Agathokakological

Platform Nine And Three-Quarters

Prologue - First Year

Chapter Six

SEPTEMBER 1ST WAS NEAR, and Ariadne became more and more restless. The days had gone by very fast, not that Ariadne didn't have anything to do.

She had successfully managed to sneak her owl, Livius, into her room without anyone noticing. Thankfully, short eared owls were actively hunting during the day, so Ariadne took the chance to let him out of his cage, and let him fly freely outside.

In the evening, he would be attention seeking, and often laid besides Ariadne, when she was reading a book while sitting on her bed. Or looked curiously when she was drawing at the table. 

But on the other hand, Nathair seemed to be jealous and often cuddled up on her lap, or flicked his tongue on her nose, to get her attention. Ariadne was a little worried that the two animals would end up fighting, but it hadn't happened. Yet.

Packing the last few things she had, Ariadne met up with Claude and he helped her getting to King's Cross Station, where she waited for Harry, after saying her goodbyes.

Claude offered to accompany her to Platform 9 3/4, but she respected the fact that he had severed all ties to the Wizarding World, with the exception of Ariadne.

She was leaned up a wall with a cart with her school stuff until someone called out to her.

Ariadne turned towards the call of her name and saw Harry and three other people tagging along.

There was a big beefy man, a thin woman and a boy at least two times Harry's size.

''Harry!''

''Are you ready for Hogwarts?''

''You bet, I am!'' she said, and looked at the people accompanying Harry. ''Hello, I'm Ariadne Soleil.''

''That's my uncle Vernon, aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley.'' Harry said. His aunt and uncle looked at her as they had seen a ghost but Dudley shoved Harry aside and extended his hand. ''Hi, I'm Dudley.''

''Hi...'' Ariadne said with a cringe expression on her face that she failed to hide and quickly turned to Harry who just had stood up. ''We should go to the Platform so we don't get late.''

After a bit of walking,  Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face. ''Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine – platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?'' 

He was quite right. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.

''Have a good term.'' Vernon said with an even nastier smile. He and Petunia left without another word. Dudley waved enthusiastically to Ariadne, who reluctantly waved back. She immediately regretted it, as the boy shouted her goodbyes to her. It made everyone on the Station turn their heads towards him, not that he noticed it.

Harry laughed at her perplexed look and she glared at him. ''It's not funny.''

''I think Dudley will come and see you off until we graduate.''

''Harry!'' she hissed.

Back to their problem, they asked a guard for directions. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts, and Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in.