Chapter Three
A loud crack sounded and Haylin and Mr Crouch were at Kings Cross station. No one seemed to notice their abrupt arrival.
"Haylin do you have your ticket?" Mr Crouch asked, glancing at his watch. Haylin reached into her pocket and pulled out her ticket, and waved it in Mr Crouch's face.
"Yes I have my ticket," she said, putting it back into her pocket.
Haylin was not yet wearing her robes. Instead she was wearing jeans and a black singlet top.
"Good, good," Mr Crouch said, "I have to be off now, Haylin, I have a meeting. Will you be alright finding the platform by yourself?
"Yes, I'll be fine," Haylin sighed, "You go off to your meeting.
With a small wave and a loud CRACK, Mr. Crouch disappeared.
Haylin pushed her cart of luggage toward the area between platforms 9 and 10. She saw a group of people, the majority of which had red hair (besides one who had black hair).
"Excuse me," she said as politely and loudly as she could. Almost everyone jumped and turned around to see who had spoken.
"Would you mind telling me how to find platform 9 and ¾?"
One of the red heads, a plump woman, smiled at her.
"Of course dear," she said happily. "Just walk through that wall there," she pointed to the wall between platforms 9 and 10.
Haylin stared at the woman incredulously.
"I'm sorry what?" she asked. The woman only smiled.
"Just watch Percy go though and you'll understand. Off you go Percy," the woman said.
The tallest boy, Percy, stepped forward and, pushing his luggage cart, ran at the brick wall. Percy didn't crash. Instead he went right through the wall and disappeared. Haylin looked around and realised no body but them had seen Percy vanish.
"Come on dear, you go next, you only have five minutes any way."
Haylin glanced at her watch and realised the woman was right she did only have five minutes left to get on the train. She wheeled her luggage cart around to face the wall and ran as fast as she could straight at it. She still expected to crash but she didn't. She too went right through the wall and came out the other side.
Platform 9 and ¾.
Witches and Wizards bustled around giving their luggage to men on the train, climbing into the train carriages and waving goodbye to their parents. Behind her more of the red headed children had appeared and most of them went past her except for one.
"Hi," he said smiling at her. "I'm Ron."
Haylin smiled back at him. "Hi," she said back to him, "My name's Haylin." They shook hands and made their way towards the train. Two wizards wearing red uniforms came over to them and took their luggage off them and waited for the children to move.
"What are they waiting for?" Haylin whispered to Ron.
"When you go onto the train they'll follow you and carry your stuff for you until you find a carriage, but…" Ron trailed off with a slightly confused expression on his face.
"But what?" Haylin pressed
"These guys only carry luggage for important people and, I don't know about you, but I'm not important." Ron blushed as he said this last bit.
"Well I'm officially confused. Let us make the most of this situation by actually putting these good men to work. Come on Ron, to the train!" Haylin cried and ran towards the train, Ron following her and the men carrying their luggage following him.
As they got onto the train the whistle blew and the train began to move.
"Let's find a compartment shall we?" Haylin suggested, smiling at both Ron and the luggage carriers. They finally found a compartment that had only one person in it (unlike everywhere else which had at least two people). The person already in this compartment was the black haired boy that Haylin had seen with Ron and his family.
"Do you mind?" Ron asked, nervously, "Everywhere else is full," The boy smiled and gestured for the two of them to sit down. Haylin and Ron placed their luggage in the overhead shelf and sent the luggage carriers away. Haylin let Blayd out of her cage and Ron sat down.
Haylin turned to the black haired boy, smiled and extended her hand. "Hi, my name is Haylin," she said.
The boy shook his hair out if his eyes and extended his hand, "I'm Harry,"
Haylin smiled warmly, "Nice to meet you." As she turned around she saw a blur of white and realised Blayd had ran out of the compartment.
"Do you two mind looking after my bags? I have to go and catch my cat."
The boys nodded and Haylin rushed out of the compartment. She saw another blur of white disappear into another compartment and ran towards it.
She burst into the compartment. "Have you seen my –" she stopped, seeing Blayd in the lap of a blonde boy about her age. "…Cat," she finished.
The boy looked up, "Oh this is your cat?" he asked, now smirking.
"Yes, could I have her back please?" Haylin said. She made eye contact with Blayd.
What are you doing? Haylin asked her.
I thought you should meet this boy, the cat replied. It felt to Haylin as if Blayd were giving her one of those I-know-something-you-don't looks. Suddenly another voice entered the conversation although it didn't appear that Blayd could understand or hear it.
You, girl! Can you hear me? The new voice said.
Yes, Haylin said, or was she thinking?
Can you tell Draco to let me out? My wings need a stretch and I'm hungry. Please get him to let me out. The new voice now pleaded. Haylin realised that this new voice was the eagle owl I the cage on the overhead shelf.
She turned to the blonde boy holding Blayd.
"Draco," she started, the blonde boy's eyes widened for a moment. "You should let your owl out of his cage. He's hungry and he needs to stretch his wings."
The blonde boy, Draco, sat completely still for a moment, staring at Haylin. Then slowly he stood up, letting Blayd slide to the ground and run to Haylin. He unlocked the cage that held his owl who hooted gratefully and winked at Haylin.
"Lovely," Haylin said.
oOoOoOoOo
Just as Draco and his friends, Crabbe and Goyle, had sat down in their compartment, a white cat leapt into his lap.
"What the–" he started, staring at the cat. It started purring, curled up and appeared to go to sleep.
Suddenly a girl burst into the compartment. Her face flushed and breaths deep as though she had been running. She had sleek black hair that reached her waist.
Merlin, that girl is beautiful, he thought to himself.
"Have you seen my –" she started, then, looking at the cat in Draco's lap, drifted off. "…Cat," she finished quietly.
Draco quickly regained his composure and was sure no body had noticed his momentary lapse in concentration.
"Oh this is your cat?" he asked, managing to smirk.
"Yes, could I have her back please?" the girl asked with a small flash of frustration in her eyes.
Draco just continued to smirk but the girl seemed to take no notice. She appeared to be focusing on his luggage above him. After a while she spoke again.
"Draco," she started, Draco's eyes widened.
How did she know my name? He thought to himself then once again managed to regain his composure.
"You should let your owl out of his cage. He's hungry and he needs to stretch his wings," the girl continued.
Draco just sat there for a while trying to soak in what he had just heard.
How could she know what my owl wants? He thought. After a while Draco slowly stood. He felt the cat slide to the floor. He reached up and unlocked the cage that held his owl.
"Lovely," the girl said.
oOoOoOoOo
Haylin picked Blayd up off the floor and spun on her heel to leave the compartment.
"Wait," Draco called.
Haylin turned around with an eyebrow raised in question.
"How did you know my name?" he asked as his eagle owl flew out the window he had just opened.
Haylin smiled.
"He told me," she said nodding her head to indicate his owl that was now flying along side the train.
"How?" Draco asked with a slightly confused look on his face. Haylin tapped the side of her nose to indicate she wasn't going to tell him and, once again, turned on her heel to leave.
"Wait," Draco called again.
With an exasperated sigh, Haylin turned around to face him again.
"Will you tell me your name?" he asked.
Haylin considered this for a moment and Blayd started purring in her arms.
"My name is Haylin," she said and walked out of the compartment.
