Equilibrium

The Platform that Doesn't Exist

As I watch Dumbledore disappear back Looking through the entrance to platform 9 3/4, the reality of my situation finally begins to set in. Here I am, a ten year old boy, completely alone in a foreign country - more than that, in a completely foreign world. At the edge of the crowd I stand, disoriented by the cacophony of owls, kids, and stressed parents. To ground myself I listen, and find every tone imaginable. Children screaming, in excitement, fear, or sorrow. Parents chiding their children, wishing them love and luck, or telling them to behave. Tears, terror, and triumph all surround me, and I feel alone.
I reread the ticket, noting the time of departure to be in twelve minutes, and walk onto the train, wanting an empty cart in the back. Finding a suitable carriage, I try to stow my bags overhead, finding myself far too short to succeed. Resigning, I throw my bag on the seat opposite me, and sit down myself. As we near departure, few kids travel this far back. The few that do wander past poke their head in, before moving on silently. I feel like a few of them look at me funny, but I ignore it. I'm probably overanalyzing it anyway.
     Once the train is underway, the swaying of the cart and the hum of the wheels increasing, I pull out one of the spellbooks I bought, excited to see what magic actually consisted of. I had seen Dumbledore cast a few spells, but he rarely used incantations, and half the time he wasn't even using his wand. I begin to read.

CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION TO BEGINNER SPELLCASTING.
Most spells have three basic components - the incantation, the intention, and wand movement. Let's take, for example, the spell for casting light, lumos. The incantation, of course, is lumos (loo-mōs). The intent behind the spell refers to what the witch or wizard is focusing their thoughts and energy on. While specific techniques very from individual to individual, this generally would consist of envisioning the desired result, or in this case, a light appearing at the desired location and intensity. The level of focus, strength, and contextual need determine the brightness or effectiveness of the spell. There are many ways to increase the po-
The door to my cart slides open, and an older boy, maybe 15, pokes his hand in. His hair is dark, short, and there a purple bags under his blue eyes.
"Mind if I take a nap in here?" He manages, obviously and desperately fighting back a yawn.
"Um, sure, I guess," I say quickly. He throws his bag in the ceiling rack, and sits down on my bag, which I had thrown in the seat across from me.
"Damn, these benches aren't very comfortable, are they?" He mutters, trying to reposition. After a moment, he realized the cause of his discomfort, and stands.
"Do you, uh, want this in the rack up there, or..." he trails off, looking at me for the first time.
"Yes, please." He tosses it up with ease, standing at least six feet tall, and flops back on to the seat. Within minutes, I hear soft snoring coming from his side of the cart. I turn my attention back to the book.
     Flipping to the list of beginner spells, I browse. Settling once more on lumos, I go to pull my wand from my -
Damn, it's in my bag. After two fruitless attempts to hop up to it, or jump off the bench, I turn back to the book.
Dumbledore did magic without a wand, so maybe...
     Finding nothing useful in my year one spellbook, I begin to feel discouraged, until I see, lying open on the bench in front of me - standard book of spells, year four. Not wanting to wake the sleeping boy, I carefully pull the book from under his arm, where it rested. I succeed, but promptly drop the book on the ground with a thud. It falls cover down, and as I pick it up I see the first spell on the page - accio (object), summon spell (see conjuring vs summoning, page 317). Summoning spells are of the more difficult locomotion spells, requiring intense concentration, pure focus, and skilled magic. The spell itself, however, is simple. The incantation is accio (object) (while stating the object isn't strictly necessary, it simplifies the effort required.) the intent for this spell requires complete and utter focus on the object in question, and on you desire for it. If you wish the object to traverse a specific path on its way to you, this should also be considered in your intent. No wand movements are necessary.

I turn away from the book, looking at my bag. My wand is in an outer pocket, facing me, which should be unbuckled. If I am able to perform the spell, it should come unhindered. The spell said it requires focus more than anything else, so maybe, even without any training, I'll be able to move it closer, at least enough for me to reach it. I sit on the floor, closing my eyes and clearing my mind. Until I feel my mind is empty enough, I do nothing but breathe. Once I feel ready, I focus my intent - summon the wand. Summon my wand. Summon the wand. Summon my wand.
Then, finally - "accio wand."
I don't open my eyes at first, but after five seconds I assume it must have failed. With a sigh, I open my eyes, and gasp. My wand is hovering a few inches in front of my face, the bag unmoved, strap open.
"Holy shit'" I hear from across the room, and see the boy sit up.
"Dude, did you just fucking cast a summoning charm, WITHOUT YOUR WAND?!!?" He says, his voice rising practically into hysteria.
"Uh-."
"I can't even do that with a wand! And I can't do any magic without a wand!"
We look at each other, both silent and uncomfortable.
".... who are you?"