25 Things You Didn Want to Know About Harry Potter

Chapter half dozen

Harry's terminal month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now and 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 practice annihilation, 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, information technology did become a fleck depressing later a while.

Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had plant in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the dark, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open up window equally she pleased. Information technology was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, considering Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.

On the last day of August he idea he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the side by side solar day, then he went downward to the living room where they were watching a quiz bear witness on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.

"Er -- Uncle Vernon?"

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

"Er -- I need to exist at Male monarch'due south Cross tomorrow to -- to get to Hogwarts. "

Uncle Vernon grunted once more.

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

Grunt. Harry supposed that meant aye.

"Thank you lot. "

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

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

Harry didn't say anything.

"Where is this schoolhouse, anyway?"

"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the offset time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.

"I only have the railroad train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.

His aunt and uncle stared.

"Platform what?"

"Nine and three-quarters. "

"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "In that location is no platform ix and three-quarters. "

"It'south on my ticket. "

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

"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. "

Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to become dorsum 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 listing yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was close safely in her muzzle, and and so paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' automobile, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting side by side to Harry, and they had set off.

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

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine -- platform 10. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, just they don't seem to have built it yet, practice they?"

He was quite correct, of course. At that place was a large plastic number ix over one platform and a large plastic number ten over the one side by side to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.

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

He stopped a passing baby-sit, 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 function of the country information technology was in, he started to become annoyed, as though Harry was existence stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at 11 o'clock, simply the guard said there wasn't one. In the stop the baby-sit strode away, muttering about fourth dimension wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals lath, he had ten minutes left to get on the railroad train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.

Hagrid must accept forgotten to tell him something you had to practise, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Aisle. He wondered if he should leave his wand and start borer the ticket inspector'south stand up between platforms nine and ten.

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

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

Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a torso similar Harry's in front of him -- and they had an owl.

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

"At present, what'due south 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. . . "

"Y'all're not quondam enough, Ginny, now be repose. All right, Percy, you go first. "

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

"Fred, y'all next," the plump woman said.

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

"Sorry, George, honey. "

"But joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin chosen after him to hurry upward, and he must have done so, considering a 2d subsequently, he had gone -- but how had he washed it?

At present the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was nearly there -- and and then, quite of a sudden, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

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

"How-do-you-do, dear," she said. "Starting time time at Hogwarts? Ron'south new, too. "

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

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

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

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very of import. Best do it at a fleck of a run if you're nervous. Keep, 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 it. People jostled him on their manner to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more than apace. He was going to blast correct into that barrier and and then 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 exist able to stop -- the cart was out of control -- he was a human foot away -- he closed his eyes gear up for t

he crash --

It didn't come. . . he kept on running. . . he opened his eyes. A blood-red 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 Ix and 3-Quarters on it, He had done information technology.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and at that place between their legs. Owls hooted to ane another 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 down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was maxim, "Gran, I've lost my toad again. "

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

A male child with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

"Requite us a look, Lee, keep. "

The boy lifted the lid of a box in his artillery, and the people around him shrieked and yelled equally something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig within get-go then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to elevator it upwardly the steps merely could hardly raise ane end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.

"Desire a hand?" It was ane of the reddish-haired twins he'd followed through the bulwark.

"Yes, please," Harry panted.

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

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

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty pilus out of his eyes.

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

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

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

"What?" said Harry.

"Harry Potter. " chorused the twins.

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

The 2 boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning ruddy. So, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open up door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom. "

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

Harry sat downward adjacent to the window where, one-half hidden, he could scout the cherry-red-haired family unit on the platform and hear what they were proverb. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, y'all've got something on your nose. "

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, only she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"Mom -- geroff" He wriggled costless.

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

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming at present. "

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already inverse into his billowing blackness Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silvery badge on his chest with the letter of the alphabet P on information technology.

