Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. Instead, he began to pack while Rohini snored loudly. Hedwig opened one eye, hooted, and closed it again. He felt like his stomach was knotted somehow. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so nervous. It felt like it was just yesterday that Hagrid had saved them from the Dursleys.
"Don't eat that, Thranduil…" Rohini mumbled in her sleep, and the cat meowed at his name's mention. Harry began to pace in the room before pulling on his jeans and the t shirt he had been wearing yesterday. He didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes for they might caught too much's attention. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, and decided to wait downstairs. He was welcomed by Tom who was cleaning a table next to the door. Harry was too nervous to eat and decided to wait for Rohini to get down. Two hours later, she was still asleep and Harry decided it was time to wake her up.
"Get off Harry, it's your turn to cook…" Rohini grunted and Harry pulled her blanket away. "Hey!"
"Hurry up!" Harry said, "It's today!"
"Today wha-"Rohini began before realisation hit her. She jumped out of her bed with a bright smile and chased Harry from their room so she could get dressed. She joined him downstairs five minutes later, wearing her ragged jeans and an ugly pink cardigan. If Harry barely ate, it wasn't the case of his twin who even finished his own plate. However, they soon realised there will be a slight problem; how were they going to carry their heavy trunks and the two cages to King Cross Station?
"Maybe Tom has a cart or two we can borrow?" Rohini suggested. As they get back downstairs, a pleasant surprise was waiting for them.
"Hagrid!" They shouted in unison as the giant waved at them. "Why are you here?"
"I thought yeh might need some help to get to the station." He said, looking around. "Where are yer stuffs?"
"Actually…" Rohini began before explaining their problem. Hagrid followed them into the room, and picked up the two trunks as if they weighted nothing. The twins' jaws dropped opened as they were once again amazed by Hagrid.
"Come on', we can't be late!" He said. "Grab yer cages, and let's go!"
Thranduil hissed and spat as he was put inside the cage and Hedwig looked mildly bothered by the sudden movement. Saying goodbye to Tom, the trio finally left the Leaky Cauldron.
They reached King's Cross at half past ten. People were gawking at them, laden and strange as they were with all their packages, the snowy owl asleep in its cage and the angry cat trying to bite Rohini's fingers. Rohini looked a bit pale, either because of the crowd or the fact she ate too much, Harry couldn't tell. They charged their trunks and cages on two carts and as they walked towards the Platform, Hagrid apologised for he had to leave now.
"I'm needed at Hogwarts, sorry. Now, uh, your train leaves in 10 minutes. Yeh have your tickets, right? Stick to it, that's very important. Stick to yer ticket."
"Hagrid?" Rohini said, looking at the different platforms. "I can't see Platform 9 ¾." But as she glanced behind, she realised with that Hagrid had simply vanished and they were now alone.
"We should probably ask for help." Harry said, feeling the knot in his stomach tightened a bit. "Here!" He said, pointing at a man in uniform. They wheeled their carts towards him and asked where the train that drove to Hogwarts was. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed. Getting desperate, Rohini asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. Left alone, the twins exchanged a worried glance; according to the large clock over the arrivals board, the train will leave in 6 minutes now, and they still haven't found the platform.
At that moment a family passed just behind and the twins felt some hope when the mother mentioned "Muggles".
The twins swung their carts and went after them. A plump woman was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk and some had owls in cages. They suddenly stopped and so did they, just near enough to hear what they were saying.
"Now, what's the platform number again?" The youngest boy asked. He was around their size and was probably a first year too.
"Nine and three-quarters!" piped his sister, also red-headed, holding her mother's hand. "Mum, can't I go…"
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. The Potters watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it—and suddenly, the boy vanished into the wall.
"Woah!" Rohini said, jumping from the shock. "I didn't expect that!"
"Fred, you next," the plump woman said, pointing at twins.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin followed right after and they both disappeared at the same spot as Percy.
"Excuse me! C-could you tell me how to-"Harry began but was cut by the chubby woman.
"How to get on the platform? Yes, not to worry, dear. It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well." She said, pointing at the youngest boy who gave them a shy smile. "Now, all you've got to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous."
"We… need to run into the wall?" Rohini said before laughing nervously. "Ok…"
"Good luck." The daughter said, giving them a friendly smile.
"I can go first if you want?" Harry suggested but Rohini shook her head. "After you, then."
Rohini took a deep breath and oriented her trolley toward the barrier. It looked very solid and she hoped it will function properly. Finally, she began to run and closed her eyes, ready for the impact. She was going to smash right into that barrier and then be in trouble and-
-And the impact never came. Rohini risked to open an eye… and froze.
The station was magnificent and filled with wizards of all age. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform and a sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Rohini sighed in relief; they have done it. Harry emerged by her side and seemed just as amazed as she was. They smiled at each other.
"We've done it." Harry said and Rohini nodded for she felt too emotional to speak.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Thranduil hissed in distress, obviously disliking the sudden agitation.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat, followed by Rohini who grimaced when she recognised the rude boy from Diagon Alley, a few steps away; he was standing next to a tall man and a beautiful woman, probably his parents.
A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.
"Give us a look, Lee, go on." A girl said and Rohini stopped, stepping on her tip toes to see what it was all about. The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg. Harry pressed her through the crowd until they found an empty comportment near the end of the train.
