"Are you sure that's what it says?" Anna's mom looked at her dubiously, then glanced around the station, looking for a sign that matched the train ticket. "I see a Platform Nine and a Platform Ten…there aren't any signs for a 'Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.'"
Anna sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mom, I'm sure that's what it says. It's probably hidden with magic or something, I don't know. As much as I know you hate it, I think we're just gonna have to ask for directions."
They both looked around the station, trying to pick someone who looked magical enough to know where a secret entrance to a secret train platform might be. It was tough going—everyone around the station looked as ordinary as one could expect for King's Cross. Most people were dressed in suits and had briefcases, and were on their way to work; others were dressed more casually, toting small trunks and looking as if they were about to go on holiday. Anna was just beginning to get a bit frustrated when she saw him—a small man in a mismatched suit, holding a caged snowy owl.
"Mom!" she exclaimed excitedly, tugging on the sleeve of her mother's coat, "Let's go ask him!" Anna led the way over to the man, towing her mother behind her. She walked up to the man and cleared her throat to get his attention. "Um, excuse me, sir, but you wouldn't happen to know how to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, would you?" Anna smiled shyly up at him, her face filled with unguarded hopefulness.
"Why, yes," said the man, "are you a first year at Hogwarts?" He smiled kindly down at Anna as she nodded.
"Yeah, me and my mom had no idea the school even existed until last month. The instructions for getting to Diagon Alley were easy enough, but my letter didn't say anything about how to get to the right platform."
The man smiled knowingly. "I had the same problem myself, when I was your age. No one else in my family was magical, so it came as quite a shock when I was accepted to Hogwarts. My name is Ted Tonks," he said, holding out a hand to Anna and then to her mother.
"Anna Arendelle," Anna said, shaking the proffered hand, "and this is my mom—"
"Alice Arendelle, pleased to meet you," her mother supplied as she shook Tonks' hand.
"My wife and I are here to see our niece off to school," said Ted, "and we'd be happy to show you to the train. Ah! Here they come now." He gestured towards a tall woman with black hair and high cheekbones, whose face would have been imposing and severe were it not for the laugh lines around her mouth and eyes. Accompanying the woman was a girl who looked to be about Anna's age, although she was a few inches taller. She had platinum blonde hair styled into a single braid hanging over her shoulder, with bangs that feathered back from her forehead, exposing dark brows knitted above piercing glacial eyes.
Her concentrated stare was pointed at Anna, as she asked, "Uncle, to whom are you speaking?"
Tonks laughed jovially and said, "Elsa, this is Anna Arendelle, a first-year muggle-born student, and her mother Alice. Anna, Alice—this is my wife, Andromeda, and our niece, Elsa Mal—"
"Black," said Elsa, cutting him off. "My name is Elsa Black." Ted and Andromeda shared a look that Elsa pointedly ignored. She then cleared her throat, turning to Anna and her mother. "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is this way," she said, as she led the group towards a brick column between Platforms Nine and Ten.
On the way, Andromeda explained the workings of the barrier to Anna and her mother. "The brick in that column," she said, "is just an illusion. You walk right through it and onto the platform. If you're nervous, it helps to take it at a bit of a jog," she finished, smiling.
Anna gulped, nervously. No one had told her she'd have to run through a brick wall to get to her new school. It's gonna be okay, she thought to herself, Mr. Tonks said that he was new to magic once too. If he could do it, I can totally do this. I've got this!
Anna ceased her internal pep-talk when she realized that Elsa and the rest of their group had stopped in front of one of the columns. Anna watched as Elsa took the snowy owl from Ted, and then walked purposefully towards the column. A jolt of fear went through Anna, and she looked away right as Elsa was about to collide with the brick. She winced, anticipating an awful smack, but none came. She glanced up, and saw that Elsa had vanished completely.
Anna looked from Ted to Andromeda, both of whom were smiling down at her. "Go on," said Ted, "I promise you'll be fine."
Anna gulped and nodded. I got this, she said to herself, one last time. Then she sprinted towards the brick column, closing her eyes and tensing for an impact that never came. She was through!
"Woohoo!" Anna yelled in triumph, realizing too late that in her worry about the hitting the wall, she hadn't slowed down. With wide eyes, she started backpedalling, attempting to stop, but was too late. She ran headlong into Elsa, toppling both of them to the ground.
WHUMP. All of the breath was knocked from her lungs as Elsa suddenly found herself staring up at ceiling beams. She gasped for air, confused and smarting. What the…? How did I end up on the ground? She looked down, and found that the redhead—Anna, was it?—she had just met was lying on top of her, her face buried in Elsa's chest. Oh no, thought Elsa, as Anna blinked blearily up at her, no no no no no…
Elsa cleared her throat to get the other girl's attention. "Oh, um, hi, Elsa," she said as a light blush crept up her cheeks. Anna looked down, embarrassed, and realized that she had landed directly on top of the other girl. "OhmygoshIamsosorry," Anna spluttered as she hastily got to her feet.
Elsa swallowed her embarrassment as she took the hand Anna offered to help pull her to her feet. "You don't need to apologize," Elsa said softly, looking away from Anna. "It was partly my fault for standing right in front of the barrier. Are you unhurt?"
Anna nodded, blushing. "I didn't hurt you at all, did I?" she asked, looking up at Elsa.
Oh, thought Elsa, she's American. The accent's cute. It fits her. Wait—cute? Oh no, nope, can't do it, STOP IT, THOUGHTS!
"Elsa?"
Elsa looked up, realizing the other girl had asked her a question. "I'm sorry," she said, blushing slightly, "I didn't quite catch that."
"I asked if you were hurt…"
"Oh," Elsa replied hurriedly, "not at all. And neither is Marshmallow. It's a good thing I put his cage down before you came through."
"Marshmallow?" Anna asked, looking quizzically at Elsa.
"Oh, he's my snowy owl. Here," she said, picking up the cage, "Anna, meet Marshmallow." The bird let out a short whistle, then clicked his beak a few times in greeting.
"Nice to meet you too, Marshmallow," said Anna, smiling. She looked up at Elsa. "Why Marshmallow?" she asked, innocently.
"Well," said Elsa, coloring slightly, "I first saw him a day or so after he'd hatched. He was just so small and fluffy that, well, the name just…fit." Marshmallow hooted contentedly in agreement.
"I see you made it through okay, Anna." Both girls looked up at the sound of Ted Tonks' voice. He pushed Elsa's luggage cart in front of him, and was followed closely by Andromeda, Alice, and Anna's luggage.
"I, uh, yeah," said Anna, still slightly embarrassed about running into Elsa.
Elsa saved her from having to elaborate by turning to her aunt and uncle, saying, "I had better get on now, if I want to have a decent seat."
"Of course, honey," said Andromeda, hugging Elsa tightly. "It was so good to have you with us for the summer." She released Elsa and smiled down at her. "Nymphadora sends her best wishes—she says she can't wait till Christmas to see you again. You will be coming home for Christmas, won't you, dear?"
"Yes, Aunt, I will. Tell Tonks good luck on her auror exam for me, okay?"
"Of course we will, Elsa," said Ted, pulling his niece in for a hug. "We really were glad to have you with us this summer. Have a fun school year, all right?"
"I'll do my best," she said, pulling back and smiling at her family. Elsa gave a small wave, and then turned towards the train.
Anna was saying her own goodbyes, struggling to disentangle herself from her mother's arms. "Really, mom, I'll be fine. I'll write you whenever I can. Promise." She finally succeeded in extricating herself from the hug, saying, "I love you! Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone." She grinned and, before her mom could reply, trotted off to catch up with Elsa.