How do muggle-borns get to Platform 9 3/4 and Diagon Alley for the first time?

[TheRealSlugger]

When a wizard or witch is born into a muggle family, such as Hermione, it is always a big surprise. How then, do they know how to get into Diagon Alley, or Platform 9-3/4? Does there acceptance letter contain more info? Getting into Diagon Alley involves a wand, which they wouldn't have. How do they get supplies?

[Fuchsia]

Hagrid was sent to tell Harry. I'm sure they get more owls with letters.
Harry might have even gotten one himself with that information but the Dursleys didn't let him read the mail.

[ninny]

Originally posted by Fuchsia
Hagrid was sent to tell Harry. I'm sure they get more owls with letters.
Harry might have even gotten one himself with that information but the Dursleys didn't let him read the mail.
I agree.
my be they got help from the people in the leaky couldron.

[faubert]

My theory is that the ministry of magic sends someone to visit muggle families who has a child about to go to Hogwart's. A simple letter would probally shock them. THis person explains what is happening and what has to be done.

THey also setup a cover story to explain where the child is to friends and family. Arange for mail to be set and take care of anything else that needs to be done.

[timmay]

interesting conspirous theory

u must be ammerican

[dumbleedore]

Originally posted by faubert
My theory is that the ministry of magic sends someone to visit muggle families who has a child about to go to Hogwart's. A simple letter would probally shock them. THis person explains what is happening and what has to be done.

THey also setup a cover story to explain where the child is to friends and family. Arange for mail to be set and take care of anything else that needs to be done.

I agree. If your child got sent a letter saying they were a witch/wizard, would you believe it? Besides, I don't think there is that many muggleborns that come in to Hogwarts. Most are half-bloods or pure-bloods. I'd say 1 in 10 in a muggle born.

[lanifiel]

Wait, you mean to tell me getting mail by owl isint normal!?! I imagine someone comes to help out. However I dont think it would be to much of a great shock, if your child had the habit of making strange things happen for them when they wanted. I more think after the initial shock it would be more like 'Well then, now everything kind of makes sense...'

[GlassRoses314]

Odd isn't it? How a Witch or Wizard can be born to a family of Muggles, and how a Squib can be aquired from a family of Wizards.

Kind of makes me wonder if one of the Weasley's might be a Squib because there are so many of them they can't ALL be magical. (Note: by this I don't mean any of Arthur and Molly's kids cause obviously they all go to Hogwarts but maybe like a relative of theirs or something...hey here's an idea: Arthur and Molly have another baby in the near future and it turns out to be a Squib. Hehe that'd be funny).

[Hermione]

i would think that either someone goes to their home to help them or they get more than one letter explaining how to get to diagon alley, maybe even directions to the leaky caldren and a conacts name who can get them into diagon alley.

[Fuchsia]

Originally posted by GlassRoses314
Odd isn't it? How a Witch or Wizard can be born to a family of Muggles, and how a Squib can be aquired from a family of Wizards.

Kind of makes me wonder if one of the Weasley's might be a Squib because there are so many of them they can't ALL be magical. (Note: by this I don't mean any of Arthur and Molly's kids cause obviously they all go to Hogwarts but maybe like a relative of theirs or something...hey here's an idea: Arthur and Molly have another baby in the near future and it turns out to be a Squib. Hehe that'd be funny).

There is an accountant in the family that they do not talk about.

Hmm they sent Harry a letter because they thought the Dursleys already told Harry. It would make sense that everyone else could get someone in person.

[Puffskein]

Something vaguely related that makes me wonder: when the Dursleys send those pathetic gifts to Harry, how do they know how to send things to Hogwarts? And isn't it out of character for them to do so?

[Fuchsia]

Maybe Hedwig harrasses them to send Harry gifts?
Are they afraid not to?
It does seem out of character for a family they dropped him off at a train station thinking he'd be stranded there.

[Inkwolf]

I always wondered about the Dursleys sending presents as well...there must be a cover address for Muggle parents to send stuff to, and it gets forwarded from there to the school. Maybe, knowing the Dursleys, Dumbledore sends a reminder letter around christmas? :p

I would think that Muggleborn kids probably get a guide from the school, like when Hagrid came for Harry. Maybe the school sends a teacher to explain things at every Muggleborn kid's house...

[Fuchsia]

I suspect Dudley tapes a list of what he wants to the fridge. Do they need a reminder?

