RAVENCLAW!

25. Back to School

When they arrived at Platform 9 ¾  Draco hurriedly said his goodbyes to his parents and
disappeared into the crowd. During the summer he had become more and more uneasy around his father. The man that he looked up to had most definitely changed a lot. Lucius almost never left his study and when he did he was either "getting business done" or complaining that he was wasting his time not doing exactly that. Of course Draco understood that his father's business was important.

'Business should
always be your first priority',
he'd been told.

But it was annoying
nonetheless and knowing that his father owned objects that he had to sell because they could get them into big trouble with the ministry – It was unsettling. Some days he told himself that he shouldn't be judging his own father's actions, but he cared too much not to. Draco was first in their usual carriage. Sitting down in a seat by the window, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Everything was fine now. Dobby would keep Potter off the train, so that idiot was safe. And he'd be back at Hogwarts soon. Out of his father's eyes and Nowhere in reach once again. Everything was as it should be.
Inhaling deeply for a last time, he opened his eyes and put on the mask. His friends should arrive at any moment now.

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They were late. Of course. Getting six kids all packed up and into the car was a huge mess. They were just about to leave when Fred ran back inside again to fetch some joke articles. He came back and Mr Weasley had already started the engine when Ginny shrieked, claiming she'd left her diary – her brothers teased her about that during the whole ride. After that they were finally able to go. They took the flying car, even though they didn't fly ("Molly, we'd be so much faster!" - "I said no, Arthur!"), but Mr Weasley had enlarged it on the inside so the eight of them would all fit without a problem.

One and a half hours later they were at the station, hasting down
platform 9.

"Go on, go on!",
panted Mrs Weasley,
"Fred, George, Percy! You three go first!"

And so they did. Then Mr and Mrs Weasley took Ginny through the barrier, leaving Ron and Harry to themselves. As their time was running out they decided to go together. They took up a lot of speed, the wall came closer and
closer and – CRASH!

Harry found himself lying on the floor, next to Ron and surrounded by their belongings. Hedwig was screeching in her cage, which was rolling dangerously close to the edge of platform 10.
Cursing, he jumped to his feet and hurried over to his dear owl, picking up the cage and holding onto it tightly. Only then he became aware of all those people, who had stopped and stared at them openly and judging. Harry cast a rash glance at Ron who was still groaning on the floor. Wrecking his brain for a credible explanation he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"I'm really sorry. We- we were
late and running to catch the train and then we lost control over our carts. We'll be more careful now."

Then he went to help Ron up, trying not to listen to exclaims of "animal cruelty" and "Where are their guardians?".

"Are you alright mate?"

"Yeah, sure."

But when he came up Harry did catch him wincing a little. He decided that could wait until later, though. First, to the problem at hand.

"What the hell was that?"

Ron pressed against the barrier with
his right shoulder, testing it. It didn't move a bit. "I don't know, mate. This is bloody scary!"

Harry nodded.
"Look, let's pick up our stuff. People are still staring."

He wanted to bend down to place Hedwig onto the cart when Ron grabbed his shoulder.