~1~
Hongjoong sighs for the nth time. His dad had been silently driving their car to the station for the past hour, he hadn't uttered a single word to Hongjoong since he started driving. The radio turned on loud, set on ignoring Hongjoong. Today will be his first day at Hogwats, he is excited to finally be gone from his family, as they've never been the best family, they are keen on ignoring him, as his hobbies and preferences don't align with theirs. They don't like that he expresses his own opinion, and they also, the most important one, don't like that he has magic.
Magic hadn't been in the family for a long time before Hongjoong came, the last known Kim to have had magic was his great-grandpa's grandma. Which was at least two centuries ago, longer even. Their son, his great-grandpa's father, didn't have magic, he was a squib. As he was the family's only child, they didn't have a child that had magical abilities. So the magical bloodline died out there. He was cast out. Send to fend for his own when he was seventeen. And since he couldn't get in contact with the wizarding world again he was angry, at how they cast him out but also how no one in the wizarding world would do something about it, or care about him, he began to hold a grudge.
And that grudge against the magical people has had the family in its grip for centuries now. And now there is again a child with magical abilities, which is Hongjoong. Hongjoong knows that his parents hate him and that they are happy to see him go. He knows, and some part of him is also happy that he doesn't have to be at his cold home, where he is ignored when they don't need him, but is used for the chores. He doesn't mind not seeing them until next summer, not at all.
His dad stops the car, three blocks away from the station, "Out, I don't want to be seen with a bunch of freaks or see a bunch of 'em."
Hongjoong rolls his eyes, but unbuckles his belt all the same, not wanting to anger his dad at the last minute. He gets out of the car and walks to the trunk, the trunk pops open and he takes his luggage out. The minute his hands are out of the trunk of the car, his dad drives off. He watches the car go until it is as tiny as an ant.
He turns his back to the car and starts walking to the train station. His luggage rolling behind him, you can still get the old-fashioned ones, but Hongjoong didn't fancy them as you would have to carry them, and you could just roll this one. The lady at the store had enlarged the inside of his luggage, so he could fit in his school uniform, his books and pens, and his own clothes. And basically, anything else he would want to take with him.
When he had gone to Diagon Alley to shop for his school supplies, he had been taken by a school professor, she was a kind lady in her mid-forties. She told him she teaches muggle studies and that is why she is often sent to collect the children from muggle families or who grew up in the muggle world. When he first entered the magical shopping district with her, he couldn't believe his eyes, everything was so magical. He had believed himself to be dreaming, as it was just so wondrous, and thus he kept on pinching himself.
He walks a few more steps and comes face to face with the station. He walks into the station, inside it is bustling with people. Children running around, with their parents on their tails. A couple holding hands and looking at the board which shows what train will leave when and from which platform they will depart. Another man is calling someone on his phone, talking quite loudly. A woman is holding hands with her son, who is crying, she leads the squirming child to the bathroom.
The school professor had told him he had to go to platform 9¾, when Hongjoong had said that there wasn't such a thing she had laughed and said, "Well of course there is. It is just out of plain sight. Just run into the wall between platforms 9 and 10, and there you are. 9¾, the train will arrive at 10.30 and depart at 11 am."
Hongjoong walks farther into the station, people everywhere around him, he isn't used to this as he grew up in a smaller village with not many people. In the distance, he spots platforms 9 and ten. After a few more meters he is right across from the wall. He squares his shoulders and strengthens his grip on his luggage.
It's now or never, he thinks. He slowly closes his eyes and decides to just run for it and hope for the best. He starts running, hoping that he won't bump into anyone in his dash for the wall. Where he should've collided with the wall, the only thing he feels is a weird change in the air, the same change he had felt when he had entered Diagon Alley. He opens his eyes and is greeted with a platform, not the same as the other, this one has an old-fashioned train with it. A bright red train, the Hogwarts Express.
There is a big clock on the wall, Hongjoong looks at it and sees the time, 10.37 am. He walks over the platform to the train, many families are kissing their children goodbye and hugging them tight. Hongjoong ignores the feeling in his stomach when he sees them, all happy.
Hongjoog sweeps his eyes over the crowd, at the back of the platform he spots a small family of three. The parents are doting on the child, who looks to be the same age as Hongjoong. The mother is hugging him and sometimes kisses the crown of his head. The father has an arm over his shoulder and the other around the woman's shoulder. The boy also looks up and sweeps the platform, he meets Hongjoong's eyes and Hongjoong quickly averts his eyes. He quickens his pace and enters the train.
The first three compartments Hongjoong looks into are full, the fourth has a boy in it, but he walks past that one too, as he just wants to be alone, and it looks like the boy is waiting for his friends, so Hongjoong doesn't want to get in the way, and just ten seconds later he is proven right when a group of rowdy boys also enter the compartment.
The fifth compartment is empty, so he slides the door open and steps inside. he lets go of his luggage once he is inside and stares at the luggage holder which is above the windows of the train, he knows he can't reach them, he has always been short. And if he were to try he is certain he is going to drop the suitcase on himself. He decides to just shove the suitcase beneath the windows and be done with it.
He sighs and plops down on the bench, he sinks into it. He still can't believe that this is happening. He had always known that magic exists somewhere in the world, how could he not when his entire family couldn't stop complaining about them every chance they could? They blamed every bad thing that happened on witches and wizards. he has always known what happened to his great-grandpa's father, it's a legend in the family. He knows that it is bad what happened, but he also knows logically that everyone who had something to do with it is already dead. And that you can't form an opinion on an entire population with just the doings of a few of them.
He gets pulled away from his musing by a knock on the door, the door slides open and a boy looks at him, it is the same boy who he made eye contact with on the platform, the boy smiles at him, "Hello, can I sit here? Everywhere else is full."
Hongjoong slowly nods and the boy smiles at him, "My name is Park Seonghwa, you?" the boy holds his hand out for a handshake, Hongjoong takes the hand, "Kim Hongjoong."