Harry waited for her reaction. Most people's first reactions to his name had been a gasp of shock, a hearty shake of the hand or a disbelieving "no...really?" He'd only been out of the Dursley's house for a couple days and he had already gotten more attention and praise than he had ever gotten in his whole life.

Yet to his surprise, she reacted only with a friendly smile. Her blue eyes had lit up when she saw his ticket; she must be a Hogwarts student too. Was it possible that she had not the faintest idea where she was going either?

"Do you know...how to get to the platform?" she asked shyly placing her long dirty-blonde hair behind her ear. Her accent was American, he noticed. His eyes followed her hand to her hair longingly. He shook it off.

"Haven't the faintest clue," he stated apologetically.

"Maybe we should go find platform 9 or 10 first," she offered.

"Well, er...right," he said nervously. He followed her determined step through the lobby and down the row of platforms. He tried to make conversation.

"You're not from a wizard family are you?"

"No," she said without turning around. "You?" It took Harry a second to realize she was returning the question.

"Er...well," Harry started knowing this would be difficult to explain without asking for pity. Suddenly Harry heard voices behind him. Caroline stopped in her track and turned around grudgingly.

"Caroline, Caroline, we forgot to ask if you wanted to come home for the holidays!" a mother's voice called lovingly.

"That's what owls are for Mom!" she replied, her face pink. Her mom suddenly noticed Harry standing there, trying to form an expression of polite interest on his face.

"Who is this fine man," she questioned her daughter who was trying to tell her mother with her eyes to "Go away!"

"I'm Harry," the boy said extending his hand. "Harry Potter." Caroline's mother had the reaction he had more come to expect. She gawked as she shook his hand delicately.

"Mom!" Caroline said, more embarrassed of her Mom then usual. "Stop starring at him like he's some kind of freak show!"

"Care, do you know who this is?

"Yeah, Mom, it's Harry Potter he goes to my-- ,"

"He's the boy I read about before I left," she continued as though Harry weren't there. "The one who defeated Vol-- well they call him 'You- Know-Who.'" Harry was feeling very uncomfortable now.

Caroline looked at him now. "You're him?"

"Yes," he said shakily. " I just found out today myself."

"That's right!" the mother exclaimed knowledgeably. "You were living with an uncle and aunt of yours."

"Mom, stop telling him stuff he already knows!" Caroline came to his rescue.

"That's all right," Harry offered. She probably knew more about him than he did. Not that this was anything new.

"Well, dear, I need to talk to you really quickly," giving Harry a sideways glance.

"I'll see you at school, Caroline," Harry said. "Nice meeting you Mrs. Frost."

"Bye," Caroline said tenderly in her American accent. With that the mother and daughter turned towards the lavatories leaving Harry to find the platform on his own.

He found platforms 9 and 10 easy enough, but nothing in between. With ten minutes before the eleven he was getting desperate. He asked a conductor, who brushed him off saying, "Kids today...nine and three- quarters...bah!" Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him to do something, like tapping the bricks at Diagon Alley.

Right then a group of people past by, and he heard part of what they were saying.

"-every year packed with muggles, of course"

Harry spun around to see a plump woman talking to a group of four boys all with flaming red hair. The only girl was younger than the rest and hanging on tight to her mother's hand.

"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.

"Hello, dear" she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new too."

She pointed at the youngest of her sons who was tall and thing with freckles and a long nose.

"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is-the thing is, I don't know how to get onto the platform."