The Other Potter

Chapter 3

Credit to RachelHouser (she's absolutely amazing) for the brilliant banner!

I drew in a sharp breath as we emerged into a wide station, at it's centre a large steam engine, sparkling scarlet in the dim rays of the sun.

I found myself gripping Draco's arm as the noise of the packed station made my alert senses try to focus on a hundred different places at once. Claustrophobia tugged at my chest and I had the sudden urge to bolt, to escape this sudden mass of people. The highest amount of humans I had ever encountered in together were the dozen or so Death Eaters that sat moodily around the Dark Lord's table every Thursday. But this, this was a terrifying amount of individuals together in a small station.

Draco whitened under my tight grip, but he did not let go. Or maybe he simply couldn't...

"I have to get out of here," I choked out, and he spun around towards me.

"What about the Dark Lord's mission?"

"I-I'll be back. It's just too many people." I began to jog away, wondering how Draco was informed of my task.

He tapped me gently on the shoulder, and I decided to let that contact slide.He pointed to a small barrier between the platform pillars. "Just lean against that, you'll come back out in the muggle station. To come back in, just pass through it again."

I nodded, storing away the information in the back of my head.

Slipping through the mass of people and over to the barrier, I tried to ignore my strong instinct to take out my wand and blast everything in a ten mile radius to the opposite side of the world.

Bringing me up in the dark forests of Albania, Voldemort had tried to make me the best of the best. I was taught a vast array of magic, trained in physical contact and fitness, the idea being that I would not need a wand to fight. My senses had also been improved to protect my Lord in his weaker state. I needed to have alert eye sight and hearing, but now my vision was blurred with the amount of movement around me, and the noise of the station filled my ears.

Finally I reached the barrier and barged through it, straight into King's Cross Station.

I knew at once that I had made the wrong decision. The original station was packed with ten-fold of the amount of people in Platform 9 and 3/4. My claustrophobia got worse, and I was forced to back up against a brick pillar and press my hands over my ears, eyes closed.

"Are you alright there?"

I didn't know how long I had been waiting there, but a plump woman with firery red hair was looking up at me, her eyes filled with concern. I rubbed my eyes and answered, "Yeah."

I was beginning to feel less woozy, so I lowered my hands and took in my surrondings. Beside her was an old woman with greying hair and a purple hat, she in turn was examining me with a steely gaze and her hand was clutching something inside her cardigan.

The was heavy panting from below me, and I looked down to see a large shaggy dog, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and a happy look on it's face. I pulled my leg away before the hairy creature could sniff it, and it looked up at me, insulted.

"Snuffles," said a voice cajoling, and standing over the dog was a tall boy with messy black hair and green eyes. Just like mine.

"Harry, we should go now..." The old lady was looking around the station, and she took his arm. "We wouldn't want to keep Mad-Eye waiting."

I wondered if she was refering to Mad-Eye Moody. If he had come out of retirement then it was bad news for the Death Eaters. I wondered why the 'retired' auror would be waiting for this mismatched family. I decided to stay with them, in case they let slip any other information that could be helpful to the Dark Lord. "Can you help me onto the platform?"