Palpitations at the Platform
The sequel to Dinner at the Dursley's.
Vernon Dursley both loved and despised the first of September. It was the day of the year he sent off his good-for-nothing nephew, not to be seen until the following June. However the boy was going away to that magical school, a place where he honed all sorts of magical talent.
Each year the Dursley's dropped him off at the train station and left him there. This year however Vernon wanted solid proof that the boy wasn't just slinking around the train station for nine months of the year, regardless of how much he despised anything that wasn't normal. The tall, lanky seventeen year old Harry went into shock when Vernon demanded to ensure that he got onto the so-called 'Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. He couldn't speak for a whole half hour, and eventually spluttered out a 'why?' when he finally regained speech. Instead of answering, Vernon simply smiled his nasty grin and turned away.
[0]
Petunia Dursley had always hated the first of September, first losing her sister to the magical world, and being denied entrance herself, she had grown to loath anything to do with Hogwarts. When left with her magically talented nephew, Petunia had to face all the resurfacing emotions tied to her disappointment. She could never go to Hogwarts, never cast spells and never play that game on broomsticks. Her nephew however was able to do all those and more, and so she despised him for it.
When Vernon suggested that they ensure that Potter actually did go to the platform in his seventh year. Petunia nearly cried. She didn't want to go back into that station and have to deal with all the pain she had neatly tucked away. She would rather stay as far away as possible from anything that could connect the magical community with her, lest she be forced to deal with the disappointment again.
[0]
Dudley Dursley never paid attention to the day Harry left for Hogwarts. Having never felt an ounce of affection for his weirdo cousin, it wasn't a day of any significance. There was always something much better to watch on the television, or some pathetic tosser of a kid to bully. Harry was the scrawny nobody that Dudley had gotten sick of teasing, not to mention scared of the magic Dudley was sure he could now perform.
As a seventeen year old, Dudley spent most of his time trying to pick up girls. After the dinner party his parents hosted a few months previously, he had met (and been mightily impressed with) their daughter. He had attempted to wheedle some contact details for the Granger's out of his father, but without success. The only contact his father had with the Grangers' was their work phones, and Dudley could hardly do anything with those.
[0]
Harry sat in the smallest bedroom of number 4 Privet Drive. All his belongings were packed away in his trunk, Hedwig was in her cage, and he sat on the bed forlornly as he listened to the hushed arguing of his aunt and uncle.
'-as if he's going to show us…' came from his aunt.
'We need to ensure he's not lolloping about … boy like that … no good.' came from his uncle.
It was only eight o'clock, but they needed to leave soon to make it to the platform in time. Harry couldn't understand why his uncle was adamant about seeing Harry off for his final year at Hogwarts. Vernon's excuse was to ensure that he wasn't lazing about the train station all year, being an indolent, youth, scrounging for money from unsuspecting tourists. Harry was sure that there had to be an underlying reason. He just wasn't quite sure what it was.
[0]
The ride to Kings Cross station was an uneventful trip for Harry and the Dursley's. Vernon demanded that Dudley come along as well, and Petunia spent the whole time with her arms and legs crossed, glaring out the front seat passenger window.
Petunia's silence unnerved Vernon, the unexpected anger about his decision to ensure his delinquent nephew actually did go to school was something he had not considered. He supposed it was because she connected the magical world with the death of her family (even though her parents had died of old age twenty years ago), he supposed she felt the loss of her odd sister, even though they weren't close.
As Vernon parked the car outside the station, he glanced at his wife, who had not said a word throughout the entire trip. Dudley complained of missing a repeat of The Dough Show on the television, and of being hungry, and of being forced into being there. Vernon sighed, the only thing that hadn't changed this year was that the boy was leaving, and that Vernon was glad to see the back of him.
[0]
Petunia had lost the argument with her husband and so grudgingly came to the station with them. She had not come close to the platform in many years, ever since Lily's first year in fact. She wrapped her arms around herself and trailed after Vernon and Dudley. As they descended towards the platform, Petunia began to remember the past, the people wearing odd cloaks, carrying trunks much like the one Harry had.
She looked around now, the people were different, but she could easily tell which families were magical. It was like they stuck out like a sore thumb. That man was wearing a formal jacket with jeans, hugging his young daughter who wore a bright yellow dress with green shoes, they had to be magical- no one normal would dress like that!
The family with a dozen or so red haired children, also magical, they had trunks just like Harry's. Not to mention that the father had once blown apart their living room (it didn't matter that he later repaired the house with magic, he still destroyed it!)
There was a blonde man, his wife and son standing some way away from the others. It was difficult to tell if they were magical as well, but Petunia could tell that they were. They had a regal air about them, standing closer to the entrance to the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters than the others.
Harry left the Dursley's behind him and walked over to the red headed family, greeting them all by name, and giving the girl a close hug. Petunia glared at them all, she could sense, even from that distance, that her nephew and that girl were close, perhaps romantically.
Petunia wasn't seeing her nephew and the red head girl, she was seeing her sister and Lily's husband, James.
[0]
Dudley couldn't believe his eyes. Harry had a girlfriend! His weird, scrawny cousin got a girl before he did? Life was simply unfair. Feeling slightly put out Dudley tried to pretend that the girl was very ugly, and that she was desperate for a date, but he couldn't help but notice that even for a red-head, she was quite pretty.
Looking away from his cousin in disgust, Dudley looked around the platform, waiting for Harry to disappear through the wall so he could go home. There was a blonde boy about his age standing close to the wall Dudley assumed would lead to the magical train. The boy was sneering and glaring in his direction, so Dudley gave him the middle finger and mouthed 'fuck off' to him. The blonde boy raised his eyebrows in surprise, and turned away coldly. Dudley rolled his eyes, that blonde wizard was even more of a coward than his cousin.
