Harry was in king's cross station. He walked toward the barrier separating platforms nine and ten. Harry walked through the barrier as if it was there.
A scarlet engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said hogwarts express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words platform none and three quarters on it.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and scraping of heavy trunks.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging on the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round faced boy who was saying Gran I've lost my toad again.
Oh Neville he heard the old woman sigh.
Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the train.
Harry put his stuff in then sat down with a book open.
Suddenly a redhead came barging in making a big racket.
Oi!, do you know where Harry potter is? The redhead said i want to be his best mate.
Your looking at him Harry said and fuck off will you I'm trying to read.
I'm ronald weasley the redhead said are parents knew each other.
Harry's magic flared in anger.
Ron felt a tsunami of magic wash over him.
When your superiors give you an order you listen Harry said his eyes glowing red.
Ron walked out.
Harry changed into his wizarding clothes.
Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling dimpled woman slid back his door and said anything off the cart dears?
Harry leapt to his feet and went out into the corridor.
The woman had bertie bott's every flavor beans, drooble's best blowing gum, chocolate frogs, pumpkin pastries, cauldron cakes, licorice wands and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven sickles and seven knuts.
Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. Harry took a large bite of a pumpkin pasty. Harry unwrapped a chocolate frog and saw it came with a card. The card had a picture of dumbeldore it said:
ALBUS DUMBELDORE
Currently headmaster of hogwarts
Considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbeldore is particularly famous for his defeat of dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his parter Nicholas Flamel. Professor Dumbeldore enjoys chamber music and tenqin bowling.
Harry started eating more of the chocolate frogs and soon he had morgana, hengist of woodcroft, alberic grunnion, circe, paracelsus and Merlin. Harry opened a bag of bertie bott's every flavor beans. Harry started eating them he got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one which turned out to be pepper.
The countryside was now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields were gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.
There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three quarters came in. He looked tearful.
Sorry he said but have you seen a toad at all?
This toad Harry said making a toad appeared in his hand trevor? Really Neville keep a better eye on him.
How? Neville said.
Harry potter Harry said.
Neville left with his toad.
A few minutes later three boys entered.
A boy with a pale face and two hulking idiots who looked like his bodyguards.
Is it true? He said they're saying all down the train that Harry potter's in this compartment. So it's you is it?
Yes said Harry.
I'm draco malfoy the boy said and this is crabbe and goyle.
Well sit Harry said I've heard of the malfoys and you should know it's better to have me as a friend then a enemy.
I could say the same Draco said.
No you couldn't Harry said his magic filling the room.
Draco could feel the magic crackling in the air.
How? Not even Dumbeldore can do that Draco said.
Harry pulled his magic back in.
Dumbeldore hasn't constantly worked on perfecting his magic since 7 years old Harry said.
Harry and Draco continued talking for hours until a voice echoed through the train: we will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.
Harry, Draco, crabbe and goyle joined the crowd thronging the corridor.
The train slowed down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny dark platform.
a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a voice: Firs' years! Firs' years over here! A giant hairy man was looming over the sea of heads. C'mon, follow me— any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs' years follow me!
Slipping and stumbling they followed the giant man down what seemed to be a steep narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much.
Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec the man called over his shoulder, jus' o round this bend here.
There was a loud Ooooh!
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, it's windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
No more'n four to a boat the man called pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, draco, crabbe and goyle all got into a boat.
Everyone in? Shouted the man who had a boat to himself. Right then— FORWARD!
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
Heads down! Yelled the man as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. They clambered up a passageway in the rock after the man's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and around the huge oak door.
The man raised a huge gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
