Learn English with Harry Potter – Episode 5: The Journey to Hogwarts

Hello and welcome! This is Learn English with Harry Potter — a teaching series

for beginners. We tell the story of Harry Potter in easy English,

one episode at a time. Today’s episode is called "The Journey to Hogwarts".

This story is for A1 level students. We will speak slowly and clearly. You will understand it.

First, we will read the story. Then, we will explain some words. After that, we will listen

again and answer simple questions. Let’s begin!

Harry is back at the Dursleys' house. He waits for the day to go to Hogwarts. Uncle Vernon does

not help him. He only drives him to the train station. They stop at King’s Cross Station.

Harry looks at his ticket. It says: Platform 9 and 3/4. He sees platforms 9 and 10. But

where is 9 and 3/4? He is confused. People walk fast. They do not see

him. Harry looks at his trolley with his owl, Hedwig. He pushes it forward.

Then he sees a family. They all have red hair. The mother speaks

to her children. “Now, all of you — this way!” Harry follows them. One boy says, “How do I get

onto the platform?” The mother smiles. “You just walk straight at the wall,” she says.

The boy runs at the wall — and disappears! Harry is amazed. He walks toward the wall. He

takes a deep breath. He walks — and suddenly, he is on the other side!

He sees a big red train. It is called the Hogwarts Express. Smoke comes from the

top. People say goodbye. Owls hoot. Cats meow. Harry finds a seat. He is alone. Then a

boy comes in. “Can I sit here?” he asks. “My name is Ron. Ron Weasley.”

Harry smiles. “I’m Harry. Harry Potter.” Ron is surprised. “You’re that Harry Potter?”

They talk. Ron has a rat named Scabbers. He shows it to Harry. Ron says, “I have five brothers.”

A woman comes with a trolley. “Anything from the trolley, dears?”

Ron says he has only a sandwich. Harry

buys lots of sweets. He shares them with Ron. They eat Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour

Beans. Some taste like chocolate. Some taste like grass. One tastes like soap! They laugh.

Then a girl comes in. She has brown, bushy hair. She says, “Have you seen

a toad? A boy named Neville lost one.” Her name is Hermione Granger. She looks at

Ron. “You have dirt on your nose,” she says. Hermione is smart. She already read all

the school books. Harry and Ron look at each other. They smile.

The train moves fast. The sky turns dark. Mountains and rivers pass by.

Soon, they arrive at a small station. It is night. A voice says, “First years, this way!”

It is Hagrid. He holds a lamp. “Follow me!” he calls.

The new students walk to the lake. There are small boats. Four students sit in each boat. Harry,

Ron, Hermione, and Neville share one boat. The boats move across the dark water. Then,

they see it — Hogwarts Castle! It is big, with many towers. It shines in the night.

Harry looks up. His heart beats fast. He is going to Hogwarts.

VOCABULARY (Explained in Simple English)

platform → the place where people get on a train. Example:

Harry looks for platform 9 and 3/4.