A/N: Urm...I think we need to sort out some questions first...regarding abt using singlish, i did thought of using singlish at first, but somehow, it didn't seem to fit into the story well...also, putting singlish into an story isn't easy at all but one thing that's for sure is, singlish is going to be put at several chapters later. Personally i think that this chapter is kind of badly done so if u pick out any mistakes well...just don't sue me okay?
on with the story!
Chapter 4: The Journey to Yap Ee Chian
Janice last two weeks at home wasn't exactly fun. Lily still refused to speak to her and treated her like an outcaste. She treated any chair or place with Janice as empty. Although Janice was spared from all the tiffs, it was quite depressing after some time, with no one to turn or talk to. To kill time, the only thing she did was to play basketball throughout the day and bicker with Lawrence over who should use the basketball court.
On the day before Janice was supposed to go to Yap Ee Chian, Janice made a phone call to Landy.
" Hello, is this Landy speaking?"
" Speaking. What is it Janice?"
"How are we supposed to get to school tomorrow?"
"I think we were supposed to catch the train in platform one and a half at eight in the morning at Ang Mo Kio MRT station."
" Platform one and a half? Are you serious? Is there such a platform?"
"That's what it says. Frankly, I'm not very sure too. "
" Hey, why don't we meet at the station? We could catch the train together then."
" Okay! Lets meet at the control station say, seven forty-five in the morning? We might be able to find some good seats."
"Good idea. Okay then. See you tomorrow then!"
" Bye!"
" Bye!"
After the conversation, Janice was stumped. Was there really such a platform called Platform one and a half? If there really was one, how is she supposed to reach the platform?
Maybe there would be someone like Mr Hassim, guiding people to the platform, Janice thought.
Convinced and perhaps, slightly cheerful, Janice began to pack her books into her trunk, Just as she was about to open her trunk, Mrs Chan came in.
"Janice, have you asked Landy about how to get to school tomorow?"
Janice, knowing that what she said next would sound utterly stupid, So she summoned up her courage and said,
"According to Landy, we were supposed to catch the train to Yap Ee Chian on platform one and a half at eight o'clock in the morning at Ang Mo Kio MRT station."
" Wha..what did you say, Janice? Is it my inmagination, or did I hear platform one and a half? Is there such a platform? Is this a joke?" Mrs Chan said.
" I really don't know, Mum, that's what Landy says." Janice mumbled.
" Okay then, if that is really what it says, we'll take you to the station tomorow then."
"Thanks Mum." Janice mumbled.
With a heavy heart and a lot of suspicion, she began packing her supplies.
***
"Okay dear, where are you supposed to meet Landy?" Mrs Chan asked.
"Seven-forty-five at the control station, Mum," Janice, replied. She had never felt anything like this before. There were butterflies, snakes and lead weights in her stomach. Wild thoughts were running in her mind. How the heck is she supposed to get to that wretch platform? If we don't suceed in getting to that platform, Landy and I are as good as dead. Janice thought.
At the station, Janice felt oddly separated from the rest. Even though she knew that she was supposed to be waiting for Landy, but she felt as though she was waiting for her death sentence.
"Hey look who's here? Aren't you supposed to be in RGS? Huh?" someone strangely familliar sneered.
Expecting to be Landy, Janice turned around. But whom she saw next made her jaw drop.
" You! Lawrence Yeo Chai Hock! What are you doing here?" Janice shrieked. The last person she needed was actually right in front of her, sneering.
" What am I doing here? I ought to ask you this question instead!" Lawrence shot back.
Knowing that this would sound utterly stupid, Janice summoned up her courage and merely said,
" I am here waiting for Landy so that we can catch the train at platform one and a half."
Expecting to see Lawrence snort with laughter, she looked down to the ground, but what Lawrence said next made her almost fell over with shock.
" Are you going to Yap Ee Chian?"
" Why.... how did you...." Janice spluttered, surprised at what Lawrence had just said.
