Chapter 3 - Platform 9 ¾
In no time at all the last week of the holidays had disappeared as it so often did and it was September the 1st. His trunk was packed and he was on his way to King's Cross station to catch his train to Hogwarts. He was standing next to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, getting ready to walk through to platform 9 ¾ (he'd never done it before but his parents had told him how easy it was) when he noticed the girl from the wand shop. She was standing with her family, (mum, dad and a very sullen looking sister) and looking desperately around. She was obviously from a muggle (non-magic) family and didn't know how to get onto the platform. "One second, go through, I'll meet you in a minute." James told his parents and approached the girl. "Are you trying to get to the Hogwarts Express?" He asked her, trying to sound kind "Yes, but we can't figure out how to get to platform 9 ¾. Do you know?" She had a soft voice, almost musical, James thought. "Yep, you see, you've got to walk through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Don't think you're going to bang into it, that's very important." She looked doubtful, "Why don't you come through with me, we can take it at a run if you like, your parents can watch and follow or you can say goodbye to them here." He watched as she looked at her parents, "Goodbye dear," said her mum, "You'll write won't you?" "Of course I will. Goodbye mum, dad. 'Bye Petunia." Petunia (James supposed this was her sister's name) didn't reply, she just looked sulkier. "You ready?" He asked the girl "As I'll ever be." She replied, grinning nervously at him. "Let's go."
James took a deep breath, trying not to let her see how nervous he really was, he was supposed to be the knowledgeable one after all. The pair of them ran forward, trunks in front. The girl had her eyes closed as they fell forward, breathing heavily into platform 9 ¾. He saw the girl's eyes open wide with amazement. James knew how she felt. A huge, shiny red steam engine was standing in front of them. She looked at him, and said shyly "Thanks." "You're welcome, I'm James Potter by the way." "Lily, Lily Evans" "Well, nice to meet you Lily, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon enough." James said to Lily, smiling at her in what he hoped was a charming way, the same smile that he usually gave his elderly aunts to prompt them into slipping him a few Galleons. She smiled back and headed towards the train. James turned to look for his parents, and his heart sunk when he saw them talking to the Pettigrews. Peter grinned at him, and James silently prayed to himself, hoping that Peter had not seen him talking to a girl. "Who was that?" He asked "Never you mind." James replied shortly. Peter went red, and James felt a little bit ashamed of himself for snapping at him, but he shook it off and went to say goodbye. "Bye mum, bye dad" He said. "Don't get into trouble, okay?" His mum said and his dad winked. James grinned and told them he's be as good as gold. "Bye Cara, I'll write often ok?" Cara was crying. He gave her a big hug, kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair. She laughed through the tears and hugged him back. "I'll see you soon sweetie, you'll be at Hogwarts yourself in a couple of years." With that he got his trunk and walked with Peter onto the train.
There weren't very many free compartments by this time, and he and Peter found themselves in a compartment with another boy, about the same age as themselves. He had a round, cheerful sort of face and black hair. He grinned at them as they came into the compartment and introduced himself as Sirius Black. James introduced himself and Peter who was looking very nervous indeed. Sirius looked curiously at him for a second and then turned his attention to James. "So.. Erm, you play Quidditch?" He asked, in an attempt to start a conversation. Fortunately, that was the best topic to pick, because before anyone realised what was happening, they were all talking animatedly about their favourite Quidditch teams and the journey seemed to take no time at all.
They had been talking for about an hour, although it seemed a lot shorter than that before they heard the commotion outside. James stuck his head out of the door and saw two boys, both of whom also looked as though they too could be first years, although that was where the resemblance stopped. One boy was quite small and thin, pale and bordering on ill looking. He had light brown hair and was wearing a slightly scared expression. The object of this fear was the other boy, who was taller, also pale but with chin length, greasy jet black hair that stuck to the sides of his face. "I'm s- s- sorry" the smaller boy was saying "I didn't realise this carriage was reserved." Reserved? The Hogwarts carriages weren't reserved for anyone but the prefect, and this boy was certainly not a prefect. James snorted loudly, and both boys noticed him. The greasy haired boy turned his wand on James and eyed him suspiciously. James ignored him, and turned his attention to the smaller boy, "Come and sit in here with us, we haven't reserved a carriage, wasn't aware you could to be honest" he gave the other boy a nasty look "in fact I think that this lanky haired git has made that fact up so that he doesn't have to be sociable." He then promptly closed the door in his face, laughing.
