Chapter 2: The Station
10:50
Amelia looked at the clock again.
It still read 10:50
How was that possible?
"OI, What are you staring at?" Ron asked, trying to see if anything was unusual.
He looked at the stationmaster, railway tracks, trains, a boy hovering around them, muggles holding newspapers in which pictures didn't move. Now that was unusual but his twin sister was staring at the clock.
"What is it Lia?" Ron tried again to get his sister's attention.
"Ron, look at the time."
"What do you- Oh!"
When Percy turned around he saw two of his siblings staring at the clock with their mouths open. Naturally, he was worried about the mental state of his siblings (Though he had stopped that a while ago, what with them living with Fred and George).
"What is wrong with you two?" Percy asked.
"Percy, look at the time. We arrived 10 minutes before the train leaves. Usually, it's five. This has to be recorded in the Burrow's Book of Records or something."
And with that both the twins started laughing as though they had said the funniest thing in the world.
Now Percy was really worried but he ignored the twins (in which he had gained experience this summer) and decided to walk with his mother.
"It is true though." Said Ron. "We rarely ever reach on time."
With another laugh, Amelia said "Lets catch up with the others or else they'll leave without us. Don't want another year removing gnomes from the garden do we?"
And with that thought the two of them also hurried towards their mum.
Walking at the front of their group, Molly asked "What's the platform number?"
"Nine and Three-quarters." Piped Ginny, trying to get in the good graces of mum so that she could try to ask or in other words pester mum again.
And sure enough…
"Mum can't I go?"
"You are not old enough. Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
It looked like she had cooled down. She must have seen the clock too, thought Amelia.
Percy marched toward Platform nine and ten as though marching towards a battlefield and quickly went through the barrier.
"Fred, you next,"
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said Fred. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tellI'm George?"
"Sorry, George dear."
"Only joking, I'm Fred,"
George called after Fred to hurry up and then he too went though the barrier.
Amelia was preparing herself to run through the barrier. She always felt that she was going to crash with the barrier and then her things will be strewn about and then muggles will look at her strange clothes and then the ministry will call her for…
"Get a hold of yourself."
She was being stared at by Ginny, mum, Ron and a boy with spectacles who had come out of nowhere and who looked like he hadn't combed his hair in years.
He also looked offended.
"I am sorry, I wasn't talking to you. I have a bad habit of talking to myself when I am nervous."
Now the boy looked confused and… amused?
He's just another person she'll have to add to the list of people who thought she was insane. Sadly, it was a long list.
"Dear, why don't you see once again how it's done? Here Amelia will show you."
Hmm averysubtle way to send me off without further embarrassment thought Amelia.
I'm doing this for you mother, Amelia thought in a somber voice as she readied herself to run towards the barrier with calm and elegance.
How do you run with calm and elegance?
"Honey, you are going to miss the train if you keep staring at the barrier any longer."
"Sorry mother"
And with that Amelia took off, conquering her fears with her hair looking like a red flag blowing in the wind.
When Amelia had reached the other side of the barrier, Amelia wasn't all that impressed by the sight as other students because she had been here many times.
She decided to look for Susan Bones whom she had made friends with when her father took her for work.
There, she thought, as she looked at a girl with pale skin, brown hair and brown eyes.
"Susan! Susan!"
"Come on, I've already booked us a seat with other girls and you are going to love them."
What? No, hello, how are you? How have your holidays been?
As they finally reached their seat Amelia found two girls sitting with each other rather awkwardly.
"Guys, this is Amelia, the girl I told you about."
Hellos were exchanged awkwardly and both of them were eyeing her a bit apprehensively as though she was going to blow up or something. She had never been so glad when her mum came calling for her.
As she stepped out of the train, she found her family further along with her mum calling for Fred and George.
Just as she reached them, mum took out her handkerchief and brandished it at Ron's nose.
"Mom— geroff" He wriggled free.
"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said Fred. The young females snorted.
"Shut up," said Ron.
"Where's Percy?" said their mother.
"He's coming now."
Percy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his school robes and touched his Prefect badge as though it symbolized his status as king among peasants.
"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front; the prefects have got two compartments to themselves —"
"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said George, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said Fred. "Once —"
"Or twice —"
"A minute —"
"All summer —"
"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.
"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said Fred who had wanted a new robe since last summer as he had grown out of them a bit.
"Because he's a prefect," said mum fondly.
"All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there."
She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.
"Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've
blown up a toilet or —"
"We've never blown up a toilet, great idea though."
"It's not funny and look after Ron and Amelia."
"Don't worry ickle Ronniekiens and Mel-Mel are safe with us."
"Shut up." This time both Ron and Amelia said it together.
"Hey, guess who we met on the train? That black haired boy who was near us at the station? He's Harry Potter."
Merlin! That boy was Harry Potter. Wow, the boy who lived thinks I am a nutcase, Amelia thought sarcastically.
Wait, its Fred and George we're talking about. This must be some sort of a joke.
Of course this is a joke.
A whistle sounded.
They all got on the train and then leaned down to get a kiss from their mother.
Ginny began crying.
"Don't Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."
"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."
"George"
"Joking, mum"
"Bye Ginny, Don't let the gnomes bite you."
Ginny half crying half laughing followed till she could and then waved.
We were officially off to Hogwarts and it better look out for one stuck up prefect, two mischief makers, one chess player and one of the most dashing, awesome, beautiful, gorg-
"Amelia, you've got something in your hair."
Well, we'll continue this later.