I do not own any of the things in this story, because I am too lazy to copyright any one my own intellectual properties.
Chapter 6: Platform Nineteen and Nine-Tenths
Harry arrived at King's Cross station at about 10:30. Thanks to Hagrid's helpful instructions, he made it through the barrier wall without much difficulty. He got on the train and started looking for a seat. It was difficult, because most cars were already taken, luckily, he found one with only one person in it.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked the red-haired boy sitting in the seat.
"No, you can sit there if you like," he answered wearily.
Harry heaved his trunk into the baggage rack and sat down across from him. His face was covered in freckles and he was quite tall. Harry got the distinct impression that he didn't want to be bothered. A few moments later, he found out why. The compartment door slid open and two boys bearing obvious resemblance to the one across from him stepped in. It took a moment, but he realized they looked exactly the same.
"Hullo, Ron!" they said at the exact same time in a cheery voice.
"Can't you two just leave me alone?" Ron sighed.
"Nope!" they chirped in unison.
"Are you identical twins?" Harry asked nervously.
"Yes," one said.
"No," contrasted the other.
"Sort of," they agreed.
Harry looked to Ron for help.
"They're identical fraternal twins," he moaned.
"Which means one is a girl, and the other is a boy," one said.
"I know what you're thinking," the other finished.
"How is that possible?"
"Actually, I wanted to ask 'what are your names?'"
"Good question. I'm Fred."
"And I'm George."
Harry looked at Ron, "They're both boys, right?"
Ron groaned, "No, and pleasedon't ask them to prove it."
"Sorry, but we've got to run."
"Lee's got a tarantula."
"Some other time, then."
They shut the door and left.
"Maybe we can get some peace and quiet, now," Ron muttered.
Just then, the compartment door opened again to admit a round faced boy. Ron just kicked the seat opposite him in frustration.
"Sorry, but have you seen a toad? I lost mine."
Ron shook his head, "Nope, the only animal in here is my rat, Scabbers."
"Oh," the boy's face fell.
Harry felt sorry for him, "We'll keep an eye open for him."
He brightened a bit, "Oh, all right then, bye."
The door slid shut.
"Sorry, I lost my toad. Can you help me check up my arse for it?" Ron mimicked.
Harry burst into laughter. As they clutched at their sides, the door opened once again.
A red-haired boy with a pinched face and horn-rimmed spectacles stuck his head in the door, and said in a flat monotone, "Please remain in your seats, so that we don't have any accidents in the corridors. Any fighting between-"
"This is my brother, Percy. He's the most annoying prefect-" interrupted Ron.
"I beg your pardon?" exclaimed Percy incredulously.
"-in the entire school."
"Ron, I need to go from compartment to compartment, giving safety instructions, so-"
"Oh, leave us alone," Ron muttered.
"You know the rules now, so follow them!" Percy snapped, slamming the door shut.
Harry and Ron snickered.
The food cart came by about twenty minutes later.
"Anything off the cart, dears?" the nice lady asked.
Harry, who had slept through breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron turned away and tried to hide the patches on his coat. Harry went out into the aisle.
He had never had money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many lollypops as he could carry – but the woman didn't have lollypops. What she did have were Bawdy Pot's Every Flavor Nuts, Drooly's Best Booming Gum, Chocolate Toads, Pumpkin Crumpets, Crock Cakes, Eucalyptus Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Harry got some of everything, and paid the woman four knuts. Ron watched the exchange with huge eyes.
"Hungry, are you?" Ron asked.
"Starving. Here, want some?"
The two dug into the pile of snacks. Harry found the chocolate toads and got an idea. Ron went and found Neville further down the train, still looking for his toad. He brought Neville back to the compartment.
As he opened the door he said jovially, "-And we found him under the seat."
Ron and Neville were followed by a few other boys who had apparently come to watch the fun.
Harry stood up, with hands clamped shut in front of him, one toward the compartment wall, and the other toward the window.
"Where's Trevor?" Neville asked breathlessly.
"Guess which hand he's in." Harry smirked.
"Uh," Neville stuttered, "The r-right one?"
Harry smiled broadly, "Correct!"
Neville smiled too. Harry opened his hand and the toad jumped out the window.
"Trevor!"
"Relax, it was just a chocolate toad," Harry laughed, "Trevor's right here."
He opened his left hand, revealing another toad. This one he smooshed against the wall. Neville looked like he was going to faint. Harry showed him a chocolate smeared hand.
"Got you again."
"That wasn't funny," Neville cried, "Now do you have Trevor, or not?"
"Nope, sorry, it was all a joke."
Neville left, crying, the other boys laughing very hard.
"That was very mean!" a girl cried from the back of the crowd.
Hermione pushed her way to the front, glaring at Harry and Ron.
"You made him think his toad was dead, you insensitive jerks!"
"Twice," Ron pointed out, "and it washilarious."
"That's no excuse!" she shouted at him.
Harry realized the situation might be getting a little out of control, "Look, we just wanted to play a joke. We didn't mean to hurt Neville's feelings."
Hermione blinked, glared at him again, sniffed, and stormed off.
When she was gone, Ron remarked, "Overdoing it a bit, wasn't she?"
"That was classic!" exclaimed a boy with brown hair and an Irish accent, "Name's Ernie Macmillan."
"Harry Potter."
There were gasps, and all eyes were drawn to his forehead. It made him very uncomfortable.
"I'm Terry Boot," said a boy with shaggy black hair similar to Harry's, and a pair of round glasses which slid down his nose repeatedly.
Harry shook his hand. Terry looked like he was about to faint. Then another girl pushed her way to the front of the pack.
"Susan Bones. I have to agree with Hermione, that you were really mean, but, um – You're really cool," she smiled, then noticed his broken glasses, "Let me see those." Then she said some funny words, which I wouldn't be able to spell if I tried, and wove her wand and fixed Harry's glasses.
"Wow, thanks," he said, smiling.
She blushed and scurried off in the direction Hermione had gone. Ernie clapped him on the shoulder and began telling him how cool he was. Eventually, though everyone wandered off except for Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, who joined them in the compartment. Then harry noticed that the Chocolate Toad boxes contained pictures with people moving in them. These held his attention for a few minutes, as Ron explained them.
Harry then read off the info on the back of the Dumbledore card, "Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, leading to the victory of the allies in the second World War, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling."
Harry looked over at his friends and Ron and said, "You know, it's odd how they never put irrelevant information like this about characters into books."
Seamus disagreed. "People these days have no patience for padding. If a book is too thick, it's not worth reading.
Just then, the compartment door opened again. Harry groaned, "Jeez, can't we just sit here in peace for five minutes?"
Hermione put her nose in the air, "Well! I just thought you'd like to know we'll be arriving in a few minutes."
The door slammed shut behind her. It was getting pretty dark outside. The boys changed into their black robes.
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 up to the school seter— spether- separately."
The train slowed, and then stopped.
Next time on HPMF:
Harry: Have we got any more of those chocolate toads?
Ron: Save some room for dinner Harry!
Hermione: We have to be sorted first, though. I wonder what house I'll be in.
Ron: So long as it's not the same house as mine, I'll be fine.