Tick Tock and Around Again and Then Back Tot He Point Where I Found My Pen

Chapter half-dozen

Harry's last calendar month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't close Harry in his closet, force him to do anything, or shout at him -- in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though whatsoever chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did get a bit depressing after a while.

Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to telephone call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His schoolhouse books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading belatedly into the nighttime, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing dorsum 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.

On the last twenty-four hours of Baronial he thought he'd amend speak to his aunt and uncle virtually getting to Rex's Cantankerous station the next day, so he went downwards to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his pharynx to let them know he was at that place, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.

"Er -- Uncle Vernon?"

Uncle Vernon grunted to testify he was listening.

"Er -- I demand to be at King's Cross tomorrow to -- to go to Hogwarts. "

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

"Would it exist all right if you gave me a lift?"

Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.

"Thank y'all. "

He was most to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon really spoke.

"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

Harry didn't say annihilation.

"Where is this school, anyway?"

"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.

"Platform what?"

"9 and three-quarters. "

"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "At that place is no platform nine and 3-quarters. "

"It'southward on my ticket. "

"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You lot merely expect. All right, we'll take you to Rex's Cross. We're going upward to London tomorrow anyhow, or I wouldn't bother. "

"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to go on things friendly.

"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that red tail removed before he goes to Smeltings. "

Harry woke at five o'clock the next morn and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. 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 alter on the train. He checked his Hogwarts listing yet once 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 upward. Ii hours later, Harry'southward 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.

They reached Male monarch'due south Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry idea this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Well, there yous are, male child. Platform ix -- platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the center, but they don't seem to take built it notwithstanding, do they?"

He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number ix over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the ane next to information technology, and in the heart, nothing at all.

"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier grinning. He left without another give-and-take. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry'south oral fissure 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 take to enquire someone.

He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what office of the country it was in, he started to get bellyaching, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the railroad train that left at 11 o'clock, simply the guard said there wasn't ane. In the stop the guard strode away, muttering almost fourth dimension wasters. Harry was at present trying hard non to panic. According to the big clock over the arrivals board, he had 10 minutes left to become on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to practise it; he was stranded in the eye of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket total of sorcerer money, and a large owl.

Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to practice, like borer the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and starting time tapping the ticket inspector's stand up betwixt platforms nine and ten.

At that moment a grouping of people passed simply behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"-- packed with Muggles, of course--"

Harry swung circular. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to iv boys, all with flaming ruddy hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him -- and they had an owl.

Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and and then did he, simply virtually plenty to hear what they were saying.

"At present, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Ix and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I get. . . "

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now exist tranquility. All right, Percy, yous become outset. "

What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms ix and ten. Harry watched, careful not to glimmer in case he missed it -- but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the 2 platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and past the time the last backpack had cleared abroad, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'grand not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you lot tell I'1000 George?"

"Sorry, George, dear. "

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the male child, and off he went. His twin chosen after him to hurry upward, and he must have done then, considering a second later, he had gone -- but how had he washed it?

At present the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost in that location -- and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.

"Hi, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron'southward new, as well. "

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.

"Yeah," said Harry. "The thing is -- the thing is, I don't know how to--"

"How to become onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to practise is walk straight at the bulwark betwixt platforms nine and ten. Don't finish and don't be scared you'll crash into information technology, that's very of import. Best do information technology at a flake of a run if you lot're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron. "

"Er -- okay," said Harry.

He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. Information technology looked very solid.

He started to walk toward information technology. People jostled him on their manner to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that bulwark and so he'd exist in trouble -- leaning forwards on his cart, he bankrupt into a heavy run -- the bulwark was coming nearer and nearer -- he wouldn't exist able to end -- the cart was out of control -- he was a foot away -- he closed his eyes set for t

he crash --

It didn't come up. . . he kept on running. . . he opened his optics. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked backside him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Ix and Iii-Quarters on information technology, He had done it.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and in that location between their legs. Owls hooted to one some other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

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 downward the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a circular-faced male child who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again. "

"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.

A male child 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 every bit something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

Harry pressed on through the crowd until he establish an empty compartment well-nigh the terminate of the train. He put Hedwig inside offset and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to elevator information technology up the steps but could inappreciably raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the scarlet-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.

"Yeah, please," Harry panted.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and assistance!"

With the twins' assist, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Cheers," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"What's that?" said 1 of the twins all of a sudden, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you -- ?"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't y'all?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry.

"Harry Potter. " chorused the twins.

"Oh, him," said Harry. "I hateful, yep, I am. "

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. And then, to his relief, a vocalism came floating in through the train's open up door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom. "

With a last expect at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry saturday downwardly next to the window where, half hidden, he could lookout man the cherry-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, you've got something on your olfactory organ. "

The youngest boy tried to wiggle out of the manner, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the stop of his nose.

"Mom -- geroff" He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.

