The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
Camila always told Luz that having a pet isn’t easy and requires many responsibilities, but King was easier to deal with than a bird as he spent most of the day either sleeping or looking through the living room window. A trick to make him sleep was to block any sort of light, he would go to sleep no matter the time of the day if there wasn’t light.
King behaved like one, he claimed the couch as his own and never allowed anyone to disturb him when he was there. Camila also noticed that King was as smart, maybe even more, as a chimpanzee, in a month he learned how to change channels with the remote control, as well as how to open doors and where Camila hid candies.
Around July 31, Hagrid sent them a crow with a message: “Sorry yer, I won’t be able to the take Luz to get the train, here is her ticket, yer just have to be in platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross station on September 1 and take the train 11 o’clock. See yer in Hogwarts”.
“Weird… never heard of platform 9 ¾ before” Camila said a little worried. On the day of the departure, Luz woke up at 5 o’clock prepared her stuff, and put a black cloth over King’s cage, preventing him to wake up.
Camila drove to London and they arrived at the station at 10 o’clock “Hum, we have a problem” Camila said reading the station map “At our left is platform 9, on the right platform 10, but no sign of the platform 9 ¾, there is no other instruction on the ticket?” Luz shook her head. The girl was starting to get desperate.
“Hold on, I’m going to ask around” A few minutes after Camila came back looking annoyed and embarrassed “No one knows where Hogwarts is, and neither do I to be honest. There isn’t a train leaving at 11 O’clock and a guard laughed at me when I mentioned platform 9 ¾ and dare call me a time waster”.
Luz was starting to panic, she only had 10 minutes and Camila had already searched the entire station looking for any hint “Don’t worry cariño, everything is going to be alright” She hugged her daughter, Luz’s tears left a mark on Camila’s jacket.
“Packed with muggles of course” Luz and Camila heard someone say, they silently followed a man and a girl. They stood a safe distance while they met up with twins, a boy and a girl both with green hair “Why, Hello!” The twins said together “Oh, you must be Alador’s kids” The man had brown skin and dark brown hair, a large beard, and was mostly bald, except for a tuft of hair towards the front of his head.
“Yes, we are” The twins said together “Where are your parents?” The man asked “They already went to platform 9 ¾, mom was angry because Ed overslept” The girl said “Hey! You too did, Em” The boy shouted “No I did not” The twins went back and forth in their arguing when the girl looked at the clock “Oh flying snails, it’s almost time, let’s go, Ed”.
The girl turned back to the wall between platforms 9 and 10, but before either Noceda could see where she went, a crowd of people passed by, and when they were gone the girl had vanished “See you in Hogwarts” The boy bowed dramatically and he followed his sister and a second later he was gone “What the…” There weren’t many options so they approached the man.
“Hum… excuse me” Camila said to the bald man “Hello there miss, first time at Hogwarts? Willow’s new too” He asked and pointed to his daughter, she was a shorter-than-average chubby girl, with light skin, olive-green eyes, and short, neat, dark gray-blue hair. She wore a pair of round gold-framed glasses.
“Yes, but hum, we’re having problems reaching platform 9 ¾, can you help us, sir?” Luz said “Of course, all you have to do is walk straight to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Don’t stop or be scared you may crash into it – It’s very important – It’s better done if you run in case you’re scared, you can go first”.
Luz and Camila held on to the trolley and run towards the barrier, they closed their eyes preparing for impact, but it never came. They opened their eyes and found themselves on a different platform, packed with people, cats, toads, owls, and heavy trunks. Students had already filled the first few carriages of the red steam engine named “Hogwarts Express”.
“Wow, it’s a 4-6-0 Hall Class steam locomotive… Why do I know that?” Camila said when she saw the train. They passed numerous students and parents and made their way to an empty compartment near the end of the Train. With immense difficulty, and a little help from the twins they saw earlier they loaded Luz’s truck.
“Thank you,” Luz said pushing her sweating hair away from her face “Oh my… It's you!” The boy said, “Who is she, Ed?” The girl asked “She’s Luz Noceda” The girl’s jaw fell “Really?” Luz nodded awkwardly “Oh my… I can’t believe it” The twin stared at her for a time until a voice called them “Edric, Emira, where are you?”.
“Coming mom!” The twins said together and hopped out of the train leaving only Luz and Camila “I guess it’s time cariño, escúchame, never let anyone say you can’t be a witch, okay? Do your very best and I know, you’ll do great Mija, I love you” Camila hugged Luz tight.
“Me too mamá, I’ll find a way to write you, I’ll be the greatest witch out there” Camila kissed Luz’s forehead and made her way back to the ‘muggle world’. Luz sat down next to the window where half-hidden she could see both twins and the father and daughter, the first two were talking to a woman with green hair wearing fancy clothes.
“Your sister forgot her lunch, give it to her. Oh, and if I get a crow saying you blew up a toilet or anything of the sort, you’re going to regret it” The woman handled them a box and the twin replied with a ‘Yes mom’ almost as if she was a general, but behind their backs, they had fingers crossed.
“Mom, you won’t believe who we met on the train” Their mother raised an eyebrow, she didn’t seem to care, but she let them speak “Luz Noceda” The woman’s eyes widen “What? Are you sure?” – “Yes, we saw her scar and she confirmed” The woman stood in silence for a few seconds “The timeline makes sense… Try to befriend her, it’s important to have powerful friends, now hurry up, I have work to do” The twins headed inside, and the woman left.
The whistle warned that the train was about to leave, and parents waved their children goodbye as it gain more and more speed. Luz saw her mother waving almost passing the barrier back to King’s Cross station, she even saw when the green-haired woman passed by Camila, not even waiting for the train to leave.
