“Platform 9 3/4.”
3
Hogwarts Express
Friendships are always formed on trains. Perhaps not (or something like that)
September 1, 1991
Kings Cross, London
…
Platform 9 and 3/4, it read.
He’s pretty sure platform 9 and 3/4 does not exist. Yet he went there anyways. He arrived there wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck to hide his electro mark, covering it with a white cardigan. Black trousers and Doc Martens shoes with platforms.
With おぞましい trailing behind him, occasionally intertwining herself between his legs, they set off to find platform 9 and 3/4.
“…’cuse me? Can you tell me how to get to platform 9 and 3/4?..” He faintly heard a voice behind him say. The voice sounded nervous, so one can only assume that they too had no idea how to get to the platform.
He didn’t mean to eavesdrop or anything, but he just really needed to get on the train. As it was already 10:50. 10 minutes before the train goes. So, he listened to their conversation.
“..How to get on the platform? Yes, not to worry, dear. It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well. {pan to a red haired boy who smiles} Now, all you've got to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Best do it at a bit of a run if youre nervous.” Another voice replied,
And he faintly heard someone say: “Good luck.”
He watched the boy run towards the wall, but instead of crashing, he went through it.
So now, he knew how to get on the platform.
Hogwarts Express
…
He had managed to find an empty compartment. Placing his luggage at the top part and placing おぞましい down on the chair, he comfortably sat down. He had put his hair into a ponytail beforehand, so it wasn’t too much trouble to manage. (He was afraid of it getting clipped or stuck somewhere, and needing to cut it.)
Someone knocked on the door, before a boy with green eyes and glasses opened it. Asking “Could i sit here? Everywhere else is full already.” The boy said.
Not knowing if he should say yes or no, he unconsciously nodded. The boy smiled before fully entering the compartment.
They sat there in silence for a while, before the compartment door opened again.
“Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full.” A redheaded boy asked, Kunikuzushi looked at Potter for guidance.
Potter- seemingly understanding what he wanted. Said “No, not at all.”
The boy sits across from Potter, which was besides Kunikuzushi.
“I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley.” Weasley introduces himself.
“I'm Harry. Harry Potter.”
Ron seemed shocked. Kuni couldn’t understand why.
“Huh?” He asked, though they seemingly didn't hear him.
“So-so it's true?! I mean, do you really have the...the...” Weasley asked.
“The what?”
Ron whispers- “Scar...?”
“Oh, yeah.” Potter says while lifting his bangs.
“Wicked… And you are?” Weasley asked Kunikuzushi.
“Kunikizushi Raiden.” He replied, voice slightly quieter than normal.
Weasley’s mouth fell agape.
“A Raiden?”
A trolley comes by the compartment, full of sweets. Successfully distracting the other two boys.
“Anything off the trolley, dears?” The woman guiding the trolley asked.
Ron holds up a few sandwiches “No, thanks, I'm all set.” He said, though smiling albeit a bit disappointed.
Harry pulls out multiple coins, which he knows is galleons. “We'll take the lot!”
“Whoa!” Ron said, mouth agape.
Weasley and Potter ended up eating bundles of sweets. Kunikuzushi not joining because, well, he did not like candy. And he did not need to eat.
A rat who he presumes is Weasley’s, is perched on Weasley’s knee, a box over its head. He’s glad that おぞましい is asleep, or else she would’ve eaten the rat.
“Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?” Potter asked seemingly confused.
“They mean every flavour! There's chocolate and peppermint, and there's also spinach, liver and tripe. George sweared he got a bogey-flavoured one once!”
Potter quickly takes the bean he was chewing out of his mouth.
Potter picks up blue and gold package, that read ‘Chocolate Frogs’ in big bold, golden letters. “These aren't real chocolate frogs, are they?”
“It's only a spell. Besides, it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I got about 500 meself.”
The frog jumps onto the window and climbs up, then leaps out the window...disappearing.
“Oh, that's rotten luck. They've only got one good jump in them to begin with.” Weasley said.
“Hey, I got Dumbledore!” Potter exclaimed.
“I got about 6 of him.”
“Hey, he's gone!” Potter said, seemingly shocked.
“Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you?” The rat on his knee squeaks. Successfully waking up おぞましい, petting her just to make sure she would not pounce on the rat. “This is Scabbers, by the way, pitiful, isn't he?”
“Just a little bit.” Potter said.
“Fred gave me a spell as to turn him yellow. Want to see?”
“Yeah!”
Ron clears his throat “Ahem. Sun-” He didn’t get to finish before a bushy haired girl barged through the doorway.
“Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one.” The girl asked.
“No.” Ron replied.”
“Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then.”
“Ahem. Sunshine, daises, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!”
