[1] New Beginnings: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Philosopher's Stone

14: the choosing of the wands

Hagrid dropped his ice cream on the ground he started so badly and looked around wildly as if hoping no one had overheard. "Who told you that name?"

"Ollivander did. He said something about the core of my wand being the same as this guy's."

"Yeah," Percy said, "Ollivander said something about their wands being brothers."

Hagrid sighed, still looking as if he wanted to keep it quiet. "He Who Must Not Be Named, or You Know Who, was a very dark wizard. 'Bout ten years ago he tried ter kill you, Harry, but he failed. He was the one who killed yer parents and gave yeh that scar. An' then he disappeared. Most people think he's gone fer good, but I reckon he's jus' bidin' his time, waitin'."

"But who was he?" Percy asked. "What was his name?"

"Can't say it."

"Can you write it down?" Harry suggested.

"No, can't spell it either." Hagrid paused, then took a deep breath and whispered so quietly the boys had to lean closer to hear, "Voldemort."

"Voldemort?" they exclaimed together. Hagrid shushed them frantically, not wanting to be heard.

"Yeah, like I said, very dark wizard. Best not ter think about it."

****

The next month seemed to pass by very slowly, for both Percy and Harry waited for the day they would go to Hogwarts to come in earnest. Percy's birthday had come and gone uneventfully, him turning eleven, Harry constantly apologizing about not having the foresight to get him a present, and Percy saying not to worry, it didn't really matter anyway. Hagrid had dropped them back off at the Dursleys' with all of their supplies, telling them that he would meet them at King's Cross Station the day that they were supposed to board the train. The only problem with that, however, was how they were going to actually get to King's Cross.

About a week before they left, Harry brought this up with Percy. "How are we supposed to get to the station? Are the Dursleys supposed to drive us?" Percy said that he would go ask.

"Uncle Vernon?" The man grunted, acknowledging Percy. "Er, so we, me and Harry, that is, need to get to King's Cross on September first in order to get to school." Vernon looked up at Percy over his newspaper as if to say, So? What's your point? "My point is that I was wondering if you could, maybe, drive us?"

Mr. Dursley just glared up at Percy. "Fine. Now leave."

Percy did just that, running up the stairs to tell Harry the good news.

****

On September first they had packed up all of their belongings into the boot of the Dursleys' car, them sitting in the very back. The drive to King's Cross was filled with only radio music and as soon as they had parked and Dudley had gotten out, Percy and Harry jumped out and grabbed their stuff as fast as they could, heading into the station to look for Hagrid. Percy heard a faint "Good riddance," come from Aunt Petunia as they left, and he laughed. He was just thinking the same thing!

They pushed their trollies into the station with their trunks and owls piled on top. (Harry had named his owl, which was female, Hedwig, and Percy's owl, male, had been dubbed Kasper.) Harry spotted Hagrid, which wasn't hard, and led the way over to him. Once they got there, he handed them a ticket each and told them, "Good luck, I'll be seein' yeh at school, then."

"But Hagrid," Percy started, "this says Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."

"And there's no such thing," Harry finished, "is there?" They looked up from their tickets, but Hagrid had disappeared.