Chapter Two : Platform 9¾
"Platform nine and three-quarters?" Harry looked reproachfully at the ticket in his hand. "What are they playing at?"
Sirius gave a hearty laugh and put a hand on Harry's back to keep him moving. They were walking along the grimy cement walks of King's Cross Station, passing barrier after barrier, noticing here and there other children who were pushing carts with a similar resemblance to Harry's.
"Harry, let's not forget one thing," Sirius finally said, as they approached barrier nine, "we are wizards. Use your head." He nodded towards a pair of girls who were heading straight for the tenth barrier. "What do you think it means?"
"Do they disapparate?" Harry asked, recalling something he had read once. But as he looked up at his godfather, he completely missed the sight of the two girls walking head-long into barrier ten.
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Of course not. You need a license. No, you must run in through barrier ten."
"Through?" Harry asked, seemingly skeptical. Although, he thought, I've come to just about expect anything from wizards.
"Yes," Sirius said, with another chuckle. "Through." He gave Harry another bit of a push and guided him towards the barrier. "Now, we must act casual, it wouldn't be good if a Muggle saw us."
"Muggle? Where?" Harry asked sarcastically, looking around to pity his godfather. The fact was, there were hundreds of Muggles swarming all around them. As Harry looked, he noticed how many of them there seemed to be and found it quite shocking that none of them had noticed the girl and what looked like her father, walk straight into barrier ten. Every one of the Muggles were either reading a piece of paper, talking on one of those e-lec-tronic owl devices, or scolding their children, so it wasn't completely surprising that no one noticed.
Sirius grunted at Harry's chide. Taking the lead, he stuck his hands into his pockets, began whistling a little toon Harry couldn't recognize, and, walking slightly in front of Harry, went right through the barrier so that Harry could no longer see him. Harry did the same, but pushed his cart in ahead of him at a bit of a jog, and went straight through the barrier, nearly running into Sirius on the other side.
"See? Now that wasn't so bad! Come now, let's find you a compartment. Perhaps Draco is already here," Sirius walked ahead of Harry, meaning Harry had to jog slightly to catch up to him.
Mesmerized by the sight around him, Harry did not reply to Sirius. He looked around, trying to soak everything in at once: the Platform 9¾ sign, the long, extensive Hogwarts Express, seemingly hundreds of wizard-children and parents loading their belongings onto the train. It was more than he could have imagined, even with his experience in the wizarding world. It was completely unlike anything he'd ever seen, even compared to Diagon Alley. It not only carried a sense of brilliance, but it was unmistakably the most elaborate plan of travel he'd ever witnessed. Whoever thought to make a barrier in the middle of a Muggle station that led directly to an unavoidable wizarding train? Pure brilliance.
"This is incredible!" Harry finally murmured.
"Harry!" Oy, Potter!" a voice from behind him shouted out, and Harry spun to see a scruffy, blonde-haired boy leaning out of the entrance they had just passed. "I got us a compartment!" Draco said, jogging to meet Sirius and Harry, who had stopped to wait for him.
"Ah, Narcissa always was one for punctuality. Where is your mother, Draco?" Sirius asked, glancing around behind him.
Draco smirked up at him, "She's down there, talking to some bloke with a daughter in her seventh year. I got bored, so I figured I'd get us a good compartment. It's right near the middle."
"Brilliant!" Harry said, his heart grinding pure ecstasy against his nerves. "Let's go."
"I'm going to go have a word with your mother, Draco, then I will come check on you to make sure everything is in order," Sirius said, offhandedly as a pretty witch walked past him in a flourishing, emerald-green dress. He shook his head and nodded at the boys, then turned in the direction Draco indicated and headed down in search of Narcissa.
Draco led Harry to the door to get on the train and helped him haul his trunk up onto the stairs and into the hallway. Once again, Harry was distracted by the striking features of the Express. Clothed in a purple dressing, the walls were carefully patterned in velvet and silk, giving the hallway a serene subtleness, inviting its occupants into compartments. Then there were the compartments themselves: two elaborate benches, covered in a dark crimson and white-striped material, and overhead compartments in which to load one's possessions.
"This is incredible!" Harry said, not really to anyone in particular.
Draco chuckled, "Exactly what I did." He carried the cage of Harry's owl, which his godfather had bought for him in Diagon Alley, as each student was permitted one of three types of pets, into the third compartment on the left. "This is a beautiful owl, Harry. What did you name her?"
"Hedwig," Harry said offhandedly, grazing the soft seat cushions with his hand. He tugged his trunk into the compartment and let the door slid shut with a loud "thud".
Draco set the bird on the seat, closer to the door, and helped Harry, once again, lift and heave his trunk into the compartment opposite the one containing his own. When they finally got the trunk into the compartment, they collapsed onto the bench, one across from the other, and Sirius and Narcissa appeared at the door.
