Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

　　The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

　　"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.

　　A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

　　"Give us a look, Lee, go on."

　　The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

　　Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.

　　"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.

　　"Yes, please," Harry panted.

　　"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"

　　With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

　　"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

　　"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

　　"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you

　　"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

　　"What?" said Harry.

　　"Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.

　　"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am."

　　The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

　　"Fred? George? Are you there?"

　　"Coming, Mom."

　　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.

　　"Mom -- 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."

　　蒸汽机车喷出的汽雾在谈天说地的人群的头上聚集起来，而各色的猫儿在人们的脚旁鞋边转来转去。猫头鹰们则以一种令人不快的方式相互叫嚣着。它们的叫声压过了人们拖、拉、拍、敲沉重的皮箱时发出的噪音。

　　头几节车箱里早已挤满学生。车里的学生有的从窗子里探出头来和亲人们攀谈，有的还在为抢座位而打作一团。哈利推着小车走下站台，目光搜索着空位子。他经过一个圆脸小男孩时，正巧听到他在说："奶奶，我的癞蛤蟆又不见了。""噢，尼维尔。"一个老妇人在叹息。

　　一个扎着发给的男孩被一小堆人围着。

　　"李，给我们看看嘛。"

　　那男孩掀起手中一个盒子的盖子，从里面伸出一条毛茸茸的长脚。旁观者见状，不禁尖叫起来。

　　哈利继续在拥挤的人群中艰难前行，他在列车尾部终于找到了一个没人的包厢。

　　他先将海维放了进去，然后拖着他那沉重的大皮箱朝车门走去。他使尽全力想将皮箱提上车门梯，但他甚至连箱子的一端都抬不起，他的脚还被皮箱重重地砸了两次。

　　"要帮忙吗？"说话的是带领哈利穿越车票箱的红发孪生兄弟中的一个。

　　"噢，是的。"哈利此时已经气喘吁吁了。

　　"哎，弗来德，快来帮忙啊片在这兄弟俩的帮助下，哈利的大皮箱终于被拽上了车，安置在包厢的一角。

　　"真太谢谢了。"哈利边说边用手拂开挡在眼睛前湿透了的头发。

　　"那是什么？"两兄弟中的一个突然指着哈利一块发亮的伤痕问道。

　　"啊呀，"另一个叫道，"难道你是……？"

　　"没错，"第一个抢着说，"不是吗？"

　　"什么呀？"哈利十分纳闷。

　　"哈利·波特呀。"两兄弟异口同声道。

　　"噢，他呀，"哈利说，"我意思是我就是。"

　　两个孩子呆呆地盯着他看，哈利觉得自己的脸正在变红。然而，令他稍感宽慰的是，一个声音这时从打开着的车门外传进来。

　　"弗来德，乔治，你们都在这儿吗？"

　　"来了，妈妈。"

　　再最后打量了哈利一眼，兄弟俩跳下了火车。

　　哈利坐在紧靠车窗的位置上，看着站台上的红发家族，听着他们的话语，他们的母亲掏出手帕来。

　　"罗恩，你的鼻子脏了。"

　　小男孩想跑开，却被他妈妈一把抓住，妈妈用心地为他拭去鼻梢的尘土。

　　"妈，放开我，"他努力挣脱了。

　　"啊哈，整洁的罗恩鼻子上有点脏东西喔。"孪生兄弟中的一个说道。

　　"住嘴！"罗恩气极了。

　　"伯希呢？"妈妈关切地问。

　　"正走过来呢。"