Chapter 9: Hogwarts Express
Chapter 9 –
If there is ever a city that reads like an epic saga, it's London. Nathan could confirm the authenticity of that statement as his mum drove him past Kensington Palace, on their way to King's Cross station. It had taken them over three hours in their Old Aston Martin to reach London City, and they'd stayed overnight at the hotel by Kensington Palace.
Jolene was weaving her way through London traffic attracting swiveling heads of motorists and pedestrians alike, all exerting effort to admire the beautiful vehicle that she was currently driving, in order to arrive at Kings Cross station.
In truth, she was feeling a heavy sense of trepidation for her son, who was going away for the very first time, and she couldn't push away the feeling of sorrow that gnawed at her heart. But she'd bear it. For her son, she'd bear it. It was an eventuality either way, if not now, a few years into the future, he'd have gone on his adventures trying to make a place for himself in life.
Glancing at the passenger seat, on which Nathan was seated, she can't help but admire the sharp mind and smart intellect that he's shown throughout the years. And even now, he shows that his natural understanding of concepts is far beyond her repertoire of knowledge. Both in science and in magic.
"Mum! Look we've arrived at King's Cross! Remember mum, we have to go to Platform nine and three-quarters, so I assume that it's a magical platform, you would have to let me guide you till there." He babbled on excitedly, and she just smiled fondly at him, blinking away the tears that were already threatening to fall, from her eyes. But she'd stay strong, she will send him away to Hogwarts with a smile on her face, the waterworks can wait till she's back at The Abode.
Walking through the busy crowds of King's Cross station, Jolene was careful to hide her glances of Nathan that she'd been taking, knowing she'd be seeing him again a few months in the future. He was guiding her towards the platform from where the Hogwarts express was bound to depart for Scotland, taking all the students that were to attend the magical school with it. It will also be taking a little portion of her heart with it too.
oOOOOOOOOOo
Making his way through the enchanted barrier between Platform nine and ten, after giving his mum a final goodbye hug and a kiss on the cheek, Nathan adjusted Edna's cage in his right hand. His trunk was inside his trouser pocket, and the only other thing he was carrying with him, was the mokeskin pouch around his belt.
A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Nathan looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.
"Well, what do you know, A steam train!" a boy said, stopping next to Nathan to admire the engine.
"Brilliant, isn't it?" Nathan said, before turning to the newcomer and sticking his hand out. "I'm Frye. Nathan Frye."
The boy grinned and shook the hand. "Jeremy Michaels, at your service," he said with a tiny smile as if he were playing up being posh. "And really, a James Bond joke!" he deflated.
"It had to be done. It was the perfect opening." Nathan explained with a deep nod of his head.
Jeremy just shook his head and bound up on the train.
The carriages were mostly full, and Nathan and Jeremy, who had decided to stick together for the journey, found a compartment that was occupied by an older girl, who had yellow hair.
Shrugging noncommittally at Jeremy, Nathan knocked and entered the compartment.
"Hi! Most other compartments are full, may we sit here? I am Nathan, by the way, and this is Jeremy." Nathan asked politely, introducing himself and his new friend.
The girl had a bright, and dare he say, a mischievous smile on her face. "Sure, kiddies. Come right in."
Nathan nodded, a little weirded out by the mischievous lilt to her tone, but nevertheless set about helping unload his trunk on the shelf above the seats.
As soon as he sat back down and turned to sit, in his seat, however, dread filled his bones and he and his friend screamed at the top of their lungs, for in the place of the face of the girl they'd met was a lion's jaw that was inches away from their faces.
The lion's jaw morphed back into the face of the girl, this time with bright blue hair and she was rolling in her seat with laughter. "Hahaha! You should have seen your faces; your reactions were priceless! Tonks, Prankster extraordinaire and fourth year, delighted to meet you both." She finally, introduced herself.
Calming his nerves down a little, Nathan looked at Jeremy who was in a similar situation as himself.
Jeremy finally asked aloud, "How did you do that, that was so cool! Can you teach us!? Oh, and I am Jeremy Michaels"
Shaking her head, "I'm sorry kiddo, this bit is my specialty, I'm a metamorphmagus you see, I can shapeshift at will!"
While Jeremy's face showed awe, Nathan, however, decided to retaliate at her with a prank of his own, he discreetly plastered a charmed version of Kick Me behind her school robes, in a way she'd not notice but to everyone else, it'll be a bright neon invitation to kick her, literally, and he also decided to tie her shoelaces together for whenever she got up to change into robes.
Plastering a pleasant smile on his face, he continued chatting, "Oh and I am Nathan Frye, First Year, future Prankster King, of Hogwarts!"
"Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you? For a future prankster king, you sure haven't done anything significant yet."
"Oh, don't worry, they'll happen, I'm still getting a little acquainted with this magic business is all," Nathan replied easily, not alluding to his ongoing prank at all.
The conversation devolved from there, with Nathan regaling tales of The Abode to his companions, while Tonks easily filled them up on the gaps in the knowledge they already had about Hogwarts. Midway they'd bought some of the candies that the lady, who pushed the Candy filled trolly to each compartment, sold.
"Is it true the headmaster has a Pheonix?" Jeremy had asked,
"I wouldn't know, never really got caught doing anything to be called to the old man's office." She replied.
"Aww, man! I'd love to go and meet the bird!" Jeremy exclaimed.
"Well, you only need to get caught doing something big enough to be called there, and I suppose with Nathan's promise of amateur pranking -"
"Hey!"
"-already by your side, you'll be up there in no time!" She finished, with a challenging smirk at Nathan.