The comportment was quite welcoming, and looked like a fancy train that travelled through Europe, Rohini thought as she remembered Aunt Petunia watching a documentary about it.
Harry sat down next to the window and Rohini took place in front of him. The train began to move and the twins couldn't help the large grin on their face as they watched families disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window, followed by fields filled with cows. The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.
"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, "Everywhere else is full."
"No, not at all." The twins said in unison and the boy smiled before sitting next to Rohini.
"I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley." He introduced himself, offering his hand that Harry shook. "I have twin brothers, too." He said and Rohini remembered the two mischievous boys from earlier.
"Fred and George, right?" She asked, "I'm Rohini by the way and he's Harry."
"Harry Potter." Harry said and Ron gasped.
"Wicked! And have you really got—you know…" He pointed at Harry's forehead. Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. "Wow…" said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments before turning to Rohini. "Do you also have one?" He asked.
"Yeah, it's shaped like a heart" Rohini said before shaking her head. "Nah, it's a lie. I'm the normal twin." She teased and Harry rolled his eyes. Ron seemed to relax and they sat in a quiet silence for a few minutes while looking by the window.
Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?" Rohini was almost drooling as she saw all the different kind of unknown candies filling the trolley. Harry, who hadn't eaten much for breakfast, leapt to his feet to take a look. He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many as he could.
"No, thanks, I'm all set." Ron said gloomily while holding up a plastic bag filled with mushed sandwiches.
"We'll take the lot!" Harry said, pulling out coins from his pockets. Ron gasped and Rohini smiled.
Xxx
Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands... The twins felt like they were in a Sugary Paradise. Rohini had offered Ron to share with them and the boy had politely hesitated before picking up a chocolate frog.
"Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?" Rohini asked, holding a red jelly bean between her index and thumb.
"They mean every flavour! There's chocolate and peppermint, and there's also spinach, liver and tripe. George swore he got a bogey-flavoured one once!" Ron said and Rohini threw the jelly bean away with a "ew!".
"They're not real frogs, are they?" Harry asked while unwrapping his Chocolate Frog.
"It's only a spell. Besides, it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I got about 500 myself." Ron said proudly. A chocolate frog suddenly jumped out of the wrapping and the twins stared as it jumped on the window, before leaping out and being taken away by the wing.
"Oh no, poor frog…" Rohini said and Ron patted her arm with sympathy.
"I've got Dumbledore!" Harry said and Rohini stood up to take a look above his shoulder; the card showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair and long beard.
"I got about 6 of him but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy." Ron said, and the twins only blinked once that the card was now empty.
"It's gone!" Rohini said, surprised, and Ron raised an eyebrow.
"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," He said and Rohini blushed, embarrassed. Ron's rat, which he was keeping on is laps, suddenly squeaked. Thranduil opened an eye to stare at him, yawned, and fell asleep again. He was apparently not interested in still breathing creatures.
"This is Scabbers, by the way, pitiful, isn't he?" Ron said and the twins nodded as the rat got his head stuck in an empty box of Berty Bott's. "Fred gave me a spell as to turn him yellow. Want to see?"
"Yes!" The twins said excitingly.
Ron rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway—" He cleaned his throat and hadn't said a single word that the compartment door slid open. A girl with bushy brown hair and already wearing her new Hogwarts robes appeared at the doorway.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice and the three of them shook their head before her attention was caught by Ron's wand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She sat down with an expected expression and Ron looked taken aback.
"Er—all right." He cleared his throat again, exchanged a look with Harry, and spoke, "Sunshine, daises, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!" He said with a wave of his wand. There was a flash of yellow light, but the rat stayed the same dull grey colour.
"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it?" The girl said and Rohini choked on the candy she was eating. The girl threw her a disgusted glance, before saying to Harry, «Of course I've only tried a few simple spells myself, and they've all worked for me. For example..." She pulled out her wand and pointed at Harry's glasses.
"Oculus Reparo." The glasses, which noseband was battered, were now repaired. The twins stared at each other, impressed. "That's better, isn't it? Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard—I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough—I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"
Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either. Rohini on the other hand seemed quite pleased to meet another bookworm, even though she wasn't a fan of Hermione's manners.
"I've read them too! My favourite is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." Rohini said. "I'm Rohini, by the way."
"Ron Weasley."
"Harry Potter," said Harry.
"Are you really?" said Hermione, her eyes falling on Harry's forehead before glancing at Rohini with a new found interest. "I know all about you two, of course—I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"What, seriously?" Rohini said. "We're that famous?"
"Of course." Hermione said and Rohini wondered if she always sounded so confident. Finally, Hermione stood up. "You better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon. "She began to leave, before looking at Ron, "You've got dirt, on your nose by the way, did you know? Just there." She pointed at her own freckled nose and Ron rubbed his own, embarrassed.
"Well, isn't she lovely…" He said when Hermione was out of sight and the Potters nodded. "She is right though; we better change now. Is it true, that you've already read every book?" He asked Rohini. She didn't answer, though her face felt suddenly quite hot and her cheeks were now a pretty shade of red. It was normal for them to be interested in magic after being raised by Muggles, wasn't it?
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Rohini's stomach lurched with nerves. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.
It was time.