Our last 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 shut us in our cupboard, force us to do anything -- in fact, they didn't speak to us at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry or me in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.
We kept to our room, with our new owl for company. We had decided to call her Hedwig, a name I had found in A History of Magic. Our school books were very interesting, I made a point to remember everything.
Every night before we 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 day of August I thought we'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so we went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. Harry cleared his throat to let them know we was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.
Idiot.....
"Er -- Uncle Vernon?" began harry awkwardly
Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.
"Er --we 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 us a lift?" I ask
Grunt. I supposed that meant yes.
"Thank you."
He was about 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?"
"Where is this school, anyway?"
"I don't know," said Harry, I realized this for the first time. I pulled the ticket Hagrid had given me out ofmy pocket.
"we just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," I 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 three-quarters."
"It's on my ticket."
"Barking,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."
I woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep.I got up and pulled on my jeans and a casual black t-shirt and a jacket and braided my hair in a fishtail braid because I didn't want to walk into the station in my wizard's robes -- we'd change on the train. Harry did the same
He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure we had everything we 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,Me and Harry's huge, heavy trunks had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to us, and they had set off.
They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped our trunks 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, there you are. 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.
"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. 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.
I was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, we had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and we had no idea how to do it; we was stranded in the middle of a station with trunks we could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.
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.
At that moment a group of people passed just behind us and I caught a few words of what they were saying.
"-- packed with Muggles, of course --" I twisted my neck so hard I might have pulled a muscle
Harry stood stock still. 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 ours in front of him -- and they had an owl.
Heart hammering, I pushed my cart after them. They stopped and so did we, just near enough to hear what they were saying.
"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, "Mom, can't I go... "
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. I watched, careful not to blink in case I 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.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? CarA you tell I'm George?"
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. 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.
There was nothing else for it.
"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.
"Hello, dears," 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.
"Yes," I said . "The thing is -- the thing is, I don't know how to --"
"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and we 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."
"Er -- okay," said Harry.
Together, we pushed our trolly's around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.
We started to walk toward it. leaning forward on our carts, we broke into a heavy run -- the barrier was coming nearer and nearer -- we wouldn't be able to stop -- the cart was out of control I closed his eyes ready for the crash --
It didn't come... we kept on running... I opened my 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.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color 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.
"Woah" I breathed. Harry looked just as awed. "L-let's get to a compartment" he said. But Me and Harry could not lift up our trunks. Luckily, we were saved. "Hullo" said one of the red-haired twins we had met on the platform "Need help?" "Yes please" I said breathlessly. He nodded "OI FRED" he yelled "COME HELP" the second twin came. Together we managed to heave it in a compartment" Thanks" I said. "No problem" they said
"We're twins too. but faternal"
"Ah....is that so" said fred--I think-- holding out his hand "Well nice to meet you-?" I caught a gadget up his sleeve, and smiled "Emma" I say not accepting hand "I do hope you forgive me for not shaking your hand. I would love to except I don't fancy be electrocuted..or whatever that gadget up your sleeve does" He smirked "Well, look at that georgie...and ickle first year catching our tricks." "Yeah....you might be ickle Emma but you might just become our secretary" "What?" I ask, confused "We" said fred with a dramatic air geusturing to himself and George "Are the kings of pranks. Would mind helping us? Once in a while" I gave him a sly smirk "I would love to"
"What's your name?" George asked Harry "Harry" he said "Harry Potter" The twins did a double take "Wait....if you're the Harry potter" said george pointing to Harry "Then--" he tuened his shocked gaze to me " --you must be the Emma Potter" Harry chuckeled nervously as I shuffled my feet "ya...I guess" "Woah" Fred said, eyes huge "your the 'Twins Who lived" I rolled my eyes "Oh how wonderful" I mumbeled "We have a title" Fred and George chorteled "Not a fan of attention eh?" fred teased Harry snorted "No" He scoffed I shot him a dirty look, "She answers way too many questions to not be noticed. And sh-OW" I hit him upside down on the head "Emma Lilith Potter" He chatitised "why'd you do that?" "You were being a git" I said simply. The twins chorteled "Well we best be off" said george "Lee jordon has a tarantuala"
After the twins left it was me and Harry again, we lasped into comfortable silence until our compartment door slid open to reveal another ginger-haired boy--the one who was new as well-- "Hullo" he said "do you mind if I sit here? everywhere else is full" "Not at all" Harry and I smiled "Thanks" he said "I'm Ron, by the way. Ron weasly" "I'm Emma" I say "I'm Harry" said Harry "Harry potter" Ron gasped "You're really harry and Emma Potter?" We nodded sheepishly "Do you have the---y'know--" he pointed awkwardly to his foreheads Harry pulled back his jet black hair and I parted my coppery-bronze curls which I had carefully placed to hide my scar to reaveal our lightening shaped-scars. He gasped "So that's where You-Know-Who--"
"Yes," I said, "but we can't remember it."
