the magic of ice

at the train

The first of September came quickly and soon Elsa found herself rushing about her room, checking and double checking that she didn't forget anything. Her trunk was locked tight and standing at her door. Her rucksack with all her miscellaneous stuff (and her brand new wand) was slung over her shoulder, and Snowball's cage was on her trunk. Snowball had refused to get in and she'd sit on top of the mirror until Elsa closed and locked it again. When she was convinced she had remembered everything, she walked out into the bar, with Snowball close behind. Harry was already there waiting for her with Hagrid.

"Finally," Harry grinned. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about this."

"I would never," Elsa grinned back.

"Right then, you two," Hagrid said, chuckling at their enthusiasm to go to Hogwarts. "We'd better get going now or we'll miss the train."

The idea of missing the Hogwarts Express was horrible for both Harry and Elsa and they piled out of the Leaky Cauldron hurriedly and into the small car just outside. Surprisingly they could all fit in nicely and comfortably. Elsa thought maybe it was some sort of spell the driver put on it, to make the car bigger than it looks, or it could all be just an optical illusion. Either way, it didn't bother her.

On the journey to King's Cross Station neither of the two first-years could hold down their excitement and they talked non-stop about what they were likely to learn.

"I hope we learn to change things," Harry said. "Then I could turn my cousin Dudley into a pig. He's such a pain in the bum."

Elsa burst out laughing. "You're so horrible. I'd like to learn to fly. It's a shame first-years can't have their own broom. That would be so cool. I wonder what House we'll be in."

"I hope I'm not in Slytherin," Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Back in Madam Malkin's there was this other boy I talked to and I hate him. He acts so lazy and arrogant and he says his family's been in Slytherin for generations."

"They sound horrible," Elsa said. "I wonder why they're not banned from learning magic. They seem to have every right to be."

()()()

After what seemed like two hours to the kids they finally arrived at the station. They got out eagerly, but as soon as they stepped foot into the station, they looked around, confused. Where was the train? Where was the Hogwarts Express? This isn't a station for kids learning magic. This was a plain ordinary muggle train station. Hagrid took out what looked like a gold watch on a chain and his eyes widened in shock.

"Blimey!" he exclaimed. "Is that the time? Sorry you two, you're going to have to board the train yourselves. Here are your tickets. Don't lose them whatever you do."

Blinking in astonishment, Harry and Elsa read their tickets, frowns slowly creeping onto their faces.

"Hagrid, I think there's a mistake," Harry said. "There's no such thing as platform nine and three-quarters, is there?" He looked up, expecting to see Hagrid still there. But he was nowhere to be seen. It was like he had vanished into thin air. "Okay...what now?"

Elsa shrugged helplessly. She glanced around in every direction desperately, checking the time every few seconds. It was ten thirty. They had half an hour before the train would leave and they had no way of finding the station. Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe Hagrid mistook this place for another place and left them here to run some errands. Just as she began to give up hope, Harry tapped her shoulder and pointed in the direction of a family of six. They were all redheads and four of them were pushing trolleys just like Harry and Elsa.

Spotting them, Snowball mewed softly and Hedwig, Harry's owl, hooted. They hurried after the family. They looked like they knew where they were going. For some reason the family stopped five metres from a brick wall. The woman, who was probably their mum, turned around.