Table of Contents
The Journey on the Hogwarts Express from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
Hogwarts Express.
The words themselves feel heavy in your chest, like they’ve been waiting a lifetime to be spoken aloud.
The day begins under the cavernous roof of King’s Cross Station — the kind of place where steam mingles with the smell of train oil and the echo of hurried footsteps. Harry’s ticket reads Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, but the numbers on the wall stop at ten. A cruel joke? Or another mystery in a week full of them?
Somewhere nearby, Mrs. Weasley’s warm voice cuts through the chaos. “All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier. Don’t stop. Don’t be afraid.”
And with that, a boy who has never belonged anywhere finds himself running headfirst into the unknown.
Through the Wall, Into Wonder
There is no crash, no pain — only the sudden bloom of sunlight and sound. Scarlet train carriages stretch into the distance, their brass plates gleaming like ancient treasure. Above, the sign reads Hogwarts Express in bold gold lettering, as though the words have been plucked straight from the pages of a fairy tale.
Owls hoot from wicker cages. Cats prowl along the platform edge. Wizards in emerald-green cloaks exchange warm handshakes and teary farewells. Harry’s heart thunders — not from fear, but from something he hasn’t felt in years: possibility.
Meeting the Weasleys
It’s on this platform that Harry first meets Ron — tall, freckled, and awkward in a way that feels instantly familiar. They choose a compartment together, the kind of unspoken decision that will change the course of both their lives.
And then there’s Hermione — bushy-haired, brisk, armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of spells she’s already tried to practice in the mirror. Neville appears later, breathless and worried about a missing toad.
The Hogwarts Express rolls forward, its rhythm a steady heartbeat carrying them away from the Muggle world and into the golden unknown.
The Magic of the Sweet Trolley
No one remembers their first pumpkin pasty because of the taste alone. It’s the way sugar and laughter melt together, the way Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans turn caution into courage, the way Chocolate Frogs leap across your lap before you’ve had time to blink.
Harry’s pockets are suddenly light, but for the first time in his life, he doesn’t care. Here on the Hogwarts Express, generosity is as natural as breathing — and somehow, the food tastes better for it.
Shadows on the Horizon
Not all faces on the train are friendly. Draco Malfoy’s offer of friendship comes with the slick sheen of superiority — and the sting of insult when Harry refuses. His departure leaves behind a silence that feels heavier than it should, a whisper that not every wizard will be an ally.
Still, the Hogwarts Express rattles on, past green fields and rising hills, pulling the future ever closer.
The First Glimpse of Hogwarts
The train slows, and through the glass, lanterns glow against the deepening twilight. The castle looms in the distance — all towers and turrets and mystery — lit like a beacon against the night sky.
Harry presses his hand to the cool glass, not realizing yet that this moment will stay with him forever. The Hogwarts Express has not just carried him to school; it has carried him to himself.
To Be Continued…
The next step will take them across the black lake, where Hogwarts reveals its secrets one ripple at a time.