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Chapter 5 - Hogwarts, Express and All
On the first of September, Steven woke to a very rainy day. Once again, he went through his usual morning routine and joined his grandmother in the kitchen for breakfast. "We really are going to have to teach you how to apparate. I've been trying to figure out how to get you to King's Cross all morning."
Steven remained silent. This was a big day. Today he would be leaving his home for Hogwarts. 'King's Cross,' he thought to himself, 'must be a way to get to the school.'
After breakfast was over, Rosella made sure Steven had all of his things packed away properly and then called him to the fireplace. "I contacted Mr. and Mrs. Patil a moment ago, they said that they would be happy to help us get to the train. We'll be going to their house via Floo powder. You'll need to say 'Patil House.' I'll take care of your things and I'll be getting there differently."
The fire was burning brightly as Steven grabbed some powder, threw it into the flames, and stepped into the fireplace. "Patil House!" Steven yelled. He was painfully reminded to pull in his elbows as he scraped by a fireplace en route. He fell out of the Patil's fireplace and thought he was hallucinating; he was seeing doubles.
"Hi," said one of the figures, smiling. "I'm Parvati Patil."
"And I'm Padma Patil," the other said as the two helped him off of the floor.
"Our parents are waiting outside by the car with your grandmother," Parvati said.
"They said we should come get you," Padma continued.
"Are you ready to go?" the other twin asked.
Only managing a nod, the twins helped him find his way out of the house. Parked outside was a silver BMW. His grandmother was there to greet him with a smile, "I see you've met the Patil twins. Mind your manners did you?"
Always an advocate of Southern hospitality, Rosella made sure Steven acted the perfect gentleman in all public appearances. The six of them, Steven, Padma, Parvati, Rosella, Mr. Patil, and Mrs. Patil crowded into the BMW. The car turned out to be not as crowded as it seemed as it had been magically expanded to accommodate the Patil's guests.
During the ride through the British countryside, Steven sat drawing in everything. According to his Nana, Steven's parents, as well as most of the family, had grown up in and around London. How he and Rosella ended up in Alabama was a mystery to him, but he had never considered asking. Before he knew it, they had left the country and were surrounded by urban London.
As Steven's eyes were darting around, he heard giggling beside him from the Patil twins. Taking a glance, his suspicions were confirmed when he met their eyes. They immediately covered their eyes with their hands and giggled uncontrollably. Steven took no notice and placed his focus out the window once again and noticed that they had stopped.
The doors opened as Mr. Patil ushered the kids out of the back seat. "Come on now, Steven. Don't want to be late."
Steven looked at his watch and noticed that it was ten till eleven. "What time does the train leave, Mr. Patil?"
"Eleven o'clock sharp, Steven. It always leaves on time and it doesn't wait for stragglers," he said, with a fleeting smile, like he had learned this the hard way at one point in life.
The six of them unloaded the car and made their way into the train station. Steven had never been in an actual train station before. He had visited train stations that were now historical landmarks in the States, but never a working station. As he walked through the station, be began counting off the numbers ... 4, 5, 6... and then he noticed. "Nana, I don't understand..."
But she cut him off, "Don't worry, you will." So, they continued walking through the station and stopped halfway down platform nine.
Mr. Patil bowed jokingly with a smile to Rosella, "You first, dear."
"How about you first, Bart? Steven's never been on the platform before and I haven't explained it either," replied Rosella.
"Sure thing. Alright girls, remember what I said," and the Patils began to sprint across the platform. They ran straight into a wall and Steven averted his eyes at the last moment.
His grandmother grabbed his shoulder, "There now, understand?"
He opened his eyes and the Patils were gone, "Umm, no. Where did they go?"
"You didn't watch? Oh, what a shame. I should've told you. Alright. Platform nine and three quarters is located on the other side of that wall there, the one the Patils ran through. For your first time it's best to take it at a run."
'Through the wall?' Steven thought to himself. "Sure," he said. And the two took off across the platform, straight for the wall. As soon as he was about to hit, he closed his eyes and kept running. But sure enough, Nana was right and when they stopped and Steven opened his eyes he couldn't see King's Cross anymore. He did, however, see a very majestic train sitting right in front of him.
"Alright Steven, this is where I leave you. Good luck at Hogwarts and don't forget to write to me," Rosella said as she kissed his cheek and hugged him.
"Yes, Nana. I will," he responded as he hugged and kissed her good-bye. He loaded his things on the train and found an empty compartment on the train. Apparently, most of the kids would be arriving right on time.
But he wasn't alone for long. He was soon joined by Parvati and then Padma. "Thought we'd keep you company on the ride there."
Steven wasn't sure which twin said it, but the other one asked, "So, do you live in London?"
"Actually, no. I live in the United States."
This drew a quizzical look. "Then why are you going to Hogwarts?"
"Grandmother says that I'm still registered with the Europe Ministry."
The Patils lifted their eyebrows. "By any chance, what is your grandmother's name."
"Rosella, why?"
"Just wondering."
"We thought she looked familiar."
"And does she look familiar?" asked Steven.
"We'll tell you later."
"I suppose you'd like to watch the scenery again?" said the other twin.
"No, not really. I'd actually kinda like to catch up on all of this wizarding stuff that I've missed out on all these years. My grandmother didn't tell me until this summer."
And so, Steven and the Patil twins discussed the major high points in the recent history of magic and what it's like to grow up in a 'normal' wizarding family.
