Ginny got up and passed the book to James.
"The Journey From Platform Nine And Three Quarters"He read.
"Woo finally off to Hogwarts and no more Dursley's!" Sirius cheered.
Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun.
"Was it fun before?" Ron asked confused.
"Not really but that last month was worse." Harry said.
True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him—in fact, they didn't speak to him at all.
"Well I would have counted that as an improvement." Sirius snorted.
Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.
"If I could get my hands on my sister." Lily said looking scary.
"Mum it's okay." Harry said. "Honestly I wish they were like it more often."
Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic.
Harry looked slightly upset at the mention of his lovely owl.
"At least you read your books." Said Lily approvingly.
"At least you're better at naming things then your father." Sirius chuckled.
"Yeah." Remus laughed. "Remember Purrbucket?"
Remus and Sirius laughed and James went bright red.
"What's Purrbucket?" asked Lily.
"Well with Remus's 'furry little problem' everyone thought he had a badly behaved rabbit." Sirius laughed. "When someone asked what his rabbit was called James came up with Purrbucket."
Everyone started laughing.
Lily laughed. "Thank god he didn't get his brains off of you."
His school books were very interesting.
"You sure this is your son Prongs?" asked Sirius earning a glare from James and Harry.
He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased.
"How'd you manage that?" Lily asked. "Petunia hates mess and animals. She would have gone mental at you."
It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, ("Ahh" Said Lily.) because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.
"I think everyone counts down the days till there back at school." Remus said.
On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television.
"What if they won't take him to King's Cross?" asked Lily softly.
"Of course they take him to King's Cross." James said.
"How can you be so sure?" Lily asked.
"Because otherwise there wouldn't be a book?" James said reasonably "And Harry said he met Molly. Where else would he meet her?"
"Your right." Said Lily perking up a bit.
He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.
"If only that lasted." Ron chuckled. "It would have been brilliant."
"Er—Uncle Vernon?"
Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.
"Er—I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to—to go to Hogwarts."
Uncle Vernon grunted again.
"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"
Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.
"I never knew you could speak troll Harry." Ginny smirked causing everyone to laugh.
"Thank you."
"At least you kept your manners." Molly said approvingly.
He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.
"Damn I thought he had stopped that." Remus said.
"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"
"He does know we don't use magic carpets right?" Arthur asked.
"I believe he knew." Harry said "I think he was trying to make it seem like a joke."
Harry didn't say anything.
"Where is this school, anyway?"
"Maybe I should have sent someone else to explain thing properly." Dumbledore mused. "Or at least gave Hagrid better instructions about what he had to explain."
"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.
"I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.
His aunt and uncle stared.
"So she's going to play the 'I don't know anything about magic' card." Lily said through gritted teeth.
"Lily calm down." James said moving away from her.
"She just makes me so angry." Lily cried.
"Platform what?"
"Nine and three-quarters."
"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."
"Of course there's a platform nine and three quarters." Ginny said "We just don't want you to know about it."
"It's on my ticket."
"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."
"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.
"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."
Everyone started laughing at that.
"I can't believe he had that tail for like a month." Sirius chocked.
Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep.
"You really should get some proper rest." Lily said. "Then again I was the same my first year at Hogwarts."
"I just can't wait to hear what you were like at school." James said smiling at Harry.
He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes—he'd change on the train.
"Smart." Sirius said. "First time I went Hogwarts I wore my robes there and got some really strange looks from Muggles at the station."
He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.
"It's not as if you're infected or something!" Ginny said crossly.
"Well in their opinion I probably was." Harry sighed. "They thought being a wizard was unnatural and dangerous."
"That is ridiculous." Remus exclaimed. "There is nothing wrong with being a wizard. There are things worse than that." He added darkly. He was used to being shunned and treated like he was dangerous to everyone but it was wrong to be treated like that when there was nothing wrong with you.
They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him.
"I don't like this." Sirius said narrowing his eyes. "He's being way too nice."
Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.
"I knew it." Sirius muttered.
"Nobody doubted you Padfoot." Remus said rolling his eyes.
"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine—platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"
He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.
"The poor dear." Molly fussed. "How on earth did you manage to get onto the platform if nobody told you how?"
Harry, Ron and Ginny just smiled know that Molly herself told Harry how to access the platform.
"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word.
"HE WHAT?!" Lily, James, Remus and Sirius yelled.
"I can't believe he just left you there!" James fumed.
"I know my sister hates me but how could she do that to her own nephew?" Lily said sadly.