" I'm also accepted to Yap Ee Chian too. Not just me alone, but my whole family used to study in there. We are a wizarding family. But you are just a muggle! How did you get yourself accepted to Yap Ee chian?" Lawrence enquired.
" I really don't know, I just got a letter which says that I've been accepted. Landy's been accepted too. If you are a wizard, why did you study in a primary school then?" She added.
" My parents insisted that I get a 'normal' education before I set off for Yap Ee Chian." He drawled, as though he had memorized those words by heart.
" Hey guys" someone chirped.
It was Landy, who had finally arrived.
" Sorry I'm late, Janice, got caught up in a traffic jam, Hey Lawrence, why are you here? Are'nt you going to school?" Landy said quizzically. (Lawrence, Landy and Janice used to study in the same primary school together)
" Actually, I am catching the train at platform one and a half to get to school." Lawrence replied dryly.
Like Janice, Landy's eyes bulged to the size of saucers before she squeaked " Yap Ee Chian?"
" Exactly. He's been accepted too." Janice replied.
" But he.... accepted..." Landy mumbled.
" We'll explain everything if we get in to the train succesfully" Janice finished lamely.
They had now reached the platform where they are supposed to catch the train, but there was'nt a train that looked like that could take them to school.
" Now what are we supposed to do?" Janice hissed.
" Why is it that there are so many muggles around at this time? Darn it, we might be seen!" Lawrence cursed.
" Muggles?" Landy squeaked.
" Non- magic people. Just like what I thought of you all in the past." Lawrence mumbled absentmindedly.
" Is this an insult?" Janice mumbled.
Just then Lawrence said something that made both Landy and Janice look at him incredulously.
" We have to jump down the middle platform to catch the train."
" Jump down? Are you trying to get us killed?" Landy mumbled, so as not to alarm the muggles.
" Trust me. Look, I'll jump down first, okay? If I don't come up, then you guys jump down, okay?" With that, he walked towards the middle platform, which was usually used for emergencies to the muggles, and jumped.
" Now what? He has already jumped. Do you think that we should jump? " Landy asked.
" Oh.. All right then. Okay, from the count of three, both of us will jump, okay?" Janice said.
" Sounds fine to me."
" Okay, one...two... three!"
With that both of them jumped. Janice expected her to land on the railway with a thump, but it never came, meekly, Janice opened her eyes.
A huge navy blue train greeted her the moment she opened her eyes. On the platform she was standing in there was sign above that showed that she was in platform one and a half. She had done it. She had managed to catch the train.
" We did it! I don't believe it!" Landy shrieked and hugging Janice at the same time, that Janice almost choked.
" Well. I can see that you guys have actually managed to get past the platform." someone replied.
It was Lawrence. There was also someone else with him too.
" Boon Kee and Chee Hao? You mean...you guys are actually wizards too?" Janice stuttered.
" Yes they are. In fact our parents are very good friends with each other." Lawrence reasoned.
Before Janice could reply, Lawrence did something that Janice almost never expected him to do; he actually invited them to sit with them in the compartment. Unconsciously, Janice agreed and Lawrence actually helped Janice and Landy carry their trunks.
" Gee, thanks a lot. Janice replied sincerely.
" It's nothing really." Lawrence mumbled.
At this point, there was a loud whistling sound, then, the train began to move. They were now off to Yap Ee Chian.
Now that she was inside the train, Janice took a good look around. The train looked as though it had came out of the 1920s. Everything was very old-fashioned. The seats was quite comfortable and the scenery was beautiful...
" I still can't believe that the two of you are actually witches!" Lawrence howled.
" Well, who would have thought that the annoying boy next door that I really detest happens to be a wizard?" Janice shot back.
At this point, a lady pushing a trolley opened their compartment door and asked if they wanted anything. Curious, Janice walked towards the trolley, wanting to buy as many Kit-Kats as possible. But the lady did'nt sell any Kit-Kats. In place were sweets that Janice had read in the Harry Potter books. There was Bertie Botts Every-flavour beans, Chocolate frogs, Pumpkin pasties, Cauldron cakes and Droobles best blowing gum. Fascinated, she bought a little of everything, except the Mint Humbugs.
