to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights。
Mr。 Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station。
〃Right then；〃 he said； glancing around them。 〃Let's do this in pairs； as there are so many of us。 I'll go through first with Harry。〃
Mr。 Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten； pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine。 With a meaningful look at Harry； he leaned casually against the barrier。 Harry imitated him。
In a moment； they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three… quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express； a scarlet steam engine； puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train。
Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry。 They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run。
〃Ah； there's Penelope！〃 said Percy； smoothing his hair and going Pink again。 Ginny caught Harry's eye； and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long； curly hair； walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge。 stood back to let him on。 They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr。 and Mrs。 Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view。
〃I need to talk to you in private；〃 Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione as the train picked up speed。
〃Go away； Ginny；〃 said Ron。
〃Oh； that's nice；〃 said Ginny huffily； and she stalked off。
Harry； Ron； and Hermione set off down the corridor； looking for an empty partment； but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train。
This had only one occupant； a man sitting fast asleep next to the window。 Harry； Ron； and Hermione checked on the threshold。 The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before； except for the witch who pushed the food cart。
The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places。 He looked ill and exhausted。 Though quite young； his light brown hair was flecked with gray。
〃Who d'you reckon he is？〃 Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut； taking the seats farthest away from the window。
〃Professor R。 J。 Lupin；〃 whispered Hermione at once。
〃How d'you know that？〃
〃It's on his case；〃 she replied； pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head； where there was a small； battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string。 The name Professor R。 J。 Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters。
〃Wonder what he teaches？〃 said Ron； frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile。
〃That's obvious；〃 whispered Hermione。 〃There's only one vacancy； isn't there？ Defense Against the Dark Arts。〃
Harry； Ron； and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers； both of whom had lasted only one year。 There were rumors that the job was jinxed。
〃well； I hope he's up to it；〃 said Ron doubtfully。 〃He looks like on； good hex would finish him off； doesn't he？ Anyway。。。〃 He turned to Harry。 〃What were you going to tell us？〃
Harry explained all about Mr。 and Mrs。 Weasley's argument and the warning Mr。 Weasley had just given him。 When he'd finished； Ron looked thunderstruck； and Hermione had her hands over her mouth。 She finally lowered them to say； 〃Sirius Black escaped to e after you？ Oh； Harry。。。 you'll have to be really； really careful。 don't go looking for trouble； Harry 〃
〃I Don't go looking for trouble；〃 said Harry； nettled。 〃Trouble usually finds me。〃
〃How thick would Harry have to be； to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him？〃 said Ron shakily。
They were taking the news worse than Harry had expected。 Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Black than he was。
〃No one knows how he got out of Azkaban；〃 said Ron unfortably。 〃No one's ever done it before。 And he was a top…security prisoner too。〃
〃But they'll catch him； won't they？〃 said Hermione earnestly。 〃I Mean； they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too。。。。〃 〃What's that noise？〃 said Ron suddenly。
A faint； tinny sort of whistle was ing from somewhere。 The； looked all around the partment。
〃It's ing from your trunk； Harry；〃 said Ron； standing UP and reaching into the luggage rack。 A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes。 It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly。
〃Is that a Sneakoscope？〃 said Hermione interestedly； standing up for a better look。
〃Yeah。。。 mind you； it's a very cheap one；〃 Ron said。 〃It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry。〃
〃Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time？〃 said Hermione shrewdly。
〃No！ Well。。。 I wasn't supposed to be using Errol。 You know he's not really up to long journeys。。。 but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him？〃
〃Stick it back in the trunk；〃 Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly； 〃or it'll wake him up。〃
He nodded toward Professor Lupin。 Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks； which deadened the sound； then closed the lid of the trunk on it。
〃We could get it checked in Hogsmeade；〃 said Ron； sitting back down。 〃They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges； magical instruments and stuff。 Fred and George told me。〃
〃Do you know much about Hogsmeade？〃 asked Hermione keenly。 〃I've read it's the only entirely non…Muggle settlement in Britain 〃
〃Yeah； I think it is；〃 said Ron in an offhand sort of way。
〃But that's not Why I want to go。 I just want to get inside Honey Dukes。〃
〃What's that？〃 said Hermione。
〃It's this sweetshop；〃 said Ron； a dreamy look ing over his face； 〃where they've got everything。。。 Pepper Imps they make you smoke at the mouth and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream； and really excellent sugar quills； which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next 〃
〃But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place； isn't it？〃 Hermione pressed on eagerly。 〃In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion； and the Shrieking Shades supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain 〃
〃 and massive sherbert balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them；〃 said Ron； who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying。
Hermione looked around at Harry。
〃Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade？〃
〃'Spect it will；〃 said Harry heavily。 〃You'll have to tell me when You've found out。〃
〃What d'you mean？〃 said Ron。
〃I can't go。 The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form； and Fudge wouldn't either。〃
Ron looked horrified。
〃〃You're not allowed to e？ But no way McGonagall or someone will give you permission 〃 musclely； Crabbe was taller； with a pudding…bowl haircut and a very thick neck； Goyle had short； bristly hair and long； gorilla…ish arms。
〃Well； look who it is；〃 said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl； pulling open the partment door。 〃Potty and the Weasel。〃
Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly。
〃I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer； Weasley；〃 said Malfoy。 〃Did your mother die of shock？〃
Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor。 Professor Lupin gave a snort。
〃Who's that？〃 said Malfoy； taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin。
〃New teacher；〃 said Harry； who got to his feet； too； in case he needed to hold Ron back。 〃What were you saying； Malfoy？〃
Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed； he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose。
〃C'mon；〃 he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle； and they disappeared。
Harry and Ron sat down again； Ron massaging his knuckles。
〃I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year；〃 he said angrily。 〃I mean it。 If he makes one more crack about my family； I'm going to get hold of his head and 〃
Ron made a violent gesture in midair。
〃Ron；〃 hissed Hermione； pointing at Professor Lupin； 〃be careful。。。〃
But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep。
The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north； the windows were now a solid； shimmering gray； which graduily darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks。 The train rattled； the rain hammered； the ind roared； but still； Professor Lupin slept。
〃We must be nearly there；〃 said Ron； leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now pletely black window。
The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down。
〃Great；〃 said Ron； getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside。 〃I'm starving。 I want to get to the feast。。。。
〃We can't be there yet；〃 said Hermione； checking her watch。
〃So why're we stopping？〃
The train was getting slower and slower。 As the noise of the pistons fell away； the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows。
Harry； who was nearest the door； got up to look into the corridor。 All along the carriage； heads were sticking curiously out of their partments。
The train came to a stop with a jolt； and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks。 Then； without warning； all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness。
〃'What's going on？〃 said Ron's voice from behind Harry。
〃Ouch！〃 gasped Hermione。 〃Ron； that was my foot！〃
Harry felt his way back to his seat。
〃D'you think we've broken down？〃
〃Dunno。。。〃
There was a squeaking sound； and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron； wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out。
〃There's something moving out there；〃 Ron said。 〃I think people are ing aboard。。。。〃
The partment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry's legs。
〃Sorry d'you know what's going on？ Ouch sorry
〃Hullo；