Chapter 5 - Hogwarts, Express and All
On the first of September, Steven woke to a very rainy day. Once again, he went through his usual morning routine and joined his grandmother in the kitchen for breakfast. "We really are going to have to teach you how to apparate. I've been trying to figure out how to get you to King's Cross all morning."
Steven remained silent. This was a big day. Today he would be leaving his home for Hogwarts. 'King's Cross,' he thought to himself, 'must be a way to get to the school.'
After breakfast was over, Rosella made sure Steven had all of his things packed away properly and then called him to the fireplace. "I contacted Mr. and Mrs. Patil a moment ago, they said that they would be happy to help us get to the train. We'll be going to their house via Floo powder. You'll need to say 'Patil House.' I'll take care of your things and I'll be getting there differently."
The fire was burning brightly as Steven grabbed some powder, threw it into the flames, and stepped into the fireplace. "Patil House!" Steven yelled. He was painfully reminded to pull in his elbows as he scraped by a fireplace en route. He fell out of the Patil's fireplace and thought he was hallucinating; he was seeing doubles.
"Hi," said one of the figures, smiling. "I'm Parvati Patil."
"And I'm Padma Patil," the other said as the two helped him off of the floor.
"Our parents are waiting outside by the car with your grandmother," Parvati said.
"They said we should come get you," Padma continued.
"Are you ready to go?" the other twin asked.
Only managing a nod, the twins helped him find his way out of the house. Parked outside was a silver BMW. His grandmother was there to greet him with a smile, "I see you've met the Patil twins. Mind your manners did you?"
Always an advocate of Southern hospitality, Rosella made sure Steven acted the perfect gentleman in all public appearances. The six of them, Steven, Padma, Parvati, Rosella, Mr. Patil, and Mrs. Patil crowded into the BMW. The car turned out to be not as crowded as it seemed as it had been magically expanded to accommodate the Patil's guests.
During the ride through the British countryside, Steven sat drawing in everything. According to his Nana, Steven's parents, as well as most of the family, had grown up in and around London. How he and Rosella ended up in Alabama was a mystery to him, but he had never considered asking. Before he knew it, they had left the country and were surrounded by urban London.
As Steven's eyes were darting around, he heard giggling beside him from the Patil twins. Taking a glance, his suspicions were confirmed when he met their eyes. They immediately covered their eyes with their hands and giggled uncontrollably. Steven took no notice and placed his focus out the window once again and noticed that they had stopped.
The doors opened as Mr. Patil ushered the kids out of the back seat. "Come on now, Steven. Don't want to be late."
Steven looked at his watch and noticed that it was ten till eleven. "What time does the train leave, Mr. Patil?"
"Eleven o'clock sharp, Steven. It always leaves on time and it doesn't wait for stragglers," he said, with a fleeting smile, like he had learned this the hard way at one point in life.
The six of them unloaded the car and made their way into the train station. Steven had never been in an actual train station before. He had visited train stations that were now historical landmarks in the States, but never a working station. As he walked through the station, be began counting off the numbers ... 4, 5, 6... and then he noticed. "Nana, I don't understand..."
But she cut him off, "Don't worry, you will." So, they continued walking through the station and stopped halfway down platform nine.
Mr. Patil bowed jokingly with a smile to Rosella, "You first, dear."
"How about you first, Bart? Steven's never been on the platform before and I haven't explained it either," replied Rosella.
"Sure thing. Alright girls, remember what I said," and the Patils began to sprint across the platform. They ran straight into a wall and Steven averted his eyes at the last moment.
His grandmother grabbed his shoulder, "There now, understand?"
He opened his eyes and the Patils were gone, "Umm, no. Where did they go?"
"You didn't watch? Oh, what a shame. I should've told you. Alright. Platform nine and three quarters is located on the other side of that wall there, the one the Patils ran through. For your first time it's best to take it at a run."
'Through the wall?' Steven thought to himself. "Sure," he said. And the two took off across the platform, straight for the wall. As soon as he was about to hit, he closed his eyes and kept running. But sure enough, Nana was right and when they stopped and Steven opened his eyes he couldn't see King's Cross anymore. He did, however, see a very majestic train sitting right in front of him.
"Alright Steven, this is where I leave you. Good luck at Hogwarts and don't forget to write to me," Rosella said as she kissed his cheek and hugged him.
"Yes, Nana. I will," he responded as he hugged and kissed her good-bye. He loaded his things on the train and found an empty compartment on the train. Apparently, most of the kids would be arriving right on time.
But he wasn't alone for long. He was soon joined by Parvati and then Padma. "Thought we'd keep you company on the ride there."
Steven wasn't sure which twin said it, but the other one asked, "So, do you live in London?"
"Actually, no. I live in the United States."
This drew a quizzical look. "Then why are you going to Hogwarts?"
"Grandmother says that I'm still registered with the Europe Ministry."
The Patils lifted their eyebrows. "By any chance, what is your grandmother's name."
"Rosella, why?"
"Just wondering."
"We thought she looked familiar."
"And does she look familiar?" asked Steven.
"We'll tell you later."
"I suppose you'd like to watch the scenery again?" said the other twin.
"No, not really. I'd actually kinda like to catch up on all of this wizarding stuff that I've missed out on all these years. My grandmother didn't tell me until this summer."
And so, Steven and the Patil twins discussed the major high points in the recent history of magic and what it's like to grow up in a 'normal' wizarding family.