"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.
"Well -- we remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."
"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at us 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 us.
"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."
The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.
"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"
"Horrible -well, not all of them. our aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."
"Hey" i said indigant "what about me?"
"I love you Ems,but you are very annoying" I playfully nudged his shoulder with mine "idiot..."I mutter. Ron grinned
"Five, brothers" said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. 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. 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. 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."
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 being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff -- I mean, I got Scabbers instead."
Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.
Me and Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, we'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and harry told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.
"... and until Hagrid told us, we didn't know anything about be ing a wizards or about my parents or Voldemort"
Ron gasped.
"What?" I asked
"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," I said" I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? we've got loads to learn.... I bet," harry added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."
"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough." I said
While we 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 cart, dears?"
Mev and 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.
Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.
"Hungry, are you?"
"Starving," I said , taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.
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."
"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on --"
"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--except me-- It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all our pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).
"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" we were starting to feel that nothing would surprise us.
"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."
I 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 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
Me and 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.
Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face 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... 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!"
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.
"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor -- you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and mar- malade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger- flavored one once."
Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.
"Bleaaargh -- see? Sprouts."
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 off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.I got Candy floss, Toast, sausage and soap
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. I wa feeling a little out of place. My brother has never had another boy to talk to...I never had another girl...
There was a knock on the door of their compartment and a round-faced boy. He looked tearful.
"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"
When we shook our heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"He'll turn up," said Harry.
"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. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."
The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.
"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..."
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.
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway
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.
"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.
"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 next to me . Ron looked taken aback.
"Er -- all right."
He cleared his throat.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.
"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. 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.
She said all this very fast.
I like her "Have you read hogwarts a history?" I asked her. She looke delighted "Yes. it is so fascinating " My heart jumped "I know, I can't believe how--" my and Hermione chatted about everything we've read for 5 minuets straight."by the way, who are you?" she asked
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter," said Harry."Emma Potter" I said
"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.
This girl was getting more amazing by the minuet
"Are we?" said Harry, feeling dazed.
"Goodness Harry, don't you listen?" I chatitised "That's all I've been going on for months now". Then I turn my attention back to Hermione "Do f you know what house you'll be in? " She shook her head "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 go and look for Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon.""I'll help" I said leaping up "just let me change" Hermione looked delighted. I shooed the boys off and changed at lightening speed "Let's go then" I said smiling at a beaming Hermione.
***
By the time we got back, we saw the pale boy from Diagon Alley and two other goons screaming in the corridor running away from our compartment. Hermione gasped "What in the-" I start. Then it hit me "Harry" I growled. I marched back to the compartment, Hermione close on my heels. I opened the door. And there sat my brother and Ron. And they were laughing. "Harry James Potter" I say, my voice a low growl "What did you both do?" Ron looked insulted "We didn't do anything Scabbers- Oh" he said spotting Hermione "come to bother us again have you?" She folded her arms "I came to help my friend"she said cooly, My heart filled with warmth "who happens to be the only sensible person I've met and to see what all the ruckus is about. Completely immature. You better not have gotten in trouble! we're not even in school yet"
"i think thats about to change Hermione" I whisper staring out of the window "We're here"