Birds of a Feather

Chapter Three: The Train and The Sorting

The Dursleys were not pleasant for the month Harry stayed with them, but they did agree to take Harry to King's Cross. 

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk 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, 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?"

Harry just smirked at Uncle Vernon and walked right through the barrier with his cart. 

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with wizards and witches seeing their children off to Hogwarts. 

Harry wasted no time in getting on the train and finding an empty compartment, letting Lily sit in his lap. He was soon joined by Draco, and they talked about the Dursleys for a while. 

After long, though, they were interrupted by a boy with red hair and hand-me-down clothing. 

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."

"We would be delighted if you were to join us," responded Harry. And he'd closed, locked, and put up privacy spells before the redhead could blink. 

"Sit," said Draco with a smile. And he did.

Harry studied the redhead before speaking. "Has Dumbledore told you to befriend me? Because it is impossible for a magical train to be full." 

The redhead looked uneasy but gave the nod yes. 

Draco sneered and asked, "Are you a Weasley?"

"Yes. Ron Weasley."

"Well Ron, I am Harry, this is Draco, and this is Lily. How would you like actually to improve our world?"

After Ron agrees, the three boys get to know one another and discuss a game plan for the year. 

Then, there was a knock on the door of their compartment, and a round-faced boy came in. He looked tearful. 

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their 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. Draco looked at it with disdain. 

"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.