I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters created by JK. I do own Artimus Lovegood, though if you're nice, I might let you borrow him.

Finding the Platform

Harry Potter was in trouble. He had no idea how to get to platform 9 ¾. According to his uncle it didn't exist and there was a lot of evidence to support his uncle's argument. He looked at the big clock in the station that said 10:30. He had half an hour to find the platform. He was standing near platforms 9 and 10 because the logical part of his mind told him that they were the closest numbers to 9 ¾, but he knew he couldn't just stand there all day. Hedwig was starting to attract the wrong kind of attention. He'd have to ask someone.

Before he could head off to find someone to ask, Hedwig suddenly attracted the right kind of attention. A boy about his age with short, dirty blonde hair and silvery blue eyes came running up to his cart and gazed at his owl.

"Wow." He murmured before spinning around. "Luna! Luna over here! You gotta see this! And bring dad!" He yelled. Moments later a small girl, maybe a year or two younger than the boy came skipping out of the masses towards them. She too had silvery blue eyes and dirty blonde hair, although hers was down to the middle of her back. Behind her was a man wearing the brightest yellow suit Harry had ever seen. He was pushing a cart with a trunk and covered cage and basket on it just like Harry. He also had blonde hair, but it was pale blonde and his eyes were a dark blue, but he was obviously the kids' father.

The little blonde girl, or Luna, had reached them and her brother was telling her about his owl.

"It's a Nyctea Scandiaca, also known as a Bubo Scandiacus, more widely known as the Snowy Owl, Great White Owl, Ghost Owl, Scandinavian Nightbird and the White Terror of the North. This owl is virtually silent during nonbreeding seasons. The typical call of the male is a loud, harsh, grating bark, but this is a female which has a similar, but higher pitched call, also the females rarely hoot. Other sounds the owls make are Dog-like barks, rattling cackles, shrieks, hissing, and bill-snapping. They can live nearly 10 years in the wild and around 35 in captivity. They're also somewhat rare in Britain. Usually they stick to arctic tundra, like Scandinavia, Canada or the north of the united states." The boy looked at him. "You're lucky to have one. What's her name?" He asked.

"Hedwig. And thanks, a friend got her for me as a birthday present." He was nervous. These people looked like wizards and if they were they could help him, but they could just be really eccentric.

The boy glanced at his father before turning back to him. Luna seemed happy to just coo at Hedwig who loved the attention.

"An unusual present for an unusual boy?" the boy asked mysteriously. "I wonder, could you be looking for anything unusual here today?"

"Like a platform that shouldn't exist?" Harry was weary, but as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. He relaxed when the boy grinned at him.

"So they forgot to tell you how to get on to the platform. Odd, but not unheard of. I'd imagine the professor that came to get you was busy or had something on their mind. Follow us. It's my first year too." He dragged Harry over to the ticket barrier between platforms 9 and 10. "Now see the wall there?" Harry nodded. "Good. Line up your cart, take a deep breath, stay calm and run at the wall and don't stop." Harry looked at him like he was crazy. "Don't look at me like I'm crazy! It's a magical illusion, so that the muggles don't see. Now run and don't stop until you're on the other side. Oh, but remember to move out of the way otherwise I might crash into you."

Harry looked back at the wall and braced himself. He took a deep breath and ran forward, pushing his cart in front of him. He expected to crash into the wall, but one minute it was there, and the next it was gone. He was through it and on platform 9 ¾. Remembering what the boy told him he quickly moved to the side just as he came whizzing through after him. Soon they were joined by Luna and the father.

"There you go, and that's the Hogwarts Express." Harry turned to see the scarlet steam engine that was waiting next to the packed platform. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock. Harry looked behind them and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words platform 9 ¾ on it. He turned back to the platform as the blonde family started to walk away. After a few steps the boy stopped and turned around. "Well," he said, "Are you coming or not?"

Harry hurried forward and followed them towards the end of the train. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. They passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again." "Oh, Neville," they heard the old woman sigh. A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd. "Give us a look, Lee, go on." The boy lifted the lid of the box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

When they finally reached an empty compartment the father helped both boys with their trunks and other things before they got off for the boy to say his goodbyes.

"You know what?" he asked. "I never introduced myself or my family. I'm Artimus Lovegood, this is my father Xenophilius and this is my little sister Luna. She'll be coming to Hogwarts next year."

"Harry Potter." He said. He grew worried when they froze. He half expected them to start asking for his autograph. He was worried they'd treat him differently because he was the Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. He was shocked by they're reaction.

"Really?" Artimus whispered. "You're really Harry?" They were acting like they knew him.

"Do you know me?" he asked timidly.

"Of course we know you my dear boy," Xenophilius said finally entering the conversation, "Your mother was good friends with my late wife."

"Not to mention," Artimus interrupted, "We share a Godfather, but I'll explain that on the train." Xenophilius checked the wall clock that now said 10:45.

"Well boys, Luna and I must be off, I need to be in my office working on this month's issue. Nice meeting you again Harry. Goodbye Artimus, I'll see you at Christmas." Xeno hugged his son and stepped back to allow Luna to say goodbye.

Luna hugged her brother tightly and silently cried. "I don't want you to go." She whimpered. Artimus hugged her back just as tightly. "It's not forever little moon," He whispered, "Just until Christmas, I'll be back before you know it." Harry turned away to wipe his own tears from his eyes. This was what he wanted. A family to love him and to miss him. A sister to hug him, a brother who looked up to him, a father to be proud of him, a mother to kiss him good night. A real family, not like the Dursleys, they were a cruel mockery of what a family should be. He wiped away the last of his tears and turned back.

Artimus pulled away from his sister and held her at arms length.

"Now little moon, you know that if you're missing me a little too much then just use your mirror. I will always have mine on me, but try not to call during lesson times." She laughed a little which was what he was going for. "You'll be fine, and Ginny will be home as well so you won't be all alone. Now I've gotta go and you've gotta go, and remember to remind dad to eat occasionally, you know what he's like." Luna now had a small smile on her face while Artimus was grinning at her.

"Ok Artimus, see you at Christmas. Bye Harry." Xeno took Luna's hand and led her back up the platform while she waved back at them. They waved too until they could no longer see her due to the smoke.

Artimus turned to him and smiled. "We'd better get on the train before people start recognising you. They'd mob you." They both chuckled as Artimus led the way onto the train and into their compartment. Harry sat down, leaned back and relaxed. He was on the train. He'd made it. He was going to Hogwarts.

One thing that always irked me was that Luna had no one who really looked out for her and no one to stop the bullies. Now she does. I got the information about Hedwig from a website called owlpages. There are a couple of lines from the actual book in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it. I will hopefully update soon. I am working on my other stories and I will hopefully update them soon as well. Please review. P.S. Artimus can be a boys name, for those of you wondering.