"I can't believe it." Molly whispered.
Remus growled trying to control his inner wolf with difficulty.
"Its fine everyone." Harry sighed. "Just calm down. Things get better from now on."
Everyone relaxed slightly at that statement. Ron, however, was staring at Harry in shock.
"I can't believe I never asked why you were alone that day." He said.
"None of us even questioned it." Ginny said shocked. "Mum would be furious if she realised."
"It's fine honestly." Harry said smiling and holding Ginny's hand.
Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.
"Yeah that will go well 'hi can you tell me where Hogwarts is you know the school for magic and stuff'." Sirius chuckled.
"I can't imagine that going well with the Muggles." Hermione frowned. "Please tell me you didn't ask anyone."
He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters.
"At least you have some brains." Hermione muttered.
The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one.
"I can't believe how bad this is going." Lily said burying her head in James' shoulder.
"Someone should have picked him up on the day and showed him how to get there." Remus said.
"I'm sure if I had known I would have sent someone." Dumbledore assured them. "I can only presume that I thought Hagrid had told Harry everything he needed to know and that he would be fine."
In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.
"Please tell me you made it." Sirius begged.
"Please tell me nobody stopped you." Arthur said. "You could have broken the International Statute of Secrecy if a Muggle had stopped you."
"Nobody stopped me dad." Harry said looking at Arthur. "In fact the person who showed me how to get onto the platform should appear any minute."
"Was it me?" Sirius asked. "Did I finally show up?"
Harry said nothing and monitored for James to keep reading.
Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.
"Oh god, no." Arthur said.
At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.
"—packed with Muggles, of course—"
"I can't believe people are just walking around talking about Muggles in a Muggle area." Arthur exclaimed looking at Molly.
Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him—and they had an owl.
James stopped and frowned. Harry said the Weasleys had been his family since he was eleven. Was this when he first met them?
Ah the Weasleys they'll look after Harry, Dumbledore thought.
Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, Harry." Lily scolded him.
"Sorry mum." Harry said. "But I didn't know what else to do."
"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.
"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red headed, who was holding her hand, "Mum, can't I go…"
"This will be embarrassing." Ginny whispered going red.
"Why do I get the feeling she is doing that on purpose?" Sirius asked.
"What do you mean Padfoot?" Remus said. "Why would someone risk Muggles hearing them on purpose?"
"Well think about it." Sirius said. "This woman, who is obviously a witch, sees Harry standing there lost with an owl and a trunk speaks loudly about Muggles to get his attention. Then she asks the platform number, which she must know as she has four children with her and must of gone Hogwarts herself, all so that she can show him how to get onto the platform without showing she knows he's there."
Everyone stared at him in shock. Dumbledore gave a small chuckle.
"I never knew you could think Padfoot." James said stunned.
Sirius went red and mumbled at James to shut up.
"But why didn't she just approach Harry?" Lily asked.
"Because if she had and he wasn't a wizard she would have broken the law." Arthur said. "I'm rather impressed. Who was the woman?" He asked Harry.
"You'll see." Harry grinned.
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
Remus frowned. Wasn't the Weasleys third child called Percy?
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it—but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.
"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.
Arthur and Lily looked at each other. Was this Molly and the boys?
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"
Sirius' eyes opened wide.
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.
Everyone laughed at that.
"Gideon and Fabian use to do the exact same thing." Molly chuckled. Then suddenly she stopped and her eyes went wide. "It's me!" she cried.
"Yeah this is the day I first met you." Harry grinned. "Sirius was right you later told me you saw me looking lost and spoke loud so that I would hear and follow you."
"But it's me." Molly gasped shocked.
"Yeah it is. You showed me how to get onto the platform." Harry said. "It's today I met my new family, my best friend and Ginny."
Ginny went red. "These next few books will be torture." She moaned. "Keep reading please."
His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone—but how had he done it?
Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there—and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.
"It seems so weird when you describe it like that." Ron said.
There was nothing else for it.
"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.
Harry and Molly went red.
"Am I really plump?" Molly whispered to Arthur.
"Not at all dear." Arthur said.
"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.
"Thanks mate." Ron said whilst Hermione giggled.
"Sorry." Harry said. "But I didn't write this."
"Who did write it?" Dumbledore asked.
"A friend." Ginny grinned mysteriously.
"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is—the thing is, I don't know how to—"
"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.
"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."
"At last you're getting to Hogwarts." Sirius cheered.
"Er—okay," said Harry.