" Wow, you sure bought a lot of sweets," Lawrence replied, eyeing at the pile she had bought.
" Oh, I read about these sweets in the Harry Potter books. I just feel like trying them out." Janice replied casually.
Boon Kee dropped the one of the chocolate frogs upon hearing at what Janice had said.
" Harry.... Harry Potter? You heard of him before?" he squeaked.
" Yes. He's very famous in the muggle world too, you know, copies of his books are selling like hotcakes everywhere."
" Books?"
" I mean, books about his adventures, you know, with his friends like Ron and Hermione." Janice replied nonchantly.
" I can't believe it. He's so famous now, even the muggle world knows who he is now." Chee Hao replied dreamily.
" You mean he's real? Even Voldemort?" Landy whispered.
To Landy and Janice's surprise, the three boys flinched at the name of Voldemort.
" Just call him you-know-who next time. Okay?" Boon Kee snapped.
" VOLDEMORT!" Landy and Janice bellowed. The boys looked at them in shock.
" Look, the three of you, there's nothing wrong with saying that name, okay? You guys are boys, are you aware of that? ? So why are you still flinching at a name?" Janice retorted.
" Besides, this is Singapore and Voldemort is in Britain. Can he hear you?" Landy added.
" You'll never know... he has supporters everywhere..." Lawrence whispered, as though Voldemort was just in the next compartment, listening to their conversation.
" Is Harry Potter really that famous in the wizarding world?" Janice asked, hoping to change the subject.
" Famous? He's more than famous! He's he's.... practically a legend! He's such a remarkable wizard, and to think that he's only a few years older than us!" Boon Kee chirped.
" He's not very remarkable, you know, actually, he's just like us, got tonnes of homework to do, has crushes, he's a human like us too! He also has to serve detentions when he does somthing wrong and also, he has a really intensive quidditch practice-"
" Quidditch! Hey did you heard of what happened to the match last night? Chudley Cannons actually defeated Puddlemere United! I think the score is about a hundred and ninety points to forty points." Lawrence said.
" What! Chudley Cannons actually defeated Puddlemere? Are you joking? They haven't defeated any other team for years!" Boon Kee said, amazed.
" Well. They just happen to win it by luck, Romulus had to duck a bludger thrown by Mathieu and he actually swallowed the snitch while ducking it..."
Bored by their conversation, Janice took out her copy of Harry Potter and the goblet of fire and began to re-read it for the tenth time. Landy too, took her her copy of an Idiot's-Proof guide to Standard spells and began to learn a levitating charm.
" Oh, that's a Harry Potter book? Looks interesting." Lawrence said.
" Huh? Oh yeah...want to read it? It's pretty good." Janice mumbled.
" Thanks." Lawrence replied, taking the book from Janice.
" So this is a Harry Potter book? Who would be so stupid to own one? Must be a mudblood" someone with a cold voice sneered.
Looking up sharply, she saw two boys about her age standing at the front of their compartment door, smirking. Both of them had shoulder-length greasy black hair, a pockmarked face and wearing their school robes.
" Hello to the two Snape-wannabes," Lawrence introduced." The jerk at the right is Yang Yi or known as Yang Ya (rearing ducks in Chinese) and the dork on the left is Ivan Tan or known as Ai Ben Dan (short and stupid in Chinese)."
" Nice try, Lawrence, or should I say Laundry?" Ivan smirked.
" You-" Lawrence retorted. He sprang from his seat and was about to attack Ivan but was being stopped by Boon Kee and Chee Hao.
" See you again then, oh, you two, I don't think that it would be wise if you mix around with them. Because you'll be sorry if you mix with the wrong crowd." Yang Yi replied, turning to Janice and Landy as he spoke. Before Janice could retort, both of them left the compartment.
" Why did you stop me? You should have let me finish that f***ing person off!" Lawrence howled.
" You ought to know that, Lawrence, it's always wrong to fight violence with violence!" Janice reasoned.
