Chapter 1: First years a drag
Madison Tremaine stepped out of the car, and got her luggage out of the
trunk. A young silver canine followed after her. "Bye mum!" She called,
waving as the car drove off. She went over and leaned up against one of the
many platforms lined along Kings Cross Station. Madison looked around. She
could see platforms 9 and 10, but where was platform 9 ¾? As she was
pondering this, the canine, which was sitting beside her, began to whine. "
What is it Tyeslin?" she asked looking at him. The dog's ears we're pricked
forward and he was staring at the front of the station with his bright
yellow eyes filled with concern.
Madison followed his gaze, and immediately wished she hadn't. For, her best friend had just arrived, and non too happily either. Him and his dad we're standing by the trunk of the car, and Titus was struggling to lift his heavy luggage. His dad stood nearby, shouting at him to hurry or he would miss his train, and not even bothering to help. It was as if he enjoyed watching his son's small arms shaking due to the weight of the heavy objects.
After watching this for several agonizing minutes, Mr. Geisman finally got fed up with waiting. He yanked the trunks from Titus's hands, set them on the ground, and then proceeded to beat the young boy on the side of the car, to avoid public attention. Titus emerged from behind the window, and slowly walked back to his luggage. His sky blue eyes we're now filled with fear and pain, and tears we're sliding silently down his cheeks, creating salty puddles on his bags. A slight wind blew his dark brown hair away from his face, revealing a new bruise.
His dad meanwhile, had gotten back in the car, and gestured for Titus to come over. "You behave yourself boy, if I hear that you've been getting D's in all of your classes again, I'll..." He paused thinking it over. Titus stared at him with unblinking eyes. He could never be prepared for what punishment his dad might have in store for him. They we're never the same. Except for the regular beatings at home. Finally, his dad came to a decision. "Alright, got it." Titus stood shaking by the door of the car. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead, and slid slowly down to the salty mass of tears on his cheek, as he anxiously awaited his father's decision.
Mr. Geisman continued, pointing a finger at him. "If you don't get passing marks this year, then I promise you, that I will beat you until you can hardly stand, and you'll never go to this school again! Your lucky I'm even letting you go now!" He spat, glaring at the shaking figure before him. " You hear me? " he shouted. Titus stood there for a moment focusing only on his shaking legs, then said quietly "Yes sir " "What was that boy? " His dad asked menacingly. "I said, yes sir! " Titus said a little louder. " Good " his father said, licking his lips where the spit had flown from his mouth before.
He started the engine, gave Titus one last warning stare, and then sped off. Titus watched his dad drive out of sight, and then grabbed the handles of his suitcases once again, and slowly began to drag them behind him. No sooner had he begun then he felt gentle hands take his own and suddenly his curse was lifted.
So was his spirit, for as he turned his head, Madison's sweet smile shown back at him." Hi Titus! "She greeted happily as if nothing had happened. " Madison!" Titus shouted. He dropped his luggage, and hugged her. "How have you been? "He asked stepping back, and holding onto her shoulders.
"I have been good, how have..." she stopped mid-sentence, and looked at his face. There was a large bruise on the left side of it, running from the top of his eye to the bottom of his chin, and another one sat on his cheek. Madison's hand instantly reached to touch them, but she stopped herself.
Titus looked at her questioningly. "What's the matter Mad? " he asked. Madison dropped her hand, and looked down at her feet. "Why does he do this to you?" She asked quietly, not daring to look her best friend in the eye. Titus raised an eyebrow and winced. Ignoring the pain. He asked "Why does who do what to me?"
Madison looked up into Titus's questioning blue eyes, begging him to stop hiding his secret. "You know very well who and what I'm talking about!" She said glaring at him. Titus opened his mouth to say something, but Madison continued. "And you can stop trying to hide it, because I saw the whole thing!" "You...you did?" Titus stammered. "But the car was..." Madison cut him off again. "The car was in the way...but windows aren't exactly solid you know."
Titus looked into her pretty blue eyes for a moment, then hurriedly looked down at his feet. "I hope nobody else did" He mumbled to the ground. Madison put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure no one did, but that's not important right now. What's important is finding the correct platform" Titus looked around, but couldn't find platform 9 ¾. "I don't see it, " He said dismally. His eyes resting in between platforms 9 and 10.
"Don't worry, I couldn't find it either" Madison said resting her elbow on Titus's shoulder. After standing there for quit a while, Titus finally looked at his watch. "Oh my goodness!" Titus exclaimed, jumping backward. "What is it? "Madison asked alarmed. "The trains going to leave in five minutes, and we don't even know where it is! " Titus said. They both began looking around frantically, but to no avail. Tyeslin meanwhile, spotted another student, and made a beeline straight for him.
Harry Potter looked at his ticket again. Yes, it said 9 ¾. He looked across the station at platforms 9 and 10. Yet again, 9 ¾ could not be found. Harry noticed a guard talking to a young mother with a baby. Maybe he knew where to find it. It couldn't hurt to ask. When they we're finished, Harry took his turn.
"Excuse me sir" The guard turned towards him. "Can you tell me where I can find platforms 9 ¾?" the guard stared at Harry blankly, then suddenly his eyes became stern. "Oh, think your funny do ya?" Harry looked back at him, utterly confused. The guard paid no attention, and instead told the boy off and sent him in his way. Harry looked down at his feet and sighed. "How am ever going to make it to the train now? "He wondered.
