Chapter Text
Uncle Vernon dumped Harry’s trunk onto a trolley and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until his Uncle stopped, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.
”Well, there you are, boy – 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. This was it. The start of his new life. He’d endured all the pain and misery of the last few months to get to this moment, but it would all be worth it... he would make sure of that.
According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to find the train to Hogwarts. But right now he was stuck in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money and a large snowy owl. Not ideal.
At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught 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 trunk like Harry’s in front of him – and they too had an owl. Heart hammering, Harry pushed his trolley after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying. “Now, what’s the platform number?” said the boys’ mother.
“Nine and three-quarters!” piped-up a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand. “Mum, can’t I go...”
“You’re not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first.” Percy vanished as a crowd of tourists walked by. A pair of twins went next – running towards the barrier between the platforms but disappearing instead of smashing into it.
“Excuse me,” Harry said to the plump woman.
“Hullo, dear,” 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,” said Harry. “The thing is, I don’t know how to...”
“How to get on to 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 that 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. He pushed his trolley round and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. He started to walk towards it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. Leaning forward on his trolley he broke into a heavy run – the barrier was coming nearer and nearer – he was a foot away... he kept on running... Suddenly he saw a scarlet steam engine waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said ‘Hogwarts Express, 11 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.
Harry fought down his excitement, took a few deep breaths and walked off down the platform. He pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk towards the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end, never mind two, and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.
“Want a hand?” It was one of the red-haired twins he’d followed through the barrier.
“Yes, please,” Harry panted.
“Oy, Fred! C’mere and help!” With the twins’ help, Harry’s trunk was at last loaded onto the train and tucked away in the corner of an empty compartment.
“Thanks,” said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
One of the twins saw his scar and they soon figured out that he was Harry Potter. Fortunately their mother called them away. Harry sat down next to the window where, half-hidden, he saw the redheads say goodbye to their mother and tell her they’d seen Harry Potter. The three boys clambered on to the train which soon began to move. Harry saw the boys’ mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed; and then she fell back and waved. Harry stared at her until she disappeared from view.
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 full.” Harry and Ron got chatting and Ron showed Harry his pet rat, Scabbers. 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 half past twelve the food trolley arrived. Harry hadn’t had any breakfast so bought some of everything and swapped a load for Ron’s considerably more filling sandwiches.
There was a knock on the door and a round-faced boy asked if they’d seen a toad. He left miserably when they said they hadn’t.
“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.
The round-faced boy returned some time later. He and a bushy-haired girl entered the carriage just as Ron was trying to turn the rat yellow. The girl, who introduced herself as Hermione Granger, was singularly unimpressed by Ron’s attempt at magic. She repaired Harry’s glasses to show them how it should be done. The visitors chatted for few minutes then left to resume their search.
The blond boy from Madam Malkin’s turned up next, flanked by two goons and looking for Harry Potter. He was a pompous ass so Harry refused to shake his hand. It looked like things might turn ugly until Scabbers bit one of the goons and the three of them fled.
A second later, Hermione came back in. “What has been going on?” she said officiously, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.
“I think he’s been knocked out,” Ron exclaimed, looking closer at Scabbers. “No – I don’t believe it – he’s gone back to sleep.” He dropped the sleeping rodent back in his cage.
Hermione was undeterred by being ignored, “You’d better hurry up and put your robes on, I’ve just been up the front to ask the driver and he says we’re nearly there. You haven’t been fighting, have you? You’ll be in trouble before we even get there!”
“Scabbers has been fighting, not us,” said Ron, scowling at her. “Would you mind leaving while we change?”
Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep-purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down. Harry started pulling his uniform from his trunk and piling it up on the seat. By the time he was done, Ron was already dressed.
“Ron, would you mind if I have the compartment for a minute, to change?”
“Er, yeah, of course,” Ron stuttered. “No problem. I’ll er... just nip to the loo then.”
“Thanks,” Harry replied.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Harry’s wand whipped out. He pointed it straight at the still sleeping rat inside its cage, glared at Scabbers with intense hatred and jabbed the rodent awake. Its tiny red eyes focused on the tip of the wand and widened in fear.
Harry’s voice was as hard as stone, “Hello Peter. This is for my parents, you traitorous piece of shit. Avada Kedavra!”