Chapter 4 - The Hogwarts Express
The morning or September 1st Hazel put on the best clothes that she could find in her closet, a red shirt with a dragon flying across it and a pain of jeans. It was better than the Stonewall High grey uniforms that she would have had to wear if she wasn't going to Hogwarts - that was for sure.
Mary, thankfully, hadn't made a breakfast quite as large as the last one she had made and they managed to eat it all for breakfast. But, even so, they were still as full as they could get without exploding when they were finished with the breakfast.
As they piled into the car Hazel noticed that the people down the road in number 4 Privet Drive were getting into a car as well, and they loaded in a trunk and an empty cage that looked like the owl cages she had seen in Diagon Alley, but it must have been coincidence because the inhabitants of number 4 were the most obnoxious people that could ever have walked the planet. Maybe they were going to a trip, but she couldn't see where they could go with that fat boy in their car. He seemed to take up most of the back seat in the car and even so, he seemed to need MORE room. Hazel shook her head as she watched. How someone could eat that much was a mystery to her.
As they drove on Hazel began to notice that Hedwig, the beautiful snowy white owl, was following the car that the fat kid had gotten into. She was flying perfectly with the car and turned exactly with the car. She thought this was odd, but tucked that matter into the back of her mind for later, along with the millions of other questions, ideas, and things in her mind. Her mind was either
Before she knew it, they were at King's Cross Station. As she pulled out her ticket she remembered her problem. How was it possible to get on Platform 9 ¾? It didn't exist, did it?
One of the people that worked at the train station, a trolley boy, shoved a cart in her face and stalked off.
Mary and John hugged her warmly. As John looked at his watch he gasped.
"We have to go honey." He said. "Have a good time at Hogwarts and send us letters, alright?" Then they dashed off to get into the car before they were late for something leaving Hazel stranded in the train station.
Lost. Hazel thought bitterly. I'm Lost.
She began pushing her cart around looking for platforms nine or ten, because 9 ¾ should be somewhere near the middle of the two.
The station was packed with people getting on trains. There was a line for the train to France, and many men were looking at tickets and dashing about trying to find their train. She even saw some people running on the tops of trains, their hats clapped to their heads, and trying desperately to find the correct train. There was thick smog in the air from all of the trains that had come and gone, and not to mention all of the people that were smoking.
Hazel fished her grey bucket hat out of her trunk, before snapping it closed, and rolled her hair up into it so she wouldn't be starred at for her hair.
She looked up and saw Hedwig the owl soaring over her head. She wondered why Hedwig was here, and she wondered whether Hedwig could help her. Maybe.
"Hedwig!" She cooed to the owl, catching her attention. She dug into her pockets and pulled out a packet of owl treats that she had gotten at Diagon Alley. Hedwig soared down to her at once, begging for a treat.
"Hold on," Hazel said, snatching up the owl treats. "You show me how to get onto Platform 9 ¾ then I give you the whole packet. Deal?" The owl hooted in response and began to fly towards Platform 10.
Hazel was now sprinting, with some difficulty due to the fact she was dragging her cart behind her, to keep up with the owl. Hedwig seemed to know her way around here now, because she flew expertly the whole time. Hazel looked down at her feet for a second and when she looked up Hedwig was gone.
Hazel looked up and left and right and about everywhere she could while staying in the same spot.
"Well, she can't have vanished through the wall." Hazel said sarcastically. She sat down on a bench feeling a little discouraged.
Eyes now stinging from the smog floating like clouds around the station, Hazel blinked the tears out of her eyes and snatched her sunglasses from her pocket and slipped them on. They protected her eyes from some of the smog, but not all of it.
Hazel looked desperately at her watch. It was 10:57 and if she didn't figure out how to get on the train soon, she would miss it, and miss her chance to learn more magic, and to find out about her past, to find out about her parents. To find out about who she really was.
"Come along Ronald." Said a motherly voice. Hazel jumped. "You first."
"Aw, Mum! Don't be a spoil sport! Let the really-" a red-haired boy began.
"Extremely-" another boy said. He looked exactly like the first.
"Super-"
"Um, duper-"
"Superstar go first!"
"Why would I do that, Fred?" The mother-like figure asked.