" Oh why don't you just shut up, Miss goody two shoes?" Lawrence snapped.
Annoyed, she was about to tell Lawrence to shut his mouth up too when suddenly a voice boomed throughout the train.
" We would be reaching Yap Ee Chian in an hour's time. Please change into your school robes and leave your trunks behind. It will be taken up to the castle."
" Now what? " Landy whispered. She was looking around like a lost child.
" I think it would be best if we change into our robes now." Janice replied.
Taking out their robes from their trunk, they went to a nearby toilet to change. There were lots of girls in the toilet waiting to change into their robes. After changing, Janice felt as though she was some sort of old witch she had read about in fairy tales when she was a kid.
Landy must have felt the same way as Janice because all she asked Janice was how she looked when Janice herself was worrying about how she looked.
" You guys actually... well.. Look like a typical...witch." Lawrence stuttered the moment he saw the girls.
Both Landy and Janice blushed into the colour of overripe tomatoes.
Boon Kee had to slap on Lawrence's back before he could stop staring at the girls.
The voice that boomed a moment ago boomed once again.
"Attention all students. Attention all students. Please stop fooling around. Step into the platform in five minutes time…if you do not want to serve detention in your first day of school" boomed the voice.
"Whose voice is that?" asked Landy, rushing out of the compartment.
"Shh…. lets just get out of here as soon as possible" hushed Chee Hao.
The boys quickly crammed their pockets with sweets and the girls quickly stepped into the platform.
A man standing at the platform was shouting at the top of his voice amidst the noise.
" First Years! First Years! Please step forward! First Years please step forward!"
" That's us!" Landy whispered.
They quickly walked towards the man, where there were already a few pupils surrounding him, not sure of what to do.
" Follow me." The man replied, when seeing that all the first years have arrived. They were led to another direction. What they saw next made everything shriek and gasp.
" Ohmigosh! Is this real? I thought they only existed in fairy tales!" one the girls in the crowd shrieked.
Janice had to agree with the girl. It was unreal. This had to be a dream, she thought.
It was a huge Phoenix and a really huge Dragon. The phoenix, in Janice's opinion, was the most beautiful creature she had ever met. It had a rich plumage of red and gold feathers and had really huge wings. The dragon, on the other hand, had huge golden wings and to Janice's surprise, it was very tame.
" Okay then, girls, you will sit on the body of the Phoenix. As for boys, you will sit on the dragon. Don't worry, it's very tame." He assured them.
Slowly, Janice and Landy climbed onto the body of the Phoenix. Janice half expected the Phoenix to snap its beak towards them. But it merely gave a soft hoot that somehow gave Janice a bit of courage on what's coming ahead.
Before she knew it, the Phoenix had spread its huge wings and it began to fly. They were now off to Yap Ee Chian.
" Is that.... a castle?" Landy whispered, pointing at something in particular in the dark.
After staring into the dark for a few minutes, she finally understood what Landy meant. They were heading towards a castle.
" Yes, it is a castle, Landy" Janice whispered. The castle was the most beautiful building she had ever seen. It was perched on top on a hill, with lots of lights luminating the castle, giving it a very homely feel.
Thump. The Phoenix had landed clumsily, Landy and Janice climbed out from the Phoenix and they took a look around. Just as Janice was wondering when would the boys arrive, there was a loud roar behind them. The boys had arrived.
" So, how was the trip, Lawrence? Janice asked sweetly.
Lawrence climbed out from the dragon, his face rapidly turning into a brillant shade of green.
" Horrible, if you ask me. Jerky ride, you could say." He replied shakily. He had to be supported by Boon Kee and Chee Hao just to speak to Janice.
Janice was about to tell Lawrence how wonderful their trip was when the man who had leaded them just now shouted again." Follow me to the castle, first years!"
Straightening her robes, Landy and Janice began to follow that man to the castle. They were being led to some sort of basement where there was a witch in dark purple robes standing at the front door. The moment she saw the man, she replied, " All here, Eswaran?"