[dumbleedore]

Petunia would know how to send owl post because of Lily. I reckon Harry sends them a letter before Christmas telling them that he's staying behind and they forward on his 'present'.

And they might have like a muggle posting thing at Hogwarts where the mail for all muggle borns parents is given to someone who feeds it into the regular mail system and the parents do the same (cover address like someone said).

[JaLaPeNo]

or maybe...muggle born kids get a different letter..ya know..like to meet somewhere at a certain time, so dumbledore dont hafta send one person specially for each student...

[dumbleedore]

That's true... like an orientation day kind of thing... never thought of that (obviously).

[HbAznKyootie]

Originally posted by timmay
interesting conspirous theory

u must be ammerican

i can see you're not, since you can't spell "American":D
what's with all the US bashing, hehe?

[nehaljetha]

I was just wondering how did Hermione get onto platform 9 and 3/4 for the first time .I mean the weasely's knew about it as all of them had been to Hogwarts.Also how did Hermione and her parents get into Diagon alley to buy all her stuff for Hogwarts.As I remember Muggles can't see the Leaky Couldren.
Chow.

[EvilMeghan]

As for getting on the platform - she could have seen someone, just like Harry saw the Weasleys, and asked them. I'm sure the acceptance letters that go to children of Muggle parentage would include instructions of some sort to prepare them for school.

[Elangomatt]

I can't find it, but there is a pretty good thread discussing how muggle borns get introduced to the magical world. I personally think that muggle borns get introduced to the magical world by a wizard or witch that comes to visit.

[Sirius83]

I think i remember reading Hermione saying that Professor McGonagall met with her and her parents to talk about it. I'm pretty sure McGonagall then explained how to get their money exchanged for wizard gold at gringotts, how to get to diagon alley and onto platform 9 3/4 then.

[Weasley24]

Well this is Hermione, maybe she read about Platform 9 3/4 in a book... *shrugs*

[periwinkle-blue]

I think that muggleborn with relatively no close witches and/or wizards in the family would received letters from Hogwarts with extra details than other, and from another thread I agree with the idea that these letters were sent personally by MoM wizards or someone from Hogwarts staff team. These details will include the information of how to get to Diagon Alley and Platform 9 and 3/4 for first timers.

I am fond of the idea of the muggleborn families being gathered at a certain checkpoint before being lead by a wizard/s to the platform. Or perhaps, somekind of portkeys to transport them to the platform?

[EvilMeghan]

I found the thread, Elangomatt. http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?s=&threadid=111&highlight=muggle+children

Lots of good theories.

An administrator might close this soon.

[harryton]

ecxacly weasely24, she is a smart girl who probably read somewhere how to getinto platform and how to get into the leacky caludron.

[TITAN]

Read it where? How did she get magic books?

[jr119us]

Isnt her anwer to everything, "I read about it, in 'Hogwarts, A History'"?

[Sirius83]

Exactly Titan. People, how would she have read it if she couldn't get to Diagon Alley to buy those books in the first place? Professor McGonagall told her when she met the Grangers, i'm sure.

[hermiones mum]

In Hogwarts there's a magical quill which detects the birth of a magical child, and writes his or her name down in a large parchment book. Every year Professor McGonagall checks the book, and sends owls to the people who are turning 11JRK interview.
Harrys letter did not contain any extra information as they all believed that Petunia would have explained how her sister used to get there.
If McGonagall explained how the Grangers could exchange money at Gringotts, she must have given them instructions on accessing both the Leaky Cauldron and platform 9 3/4.

[Sirius Black]

Probably. But since Dumbledore had sent Hagrid to help Harry, he didn't bother to explain the details to him. But I've always been bothered by this question, guess JKr didn't think of that one before releasing the 5th book. We should ask her in an interview, that'd be a good question to ask.

[gred&forge4ever]

Very interesting thread! I have never thought about Hermione and the other Muggle borns getting onto platform 9 3/4 etc . Really is food for thought :)

[mrsweasley]

Muggle parent: "My kid's a WHAT?? You've got to be kidding! They have to buy what and go where? Oh geez...I think I'll have that drink now."
I guess they'd send some adjunct faculty member to muggle families to explain everything. Buying supplies and platform 9 3/4, etc. I wonder if Hermione would've been able to find anything about the wizarding world in a muggle library. I can see her all psyched to go check all this out. After she got to Daigon alley, I'm sure she'd find the bookstore first and buy "Hogwarts, A History."
I've also wondered..is Gringotts in muggle London? I'm not quite clear on that.

