Chapter 4
The three of them arrived at King Cross station at 10 o'clock the next morning. Hagrid said, "Well girls, this is where I'll be leavin' yer'," Hagrid says. "I'll see yer' at the school later ter'day." He handed them each a ticket and took off just like that. The girls put their luggage on carts and looked at their tickets. "Platform 9 ¾'s?" Cara said questioning the accuracy of their tickets. "Well, it must be here somewhere," Jess said. They walked over to platform 9, then they moved down a bit and they saw platform 10. "What the fuck!" Jess said. "There is no platform 9 ¾'s. This is retarded!" "Need help?" a good- looking boy with a thick Irish accent asked from behind them. The two girls almost melted. "I notice you two have Hogwarts express tickets. You must be new since I've never seen either of you before. My name is Oliver Wood, but everyone just calls me Wood." He flashed them a toothy smile and Jess had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from squealing. "Hi," Cara replied. "I'm Cara and this is Jess." "H-hi," Jess said blushing a pale shade of red. "Americans, eh?" Wood asked. The girls nodded. "Umm... I don't want to sound dumb or anything, but where the hell is platform 9 ¾'s?" Jess asked. Wood smiled again and said, "Oh, well you see, you have to run through this wall right here."
Cara rolled her eyes. "You're kidding right?" Wood replied, "No. It's the honest truth." "Ugh this is ridiculous! She walked over to a nearby conductor, leaving Wood and Jess watching her, and asked, "Excuse me sir, but could you please tell me where platform 9 ¾'s is?" He rolled his eyes and said, "There isn't one. Smart mouth tourists, always trying to cause trouble..." he muttered as he walked away. Cara walked back over to Wood and Jess. "No use askin' muggles. They don't know it exists." Wood said when Cara returned. "I'll run through the barrier first if you don't believe me. Just follow me." He said, starting to run towards the wall. "Wait! What's a muggle?" Jess asked, but it was too late. He had disappeared through the barrier already.
The two girls stood there, mouths wide open. When they finally snapped out of it, Jess looked at Cara and said, "It's worth a try." Both girls ran towards the wall and went right through. They stood in front of a crimson and black train, with the words 'Hogwarts Express' written on it. "Last call for luggage!" they heard a voice holler. They brought their trunks to the man that yelled and boarded the train. They just made it. It was almost 11:00 and the train left at exactly 11. They found an empty compartment and settled in it. The train started to move and the snack tray came around. The girls bought some candy and talked about nothing particular for about 20 minutes before the compartment door burst open. It was Hermione. "I've been looking everywhere for you two!" she exclaimed. "Have you seen Harry or Ron around?" The girls shook their heads no and Hermione settled herself in with them. "Hmmm... I hope they didn't miss the train," Hermione said. The girls talked and laughed for about and hour.
Just then the compartment door swung open. "Well, if it isn't the Mudblood and the two filthy Americans." It was Draco. "Shove off Malfoy," Hermione muttered, trying to control her temper. Unfortunately, Cara didn't have that kind of self- control. She stood up walking towards Draco. "Get bent prick!" she said, getting in his face this time. "You know, I hear you American girls are pretty wild. Fancy a go?" he said, a cocky grin on his face. That was it! She was pissed. Cara raised one of her fists, with intention to punch Draco, right in the face, but Hermione and Jess grabbed her arms, and pulled her back. However, she did not go without a fight, trying to wriggle out of their grasp. Draco stood there laughing. "You'd better get lost Malfoy, before they let 'er go and she kicks your face in." It was Wood that said this. He had only been a few compartments away and had heard Cara yell at Draco. Draco looked at Wood and gave him a dirty look, but walked off none the less, muttering, "Stupid Gryffindor..."
Hermione thanked Wood and she and Jess let Cara go. "Are you insane! We haven't even gotten to school yet, and you're already getting into trouble!" Hermione exclaimed. Cara groaned. "I know," she said, "he just really pushed my buttons." Hermione smiled, "I almost wished you had punched him though. That would've been beyond funny." They all laughed, including Wood, who had sat himself down next to Jess. Cara noticed how Jess would glance over at Wood every once in awhile, lust in her eyes. She smiled at this. Suddenly, Jess spoke up. "Err, Hermione, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is a mudblood?" Hermione looked down at the floor. "It's a nasty name for someone with muggle parents," Wood said, noticing that Hermione obviously didn't want to explain. She looked up at him with an expression that said 'Thank you.' "Oh," Jess said, "Umm, what's a muggle?" She said. Both Cara and she had confused looks on their face. "It's a non-magic person," Wood explained.
"Sooo..." Cara said, trying to break the silence, "How exactly do we get placed into these umm houses?" Hermione perked up. She loved explaining things like this. "Well, you see, there's this thing called the sorting hat. They put it on your head and it reads your thoughts. Then it places you in a certain house." she said. "You'll probably be sorted with all the first years," Wood chimed in, glancing around the compartment, his eyes stopping on Jess. She noticed this and looked back at him. They both blushed and quickly looked away. The four continued talking for about three more hours. Wood glanced out the window and said, "We'll be there soon. Better go change into my uniform." He left the compartment, but not after taking one last glace at Jess. This time Hermione and Cara saw it and as soon as the door shut, they started to laugh uncontrollably, as Jess' face turned beet red. "Shut up you guys!" she said. The girls changed into their uniforms and soon after, the train came to a stop. They had arrived.
