Chapter 6: The Prince

The train station was bustling. Daelin and his father had to fight to get through the crowded station. Daelin kept looking at the platform signs and reading them off,

"Platform 8… Platform 9… Platform 10…" Daelin replied, halting between the two platforms, "Great… we must be missing something."

"I guess I was wrong…" Daelin's father said. Both of them looked around, searching for someone to ask, and finally they spotted an officer. Daelin rushed up to him,

"Excuse me sir, but do you know where … umm," hesitated Daelin, unsure if he should continue or not, "… platform nine and three quarters is?"

The officer just stared at him, "Platform what? Platforms only come in whole numbers son…"

Dealin was about to explain that he knew that, but he still needed to know where the platform was but his father cut in,

"Do you know about the train that leaves at eleven o'clock?" He asked. The officer turned his questioning glance to him,

"There isn't a train that leaves at eleven o'clock… are you sure you've got the right day… or location?" The officer asked, not waiting for a response before turning and leaving.

"Well… that was rude of him…" murmured Daelin's father, downcast. Daelin looked around desperately; he was running out of time. The two of them looked around, but there was no one else that looked like they were witches or wizards. Frustrated, Daelin kicked the nearest wall, which just happened by luck to be the barrier between the stations. Unfortunately however, Daelin kicked a bit too hard, so when his foot magically passed through the barrier without resistance, his whole body followed.

"Oww!" Cried a voice as Daelin tumbled through, landing on something soft. Quickly Daelin realized that the something was actually someone; a very pretty girl with black hair and emerald-green eyes and cinnamon skin. Daelin blushed and jumped up immediately,

"Umm… err… ah…" Daelin stuttered, finally offering a hand, but she had already picked herself up,

"Oww… that hurt, what did you have to do that for?" She said, rubbing her shoulder that she must've landed on.

"Sorry…" he murmured in reply, "… didn't mean to do that…"

She seemed like she was going to reply, but another girl called out "Elizabeth!" from behind her, and waved for her to come. It was then that Daelin first saw the Hogwarts Express; a magnificent scarlet steam engine that people were packing onto. Elizabeth waved back,

"Coming!" She called, turning to Daelin, "You should watch where you're going." Was the last thing she said to him before turning and walking her cart to the other girl.

"Wow!" A voice said from behind him. Daelin turned to see his father pushing the cart through the barrier. He was looking at the Hogwarts Express with a face of awe.

"I thought I'd lost you, one moment you were there and then you disappeared… took me a while to figure out you disappeared at the barrier so the entrance must be there…" His father explained, and then nodded towards Elizabeth, "A new friend?"

"Mm… I don't think we're quite friends, I kinda knocked her over…" Daelin replied. Taking the cart from his father and pushing it towards the train. There were all sorts of noises, people talking, owls hooting, cats meowing, the steam hissing from the engine of the train, and even more besides that.

"Daelin! Hey Daelin!" called a voice over the low collection of noises. A head of blond hair could be seen fighting its way through the crowd….

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Author's Note:

Disclaimer: All ideas and names from the Harry Potter Series are not mine, but J.K. Rowling's. Anything familiar from those Series are not mine, but the rest are mine, and only mine.

Sorry for the hiatus of not updating, however, this whole week has been really busy for me and I haven't been able to work on any chapters thus far (My brother proposing and whatnot). Therefore I'm taking this week off and will update on Monday. Here is a teaser for chapter 6, when Daelin finally gets on the train! I will make this chapter cover a lot to make up for my absence. Thanks again for all who read and review!

Onihawk