Lucy Jones 1: The beginning of a tale (HP fanfiction)

7 Platform 9 and ¾

The following month passes slowly. Lucy gets to know Harry. He tells her everything Hagrid told him, even about Voldemort and his parents. She was furious at the Dursleys, but Harry told her she would only make things worse for him if she did something. Mostly, they fantasised about Hogwarts and magic. 'I hope we'll be in the same house.' Lucy tells Harry: 'I don't know which one yet, but....'

'Hopefully in the same.' Harry agrees.

Lucy stands in the station where her train would depart: King's Cross Station. She is alone. Charlotte drove her to the station and asked why she was sad.

She told her it was because she would miss her, which is true. She didn't say that she hoped Harry would come with them.

She stands between platform nine and ten and looks down at her ticket. What does it mean? It says that she must be on platform nine and three-quarters? Is there such a place? It's platform nine or ten.

She looks up and sees platforms nine and ten again, but nothing in between. She looks around, thinking that this train will go to a school. There must be other people taking the same one, like Harry. Would he already be on the platform? He did ask his aunt and uncle to take her with him, but they refused. She said it was fine, but now she fears being too late and missing the train.

Lucy sees someone around the same age as her with long brown curly hair. This girl is looking at a similar ticket she has, and one of her parents is holding a cart with a trunk on it.

She overhears the other girl's parents: 'This is a weird way to travel to a school. It may be a magic school, but still.'

Lucy considers herself lucky and rolls her trolley to where the girl and her parents stand. When she speaks up, they look at her: 'Do you know where I can find platform nine and three-quarters?'

The girl looks relieved: 'I'm Hermione; I assume you're also going to Hogwarts.'

'Yes, my name is Lucy.' She takes the girl's hand.

'I think we must walk through that barrier to get to the train.' Hermione points to a concrete wall between the two platforms.

Lucy looks at the wall and back to her new friend: 'Are you sure?' Hermione nods: 'It's solid.' Lucy continues.

'I know.' Hermione says and looks at the wall: 'I'm sure.'

Lucy walks towards the wall while Hermione hugs her parents. They say a few more things to their daughter before Hermione stands next to Lucy: 'Together?'

Lucy nods, and they push their cart towards the wall. They go through it, as Hermione said. They arrive on platform 9 and three-quarters.

Lucy looks at the train and at everyone on the platform. Maybe this is her chance, her extraordinary kind of journey.