Hermione Granger and Sky Vortex

Chapter 6. Hogwarts Express.

September 1st was a day Hermione both looked forward to and feared. Breakfast was quiet, with everyone wrapped up in their own thoughts. After they ate, Hermione's luggage was packed into the car, and the Granger family headed to King's Cross station. Kids everywhere were on their way to school, some for the first time, unsure of what to expect. Others happily caught up with friends they hadn't seen all summer, excitedly swapping stories of their adventures. Some just walked back to school for another long year of learning.

Driving past, Hermione watched these children and pondered, 'What will my first encounter with the magical world be like? I feel just like a newbie, a first-grader who knows nothing.' Meanwhile, she reassured herself that all would be well. She also decided to carry herself with the confidence of a seasoned wizard so that no one would guess her fears or doubts.

The Grangers got to the station a little earlier than planned. After parking the car and grabbing Hermione's bags, they went inside. The morning was busy with people rushing about. Announcements about train arrivals and departures blended into the continuous noise of the bustling crowd. People were hurrying, passing by one another. Some were bidding farewells, others were greeting friends, and some, like the Grangers, stood unsure, trying to decide their next move.

Hermione suddenly realized she had no idea where they were supposed to meet the Ministry representative. She looked around for any clue. As she scanned the station, her gaze caught unusual scenes. Here and there, she noticed groups of people who subtly stood out.

They were adults with children, lugging huge suitcases, and sometimes even cages with animals or birds. They spoke quietly, exchanged meaningful looks, and occasionally glanced around cautiously. All were heading to the same place – the platform between nine and ten. Before knowing about wizards and the magical world, Hermione might not have noticed this, but now everything looked different.

A light bump from a boy running past snapped her back to reality. He had accidentally brushed her with his backpack and hadn't even noticed.

"Sweetie, where do we go from here?" Emma asked, looking slightly confused. "Did Mr. Bridge mention anything?"

Hermione glanced around once more. Seeing no one who looked like they worked for the Ministry of Magic, she confidently said, "Follow me." She headed toward the same direction where all the peculiar groups were going.

But she had barely taken a few steps when a thin, squat man suddenly appeared in her way, as if out of nowhere. He was dressed in a worn tailcoat, with a top hat on his head and a monocle in his right eye. His mouth, framed by a thin mustache, slightly stretched into a semblance of a smile as he spoke with feigned politeness in a hoarse voice:

"Miss Granger, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yes, that's me," Hermione recoiled slightly from the unexpected encounter.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long?" he said indifferently, then added, "Theodore Flibust from the Ministry of Magic, at your service."

"Nice to meet you," Hermione replied, though she didn't find it pleasant at all. This wizard seemed to be the complete opposite of Gareth Bridge, who had been with them before. Unlike the friendly wizard with a noble demeanor, Theodore Flibust seemed more like a disgruntled clerk, clearly unhappy with his duties. Each of his words carried an air of insincerity.

"John Granger," Hermione's father approached the ministry official and extended his hand. Mr. Flibust hesitantly shook it, then quickly stepped back and wiped his palm with a handkerchief before saying:

"Well then, please follow me to platform nine and three-quarters."

"What platform?" Hermione was surprised, but the ministry official didn't respond, quickly heading towards the platform she had already found suspicious. Hermione and her parents hurried after him.