Barry Potter - Chapter 13
Barry slowly began walking away from the car. Coren had rented a car for the occasion. It was, after all, the first time Barry would be meeting his twin brother. He shifted the shoulder strap of his suitcase nervously. McGonagall flashed him a reassuring smile, and he grinned weakly back.
He turned to wave good-bye one last time. Jenni was there, Mouse sitting in her arms as they waved back at Barry. Coren, of course, was there as well, smiling proudly after him. Barry wasn't sure why, but Coren had seemed a lot more fatherly in the past couple of weeks. He was going to miss them.
McGonagall and Barry walked quickly through the station. As the professor had said, it wasn't everyday that the Hogwarts Express pulled into town, so they had best not keep it waiting. Barry sidestepped a luggage cart and half-jogged a few steps to catch up with her. She now looked grim, and he no longer felt reassured. He knew she was thinking about the last few letters they had received from Hogwarts. It was enough to make anyone antsy. Well, anyone connected with the wizarding world.
They soon approached Platform 9. Barry paused, glancing around for 9 3/4. He was still having trouble grasping the concept of a hidden magical world, and he felt crazy looking for a platform that didn't seem to exist. His mouth dropped open, however, when he observed the professor casually approach a barrier and suddenly vanish through it. Trembling slightly, he imitated her, squeezing his eyes shut in expectation of smashing into the hard brick wall before him.
He kept walking, and soon opened his eyes. Confused, he whirled around. The barrier was gone. He was, he saw from the sign, at Platform 9 3/4. A small laugh escaped his lips, and he trotted happily after McGonagall, who had already boarded the huge scarlet train.
As they rode along, Minerva kept her eyes on the fields flashing by until she heard Barry sighing. Glancing at him, she saw that he had fallen asleep. She drew out a small, folded piece of parchment, smoothing it gently across her knee. It was the latest letter from Dumbledore. Her eyes lit on the words "accidents" and "knife fight" and "security problems" before settling on two sentences.
"I fear the school will be attacked by Lord Voldemort. Alden assures me that it won't be a problem, but I'm not so sure." Dumbledore had written in faltering green ink. A slight smirk slid across Minerva's face as she saw that the names "Lord Voldemort" and "Alden" had been printed side by side. Softly, she began humming a strange, menacing tune under her breath. It woke Barry, who glanced up at her.
"What song is that?" He had heard her sing it before, but could never figure out what it was.
She responded without looking up from the letter. "A song an old friend taught me. Well, he used to be a friend."
"Why don't you like her?"
"Who?" Minerva looked up at the boy with a frown.
Barry fiddled with his sleeve cuff, head tilted sideways as he studied the old teacher. "The girl in the letter. Whots'ername, the Dumbledore kid." Seeing her questioning glance, he added, "The last time you hummed that tune, it was because you were mad at her."
Minerva was quiet for a while, pulling her thoughts together. She didn't hate Alden. She was more afraid of the girl than anything. No, she didn't hate the child... she hated the child's father... hated him with her heart and soul for what he had done... "I wasn't mad at her. I was just... just upset about the curse."
"Oh," Barry now lapsed into his own thoughtful silence. The curse. That was always McGonagall's excuse for her anger. It was never at Alden, always at Alden's curse. He was still slightly unsure of what the curse really was, but he had come to recognize the tune that went along with its black and ancient words.
Not troubling himself with it, he allowed his thoughts to drift back to London, with Mouse and Coren... with Jenni...
At last! The final class of the day was over, and the 7th years all gave a whoop of delight. Laughing and chatting, they hurried back to their rooms, changing into dress-robes for the graduation celebration.
Barry felt himself being shaken awake. "We're here..." said Minerva softly.
Barry slowly began walking away from the car. Coren had rented a car for the occasion. It was, after all, the first time Barry would be meeting his twin brother. He shifted the shoulder strap of his suitcase nervously. McGonagall flashed him a reassuring smile, and he grinned weakly back.
He turned to wave good-bye one last time. Jenni was there, Mouse sitting in her arms as they waved back at Barry. Coren, of course, was there as well, smiling proudly after him. Barry wasn't sure why, but Coren had seemed a lot more fatherly in the past couple of weeks. He was going to miss them.
McGonagall and Barry walked quickly through the station. As the professor had said, it wasn't everyday that the Hogwarts Express pulled into town, so they had best not keep it waiting. Barry sidestepped a luggage cart and half-jogged a few steps to catch up with her. She now looked grim, and he no longer felt reassured. He knew she was thinking about the last few letters they had received from Hogwarts. It was enough to make anyone antsy. Well, anyone connected with the wizarding world.
They soon approached Platform 9. Barry paused, glancing around for 9 3/4. He was still having trouble grasping the concept of a hidden magical world, and he felt crazy looking for a platform that didn't seem to exist. His mouth dropped open, however, when he observed the professor casually approach a barrier and suddenly vanish through it. Trembling slightly, he imitated her, squeezing his eyes shut in expectation of smashing into the hard brick wall before him.
He kept walking, and soon opened his eyes. Confused, he whirled around. The barrier was gone. He was, he saw from the sign, at Platform 9 3/4. A small laugh escaped his lips, and he trotted happily after McGonagall, who had already boarded the huge scarlet train.
As they rode along, Minerva kept her eyes on the fields flashing by until she heard Barry sighing. Glancing at him, she saw that he had fallen asleep. She drew out a small, folded piece of parchment, smoothing it gently across her knee. It was the latest letter from Dumbledore. Her eyes lit on the words "accidents" and "knife fight" and "security problems" before settling on two sentences.
"I fear the school will be attacked by Lord Voldemort. Alden assures me that it won't be a problem, but I'm not so sure." Dumbledore had written in faltering green ink. A slight smirk slid across Minerva's face as she saw that the names "Lord Voldemort" and "Alden" had been printed side by side. Softly, she began humming a strange, menacing tune under her breath. It woke Barry, who glanced up at her.
"What song is that?" He had heard her sing it before, but could never figure out what it was.
She responded without looking up from the letter. "A song an old friend taught me. Well, he used to be a friend."
"Why don't you like her?"
"Who?" Minerva looked up at the boy with a frown.
Barry fiddled with his sleeve cuff, head tilted sideways as he studied the old teacher. "The girl in the letter. Whots'ername, the Dumbledore kid." Seeing her questioning glance, he added, "The last time you hummed that tune, it was because you were mad at her."
Minerva was quiet for a while, pulling her thoughts together. She didn't hate Alden. She was more afraid of the girl than anything. No, she didn't hate the child... she hated the child's father... hated him with her heart and soul for what he had done... "I wasn't mad at her. I was just... just upset about the curse."
"Oh," Barry now lapsed into his own thoughtful silence. The curse. That was always McGonagall's excuse for her anger. It was never at Alden, always at Alden's curse. He was still slightly unsure of what the curse really was, but he had come to recognize the tune that went along with its black and ancient words.
Not troubling himself with it, he allowed his thoughts to drift back to London, with Mouse and Coren... with Jenni...
At last! The final class of the day was over, and the 7th years all gave a whoop of delight. Laughing and chatting, they hurried back to their rooms, changing into dress-robes for the graduation celebration.
Barry felt himself being shaken awake. "We're here..." said Minerva softly.