[Sirius83]

Gringotts is in Diagon Alley, which seems to be hidden inside London somehow.

[M a r v o l o]

poke:

Perhaps the students of muggle parents receive instructions in their letters of how to get on the platform.

[Jessie]

I agree. Totally agree. She couldn't have had someone like Hagrid to guide her. No, I think that's out of the question. I've always thought that Muggle-borns get instructions about mostly everything in their letters. I also think that's the most logical explanation. Nuff said from me. ;)

[Weatherby]

Originally posted by EvilMeghan (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=172953#post172953))
I found the thread, Elangomatt. http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?s=&threadid=111&highlight=muggle+children

Lots of good theories.

An administrator might close this soon.


I agree. These two threads should be merged. :)

I agree that Hermione probably read up on it. As for the other students..

[Mad Macca]

Yes, Hermione would have probably had someone from the Ministry of Magic come to their home to explain Wizarding ways and stuff, like all other Muggle born wizards, because they would have had a heap of questions.

[Michelle]

I'm quite sure that this has ben disscused before but I did a search & I couldn't find it. Mods feel free to merge/close my thread if you find that other one.

Back to topic, how Hermione & other muggleborns, knew how to go to Diagon alley? And since to get to DA you have to use a wand, how she finally got there? She didn't have a wand at first.

[Filius Flitwick]

Maybe for muggle borns they have a wizard meet them at home and guide them through some of the things and maybe even give a guided tour of Diagon Alley. That, or maybe they got a longer letter than what Harry got explaining things in more detail. We know that Hermione had her books long before school. She had already practically memorized Hogwarts a History and was working on several spells. She was probably there long before Harry and Hagrid.

[rusk]

I'm sure someone in the Leaky Cauldron would probably help them out.

[Earendil]

But how would they know that they needed to go through the Leaky Cauldron?

This confuses me alot...I would hope that Hagrid or someone else is there to help these poor children and their bewildered parents. I feel pretty sure that Hogwarts would have the foresight to account for this--they wouldn't toss all the Muggle-borns in the water and hope that they figure out how to swim. ;)

[Trigger Happy]

Well, in Harry's case, Hagrid came to get him and take him to Diagon Alley. Hagrid didn't even know that Harry didn't know he was a wizard, so yeah, maybe a witch or wizard did come and take her too. It might have been in her Hogwarts letter, or something like that.

[KrazzyKid]

Also, what about getting onto the platform? Harry only found out because of the Weasleys.

Maybe like Filius Flitwick said, there was a longer letter. I'm thinking that maybe Muggle-borns get 1 letter and Pure-bloods get another. And mixed wizards get either of the two, depending on who they live with. (If someone had a muggle for a father, and a witch for a mother, and the kid lived with their father, they'd get the Muggle-born letter.)

About the wand part, maybe she got someone in The Leaky Cauldron to tap the bricks for her.

[Potassium]

I agree with the longer letter theory. And in it, they probably laid out some guidelines, like where to go and whom to ask to get them into Diagon Alley, etc.

[zent]

I'm pretty sure Dumbledore anticipated trouble with Harry anyway, which is why Hagrid was sent. There was no need for directions-Hagrid would take Harry.

[Barbara Kennedy]

It may be a standard letter page or instruction page included for every muggle-born.
Harry didn't get one because everyone expected him to have been informed of his background already.

[Mini'Grid]

After reading the above posts, i decided to get my copy of book one. I opened it to Chapter four, and read a few pages, any one who cares to do likewise can see that Filius Fltiwick and Potassium MUST be right about the longer letter theory. this is what was writen in Harry's letter.

"HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WHITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbldore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts school of whitchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no
later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress"

Thats what is says exactly, including spacings (that took me a while) Now, imagine you received this letter, Having never read Harry Potter books, You'd give it to your Muggle parents and they'd either split their sides laughing or blow their lid and call the please-men. Hogwarts wouldnt get a single muggle born student, wouldnt Malfoy and the Slytherins be happy?

Obviously, their is a different letter, or, now that i think about it, the personal visit from a wizard tour guide is more likely. No matter what the letter said you'd never beleive it.

[Michelle]

I was always wondering how their parents believe the letter, I had posted a thread on it but somehow it got lost...

[Schlubalybub]

she may have asked in the leaky cauldron and someone kindly opened it for her?

