When Dreams Become Destiny

Platform 9 3/4

"I've chosen a name for the owl."

Zara announced, a little less than a week after their trip to Diagon alley. Mama was sitting on the sofa reading Hogwarts a history.

"Took you long enough. What did you decide?" Mama inquired, putting down the book. Zara couldn't decide what to call the owl. She had picked quite a few names so she ended up just writing them on pieces of paper and picking one blindly.

"Tuffy" Zara said. She opened the cage but the owl made no sign of noticing.
"Tuffy" she said more firmly. The owl, again, showed no sign of understanding.
"Tuffy, come out. I've got you treats" Zara tried to bribe it but the owl didn't respond.
"Get out of the cage, you stupid ulloo!" Zara was loosing her temper now. The owl perked up. No she thought.

"No, no, no, no. Please no"
"What's wrong?" mama asked. She had gotten back to reading.
"Come out of the cage, ulloo." The owl jumped out of the cage and onto the finger she was holding out for it.

          Zara wanted to cry. Mama burst out laughing hysterically. Chacha called it ulloo because Zara had told him that she hadn't picked a name for it. He loved birds and was always playing with the owl when he was free. The owl had taken to being called ulloo.

          She put ulloo back in its cage and stomped back to her room angrily.

........................................................................

"Which house do you think I'll be sorted into, mama?" Zara asked, a few days later. They had both read Hogwarts a history.

"I think you'll do well in slytherin, though, it's a shame they only take pure-bloods, am I right?"
"Psh, no. I'm anything but cunning." Zara replied.
"What about Gryffindor?" Zara asked.
"You? Gryffindor? Oh please, don't make me laugh. You still sleep with the lights on" mama laughed. Zara could feel her cheeks heating.
"What about Ravenclaw, then? You seem to really be able to fit there" mama asked.
"No. I'm too stupid for Ravenclaw" Zara replied.
"You're not stupid. Mentally deprived, maybe, but not stupid" mama laughed.
"Har har, very funny" Zara said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I'm a 100% sure I'm a hufflepuff. My soul agrees with hufflepuff"
Mama snorted, "sure."

........................................................................

          As the days passed, Zara became more restless until, finally, it was the day before she'd be leaving for Hogwarts. Zara had made a list of all the things she'd be taking with her, showed it to mama, rechecked it twice. She set everything as neatly as possible in her trunk just to kill the extra time she had.

          The night was restless as well. Zara had gone to bed early and had regretted it the moment her head hit the pillow. The night was spent fantasizing about everything she believed she would be seeing at Hogwarts.

          Zara got out of bed early the next day and busied herself in rechecking her packing. She kept looking longingly at her uniform, which she desperately wanted to get into. The uniform had short skirt and Zara would die before she ever wore a short skirt. They specifically told Madame Malkin to replace the short skirt with one that was long enough to hide her knees with black tights. She also decided that she would need a black hijab to go with her uniform.

          A fee hours later, the same Auror from the day at Diagon alley came to escort them to kings cross station. The tickets said that they were to be at platform 9 3/4.

"But there isn't any platform 9 3/4" baba had said.
"Ah, but there is" the man exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Mama asked.
"To get there you need to simply walk through that wall" the auror replied. He couldn't help but smile at their incredulous expressions.

          The man said nothing else and motioned them to follow him. The family eyed him suspiciously until he literally walked through the wall. Zara was left utterly dumbstruck. He just disappeared.

          Zara closed her eyes and ran at the wall, half expecting to be hit hard by it but it never came.

          When Zara opened her eyes she was immediately overwhelmed by the sight before her. The was a sign above which said Hogwarts Express below which stood a scarlet steam engine waiting for its passengers to board it. Smoke bellowed from it drifting above like thick clouds.

          Zara turned around and saw the same awe-struck expressions on her parent's faces. The whistle from the train snapped them out of their trance as mama stepped closer, pulling Zara into a tight hug. Zara could make out the faint tears forming in her mother's eyes.

          By the time they pulled away, mama was full on sobbing.
"Promise me you'll write every week" mama choked out through her tears.
"I promise, mama. Now please, stop crying. It's not like I'm dying." Zara laughed awkwardly through tinted cheeks. This is embarrassing Zara thought.

          When Zara turned to baba, she was relieved to see him smiling. (Not that she thought she'd ever see him cry)
"Don't forget to offer your prayers, Zara and write every week." Baba told her. She smiled and shook his hand, not wanting to let go anymore.
"Of course, baba."

          Baba wasn't much of a hugger but he had his own way of showing affection. Maybe this was why she was more than surprised when he pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek.

          Mama kissed her cheeks one last time before letting go. Zara didn't want to leave them but she knew it was too late. She hesitated for a moment then turned to walk.

"Allah Hafiz, mama. Allah Hafiz, baba." Zara said as she made her way towards the train.

This is going to be good...

For those of you who don't know what ulloo means, well it means owl in Urdu lol.