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Disclaimer: Harry Potter is JK Rowling's.
Dudley pushed his luggage trolley into King's Cross station uncertainly. Despite several frustrating traffic jams and difficulty parking, he had managed to get there without any major incidents. However, he was just beginning to feel lost. Where should he go? He pulled out his letter from Harry.
Hi Dudley,
I'm glad you enjoyed the surprise. I was considering telling you that you had magic, but I thought it would be much more exciting if you found out from Hagrid. I hope he didn't quite make such a dramatic entrance as he did when he came for me though!
Try not to worry about Hogwarts. I won't lie and say that everyone there will be amazing, but I can honestly say that my days at Hogwarts were incredible, and I met hundreds of the best people I could ever have the good fortune to know. Getting there's easy enough- the entrance to the platform is the ticket barrier between platforms 9 and 10. If you look out, you should see some other witches and wizards using it- you can ask for help if you feel uncertain. Make sure to say hi to people- I met Ron and Hermione on the train on my first day.
Everything's okay with me at the moment, thanks. It's a bit hectic trying to finish all of my Auror exams as well as completing my NEWTs though! Even though I learned loads when I was on the run, I still have no idea on most of the stuff. Hermione's helping me a lot, but I might have to visit Hogwarts a few times to get teachers to help- they tend not to get as stressed at me when I don't understand!
I love your owl- take care of her! A good owl will do almost anything for you, and can be your best companion sometimes.
Make sure you let me know how you get on, and I may be seeing you quite soon,
Harry
That was all very well and good, Dudley thought, but what about the ticket barrier between platforms 9 and 10? Was he supposed to cast a spell on it? Well, there could be no harm in heading in that direction. He might meet some of the people Harry had mentioned, so he could get help finding his way onto the platform. Pushing the trolley in front of him, he set off.
Once on the platform, Dudley was still none the wiser. He couldn't see anyone remotely wizard-like, and he was beginning to wish that he'd sent Amber away before going to catch the train- he definitely looked strange carrying an owl in a cage. He hoped that people wouldn't think he was some sort of bird smuggler or something. He checked his watch. Ten thirty. Surely some people should be arriving now?
"Hello, Dudley," a dreamy voice said from behind him. He spun round, almost knocking Amber's cage off the trolley. A girl about his age with long blonde hair and bulbous blue eyes was smiling brightly, but dreamily at him.
"Erm... hello. Do I know you?" he asked. The girl was wearing a strange symbol around her neck, and she had a rather ugly flower behind her ear.
"Oh, no. I'm Luna Lovegood," the girl said happily. "Although some people call me Loony for some reason. I don't think it's very nice. But they've got much better since I helped your cousin so much. Harry's a great friend to me- you're so lucky to know him. I was in the year below him at Hogwarts. I'm meant to have left now, but I missed quite a lot of school when we were sorting things out after the war, so I'm going to be visiting quite often so I can pass some of the exams I didn't manage to finish. Did you know you have a Quicketyflop on your head?"
Dudley quickly looked up, shook his head vigorously and hit himself on the head. He couldn't tell anything was there. Luna looked at him sympathetically.
"Oh, you can't get rid of them like that. Daddy's working on a new spell to sort them out, but he's quite busy at the moment. He's writing a book, you know, about the war. Shall we go onto the platform?"
"Oh, erm... pleased to meet you, by the way," Dudley said belatedly. "I'm afraid I don't know how to get to the platform. Do you know?" He was still rather shaken by the idea that something might be on his head. He hoped that it wouldn't be too dangerous. Surely Harry would have mentioned it if it was important?
"It's quite easy, when you know how," Luna informed him. "Come on, follow me!"
She turned on her heel and pushed her trolley in front of her, the half ran, half skipped in the direction of the ticket barrier. Dudley uncertainly followed her... then stopped suddenly as she disappeared. She couldn't have just gone through the barrier, could she? Bewildered, he glanced around. A fourteen-year-old girl with flowing silvery blonde hair floated towards him and smiled dazzlingly.
"'ello," she said with a strong French accent. "Are you going to 'Ogwarts?"
Dudley's mouth had fallen slightly open. She didn't seem entirely human. He swallowed.
"Yes," he finally said. "Do you know how to get on to the platform?"
"Yes, my sister's 'usband told me," Gabrielle said brightly. "I am 'ere on an exchange for a few months- it eez a project to 'elp ze wizarding community to grow closer after ze war. We walk through the barrier." She too turned around and walked in that direction, then seemed to vanish.
I've got nothing to lose, Dudley thought. He closed his eyes and ran towards the barrier, confident that he was being entirely stupid and was just about to hit a brick wall, quite literally. But suddenly, he was surrounded by different sounds- owls hooting, cats yowling, crying parents and excited chatter. A train stood on the platform.
"Hogwarts Express," Dudley read quietly. "I've made it."