A familiar voice came from behind them, it was Hermione Granger again. Dudley swivelled in surprise and came face to face with the girl who had changed his perspective of girls. She looked much different dressed in casual clothes, her insane hair pulled back into a braid. Dudley supposed she would be heading to St Catherine's that day as well.
[0]
After seeing his son's jaw drop, Vernon turned to see what caught his attention. His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he saw the Dr Grangers and their daughter walking their way. As they came closer however Vernon noticed only one thing, the trunk. Mr Granger was wheeling a red and gold trunk, it was identical to Harry's.
'It can't be…' he mused to himself. 'There was no way that their daughter could be… one of those!'
However Vernon was proven wrong as Hermione strolled straight past the Dursley's without acknowledging them and towards the red head family. Vernon felt his jaw drop even more than Dudley's had done when she gave Harry and all the red heads a hug.
Vernon felt his heart race, if the girl was… like his nephew, than what about the doctors?
Vernon's fears for Mr and Mrs Granger were unfounded as they came over to the Dursley's and said their hellos. Mrs Granger turned to Petunia and mentioned that even though their daughter was magical, neither she or her husband were magically talented.
[0]
Petunia stared rudely at Mrs Granger, shocked that she had the audacity to even say the 'm' word aloud. At the same time however, seeing a hint of sadness in her eyes, Petunia could empathise with the woman, having someone important in your life being so different from yourself that years go by and you feel as though you know them so little takes its toll on everybody.
Petunia watched as Hermione conversed with the red head family, always sticking close to the boy that looked about the same age as Harry. She glanced over to her husband, who was by then, deep in conversation with Mr Granger. Leaning towards Jane, Petunia asked in a tiny whisper if she ever wished she could see Hogwarts for herself. Jane looked towards her with a sad smile,
'All the time.' was her reply.
[0]
Harry, Hermione and Ron kept looking out of the corner of their eyes towards the Dursleys and Grangers, all shocked that they were still there. It was nearing nine-forty-five, and the platform entrance was to open soon. Harry mumbled to the Weasleys that his uncle was adamant about seeing him off this year, to ensure that Harry didn't just spend the year lazing about at the train station. Molly had rolled her eyes at that, going on to mutter about how simple and untrusting those muggles were.
Harry was delighted to see Ginny again, the Weasley's had gone to France for the summer, so Harry had to stay at the Dursley's, much to the chagrin of aunt Petunia.
Harry mentioned to Hermione that since the dinner, Dudley had taken a shine to her. Ron's ears went red, and Harry saw his fists clench momentarily before sending a cold glance in Dudley's direction. Hermione did nothing but burst out laughing, forcing her to grip onto Ron's arm tightly as she giggled. Ginny too was in hysterics as she pictured Dudley trying to impress Hermione.
Harry caught Ron's eye and both snorted with laughter as Ron recognised the hilarity of the situation. Hermione wiped away the tears of mirth as she regained her composure, before collapsing in a fit of giggles again.
'How is this funny?' Ron demanded of her.
'It's just … it's just that at the dinner he … he was so intent on trying to be all gentlemanly, and he just came across as so pig-like, that hearing how he's taken a fancy to me just makes him all the more pathetic.' she replied through her laughter.
[0]
Vernon's heart was still racing at a million miles an hour as he took in the bigger picture. His nephew had a girlfriend, the Granger's daughter turned out to be a witch, yet Dudley was still agog with her, his wife was actually, willingly holding a conversation with someone whose daughter was a witch and the blonde family standing a few feet away would not stop glaring in his direction.
The clock on one side of he platform read '9:45AM', and in that instant, everyone around began to move, the blonde family disappeared through the wall, Hermione Granger came to collect her trunk and after kissing her parents goodbye, disappeared through the wall. All the red headed family walked by and disappeared out of sight, leaving Harry alone with the Grangers and Dursleys. After waving a hand in farewell, Harry too walked into the wall and out of sight.
Vernon looked at his wife, but she was staring wistfully at the wall, not paying attention to anything else. Mrs Granger put a hand on her arm and both women turned away. Dudley had stopped caring about being there ever since the Granger's daughter was found to be a witch. Dudley was now staring at his entwined hands with an unhappy look on his face.
[0]
Petunia took one last look at the wall where her nephew disappeared, finally accepting why she would never enter the magical world. Jane seemed to be someone who felt the same, forever wanting to protect someone she loved, but being unable to, did her best to live life, hiding away all her worries.
She took a deep breath and turned away, wishing she could bring back her sister, wishing she could go to Hogwarts and be a part of the magical community. As she let the breath out she was finally able to accept that her one wish was to never be fulfilled, and instead, she would be better off living life, hiding away all her regrets.
[00]
As the train pulled out of the station fifteen minutes later, Draco Malfoy sauntered up to the compartment with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna in it.
'Hey Potter,' he spat, 'next time you see that fat lump of a cousin of yours, tell him I'm going to make him pay.'
The occupants of the room burst out laughing, Hermione especially as she erupted in giggles again.
Harry suppressed his laughter and smirked at Draco,
'You know what Malfoy, why don't you tell him yourself? I'm sure you two would get along famously, what with you both being absolute miscreants with no friends, and the only person to love you being your mothers.' he replied. 'Actually, I wonder what would happen if you were both placed in a room, you without a wand, and him without boxing gloves. I bet you two would get along rather well.'
Draco sneered him, 'As if I would ever consent to being anywhere near that pathetic muggle.'
Harry shrugged, 'That's why you two would get along so well- you're both pathetic.'
Draco stormed out of the compartment and back to his own, but not before the Gryffindors behind him burst out laughing again.