"Oh! It's on miss Prankster Queen! Just you wait!" Nathan promised her vengeance.
"And I'll be looking forward to it!"
The conversation then continued, until the sky outside had turned dark, and they got ready to change to their robes. The first thing that happened to Tonks as soon as she stepped outside of the compartment with Nathan, giving Jeremy the first chance to get changed, she tripped on her shoelaces and fell face first, on the floor.
"And there she goes again, seriously Nymphadora, you need to get your clumsiness under control" A girl from the compartment next to theirs called out.
"Don't Call Me That!" She glared at the girl, instantly cowering her, and then Tonks whirled around over to face Nathan "And you!" she pointed her finger at Nathan "The game is on. You should watch your back if I were you."
'Oh Tonks, wrong choice of words there' he delighted internally.
Nathan let Tonks have the next chance at getting changed into robes, partially to give her a moment of solace, away from the detractors enjoying her situation, and partially to be locked inside of the compartment when the others around them read the note on her back.
He quickly explained what happened to Jeremy who failed to control his giggles at her plight.
"You know, you two remind me of my little brothers so much, they'll be joining Hogwarts two years from now, and to think you got Tonks, on the first day even. I'm Charlie Weasley, sixth year and the one looking at you with hidden amusement over there is my elder brother Bill" the red-headed boy who'd been watching the proceedings from two compartments down the aisle introduced himself. He leaned forward conspiratorially "pssst, he's head boy, so he's just hiding his amusement at the moment, had it been last year, he'd have joined in this private little war of yours. Beside him, his little Percy, he is in second year, don't mind him much, he's just acting all disappointed, but he also enjoys a little fun, every now and then."
Inwardly Nathan was delighted at having met so many name characters from the series, before having stepped foot in Hogwarts, but he reigned in his emotions, and focused on Percy for a moment, he could not see any signs of his rat on a cursory glance and decided to look for him later. He introduced himself and Jeremy, waving at Bill too, and said "Well, she got us first actually, turned her head into a lion, she did. Scared the crap out of us."
"Aye! That's what she does, hang around her more often and you'll know most of the secrets of Hogwarts, while having loads of fun pranking around, in no time." Charlie advised.
It was then Tonks made her way out of the compartment, having changed into her robes, she tried applying a tripping jinx on Nathan while he was on his way into the compartment, to get back at him for the tied shoelaces earlier but missed when he jumped, having expected it.
As soon as she noticed the door had closed, she felt something hard and flat hit her on her back, and she moved forward a few steps. Turning around, frowning, she saw that she'd been hit by a red shoe of all things, ones that were an exact replica of Nathan's own. And she also noticed the students around her were laughing and pointing at her, or at her back. Groaning at the realization, she voiced out "There's a kick me sign on my back, isn't there?"
At Charlie and Jeremy's confirmatory nod, she yelled out "DAMN YOU, NATHAN!"
Everyone around her just started laughing, and in no time, she was laughing at the situation too. To be fair, it was pretty neat of him to have gotten one up on her, she'll have to up her game around him.
oOOOOOOOOOOo
A voice soon filled the compartment, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." And the trio knew that it was time to prepare to set their sights on Hogwarts, for the first time.
Nathan opened Edna's cage and instructed her to find the school Owlery, giving her a few pieces of Bacon for behaving marvelously throughout the journey.
Tonks had already said her goodbyes to them and wished them both to join Hufflepuff if it was possible and she'd done ahead and joined Charlie, Bill and Percy, who didn't have a pet rat, and her friends on the other pathway to Hogwarts, which went close to the nearby village and was traversed by self-moving carriages.
Alighting the train, Nathan and Jeremy were soon mixed with the gaggle of first-year students, most showing varying signs of nervousness and anxiety.
They were all greeted by the largest, most hairiest man Nathan had ever seen, who he recognized to be Rubeus Hagrid. He was no shorter than thirteen feet, he was carrying a single bright lantern, and he was waving at the group of first-year students, that had bunched together at the station.
"Firs' years! Over here! Firs' years, follow me this way!" his voice boomed throughout the station.
As if at once, the entire gaggle of Students bound their way over to the Giant, keeping a few feet away from him, due to the natural fear of the gentle giant.
Hagrid led the students, down the station towards the lake, where the boats were waiting for them by the docks.
"No more, 'an four to a boat" Hagrid's voice boomed again.
Nathan and Jeremy got into a boat and helped the next soon-to-be occupants of the boat, which happened to be a round-faced brunette, accompanying another auburn-haired, sharp-eyed girl.
"Thanks!" They acknowledge shyly.
"You're welcome, I am Nathan Frye, this is Jeremy Michaels." Nathan introduced himself, while they waited for the other boats to fill up with the students.
"I am Carlisle Sharpe," the brunette introduced herself "and this is Mary-Anne Webster, it's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too," Nathan replied. "You might want to hold the guard railings a little tighter there, the boat could rock while on the lake." He advised.
Carlisle nodded, tightening her grip, and shifted inwards the boat, an action that was easily reciprocated by Mary-Anne.
Soon, all the students were on the boats and Hagrid let boats row, yelling "Forward!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass.
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
A loud smattering of "Ooohs" was heard alongside the calmy flowing water in the lake, as everyone feasted their eyes on the magnificent castle.
Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
Quickly alighting the boats, in the harbor they followed Hagrid through a pathway that led up into the castle's huge Oak front doors.
Hagrid clambered down to the door and knocked on it three times,
The door opened and Minerva McGonagall was standing there, her posture as prim and proper as Nathan remembered it to be.
"The Firs' years, Professor McGonagall" Hagrid pointed out.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take it from here."
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