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KING'S CROSS STATION was flocked with people at only ten thirty o'clock in the morning.
Valerie Grindelwald stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to see over the crowd, which unfortunately proved impossible when her height was taken into account. She had been waiting by the entrance for half an hour, as per her agreement with Harry and Hagrid.
Instead of being picked up by the gamekeeper like last time, she was escorted to the station by a group of Nurmengard guards.
"You're blocking the way!" someone yelled, forcing her to push her trunk toward the station alone.
Valerie glanced at Harriet, her scope owl who had been noisily hooting ever since she had been put in her cage. Over the past few weeks, she learned that the owl liked to fly about, but would always come back to her at the end of the day.
"Platform nine and three-quarters?" she asked, to no one in particular after making her way in between platforms nine and ten.
A hopeful look was on her face as she turned around, fading away when she realised neither Harry nor Hagrid were there.
"Don't slouch, Draco." she heard, turning to a man clad in all black, spitting out demands to a boy presumably his son.
Merlin, his hair's longer than mine. Valerie thought.
"Yes, father." the blonde-haired boy nodded grimly, before literally running into the brick wall.
Valerie furrowed her eyebrows at the sight, watching as the man followed soon after, simply walking into the wall, cane in hand. She shrugged at Harriet, and with quick strides ended up on the other side of the platform.
The Hogwarts Express, it read. Valerie barely had the time to gawk at the sign before someone nearly ran into her through the portal.
"Sorry!" the girl cried, before trudging away like nothing happened.
"Bloody safety hazard." Valerie murmured under her breath, pushing her trolley toward the man loading trunks into the cargo section.
"See ya, Harriet." she smiled at the owl, before handing her cage over and boarding the train.
Valerie walked through the narrow corridors, trying to find an empty compartment. She passed by a group of girls who had narrowed their eyes at her, whispering to themselves causing her to roll her eyes at them before moving on.
Finally discovering one unoccupied, she took a seat by the window, looking out at the parents bidding their children goodbye. Guilt surged through her, she hadn't given her grandfather a proper farewell. Then again, she contemplated whether or not he deserved one. Lying to her about her parents was one thing, but lying to her about himself was another.
