章节_33

m something you had to do,

like tappihird bri the left to get into diagon alley. he

wondered if he should get out his wand and start tappi

iors staforms en.

at that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he

caught a fehat they were saying.

”-- packed with muggles, of course --”

harry swung round. the speaker as talking

to four boys, all with flaming red hair. ea ushing

a trunk like harrys in front of him -- and they had an owl.

heart hammering, harry pushed his cart after them. they stopped

and so did he, just o hear what they were saying.

”now, whats the platform number?” said the boys mother.

”hree-quarters!” piped a small girl, also red-headed,

who was holding her hand, ”mom, t i go... ”

”youre not old enough, gin. all right, percy,

you go first.”

what looked like the oldest boy marched tolatforms nine

and ten. harry watched, ot to blink in case he missed it

-- but just as the boy reached the dividiween the

two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front

of him ahe last backpack had cleared away, the boy

had vanished.

”fred, you he plump woman said.

”im not fred, im gee,” said the boy. ”holy, woman,

you call yourself our mother? cara you tell im gee?”

”se, dear.”

”only joking, i am fred,” said the boy, a. his

twier him to hurry up, a have done so,

because a sed later, he had go how had he do?

hird brother was walking briskly toward the barrier

he was almost there -- ae suddenly, he wasnt anywhere.

there was nothi.

”excuse me,” harry said to the plump woman.

”hello, dear,” she said. ”first time at hogwarts? rons new,

too.”

she poihe last a of her soall,

thin, and gangling, with freckles, big ha, and a

long nose.

”yes,” said harry. ”the thing is -- the thing is, i dont know

how to --”

”how to get oform?” she said kindly, and harry

nodded.

”not to worry,” she said. ”all you have to do is walk straight

at the barrier between platforms en. dont stop and dont

be scared youll to it, thats very importa

at a bit of a run if youre nervous. go on, go now before ron.”

”er -- okay,” said harry.

he pushed his trolley around ahe barrier. it

looked very solid.

he started to eople jostled him on their way

to platforms en. harry walked more quickly. he was going

tht into that barrier and then hed be in trouble --

leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run -- the

barrier was ing nearer and nearer -- he wouldo stop

-- the cart was out of trol -- he was a foot away -- he closed

his eyes ready for the crash --

it didnt e... he kept ... he opened his eyes. a

scarlet steam eio a platform packed with

people. a sign overhead said hogress, eleven oclock. harry

looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier

had been, with the words platform hree-quarters on it,

he had do.

smoke from the eed over the heads of the g

crowd, while cats of every d here aween their

legs. owls hooted to oher in a disgru of way over

the babble and the sg of heavy trunks.

the first few carriages acked with students,

some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some

fightis. harry pushed his cart off dowform in

searpty seat. he passed a round-faced boy who was saying,

”gran, ive lost my toad again.”

”oh, neville,” he heard the old woman sigh.

a boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

”give us a look, lee, go on.”