[enchanted]

I think maybe there's a special case for muggles...maybe there's a different kind of letter for them or something??Lol...actually i didn't really thought about this question until i read this thread:smile:

[Schlubalybub]

me either, surely there is some sort of guidelines, maybe they send prefects

[onetruegryffindor]

i think she probably got a separate letter explaining to her parents and her all about magic and stuff and they would have realised all the stuff she'd been doing was magic

[Horntail]

I have wondered about this forever, I'm glad someone else agrees with me. I mean you open this letter telling you that you are accepted to a wizard school and your Muggle parents take you straight off to London, go with you through a secret passage from the alley behind a pub, change your money to gold pieces at a bank run by goblins, and buy spell books and a wand to send your kid off to school. Even if an owl does deliver the letter, you have got to think it is an extremly elaborate hoax. There must be a wizard that stops by to pick you up and show you at least how to get started. And maybe show your parents a bit of real magic to somehow make them believe. But I think being a story, maybe we just have to believe that people are less sceptical than they really are.

[Nickel]

I remember a thread about theories on how muggleborns find Diagon Alley,but I couldn't find it... so, (edit: Thanks to the Mods for merging)

I think that a Witch or Wizard who lives close by and went to Hogwarts helps the Muggleborns.
For some reason I want to say Neville and his Grandmother helped Hermione, just because they were already friendly on the train

[pasalita]

FYI: I've merged the newest thread to this already existing one that hadn't been moved back into the Great Hall until now.

Cheers!

[RonFan24]

In the Ulitimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter, it says Muggle-borns are because wizards had to intermarry with Muggles (In fact, Ron says something like that too, I think). So, maybe some of the Muggle-borns have some knowledge of their family trees and can trace back to witches and wizards in the family. So, there is always the possibility that an offspring of that family line could be a witch or wizard. My point being is maybe the Grangers know a little of their heritage and knew that Hermione's letter wasn't some joke. As for how she got onto the to the platform and into Diagon Alley, she might have just asked or had someone along with her that knew how to do it, just like Harry had Hagrid and the Weasleys.

[Barbara Kennedy]

It could be arranged that a group of new students and their parents meet at the Leaky Cauldron or near there and a "group tour" is led to introduce them to Diagon Alley. The entire process of getting to Hogwarts could be explained to all of them then. That could also be where Hermione may have met Neville, during the tour.
I imagine Hermione coming home with a stack of books taller than she is after the trip to Flourish and Blotts.

[Mary Jane]

I think Mini'Grid and Barbara's explainations make the most sense.

If I were a muggle receiving a "Welcome to Hogwarts" letter for my son or daughter I'd think perhaps my child had a stalker playing jokes on them.

[Horntail]

I think someone must have to help muggle-borns, and I like the idea of Hermione meeting Neville's grandmother, since she does seem familiar with Neville on the train. But still I would imagine the whole thing would really be overwhelming!

[Prof.Aze]

There's got to be an introduction or some sort of an orientation for all muggle-borns. Maybe Prof. McGonagall and other professors come to the houses of Muggle-borns to personally give them the letter and explain everything from there on. ;)

[Prof.Aze]

Maybe a witch or a wizard comes to their houses dressed in muggle dress in the worst way i presume and lead them to Diagon Alley. Maybe their letter contains an acceptance letter. And if they were signed a witch or wizard are then assigned to go with them.

[harlle15]

the ministry of magic sent one person in each muggle who had been accepted at hogwarts and teach them how to go to the diagon alley and everything........

[Goldie]

A volunteer muggle-born witch or wizard probably comes to the house personally. They'd bring the admissions letter and whatever other papers, such as a school catalog, that would be necessary.

The volunteer would know how to dress like a muggle, and can use a phone to arrange the meeting. He or she would be in an excellent position to explain things, answer questions, do simple spells as proof they're not crazy, and maybe even leave the parents a way of contacting them when other questions come up.

Can you imagine the response from most people if a witch or wizard showed up at the door wearing a robe, the pointed hat, and carrying a wand? I'd probably be afraid to open the door.

As for why this would be a volunteer: there probably aren't that many muggle-born children starting school each year to warrant full-time employees for this, unless the ministry has a department just for this purpose.

