======King's Cross Station======
=====Location Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Muggle]] Railway [[Station]]; Magical Portal
  * **Location:** London, England, Great Britain
  * **Owner/Residents:** [[Muggle]] Government (Network Rail)
  * **Key Features:** Contains the magical barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten that serves as the entrance to [[Platform Nine and Three-Quarters]].
=====Description and History=====
King's Cross Station is a major [[Muggle]] railway terminus located in London. To the non-magical eye, it is an ordinary, busy station filled with commuters, announcements, and trains. For the British and Irish wizarding community, however, it is the primary departure point for students travelling to [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]].
The magical significance of the station lies in the enchanted barrier between the platforms for trains nine and ten. By walking or running directly at the solid brick wall, witches and wizards can pass through to [[Platform Nine and Three-Quarters]], where the [[Hogwarts Express]] awaits. The entrance is cleverly disguised to prevent [[Muggle]] notice; any [[Muggle]] who might accidentally run at it would simply collide with the wall and not suspect any magical interference.
Historically, [[Hogwarts]] students travelled to school via a variety of uncontrolled methods, including [[Broomstick|Broomsticks]], [[Apparition]], and enchanted vehicles, which caused numerous breaches of the [[International Statute of Secrecy]]. In the early 19th century, the [[Ministry of Magic]] implemented the [[Hogwarts Express]] as a discreet and efficient solution. King's Cross Station was chosen as the London terminus due to its central location, with the magical platform being secretly added for wizarding use (Pottermore).
=====Role in the Story=====
King's Cross Station serves as a recurring setting that marks the beginning and end of Harry's yearly journey between the [[Muggle]] and wizarding worlds.
  * **//Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone//:** [[Harry Potter]] first learns how to access the magical platform with the help of the [[Weasley family]], whom he meets for the first time at the station. This is his formal entry point into the society of his peers.
  * **//Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets//:** [[Dobby]] the house-elf magically seals the barrier, preventing Harry and [[Ron Weasley]] from boarding the [[Hogwarts Express]]. This forces them to fly [[Arthur Weasley]]'s enchanted [[Ford Anglia]] to school.
  * **//Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//:** Harry is escorted to the station by an advance guard of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], including [[Alastor Moody]] (Mad-Eye Moody) and [[Nymphadora Tonks]]. He sees his godfather, [[Sirius Black]], in his dog [[Animagus]] form on the platform.
  * **//Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//:** [[Nymphadora Tonks]] escorts Harry to the station, where they are met by the [[Weasley family]].
  * **//Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows//:** In a near-death experience, Harry's consciousness appears in a metaphysical, dream-like representation of King's Cross. The station is depicted as pristine, sunlit, and empty. Here, he has a final conversation with the spirit of [[Albus Dumbledore]], who explains the nature of the [[Horcrux|Horcruxes]] and the [[Deathly Hallows]], allowing Harry to understand his path forward and choose to return to life.
  * **Epilogue:** Nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, an adult Harry, [[Ginny Weasley]], [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]] are at King's Cross to see their own children off to [[Hogwarts]].
=====Known Areas Within=====
  * **Platforms Nine and Ten:** Two adjacent [[Muggle]] platforms. The solid barrier between them serves as the hidden gateway.
  * **The Barrier:** An enchanted solid brick archway that is permeable to witches and wizards, leading directly to the magical platform.
  * **[[Platform Nine and Three-Quarters]]:** The secret platform from which the [[Hogwarts Express]] departs. It is only accessible through the barrier and is invisible to [[Muggle|Muggles]].
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * J.K. Rowling has stated that she chose King's Cross Station because her parents met on a train departing from there to Scotland, making the location personally significant and romantic to her (J.K. Rowling interview).
  * In the film adaptations, the exterior shots used for King's Cross are actually of the more gothic-revival St. Pancras International station next door. The scenes on the platforms were filmed at the real King's Cross, but between platforms 4 and 5, as the real platforms 9 and 10 are separated by train tracks, not a wall (film).
  * The actual King's Cross station in London now features a tourist attraction with a luggage trolley embedded in a wall under a sign for "Platform 9¾", celebrating its role in the series.