"Three, two..." He whispered. "One-"
                          
*At that moment a group of people passed him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.
                          
"-- packed with Muggles, of course --"
                          
Harry swung round. The Weasleys!
                          
"Now, what's the platform number?" said Mrs. Weasley."Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, Ginny!, 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 and the twins went, and Harry waited for his queue to walk over to them.
                          
"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.
                          
"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too." She pointed to Ron, who was smiling like Christmas had come early.
                          
"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 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 tried to look nervous, but went threw with ease.
                          
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, and he managed to give Ginny a quick kiss on the cheek unnoticed before climbing on the train.
                          
Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a distraught Neville. "Gran, I've lost my toad again." He told his Gran. "Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh. When Neville saw Harry, he nodded and went back to looking for Trevor.
                          
Harry 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 toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.
                          
"Want a hand?" It was George.
                          
"Yes, please," Harry panted.
                          
"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.
                          
"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
                          
"What's that?" said Fred suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar."Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you-"
                          
"He is," said George. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.
                          
"What?" said Harry.
                          
"Harry Potter," chorused the twins.
                          
"I mean, yes, I am." said Harry. The twins gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a Molly's - urg Mrs. Weasley's - voice came floating in through the train's open door.
                          
"Fred? George? Are you there?"
                          
"Coming, Mom." With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train. Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch his favorite family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Mrs. Weasley had just taken out her handkerchief.
                          
"Ron, you've got something on your nose." Ron tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.
                          
"Mom -- geroff" He wriggled free.
                          
"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.
                          
"Shut up," said Ron. Harry could practically hear him screaming at the twins inside his mind.