"So, Remus J Lupin," Sirius was saying "how came you to upset our new greasy haired bad tempered lying friend then?" "Well, I was sitting in the corner of the compartment on my own and I was just nodding off to sleep when I felt something hot by my right ear and I looked and saw that boy with his wand out. He said something about this compartment being reserved and pushed me out of the door, and that's when you found us. Thanks for that, by the way. Wait, how did you know my name?" Sirius laughed at him, holding up the small, battered suitcase that he was carrying which had the words "Remus J Lupin, Hogwarts" stuck on it. "Oh!" Lupin said, looking a bit embarrassed "that, my mum likes to label things, no idea why.." "Well, at least you'll never forget your name." Sirius said, laughing. They all laughed along with him and settled down to an energetic conversation about Quidditch, a discussion about Hogwarts houses and a Slytherin bashing session.
James had no idea how long he'd been on the train, but it was beginning to get dark when the train pulled to a halt in a small train station. James supposed this was Hogsmeade, he'd read about it in 'Hogwarts a History', the book his parents had given him for his birthday. There was a lot of fog, but James could clearly make out a huge man. He was least twice James' height and then some. His hair was black and wild, but his crinkly black eyes that looked something like beetles were kind and laughing. Sirius told James that this was the groundskeeper's apprentice, Hagrid. The real groundskeeper, a man called Ogg, was a very old man, but he looked tough. "First years over here!" He was calling. He led them down a dark, narrow and slippery path, until he rounded the corner, and James saw the most magnificent building he'd ever seen. It was huge, with winged gargoyles at the gate. "Into a boat." The four boys piled into a boat together, and it started moving of it's own accord across a huge, black lake. Hagrid took up a boat all on his own, and it still looked somewhat precarious. "Duck!" Came a booming voice from the front, the boys all bowed their heads as the travelled under loads of think, low branches. Peter wobbled in his seat and looked as though he was going to fall in, but James and Remus grabbed him before he fell in, while Sirius doubled over laughing. James could tell he was going to like Sirius; he had a sense of humour.
At the end of the trip, Mr Ogg led them towards a huge door and knocked three times.
In no time at all the last week of the holidays had disappeared as it so often did and it was September the 1st. His trunk was packed and he was on his way to King's Cross station to catch his train to Hogwarts. He was standing next to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, getting ready to walk through to platform 9 ¾ (he'd never done it before but his parents had told him how easy it was) when he noticed the girl from the wand shop. She was standing with her family, (mum, dad and a very sullen looking sister) and looking desperately around. She was obviously from a muggle (non-magic) family and didn't know how to get onto the platform. "One second, go through, I'll meet you in a minute." James told his parents and approached the girl. "Are you trying to get to the Hogwarts Express?" He asked her, trying to sound kind "Yes, but we can't figure out how to get to platform 9 ¾. Do you know?" She had a soft voice, almost musical, James thought. "Yep, you see, you've got to walk through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Don't think you're going to bang into it, that's very important." She looked doubtful, "Why don't you come through with me, we can take it at a run if you like, your parents can watch and follow or you can say goodbye to them here." He watched as she looked at her parents, "Goodbye dear," said her mum, "You'll write won't you?" "Of course I will. Goodbye mum, dad. 'Bye Petunia." Petunia (James supposed this was her sister's name) didn't reply, she just looked sulkier. "You ready?" He asked the girl "As I'll ever be." She replied, grinning nervously at him. "Let's go."
James took a deep breath, trying not to let her see how nervous he really was, he was supposed to be the knowledgeable one after all. The pair of them ran forward, trunks in front. The girl had her eyes closed as they fell forward, breathing heavily into platform 9 ¾. He saw the girl's eyes open wide with amazement. James knew how she felt. A huge, shiny red steam engine was standing in front of them. She looked at him, and said shyly "Thanks." "You're welcome, I'm James Potter by the way." "Lily, Lily Evans" "Well, nice to meet you Lily, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon enough." James said to Lily, smiling at her in what he hoped was a charming way, the same smile that he usually gave his elderly aunts to prompt them into slipping him a few Galleons. She smiled back and headed towards the train. James turned to look for his parents, and his heart sunk when he saw them talking to the Pettigrews. Peter grinned at him, and James silently prayed to himself, hoping that Peter had not seen him talking to a girl. "Who was that?" He asked "Never you mind." James replied shortly. Peter went red, and James felt a little bit ashamed of himself for snapping at him, but he shook it off and went to say goodbye. "Bye mum, bye dad" He said. "Don't get into trouble, okay?" His mum said and his dad winked. James grinned and told them he's be as good as gold. "Bye Cara, I'll write often ok?" Cara was crying. He gave her a big hug, kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair. She laughed through the tears and hugged him back. "I'll see you soon sweetie, you'll be at Hogwarts yourself in a couple of years." With that he got his trunk and walked with Peter onto the train.
