The Three Women of Platform 9 3/4
Kings Cross Station
London, England
1st September 1973
When the first of September did roll around, it was an unseasonably warm day, and it seemed as if the heat had brought everyone and their dog out into London, making Kings Cross even busier than usual.
Lily had unluckily found herself swamped by the chaotic crowds, needing to carefully navigate and manoeuvre herself and her packed trolley so as to not injure herself, anyone else or her beloved pet cat Truffle. Huffing loudly, cursing internally at the humidity, Lily unfortunately did not see the group of people heading right her way.
“Oh no!” she yelped, feeling herself get slammed into her right side. Yet none of the people responsible stopped to look or help Lily, they were more focused on getting on their train as if they were a stampede of blind and deaf bulls.
Luckily, Mr. Evans was there to help his daughter up, leaping into action and pulling Lily up to her feet again. “Up you get sweetpea!” said Mr. Evans. As he helped her steady herself, Lily's father brushed off her arms and checked for any bumps or scrapes. Mrs. Evans stood close by, looking quite worried with her painted lips pursed.
“Oh are you okay, bud?” asked Mrs. Evans to her daughter, as she pulled out a pristine cream handkerchief and held it out to her daughter “Is she okay, John?” she repeated, now directed to her husband.
Lily nodded, taking the handkerchief from her mum and wiping her left eye a bit. “I’m okay, Mum,” replied Lily, knowing her mum would be worrying herself into a rabbit hole of anxiety quite soon. “Just got a shock from the bump.”
Mrs. Evans exhaled a deep breath at her daughter’s words, but she still didn’t seem quite convinced that Lily was alright. “So would anyone else, those rowdy tourists! And not one of them bothered to help you either,” she stated, glaring over at the train where the group had clambered on to. “You’re lucky, you could’ve been easily hurt!”
“Lily is quite fine, dear,” said Mr. Evans to his wife, rubbing her shoulder. Mrs. Evans took yet another deep breath in and out at his words, as if trying to internalise them. Lily’s father glanced down at his wristwatch and his green eyes popped in surprise. “Now we really need to get to the special platform, we don’t want Lily missing her train!”
Mrs. Evans gasped, her soft blond curls shaking slightly as she grasped her daughter’s arm with a perfectly manicured hand. “Goodness, we do need to hurry ourselves along! I’ll complain to the high heavens if those tourists make our baby miss her train,” she exclaimed, pulling Lily along hurriedly. Mr. Evans followed the two of them, pushing the trolley with much more ease through the crowds. Glancing back, Lily wondered if her dad’s height was a factor. He was quite tall.
“It’s okay, Mum, we’ve got plenty of time!” reassured Lily as they reached the entryway to Platform 9 ¾. Mrs. Evans shook her head again.
“No, we have to make sure you have a nice safe compartment for the journey with your friends!” replied Mrs. Evans to her daughter, before turning around to face her husband. “Did you remember to pack Lily’s lunch, love?”
Mr. Evans nodded with a chuckle. “Yes, now you’re worrying too much, dear,” remarked Mr. Evans, rubbing his wife on the arm and smiling warmly as she smiled back. “Are egg sandwiches and vegetable soup good for you, sweetpea?” he directed towards Lily.
“They’re good, thank you Dad!" replied Lily. She quite enjoyed egg sandwiches, and she loved a flask of homemade soup too. “I can get some pumpkin juice on the train if I’m thirsty.” she added, looking up at her parents. Mrs. Evans grimaced, making Mr. Evans and Lily both chuckle.
“Oh shush you two, the thought of anything pumpkin flavoured makes me feel quite queasy,” she chuckled. “Now lets get through this wall before us, we don’t want to keep anyone waiting or have anyone watching.”
Sandwiched between her two parents, Lily took a quick sprint right at the wall between platforms nine and ten. To any Muggle passerby, if they bothered to pay attention, that is, they would see the family of three literally run through the bricks and absolutely disappear into thin air. The entrance was visible to the Muggle eye. Lily’s parents only saw it when she was with them.
Instantly, Lily and her parents found themselves on the wizarding platform and standing before the majestic Hogwarts Express. Dark steam billowed from the locomotive’s chimney, engulfing the platform’s patrons and making it seem as if they were mere shadowy ghosts with voices carrying through it all. Mr. Evans coughed loudly, scowling slightly at the old steam train. “It’s definitely not the healthiest option, all this steam and soot,” he said, pushing Lily’s trunk for her. “Can you imagine what this is doing to people’s lungs? Imagine if you had asthma!”
Lily turned to face her father, smiling. “Dad, only Muggles get asthma,” she stated. “It might be magical coal being used too, a healthier version?”
Mr. Evans hummed with interest, but he didn’t get the chance to respond as Mrs. Evans piped up at that very moment.
“Oh look you two, there is an empty compartment!” exclaimed Mrs. Evans, “Hurry now, Lily, it’s in carriage five!” she added, pushing Lily forward to get there before anyone could get it.
“I’ll bring your luggage and Truffle. Don’t worry, sweetpea!” said Mr. Evans and Lily went to grab a bag as she passed and with that, Lily hurried onto the train in search of the compartment.