"Because, he's Harry Potter."
The morning or September 1st Hazel put on the best clothes that she could find in her closet, a red shirt with a dragon flying across it and a pain of jeans. It was better than the Stonewall High grey uniforms that she would have had to wear if she wasn't going to Hogwarts - that was for sure.
Mary, thankfully, hadn't made a breakfast quite as large as the last one she had made and they managed to eat it all for breakfast. But, even so, they were still as full as they could get without exploding when they were finished with the breakfast.
As they piled into the car Hazel noticed that the people down the road in number 4 Privet Drive were getting into a car as well, and they loaded in a trunk and an empty cage that looked like the owl cages she had seen in Diagon Alley, but it must have been coincidence because the inhabitants of number 4 were the most obnoxious people that could ever have walked the planet. Maybe they were going to a trip, but she couldn't see where they could go with that fat boy in their car. He seemed to take up most of the back seat in the car and even so, he seemed to need MORE room. Hazel shook her head as she watched. How someone could eat that much was a mystery to her.
As they drove on Hazel began to notice that Hedwig, the beautiful snowy white owl, was following the car that the fat kid had gotten into. She was flying perfectly with the car and turned exactly with the car. She thought this was odd, but tucked that matter into the back of her mind for later, along with the millions of other questions, ideas, and things in her mind. Her mind was either
Before she knew it, they were at King's Cross Station. As she pulled out her ticket she remembered her problem. How was it possible to get on Platform 9 ¾? It didn't exist, did it?
One of the people that worked at the train station, a trolley boy, shoved a cart in her face and stalked off.
Mary and John hugged her warmly. As John looked at his watch he gasped.
"We have to go honey." He said. "Have a good time at Hogwarts and send us letters, alright?" Then they dashed off to get into the car before they were late for something leaving Hazel stranded in the train station.
Lost. Hazel thought bitterly. I'm Lost.
She began pushing her cart around looking for platforms nine or ten, because 9 ¾ should be somewhere near the middle of the two.
The station was packed with people getting on trains. There was a line for the train to France, and many men were looking at tickets and dashing about trying to find their train. She even saw some people running on the tops of trains, their hats clapped to their heads, and trying desperately to find the correct train. There was thick smog in the air from all of the trains that had come and gone, and not to mention all of the people that were smoking.
Hazel fished her grey bucket hat out of her trunk, before snapping it closed, and rolled her hair up into it so she wouldn't be starred at for her hair.
She looked up and saw Hedwig the owl soaring over her head. She wondered why Hedwig was here, and she wondered whether Hedwig could help her. Maybe.
"Hedwig!" She cooed to the owl, catching her attention. She dug into her pockets and pulled out a packet of owl treats that she had gotten at Diagon Alley. Hedwig soared down to her at once, begging for a treat.
"Hold on," Hazel said, snatching up the owl treats. "You show me how to get onto Platform 9 ¾ then I give you the whole packet. Deal?" The owl hooted in response and began to fly towards Platform 10.
Hazel was now sprinting, with some difficulty due to the fact she was dragging her cart behind her, to keep up with the owl. Hedwig seemed to know her way around here now, because she flew expertly the whole time. Hazel looked down at her feet for a second and when she looked up Hedwig was gone.
Hazel looked up and left and right and about everywhere she could while staying in the same spot.
"Well, she can't have vanished through the wall." Hazel said sarcastically. She sat down on a bench feeling a little discouraged.
Eyes now stinging from the smog floating like clouds around the station, Hazel blinked the tears out of her eyes and snatched her sunglasses from her pocket and slipped them on. They protected her eyes from some of the smog, but not all of it.
Hazel looked desperately at her watch. It was 10:57 and if she didn't figure out how to get on the train soon, she would miss it, and miss her chance to learn more magic, and to find out about her past, to find out about her parents. To find out about who she really was.
"Come along Ronald." Said a motherly voice. Hazel jumped. "You first."
"Aw, Mum! Don't be a spoil sport! Let the really-" a red-haired boy began.
"Extremely-" another boy said. He looked exactly like the first.
"Super-"
"Um, duper-"
"Superstar go first!"
"Why would I do that, Fred?" The mother-like figure asked.
"Because, he's Harry Potter."