"Close up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He'south coming now. "

The oldest male child came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing blackness Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver bluecoat on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Tin't stay long, Female parent," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects accept got two compartments to themselves--"

"Oh, are you lot a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, nosotros had no idea. "

"Hang on, I call up I recollect him proverb something about it," said the other twin. "One time--"

"Or twice--"

"A minute--"

"All summertime--"

"Oh, close up," said Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said ane of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All correct, dearest, well, have a proficient term -- send me an owl when yous get there. "

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. And then she turned to the twins.

"Now, y'all two -- this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more than owl telling me you've -- yous've blown upwardly a toilet or--"

"Diddled up a toilet? We've never blown upwards a toilet. "

"Great idea though, cheers, Mom. "

"It'south non funny. And look after Ron. "

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safety with us. "

"Close up," said Ron over again. He was nigh as alpine as the twins already and his nose was still pinkish where his mother had rubbed it.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Judge who we just met on the train?"

Harry leaned dorsum rapidly 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?"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry heard the little girl's vocalism.

"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please. . . "

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something yous goggle at in a zoo. Is he actually, Fred? How exercise you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. Information technology's really at that place -- like lightning. "

"Poor love -- no wonder he was lonely, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform. "

"Never mind that, practice you lot think he remembers what Y'all-Know-Who looks similar?"

Their mother all of a sudden became very stern.

"I preclude you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you lot dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school. "

"All right, keep your pilus 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 buss them good-adieu, and their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you lot loads of owls. "

"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat. "

"George!"

"Only joking, Mom. "

The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, one-half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered as well much speed, then she fell dorsum and waved.

Harry watched the girl and her female parent 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 improve than what he was leaving behind.

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 total. "

Harry shook his head and the boy saturday down. He glanced at Harry and so looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he notwithstanding had a black mark on his nose.

"Hey, Ron. "

The twins were back.

"Listen, nosotros're going down the middle of the train -- Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there. "

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Harry," said the other twin, "did we innovate ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you afterward, so. "

"Farewell," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you lot really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

Harry nodded.

"Oh -- well, I idea it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And take yous actually got -- you lot know. . . "

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who -- ?"

"Yep," said Harry, "but I can't remember it. "

"Aught?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well -- I remember a lot of green calorie-free, only nothing else. "

"Wow," said Ron. He saturday and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had of a sudden realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window once again.

r /> "Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just equally interesting as Ron plant him.
"Er -- Yep, I retrieve then," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a 2nd cousin who'south an accountant, but we never talk about him. "

"So you must know loads of magic already. "

The Weasleys were clearly one of those sometime wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Aisle had talked almost.

"I heard yous went to alive with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"Horrible -- well, non all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers. "

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'yard the 6th in our family unit to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live upward to. Bill and Charlie have already left -- Nib was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. At present Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still become actually proficient marks and anybody thinks they're actually funny. Everyone expects me to exercise too as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did information technology first. You never get anything new, either, with v brothers. I've got Bill's onetime robes, Charlie's sometime wand, and Percy'southward old rat. "

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray 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 beingness made a prefect, just they couldn't aff -- I mean, I got Scabbers instead. "

Ron'due south ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said also much, considering he went back to staring out of the window.

Harry didn't remember there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. Later on all, he'd never had whatsoever money in his life until a calendar month ago, and he told Ron then, all near having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron upwardly.

". . . and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or near my parents or Voldemort--"

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who'south proper noun!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people--"

"I'm not trying to be brave or annihilation, proverb the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. Run across what I mean? I've got loads to learn. . . I bet," he added, voicing for the start time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the grade. "

"Y'all won't exist. There's loads of people who come up from Muggle families and they larn 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 fourth dimension, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half by twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry, who hadn't had whatever breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron'south ears went pink over again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.

He had never had whatever money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and argent he was set up to buy every bit many Mars Confined as he could carry -- simply the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did take 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 xi silver Sickles and seven statuary Knuts.

Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped information technology onto an empty seat.

"Hungry, are you?"

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin gummy.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped information technology. At that place were four sandwiches within. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't similar corned beef. . "

"Swap you for ane of these," said Harry, property up a viscous. "Go on--"

"You don't desire this, it'due south all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much fourth dimension," he added apace, "you lot know, with five of usa. "

"Continue, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had annihilation to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a overnice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their mode through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're non really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.

"No," said Ron. "But come across what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa. "

"What?"

"Oh, of form, you wouldn't know -- Chocolate Frogs accept cards, inside them, you know, to collect -- famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, merely I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy. "

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the carte. It showed a man's confront. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, kleptomaniacal nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

"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 past many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the night 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.

Harry turned the carte du jour back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore'southward confront had disappeared.

"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. . . practice you want it? You can start collecting. "

Ron'due south eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to exist unwrapped.

"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you lot know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos. "

"Practice they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"

Harry stared equally Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his menu and gave him a small smile. Ron was more than interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his optics off them. Soon he had not merely Dumbledore and Morgana, simply 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 up a purse of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they mean every season -- yous know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, just then y'all can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once. "

Ron picked up a green edible bean, looked at information technology advisedly, and fleck into a corner.

"Bleaaargh -- see? Sprouts. "

They had a expert time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, kokosnoot, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even dauntless plenty to nibble the end off a funny greyness one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.

