Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)

by J.K. Rowling

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-Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey 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 …’ He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end. ‘Unicorn hair’s nearly poking out. Anyway –’ He had just raised his wa...