Bones

Chapter 2

        Hermione woke me the next morning already dress. I got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs. Weasley began telling me, Hermione and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All four of us were rather giggly.

        Once we all finished eating, we heaved all our trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Juniper, Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in our cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.

        "It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."

        "You won't," Ron snapped. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"

        He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.

        "He's just a rat," I said, smacking Ron on the back of his head. "Crookshanks holds actual value."

        "He can hear you," Ron said, rubbing his head.

        "Good," I scoffed.

        Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.

        "They're here," he said. "Harry, come on."

        Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

        "How come your dad's escorting Harry?" I asked Ron as we followed.

        "I'm not sure," Ron said.

        "In you get, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, glancing up and down the crowded street.

        Harry got into the back of the car and we followed in.

        We reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found us trolleys, unloaded our trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

        Mr. Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station.

        "Right then," he said, glancing around us. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."

        Mr. Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine. With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him.

        In a moment, they were gone. We waiting a few seconds and Hermione and I stepped forward running through the barrier and seeing the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.

        Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind us. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.

        "Ah, there's Penelope!" Percy said, smoothing his hair and going pink again and strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.

        Once the remaining Weasleys had joined us, Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. We loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Juniper, Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.