Not Just Our Story

Chapter 10: A Way Back to Hogwarts

September 1, 1992

Harriet Potter

CRASH!

"What in the blazes d'you think you're doing?"

"Sorry! Lost control of the trolley," I gasped, clutching my ribs as I ran to get Hedwig who was on the shiny floor, screeching in her cage. "Sorry, Hedwig!" If she could talk like a human, she'd definitely say a lot of curse words right now. I let her out to calm her down. She flew out of her cage and went on with her cursing, yelling at the staring passersby. She gave me a disgruntled look before glaring at the barrier.

"We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered as he returned his trunk to his trolley. "I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself." 

I looked up at the giant clock and panic threatened to strangle me. I placed Hedwig's cage on top of my trunk and wheeled my trolley forward until it was right against the barrier, pushing with all my might. The metal remained solid.

"It's gone," said Ron, sounding stunned. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us? Do you still have enough Muggle money?"

"Not enough to get us all the way to Hogwarts," I replied. I spent most of it on a pair of glasses---with the same style to keep anyone from noticing it's new. 

Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier. "Can't hear a thing. What're we going to do? I don't know how long it'll take Mum and Dad to get back to us." We looked around. People were still watching us, and Hedwig screeched at them to mind their own business. Unfortunately, that only made them stare some more.

"I think we'd better go and wait by the car. We're attracting too much atten---"

"Harry!" Ron's eyes gleamed. "The car!"

"What about it?"

"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"

"What?"

"We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency---"

"Keep your voice down, Ron," I told him. "And what about your mum and dad? How will they get home?"

"They don't need the car!" he said impatiently. "They know how to Apparate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home! They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we're all underage and we're not allowed to Apparate yet...."

"Can't we just let Hedwig send a letter explaining our predicament?"

"That'll take too long!"

"You want a quicker, safer way? Don't fly the car. If you want a shortcut to Hogwarts---" I stopped, remembering something. "Wait... there is a shortcut..."

"What? Tell me!"

"The Vanishing Cabinet at Borgin and Burkes. That's in Knockturn Alley. Ron, can you drive the car in the street? Without flying?"

"Er... not really..."

"Guess we need to call a black cab, then. We can't drag our luggage the whole way. It's either that or... Ron, does the magical community have some sort of public transportation? Something like a car? Or a bus?"

"A bus!" Ron exclaimed. "The Knight Bus! Of course, why didn't I think of that?"

"So... will it take us to the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Better yet, it can take us straight to Hogwarts!"

"Really?"

"Yes! C'mon, let's go!" We wheeled our trolleys around to face the exit. We marched off through the crowd of curious Muggles with Hedwig flying over us, out of the station and back onto the side road where the old Ford Anglia was parked.