Can You Get Sunshot on Anothet Character When You Go Yhriugh the Story Again

Chapter half-dozen

Harry'due south last calendar month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. Truthful, 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. Half terrified, one-half furious, they acted as though whatever chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an comeback in many ways, it did get a scrap depressing afterward a while.

Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to phone call her Hedwig, a proper noun he had establish in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading belatedly into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open up window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another twenty-four hour period on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the kickoff.

On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King'south Cross station the next 24-hour interval, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to permit them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.

"Er -- Uncle Vernon?"

Uncle Vernon grunted to evidence he was listening.

"Er -- I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to -- to get to Hogwarts. "

Uncle Vernon grunted once more.

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

Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.

"Thanks. "

He was almost to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.

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

Harry didn't say anything.

"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 merely take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at 11 o'clock," he read.

His aunt and uncle stared.

"Platform what?"

"Nine and three-quarters. "

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

"Information technology'southward on my ticket. "

"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You lot just wait. All right, we'll have you to King's Cantankerous. Nosotros're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother. "

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

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

Harry woke at 5 o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to become 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 change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list however once more 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 become up. 2 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 prepare off.

They reached King'south Cantankerous at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry'southward torso onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Well, in that location you are, boy. Platform 9 -- platform ten. Your platform should exist somewhere in the heart, simply they don't seem to take built it yet, practise 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 i next to it, and in the eye, nothing at all.

"Take a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without some other word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on world was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to enquire someone.

He stopped a passing guard, just didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't fifty-fifty tell him what function of the state information technology was in, he started to get annoyed, every bit though Harry was existence stupid on purpose. Getting drastic, Harry asked for the train that left at 11 o'clock, but the baby-sit said there wasn't 1. In the terminate the guard strode away, muttering near fourth dimension wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had 10 minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no thought how to do information technology; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could inappreciably lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.

Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to exercise, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should leave his wand and first tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and x.

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were maxim.

"-- packed with Muggles, of class--"

Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump adult female who was talking to four boys, all with flaming cherry-red pilus. Each of them was pushing a torso similar Harry'southward in forepart of him -- and they had an owl.

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

"Now, what'due south the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Nine and 3-quarters!" piped a minor daughter, likewise crimson-headed, who was holding her paw, "Mom, can't I go. . . "

"Y'all're not old enough, Ginny, now exist quiet. All right, Percy, you go first. "

What looked like the oldest male child marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it -- but but as the boy reached the dividing barrier betwixt the 2 platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the terminal backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you side by side," the plump woman said.

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

"Sorry, George, dear. "

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry upward, and he must have done so, because a second later on, he had gone -- but how had he done it?

Now the third blood brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there -- and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

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

"Hello, honey," she said. "Offset time at Hogwarts? Ron'due south new, also. "

She pointed at the terminal and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big easily and feet, and a long olfactory organ.

"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 accept to do is walk directly at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you lot'll crash into it, that's very of import. All-time practise it at a scrap of a run if you're nervous. Go along, get now earlier Ron. "

"Er -- okay," said Harry.

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

He started to walk toward information technology. People jostled him on their fashion to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and and so he'd be in problem -- leaning frontward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run -- the bulwark was coming nearer and nearer -- he wouldn't be able to stop -- the cart was out of command -- he was a foot away -- he closed his eyes prepare for t

he crash --

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-fe archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Ix and Iii-Quarters on information technology, He had done information technology.

Fume from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound hither and in that location between their legs. Owls hooted to 1 another in a disgruntled sort of way over the blubbering and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The starting time 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 male child who was proverb, "Gran, I've lost my toad once more. "

"Oh, Neville," he heard the old adult female sigh.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded past a small crowd.

"Give u.s.a. a look, Lee, go on. "

The boy lifted the chapeau of a box in his arms, and the people effectually him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

Harry pressed on through the crowd until he plant an empty compartment near the cease of the train. He put Hedwig within first and then started to shove and heave his body 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.

"Want a hand?" Information technology was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.

"Yes, delight," Harry panted.

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

With the twins' help, Harry's torso was at terminal tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his optics.

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

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

"He is," said the offset twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry.

"Harry Potter. " chorused the twins.

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

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

"Fred? George? Are you in that location?"

"Coming, Mom. "

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

Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could lookout man the blood-red-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 jerk out of the style, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the cease of his nose.

"Mom -- geroff" He wriggled free.

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

"Shut upwards," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their female parent.

