The Fame Train
The end of the month arrived and Harry and Irlynn were not the only ones excited to be off to Hogwarts. Children aged eleven and up were gathering on Platform 9 ¾ in anticipation of a new school year. Irlynn and her parents arrived at King's Cross Station at half past nine.
"I don't see a 9 ¾," William commented. Irlynn scanned the people walking around when she spotted it. A boy and his parents had walked right through the barrier between platforms nine and ten.
"I see it," she said, trying to steer her trunk down the stairs.
"Slow down," Victoria called. Irlynn stopped and took the steps one at a time until she reached the bottom. William looked around but didn't see any platform with the label they were looking for.
"Where did you see it?" he asked.
"There," she pointed out as another family went through the barrier. Victoria paled a bit but followed her daughter and husband to the barrier. They took a few steps backwards before charging the barrier. Miraculously they went right through and landed on a different platform altogether. They looked around to see people in robes and cloaks. Children were carrying caged birds and large trunks.
"I think this is the right place," William said.
Irlynn set her trunk down and the owl cage on top of it. She surveyed all the people could feel all the nervous energy circulating. Victoria pulled her daughter into a tight hug and William joined in.
"Be good. Write us as soon as you get settled in," she instructed.
"I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends right away," William added.
"I hope so. I'll be good, I promise," Irlynn said, giving her parents each a kiss on the cheek. Irlynn picked up her trunk and began to drag it towards the train when Victoria called after her.
"Honey, you almost forgot Artemis," her mother called, holding up the owl cage that had slid off the back of the trunk. Irlynn ran back to get the bird and once more turned towards the train.
"Sorry about that," she whispered to the bird as she set her trunk down in front of a car. A burly looking man in a conductor's ha picked up her things and stowed them on the train.
"Thank you," she said and boarded.
Back on the other side of the barrier, Hagrid had left Harry to fend for himself. He was looking around, trying to determine what the half-giant had told him. He didn't see any sign for Platform 9 ¾ anywhere. Finally he spotted someone that looked like they might know. They all had trunks like his and were standing between platforms 9 and 10.
"Excuse me," Harry called. A woman with red hair, who appeared to be in charge, looked up when she heard him.
"Yes dear?" she asked.
"Um…do you think you could tell me how to get to Platform 9 ¾?" Harry asked.
"Oh of course. Right this way," she said and turned back to the gaggle of redheaded children.
"Percy, you first," she said to the tallest of the boys. Harry watched as the boy named Percy ran at the barrier between the platforms and disappeared. He gulped a little after he'd disappeared.
"Fred, you next," the woman said, looking at the twin on the left.
"I'm not Fred, he is," the boy she was addressing said.
"And you call your our mother. Honestly," the other boy said.
"Sorry, George," she apologized.
"Just kidding with you, Mum. I am Fred," Fred said and ran at the barrier, George hot on his heels. She turned to Harry and the youngest boy.
"This is Ron's first time too. You best take it at a bit of run," she said. Harry and Ron shared a nervous glance as they raced towards the platform. Just as they were about to collide, they passed right through. Ron's brothers were nowhere to b seen. The two moved out of the way just as Ron's mother and sister came through.
"Go on, you'd better get on the train. It's about ready to leave," she said.
Ron began to drag his trunk along and Harry followed suit until they reached the last car. The conductor tossed on their trunks and Harry's owl.
"Oh, Ron. You forgot Scabbers," his mother said, handing him a fat, unattractive rodent.
"Bye, Mum," Ron called as they boarded and found an empty car. The boys sat in silence for a while. Not two compartments down, Irlynn sat alone, head resting against the window, her eyes shut tightly.
She saw the barrier coming at her between platforms 9 and 10. It was coming at her faster and faster until it was gone and she was safely on the other side. But it wasn't her that had crossed to the platform. It was someone else, someone who felt vaguely familiar. They always felt vaguely familiar and she could never figure out why.
She let out a sigh and opened her eyes. She hadn't seen anything in a while and she had hoped that whatever it was had disappeared. Unfortunately it was still there, whatever it was. She heard noise outside and slowly stood up and opened the door to the compartment. The door two compartments up had closed. With a shrug she went back to her seat and stared out the window.
Back in Harry and Ron's compartment they were properly introducing themselves.
"I'm Ron…Ron Weasley," Ron said, extending his hand out. Harry shook it.
"Harry Potter," Harry replied.
"Bloody hell…can I see it?" Ron blurted. Harry looked confused.
"See what?" he asked.
"Well your scar of course," Ron said.
"Oh…yeah," Harry said, pushing his hair away from his forehead.
"You're really famous, mate," Ron said.
"So I heard," Harry replied. Just then there was a knock on the door. Harry got up and opened it to find a snack trolley going through.
"Anything to eat dears?" she asked. Harry caught the hungry look in Ron's eye and pulled out a bunch of coins.
"We'll take it all," he said. Ron looked surprised as did the trolley woman.
"Well, alright then," she said and let them pick what they wanted. She moved on down the corridor and Harry and Ron dove into the snacks. Ron filled Harry in on a few of the snacks, including Chocolate Frog cards.
"Who'd you get?" Ron asked as unfortunately Harry's frog leapt out the window.
"I've got…Dumbledore," Harry answered.
"I've got about six of him. He's Headmaster at Hogwarts," Ron replied. Harry nodded and pocketed the card.
Two compartments down, Irlynn was growing restless. She walked out of the compartment and was about to head up the corridor when another girl collided with her.
"I'm sorry," the other girl apologized.
"It's ok…I should look where I'm going," Irlynn said.
"You haven't seen a toad have you? A boy named Neville has lost one," the girl said.
"No…I haven't. Maybe the people in there have?" Irlynn offered, pointing to where Harry and Ron sat surrounded by candy wrappers. Irlynn knocked on the doorframe and stuck her head in.
"Sorry to bother you but have you seen a toad?" she asked.
"No…" Ron answered with his mouth full.
"That's gross," the girl next to Irlynn muttered.
"I'm Ron," Ron said after swallowing.
"Irlynn," she said, shaking hands.
"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger…and you are Harry Potter," Hermione said, sitting across from Harry.
"Oh, you've met him?" Irlynn asked.
"Everyone knows who Harry Potter is," Hermione said.
"I don't. I didn't grow up with magic," Irlynn retorted.
"Harry survived an attack by You Know Who. He's the only person to have ever survived the Killing Curse," Hermione rambled. Irlynn wrinkled her nose.
"No offense…Hermione. But if I wanted to know, I would have asked him myself. It's rude to talk about people like that," Irlynn said. Hermione let out a humph and walked out. Just as she was about to leave she turned to look at Ron.
"You have a bit of dirt on your nose," she stated and stormed off. Ron rubed at his nose.
"You really don't know who I am?" Harry asked of Irlynn.
"No…I don't know anything about magic," Irlynn answered. Harry looked at her a bit closer and recognition dawned.
"You're the girl from the bookstore," he blurted. She laughed a little.
"Yeah…I thought you looked sort of familiar," she said.
"What is that?" Irlynn asked as she spotted Scabbers.
"This is Scabbers, my rat. Pathetic isn't he," he mumbled.
"A little," Harry agreed.
"Why would you want to keep a rat as a pet?" Irlynn muttered.
"He's been in my family for years," Ron defended.
"I think the train is stopping. We should get into our school robes," Irlynn said, looking out the window.
"I guess we'll see you later then," Harry called as Irlynn headed back to her compartment to change. Ron and Harry changed as well and soon joined the throngs of students getting off the train.