======Platform Nine and Three-Quarters======
=====Location Information=====
  * **Type:** Magical Transportation Hub
  * **Location:** [[King's Cross Station]], [[London]], [[England]]
  * **Owner/Residents:** Presumably managed by the [[Ministry of Magic]] for the use of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] students and staff.
  * **Key Features:** Magically concealed from [[Muggle]]s; accessed by walking directly through the solid metal barrier between platforms nine and ten.
=====Description and History=====
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is a secret platform located at the Muggle [[King's Cross Station]] in [[London]]. It serves as the departure and arrival point for the [[Hogwarts Express]], the train that transports students to and from [[Hogwarts]] at the beginning and end of each term.
To access the platform, a [[witch]] or [[wizard]] must walk or run directly at the seemingly solid barrier that divides the Muggle platforms nine and ten. The barrier functions as a magical gateway, allowing magical folk to pass through unharmed while remaining solid to any [[Muggle]]s who might accidentally run into it. The platform itself is described as bustling and crowded, filled with students and their families saying their farewells. A scarlet steam engine, the [[Hogwarts Express]], is always found waiting at the platform before its departure at precisely eleven o'clock on September 1st. A sign on the train or platform typically reads "//Hogwarts Express, Eleven o'clock//."
The platform's origins are not detailed in the novels. However, according to supplementary materials, the platform was established in the 19th century by Minister for Magic Ottaline Gambol as a discreet method for transporting hundreds of students to [[Hogwarts]]. The decision to use a prominent [[Muggle]] station was controversial, but it was implemented through the use of complex [[Memory Charm|Memory Charms]] and what was described as the largest mass [[Concealment Charm]] ever performed in Britain (Pottermore).
=====Role in the Story=====
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is a significant recurring location that symbolizes the gateway between [[Harry Potter]]'s mundane life in the [[Muggle]] world and the excitement of the [[wizarding world]]. It is the site of many important meetings, farewells, and transitions throughout the series.
  * In //[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]//, this is where Harry first meets the [[Weasley family]], who kindly show him how to access the platform. This marks Harry's true, independent entry into the magical community and the beginning of his most enduring friendships.
  * In //[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]//, the house-elf [[Dobby]] magically seals the gateway to prevent Harry from returning to [[Hogwarts]]. This forces Harry and [[Ron Weasley]] to miss the train and resort to using the illegal [[Flying Ford Anglia]] to travel to school.
  * In //[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]//, [[Arthur Weasley]] pulls Harry aside on the platform to warn him about the escaped [[Sirius Black]] and the danger he supposedly poses.
  * In //[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]//, the platform is the site of emotional farewells as students depart for a year that will include the dangerous [[Triwizard Tournament]].
  * In //[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]//, Harry is escorted to the station by members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. Here, he has a brief, disguised farewell with his godfather, [[Sirius Black]] (as [[Padfoot]]), marking the last time they see each other at the station.
  * In //[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]//, the epilogue is set on the platform nineteen years after the [[Battle of Hogwarts]]. An adult Harry, [[Ron Weasley]], [[Hermione Granger]], and [[Ginny Weasley]] are present to see their own children off to [[Hogwarts]], bringing the story full circle.
=====Known Areas Within=====
As a specific, self-contained location, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters does not have numerous distinct sub-areas, but its key components include:
  * **The Barrier:** The magical portal between the Muggle platforms nine and ten that serves as the entrance.
  * **The Platform:** The main waiting and boarding area where families and students congregate.
  * **The [[Hogwarts Express]]:** The scarlet steam train that is docked at the platform.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * **Author's Inspiration:** J.K. Rowling has stated that she chose [[King's Cross Station]] because her parents met on a train departing from there, making it a personally significant and romantic location for her. She has also admitted that she may have been thinking of Euston Station's layout when she wrote about adjacent platforms 9 and 10, as at the real King's Cross, these platforms are separated by train tracks (J.K. Rowling interview).
  * **Film Adaptation:** In the film adaptations, the entrance to the platform is depicted as a solid brick wall or archway rather than the metal ticket barrier described in the books (film).
  * **Real-World Location:** The real King's Cross Station in [[London]] has installed a permanent tourist attraction featuring a luggage trolley halfway through a wall under a sign for "Platform 9 ¾," allowing fans to take photos.
  * **Pottermore History:** The Wizarding World website (formerly Pottermore) elaborates on the platform's creation, stating that the [[Ministry of Magic]] had to perform "one hundred and sixty-seven [[Memory Charm|Memory Charms]]" on [[Muggle]] railway workers and add the secret platform through magical means to avoid detection (Pottermore).