He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.
He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble—leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run—the barrier was coming nearer and nearer—he wouldn't be able to stop—the cart was out of control—he was a foot away—he closed his eyes ready for the crash—
"It was weird for me and my parents the first time." Lily smiled. "It's not easy to run at a solid looking wall."
It didn't come… he kept on running… he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam 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 Nine and Three-quarters on it, He had done it.
"Of course you did it." James said proudly.
"I still remember the platform" Lily said smiling. "That was when it all finally seemed real. Up till then it was like a dream."
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.
"I always wondered how all the animals manage to get on the train." Remus said. "I mean with them running loose I always wondered how they didn't get left behind."
"There is a spell on the platform ensuring that all the animals are on board by the time the train leaves." Dumbledore explained.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off 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."
"I'd hate to have a toad." Ginny said. "I just think there too slimy."
"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.
"Neville?" Lily asked. "Neville Longbottom?"
"Yeah that's him." Harry said.
"I wonder why his gran is taking him to Hogwarts his first time." James said.
"Frank and Alice don't die do they?" Asked Lily worried.
"No there not dead." Harry said.
"Where are they then?" Molly asked.
"I can't say yet." Harry said looking down.
A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.
"Give us a look, Lee, go on."
The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.
Ron shivered at the thought.
Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment 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 he dropped it painfully on his foot.
"Didn't you ask for help?" Lily asked.
"Remember that's how we met?" Sirius said grinning at James and Remus. "Me and James chose the same compartment and helped each other with our trunks and then we saw Remus struggling with his and went to help."
"Yeah I remember that." Remus smiled
"It was the start of an awesome friendship." James grinned.
"Want a hand?" It was one of the red haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.
"Yes, please," Harry panted.
"Oi, Fred! C'mere and help!"
"At least there nice enough to help." Molly said approvingly.
With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.
"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.
"And so it starts…" Harry muttered.
"Does it still happen?" Lily asked.
"Yeah it does." Harry said. "It did die down for a bit but it's got bad again now."
"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you—"
"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.
"What?" said Harry.
"You seriously said 'what'?" Ron snickered.
"Harry Potter," chorused the twins.
"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am."
"I think I'm going to have to teach you proper English before you leave." Lily frowned.
"Yeah and how to have a normal conversation." Sirius laughed.
The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.
"Fred? George? Are you there?"
"Coming, Mum."
With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.
"I'm so sorry my sons were so rude." Molly apologised.
"Its fine mum." Harry assured her. "Honestly they were- I mean are some of the best friends I ever had."
Harry went silent thinking of Fred. Ginny, Hermione and Ron looked close to tears. They couldn't let people know what had happened to him.
Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying.
"We really have to teach you not to eavesdrop." Lily said.
"Sorry mum." Harry blushed. "But I was just curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat." Hermione said.
"She's right one day curiosity your will get you into trouble young man." Lily said sternly.
"Too late." Muttered Ron, Hermione and Ginny together.
Their 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.
"I use to hate it when my mum did that." James shuddered.
"I use to hate it when you mum did that too." Sirius laughed.
"Mum—geroff—" He wriggled free.
"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.
James, Sirius and Remus snickered.
"Shut up," said Ron.
"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 with the letter P on it.
"He's a prefect!" Molly exclaimed. "Oh that's wonderful."
"Yeah sure it was." Ron said rolling his eyes.
"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves—"
"He sounds rather…" Remus hesitated.
"Pompous?" Ron suggested.
"Ronald don't be mean to your brother." Molly scolded him.
"He was though mum." Ginny said. "He was awful always going on about how he was destined for bigger and better then all of us."
"Oh well. Maybe it's because it's he's become a prefect." Molly said defensively.
"We'll see." Ron said.
"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."
"See," Molly jumped in, "He hasn't even mentioned it."
Ron and Ginny smirked.
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once—"
"Or twice—"
"A minute—"
"All summer—"
"Oh." Molly said going red.
"I like these twins." Sirius grinned.
"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.
Hermione gave a little giggle.
"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.
Molly and Arthur blushed a little. Although they loved there life and there family they hated that their children had to go without.
"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term—send me an owl when you get 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—"
"THEY BLEW UP A TOILET?" Everyone in the room (except the time travellers) yelled at the same time but in different ways. Even Dumbledore raised his voice a bit.
Molly and Arthur yelled it in shock and anger. Lily and Dumbledore didn't quite yell but they raised their voice and asked it in disbelief. Remus was torn between disbelief and admiration. James and Sirius had yelled it in admiration. How comes they had never thought of that?
