CHAPTER SIX
closer at Scabbers. “No — I don’t believe it — he’s gone back to
sleep.”
And so he had.
“You’ve met Malfoy before?”
Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.
“I’ve heard of his family,” said Ron darkly. “They were some of
the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disap-
peared. Said they’d been bewitched. My dad doesn’t believe it. He
says Malfoy’s father didn’t need an excuse to go over to the Dark
Side.” He turned to Hermione. “Can we help you with some-
thing?”
“You’d better hurry up and put your robes on, I’ve just been up
to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we’re nearly there.
You haven’t been fighting, have you? You’ll be in trouble before we
even get there!”
“Scabbers has been fighting, not us,” said Ron, scowling at her.
“Would you mind leaving while we change?”
“All right — I only came in here because people outside are be-
having very childishly, racing up and down the corridors,” said
Hermione in a sniffy voice. “And you’ve got dirt on your nose, by
the way, did you know?”
Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It
was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep
purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.
He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black
robes. Ron’s were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers un-
derneath them.
A voice echoed through the train: “We will be reaching Hog-
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