselves turning red. Then, to their 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 and Finnic, the twins hopped off the train.
They sat down next to the window where, half hidden, they could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief. "Ron, you've got something on your nose."
The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.
"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.
"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."
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," 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 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.
"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 —"
"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."
"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?"
Harry and Finnic both leaned back quickly so the family couldn't see them looking.
"You know the black-haired boys who were near us in the station? Know who they are?"
"Who?"
"Harry and Ava Potter!"
"Ava said he-his name was Finnic now" one of them added.
They heard the little girl's voice.
"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see them, Mom, eh please..."
"You've already seen them, Ginny, and the poor children aren't something you goggle at in a zoo. Are they really, Fred? How do you know?"
"Asked them. Saw Harry's scar. It's really there — like lightning."
"Poor dears — no wonder they were alone, I wondered. They were ever so polite when they asked how to get onto the platform. And the second one was so nervous watching her, er- his, brother go through." Finnic's face went red as the woman revealed this.
"Never mind that, do you think they remember what You-Know-Who looks like?" Their mother suddenly became very stern.
"I forbid you to ask them, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though they need reminding of that on their first day at school."
"All right, keep your hair on." 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.
"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."
"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."
"George!"
"Only joking, Mom."
The train began to move. Harry and Finnic 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.
They watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. They both felt a great leap of excitement. Neither knew what they were going to — but it had to be better than what they were leaving behind.
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 and Finnic. "Everywhere else is full."
They both shook their heads and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry, then at Finnic and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.
"Hey, Ron."
The red-haired twins were back.
"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
"Right," mumbled Ron.
"Harry, Finnic" said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."
"Bye," said Harry, Finnic and Ron. George and Fred slid the compartment door shut behind them.
"Are you really Harry and A-Finnic Potter?" Ron blurted out.
"At your service." Finnic said.
Harry nodded.
"Oh — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you two really got — you know..."
He waved his finger in the air to make a zig zag shape.
Harry and Finnic pulled back their bangs to show their respective lightning scars. Ron stared. "So that's where You-Know-Who —?"
"Yes," said Harry, "but we can't remember it."
"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.
"Well — We remember a lot of green light, but nothing else." Finnic added.
"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at them 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 them.
"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."
"So you must know loads of magic already."
The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.
"I heard you two went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"
"Horrible — well, not all of them. Our aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three siblings." Said Finnic.
"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. 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. 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. 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 reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.
"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. 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 too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.
Harry and Finnic didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, they had never had any money in their life until a month ago, and when they told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes, sharing any treat with each other, and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up. "... and until Hagrid told us, We didn't know anything about being wizards or about our parents or Voldemort —"
Ron gasped. "What?" said Harry. Finnic looked around the compartment for any new magic dangers.
"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you two, of all people —"
"He's not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Finnic, "We just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? We'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." Finnic really didn't like failure, it made him feel awful.
"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?"
The Twins, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to their feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry and Finnic went out into the corridor.
They had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that they had pockets rattling with gold and silver they were ready to buy as many Mars Bars and Airheads as they could carry — 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 and Finnic had never seen in their life. Not wanting to miss anything, they got some of everything and they each paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.
Ron stared as they brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.
"Hungry, are you?"
"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.
"Famished. Finnic added, picking up a Cauldron Cake.
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 the pasty," said Harry, glad to share with someone other than Finnic for once. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's and Finnic's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).
"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "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." "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."
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. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.
"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry. Finnic leaned over to get a look at Harry's card.
"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 he and Finnic 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 and Finnic's astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.
"He's gone!"
"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do either of you want it? You can start collecting."
Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. Finnic grinned and grabbed one for himself.
"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."
"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"
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 and Finnic couldn't keep their eyes off them. Soon they had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. They finally tore their eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned them. "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 boogerflavored one once."
Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner. "Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."
"Wicked!" Finnic said while grabbing a bean and carefully put it in his mouth, before spitting it out. "Ugh, mayonnaise."
They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans, trying to see who got the best flavors. Harry won, his being toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron and Finnic wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.
The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and mountains.
There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry and Finnic had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.
"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.
"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."
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 —"
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.
"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.
"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.
"Er — all right."
He cleared his throat.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
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? 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, 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.
The Twins looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"My names Finnic Potter not Ava," Finnic hurried to say.
"Harry Potter," said Harry.
"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you two, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're both in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"Are we?" 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; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... 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. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
"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."
"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 Finnic, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"
Harry and Finnic were 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. "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."
The Twins stared.
"Really? What happened to them?"
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. 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- KnowWho's behind it."
The Twins turned this news over in their minds. They were starting to get a prickle of fear every time YouKnow-Who was mentioned. They 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 teams?" Ron asked. "Er — we don't know any." Harry confessed.
"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 them 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.
Three boys entered, Finnic and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at the Twins with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.
"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry and Ava Potter are in this compartment. So it's you two, is it?"
"It's Finnic," Finnic mumbled. It's going to be a tiring and dysphoria full year of correcting people.
"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."
Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.
"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."
He turned back to Harry and Finnic. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potters. You two don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He held out his hand to shake one of the Twins, but neither of them took it.
"I think we can tell who the wrong sort are for ourselves, thanks," Harry said coolly. Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potters," he said slowly. "Unless you're both a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You two hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
All three boys stood up.
"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
"Unless you get out now," said Finnic, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him, Harry or Ron.
"But we don't feet 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.
Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle — 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 the Twins. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."
And so he had.
"You've met Malfoy before?"
Harry and Finnic 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!"
"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. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"
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.
The Twins 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 and Finnic's stomachs lurched with nerves and Ron, they 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, Finnic stood closer to him. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry and Finnic heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Twins?"
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 they thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.
"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!"
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, Finnic and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville.
"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; 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.
"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?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.