There weren't very many free compartments by this time, and he and Peter found themselves in a compartment with another boy, about the same age as themselves. He had a round, cheerful sort of face and black hair. He grinned at them as they came into the compartment and introduced himself as Sirius Black. James introduced himself and Peter who was looking very nervous indeed. Sirius looked curiously at him for a second and then turned his attention to James. "So.. Erm, you play Quidditch?" He asked, in an attempt to start a conversation. Fortunately, that was the best topic to pick, because before anyone realised what was happening, they were all talking animatedly about their favourite Quidditch teams and the journey seemed to take no time at all.
They had been talking for about an hour, although it seemed a lot shorter than that before they heard the commotion outside. James stuck his head out of the door and saw two boys, both of whom also looked as though they too could be first years, although that was where the resemblance stopped. One boy was quite small and thin, pale and bordering on ill looking. He had light brown hair and was wearing a slightly scared expression. The object of this fear was the other boy, who was taller, also pale but with chin length, greasy jet black hair that stuck to the sides of his face. "I'm s- s- sorry" the smaller boy was saying "I didn't realise this carriage was reserved." Reserved? The Hogwarts carriages weren't reserved for anyone but the prefect, and this boy was certainly not a prefect. James snorted loudly, and both boys noticed him. The greasy haired boy turned his wand on James and eyed him suspiciously. James ignored him, and turned his attention to the smaller boy, "Come and sit in here with us, we haven't reserved a carriage, wasn't aware you could to be honest" he gave the other boy a nasty look "in fact I think that this lanky haired git has made that fact up so that he doesn't have to be sociable." He then promptly closed the door in his face, laughing.
"So, Remus J Lupin," Sirius was saying "how came you to upset our new greasy haired bad tempered lying friend then?" "Well, I was sitting in the corner of the compartment on my own and I was just nodding off to sleep when I felt something hot by my right ear and I looked and saw that boy with his wand out. He said something about this compartment being reserved and pushed me out of the door, and that's when you found us. Thanks for that, by the way. Wait, how did you know my name?" Sirius laughed at him, holding up the small, battered suitcase that he was carrying which had the words "Remus J Lupin, Hogwarts" stuck on it. "Oh!" Lupin said, looking a bit embarrassed "that, my mum likes to label things, no idea why.." "Well, at least you'll never forget your name." Sirius said, laughing. They all laughed along with him and settled down to an energetic conversation about Quidditch, a discussion about Hogwarts houses and a Slytherin bashing session.
James had no idea how long he'd been on the train, but it was beginning to get dark when the train pulled to a halt in a small train station. James supposed this was Hogsmeade, he'd read about it in 'Hogwarts a History', the book his parents had given him for his birthday. There was a lot of fog, but James could clearly make out a huge man. He was least twice James' height and then some. His hair was black and wild, but his crinkly black eyes that looked something like beetles were kind and laughing. Sirius told James that this was the groundskeeper's apprentice, Hagrid. The real groundskeeper, a man called Ogg, was a very old man, but he looked tough. "First years over here!" He was calling. He led them down a dark, narrow and slippery path, until he rounded the corner, and James saw the most magnificent building he'd ever seen. It was huge, with winged gargoyles at the gate. "Into a boat." The four boys piled into a boat together, and it started moving of it's own accord across a huge, black lake. Hagrid took up a boat all on his own, and it still looked somewhat precarious. "Duck!" Came a booming voice from the front, the boys all bowed their heads as the travelled under loads of think, low branches. Peter wobbled in his seat and looked as though he was going to fall in, but James and Remus grabbed him before he fell in, while Sirius doubled over laughing. James could tell he was going to like Sirius; he had a sense of humour.
At the end of the trip, Mr Ogg led them towards a huge door and knocked three times.