Lily Flower

Chapter Two - King's Cross Station

I had packed my trunk the night before in anticipation of this moment, so I hurriedly got dressed, and ran downstairs like a child on rushing Christmas morning- not that I'd ever experienced something like that.

As per usual, McGonagall had already gotten up and had my breakfast ready for me. Many a time had she tried to feed me more than I could eat on account of many size... or rather, lack thereof. I rolled my eyes at the memory.

After me rushing around getting ready to go, and McGonagall being exasperatingly slow, we finally arrived at King's Cross at around 10:30 a.m.

McGonagall left me soon after, claiming she had things to attend to, though I'm sure she really just wanted to be rid of me after having had to babysit me for month. I couldn't really blame her, either.

When she was out of sight, I looked what she had pressed into my hand before leaving; it was my ticket.

       Hogwarts Express
       Platform 9 ¾
      11:00 a.m.

9 ¾??? Leave it to the wizarding community to make finding where you are supposed to go as hard as possible, I thought as I pushed my heavily-laden trolley in the approximate direction.

When I reached the space between platforms nine and ten, I stood there puzzling over the situation. The entrance had to be somewhere between nine and ten, but where?

If I were in charge of crafting the entrance, I would put it somewhere a Muggle wouldn't imagine something out-of-the-ordinary being. Something physical, like the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron. Somewhere like-

At that moment, a family of redheads came bustling up. The woman, who could only be the mother, said, "Now, Percy, you go first."

'Percy' gave a quick nod, ran towards the column bearing the platform ten sign, and...disappeared.

I felt a smile spread over my face. Somewhere like the column, I thought.

"And, Fred, you next," the mother said, gesturing to one of the other boys.

"I'm George," he protested.

"Honestly, woman, and you call yourself our mother," said his... I cocked my head... identical twin. The twins shook their heads disparagingly.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. George, off you go."

Just before 'George' hit the barrier, he turned back with a cheeky smile, said, "Just kidding, I am Fred," and vanished.

I fought back a laugh. After all, people don't generally take well to being spied upon by strangers, and I didn't want to draw attention to myself.

After the real George went through, the boys' mother was ready to send yet another ginger-haired boy through, when a black-haired boy approached her hesitantly. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him.

"E-excuse me. How do you... um."

"Get through the barrier?" The boy nodded. "It's Ron's first time, too," the mother continued, gesturing to the boy beside her. "You just walk straight into it. Best to do it at a run, if you're nervous."

The boy nodded his understanding and watched as Ron ran through the barrier. Once he had vanished, the black-haired boy ran with his trolley.

I waited a few moments more for the mother and only daughter to go through as well.

Once they had gone, I wheeled my trolley up to the barrier, slowly gaining speed. I closed my eyes just before reaching the barrier, and it struck me that the black-haired boy was the same one as in Diagon Alley.