Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

• 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 Muggles; accessed by walking directly through the solid metal barrier between platforms nine and ten.

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 Muggles 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 Charms and what was described as the largest mass Concealment Charm ever performed in Britain (Pottermore).

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.

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.

• 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 Charms” on Muggle railway workers and add the secret platform through magical means to avoid detection (Pottermore).