"Sure, come after we've done all the heavy lifting," Harry grumbled. Only Draco heard him, though, and chuckled.
"Well, boys, you seem to be all settled," Sirius said with a broad grin. "I don't suppose you have anymore need for us, I'm sure you are writhing beneath your skin to get out of this station." Both Harry and Draco nodded.
"Oh!" Narcissa said, all at once breaking into sudden tears and rushing towards her son. Draco practically screamed as the woman enveloped him and kissed the top of his head. "My baby is going to be away from me for such a long time!"
"Mum! Get a hold of yourself!" Draco said, trying to fend her off.
Sirius let out a bark, that all too much resembled the playful one he emitted as a dog, and looked at Harry. "Please don't expect the same treatment from me, Harry."
Narcissa shot him a reproachful look and released her son. She knelt down in front of Harry. "Now Harry, you are the sensible one of the both of you, try to keep him in line, wouldn't you?" Harry nodded, blushing slightly as she kissed the top of his messy head as well. She stood up and together, she and Sirius left the compartment.
Harry rubbed the spot where she kissed him, as though it hurt, and tried to flatten his hair that never seemed to be controllable. He'd learned long ago that it looked better when he just let it be.
"That woman … I swear!" Draco shook his head, then swung his feet up onto the seat and kicked off his shoes. "Well, there's nothing left to do besides wait for the trolley."
Harry stared at him, puzzled, "Trolley?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Do all those books do absolutely nothing for you? The lunch trolley! With all the sweets! Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans, Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties…"
"Okay, I get it!" Harry said, laughing and cutting him off. "I didn't know there was such a thing. I'm glad Sirius took me to Gringotts before we came, though, now I have the money to buy them."
"Can you believe there are wizards out there that can't afford something as inexpensive as a Chocolate Frog? At Emman and Thiggs they're only three knuts!"
Harry nodded, "I know. When Sirius and I went to Diagon Alley for my things, there was this witch who was telling her son that the pewter cauldron was too expensive and they'd have to go to a second hand shop to get it." He shook his head, looking downcast. "I'm glad we don't have that problem."
"My mum always said its their own fault. She took up a post with the ministry as first she could when she left Hogwarts," Draco said, puffing out his chest in pride. "Said it was the best thing she ever did. And I don't blame her, we've been better off for it!"
When Harry's parents died they left him a small fortune, one that Sirius hadn't let him take part in until his tenth birthday, when he told Harry the truth about everything. Not that Sirius had ever lied that his parents had been murdered, but of course, the man was just looking out for him. It was extremely shocking to walk into a vault where he could be buried alive in a countless number of coins. He'd never heard an exact number of the vault's contents at Gringotts, but he hear Sirius mentioning to Narcissa once that he reckoned Harry was the probably most wealthy boy of his age ever known.
"Not that it does him any good," Sirius had barked to Narcissa. "Not only does every single witch and wizard know him wherever he goes, but he's got all that money now too. I'm waiting for the day it all finally hits him. I take that back, I'm not looking forward to that day."
Harry considered what Sirius had said for a moment. What had he meant exactly? When it 'all finally hits him'? He was famous for something he couldn't remember, and yet he graciously thanked anyone who was "honored" to meet him, for Sirius said that was most polite and least haughty. It wasn't his fault his parents were filthy rich and left him with more money than could feed a mountain of trolls, or that Voldemort had tried to kill him.
A sudden lurch jarred him from his thoughts, and both he and Draco scrambled to the window to see that the train had begun to move. Harry quickly scanned the crowd for Sirius. He finally found him leaning next to a pillar, alone, with a somewhat somber look in his eyes. Harry suddenly felt a pang of sorrow shoot through his body. He'd never been apart from Sirius for more than a night or two, not he was going to be gone for nearly four months. He stared at Sirius until the man finally found him in the window; they locked eyes, and Harry felt a warmth surge through his body. There was nothing to worry about, Sirius wasn't going anywhere.
He sat back down and stared straight ahead into the amber eyes of his new owl, Hedwig. I'm going to be getting Sirius' money's worth out of you, Harry thought, admiring the beauty of the sleeping bird. She really was precious.
Draco sat back down too. "Well, I'm glad to be rid of her," he said, huffily. "I bet you're sorry to leave Sirius, though. I'd give anything to have him as a father."
"You practically do," Harry said, yawning and stretching his arms out to put behind his head. "You're over so much I'm surprised he hasn't adopted you."
There was a moment of silence, before Draco's eager voice, and dislike of silence, broke it. "Do you think there will be Muggle-borns here?" he asked. "I heard that only Hufflepuff accepts half-bloods. But I've never met anyone who's parents are one-hundred percent Muggle."
