The Car and the Platform
Her arrival at the train station on the first of September was made a bit confusing by the platform number on the ticket that Professor Dumbledore had sent Dobby back to her with. The car that the headmistress of the orphanage had sent her in had been one of the best cars she'd ever ridden in, yet it was nothing fancy. Headmistress Oryan had spent what little extra money she'd saved to bring the girl safely to the train station, knowing that Penny had some potential, how much, she was only hopeful. Once there, Penny was on her own.
Penny walked down the platforms slowly, gazing at each number carefully. The numbers increased in whole numbers. As she walked along she passed number three, number four, five, and so on, until she came to number eight. The number on her ticket said 9 and 3/4. She looked at number eight, then nine, and walked a little further until she was between platforms nine and ten. With a frown, she saw that there was no nine and three quarters. Was she at the right station? She looked over the ticket, and sure enough the name on the ticket was the same as the bold lettering that was plastered all over the station. She was at the right spot.
So, how was she to get onto the platform for the school train? She turned around and saw approaching the spot where she stood a family of redheads pushing multiple trolleys. She blinked...yes, trolleys bearing owl cages, and trunks much like the one she'd had to buy. She sighed happily.. She was sure that they could help her.. She looked over the group as they approached, and among them was one boy who looked different. He had black hair that was very messy, and big round glasses.
Just as they stopped, another person pushing a trolley bumped into her, and she started, looking up at them as she nearly fell, having to grasp the trunk on her pushcart to keep herself from falling over "Excuse me" she said quietly, and saw with relief that the person who had bumped into her was a chocolaty haired girl of approximately the same age. She looked just like any other person, but the cart she pushed contained those contents similar to those on the trolleys of the larger group she'd bumped into.
The girl turned to look at her with an "Oh my goodness!" surprised look, and sized her up silently before speaking "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, and you are?" she asked, with a snotty sound to her voice. Penny decided right away that she didn't like her, but she had to get onto the Hogwarts' train. "I'm Penny, just Penny" she replied, "um, can I ask you, how do I get onto Platform 9 and 3/4? I cant' seem to find it" she bit her lip, and waited glancing at the other group, who were now watching her and Hermione.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, as if the request was the last thing she had expected. "Oh, going to Hogwarts are you? Well, what you do is you see that column there, you walk right through it. You should run if you are nervous.." she said, looking slightly different, as if her attitude had changed in just a few seconds.
Not really wanting to be late, as she was sure she was getting close to being, she followed Hermione's instructions, and ran toward the brick-stone column. As she felt like she should hit it, she saw the trolley fade into the stone, quickly enveloping her along with it. As she felt the stone close around her, she went through into what appeared to be another train station, and above her on a large hanging sign was painted "Platform 9 and 3/4.
Her arrival at the train station on the first of September was made a bit confusing by the platform number on the ticket that Professor Dumbledore had sent Dobby back to her with. The car that the headmistress of the orphanage had sent her in had been one of the best cars she'd ever ridden in, yet it was nothing fancy. Headmistress Oryan had spent what little extra money she'd saved to bring the girl safely to the train station, knowing that Penny had some potential, how much, she was only hopeful. Once there, Penny was on her own.
Penny walked down the platforms slowly, gazing at each number carefully. The numbers increased in whole numbers. As she walked along she passed number three, number four, five, and so on, until she came to number eight. The number on her ticket said 9 and 3/4. She looked at number eight, then nine, and walked a little further until she was between platforms nine and ten. With a frown, she saw that there was no nine and three quarters. Was she at the right station? She looked over the ticket, and sure enough the name on the ticket was the same as the bold lettering that was plastered all over the station. She was at the right spot.
So, how was she to get onto the platform for the school train? She turned around and saw approaching the spot where she stood a family of redheads pushing multiple trolleys. She blinked...yes, trolleys bearing owl cages, and trunks much like the one she'd had to buy. She sighed happily.. She was sure that they could help her.. She looked over the group as they approached, and among them was one boy who looked different. He had black hair that was very messy, and big round glasses.
Just as they stopped, another person pushing a trolley bumped into her, and she started, looking up at them as she nearly fell, having to grasp the trunk on her pushcart to keep herself from falling over "Excuse me" she said quietly, and saw with relief that the person who had bumped into her was a chocolaty haired girl of approximately the same age. She looked just like any other person, but the cart she pushed contained those contents similar to those on the trolleys of the larger group she'd bumped into.
The girl turned to look at her with an "Oh my goodness!" surprised look, and sized her up silently before speaking "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, and you are?" she asked, with a snotty sound to her voice. Penny decided right away that she didn't like her, but she had to get onto the Hogwarts' train. "I'm Penny, just Penny" she replied, "um, can I ask you, how do I get onto Platform 9 and 3/4? I cant' seem to find it" she bit her lip, and waited glancing at the other group, who were now watching her and Hermione.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, as if the request was the last thing she had expected. "Oh, going to Hogwarts are you? Well, what you do is you see that column there, you walk right through it. You should run if you are nervous.." she said, looking slightly different, as if her attitude had changed in just a few seconds.
Not really wanting to be late, as she was sure she was getting close to being, she followed Hermione's instructions, and ran toward the brick-stone column. As she felt like she should hit it, she saw the trolley fade into the stone, quickly enveloping her along with it. As she felt the stone close around her, she went through into what appeared to be another train station, and above her on a large hanging sign was painted "Platform 9 and 3/4.