1
																	.
																	 
																	Mr
																	.
																	 
																	Dursley
																	 
																	stopped
																	 
																	dead
																	.
																	 
																	Fear
																	 
																	flooded
																	 
																	him
																	.
																	 
																	He
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	whisperers
																	 
																	as
																	 
																	if
																	 
																	he
																	 
																	wanted
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	say
																	 
																	something
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	them
																	,
																	 
																	but
																	 
																	thought
																	 
																	better
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	it
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	2
																	.
																	 
																	Twelve
																	 
																	times
																	 
																	he
																	 
																	clicked
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	Put
																	-
																	Outer
																	,
																	 
																	until
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	only
																	 
																	lights
																	 
																	left
																	 
																	on
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	whole
																	 
																	street
																	 
																	were
																	 
																	two
																	 
																	tiny
																	 
																	pinpricks
																	 
																	in
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	distance
																	,
																	 
																	which
																	 
																	were
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	eyes
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	cat
																	 
																	watching
																	 
																	him
																	.
																	 
																	If
																	 
																	anyone
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	their
																	 
																	window
																	 
																	now
																	,
																	 
																	even
																	 
																	beady
																	-
																	eyed
																	 
																	Mrs
																	.
																	 
																	Dursley
																	,
																	 
																	they
																	 
																	wouldn't
																	 
																	be
																	 
																	able
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	see
																	 
																	anything
																	 
																	that
																	 
																	was
																	 
																	happening
																	 
																	down
																	 
																	on
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	pavement
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	3
																	.
																	 
																	A
																	 
																	low
																	 
																	rumbling
																	 
																	sound
																	 
																	had
																	 
																	broken
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	silence
																	 
																	around
																	 
																	them
																	.
																	 
																	It
																	 
																	grew
																	 
																	steadily
																	 
																	louder
																	 
																	as
																	 
																	they
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	and
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	street
																	 
																	for
																	 
																	some
																	 
																	sign
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	headlight
																	;
																	 
																	it
																	 
																	swelled
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	roar
																	 
																	as
																	 
																	they
																	 
																	both
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	sky
																	 
																	?
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	huge
																	 
																	motorcycle
																	 
																	fell
																	 
																	out
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	air
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	landed
																	 
																	on
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	road
																	 
																	in
																	 
																	front
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	them
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	4
																	.
																	 
																	For
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	full
																	 
																	minute
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	three
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	them
																	 
																	stood
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	little
																	 
																	bundle
																	;
																	 
																	Hagrid's
																	 
																	shoulders
																	 
																	shook
																	,
																	 
																	Professor
																	 
																	McGonagall
																	 
																	blinked
																	 
																	furiously
																	,
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	twinkling
																	 
																	light
																	 
																	that
																	 
																	usually
																	 
																	shone
																	 
																	from
																	 
																	Dumbledore's
																	 
																	eyes
																	 
																	seemed
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	have
																	 
																	gone
																	 
																	out
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	5
																	.
																	 
																	About
																	 
																	once
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	week
																	,
																	 
																	Uncle
																	 
																	Vernon
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	top
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	his
																	 
																	newspaper
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	shouted
																	 
																	that
																	 
																	Harry
																	 
																	needed
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	haircut
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	6
																	.
																	 
																	Harry
																	 
																	moved
																	 
																	in
																	 
																	front
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	tank
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																	intently
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	snake
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	7
																	.
																	 
																	Harry
																	 
																	stared
																	.
																	 
																	Then
																	 
																	he
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																	quickly
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	see
																	 
																	if
																	 
																	anyone
																	 
																	was
																	 
																	watching
																	.
																	 
																	They
																	 
																	weren't
																	.
																	 
																	He
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	snake
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	winked
																	,
																	 
																	too
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	8
																	.
																	 
																	"
																	What's
																	 
																	this
																	?
																	"
																	 
																	he
																	 
																	asked
																	 
																	Aunt
																	 
																	Petunia
																	.
																	 
																	Her
																	 
																	lips
																	 
																	tightened
																	 
																	as
																	 
																	they
																	 
																	always
																	 
																	did
																	 
																	if
																	 
																	he
																	 
																	dared
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	ask
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	question
																	.
																	 
																	
																	"
																	Your
																	 
																	new
																	 
																	school
																	 
																	uniform
																	,
																	"
																	 
																	she
																	 
																	said
																	.
																	 
																	
																	Harry
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	bowl
																	 
																	again
																	.
																	 