"I don't believe it." Molly said. "How could they do that? I wouldn't raise them like that. Would I?" She turned to Arthur.
"No you wouldn't." Arthur soothed Molly.
"Please tell me they didn't do that." Molly begged.
"Molly it says in the next sentence that they haven't blown up a toilet." James assured her.
"Really?" Molly asked.
"Really." James said. "The next sentence says "Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet." See it's all okay."
"Thank goodness." Molly said.
"Great idea though, thanks, Mum."
Molly groaned again.
"It's not funny. And look after Ron."
"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."
"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.
"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"
"Hearing it from your point of view it is rather annoying." Ron said to Harry.
Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.
"You know that black haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"
"Who?"
"You know you told me later on you recognised me but you wasn't sure if it was me or not." Harry said.
"Harry Potter!"
Harry heard the little girl's voice.
"Little girl?" asked Ginny raising her eyebrows at Harry.
"You know I didn't mean it." Harry said going red. "I didn't know who you were then."
"Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please…"
Ginny buried her face in her hands whilst Ron and Harry did their best not to laugh.
"Ginny!" Molly exclaimed shocked.
"I know, I know." Ginny mumbled her head buried in Harrys shoulder. "Let's just drop it okay?"
"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"
"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there—like lightning."
"Have you still got it?" Sirius asked. "Just out of curiosity."
Harry lifted up his fringe and showed everyone his scar.
"Poor dear—no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."
"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"
Everyone gasped.
"I can't believe they asked that." Molly whispered, deadly calm.
"They wouldn't dare." Arthur said firmly.
"They didn't ask me." Harry said.
Their mother suddenly became very stern.
"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."
"At least he has you to look out for him." Lily said smiling at Molly.
"All right, keep your hair on."
A whistle sounded.
"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good bye, and their younger sister began to cry.
"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."
"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."
James, Sirius and Remus laughed a bit at that.
"We should of done that when we was at school." Sirius said.
"George!"
"Only joking, Mum."
The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.
"How long was it before you actually knew my name?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows at Harry.
"I'm sure I knew it by the end of this year." He grinned. "Sorry it took me so long."
Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.
"Anything had to be better then what you were leaving behind." Remus said.
The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.
"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."
"It's nice that you two have met up again." Lily smiled. "We had always hoped you would grow up to be good friends."
"Yeah well we have been friends ever since that day on the train." Harry said.
Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.
Ron blushed red.
"Hey, Ron."
The twins were back.
"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train—Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
"Cool!" Sirius said. "I didn't know you were allowed to bring them to Hogwarts."
"I don't believe you are Mr. Black." Dumbledore said, thinking of what happened when Hagrid tried to keep a spider as a pet.
"Right," mumbled Ron.
"I hate spiders." He said shivering.
"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."
"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.
"Please tell me you didn't just sit with Harry so you could check who he was?" Hermione asked.
"Eh, yeah, sorta." Ron mumbled. "Sorry mate." He added looking at Harry.
"It's alright mate." Harry said. "It's how we became friends after all."
Harry nodded.
"Oh well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got—you know…"
He pointed at Harry's forehead.
"Ronald!" Molly said shocked.
"Sorry mum." Ron said.
Harry pulled back his fringe to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.
"So that's where You-Know-Who—?"
"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."
"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.
"Well—I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."
"How is it that you can remember that?" Lily asked. "You were only a baby."
"People can recall traumatic event that happen to them as a baby." Hermione said. "It's sorta like if something hurt you remember it so you can avoid it in the future."
"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.
"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.
"Er—Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."
"So you must know loads of magic already."
"Mum would have killed us if we had tried." Ron said.
"Well it is against the law to use magic." Molly said firmly.
The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.
"Well we are an old wizarding family but we take pride in not being like the Malfoy's." Arthur said.
"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"
"Horrible—well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."
"That's because you hadn't met them properly yet." Ginny smirked.
"That's not nice Ginny." Molly scolded her.
"I'm joking mum." Ginny laughed. "Mostly." She added in a whisper to Harry.
"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy.
"Why would you look gloomy?" Ginny asked. "I know there annoying at times but there our brothers."
"You'll see in a minute." Ron mumbled going bright red.
"I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts.
"I still find it amazing that none of you are squibs." Remus muttered to himself. "Normally the more children you have the higher the chance that one of them will be a squib. You must be descended from really old powerful magic dating back to when Hogwarts first started."