There was already a good number of students piling into the train, with many excitedly chatting with friends and some frightened looking ones who Lily wondered if they were first year students. As she opened up the rattily compartment door, she felt odd thinking back to her first journey to Hogwarts as now here she was about to start her third year there. It seemed as though Lily’s dad was close behind, as he clambered in not long after with her heavy Hogwarts trunk.
“Where do you want this placed then, sweetpea?” asked Mr. Evans as he held up the leather trunk. Lily pointed up at the overhead storage area and effortlessly, Mr. Evans slipped the trunk up and locked it in place.
“Is Mum outside with Truffle?” asked Lily. Mr. Evans nodded as he fixed his skewed tie. “You stay here, Dad. I’ll bring in Truffle, and then you can come back in with the other bits and pieces with Mum.”
“Great idea, I can have a breather for now then,” chuckled Mr. Evans, running his hand through his greying hair. “A nice sit down, and then back up at it, right?”
“Yeah, back up and fighting fit as you say Dad,” giggled Lily as she slipped out the compartment and back out of the train. However, when Lily reached her mum, she found that she was in fact not alone.
Lily observed two women standing beside Mrs. Evans. One was not unlike Mrs. Evans in impeccable dress but with much lighter hair tightly bound in a bun compared to her mum’s soft blonde curls, while the other was shorter but dressed in pristine robes of a magnificent magenta colour. As she came closer to her mum, Lily’s face turned to one of surprise and excitement as she did in fact recognise the two.
“Mrs. McKinnon and Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin! How lovely to see you,” said Lily happily as she slid along to stand at the side of her mum. Both witches beamed back at her, as they were the mothers of two of Lily’s best friends, Marlene McKinnon and Alice Kyteler-Lufkin.
“Likewise to see you too, Lily,” smiled Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin warmly. “Tatiana and I were just talking with your mother about the exploits you girls got up to this summer!”
Mrs. Evans nodded, looking at her daughter. “You never told me you were such a wonderful flier, bud! Beatrice says that Alice wants you to try out for the house team,” she told her daughter. Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin and Mrs. McKinnon also nodded enthusiastically.
Lily blushed furiously, her pale cheeks turning dusty pink at their words. “Oh I’m not that good, I just like it for fun,” stated Lily to the adults. It was true, she did prefer to play Quidditch for fun and to fly for fun and to watch the games. But she didn’t see herself as actually ever participating in a proper competitive game. “Marlene is much better!”
The three witches laughed like mothers do and Mrs. McKinnon took hold of Lily’s hand suddenly. Her silvery blue eyes, much unlike her daughter’s own, seemed to focus on Lily with an intense sense as if she was trying to read her thoughts or something. “Marlene is quite wonderful herself, but dear Lily, it’s a game that quite frankly needs more women playing than watching,” said Mrs. McKinnon.
“Quite right, Tatiana!” chirped Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin.
Lily sighed, still blushing. “Okay, perhaps I can think about trying out,” she stated, looking at her mother and the mothers of her friends. “I mean Gryffindor is already the best of course, why fuss with perfection?” Mrs. McKinnon laughed out loud, and it seemed to pierce the surrounding air with its echo.
It was then, as if she had somehow Apparated herself to that point, that Marlene McKinnon did appear. She was the spitting image of her mother, with the same kind face and striking hair, and Lily noticed that her friend seemed out of breath.
“Oh, thank Hecate that I found you Matka,” exclaimed Marlene as she leapt over to join the four. Mrs. McKinnon looked worriedly at her youngest child.
“Whatever is the problem, Lene?” asked Mrs. McKinnon as Lily watched curiously alongside her mother and Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin. “I did tell your father that I was walking down to the other end to find a compartment for you.”
Marlene leaned her head sideways. “Yeah but now Zanne is arguing with father about some boy, and I can’t get them to stop!” she stated seriously, and Lily gasped silently. Suzanne was Marlene’s older sister, affectionately called Zanne by her family. She reckoned Mr. McKinnon must be quite unhappy about Suzanne’s boyfriend to be arguing with her. He was always a very mellow person, Lily felt, and this summer he had been very fun and enigmatic too.
Mrs. McKinnon sighed, her eyes focusing now on the billowing steam wafting down from the train. “Well it seems like I am needed elsewhere, it was lovely to see you all again,” she told Lily, Mrs Evans and Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin.
Marlene smiled at her friend. “What compartment are you in, Lily?” she asked quickly.
“It’s in carriage five,” replied Lily, and Marlene nodded before hurrying off into the crowd behind her mother. Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin also smiled politely.
“I should go find my husband and daughter, and I’ll make sure that Alice finds her way to you and Marlene too,” she said, brushing her strawberry blonde hair off her shoulders.
Mrs. Evans nodded and shook Alice’s mother’s hand. “Do keep in touch, Tatiana as well! It’s such a great gift to have met you two through our daughters,” she smiled, and Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin agreed.
“You’re quite right, such a wonderful chance for us all!”
Then, with a loud pop, so too did Mrs. Kyteler-Lufkin disappear. Mrs. Evans gasped at the sudden sound. It sounded as if a car had backfired right in front of her.
“Your dad will be wondering where on earth we’ve got to!” chuckled Mrs. Evans as she began to lift Lily’s belongings into her arms. Lily nodded as she picked up her handbag and Truffle’s carrier. The cat inside meowed loudly, as if annoyed by the inconvenience caused.
“If we know dad, he’s probably dozed off by now!”