The door of the compartment slid open and Willow came in “Hello… hum… is anyone sitting there, everywhere else is full” Luz shook her head and the girl sat down “Hi, I’m Willow Park” Willow said, “Hi, I’m Luz Noceda” Willow blinked “Seriously?! Wait, so you have the scar? Do you remember anything about the Emperor?” Willow blurted out.
Luz nodded, and pulled her hair showing the green mark on her forehead “And no, I don’t remember anything, just a lot of green light, sorry”. They sat in silence for a while when Luz asked “Are all members of your family wizards and witches?” Willow seemed to ponder for a moment “I believe yes, although my father did leave the country he was born very young, so maybe someone over there is a muggle”.
“Your family must be filled with powerful witches and wizards” Willow said “Actually…” Luz told Willow that she only discovered she was a witch less than a year and that she lived with her mother, a muggle her entire life. Willow introduced Luz to Clover, her Palisman, a large bee with translucent wings and a pale-yellow stinger. Luz showed Willow her staff and the girl was both curious and a bit shocked to see it.
They bought candies from the old woman with a trolley, a few of each the woman had. Luz got a card of an older man, with light-beige skin, and wrinkles surrounding his upper lip, but his most defining physical trait was what appeared to be an imp-like creature biting the upper part of his face, covering his eyes and forehead. Underneath the picture was the name “Hieronymus Bump” she turned the card and read;
HIERONYMUS BUMP
CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS
Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Bump is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Tarak in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Bump enjoys abstract art and Patience
Luz was confused by the fact that the people in the photos of the cards simply walk away and came back as if they were alive. Luz tried an 'every flavor bean', only to regret “Urg… Liver” She said almost throwing up.
A knock on the door, followed by a boy opening the door “I’m sorry, have anyone seen a toad? A boy lost one” he asked. The boy had brown skin, dark brown hair with lighter shades, dark blue eyes, and curved upper lips.
“No, sorry” They said in response “So, can you show me some magic?” Luz asked Willow “Sure” Clover turned into staff form, the girl then grabbed it, spin it and pointed at one of the many cards laying on the seat next to her “Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this card yellow” Luz waited but nothing happened.
“Are you sure that’s a real spell? I’ve heard and read about a lot of them, but this is new” Said the boy “My parents have a lot of books at home, been preparing for Hogwarts since I was 9 – Oh, right, the name is Augustus Porter, people usually call me Gus, and who are you?” He said nonstop.
“I’m Willow Park” Willow said “Luz Noceda” The boy turned to her immediately “Are you?” Luz nodded “I’ve read three books with you in them, never imagined I’d meet you so early, dad’s going to love to hear. Do you have any idea what house you’ll be in? I’m hoping for Gryffindor… Though I guess Ravenclaw wouldn’t be so bad, anyway, got to go, help that boy, I suggest you two change to your uniforms, we’ll be arriving very soon”. The boy, already wearing his tunic, rushed away from their compartment.
“Now, that was… Something…” Willow said and Luz nodded “About the houses though, I guess either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, continuing the family tradition, I just don’t want to be in Slytherin, there isn’t a witch or wizard who went bad, that wasn’t from Slytherin”.
Luz gulped; the thought of Belos came to her mind, what kind of evil nest the Slytherin house must be to create such a powerful sorcerer? Willow explained Quidditch, she was a big fan, such a fan that she forgot the fact that Luz didn’t know a thing about the game and yet she talked and talked about the games she saw with her dad.
The door once again slid open, this time three girls entered and Luz remember the one in the middle immediately, it was the girl with the birthmark she met in Diagon Alley “Oh, why hello there, is it true? Word is that Luz Noceda is here in this compartment if so, it must be you”.
Luz nodded “Interesting… I’m Troisoeil, Boscha Troisoeil, this is Amity and Skara” Amity was a green-haired girl, though its roots were brown, with pale skin and bright golden eyes. Skara had dark brown skin, gray eyes, and hair that came in tones of pinkish-gray and deep mauve.
Willow rolled her eyes “Oh, I didn’t see you there Park, invisible and worthless as the rest of your family I see, just like mom told me” She turned to Luz “Soon you’ll find out that some families are better than other, you’ll not want to make the wrong friends, I can help you” She extended her hand but Luz simply scoffed.
“I can see for myself who are the better ones” She said coldly and the smile vanished from Boscha’s face “I’d be careful if I were you Noceda, that same act got your father killed and now you are surrounding yourself with the lakes of Park and Hagrid? You’ll go down the same path”.
Luz and Willow stood up more brave than they were “Don’t say a word about my family” Willow threatened “Ooohh, see girls? They want a fight” Boscha said and Skara smirked, Amity rolled her eyes “Mitten?! Is that you?” Emira and Edric came caring the box their mother had given them “Mom says ‘stop forgetting your lunch’, well, things in general” Edric said, “Oh, hi Luz! Enjoying the trip? We’ll be there at any time”.
As quickly as they appeared, Boscha and Skara disappeared, letting Amity talk to her siblings who unaware, had just prevented the first fight of the year to occur even before the train arrive at Hogwarts. As the train started to slow its pace, the girls changed into their school tunics.
The crowd of students got out of the train into the night, Luz met Hagrid, who instructed the first years to follow him through a narrow and very dark path that opened onto the edge of a giant black lake. On the other side of the lake, a massive castle with many turrets and towers awaited them. A fleet of small boats was used by the students and Hagrid to get across the lake.
They were carried to a kind of underground harbor, beneath the castle. Hagrid found the missing toad in one of the boats and gave it back to the student who had lost it. Hagrid then lead the students to the huge oak front door “Everyone here? Good” He raised his giant hand and knocked 3 times on the castle door.