The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found a compartment with one boy, already dressed into his Hogwarts robes and hat, sleeping on a seat near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice dropped painfully on his foot.
"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.
"Yes, please," Harry panted.
"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"
With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.
"Thanks," said Harry, pushinghis 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-?"
" He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.
"What"
"Harry Potter," chorused the twins.
"Oh, him," said Harry. " I mean, yes, I am."
The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself running red. Then to his 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, the twins hopped off the train.
Harry sat down next to the empty window seat where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. The 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.
" Aaahh, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie-wosie?" said one of the twins.
" Shut up."
" 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 shiny silver badge on his chest withe 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 ght 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."
FAST FORWARD! ( Sorry, I don't have my book with me at the moment, and I'm too lazy to type all of it.
Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one as the pale boy from Madam Malkin's. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley. The boy who was asleep awoke immdeatly, revealing golden, fierce eyes.
" Is it true?" the pale boy said. " They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
" Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them looked like mean gorillas, minus all the hair. Standing on either aide of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.
" Oh, this 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."
" Yeah? No need to ask who you are. You're obviously one of the types who put pride before anything, who thinks they're better that anyone else. One who's rich, powerful, and arrogant as all getout. That always results in a ringleader's downfall. Heh. Who're you to insult someone who's ' benath you'? Don't make me laugh." the silent boy said. He had an American accent.
" And who are you?"
" My name's Tyler Patin. Now do us all a favor, and leave before you get yourself hurt."
The boy turned to Harry, slightly pink.
" You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.
" I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks."
" I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. " Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around will riffraff like Patin, the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
Harry, Ron, and Tyler stood up. Harry noticed that Tyler was slightly taller than himself.
" Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair. His face was only outmatched by Tyler's maroon one.
" Oh you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
" Unless-" Harry blurted.
" Hell yeah, we will," Tyler interrupted, " bring it on!"
" But we don't feel 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 while Tyler looked like he was about to throw a left hook,but before they'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let loose 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 the tail.
" I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry and Tyler. He looked closer at Scabbers. " No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep."
" The little guy's a hero in my book," Tyler said sarcastically. And soScabbershad been. " What do you need?" he said to Hermione.
" 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, so hurry up!"
" Sheesh," Ron scowled.
So Harry, Ron Tyler conversed until they reached Hogwarts, quickly becoming friends.
Okay, so it needs a little spicing up, so sue me. If you know your stuff, and I mean really know your stuff, you should be able to figure out who Tyler is, for everyone else, wait until the end of my next story. Do me a favor, and review. If you don't, I won't stop you. But if I could, I would send a chupacabra to suck out your bodily organs and fluids through your eyes. And yes, they have done that before.
- ShadowGhost Inc.