Harry Potter - Fanfiction

Year 4 - Aboard the Hogwarts Express

There is a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air the next morning. Heavy rain is still splattering against the window as we all get up and dress into Muggle clothing; we will change into our school robes on the Hogwarts Express.

We clamber down to the kitchen and fill ourselves up with Mrs. Weasley's cooking before heading off. Mr. Weasley already called into work.

Bill and Charlie decide to come and see everyone off at King's Cross station, but Percy, apologizing most profusely, says that he really needs to get to work.

"I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment," he tells us. "Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me."

"Yeah, you know what, Percy?" George says seriously. "I reckon he'll know your name soon."

Mrs. Weasley braves the telephone in the village post office to order three ordinary Muggle taxis to take us into London.

Not long after we stand in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving six heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. The taxi drivers don't look too pleased, and I don't blame them. They rarely transport overexcited owls, and Pidwigeon, Ron's new owl, is making an ear-splitting racket.

Nor does it help that a number of Filibusters fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks go off unexpectedly when Fred's trunk springs open causing the driver carrying it to yell with fright and pain as Crookshanks claws his way up the man's leg.

The journey is uncomfortable, owing to the fact that we are jammed in the back of the taxis with our trunks. We are all relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain is coming down harder than ever and we are getting soaked carrying our trunks across the busy road and into the station.

    

Getting to the Hogwarts Express has become a simple matter of walking straight through the apparently solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. The only tricky part is doing this in an unobtrusive way, so as to avoid attracting Muggle attention.

We do it in groups today, with Ron, Hermione, and Harry going first. Followed by Fred, George, and myself. The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet engine, is already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents appear like dark ghosts.

We all set off to store our luggage on the train and then hop back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.

"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," says Charlie, grinning as he hugs Ginny good-bye.

"Why?" Fred asks keenly.

"You'll see," says Charlie. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it... 'It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it', after all," he adds mockingly.

"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," says Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.

"Why?" asks George impatiently.

"You're going to have an interesting year," says Bill, his eyes twinkling. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it..."

"A bit of what?" asks Ron.

"If you're not going to tell us then will you please stop talking about it," I add irritably.

But at that moment, the whistle blows, and Mrs. Weasley chivvies us towards the train doors.

"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," says Hermione as we climb on board, closing the door and leaning out of the window to talk to her.

"We really appreciate you opening your home to us," I add.