Welcome to the Rest of your Life

Platform 9 and 3/4 {year 1}

I suppose it would be quite eager for me to say that I was about to start a new life. Of course, I was always quite fond of the life I already had – but I knew that so much of it led up to this very day. Passing by the confused faces of Muggles in King's Cross Station, a part of me wondered how odd it would be to never be able to experience it – such magic, such wonder. As I pushed my trolley behind my brother Neville and my Gran, Augusta Longbottom, I couldn't help but get more and more excited – and more anxious.

Because even though my life was still my own, it would truly be changing for good from this day on – for today, I was about to start at Hogwarts.

Every time we passed a clock on our way towards Platform 9 and 10, I'd glance at it eagerly. 10:54 ... 10:54 ... 10:55 ... time seemed to be going by so slowly today.

"How much longer, Gran?" I panted as we passed yet another clock. Still 10:55.

"Not much." She called back. "We're at platform six at the moment."

We kept walking. Muggle passerby's continued to glance at us with frown and confused looks as they walked. I guess that, if I were a Muggle, I would be doing the same if two kids pushing trolleys filled with trunks following a strangely dressed elderly woman walked past me. If I were a Muggle, what would really catch my attention would be the owl cage on trop of my own trolley. My small brown barn owl, Charcoal, sat silently in her cage, only making a sound if her cage jumped too much.

"Almost there, Char, I promise." I whispered to her. She made a small hoot, making me smile. Another clock passed. 10:56.

"Here we are." Gran sighed, stopping us as we got to a barrier right before Platform Ten. "You go first, Neville. Straight through."

Neville looked at the wall and gulped. I could tell he was nervous. I rolled my own trolley over to him and nudged him with my shoulder.

"Together?" I asked.

Neville smiled appreciatively. "Yeah. Let's do it."

"One..."

"Two..."

And at the same time, we said "Three!" and started running alongside one another. We ran straight at the wall, but instead of slamming into it, we went straight through it, arriving at the secret Platform 9 and ¾. Witches and wizards of every age passed us from all around, all of them either heaving their trunks onto the Hogwarts Express, kissing and hugging their family members goodbye, or greeting their friends. I looked up at the clock above; it read 10:57.

"Trevor!" Neville suddenly cried out. His toad had – once again – jumped out of it cage and hopped away. He chased him, making me laugh. I ran quickly after him, dodging arms and legs to help my brother snatch up his toad. Luckily, I was able to dive for Trevor and grab him, narrowly missing a young witch's feet.

"Sorry!" I said with a wince, shaking Trevor towards her as an explanation. She just scowled and ran off, surely back to her family.

Neville rushed up as I got to my feet, gingerly taking Trevor back from me. "Thanks, Leo." He panted, his cheeks red. "We've really got to get him a better cage."

"Neville! Let's get your trunks on the train before you start running around after your toad again!"

With shrugs, we marched back over to Gran, who waited by our trolleys with her hands on her hips. As Neville, with a bowed head, shoved Trevor back in his cage, Gran turned to me with arms spread wide. I dove into her arms for a hug, suddenly feeling a tad bit heartbroken that I wouldn't see her everyday like I was used to.

"Good luck this year, little Leo." She sighed, pushing my hair back. "It feels like only yesterday that you were begging me to buy you a broom." She chuckled. "You're going to go far. Both of you will. I just know it."