Platform 9 and ¾ Quarters:
Hagrid and Jenny strolled to Kings Cross Station about five blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron. Once they got there, they put everything including Hedwig in her cage on a trolley before walking down a huge bridge standing over a few train lines.
Hagrid looked at his golden pocket watch and his eyes widened at seeing the time. "Blimey is that the time?" he asked himself shocked. "Sorry, Jenny. I'm goanna have to leave you,"
"Why?"
"Dumbledore will be wanting the you-know-what," he answered putting the area of his coat where the mysterious small item was stored inside the inside-pocket. "Anyways your train leaves in 10 minutes. Here's your ticket," he handed a silver ticket with golden linings to Jenny.
Jenny looked at it and it had Platform 9 and ¾ quarters spelled out in black in the centre.
"Hagrid, this says Platform 9 and ¾ Quarters. There's no such thing," she turned to Hagrid but realised he had disappeared like magic. She turned her hand round to try and find him but he was gone. "Guess, it's just me and you, Hedwig," she said to her new owl who chirped happily at her.
Jenny pushed her trolley down the long, unending stone platform of 9 and 10 looking where she would need to catch her train. How was she going to find a platform that didn't exist?
She spotted a train ticket man talking to a mother holding her child and got an idea. She made her way to the man once he'd finished with the mother and asked, "Excuse me, sir, could you tell where I might find Platform 9 and ¾ Quarters?"
"9 and ¾ Quarters?" the man asked completely unimpressed. "Think you're being funny aren't you? He walked off mocking Jenny. "9 and ¾ Quarters,"
Jenny growled at him. Now how was she going to find the Platform?
Her thoughts were changed when she saw a mother in woolly cloths and hand orange hair being followed by four boys and a little girl walking beside her whilst holding her hand. The boys were pushing trolleys like Jenny.
"Come on kids. This place is packed with Muggles of course. Come on!" she called to her sons trailing behind her.
"Muggles?" Jenny asked herself. She whispered to her owl. "Hedwig, if they're calling non-magic people Muggles, then they must be wizards. Let's follow them," she started pushing her trolley to follow them thinking they could lead her to Platform 9 and ¾ Quarters.
"Platform 9 and ¾ Quarters, this way!"
Jenny followed the family further down the long platform until they came to one of the middle brick columns that had the signs of the numbers 9 and 10 nailed to the top side.
The family stopped walking. As did Jenny, quietly behind them. The tallest boy with the trolley started running at the column. Once he did, he and the trolley disappeared into the wall. Jenny's eyes widened. Her mouth gaped with astonishment.
The mother turned to two of the other boys that were identical. "Fred, you're next!" she called to the twin on the left.
"He's not Fred, I am!" the identical one of the right whined.
"Honesty, woman, you call yourself our mother," the left one rocked.
"Oh, sorry George!" the mother retorted gesturing him to go through the invisible wall barrier as they were wasting time.
The left one named 'George' walked in front of the column. "I'm only joking. I'm Fred!"
He ran at the barrier and disappeared through it. His twin brother, also his best friend) George followed behind him.
Jenny (still watching from behind the family) decided to ask the mother how to get through. "Excuse me?" she asked loudly pushing her trolley forward. In doing so, she accidently bumped into the trolley of the last boy who looked her age.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" she quickly apologised to the boy who she backed away from fearing he'd act aggressive.
But he instead replied with, "No, no, it's okay!" he then gestured to the column in front of them. "Here you can go first,"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course,"
"Well…thank you," Jenny gave him a grateful smile before pushing forward a bit. She turned her attention back to the mother, "Please could you tell me how to… how…to."
"How to get onto the platform?" the woman asked kindly.
Jenny nervously nodded feeling a tiny bit embarrassed.
"IT's alright dear," the mother detected her embarrassment. "It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well," she gestured to her youngest son, the boy (who Jenny accidently bumped into) who nodded at her.
"All you've got to do, dear is walk straight at the wall between Platforms 9 and 10," the woman instructed. "Okay?"
"Okay. Thank you," Jenny replied.
"Good luck," the little girl holding her mother's hand greeted.
Jenny pushed her trolley until she was directly in front of the column. She took a deep breath and then ran forward pushing the trolley.
She went through the wall and all seemed like a blur until she came out into the open. She looked back and saw nothing but stone. She continued on.
She turned her trolley round the corner and what a sight she saw. There was a black and red steam strain waiting on its track line and it had the label: 'The Hogwarts Expressed' in letters of golden on the front. Jenny noticed the sign nailed at her head that spelled out: 'Platform 9 and ¾ Quarters'. This was her train. IT was incredible. She pushed her trolley forward again and came towards the train conductor who was telling children saying goodbye to their parents to get on since it nearly time for it to depart.
He noticed her and said, "Ahh…another trolley to put on. Got your ticket?"
Jenny took out her train ticket from her coat pocket and handed it to him. "Thank you, on you go. I'll take your trunk and your owl,"
"Couldn't I just have my owl with me, please?"
"Sorry miss but no birds can be in carriages,"
Jenny sighed at the face that Hedwig had to continue being in her cage. She turned her head to Hedwig staring at her from behind her cage's bars. "Sorry Hedwig. You'll have to stay in your cage, I'm afraid sorry,"
Hedwig chirped sadly looking down.
"But don't worry, girl. As soon as we get to Hogwarts, I'll let you out of your cage and you can stay out for as long as you want. Deal/"
Hedwig thought for a while but then looked at Jenny and chirped happily.
"Okay, I'll see you later," Jenny promised crossing her heart and blowing a soft, quite kiss to her owl. Leaving her trolley for the conductor to load its luggage and Hedwig in, Jenny hopped into the first-year carriage section.
She walked past several full-up compartments until she came to an empty one. She slid the door open and went inside. She sat down on one of the two comfy seats.
A few seconds later, she heard the sound of steaming. The train was taking off. Soon the train was moving and Jenny could hear the screeching of the wheels against the rail lines. Jenny peered outside the window and saw the brick walls disappearing and turning into huge London buildings. The Hogwarts Expressed was going at a speed between mild and fast. It wouldn't be long before the Expressed would reach the countryside. Jenny took out her ruby journey from her woolly shoulder bag along with its pen. She opened it and saw plain sandpaper pages. She left the first page black and turned to the 1st pair of pages. She started writing.
Dear Diary,
Today has been the most revealing day of my life. All my life, I believed I was just a simple girl who lost her parents in a car crash. But now I have learnt that they were killed by an evil wizard named Voldemort when trying to protect me. He tried to kill me but I survived and escaped death as an infant with nothing but a lightning shaped scar. Until I turned 11 this very day, my life was a burden with my horrible aunt, uncle and eldest cousin.
But I had my youngest Sophie. I miss her so much.
I am now on my way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where I will learn magic just like my parents James and Lily Potter did. I wish they were here with me but they still are thanks to this lily necklace and wooden stag I have tanks to my new friend Hagrid (whose so kind) despite his giant size.
I hope at Hogwarts I can make some friends and be the witch that my parents might have wanted me to be. I wonder what Hogwarts will be like. Will it be where my 11th Birthday wish will come true?
Jenny stopped writing in her first year journal and just stared out at the moving buildings outside the rain.