"Ignore him." James said to a bemused looking Arthur. "He's been like this forever. He was the same when me and Sirius first met him."
You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left—Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. (Molly beamed.)Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first.
Molly and Arthur both gasped and looked at Ron who was bright red and looking anywhere but at his parents and sister.
"Oh Ron." Molly whispered, starting to cry. "Of course it would be a big deal."
"You're our son Ron." Arthur said. "Whatever you do we will be proud of you just like we would be proud of your brothers and sister."
"Yeah I know." Ron said bright red and not looking at them. "Can we keep reading please?"
"But we need to talk about this." Molly said.
"Alright we can talk about this when we stop reading for the night, okay?" Ron asked.
"Alright son." Arthur replied.
You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."
Harry, Ron and Ginny glared darkly at the book at the mention of the rat.
"Stop or they will notice something." Hermione hissed at them.
Remus glanced over at them wondering what they was on about.
Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep.
"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff—I mean, I got Scabbers instead."
Ron, Arthur and Molly went red.
"Well I for one would rather be as we are then rich snobs like the Malfoys." Ginny snorted, appearing to be the only Weasley not affected. "Sure they have more money but we have more love and family right?"
Molly smiled at her. "That's right. We still want to be able to give you everything you want though."
"I might not of got everything I wanted but I have everything I ever needed." Ginny smiled.
Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.
Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.
Everyone stared at Ron as he turned red again.
"It wasn't that mate." He said meekly. "It was just we all thought you was being raised in a mansion with everything you wanted, being waited on hand and foot by house elves. Hearing that you had nothing and were like me…" Ron shrugged. "It just made you seem more normal." He smiled at Harry.
"I was…I mean am normal though." Harry sighed. "I wish people would understand that."
"…and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort—"
Molly and Arthur gasped stunned.
"Yeah he had a habit for just casually bringing up Voldemort's name." Ron shrugged. "You get used to it."
Ron gasped.
"What?" said Harry.
"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people—"
"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn… I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."
"Oh Harry." Lily sighed looking at him. "I wish I had been there to tell you not to worry."
"It's alright mum." Harry smiled. "I know I was just panicking."
"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."
While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.
Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"
"Ah the lunch trolley." Sirius sighed happily. "Makes me hungry just thinking about it." he added looking at Molly and winking.
"I'll get dinner ready after this." She smiled kindly at him.
Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.
He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry—but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, 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 silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.
Sirius stomach growled. "All this food talk is killing me." He muttered.
Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.
"Hungry, are you?"
"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.
"You should rally eat breakfast." Molly scolded him.
"Sorry mum." Harry grinned. "I was too excited that morning to eat anything."
Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."
"Sorry Ron, dear." Molly said.
"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on—"
"You are defiantly your mother's son." Remus said smiling at Harry and Lily. "She is amazingly kind to others too."
Harry and Lily smiled at each other.
"You saying I'm not kind?" James pouted.
"You will never be as kind as Lily, Prongs." Sirius said.
"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."
"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).
"You should eat a better lunch." Molly said. "All them sweets are no good for you."
"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.
Everyone laughed a bit at that.
"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."
"What?"
"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know—Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect—famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."
"500 cards?" Remus asked. "I'm impressed. I got all of them but it took me almost 800 frogs until I got them."
Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and moustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.
"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.
"I still can't believe you didn't know about Dumbledore." Ron said shaking his head. "I thought everyone had heard of him. I mean he is rather famous."
"You flatter me Mr. Weasley." Said Dumbledore smiling over his half-moon spectacles.
"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa—thanks—"
Harry turned over his card and read:
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS
Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.
"Bowling?" asked Lily surprised. "I never knew you liked that professor."
"I have found it a rather engaging and relaxing way to spend my precious free time away from school duties." Dumbledore said.
"I wish I had remembered this card sooner." Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione while Lily and Dumbledore spoke. "It would of saved us a lot of trouble."
"Yes but then you might not of found the mirror." Hermione replies. "Everything happens for a reason remember."
Remus frowned. Thanks to his wolf hearing he could hear what Harry and the others were saying and he was starting to get worried.
Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.
Lily laughed. "It surprised me too the first time." She said.
"He's gone!"
"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting."
Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.
"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."
"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"
"Yeah it is a bit strange." James said thinking of the picture of Lily's parents at home that never moved.
Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
"I had a rather unpleasant experience with them in my youth and haven't managed to trust them since." Dumbledore mused quietly. James, Sirius and Remus snickered at the thought of a young Dumbledore getting a bad flavoured bean.
"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour—you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a bogey-flavoured one once."
Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.
"Bleaaargh—see? Sprouts."
"Mmm sprouts." Sighed Sirius earning him a strange look off of Ron, Harry and Ginny.
They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end of a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.
"Considering the flavours they normally have that's not too bad." Remus said.
The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had 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.
"Oh dear I hope Neville's alright." Molly said.
"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"
When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"Aww poor Neville." Lily said.
"Yeah but if I had a toad at Hogwarts I'd lose it as soon as I could." Sirius said. "They are so unpopular."
"Don't be mean Sirius." Lily said. "Some people like toads."
"He'll turn up," said Harry.
"I can assure you that the magic on the train ensures that no animals are left on board when it departs from Hogwarts." Dumbledore said.
"Too bad it doesn't do the same for people." Harry muttered to Ginny.
Remus frowned again. Who does Harry know that was left on the train?
"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…"
He left.
"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could.
"See Ron agrees with me." Sirius grinned.
Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."
The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.
"That is one lazy rat." James said surprised.
"Reminds me of a rat I know." Sirius laughed.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny glanced at Sirius wondering if he would work it out so soon and how the group will react when they find out. Remus noticed the looks.
It can't actually be Wormtail can it? Remus thought. Why would Peter be pretending to be a pet rat? He would have to have a word with Harry later.
"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"
"Why do I get the feeling this will go badly?" Sirius asked Ron.
"Ronald Weasley I can't believe you would attempt magic when you are underage and untrained." Molly yelled at him. "You could hurt yourself and everyone around you."
"Sorry mum." Ron mumbled red. "But it wasn't even a real spell just a dud that George gave me."
James and Sirius laughed. That sounded like something they would do.
He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.
"My word didn't your brother take care of his wand?" Remus asked shocked.
"You know how dangerous a broken want can be right?" Sirius asked.
Molly and Arthur looked shocked and a little embarrassed. What if Ron's wand backfired because they couldn't afford to buy him a new one?
I might have to have a word with Arthur about him accepting a small grant from the school, Dumbledore thought. It wouldn't do for Mr. Weasley to have an accident because they couldn't afford a new wand.
"My wand was fine." Ron assured his parents. "For the first year." He added in a whisper the only Remus heard.
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway—"
Remus shuddered.
He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.
Hermione blushed red. She knows that she was rather unbearable in their first year and that she never really saw eye to eye with Ron and there first year was really bad but it's going to be embarrassing hearing it from Harry's point of view.
"So this is when you all first met?" Ginny whispered to Harry who nodded.
Harry noticed that Ron was looking rather uncomfortable. Until they fought the troll he said some rather mean things about Hermione and he hoped she wouldn't hold it against him now.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.
Hermione's blush deepened. "I wasn't really like that was I?" She whispered to Ron.
Ron gulped. "Well a little." He mumbled going red.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."
She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.
"I think anyone would be." Sirius said looking a bit taken aback himself. "Did you find out who she was?"
"Err yeah we did." Ron said. "She isn't that bad."
"She sounds like a perfect teacher's pet to me." Sirius laughed. "We use to play pranks on people like her all the time."
Ron and Hermione flushed.
"Er—all right."
He cleared his throat.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
There was a moment of silence in which Ron turned red. Then everyone in the room started laughing.
"I can't believe you thought that was real." Ginny chocked out.
"Ginny don't be mean to your brother." Molly said trying not to laugh herself.
"Read please." Ron begged.
He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.
Dumbledore frowned. Even a fake spell should have an effect on the rat, He thought. I wonder why nothing at all happened.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me.
"She does know that's against the law right?" Arthur asked.
"Well muggleborns are allowed to show their parents some magic to prove there learning at school." Hermione said sharply defending her earlier actions. "And besides she might have tried magic on the train and that's not illegal."
Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard—I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough—I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"
Everyone was quiet in the room as they stared at Hermione, who was bright red and hiding her head on Ron's shoulder.
"That was you?" asked James shocked.
"I know you said she was bad but…" Ginny whispered to Harry who grinned.
"How are you three friends?" Sirius asked. "I mean you're a bit different aren't you?"
"I know I was rather bad the first few months but then we became friends." Hermione said.
"How did that happen?" Lily asked curious. She could see that Hermione and Harry were like her and James in their first year. What could have happened to make them friends?
