Patrick Stump and the Flying Car Brigade

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

For some reason, my parents always insisted that I go to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express, despite the fact that we lived right next to Hogwarts. Hogsmeade Station was within walking distance from my house, but Mum and Dad said that I needed the "experience" of taking the train to school, so that's what I did.

King's Cross Station was quite busy that day. There were plenty of Muggles rushing to work or coming back from holidays, as well as wizards and witches seeing their children off to school. I looked around, but I didn't see anyone I knew. I would almost certainly talk to them on the train though.

I adjusted my fedora and started heading towards the platform. Platform 9¾ wasn't particularly hard to find. I simply walked right into the wall between Platforms Nine and Ten, and I appeared at the platform.

Finally, I spotted someone I recognised. It was Brendon Urie. He was a Slytherin in my year, and strangely enough, he was alone. I looked back over towards the train and then at my parents. Mum gave me a quick hug. "Goodbye Patrick," she said. "Remember to write to us."

"You don't need to worry so much, Mum," I said. "I can even visit during the weekends."

"We know, but we'll miss you," Dad said.

"I'll miss you too," I said.

"Have fun this year, Patrick," Mum said.

"I know I'll have fun," I said. "Seasons change, but people don't, and the kids at Hogwarts were nice to me last year. I'll have a good time."

"I know you will," Mum said. "See you soon Patrick!"

"Bye Mum!" I exclaimed. My parents waved as I got onto the Hogwarts Express. As usual, there weren't too many spots left, but I found that Pete had saved me a spot right between him and Joe. Andy was also in the compartment, as well as Miss Jackson. Miss Jackson's real name was Judy, but Brendon had nicknamed her Miss Jackson in second or third year, and the name had stuck. In a bizarre twist of fate, she had started dating him the year before.

"Hi Patrick," she said as she brushed her curly, jet black hair away from her face. "How have you been."

"I've been well," I said. "How about you? How was your summer?"

"It was excellent," Miss Jackson said. "I went on holiday in Spain with my family."

All of a sudden, Brendon entered the compartment and took the seat next to Miss Jackson. "I'm ready to go!" he screamed as he brought all of his stuff into the compartment. "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?" He quickly closed the door, and the train began to take off.

"Hello Brendon," I said.

"Hi everyone," Brendon said as he reached over to touch Miss Jackson's curls.

"Eleventh commandment, Brendon," Miss Jackson said. "Thou shalt not touch thy black girlfriend's hair."

"You're worse than nicotine," Brendon grumbled. "Anyways, you won't believe what I got as a back-to-school present."

"What is it?" Joe asked.

"It's a fellytone!" Brendon exclaimed as he held up what I recognised from Muggle Studies class as a brand-new cell phone.

"It's a telephone, Brendon," Andy said. Like me, he had taken Muggle Studies, but he had done well enough on his OWL in that subject to take it at a NEWT level. Joe, Pete, and Miss Jackson, on the other hand, were looking at the small metal object in wonder.

"I'm going to figure out how it works," Brendon said. He pressed the power button, and the phone turned on.

"It's like a picture, except it doesn't move," Pete observed as he leaned over to look.

"What do I do now?" Brendon asked once the phone was on.

"It says on the phone," I said. "Slide to unlock."

Brendon did so, and the phone went to the home screen. "Now it says that it needs Wi-Fi," Brendon said. "What's Wi-Fi?"

"I don't know," Joe said. Andy tried to explain, but Brendon ignored him.

"It's saying that I can set up a Wi-Fi hotspot," Brendon said. "That sounds good. Let's try that." Brendon clicked a few more buttons. "I need a password. Let's go with 'Ryan Ross.'"

Miss Jackson rolled her eyes. "Ryan Ross? Really?"

"Yes, really," Brendon said. He clicked a few more buttons, but then he accidentally dropped the phone. The screen shattered, and Brendon cursed rather loudly.

"Here, I can fix that," I said. I took out my wand. "Reparo!" Unfortunately, the spell didn't work. It only caused the screen to turn to black.

"Patrick! You broke it!" Brendon complained.

"Technically, you broke it," Andy said. "You were the one who dropped it."

That was when the trolley witch arrived. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked.

"Here, I'll buy Chocolate Frogs for everyone," Joe offered. He handed the trolley witch a Galleon and a few Sickles, and she gave him six Chocolate Frogs. Joe then passed one to each of us, and the trolley witch left.

"That woman always scares me a little," Pete said. "Something's definitely off about her. I bet she can Transfigure her hands into spikes or something."

"She seems nice to me," I said as I opened up my Chocolate Frog and stuffed it into my mouth. "You're just paranoid."

"Let's change the subject," Miss Jackson said. "What Chocolate Frog Cards did you guys get?"

"Newt Scamander," Andy answered.

"I don't have him yet," Miss Jackson said. "Do you have Hengist of Woodcroft?"

"Not yet," Andy said. "Do you want to trade?"

"Sure," Miss Jackson said, and they traded Chocolate Frog Cards.

"I got one of the new ones!" Joe bragged.

"Which one?" I asked.

"Harry Potter," Joe said. "Which one did you get?" I hadn't looked yet. It turned out to be Albus Dumbledore. I already had two Dumbledore cards, but you could never have too much of him. I told Joe this, and he nodded in approval. "Dumbledore's super cool," he said.

"I got Bertie Bott!" Brendon exclaimed. "Isn't that awesome?"

"Yeah, that's cool," I said.

"I hate Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans," Miss Jackson complained. "I keep getting grass ones."

"I got a troll bogey one once," Pete said. "I also got a pizza one once. That was the best day of my life, other than the day I met Patrick, of course." He smiled at me, and I smiled back.

All of a sudden, the train came to a stop. We had arrived at Hogsmeade station. I gathered up my stuff and inched my way out of the compartment and off of the train. I was more than ready for my sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.