unforeseen [h.p.]

DEMENTOR

The next morning, Alex ate breakfast with Hermione and Ginny, giggling at the story Mrs. Weasley was telling them about a love potion she'd made as a young girl.

After breakfast they busied themselves with heaving all of their trunks and animals downstairs (Alex may or may not have tripped on the last few steps while carrying Achilles. He wasn't very happy with her).

Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.

"They're here," he said.

Amelia place a hand on Alex's back. "Come on, Alex."

She ushered Alex across the pavement toward the third of old-fashioned dark green cars, each of them driven by a wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

Amelia opened the door for her to get inside. Mark was already sat in the front passenger seat.

"Morning," he greeted them as they slid into the back of the car. Amelia simply grunted in response.

The journey to King's Cross was, to Alex's relief, quite ordinary. This was the most normal mode of transportation she's taken in the Wizard World by far. There was no extreme speeds or dizziness or having your body stretched in ways unimaginable. They could slide through small gaps to avoid traffic, but that was about it.

Halfway to King's Cross, Mark struck up a conversation.

"How do you feel, Alex?"

Quite jittery if she was being honest. "So far, so good."

"Believe me, you'll love it at Hogwarts. There's no safer place," he said.

Alex nodded. "I believe you."

"But," he added, "only if you actually...stay in Hogwarts will you be safe. I'm sure you've heard the name Sirius Black thrown around a few times, yeah?"

She tensed. "Yeah, a few times. He's a criminal, right?"

"Yes, and it's suspected that he might be hiding out near Hogwarts. We're not sure why," he added hurrily, "but Amelia and I think it best for you to stay on the grounds until he's found."

"Hopefully he'll be found before the Hogsmeade field trip, because we did sign your form. But if not, stay on the grounds, okay?" Amelia spoke.

"Okay," Alex agreed. She knew exactly why Sirius Black was "suspected" to be hiding out near Hogwarts, and staying on the grounds was fine with her as long as she wasn't murdered.

"Ah, we're here!" Mark exclaimed as the Ministry cars pulled up to the front of Kings Cross Station. Alex felt her stomach lurch, the time to part from Amelia and Mark was nearing faster than she would've liked.

Amelia looked at her watch. "With no more than twenty minutes to spare. C'mon." She stepped out of the car, Alex and Mark following after her. The Ministry drivers unloaded Alex's trunk and owl from the car, and even found a trolley for her belongings. They tipped their hats in salute and then got into their cars and drove off, somehow jumping ahead of the unmoving traffic.

Alex saw the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry already walking ahead of them to the platforms.

"Which platform does the Hogwarts Express belong to?" Alex asked as she pushed her trolley.

"Nine and three-quarters," Mark said.

"Nine and three—what?" Alex said, baffled. Alex didn't travel in train stations often, and her maths were pretty rusty, but she was positive that a train platform had to be a whole number.

"Oh, Mark, we forgot to tell her. Alex, platform nine and three quarters is magically hidden behind the barrier between platforms nine and ten. To keep our world hidden from muggles," Amelia explained.