CHAPTER SIX
malade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George
reckons he had a booger-flavored one once.”
Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a
corner.
“Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts.”
They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got
toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine,
and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one
Ron wouldn’t touch, which turned out to be pepper.
The countryside now flying past the window was becoming
wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting
rivers, and dark green hills.
There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the
round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-
quarters came in. He looked tearful.
“Sorry,” he said, “but have you seen a toad at all?”
When they shook their heads, he wailed, “I’ve lost him! He
keeps getting away from me!”
“He’ll turn up,” said Harry.
“Yes,” said the boy miserably. “Well, if you see him . . .”
He left.
“Don’t know why he’s so bothered,” said Ron. “If I’d brought a
toad I’d lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers,
so I can’t talk.”
The rat was still snoozing on Ron’s lap.
“He might have died and you wouldn’t know the difference,” said
Ron in disgust. “I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him
more interesting, but the spell didn’t work. I’ll show you, look . . .”
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