Soon, the train started, and Harry turned his gaze to the view outside. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.

Liliana was engrossed in her book, and occasionally pointed out some interesting parts for Harry to look at.

Suddenly, the door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seats opposite Harry and Liliana. "Everywhere else is full."

Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Liliana looked up from her book a couple of times to sneak looks at Ron. Harry sent her a knowing smirk. She rolled her eyes and went back to reading, shaking her head.

"Hey, Ron." The twins were back. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train. Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Harry, Liliana," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."

"Bye," said Harry and Ron. Liliana silently waved as the twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you really Harry and Liliana Potter?" Ron blurted out. Harry nodded and Liliana smiled. "Oh. Well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got, you know..." He whispered. "The scars."

Harry pulled back his bangs and Liliana pulled up her sleeve to show the lightning scars.

Ron stared for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Yes, I think so," said Ron.

"Cool," Liliana responded softly. Ron bit his lip and looked down at the floor.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Ron holds up a smushed sandwich. "No thanks, I'm all set."

Liliana whispers something to Harry, who pulls out coins from his pocket. "We'll take the lot!"

"Whoa!" Ron breathes.

Soon, the compartment was filled with different types of candy.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands...

Ron stared as Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. He eyed the sweets with longing.

"Go on, take some! I can tell you want it!" offered Liliana, giving him a small smile.

Ron stared at her in awe. "Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks a bunch!" Ron stuffs his mouth with sweets.

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?"

"It's only a spell. Besides, it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I got about five hundred myself."

The frog jumps onto the window and climbs up, then leaps out the window, disappearing.

Harry picks up the card. "Hey, I got Dumbledore!"

"I got about six of him," Ron states.

"Hey, he's gone!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you? This is Scabbers, by the way, pathetic, isn't he?"

"Just a little bit," Harry answers.

"Fred gave me a spell as to turn him yellow. Want to see?"

"Yeah!" Harry exclaims.

Ron clears throat. "Ahem. Sun-"

A girl with bushy brown hair appears at the doorway.

"Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one. Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see, then."

"Ahhhmmm. Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!" Unfortunately, nothing happens. Ron shrugs.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? Of course I've only tried a few simple spells myself, and they've all worked for me. For example..." Hermione goes over and sits across from Harry. She points her hand at his glasses. "Oculus Reparo." The glasses are repaired. Harry takes them off, amazed. "That's better, isn't it? Holy Cricket, you're Harry Potter. And you must be Liliana Potter! I'm Hermione Granger...and you are...?"

"I'm...Ron Weasley," Ron responds with a full mouth.

"Pleasure. You three better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon."

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk.

"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"I think I'd be in Ravenclaw," Liliana comments. "Ravenclaw is for cleverness and creativity. I'd do best in Ravenclaw."

Harry frowns. "I doubt I'd get in Ravenclaw."

"It's okay if we don't get in the same house, y'know, Harry. Even if we're twins."

"But-"

A voice echoed through the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. Liliana took deep breaths and tried to relax. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Alright there, Harry? Why hello, there, Liliana!" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. "C'mon, follow me! Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me! This way to the boats! Come on, now, follow me."

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down to a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "Jus' round this bend here."

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Liliana and Hermione.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff.

They all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge front door.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.