[Weatherby]

I've merged a thread on Hermione getting on the platform with an existing thread on muggleborns. :)

[Hufflepuffy]

I hope there is some kind of orientation, or something, for muggle borns. I'd be a bit suspicious if one of my kids got a letter from some school to teach magic, with a list of supplies including a wand and spell books. I'd think someone would bring the letter personally to the house, explain the school... maybe a demonstration of magic so that they believe them. I imagine it would take some persuasion to convice people that it was an actual school, that magic actually exists. Basically, that they aren't taking their child into a cult or something, or to make them slaves or something. But as for Diagon Alley, and Platform 9 3/4, I can only assume that they have a chaperone or something for the first time.

[sophieke]

I have been thinking about this question too.
If a muggleborn was to go to Hogwarts, it would need a lot of serious explaining to do.

Whoever it is that is to visit them has to prove magic exist, but not scare the parents and make them scream never ever letting their kids to study such horrible thing.

Of course, details of how to get to the school must be explained carefully, so that they don't get lost~

[CRH_Ravenclaw]

Hmmm . . . How do muggle borns get to Platform 9 3/4 and Diagon Alley for the first time? Good question.

Imagine an owl suddenly swooping into your house and dropping a letter saying that you've been accepted to a magic school, and it was followed by a list of the most peculiar supplies to get at Diagon Alley. You were also told to get on a train at Platform 9 3/4 . . . THAT WOULD DO IT!! Even if it was followed by a list of instructions, no one would ever believe it! Your parents might even call the police!

So I guess that they do get a chaperone or something, like Hagrid to Harry, to demonstrate magic to prove it and to guide the child to Hogwarts. :cool:

[la_ginny]

Welcom to Orientation for Parents of Muggle-born Witches and Wizards --

I think this is the best bet, and probably the best way to answer the millions of questions these parents (and students) have. It's more than how to get on the platform, it's an explanation of why parents should trust their children to a crazy old man in half-moon spectacles in a haunted castle that you can only get to by magical train.

I doubt that Hogwarts could arrange "escorts" for every Muggle-born each year, because it would add a lot of foot traffic to the platform. It also might draw attention, and who would these escorts be? It seems the staff already has its hands full...

[Ellen]

I would expect it to be someone from the school rather than the Ministry. I can just imagine the Ministry sending a man who thinks a bright yellow poncho over a kilt will blend in perfectly when he shows up at the door asking people he's never met to trust him with their children.

But there aren't enough teachers and they're all getting ready for classes (also, can you see the terror struck into the heart of a child who has Professor Snape giving him an orientation tour?).

I would guess they contact sixth and seventh year students living in the area of Muggleborn first year (and probably Muggleborn themselves) and give them the job. Like Hagrid when he came to get Harry, the underage wizards would have special permission to do what magic was necessary to convince the parents.

If so, perhaps Harry will find himself having to explain magic to Mark Evans.

[red_fairy]

There has to be some type of orientation or wizard sent there to explain. Most people would get a good laugh and throw it away. So, I'm sure that that is how the kids find out how to get on the train.

[Puchula]

Well, I think there are no more explanations to be done. As everyone says there must be some kind of counseling.

The only thing I want to add is that probably they are told before wizards are so that they have time to get used to the idea, and to learn how everything works.

[crookshanksone]

maybe hermione was sent the book hogwarts a history for her and her parents to read to explain all about platform 9 3/4 and diagon alley but you still need a wand to enter diagon alley in the first place

[Schames]

Hagrid came to rescue Harry, do we believe. But perhaps they had a routine to send a Hogwards representative to all muggleborn children, so Hagrid´s mission was mainly such a routine guidance like everyone get?!
They send Hagrid to give some extra "arguments" on Dursleys, they preferred to not use magic on mugglers if not necessary.

Note the first letter didnt come by an owl but by the ordinary muggle postman.

My theory - an summary of the best proposals above. *smile*

[LexiBlack]

Perhaps there is a map or directions that are also sent with the letter. Maybe they had always planned on sending Hagrid or someone to see Harry before he actually came and that was the reason for no directions or map in his letter. I can't imagine that they would just let the kids and muggle parents attempt to find all this stuff on their own.

[legstump]

I was just watching HP1 and this question sort of poped into my head.How exactly did Hermione get onto the HW express? Who was there to tell her or from where could she have possibly read it.
Another side point, how much exactly costs ayear at HW and how do two Dentists cover it?

[Luna_Anne]

Someone like McGonagall will go to the Muggleborn person's house and explaim things. Then he or she will take the family to Diagon Alley.