Always Together

3. Hogwarts Express

Chapter 3 | hogwarts express

September 1st came -- slowly, but it did. And when it came, Caitlyn was exhilarated. She was actually going to Hogwarts, a wizarding boarding school. A month and some days before, she was just Caitlyn -- the odd girl that sat on the back of the class because she didn't want to bother anyone, the girl who was bullied (yes, indeed), the girl who gave everyone the goosebumps, the outsider. Now she was going to a place where everyone was like her -- with magical powers.

She arrived at the King's Cross Station at ten to eleven in the morning, after taking a taxi alone from the orphanage there. She entered the station and her ears were filled with the usual loud sound of the train station. It was really crowded with muggles. She walked along, searching for the platform with number that was on her ticket -- platform nine and three quarters. But there was no such thing as platform nine and three quarters.

She walked between platform nine and ten, looking for it, but there wasn't one. And then she heard a woman's voice saying, "Come on, everyone, platform nine and three quarters this way!" Caitlyn turned her head and found the source of the sentence.

A big family was walking with trunk just like hers on the station. There were six of them. They all had red hair and freckles. There was a woman of about forty-five or more years old and five children: four boys and one girl. The girl was about ten, one of the boys looked eleven, the two twins of thirteen and a fifteen-year-old, too, or something of the sort.

And then, Caitlyn noticed a black haired boy with round glasses, a trunk and an owl, following them. She went after them all to see where they were going.

Then she saw the oldest of the most probably brothers running into a wall -- the one between platforms nine and ten -- and vanishing. She didn't even blink. Then the supposedly mother of the five, well, now four, children said, "Fred you're up," looking a one of the twins. But surprisingly, he looked offended. And so did his twin.

"He's not Fred -- I am," the other twin said.

"And you call yourself our mother," the first one continued.

"Sorry, George, now go," the mother said.

And George prepared to run but before that, he said, half laughing, "Just kidding -- I am Fred." And then he went against the walls and disappeared also. His twin did the same before their mother could say anything, but Caitlyn heard the low cursing coming out of her mouth. Then the black haired boy went to the woman.

"Excuse me, but how ... ?" He started nervously.

The woman looked at his trunk.

"Hogwarts?" she question sweetly, and he nodded. "This is Ron's first year too," she pointed at her youngest son. Ron smiled cheerfully. "You just have to run into the platform between the ninth and the tenth. It's as simple as that. Go on, don't be afraid. You better close your eyes and run really fast, since this is your first time."

The boy nodded shyly and went, too. All the others followed him. Only then, Caitlyn went. And it worked. She found herself somewhere else, but just as crowed, but only with children and parents. And obviously a train -- the Hogwarts Express. Caitlyn couldn't avoid to smile widely and her eyes sparkled. It was all happening.

She went on board. She heard the laughter and talks from everyone: «oh, there you are!», «It's been months!», «You didn't write to me enough!», «I missed you so much!», «I brought a tarantula with me!», or «Hey, I hadn't seen you in a while!». And so on and on.

She managed to find an empty compartment before the trip started. She sat by herself and stood there doing nothing for a long while -- just think of how wonderful Hogwarts would be. And then, after the train left, someone knocked on her door. She looked up to see who it was. There were three boys. One with blonde hair and beautiful grey eyes, one with dark hair and dark eyes, and one with whose eyes and hair were brown. They all walked in and the blonde boy introduced himself.