Try changing your session code as this is the best way to do this.
For example:
index.php
<?php
session_start();
if (isset($_POST['username'], $_POST['password']) {
$_SESSION['username'] = $_POST['username'];
$_SESSION['password'] = $_POST['password'];
echo '<a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/240470/nextpage.php">Click to continue.</a>';
} else {
// form
}
?>
nextpage.php
<?php
session_start();
if (isset($_SESSION['username'])) {
echo $_SESSION['username'];
} else {
header('Location: index.php');
}
?>
However I’d probably store something safer like a userid in a session rather than the user’s login credentials.