Chapter 3- the Hogwarts Express

Chapter 3- the Leaky Cauldron.

It was the day before Harry went back to Hogwarts and he had very easily persuaded his aunt and uncle to drive him to London to meet Hermione and Ron. As soon as Harry was where he wanted to be, the Dursley's practically pushed him out of the car and drove off as quick as they could, they didn't even say goodbye because they didn't want to spend a second longer with him then they had to. Harry dragged his trunk all the way to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Ron and Hermione. He saw Hermione straight away. She was sitting on a table right in the corner with her books pilled high. Then, as Harry moved closer, he noticed Fred and George Weasley grinning like mad at Harry. There were two trunks underneath the table, one was Hermione's and one was Fred and Georges, but the was also a leather bag in the middle of Fred and George and looked at worryingly as he found his way through all the people to the table.

"Hi guys, where's Ron?" Asked Harry curiously.

"Oh he's upstairs getting all his things ready" grinned George. Harry didn't think he should believe them; he took another glance at the bag and sat down.

"So when do you think he'll be coming down then?" He said in a sly voice.

"Anytime soon" Fred and looked at each other and started giggling like mad. But then they saw Harry's face and sat up straight with a very serious face.

"No really, where is he?"

"I told you, he's upstairs," they laughed again.

Then Harry felt something moving down by his feet, he looked under the table and saw and eye peeping out of Fred and Georges bag. Then he opened the bag, thinking he would be helping Ron out, when he zoomed down very small into the bag. He looked up and saw a crack in the top where the bag opened and noticed about six eyes looking down to him. The bag was empty, and very dark. It was all made of brown leather. Harry didn't really like leather that much, although he didn't know why, it just made him feel ill.

He heard Ron come and sit down with them, and stayed very quiet so he could hear what they were saying.

"Hi Ron, how are you today?" said Fred smiling.

"Fine, hey is that Harry's trunk?" wondered Ron "where is he?"

"I don't know he just disappeared I guess." Said George.

"Oh he isn't in the bag is he?"

"Why don't you look and find out?"

"No way, you open it, I'm never going near that thing again after what happened last time." Ron laughed. It was obvious that Ron had been sucked into the bag before.

Harry noticed that Hermione had been very quiet and that was very strange, because usually she was complaining about Fred and George's tricks.

Harry felt his stomach jolt and then flew up out of the bag. He landed sitting upright on the chair and he laughed about it with the others.

"Me and George are going to get a shop soon. We made a poster about our jokes and hung it up outside."

"Really? That's great!" Congratulated Harry "Has anyone replied yet?"

"Oh no, we only just put it up this morning, so they're going to have to send us an owl when were at Hogwarts."

"Hermione, what's wrong? You've hardly said anything all day."

"Oh it's nothing big, it's just Snuffles. You read the newspaper didn't you?"

"Yeah, listen he'll be alright."

"Have you heard from him yet? Did he send you something for your birthday?"

"Well no, but I'm sure he'll be Okay. Honestly, there's nothing to worry about. Anyway I need to get rid of this trunk and do some shopping, come on." Said Harry.

Harry got his book list and started heading for the shop. He had already got some money from Gringots so he could go straight there. He looked at his list:

You will need:

'When Evil Wizards Attack!' by Chee Z. Titul, 'Transfiguration for O.W.L.s' by Emeric Switch,

'Be Prepared- A guide for Divination' by Woza Scout,

'Intermediate Potions' by Hugh Jarss,

'1000 More Herbs and Fungi' by Hans Durtee,

'The Standard Book of Spells Grade V' by Miranda Goshawk

'Hogwarts a History' by

'All About Dragons' by Boyitt Urtsalot,

Harry stared at the words 'Hogwarts a History' and pointed it out to Ron.

"I bet Hermione likes that," Ron laughed

"Yeah, she's probably got a thousand copies already."

"Come on, the shops close in half an hour, we better hurry up."

Harry and Ron walked into Flourish and Blotts and started looking around, but they couldn't find anything except 'Hogwarts a History' which they weren't too pleased about because they were half planning not to get anyway and say they couldn't find it.

They asked at the front desk for help and showed the woman their list. She found everyone except 'All About Dragons'. Then she disappeared into the back room and came out five minutes later, struggling with two heavy volumes, which looked like they may have been bound with dragon hide. Harry and Ron looked at each other and smiled. They had Hagrid for Care of Magical Creatures, so they weren't really surprised that this book looked so strange.

After they had paid for their books, they struggled to carry them back to the Leaky Cauldron. They took them upstairs, to where they were sleeping that night and dropped them into their trunks, then went back downstairs for a drink.