The countryside at present flying past the window was condign wilder. The nifty fields had gone. Now there were forest, twisting rivers, and night greenish hills.

In that location was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced male child Harry had passed on platform ix and iii-quarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Pitiful," he said, "but have y'all seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn upwardly," said Harry.

"Aye," said the male child miserably. "Well, if yous come across him. . . "

He
left.
"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it every bit quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk. "

The rat was still snoozing on Ron'south lap.

"He might have died and y'all wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him xanthous yesterday to make him more interesting, simply the spell didn't work. I'll bear witness you, look. . . "

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 cease.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway--"

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open up over again. The toadless boy was dorsum, only this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost 1," she said. She had a snobby sort of voice, lots of bushy chocolate-brown pilus, and rather large front teeth.

"We've already told him nosotros oasis't seen information technology," said Ron, only the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his manus.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's run into it, then. "

She saturday downward. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er -- all correct. "

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fatty rat yellow. "

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast comatose.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very skilful, is it? I've tried a few elementary spells simply for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family'southward magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was always so pleased, of grade, I hateful, information technology's the very best school of witchcraft at that place is, I've heard -- I've learned all our grade books by heart, of course, I but hope it will be enough -- I'grand Hermione Granger, past the manner, who are you?"

She said all this very fast.

Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to run into by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the class books by heart either.

"I'chiliad Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you actually?" said Hermione. "I know all virtually you, of grade -- I got a few extra books, for background reading, and yous're in Modern Magical History and The Rising and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. "

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling mazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have institute out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Practice either of y'all know what house yous'll be in? I've been request around, and I hope I'yard in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the all-time; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. . . Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville'southward toad. Y'all two had amend change, you lot know, I look we'll exist there soon. "

And she left, taking the toadless male child with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell -- George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud. "

"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, likewise. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be as well bad, simply imagine if they put me in Slytherin. "

"That's the business firm Vol-, I hateful, You-Know-Who was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped dorsum into his seat, looking depressed.

"You lot know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron'southward mind off houses. "Then what practice your oldest brothers exercise now that they've left, anyhow?"

Harry was wondering what a magician did once he'd finished schoolhouse.

"Charlie'due south in Romania studying dragons, and Beak's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did yous hear well-nigh Gringotts? Information technology'southward been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you lot become that with the Muggles -- someone tried to rob a high security vault. "

Harry stared.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why information technology'south such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Night wizard to get circular Gringotts, merely they don't think they took annihilation, that'southward what's odd. 'Course, anybody gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who'southward backside it. "

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 earth, but it had been a lot more comfortable proverb "Voldemort" without worrying.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Er -- I don't know whatever. " Harry confessed.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you expect, information technology'south the best game in the world -- " And he was off, explaining all about the 4 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 go if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the effectively points of the game when the compartment door slid open nevertheless 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 store. He was looking at Harry with a lot more involvement than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. And so information technology's yous, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely hateful. Continuing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the stake boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. "

Ron gave a slight coughing, which might take been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name'south funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys accept crimson pilus, freckles, and more children than they tin can afford. "

He turned back to Harry. "Yous'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. Yous don't want to get making friends with the wrong sort. I tin help y'all there. "

He held out his hand to shake Harry'due south, but Harry didn't take it.

"I recollect I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, cheers," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be conscientious if I were you lot, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same manner as your parents. They didn't know what was practiced for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on y'all. "

Both Harry and Ron stood upwardly.

"Say that once more," Ron said, his face as ruddy as his hair.

"Oh, y'all're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, considering Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.

"Simply we don't feet similar leaving, do nosotros, boys? We've eaten all our nutrient and y'all nonetheless seem to have some. "

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs side by side to Ron -- Ron leapt frontward, but before he'd so much equally touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, abrupt little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle -- Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers circular and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perchance 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.

"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'due south been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No -- I don't be
lieve information technology -- he's gone back to sleep. "
And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained virtually their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come up back to our side later on 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. " He turned to Hermione. "Can we aid you lot with something?"

"You'd meliorate hurry up and put your robes on, I've but been up to the front to inquire the conductor, and he says we're near there. You lot haven't been fighting, have yous? You'll be in trouble earlier we even get at that place!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you heed leaving while nosotros change?"

"All right -- I but came in hither 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 olfactory organ, by the way, did yous know?"

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 curt for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.

A vocalism echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please exit your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately. "

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the final of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their mode 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 vocalisation: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Hagrid's large hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me -- whatsoever more firs' years? Heed yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to exist a steep, narrow path. It was and so nighttime on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed one time or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here. "

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the border of a corking black lake. Perched atop a high mount on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a armada of little boats sitting in the water past the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their gunkhole by Neville and Hermione.

"Anybody in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a gunkhole to himself. "Right then -- FORWARD!"

And the fleet of niggling boats moved off all at once, gliding beyond the lake, which was every bit shine as drinking glass. Everyone was silent, staring upwardly at the great castle overhead. Information technology towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the beginning 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.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. And so they clambered upwardly a passageway in the rock after Hagrid'south lamp, coming out at last onto shine, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flying of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front end door.

"Everyone here? You there, even so got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.