																	
																	"
																	Oh
																	,
																	"
																	 
																	he
																	 
																	said
																	,
																	 
																	"
																	I
																	 
																	didn't
																	 
																	realize
																	 
																	it
																	 
																	had
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	be
																	 
																	so
																	 
																	wet
																	.
																	"
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	9
																	.
																	 
																	He
																	 
																	drove
																	 
																	them
																	 
																	into
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	middle
																	 
																	of
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	forest
																	,
																	 
																	got
																	 
																	out
																	,
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																	around
																	,
																	 
																	shook
																	 
																	his
																	 
																	head
																	,
																	 
																	got
																	 
																	back
																	 
																	in
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	car
																	,
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	off
																	 
																	they
																	 
																	went
																	 
																	again
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	10
																	.
																	 
																	Harry
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	fierce
																	,
																	 
																	wild
																	,
																	 
																	shadowy
																	 
																	face
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	saw
																	 
																	that
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	beetle
																	 
																	eyes
																	 
																	were
																	 
																	crinkled
																	 
																	in
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	smile
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	11
																	.
																	 
																	"
																	Not
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	wizard
																	,
																	 
																	eh
																	?
																	 
																	Never
																	 
																	made
																	 
																	things
																	 
																	happen
																	 
																	when
																	 
																	you
																	 
																	was
																	 
																	scared
																	 
																	or
																	 
																	angry
																	?
																	"
																	 
																	
																	Harry
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	fire
																	.
																	 
																	Now
																	 
																	he
																	 
																	came
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	think
																	 
																	about
																	 
																	it
																	 
																	.
																	 
																	.
																	 
																	.
																	 
																	(
																	?
																	)
																	 
																	
																	Harry
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	Hagrid
																	,
																	 
																	smiling
																	,
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	saw
																	 
																	that
																	 
																	Hagrid
																	 
																	was
																	 
																	positively
																	 
																	beaming
																	 
																	at
																	 
																	him
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	12
																	.
																	 
																	A
																	 
																	scarlet
																	 
																	steam
																	 
																	engine
																	 
																	was
																	 
																	waiting
																	 
																	next
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	platform
																	 
																	packed
																	 
																	with
																	 
																	people
																	.
																	 
																	A
																	 
																	sign
																	 
																	overhead
																	 
																	said
																	 
																	Hogwarts
																	 
																	Express
																	,
																	 
																	eleven
																	 
																	o'clock
																	.
																	 
																	Harry
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	him
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	saw
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	wrought
																	-
																	iron
																	 
																	archway
																	 
																	where
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	barrier
																	 
																	had
																	 
																	been
																	,
																	 
																	with
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	words
																	 
																	"
																	Platform
																	 
																	Nine
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	Three
																	-
																	Quarters
																	"
																	 
																	on
																	 
																	it
																	.
																	 
																	He
																	 
																	had
																	 
																	done
																	 
																	it
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	13
																	.
																	 
																	Ron
																	 
																	picked
																	 
																	up
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	green
																	 
																	bean
																	,
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	it
																	 
																	carefully
																	,
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	bit
																	 
																	into
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	corner
																	.
																	 
																	
																	"
																	Bleaaargh
																	 
																	?
																	 
																	see
																	?
																	 
																	Sprouts
																	.
																	"
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	14
																	.
																	 
																	Mainly
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	avoid
																	 
																	all
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	staring
																	 
																	eyes
																	,
																	 
																	Harry
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	and
																	 
																	saw
																	 
																	a
																	 
																	velvety
																	 
																	black
																	 
																	ceiling
																	 
																	dotted
																	 
																	with
																	 
																	stars
																	.
																	 
																	He
																	 
																	heard
																	 
																	Hermione
																	 
																	whisper
																	,
																	 
																	"
																	It's
																	 
																	bewitched
																	 
																	to
																	 
																	look
																	 
																	like
																	 
																	the
																	 
																	sky
																	 
																	outside
																	"
																	.
																	 
																	
																	 
																	
																	15
																	.
																	 
																	Harry
																	 
																	looked
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																		
												
																	 
																	his
																	 
																	empty
																	 
																	gold
																	 
																	plate
																	.
																	 
																	He
																	 
																	had
																	 
																	only
																	 
																	just
																	 
																	realized
																	 
																	how
																	 
																	hungry
																	 
																	he
																	 
																	was
																	.
																	 
																	The
																	 
																	pumpkin
																	 
																	pasties
																	 
																	seemed
																	 
																	ages
																	 
																	ago
																	.