"Tin't stay long, Female parent," he said. "I'grand upwards front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves--"

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

"Hang on, I think I recall him maxim something about it," said the other twin. "One time--"

"Or twice--"

"A minute--"

"All summertime--"

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

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

"Because he's a prefect," said their female parent fondly. "All right, dear, well, take a good term -- send me an owl when you lot go there. "

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

"Now, you 2 -- this year, y'all behave yourselves. If I get one more than owl telling me you lot've -- you've blown up a toilet or--"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet. "

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom. "

"It's not funny. And look after Ron. "

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is condom with united states. "

"Close upwards," said Ron again. He was nearly as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his female parent had rubbed information technology.

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

Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't come across him looking.

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

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry heard the little girl's voice.

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

"Yous've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something y'all goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It'due south really at that place -- like lightning. "

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

"Never mind that, do y'all think he remembers what You lot-Know-Who looks like?"

Their female parent all of a sudden became very stern.

"I foreclose you to ask him, Fred. No, don't y'all dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first 24-hour interval at school. "

"All correct, go on your hair on. "

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.

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

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

"George!"

"Simply joking, Mom. "

The train began to motion. Harry saw the boys' female parent waving and their sister, one-half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until information technology gathered also much speed, so she fell back and waved.

Harry watched the daughter and her female parent disappear as the railroad train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a bully leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to -- simply it had to be improve than what he was leaving backside.

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 caput and the boy saturday downwards. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he even so had a black mark on his nose.

"Hey, Ron. "

The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train -- Lee Hashemite kingdom of jordan'southward got a giant tarantula downwardly there. "

"Correct," mumbled Ron.

"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. Come across you lot later, then. "

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

"Are y'all actually Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

Harry nodded.

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

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

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

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

"Yes," said Harry, "only I tin can't recollect it. "

"Naught?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well -- I retrieve a lot of green light, but nothing else. "

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

r /> "Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just equally interesting as Ron institute him.
"Er -- Aye, I think so," said Ron. "I remember Mom'southward got a second cousin who's an accountant, merely we never talk most him. "

"So you must know loads of magic already. "

The Weasleys were clearly one of those onetime wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked nearly.

"I heard you 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 3 wizard brothers. "

"5," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family unit to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Pecker 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, simply they still get really practiced marks and everyone thinks they're actually funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it'southward no big deal, because they did it offset. You never get annihilation new, either, with v brothers. I've got Beak's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's erstwhile rat. "

Ron reached within his jacket and pulled out a fatty gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he'southward useless, he inappreciably e'er wakes upwards. 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 pinkish. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

Harry didn't call back there was annihilation wrong with not beingness able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had whatever money in his life until a month agone, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley'due south old dress and never getting proper altogether presents. This seemed to cheer Ron upwardly.

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

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

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

"I'grand not trying to be brave or annihilation, maxim the name," said Harry, "I only never knew y'all shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to acquire. . . I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'thousand the worst in the grade. "

"You won't be. There'south loads of people who come up from Muggle families and they larn quick plenty. "

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around one-half past twelve there was a peachy clattering outside in the corridor and a grin, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron'due south ears went pink over 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 silvery he was prepare to buy as many Mars Bars equally he could carry -- but the adult female didn't have Mars Bars. What she did take were Bettie Bott'south Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's All-time Blowing Glue, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other foreign things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss annihilation, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and 7 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," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

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

"Bandy y'all for 1 of these," said Harry, property up a gluey. "Go on--"

"Yous don't want this, information technology's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "y'all know, with five of united states. "

"Go on, accept a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share information technology with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry'southward pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, property up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.

"No," said Ron. "But run into what the carte is. I'm missing Agrippa. "

"What?"

"Oh, of class, y'all wouldn't know -- Chocolate Frogs take cards, within them, y'all know, to collect -- famous witches and wizards. I've got about v hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy. "

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the bill of fare. It showed a man's face. He wore one-half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, bristles, 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. "Tin I have a frog? I might get Agrippa -- cheers--"

Harry turned over his card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modernistic times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the nighttime 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 up had disappeared.

"He's gone!"

"Well, you tin'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 information technology? You tin 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 merely 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 bill of fare and gave him a small grin. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, merely Harry couldn't go on his eyes off them. Soon he had not but Dumbledore and Morgana, only 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 handbag of Bertie Bott'southward Every Flavor Beans.

