THE JOURNEY FROM PLATFORM NINE AND THREE-QUARTERS

FRED AND GEORGE

'Right – Ron, are you sure you've got everything? Wand, Scabbers, socks? Ginny, I know you're excited but please stop running around, or else you can wait outside. Fred, George, where are you – I've got your sandwiches here –'

It was pandemonium in The Burrow. Molly and the six other Weasleys were moving about the small, rickety house with varying degrees of energy: the sign of another year at Hogwarts.

'… And how does the Sorting work?' Ron asked the twins as he collected his own sandwiches from the kitchen table.

'There's a test,' answered Fred, 'and if you fail the test, they kick you out straight away.'

'What kind of test?'

'Well, that depends on which house you want to be in,' explained George. 'There's a different test for each house, see. Oh, and it hurts a lot.'

'So if you want to be in Gryffindor, you obviously need to prove you're brave,' said Fred, straining to keep a straight face. 'You'll probably have to wrestle a troll, like we did.'

'Do what?'

'I'd better get going, Molly,' said Arthur over Ginny's singing and the heavy footfalls on the stairs. 'There's been another case of faulty hairbrushes in Southampton. These Muggles can't understand why their hair dyes a different colour every time they brush.'

'Goodness, imagine that – Alright, dear, I'll see you tonight,' said Molly, hurrying across the kitchen to peck her husband on the cheek.

'Have a wonderful year, boys,' Arthur called, hugging Ginny. 'Best of luck, Ron, I know you'll do brilliantly. Remember, we won't see you at Christmas so send lots of owls, all of you.'

'Bye, Dad,' chorused Fred, George and Ron.

'Goodbye, Father,' called Percy, who had just entered the kitchen. 'Mother, have you seen my Prefect badge?'

'Of course she has, you've been wearing it all summer,' said Fred, smirking.

'There is no way you've lost it,' George told Percy in disbelief. 'I bet you've hidden it yourself and just wanted an excuse to remind us you've got one.'

'Never mind, I've found it,' said Percy, his cheeks reddening as he took the red-and-gold badge out of his pocket and held it up. Fred and George laughed.

The Muggle minicab rolled up to the rugged front lawn at eight o'clock. They all stacked their trunks in the boot and bundled inside along with Hermes and Scabbers. The journey was far from comfortable, made no easier when Scabbers sniffed loudly in the driver's ear, causing him to yell out and almost veer into a lorry on the motorway. Nearly three hours later, though, they arrived in London in one piece.

'Come on then, boys,' said Molly, as they entered a bustling King's Cross station. 'Hold my hand, Ginny, dear, we don't want you getting lost. It's very busy, isn't it? Packed with Muggles, of course. Good grief, imagine having to squeeze inside those trains every day … Now, what's the platform number?'

'Nine and three-quarters!' shouted Ginny. 'Mum, can't I go …'

'You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first.'

Once Percy had steered his trunk through the ticket barrier, Molly turned to the twins.

'Fred, you next.'

'I'm not Fred, I'm George,' said Fred, feigning exasperation. 'Honestly, woman, call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?'

'Sorry, George, dear.'

'Only joking, I am Fred,' grinned Fred. Before Molly could do anything more than roll her eyes, Fred had disappeared through the brick wall.

He turned and waited for his twin, and together they wheeled their trunks around and cut a path through the noisy crowd of students, parents and pets.

'There he is,' said George, pointing. A vat of steam had just cleared, so that a bunch of fellow third-years became visible.

Lee Jordan gave a yell of delight at the twins' arrival. There was a round of hand-clapping between the three, before Lee presented the box he'd been holding.

'What's in there?' asked Angelina Johnson, eying the box warily.

'Just a little furry-legged friend,' said Lee, winking at the twins.

'Give us a look, Lee, go on.'

Lee obediently lifted the lid for all to see; Angelina screamed and grabbed Alicia Spinnet, making Fred and George roar with laughter.

'Tarantula,' said Lee unnecessarily. 'My uncle bought it down Knockturn Alley.'

'Brilliant!' chorused the twins.

'If that gets anywhere near me, Lee, I'll kill you,' Angelina warned.

'We'll be back in a sec, Lee, we've just got to dump these on the train,' said Fred, indicating his and George's trunks. They set off along the platform until they found a compartment near the end of the train. Once they had heaved the trunks onto luggage racks, they backed out onto the platform again, when George spotted a skinny, black-haired boy, a first-year by the look of him, struggling to lift his own heavy trunk onto the train.

'Want a hand?' said George.

'Yes, please,' the boy panted, looking enormously relieved.

George called for Fred and together they pulled the boy's trunk into another empty compartment. Once the trunk was tucked away, the boy thanked them and brushed aside his sweaty hair; in doing so, he revealed a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, at which the twins performed a double-take.

'What's that?' said Fred, pointing.

'Blimey …' breathed George, as realisation struck him. 'Are you –?'

'He is! Aren't you?' said Fred to the boy excitedly.

'What?' said the boy, evidently confused.

'Harry Potter!'

'Oh, him. I mean, yes I am.'

The twins stared, partly in awe at meeting the famous Harry Potter, and partly in surprise that he wasn't quite as bright as they thought he would be.