Nothing happens, except for a quick zap-like sound that disappeared quickly.
“Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? Of course I've only tried a few simple spells myself, and they've all worked for me. For example...” Hermione sits besides Weasley, before pointing her wand at Potter. Casting a quick spell that fixed Potter’s glasses. “That's better, isn't it? Holy Cricket, you're Harry Potter. I'm Hermione Granger... and you guys are...?”
Ron said with a full mouth “I'm...Ron Weasley.”
”Kunikuzushi Raiden.” He said, petting おぞましい, so she would calm down.
“Pleasure. You three better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon.” She gets up and leaves, then comes back and looks at Ron. “You've got dirt, on your nose, by the way, did you know? Just there.” She points at a spot while Weasley scratches his nose, embarrassed.
Hogwarts
…
“Right, then! First years! This way, please! Come on, now, don't be shy! Come on now, hurry up!” A tall man said.
Weasley and Potter walked up to Hagrid.
They seemingly talked for a bit. Before-
”Right then. This way to the boats! Come on, now, follow me.” The man said
A fleet of boats are sitting on top of a vast lake, where up ahead a huge castle can be seen. He vaguely heard some people gasp in awe.
They followed the man inside of the castle, where professor Mcgonagall stood.
“Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup” Professor Mcgonagall said.
A scared looking boy notices a toad sitting near professor Mcgonagall. He jumps forward, and grabs the toad.
“Trevor!” The boy shouted in delight. Professor Mcgonagall stares at him, trying her best to seal her disdain. “Sorry.” The boy continued.
“The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily. I suggest you smarten yourselves up, as it will happen in front of the whole school.” Her eyes lingered on two boys, the one with the toad, and the other, Weasley, before leaving.
A blonde boy, smirking evilly stood up.
“So it's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts.” Whsipers broke out amongst the students.
“This is Crabbe, and Goyle” He points at two other boys besides him. “and I'm Malfoy...Draco Malfoy.” He faintly heard someone snicker.
“Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley. Well soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. Dont want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.”
“I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks.” Potter says.
Malfoy glares. McGonagall returns and slaps him on the shoulder with a paper.
“We're ready for you now.” Professor Mcgonagall said.
She leads everyone through two large doors and into the Great Hall, where there are four long tables with many children, as well as floating candles. The roof appears to be the sky.
“..It's not real, the ceiling. It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.” A female voice from his right said.
“All right, will you wait along here, please? Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbldedore would like to say a few words.” Professor Mcgonagall said.
The man he presumes is Dumbledore rises from the main table.
“I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch {signals to ragged old man with a cat with red eyes} has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you.” Dumbledore says.
“When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses. Hannah Abbott.”
Abbott goes up to the stool, before sitting on it. The hat is placed on top of her head.
“HUFFLEPUFF!” The hat ?? exclaimed.
Abbott jumps off with a smile.
“Susan Bones.”
A small, redhead girl goes up.
“Let's see...I know...Hufflepuff!”
The girl runs off to where the hufflepuff table is located.
”Terry Boot.”
”Ravenclaw!”
”Lavender Brown.”
“Gryffindor!” The first gryffindor of the batch.
“Millicent Bulstrode.”
”SLYTHERIN!”
He spaced out after a while, and after a lot more students got sorted, Malfoy was called.
Malfoy saunters up proudly. The hat only touches a hair on Malfoys head, before shouting
“SLYTHERIN!”
“There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasnt in Slytherin.” He heard weasley say, he did not want to believe it. But.. perhaps he should listen, if he needs to be accepted by people.
The girl runs off to where he presumes, is the hufflepuff table.
“Ronald Weasley.”
Weasley walks up. He sits down and the hat is put on.
“Ah! Another Weasley. I know just where to put you...Gryffindor!!”
The boy seemed to sigh for a moment, before running to the table.
“Harry Potter.”
Everything goes silent. The boy earlier walks up and sits down. He still didn’t know why Potter was famous
The seemed to converse for a while, before the hat shouthed- “GRYFFINDOR!!”
There is a loud cheering from the Gryffindor table, and Potter goes to sit.
“Raiden, Kunikuzushi.” Mcgonagall called.
The silence came back. “A Raiden?” he heard people whisper.
A boy with long purple hair tied into a pristine ponytail walked up to the stool. Gracefully sitting down.
Mcgonagall placed the hat on their head.
“A Raiden.. curious… curious indeed..” The hat said, deep in thought
“A puppet eh? Abandoned by your god. An urge to prove yourself, that you are worthy.. You’ll do well in all, yes. Witty and intelligent, brave, loyal and empathetic, ambitious and cunning.. My, my! You fit in all of the houses. But ones quality outreaches farther than the others. Better be..
HUFFLEPUFF!”