Weighed & Measured {HP}

6. platform 9 3/4

Standing in the street in front of Number Four, Harry held out his wand, as Professor Snape had done before. And just like before, the purple triple-decker bus appeared with a bang.

The conductor appeared, but before he could begin his speech Harry shoved a handful of silver sickles into his hand.

"I'd like to go to King's Cross, please," he said, unable to contain his eager tone.

"You, and half of the country," he grumbled, but he took the money anyway, and helped Harry with his trunk.

The Knight Bus was packed with people, most of them students. Harry got the last chair, with the vivarium on his lap and the trunk up on its side next to him. They picked up more people on their way, and by the time they got to King's Cross, it was already almost time for the train to leave.

The passengers shuffled out, Harry in their midst. He was very glad no one had recognized him, at least not yet, and kept his hair firmly over his forehead and his gaze down. He didn't need another scene like the one in the Leaky Cauldron.

As he entered the train station, Harry took out his ticket and examined it for the first time.

Platform 9 3/4? Was there such a place? He supposed there must be, if it was on his ticket.

Wishing he had left Persephone out of the vivarium for the trip, even though he knew she would have hated the crowded bus, he loaded his trunk onto a trolley. He followed the crowd, among the rest of the witches and wizards headed for Hogwarts.

What a sight their group must have made. They numbered at least a dozen students, along with their parents, trunks, and pets, and together, they walked to Platform 10.

"Are you alone?" the voice came from his right side, and he turned to look at the student who stood there. A tall, thin boy stood there, looking down at him in a concerned sort of way.

"Yeah," Harry said, a little defensively.

The older student looked curious, but didn't ask, for which Harry was grateful. He reached through the bars of a cage to pet his cat, a calico, and asked another question.

"You're a first year, aren't you?"

"I am," Harry said. "Why?"

"Do you need help getting onto the platform?"

"That would be great, thanks," he said, relieved.

"No problem," the boy said, and his cat meowed loudly. He rolled his eyes. "Sorry about Morpheus. He doesn't like the cage."

Harry laughed a bit.

"I wouldn't, either," he said, thinking of the cupboard under the stairs.

"My name is Terrance Higgs," the boy said, offering Harry his hand. Unthinkingly, Harry took it and introduced himself in turn.

"Harry Potter."

Higgs gaped, before quickly pulling himself together.

"Are you really?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug.

"Wow. I didn't expect - well, anyway, look at the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. You see, there?" and he pointed. "Look, someone's about to go through."

A young witch, a couple of years older than Harry and clutching a cat to her chest, leaned against the barrier. Harry blinked, and she was gone.

"How does it work?"

Higgs laughed.

"No idea. It's a complicated enchantment that's been there for ages. If you're nervous, you'd better run for it."