Harry shook his head, "Nor have I. I would assume there would be though. Hogwarts, A History said they began allowing Muggle-borns into the school after Salazaar Slytherin died."
Draco made a face. "Some day you are going to meet your match, Potter. You read way too much than what's good for you." Before Harry could utter a retort, he changed topics at top speed. "Mum said that if I'm put into Slytherin she's going to be worried I end up like my father," Draco said glumly. "It sounds like Slytherins have the most fun."
Harry shrugged. "That's mentioned in the book too. Slytherin has turned out more dark wizards than all the other three combined. Sirius said it would be horrible for my reputation if I was put into Slytherin."
Scoffing, Draco replied, "Oh enough with your reputation already. Sirius has got to understand that you need a bit of fun! However, I'm not going to lie. Anything that puts me in league with my pathetic excuse for a father does not appeal to me. Whatever the case, I just hope we're in the same house."
There was a tap on their compartment door and both boys jerked their heads, surprised, and saw a very pretty girl with long brown, wavy hair slide open the door. "I'm sorry to bother you boys, but I'm afraid that every other compartment is full and I'm really exhausted from lugging this around." She nodded at her trunk, which seemed fit to burst at the seems with an overstocking of content.
Harry and Draco looked at each other, both thinking the same thing: girl! They jumped up and with much less effort than it took with Harry's, hoisted her trunk up into the compartment to rest beside Draco's.
"Take a seat!" Harry said, enthusiastically, as the girl rested her ginger cat on the seat next to him.
"Thanks!" the girl said, flopping down into the seat with her cat. Draco shot Harry a menacing look, but took his spot across from the two. "My name is Hermione Granger, by the way. And who are…" she looked at Harry and her mouth dropped. "Holy crickets, are you Harry Potter?"
Harry flushed, "Uh, yes. Yes, I am." He stuck out his hand and Hermione shook it, mesmerized. Her eyes flickered up to his scar, but seemed to linger a bit longer in his eyes. "This is Draco Black," Harry said, looking at Draco who seemed pleased that Harry had the heart to introduce him after his obvious fame took over his own introduction.
Hermione smiled and shook Draco's hand, "Nice to meet you." She picked up her cat and nuzzled it in her arms. "Oh, and this is Anadhora," she said, indicating the cat, "she changes colors when Dementors come around. It's absolutely terrifying. I had to go with my father once to Azkaban and my mother absolutely insisted upon bringing Anadhora to keep me company. See this orange color she is now? Well she turns a ghostly-blue color when the Dementors are near." Her voice was pleasant and sweet, and as she spoke of the Dementors, her voice seemed to go a bit higher, as though to hide fear. She blushed, "I'm sorry, I tend to talk a lot when I meet new people."
Harry shrugged and leaned against the wall. "Well, it's more than what we were talking about, anyway," he said with a glance at Draco.
"What were you talking about?" Hermione asked, her eyes still lingering on Harry. "That is, if you wish to tell me."
"We were discussing Muggle-borns, I think," he passed a look at Harry. "Or maybe what house we are going to be in. I don't really remember what we ended on."
"Oh gosh, I just met a Muggle-born down the hall," she said, almost fearful. "Anadhora knocked over his cage with a small, ugly rat in it as we passed. He seemed scared to death to talk to me. I think his name was Terry…Terry something. I'd never met one before."
"Nor have we," Harry sighed. "Does that mean you're pure-blood?"
Hermione nodded, "Oh yes. My bloodline has only produced one squib, I believe. Barney, my mother's second cousin." She scowled, "You'd understand if you met the man. He's a disgrace."
Draco laughed, "We've got one of them too, and I must say, I agree. It is quite amazing that a witch or wizard can randomly pop up in a set of Muggles, though." He shrugged. "Do you know what house you'd like to be in, Hermione?"
"Gryffindor, undoubtedly," she said, promptly. "My whole family has been in Gryffindor. Besides, none of the others seem to have as many positive connotations attached to it. If Slytherin wasn't known for its dark wizards, I might be willing to be placed there, but it's just so… so…"
"Notorious?" Harry suggested. Hermione nodded. "We had come to the same conclusion," Harry said. "Although we think Slytherins might have more fun, it isn't worth being given a bad name."
Hermione smirked, "Reputation to uphold, poster-boy?" Harry flushed, but Draco laughed.
"Anything from the lunch trolley?" an older witches' voice rang out. Their compartment door magically flew open and a plump witch in dark purple robes stopped in front of the door and looked in.
Harry and Draco jumped to their feet, each of them getting a bit of everything, and sitting back down with sweets piled high in their arms.
"Hungry, are we?" Hermione asked.
