A Maze of Dreams

Chapter Five:

I'd been packed for two weeks now and today was the day. Mum would have gladly packed for me if I hadn't conveniently reminded her of a charity event she needed to be planning. My trunk was white with my initials done in violet and was filled to the brim with all of my school supplies. It was a wonder that I was able to shut it at all. I unsuccessfully lugged my trunk and Genessa's cat carrier to the top of the stairs before daddy finally took pity on me and floated it down the stairs where it landed near the door. "No underage magic for you, Laine." Daddy teased me like that all the time. It is infuriating at times.

"It's not like I could do any magic anyway." I replied. I glanced around the entryway of the house I wasn't going to see until winter holidays. The house was loomingly large, spacious, and lonely. Sometimes I wish that I had ten siblings to fill its empty rooms and to keep me company. An older sister and brother to welcome me to Hogwarts and a slew of younger siblings to kick out of my room when they got into my belongings.
Harry had sent me a few letters in that past month. We talked about our lives mostly with a few inquiries about the wizarding world mixed in between. He told me how Hagrid had scared his aunt and uncle into leaving him alone by giving his 'piggish' cousin Dudley a pig's tail. I answered any questions and told him how mad/excited my mum was acting and as well about my game with the posters. I had to explain to him that the posters could move and talk of course.

So today was the day the train would come and take me to Hogwarts. I was in the car on the way to Kings Cross Station, which was fun because we almost never used it because of floo powder and apparation. The only reason we have one is because daddy finds them interesting, though he would never admit it. Ever. Just because he owns a car doesn't mean he's a good driver. He's a terrible driver. The car is fun, the drive however, is not. So after nearly twenty swerves, a few close calls with other drivers, and a couple of wrong turns, we were FINALLY there. I was happy enough to kiss the ground despite the unsanitary aspect of the whole notion. I climbed out of the car unsteady on my feet. "Thank goodness! Ground, sweet ground." I praised, enjoying standing on solid ground and teasing daddy at the same time. Nessa made a cat groan from her carrier. Apparently we both agreed that daddy was a terrible driver.

Mum shared the same sentiment as I did, as she was retching into a nearby bush.

"Oh come on! My driving wasn't that bad." Daddy defended himself futily.

"No it's not that bad...it's TERRIBLE." Not terrible, atrocious.

"Okay fine, I'm not the best driver." He grabbed my trunk from the trunk of the car and we headed to the platform.

"Do you have your ticket?" Mum had apparently recovered from her bout of driving induced sickness.

"Of course mum," I answered while looking around the huge station, filled with people heading in every which way to find the right platform. I pushed the trolley to platform nine and three quarters. I passed five and seven before I found platform nine.
"I don't understand, how do you get on the platform?"

"You go through the pillar of course." Mum explained, gesturing to the wide column ahead between platforms nine and ten.

Like people walk through walls everyday.

I pushed the trolley and closed my eyes and right when I should have hit pavement I felt nothing. I opened my eyes cautiously and found myself on a platform with a grand train bearing the words The Hogwarts Express. Students and their parents were everywhere, saying goodbye, getting loaded on, etc. Mum and dad appeared behind me, mum looking as if she was about to cry, and dad as calm as ever.

"You have fun, Ellie. I'll miss you a ton. Stay out of trouble now." Mum spoke with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, no after hours adventures to the Forbidden Forest or pranks or whatever it is you kids do these days for fun."