https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-5-Wand-and-the-Emporium-s-First-Customer-Revised-/13453181/
Chapter 6: The Journey Begins at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
Chapter 6: The Journey Begins at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
The next morning, Liam's family got up early to pack. After breakfast, Lambert and Sally put on their coats to go out.
After loading the luggage, the three of them got into the car. Liam looked at Sally in the passenger seat and asked in surprise, "Mom, aren't you supposed to go to work today?"
"Since this is the first time you're leaving home to study at a boarding school, I took the day off to see you off", Mrs. Sally smiled.
It was a bit congested on the roads because it was Sunday, so they arrived at King's Cross Station around 10:15.
Following Mr. Arthur's instructions, they made their way to the area between Platforms Nine and Ten.
When they got there, Liam noticed there were several columns, and they had no idea which one led to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
They couldn't just start banging into each one; that would be too silly.
Fortunately, the train wasn't due to leave for another half hour, so they had plenty of time to find the platform.
After about five minutes, as everyone started to get a bit anxious, a hesitant voice came from nearby.
"I'll remember to write a letter every week and have an Owl deliver it to you."
"I hope you don't forget, Neville", an elderly woman sighed.
Liam's eyes lit up as he turned to look. He saw a stern-looking old lady and a round-faced boy, both wearing black robes that stood out from the crowd, pushing a luggage trolley toward them.
Liam tugged on Mr. Lambert's sleeve and followed them, pushing his own trolley.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm a new student at Hogwarts. I need to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, but I don't know where it is."
"A Muggle-born student?" The old lady smiled and pointed to the boy beside her. "My grandson Neville is also a first-year student this year. It seems you're both new here." She then turned to the two boys and said, "Just walk straight toward the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten. Don't stop, don't be afraid, and keep going straight through. If you're nervous, you can run."
Then, the old lady turned to Liam's family. "Muggles can't enter that platform, so you'll have to say goodbye here. Don't worry; I'll see the boys in."
After hugging his parents and comforting his mother, whose eyes were starting to well up, Liam pushed his trolley toward the barrier. As he approached the wall, he closed his eyes in anticipation of a collision.
But the expected impact never came. He continued pushing the trolley forward. When he opened his eyes, he saw a deep red steam engine parked on a platform crowded with travelers. A sign on the train read: Hogwarts Express, Departs at 11:00.
Steam filled the platform, and in the white mist, the calls of Owls and the chatter of people could be heard. Cats of all colors darted around people's feet.
Soon, Neville and his grandmother also entered the platform. The first few carriages were already full of people. The old lady led the two boys to an empty compartment near the middle of the train.
After Liam and Neville boarded, Mrs. Longbottom used a Levitation Charm to stow their luggage. After giving Neville some final instructions, she slowly disappeared into the white mist.
"Your grandmother seems a bit strict, but she clearly loves you", Liam said to Neville.
"Maybe, but I'm still a bit scared of her."
A whistle blew, and the train started moving. Liam watched as trees and houses flashed by the window, feeling a surge of excitement. He knew that this time, he wasn't just an observer in a legend but a participant in the story.
Since Neville was a bit shy, they fell into an awkward silence after introducing themselves. Just as the silence became uncomfortable, Liam noticed a large toad, about the size of an adult's hand, trying to squeeze through the door.
Liam immediately lunged forward and caught the toad. Neville looked surprised and said, "I put Trevor in my bag, how did he get out again?"
Using the toad as a conversation starter, the two of them began to chat. As they talked, they discovered they had quite a few things in common. For example, they were both only children and neither had been raised by their biological parents. However, the people who raised them loved them very much.
Just as they were chatting animatedly, the compartment door slid open. A brown-haired girl poked her head in and asked, “Is there room here… Liam, you’re here.”
It turned out to be Hermione Granger. She had boarded the train a bit late and couldn’t find a seat in the front carriages.
After introducing themselves, Hermione curiously asked Neville, “You come from a pure-blood family, so you must know a lot of magic, unlike us who can only learn a little bit before school starts.”
“No, that’s not the case,” Neville replied. “My grandmother didn’t let me touch a wand until I was 11. They always thought that kids using wands too early could lead to bad things. I can’t even cast a single spell right now. I feel like I’m just too stupid.”
“No, that’s not true,” Hermione and Liam said in unison. Hermione gestured for Liam to speak. Liam cleared his throat and said, “Thinking of yourself that way is incorrect. I believe that your lack of confidence and external pressure have affected your learning. If you can create a reasonable plan and stick to it, practicing diligently, you should see improvement, even in magic.”
Liam then pointed at Hermione, “I go to the same school as her, and her academic talent is actually much better than mine. But through a good study plan and consistent practice, I managed to do better on the final exams. So, keep working hard, and you’ll definitely do well. Once we get to school, I’m sure we can help each other and improve our studies together.”
After giving Neville a pep talk, he looked a bit better. The three of them started sharing their experiences and observations.
Liam observed Hermione and noticed that she didn’t seem as proud and aloof as she did in the original story. Liam thought this might be because, in the original story, Hermione came to the magical world alone. For an 11-year-old girl, leaving a familiar environment and people for a completely new place would naturally make her feel lonely and scared. Using arrogance as a shield was probably inevitable.
At noon, the three of them bought some snacks from the witch selling food on the train. After filling their stomachs, Liam, who had woken up early and was excited, felt a wave of drowsiness and fell asleep leaning against the seat.
When he woke up, he saw that the sun was almost setting, and they must be close to the school. Liam noticed that Hermione and Neville were both dozing off, so he gently shook them awake.
After that, the three of them took turns changing into their school uniforms in the compartment. The train slowed down, indicating they were almost there.
“Five minutes to Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on the train; we’ll take it to the school for you,” a voice echoed through the train.
It seemed they wouldn’t have to drag their heavy trunks themselves—what a relief.
Is this the magical world? Liam, though he had lived two lives, still felt extremely nervous. His stomach felt like it was doing somersaults.
He turned and saw Hermione nervously scratching her hair, while Neville’s face was turning pale.
The train slowly came to a stop, and the door opened. The three of them jumped off and found themselves on a small platform crowded with students.
Suddenly, a chime sounded in Liam’s head.
—Due to the Shopkeeper’s influence, the Chosen Trio did not meet on the train, earning 1 Deviation Point.
What? Liam stared at the System message in disbelief. This meant that to earn more Deviation Points, he would have to stir up some trouble at Hogwarts. It looked like his life at Hogwarts wouldn’t be as peaceful as he’d hoped.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