"We just had to get over a big hurdle that was in the way." Harry laughed thinking of the troll they beat together.
"Is that a literal hurdle or a metaphorical hurdle?" Dumbledore chuckled.
"A bit of both." Hermione gave a small smile. "Shall we keep going?"
She said all this very fast.
Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.
"Does anyone?" Sirius muttered to Remus.
"You two seem very difference." Molly said casually to Ron and Hermione.
"Yeah we are a bit." Ron grinned.
Arthur smiled and nudged Molly to let her know to leave it. They could talk about their son and his girlfriend later.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter," said Harry.
"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course—I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"I can't believe how much you read." Sirius said. "It's making me hungry."
"There's nothing wrong with reading." Remus said.
"I'm starting to worry about Harry." Lily said.
"Why?" James and Harry asked.
"Well the amount of fame you're getting and how easy it is to find information out about you." Lilly worried. "I mean anyone could find out about you and try to hurt you."
"Mum honest I was fine." Harry said.
"It's a mother's job to worry." Lilly smiled at him.
"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.
"You know you really made me feel awkward." Harry said to Hermione.
"Sorry." She blushed.
"Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…
"You better be in Gryffindor of I'm disowning you." Sirius said to Harry.
"Sirius we wouldn't disown our son no matter what house he was in." Lily said sternly.
"Unless it was Slytherin." James joked earning him a slap from Lily.
Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."
"How did you know you would be there soon?" Arthur asked.
"I asked the prefects in the corridor." Hermione replied.
And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.
There was a gasp of shock around the room and everyone looked at Ron who was bright red.
"Charming, Ronald." Hermione sighed and shook her head with a small smile. "Just keep reading please, James."
He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell—George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
James and Sirius smiled.
"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.
"Gryffindor," said Ron. (Molly and Arthur smiled.)Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."
"It don't matter what house you're in its how well you do in it." Arthur said.
"That's the house Vol—, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"
"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.
"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.
Lilly smiled at her son's kindness.
"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"
Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.
"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons,
"So that's who you know who wants a dragon." Sirius asked.
"Yeah it is." Ginny grinned.
Molly had turned white and looked rather faint.
"Are you alright dear?" Arthur asked concerned.
"He studies dragons in Romania?" Molly whispered. "But he's so far from home and he could get hurt…"
"He's alright mum he's at home with us at the minute." Ron said. "And besides he can take care of himself, he just has a few burn scars."
Molly went even whiter. "My little boy…" She whimpered looking close to tears
"Maybe you should keep reading." Lily whispered to James.
and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.
"Do all my son's leave home to do dangerous job's?" Molly asked a little angry and hurt.
"Not all of them." Ginny said quickly. "Just them."
"Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles—someone tried to rob a high security vault."
"What?!" Everyone cried in disbelief.
"Let me read and we can find out." James said getting annoyed now.
Harry stared.
"Really? What happened to them?"
"We all want to know that." Muttered Sirius earning him a glare off James.
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."
"It wasn't Voldemort was it?" James asked. "I mean I know we joke about it but still."
"No it wasn't Voldemort." Harry said. He wasn't exactly lying at the time it was just Quirrell acting on Voldemort's orders not Voldemort himself.
"Who was it then?" Molly asked. "I thought it was impossible to break into Gringotts and get away with it."
"We can't tell you who it was yet." Hermione said.
Dumbledore was quiet thinking. Who would want to break into Gringotts and why? Could they be after the Philosophers stone? And if they were Hagrid got it just in time. But how would I know it needed moving?
"I can't believe the person wasn't caught." Arthur said shocked. "They must have been a powerful dark witch or wizard to do that."
"What I don't understand is why nothing was taken." Remus mused.
Everyone went silent.
"I didn't think of that." Lily said shocked.
"Well it could be for a few reasons." James said. "Either they couldn't find it or…"
"Or it had already been taken." Sirius cut in looking at Harry. "That's what happened isn't it? The robber was after the package that Hagrid took, wasn't he?"
Everyone looked at Harry waiting for the answer.
"We can't say until later." Hermione said sternly.
Everyone sighed hating that they wasn't being told anything. James, Sirius and Remus smirked knowing from Hermione's tone that Sirius was right. Hermione was just a bit annoyed that everyone figured out what was happening so early on in the book.
Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.
"You might be the only person alive who feels more comfortable and less worried saying Voldemort instead of You-Know-Who." Ron said shaking his head.
"What's your favourite Quidditch team?" Ron asked.
