Chapter 9: Platform Nine And Three-quarters
In the early morning, Mrs. Weasley’s roar echoed through The Burrow.
“Percy! Percy! Where are your robes and cauldron? And what’s with all these letters packed in a bag? Clean them up for me!”
“Fred! George! How many times do I have to say it! No strange candy allowed at school, get rid of it all!”
“Ron! Still sleeping at this hour! Get up, double-check your luggage, and if I don’t see you down in five minutes, I’ll throw you in the pond and lock you in the cellar, and you can forget about going to Hogwarts!”
“Merlin’s Beard, one day you’ll all be the death of me!”
“You should really learn from Vaughn. He packed his things two days ago, and not only brought all his school supplies, but also a bunch of potions and materials. He worked so hard…”
Molly wiped her eyes, then saw something and furiously waved her wand: “Scabbers, come!”
A squeaking fat rat flew in from outside the door, was grabbed by her strong hand, and its legs stiffened with a squeak.
“Ronald Weasley! Where exactly are your eyes? Can’t even keep track of your own rat… Oh, Guo Guo Cha my dear, if I hadn’t seen you chasing it, it almost would have gotten away. Come here, Mummy has dried fish for you~”
“Meow~”
The chaotic scene continued for over two hours. After Molly’s repeated checks, she confirmed everyone had their belongings, and the sound of a car honking came from outside.
Molly took the lead, carrying Vaughn’s box of potion ingredients, with her sons following behind.
Stepping outside, they saw a car parked in the open space in front of the house. Arthur Weasley stood by the car, proudly patting its roof: “Hurry up and get in, children! Father is taking you to the station the Muggle way today!”
A normal car, of course, couldn’t fit so many people, but as a wizard, even working in the Department for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, you couldn’t expect Arthur to be strictly by the book.
Next to The Burrow was a shed, specifically for parking it. Arthur had spent the entire summer trying to magically modify it, and occasionally Vaughn, Fred, and George would help him when they were bored.
The car’s passenger compartment and trunk had been enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm, making them incredibly spacious inside.
Arthur had even tried to make it fly, but it wasn’t finished yet.
The family loaded their luggage into the spacious trunk and got into the car in a rush. Molly’s shouting didn’t stop for a moment – the mischievous Fred and George were bickering, their mother had thrown away their letters, Percy was sulking, and Ron was clutching Scabbers, kicking his legs, and yelling at Guo Guo Cha to go away.
You could hear them getting their ears twisted by Molly almost every moment, and their yelps of pain.
Arthur ignored it all.
He enthusiastically twisted the key, starting the car while looking at the instruction manual and the map.
Vaughn sat in the passenger seat, looking speechless.
“Dad, do you even know how to drive?”
“Of course, of course I do, I’ve practiced for at least 3 days… Oh, Vaughn, can you help Dad figure out what this means? Clutch? Gotta release it? Gear? How do I shift? Whoa! Incredible, these magical Muggles!”
Ten minutes later, the car had traveled less than 50 meters…
Utterly unable to bear it any longer, Vaughn kicked him out of the car, cast a Muggle Repelling Charm on it, and then got into the driver’s seat himself.
Although his son had taken away his fun, Arthur, with his childlike nature, didn’t mind at all.
“As expected of my son, the genius of the Weasley family! Dad knew you liked Muggle things too. Don’t worry, son, when you come back for the holidays, Dad will definitely learn how to drive it and take you for… what do Muggles say? Right! A drive!”
Vaughn rolled his eyes at him.
The car sped along. Thanks to the Muggle Repelling Charm, they weren’t stopped by the traffic police. However, by the time they reached King’s Cross Station, it was already 10:30. The family tumbled out of the car in a flurry and squeezed into the station, searching for Platform Nine and Three-Quarters amidst the dense crowd.
Percy, who had been in a terrible mood since his letters were thrown away, grumbled as he was jostled, “There are too many Muggles!”
“Silly child, this is a Muggle station, of course there are many Muggles.”
“There! The third pillar!” Ginny, sitting on her father’s shoulders, spotted it with her sharp eyes.
The family quickly squeezed over.
“Percy, you go first… Very good, Fred, your turn!”
“I’m George, Mum!”
“Oh – sorry, darling, Mum mistook you.”
The twins grinned mischievously. “George” playfully nuzzled his mother’s face. “Actually, I’m Fred, haha—”
He pushed the trolley and charged through, laughing all the way.
Vaughn, following behind Molly and Arthur, looked around this oldest station in Britain.
It was his first time here, and honestly, he was a bit disappointed.
Perhaps because it was so old, all the facilities were very run-down, and many places were in disrepair. Only the grand archway retained a trace of its former glory.
Then, he caught sight of a furtive figure following them, pushing a trolley piled high with luggage and an owl cage.
It was a small boy, seemingly malnourished, short and thin, wearing a pair of broken glasses, and looking rather dazed and foolish.
Compared to him, Ron, the family’s punching bag, could be considered tall, sturdy, clever, and lively!
The boy also noticed Vaughn looking at him and stood frozen, looking flustered. He seemed to want to come closer but didn’t dare.
He nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead, revealing a lightning-bolt-shaped scar.
The moment he saw the scar, Vaughn knew who this silly boy was – Harry Potter!
The boy who lived, according to legend.
“Quick, Vaughn, you go in front of Ron… Oh—” Molly, who was turning back to call Vaughn, also noticed Harry Potter. Of course, his scar was covered by his hair again, so Molly didn’t recognize him.
But a lone child undoubtedly stirred Molly’s maternal instincts.
She quickly waved for Harry to come over: “Child, are you a new student this year too?”
“Yes… yes, Madam,” Harry said nervously, rubbing his hands on his trousers. “Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Madam, I don’t know where it is, or how to get through…”
“Don’t worry, child, look here. Between Platform Nine and Ten, the third pillar, there’s a ticket booth. Push your trolley straight through.”
Harry, dazed, followed her instructions. He closed his eyes, trembling, and charged towards the pillar as if walking to his death, then disappeared.
Vaughn followed behind, running, without any obstruction or sensation. Vaughn only felt a momentary dimming of his vision. When it brightened again, he saw a dark red steam locomotive parked next to a platform crowded with passengers.
A sign hanging on the train carriage read:
【Hogwarts Express】