The three of them arrived at King Cross station at 10 o'clock the next morning. Hagrid said, "Well girls, this is where I'll be leavin' yer'," Hagrid says. "I'll see yer' at the school later ter'day." He handed them each a ticket and took off just like that. The girls put their luggage on carts and looked at their tickets. "Platform 9 ¾'s?" Cara said questioning the accuracy of their tickets. "Well, it must be here somewhere," Jess said. They walked over to platform 9, then they moved down a bit and they saw platform 10. "What the fuck!" Jess said. "There is no platform 9 ¾'s. This is retarded!" "Need help?" a good- looking boy with a thick Irish accent asked from behind them. The two girls almost melted. "I notice you two have Hogwarts express tickets. You must be new since I've never seen either of you before. My name is Oliver Wood, but everyone just calls me Wood." He flashed them a toothy smile and Jess had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from squealing. "Hi," Cara replied. "I'm Cara and this is Jess." "H-hi," Jess said blushing a pale shade of red. "Americans, eh?" Wood asked. The girls nodded. "Umm... I don't want to sound dumb or anything, but where the hell is platform 9 ¾'s?" Jess asked. Wood smiled again and said, "Oh, well you see, you have to run through this wall right here."
Cara rolled her eyes. "You're kidding right?" Wood replied, "No. It's the honest truth." "Ugh this is ridiculous! She walked over to a nearby conductor, leaving Wood and Jess watching her, and asked, "Excuse me sir, but could you please tell me where platform 9 ¾'s is?" He rolled his eyes and said, "There isn't one. Smart mouth tourists, always trying to cause trouble..." he muttered as he walked away. Cara walked back over to Wood and Jess. "No use askin' muggles. They don't know it exists." Wood said when Cara returned. "I'll run through the barrier first if you don't believe me. Just follow me." He said, starting to run towards the wall. "Wait! What's a muggle?" Jess asked, but it was too late. He had disappeared through the barrier already.
The two girls stood there, mouths wide open. When they finally snapped out of it, Jess looked at Cara and said, "It's worth a try." Both girls ran towards the wall and went right through. They stood in front of a crimson and black train, with the words 'Hogwarts Express' written on it. "Last call for luggage!" they heard a voice holler. They brought their trunks to the man that yelled and boarded the train. They just made it. It was almost 11:00 and the train left at exactly 11. They found an empty compartment and settled in it. The train started to move and the snack tray came around. The girls bought some candy and talked about nothing particular for about 20 minutes before the compartment door burst open. It was Hermione. "I've been looking everywhere for you two!" she exclaimed. "Have you seen Harry or Ron around?" The girls shook their heads no and Hermione settled herself in with them. "Hmmm... I hope they didn't miss the train," Hermione said. The girls talked and laughed for about and hour.
Just then the compartment door swung open. "Well, if it isn't the Mudblood and the two filthy Americans." It was Draco. "Shove off Malfoy," Hermione muttered, trying to control her temper. Unfortunately, Cara didn't have that kind of self- control. She stood up walking towards Draco. "Get bent prick!" she said, getting in his face this time. "You know, I hear you American girls are pretty wild. Fancy a go?" he said, a cocky grin on his face. That was it! She was pissed. Cara raised one of her fists, with intention to punch Draco, right in the face, but Hermione and Jess grabbed her arms, and pulled her back. However, she did not go without a fight, trying to wriggle out of their grasp. Draco stood there laughing. "You'd better get lost Malfoy, before they let 'er go and she kicks your face in." It was Wood that said this. He had only been a few compartments away and had heard Cara yell at Draco. Draco looked at Wood and gave him a dirty look, but walked off none the less, muttering, "Stupid Gryffindor..."
Hermione thanked Wood and she and Jess let Cara go. "Are you insane! We haven't even gotten to school yet, and you're already getting into trouble!" Hermione exclaimed. Cara groaned. "I know," she said, "he just really pushed my buttons." Hermione smiled, "I almost wished you had punched him though. That would've been beyond funny." They all laughed, including Wood, who had sat himself down next to Jess. Cara noticed how Jess would glance over at Wood every once in awhile, lust in her eyes. She smiled at this. Suddenly, Jess spoke up. "Err, Hermione, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is a mudblood?" Hermione looked down at the floor. "It's a nasty name for someone with muggle parents," Wood said, noticing that Hermione obviously didn't want to explain. She looked up at him with an expression that said 'Thank you.' "Oh," Jess said, "Umm, what's a muggle?" She said. Both Cara and she had confused looks on their face. "It's a non-magic person," Wood explained.
"Sooo..." Cara said, trying to break the silence, "How exactly do we get placed into these umm houses?" Hermione perked up. She loved explaining things like this. "Well, you see, there's this thing called the sorting hat. They put it on your head and it reads your thoughts. Then it places you in a certain house." she said. "You'll probably be sorted with all the first years," Wood chimed in, glancing around the compartment, his eyes stopping on Jess. She noticed this and looked back at him. They both blushed and quickly looked away. The four continued talking for about three more hours. Wood glanced out the window and said, "We'll be there soon. Better go change into my uniform." He left the compartment, but not after taking one last glace at Jess. This time Hermione and Cara saw it and as soon as the door shut, they started to laugh uncontrollably, as Jess' face turned beet red. "Shut up you guys!" she said. The girls changed into their uniforms and soon after, the train came to a stop. They had arrived.