67
On the Hogsnorts Express
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You leap nimbly into the carriage with the boy from the robe shop - it will be fun to chat on the journey. You go and sit next to him.

"Hello," you say "I'm Arthur, we saw each other in the robe shop."

The boy does his sneer-smile. "Yes I know, you're the boy who didn't have any wizard money. I'm Snako Malboy, the richest boy in the school, so why should I talk to you?"

You decide to change your approach.

"I've got some Smarties, would you like one?"

"Smarties?" replies Snako, "what are you, some kind of smarty pants?" He snorts with laughter and looks round the carriage to see if anyone is laughing at his rubbish joke. No-one reacts.

Sitting back in his seat Snako adds more quietly: "Yes please, have you got any blue ones? They're my favourite."

For the next few minutes you happily share out the colourful chocolate treats. Snako likes the blue ones and your favourite are the green, which makes him excited.

"Hey Arthur, did you know Snakefang House colours are green and silver? And you like green Smarties. Maybe that's a sign that you will be in Snakefang House too, like I will be!"

"What's Snakefang House like?" you ask curiously.

"Oh it's great," replies Snako. "All the most powerful wizards have been in Snakefang House. It teaches you how to make other people do what you want."

"I'm not sure I want to make people do stuff" you say.

"Do you want to change the world when you grow up? I know I do. I don't want to just put up with how things are. And how are you going to change the world if everyone just ignores you? We can make them listen Arthur, then you can have all the green Smarties you want."

It's a good argument - you would like to have more green Smarties. You promise Snako to think about it and sit in companionable silence as the train chuffs onwards through a dark tunnel.

After what seems absolutely ages the Hogsnorts Express bursts into daylight, the train tracks emerging from the mouth of the tunnel in the side of a hill.

You twist in your seat to peer out of the window. As far as you can see there are rolling hills covered in pine trees. In the distance, craggy mountains emerge, their tops clouded in mist. It looks like nowhere you have ever seen before, except perhaps in the illustrations to one of your favourite books, The Hobbit.

You feel like you have entered a magical new land and your adventure has truly begun.

A magically amplified voice interrupts your daydreams of dwarves and dragons, trolls and treasure.

"Train terminates here. All change please, all change. Mind the gap."

Hogsnorts station! This is it. You've arrived.