"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they hateful every flavor -- you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, merely then you tin can go 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 -- meet? 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 dauntless enough to nibble the cease off a funny gray i Ron wouldn't bear on, which turned out to be pepper.

The countryside at present flying past the window was becoming wilder. The slap-up fields had gone. At present there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the circular-faced boy Harry had passed on platform 9 and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Sad," he said, "just have you seen a toad at all?"

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

"He'll plough up," said Harry.

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you encounter 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 equally I could. Mind you lot, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk. "

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

"He might accept died and yous wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to plow him xanthous yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll testify you, wait. . . "

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 near poking out. Anyway--"

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open up once more. The toadless boy was back, just this time he had a daughter 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 vocalism, lots of bushy brown pilus, and rather large front teeth.

"We've already told him nosotros 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'southward run into it, and then. "

She sat down. 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, simply nada happened. Scabbers stayed greyness and fast comatose.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it'south non very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells merely for practice and information technology'due south all worked for me. Nobody in my family'due south magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of form, I hateful, it's the very best school of witchcraft in that location is, I've heard -- I've learned all our grade books by heart, of course, I just promise it will be plenty -- I'm Hermione Granger, past the mode, who are you?"

She said all this very fast.

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

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are yous really?" said Hermione. "I know all well-nigh yous, of grade -- I got a few extra books, for groundwork 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. "

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't y'all know, I'd have constitute out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Exercise either of yous know what firm y'all'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'g in Gryffindor, information technology sounds past far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in information technology, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be also bad. . . Anyhow, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. Yous ii had better change, you know, I expect we'll exist there soon. "

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's non in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his torso. "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 exist settling on him once again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'chiliad not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin. "

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

"Yep," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a flake lighter," said Harry, trying to accept Ron'south mind off houses. "And then what do your oldest brothers do at present that they've left, anyway?"

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

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

Harry stared.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Null, that'southward why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to go round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what'due south odd. 'Form, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case Y'all-Know-Who'southward behind information technology. "

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

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

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

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it'southward the best game in the world -- " And he was off, explaining all virtually 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 effectively points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

3 boys entered, and Harry recognized the centre one at once: it was the stake male child from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more than 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. And so it'due south y'all, 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 similar bodyguards.

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

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

"Think my name's funny, practice you? No need to enquire who you are. My male parent told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford. "

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. Yous don't desire to get making friends with the incorrect sort. I can aid you at that place. "

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, only Harry didn't accept it.

"I think I can tell who the incorrect sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't get ruby, simply a pinkish 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 get the same way equally 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 you. "

Both Harry and Ron stood up.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face up as red as his hair.

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

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

"But nosotros don't feet similar leaving, do nosotros, boys? We've eaten all our food and you yet seem to take some. "

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

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle -- Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and circular, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Maybe they thought in that location were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, considering 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 upwards Scabbers past his tail.

"I think 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.

"Yous've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the showtime to come up back to our side after Yous-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 assistance yous with something?"

"You'd better hurry upwards and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front end to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, take you? You'll exist in trouble earlier we even get there!"

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

"All correct -- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy vocalism. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the manner, did you lot know?"

Ron glared at her every bit she left. Harry peered out of the window. Information technology was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep majestic sky. The train did seem to be slowing downwardly.

He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit brusk for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.

A phonation echoed through the railroad train: "Nosotros will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately. "

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

The railroad train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the common cold nighttime air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar vocalism: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right at that place, Harry?"

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

"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, at present! Firs' years follow me!"

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

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

At that place was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened all of a sudden onto the border of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry heaven, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a gunkhole!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of fiddling boats sitting in the h2o by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat past Neville and Hermione.

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

And the fleet of footling boats moved off all at one time, gliding across the lake, which was as smoothen as drinking glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them equally 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 little boats carried them through a pall 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 hugger-mugger 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 easily. And then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid'southward lamp, coming out at last onto polish, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

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

"Everyone here? You there, yet got yer toad?"

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