"He's coming at present. "

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 of the alphabet P on information technology.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'chiliad up forepart, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves--"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said 1 of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "Yous should accept said something, we had no idea. "

"Hang on, I call up I remember him saying something about information technology," said the other twin. "Once--"

"Or twice--"

"A infinitesimal--"

"All summertime--"

"Oh, shut upwards," said Percy the Prefect.

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

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term -- ship me an owl when you go in that location. "

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

"Now, you ii -- this twelvemonth, y'all deport yourselves. If I get i more than owl telling me y'all've -- you've blown up a toilet or--"

"Blown upwards a toilet? We've never diddled upwards a toilet. "

"Cracking idea though, cheers, Mom. "

"It's non funny. And await afterwards Ron. "

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

"Shut up," said Ron over again. He was nearly as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Estimate who we but met on the train?"

Harry leaned back quickly and so they couldn't see him looking.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near the states in the station? Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry heard the piffling girl's voice.

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

"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'due south really there -- similar lightning. "

"Poor dear -- no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to go onto the platform. "

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what Yous-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to inquire him, Fred. No, don't yous dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his outset solar day at school. "

"All right, keep your hair on. "

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry upwards!" their mother said, and the iii boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them adept-cheerio, and their younger sis began to cry.

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

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

"George!"

"Only joking, Mom. "

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

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 information technology had to be better than what he was leaving behind.

The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded male child came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full. "

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 marking on his nose.

"Hey, Ron. "

The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going downwards the heart of the train -- Lee Jordan'southward got a giant tarantula downwardly there. "

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Harry," said the other twin, "did we innovate ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. Come across y'all after, then. "

"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut backside them.

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

Harry nodded.

"Oh -- well, I thought it might be i of Fred and George'due south jokes," said Ron. "And have y'all actually got -- you know. . . "

He pointed at Harry'due south brow.

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

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

"Yes," said Harry, "just I tin't remember it. "

"Zero?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well -- I remember a lot of green light, but zippo else. "

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, and so, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked chop-chop out of the window again.

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

"Then you must know loads of magic already. "

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

"I heard you went to live 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 3 magician brothers. "

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'thou the sixth in our family to get to Hogwarts. You lot could say I've got a lot to alive up to. Neb and Charlie have already left -- Bill was caput male child and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they all the same get really practiced marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Anybody expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it'due south no big deal, considering they did it first. You never go anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Beak'due south old robes, Charlie's quondam wand, and Percy'due south old rat. "

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His proper name'due south Scabbers and he's useless, he inappreciably ever wakes upwardly. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff -- I mean, I got Scabbers instead. "

Ron'south ears went pink. He seemed to recall he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

Harry didn't think there was anything incorrect with not being able to beget an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all virtually having to habiliment Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper altogether presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.

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

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said Yous-Know-Who'due south name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd take idea you, of all people--"

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, maxim 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 get-go time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'k the worst in the form. "

"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 fourth dimension, watching the fields and lanes motion picture past.

Around half past twelve in that location was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Annihilation off the cart, dears?"

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

He had never had whatsoever coin for candy with the Dursleys, and at present that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to purchase as many Mars Bars as he could carry -- but the woman didn't accept Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott'south Every Flavour Beans, Drooble'southward All-time 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 silverish Sickles and seven bronze 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 pasty.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were iv sandwiches inside. He pulled i of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef. . "

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Keep--"

"You don't desire this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added speedily, "you lot know, with five of us. "

"Proceed, take a gluey," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting at that place with Ron, eating their fashion through all Harry'south pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not actually frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that zilch would surprise him.

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'grand 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, only I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy. "

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked upwardly the card. It showed a man'south confront. He wore one-half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked olfactory organ, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"Then this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

"Don't tell me y'all'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I accept 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 mod times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark magician Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon'due south blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys bedchamber music and tenpin bowling.

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore'southward face up had disappeared.

"He'south gone!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang effectually all solar day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about half dozen of her. . . exercise you want it? Y'all tin can start collecting. "

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

"Help yourself," said Harry. "Simply in, you know, the Muggle globe, people simply stay put in photos. "

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

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 proceed his eyes off them. Soon he had not just Dumbledore and Morgana, merely Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his optics away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a purse of Bertie Bott's Every Season Beans.

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

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it advisedly, and bit into a corner.

"Bleaaargh -- see? Sprouts. "

They had a expert time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, kokosnoot, broiled edible bean, strawberry, back-scratch, grass, java, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the cease off a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.

