The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
In which Harry takes a journey from platform nine and three-quarters and ends up at Hogwarts. Miraculously.
Oh my gosh, this chapter and the one that follows are two of my favorites in the entire series. This is probably the point where I fell madly in love with the books. One of the excellent things about Harry's character is that, just like us as readers, he is experiencing everything for the first time. The amazing thing about J.K. Rowling's writing is that she takes you through everything, dipping you very slowly into the wizarding world just like Harry. She does a brilliant job, too, of first introducing Hagrid, then Diagon Alley, then the train, then the school.
The first wizards Harry meets on the platform are the Weasleys. I love how even Mrs. Weasley is a little starstruck by Harry Potter at first. Initially Harry and the Weasleys are so different. Harry is rich and famous; they're not-so-rich and not-so-famous. They've grown up as witches and wizards their whole life; Harry just learned he was one a month ago. But as the story progresses we learn that these things are simply face-value statements, and as Harry becomes a part of the Weasley family, we know that deep down they're all made of the same morals and stuff.
It is revealed that the vault Hagrid and Harry visited had an attempted break in. So that's what Quirrel was doing the day Hagrid and Harry saw him at the Leaky Cauldron. Imagine if they had been shopping an hour or two later. Scary thoughts.
The next person we meet is the girl who completes the golden trio, or whatever they call themselves, Hermione Granger. She comes off as smarty-pants girl to the extreme at first, but she begins to lose her air of peremptoriness as the story continues and when she starts to become friends with Harry and Ron.
Neville has a perpetually misplaced toad and a little bit of short-term memory to boot, which is majorly uncool as far as wizards are concerned, but Ron has the murderer-rat, so really who's the worse-off here? Though a majorly creepy rat, Scabbers has his moments, including clawing Crabbe in the face. Really he only has the one moment.
A funny quote I came across was written on Dumbledore's wizard card: "Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling." (103) Of course he does. Actually reminds me of a teacher I had once, though she was not nearly as cool.
So after a long journey across the country, the train finally arrives at Hogwarts. The first time Harry sees Hogwarts and the boat ride across the Black Lake to the castle are two of the coolest moments for sure. I never realized the boat ride went through the underneath of the castle into a little cave-tunnel. That is incredible. You learn something new everyday.
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