Chapter 2: The Train ride
I walked along the platforms, looking for the 9 ¾ one. I saw Harry being dropped off by his family I assumed and he looked around, then saw me and came over. "Oh hey!" he said and I waved, not knowing what I was supposed to say. "Did your parents already drop you off?" I nodded. "How do we find the right platform?" I looked around and shrugged. "I'll go ask." I said and hurried away from him. I knew there was no one in the Muggle world that would know what I was talking about, but I felt awkward around Harry for some reason.
I sighed and decided to just go back and try to find someone with Harry, but when I turned around, he was hurrying after something or someone. I followed him, pushing my trolley with slight difficulty because of all my belongings. Whatever he was following must have stopped because he did too. I got up beside him and whispered, "What?" "Those people said Muggles, I assumed they were wizards." He said and the plump woman spoke.
"Percy, you go first." He stood a few feet from a wall and then took off running toward it, I watched and suddenly a group of people blocked our view. When they moved out of the way, the boy was gone and the woman was nodding. "Fred, you next." "I'm not Fred, I'm George. Honestly you call yourself our mother. Can't you tell I'm George?" "Oh sorry George." She said and the boy lined up, the same spot as the other.
"Only joking, I am Fred." He laughed and called for his twin to hurry up, and they did, they were gone in a second. "What should we do?" I asked and Harry walked over to him, pushing his cart. I didn't know what to do, so I followed in silence. "Excuse me." he said and the last boy with a cart turned toward us, he had some dirt on his nose, but I was nervous and didn't say anything.
"First time at Hogwarts, dears? Ron's too." She said in a motherly voice, sweet and caring. "How do we get onto…?" "The Platform? Not to worry, just walk straight at the wall between 9 and 10, don't be scared." She explained and told Harry to go first. He walked up to the spot where the others were and took a breath before running at the wall, but didn't hit, instead he vanished.
"Alright dear, you can go next. Ron doesn't mind." She said, nodding at me. I gave her a weak smile and did exactly what Harry did, but found myself opening my eyes to see a huge train in front of me, scarlet, with Hogwarts express written in gold letters on the front. Harry must have been waiting on me, or was just as surprised as I was, because I nearly ran into him with my trolley.
He grinned at me and I nodded, then we went to put our stuff into the compartments. We pasted a boy, telling his grandmother that he lost his toad and she looked so frustrated with him. We found an empty one and he put his owl in first, as I did. "What's her name?" I asked and he smiled. "Hedwig. And what's that ones name?" he nodded toward my sweet black owl and I shrugged. "Don't know yet, thought I would come up with something on the train."
We tried to put his trunk in first, but we could barely lift it. One of those red haired kids came over and asked if we needed help. "Sure." I said and he called his brother over and they got Harry's in, then mine, with my help of course. "Thanks" Harry said, pushing his hair off his forehead, revealing his lightning bolt scar, which the twins noticed.
"Blimey, are you?" "He is…Aren't you?" I shrugged at Harry and he asked what and they said his name. They stared at him for a moment, before the plump woman called them, and they left. We sat down and I saw the red haired family saying their goodbyes and talking still. The woman tried to get the dirt off her youngest son's nose, but he wriggled away from her.
They continued to talk, I looked away, but Harry continued to listen to what they were saying. The twins said Harry's name and the little girl wanted to see him, but the mother scolded her. "Poor thing, no wonder he was alone." "He wasn't mom, remember the girl." I glanced over and saw her nodding. "Right, but Harry Potter is an only child." "Maybe he already has a friend." The girl said and I looked away once again.
The train hissed, and then everyone was hurrying to get on. After a minute, the train started moving and we sat in silence. After a few minutes, the door opened to reveal the red haired kid with a dirty nose, it was slightly pink now. He looked embarrassed when he spoke, "Anywhere else is full, you mind if I have a seat?" Harry shook his head and the boy sat down in front of Harry.
Those twins reappeared, then greeted Harry, and finally noticed someone other than their brother and famous Harry Potter was in a seat. "Oh, hello, sorry didn't see ya there." one said and the other nodded. "Fred and George Weasley." "Hello." I said and they said a friend of theirs had a giant tarantula and they left. They started to talk, but I stayed quiet, not feeling like I wanted to talk.
Ron asked about the scar and Harry asked about his family, I didn't really pay any attention until Ron pulled out a rat. I glanced quickly at my kitten, which was curled up in my lap sleeping. Ron gave her a quick glance, before continuing his talk with Harry. I leaned back, trying to get comfortable; maybe I could take a nap.
They talked and talked, then would get quiet and right as I started to doze off, the door opened and an old woman asked if they wanted anything sweet. Ron said he was set, pulling out a bag of what looked like mashed sandwiches. Harry said they would take a few of each item, paid and we were surrounded by tons of candy.
"Want some?" Harry asked, showing me a candy wand. I looked around and sighed, taking the candy. I saw they were both watching me, waiting for me to eat it. I took a small bite and I tried to smile at them, but it was too much work. "Thank you." I mumbled and sat it down, then tried to go to sleep, but they still talked loud enough to keep me awake.
