"Platform nine and three quarters!" Mrs Grant exclaimed. "What sort of stupidity is this?"

"It's not stupid," Curtis insisted. Curtis was a fairly short and thin boy, with short brown hair and glasses. "We're the stupid ones mum, we're the ignorant ones. Don't forget that."

Mr Grant piped in. "Sorry Curtis, but I think it's ignorant to give non-magical folk such as ourselves a ticket to this platform, with no instructions as to how to get to it. It just seems that these wizarding people don't appreciate your situation enough."

Curtis had little argument to this, but he was determined to convince his parents that he was being looked out for in the wizarding world. They were highly skeptical after their experience in Diagon Alley, and were worried about the treatment their son would receive, and whether 'this Dumbledore' as they called the headmaster, was competent enough to look after the people with non-magical backgrounds.

"You saw that Weasley bloke mum, dad." Curtis looked at them both. "He told us he has 4 children at Hogwarts. I'm sure they're the type of people that will look out for me."

Mr and Mrs Grant looked at each other. Curtis knew he has said the right thing. They'd taken a real liking to Arthur Weasley, who they had met in Diagon Alley.

In the end, Mrs Grant smiled. "Ok, your father and I will stop worrying about you, but only once we find this platform nine and three quarters. If we just head over to platform nine, I'm sure we'll see some odd types hanging around. Hopefully."

The family marched over between platform 9 and 10. They looked around, and noticed that Curtis, who was pushing a trolley with an owl that the family had bought to keep in touch on it, was definitely the oddest person around. Curtis saw the look of panic on his parents' face and knew to speak up quickly again.

"We're 20 minutes early! Don't worry about it yet. Look, if we can't find this platform in time, we'll just send an owl to Hogwarts. I'm pretty sure that the owl will find it."

Mr Grant laughed. "Spoken like a true wizard son. I think you've been reading your books enough!"

The atmosphere improved between the family, everyone seemed satisfied with the solution of sending an owl to Hogwarts. The atmosphere improved even more when Mrs Grant saw a familiar face. Ginger haired, short, and a little bit big around the waste, she was instantly recognizable.

"Molly!" Mrs Grant called.

Mrs Weasley turned and smiled. Curtis remembered how the two mothers had really bonded at Diagon Alley.

"Mrs Grant, pleased to see you here, me and Arthur were worried that you wouldn't find the way to the platform! But it seems that muggle-borns always find it somehow!"

"Well it's just logical isn't it," Mrs Grant said, suggesting that she had not been in any panic about the location of the platform at all. "Platform nine and three quarters, I mean, obviously between 9 and 10. Even a muggle such as myself can figure out such a thing!"

"Exactly! I see your boy hasn't gone through yet. Just building up the confidence to go through the pillar I suppose. Perfectly normal in your first year dear." Mrs Weasley smiled at Curtis, whilst Mrs Grant looked unnerved by Mrs Weasley saying "through the pillar".

"I suppose," Mrs Grant said, looking at her son for support, "that he'd like to watch your kids go through first, just to build up his confidence."

"Yes, definitely," Curtis interjected, to the delight of his mother. "Going through pillars is not a normal thing in the muggle world Mrs Weasley."

Mrs Weasley chucked. "It's not a normal thing in the wizarding world dear either. Once a year really. Ahh, here come the kids."

Mr Weasley, along with 5 red headed children walked up to Mrs Weasley. Curtis thought he had counted wrong at first, but then decided that maybe the daughter or the shortest boy probably wasn't old enough to go to Hogwarts. Actually, now that he racked his brains, he was sure that Mr Weasley had stipulated that 4 boys would be going to Hogwarts this year, so the daughter was definitely going to be a left behind.

"Ahh, the Grants, pleased to see you again." Mr Weasley held his hand out to Mr Grant, Mrs Grant, and Curtis in turn and they each shook it. "Joe and Sandra," (these were Curtis' parents' names) "I was really hoping to see you actually. Molly told me that you seemed quite anxious about allowing your son into this world. I was thinking that some tea and a chat at our house may be just what you need. Molly and I can tell you everything that you could possibly want to know, I imagine."

Mr and Mrs Grant were very quick to accept the offer. The Weasley parents were two people who they felt they could trust, and who better than them to brief them on what their son was getting himself into. Curtis was certainly happy knowing that he may avoid a huge amount of owls this way.

"We can't afford to stand around any longer Arthur," Mrs Weasley stated after Mr Weasley asked why Muggles put stamps on their post. "Kids, go through the barrier. Percy first please!"

And the tallest of the boys stood forward and got ready to sprint through the barrier with his trolley. He was just about to go and –

"Excuse me" a little voice called.

Everyone turned around from looking at Percy to looking at this young boy. He had messy, black hair, and glasses covering his very green eyes.

Mrs Weasley explained the running through the barrier thing to this boy as well, and Curtis couldn't help but think that this boy would be a very obvious acquaintance for him, at least for now, as they were united in their confusion.

The boys then began running one by one through the barrier. Curtis thought it looked simple enough, but was still incredibly worried he'd be the one to hesitate and not make it through. Soon enough all of the boys, including the non-Weasley one, had ran through the barrier. Curtis positioned himself, pointing his trolley towards the pillar…his heart started beating very fast. Then he finally plucked up the courage and started briskly walking. Soon, he had increased to jogging, and then running. The barrier lay there in front of him; he got ready for the pain he was about to experience. He braced himself, continued running. Laughter. "Better stop" he thought.

Suddenly he realized that he had gone through the barrier, and that there were a number of wizards laughing at how he had continued running in a very awkward position, even once he had gone through. But Curtis didn't care about this anymore, he was just pleased to be through, and to see the train labeled "Hogwarts Express" sitting neatly in front of him.

He turned to see his mum and dad had followed him through.

"Bye mum. Bye dad." he said to them.

His mum looked at him, teary eyed, and hugged Curtis. She then said "Don't worry about me while you're at school. You're about to do something me and your dad can only dream of doing. Just enjoy it, work hard, and succeed."

Curtis smirked at his mum, and then quickly dropped to a more somber face. "Mum, you have the invitation to ask anything you like to Mr and Mrs Weasley. I wasn't worried about you anyway." He resumed the smirk.

His dad laughed, his mum forced a teary smile, and they waved goodbye as Curtis boarded the Hogwarts Express.