The countryside at present flying past the window was becoming wilder. The not bad fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and nighttime light-green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but accept you lot 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.

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if yous see him. . . "

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

The rat was still snoozing on Ron'southward lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to plough him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you lot, look. . . "

He rummaged effectually in his body and pulled out a very dilapidated-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the stop.

"Unicorn hair'due south nearly poking out. Anyway--"

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

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville'due south lost i," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

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

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's come across it, then. "

She sat downwardly. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er -- all correct. "

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellowish. "

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

"Are you lot sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's non very skilful, is it? I've tried a few unproblematic spells just for practice and information technology'south all worked for me. Nobody in my family'due south magic at all, it was e'er such a surprise when I got my letter, just I was ever so pleased, of course, I hateful, it's the very best schoolhouse of witchcraft there is, I've heard -- I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I simply hope it will be enough -- I'm Hermione Granger, by the mode, who are you?"

She said all this very fast.

Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to come across by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the form books past heart either.

"I'g Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all most you, of form -- I got a few extra books, for groundwork reading, and you're in Mod Magical History and The Ascension and Fall of the Dark Arts and Bully Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. "

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd accept found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you lot know what firm y'all'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. . . Anyway, we'd better become and await for Neville's toad. You lot two had better change, you know, I expect we'll exist there shortly. "

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

"Any house I'm in, I promise she's non in it," said Ron. He threw his wand dorsum into his torso. "Stupid spell -- George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud. "

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

"Gryffindor," said Ron. 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 also bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin. "

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

"Aye," 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. "And then what do your oldest brothers do at present that they've left, anyhow?"

Harry was wondering what a sorcerer did one time he'd finished school.

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

Harry stared.

"Actually? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such large news. They haven't been defenseless. My dad says it must've been a powerful Night wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't call up they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Class, anybody gets scared when something similar this happens in instance You-Know-Who'south backside it. "

Harry turned this news over in his listen. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time Y'all-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical globe, but it had been a lot more than comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

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

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

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, y'all wait, it's the best game in the globe -- " And he was off, explaining all well-nigh 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 all the same again, just 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 stake male child from Madam Malkin'south robe store. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it truthful?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. Then it's you, is it?"

"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.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale male child carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my proper noun's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. "

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

"Call back my proper name'due south funny, do you? No need to ask who yous are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red pilus, freckles, and more children than they can beget. "

He turned back to Harry. "You'll shortly find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You lot don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you lot in that location. "

He held out his paw to milkshake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I call up I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

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

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

Both Harry and Ron stood upwardly.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as cherry as his pilus.

"Oh, you're going to fight usa, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you exit at present," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.

"But we don't anxiety like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our nutrient and you nonetheless seem to take some. "

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron -- Ron leapt forward, only before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp picayune teeth sunk deep into Goyle'south 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. Possibly they thought there were more rats lurking amongst the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, considering a second after, Hermione Granger had come up 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 retrieve he'southward been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No -- I don't be
lieve it -- he's gone back to sleep. "
And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained most their meeting in Diagon Aisle.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come dorsum to our side later on You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe information technology. He says Malfoy's begetter didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side. " He turned to Hermione. "Can nosotros help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been upwardly to the front to enquire the usher, and he says nosotros're almost in that location. You oasis't been fighting, accept you? Y'all'll be in trouble before nosotros even go there!"

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

"All right -- I just came in here considering people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got clay on your nose, 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 run into mountains and forests nether a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing downwards.

He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a chip short for him, you could run into his sneakers underneath them.

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

Harry'southward stomach lurched with fretfulness and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the oversupply thronging the corridor.

The train slowed correct down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, night platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. So a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar phonation: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right in that location, Harry?"

Hagrid'south big hairy face beamed over the body of water of heads.

"C'monday, follow me -- whatsoever 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 and then dark on either side of them that Harry thought in that location must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed in one case or twice.

"Yeh'll become 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 edge of a corking black lake. 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.

"No more than'n 4 to a boat!" Hagrid chosen, pointing to a fleet of footling 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 gunkhole to himself. "Correct then -- FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth every bit drinking glass. Everyone was silent, staring up 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 first boats reached the cliff; they all aptitude their heads and the lilliputian boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a broad opening in the cliff confront. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to exist 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, belongings out his hands. So 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 upwardly a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Anybody here? You there, withal got yer toad?"

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