Harry Potter 01 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by authors_sort Page A

gawped at him and Harry felt himself going red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train’s open door.
    ‘Fred? George? Are you there?’
    ‘Coming, Mum.’
    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 the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.
    ‘Ron, you’ve got something on your nose.’
    The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.
    ‘Mum – geroff.’ He wriggled free.
    ‘Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?’ said one of the twins.
    ‘Shut up,’ said Ron.
    ‘Where’s Percy?’ said their mother.
    ‘He’s coming now.’
    The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes and Harry noticed a shiny red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.
    ‘Can’t stay long, Mother,’ he said. ‘I’m up front, the Prefects have got two compartments to themselves –’
    ‘Oh, are you a Prefect , Percy?’ said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. ‘You should have said something, we had no idea.’
    ‘Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it,’ said the other twin. ‘Once –’
    ‘Or twice –’
    ‘A minute –’
    ‘All summer –’
    ‘Oh, shut up,’ said Percy the Prefect.
    ‘How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?’ said one of the twins.
    ‘Because he’s a Prefect ,’ said their mother fondly. ‘All right, dear, well, have a good term – send me an owl when you get there.’
    She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.
    ‘Now, you two – this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you’ve – you’ve blown up a toilet or –’
    ‘Blown up a toilet? We’ve never blown up a toilet.’
    ‘Great idea though, thanks, Mum.’
    ‘It’s not funny . And look after Ron.’
    ‘Don’t worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us.’
    ‘Shut up,’ said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.
    ‘Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?’
    Harry leant back quickly so they couldn’t see him looking.
    ‘You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?’
    ‘Who?’
    ‘Harry Potter!’
    Harry heard the little girl’s voice.
    ‘Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, oh please …’
    ‘You’ve already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn’t something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?’
    ‘Asked him. Saw his scar. It’s really there – like lightning.’
    ‘Poor dear – no wonder he was alone. I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get on to the platform.’
    ‘Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?’
    Their mother suddenly became very stern.
    ‘I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don’t you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school.’
    ‘All right, keep your hair on.’
    A whistle sounded.
    ‘Hurry up!’ their mother said, and the three boys clambered on to the train. They leant out of the window for her to kiss them goodbye and their younger sister began to cry.
    ‘Don’t, Ginny, we’ll send you loads of owls.’
    ‘We’ll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat.’
    ‘George!’
    ‘Only joking, Mum.’
    The train 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; then she fell back and waved.
    Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn’t know what he was going to – but it had to be better than what he was leaving