Suddenly, Hedwig began to hoot and flap her wings in alarm, banging them against the edge of the cage. Harry turned around, and let out a yell. He was staring into a pair of bright yellow eyes.
Madison followed his gaze, and immediately wished she hadn't. For, her best friend had just arrived, and non too happily either. Him and his dad we're standing by the trunk of the car, and Titus was struggling to lift his heavy luggage. His dad stood nearby, shouting at him to hurry or he would miss his train, and not even bothering to help. It was as if he enjoyed watching his son's small arms shaking due to the weight of the heavy objects.
After watching this for several agonizing minutes, Mr. Geisman finally got fed up with waiting. He yanked the trunks from Titus's hands, set them on the ground, and then proceeded to beat the young boy on the side of the car, to avoid public attention. Titus emerged from behind the window, and slowly walked back to his luggage. His sky blue eyes we're now filled with fear and pain, and tears we're sliding silently down his cheeks, creating salty puddles on his bags. A slight wind blew his dark brown hair away from his face, revealing a new bruise.
His dad meanwhile, had gotten back in the car, and gestured for Titus to come over. "You behave yourself boy, if I hear that you've been getting D's in all of your classes again, I'll..." He paused thinking it over. Titus stared at him with unblinking eyes. He could never be prepared for what punishment his dad might have in store for him. They we're never the same. Except for the regular beatings at home. Finally, his dad came to a decision. "Alright, got it." Titus stood shaking by the door of the car. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead, and slid slowly down to the salty mass of tears on his cheek, as he anxiously awaited his father's decision.
Mr. Geisman continued, pointing a finger at him. "If you don't get passing marks this year, then I promise you, that I will beat you until you can hardly stand, and you'll never go to this school again! Your lucky I'm even letting you go now!" He spat, glaring at the shaking figure before him. " You hear me? " he shouted. Titus stood there for a moment focusing only on his shaking legs, then said quietly "Yes sir " "What was that boy? " His dad asked menacingly. "I said, yes sir! " Titus said a little louder. " Good " his father said, licking his lips where the spit had flown from his mouth before.
He started the engine, gave Titus one last warning stare, and then sped off. Titus watched his dad drive out of sight, and then grabbed the handles of his suitcases once again, and slowly began to drag them behind him. No sooner had he begun then he felt gentle hands take his own and suddenly his curse was lifted.
So was his spirit, for as he turned his head, Madison's sweet smile shown back at him." Hi Titus! "She greeted happily as if nothing had happened. " Madison!" Titus shouted. He dropped his luggage, and hugged her. "How have you been? "He asked stepping back, and holding onto her shoulders.
"I have been good, how have..." she stopped mid-sentence, and looked at his face. There was a large bruise on the left side of it, running from the top of his eye to the bottom of his chin, and another one sat on his cheek. Madison's hand instantly reached to touch them, but she stopped herself.
Titus looked at her questioningly. "What's the matter Mad? " he asked. Madison dropped her hand, and looked down at her feet. "Why does he do this to you?" She asked quietly, not daring to look her best friend in the eye. Titus raised an eyebrow and winced. Ignoring the pain. He asked "Why does who do what to me?"
Madison looked up into Titus's questioning blue eyes, begging him to stop hiding his secret. "You know very well who and what I'm talking about!" She said glaring at him. Titus opened his mouth to say something, but Madison continued. "And you can stop trying to hide it, because I saw the whole thing!" "You...you did?" Titus stammered. "But the car was..." Madison cut him off again. "The car was in the way...but windows aren't exactly solid you know."
Titus looked into her pretty blue eyes for a moment, then hurriedly looked down at his feet. "I hope nobody else did" He mumbled to the ground. Madison put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure no one did, but that's not important right now. What's important is finding the correct platform" Titus looked around, but couldn't find platform 9 ¾. "I don't see it, " He said dismally. His eyes resting in between platforms 9 and 10.
"Don't worry, I couldn't find it either" Madison said resting her elbow on Titus's shoulder. After standing there for quit a while, Titus finally looked at his watch. "Oh my goodness!" Titus exclaimed, jumping backward. "What is it? "Madison asked alarmed. "The trains going to leave in five minutes, and we don't even know where it is! " Titus said. They both began looking around frantically, but to no avail. Tyeslin meanwhile, spotted another student, and made a beeline straight for him.
Harry Potter looked at his ticket again. Yes, it said 9 ¾. He looked across the station at platforms 9 and 10. Yet again, 9 ¾ could not be found. Harry noticed a guard talking to a young mother with a baby. Maybe he knew where to find it. It couldn't hurt to ask. When they we're finished, Harry took his turn.
"Excuse me sir" The guard turned towards him. "Can you tell me where I can find platforms 9 ¾?" the guard stared at Harry blankly, then suddenly his eyes became stern. "Oh, think your funny do ya?" Harry looked back at him, utterly confused. The guard paid no attention, and instead told the boy off and sent him in his way. Harry looked down at his feet and sighed. "How am ever going to make it to the train now? "He wondered.
Suddenly, Hedwig began to hoot and flap her wings in alarm, banging them against the edge of the cage. Harry turned around, and let out a yell. He was staring into a pair of bright yellow eyes.