"Er—I don't know any," Harry confessed.
"Ouch." James winced.
"I know." Ron muttered.
"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world—" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.
Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.
"Damn Malfoy's." Sirius grumbled. He was certain it was Lucius Malfoy's son.
"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?"
"How rude." Molly said.
"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.
"Let me guess." Sirius said rolling his eyes. "Crabbe and Goyle right?"
"Yeah." James said surprised. "How did you know?"
"Crabbe and Goyle always follow Lucius around I figured there sons would do the same with Lucius' son." Sirius said shrugging.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
"Knew it." Sirius muttered.
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."
Everyone gave a small gasp.
"The Malfoys look down on everyone." Arthur said. "I don't even want to dignify that sentence with a response. Please keep reading."
He turned back to Harry. "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.
"My son would never be friends with a person like you." Lily said determinedly.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.
"That's it Harry insult him in a way you can't get in trouble for." Sirius grinned.
"Thank god you didn't become friends with a Malfoy." James sighed. "Everyone knows they support Voldemort." He wondered how the Malfoy's were not in jail. He would have to ask later.
Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.
"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 with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
Everyone started yelling angrily. Even Dumbledore looked rather scary.
"If you didn't curse him into next month or break his nose I will be very disappointed in you two." Sirius said looking at Ron and Harry.
"I do break his nose just not today." Ron said smirking at the memory.
"Ronald!" Molly yelled looking at him.
"Mum trust me he deserved it." Ron said darkly. "Can we finish the chapter now? I'm hungry."
Both Harry and Ron stood up.
"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.
"Yeah that's it Harry." Sirius cheered.
"Please don't encourage my son to fight." Lily sighed.
"It's my job as his godfather to encourage him to fight because you will not." Sirius argued sticking his tongue out.
"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, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.
"What did you do?" asked Remus asked.
"Nothing honestly." Harry said.
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.
"Do you have a knack for showing up whenever they are doing something stupid?" James asked.
"Yeah something like that." Hermione smiled.
"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.
"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No—I don't believe it—he's gone back to sleep—"
Everyone except the time travellers chuckled at that.
And so he had.
"You've met Malfoy before?"
"Regrettably." Harry muttered making Ginny laugh.
Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.
"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."
"It's true." Arthur sighed. "How comes Malfoy isn't in jail for his involvement with You-Know-Who?"
"A lot of money in the right pockets." Ginny said darkly.
He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"
"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. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
Sirius opened his mouth to say something then thought better of it seeing how ashamed Hermione looked about her younger behaviour.
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"
"All right—I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"
"I can't believe how annoying I was." Hermione whispered causing Ron, Harry and Ginny to smirk. "I can understand why you didn't like me."
"I love you now and that's what important." Ron whispered to her making her smile.
Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.
He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.
Molly and Arthur blushed a little and looked uncomfortable.
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."
"You know professor they really should mention pets as well as luggage in that announcement." Ginny said.
"I shall look into it when I get back to school." Dumbledore assured her kindly.
Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"
"It wouldn't be Hogwarts without Hagrid." Lily smiled.
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed 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 Hagrid 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.
"They really should have lanterns there in case someone slips and gets hurt." Molly worried.
"I will also look into that when I get back Molly." Dumbledore said.
Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
"That is always the most beautiful view of Hogwarts." Lily smiled.
"Yeah it is." Molly, Hermione and Ginny chorused.
"It's good that only the first years go across the lake though." Remus said. "It wouldn't be as special if you did it every year."
"Also it gives everyone else enough time to get there before you." Arthur said.
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"I can see it now." Lily sighed, content.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, 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.
"Damn nobody fell in." Said James with mock sadness.
"Did someone fall in when you went across?" Harry asked.
"Yeah Peter did." Remus sighed. "And Sirius decided to jump in after."
"I wanted to see the giant squid!" Sirius defended himself.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid 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.
"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Oh good he found it on the train." Lily said.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid'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 crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
"That's it." James said.
"I'll do dinner and we can keep reading." Molly said standing
"Before we do can we have a quick break?" Harry asked. "I need to talk to Dumbledore."
"Of course." Dumbledore said. "Molly, Arthur may we take a stole around your garden to talk?"
"Of course." Arthur said. "We'll wait here."
"It may be best if dad goes too mate." Ron muttered to him.
"Your right." Harry said. "Can you come too?" He asked looking at Arthur.
The three of them got up and walked into the garden. After a short distance, Harry turned to them.
"I need you to get someone…"