“Platform Nine and Three-Quarters?
Does such a platform really exist?” Mr.
Granger felt a bit of a headache coming on just thinking about how the Hogwarts Express required them to board at this strange platform.
After all, standing right now between Platforms Nine and Ten, he couldn’t find any sign for Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at all.
Even if he were to ask the station staff, he probably wouldn’t get an answer, so Mr.
Granger had no intention of inquiring.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t recognize it.
I’m sure someone will,” Leon said, completely unconcerned, because he had already spotted traces of other wizards inside the station.
Not far away, a family whose style of dress was completely different from that of ordinary people was hurrying over.
They were clearly a wizarding family.
And that family’s signature red hair also revealed their identity.
The Weasleys—one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, yet scorned and looked down upon by those pure-bloods who considered themselves orthodox.
Similarly, aside from the Weasley family, Leon also spotted a young boy wearing glasses held together with tape, dragging a mountain of luggage with a birdcage resting right on top.
He seemed to strike up a conversation with the Weasleys and, under the welcoming gestures of the plump, middle-aged woman among them, blended right in.
Hermione noticed this as well.
She stared intently at the group, watching with her own eyes as they actually marched straight toward the thick, rectangular brick pillar between Platforms Nine and Ten.
There was no crash or collision.
Instead, the solid-looking pillar completely swallowed them up the moment they made contact, their figures vanishing without a trace.
“I think I found Platform Nine and Three-Quarters,” Hermione said.
Hermione was no longer her old self.
Having read an extensive number of wizarding books alongside her self-taught magical practice, she had long since stopped feeling surprised by the wonders of the magical world.
“Want to try?” Leon suggested to Hermione with a smile.
“Mm-hmm.” Hermione nodded.
Pushing her trolley, she broke into a light jog, gritted her teeth, and charged straight at the pillar.
She melted right into it and vanished from sight.
Witnessing this scene, Mr.
and Mrs.
Granger finally snapped out of it.
Mr.
Granger looked eager to try, while Mrs.
Granger looked a bit worried.
Fortunately, Leon was still there.
“Let’s go together, Uncle, Auntie.
I’ll take you in, otherwise I’m worried you might be blocked out.” After all, Mr.
and Mrs.
Granger had come to see Hermione off.
If they left things just like that, the couple surely wouldn’t feel at ease, and Hermione wouldn’t be happy either.
Leon naturally didn’t mind lending a hand.
And so, Leon gestured for the two of them to help him with his luggage, while he took one of them by each hand and strode purposefully toward the pillar.
Right before they were about to hit it, Mrs.
Granger instinctively closed her eyes.
Though Mr.
Granger was a bit apprehensive, he chose to trust Leon.
The next second, the three of them came into close contact with the pillar, but no collision occurred.
There was only a damp sensation, like passing through a thick fog, and in the next instant, the scene before their eyes completely transformed.
A small station with a style entirely different from King’s Cross Station materialized before them.
The platform was bustling with crowds.
On the tracks below, a pristine steam train sat waiting.
The doors to all the carriages were wide open, and people were boarding from time to time, finding seats by the windows to wave goodbye to the families who had come to see them off.
“Mom, Dad, you made it inside too!” Having entered the station a step ahead, Hermione immediately rushed over upon seeing Leon and the Grangers, giving her parents a big hug.
Originally, she had wanted to give Leon one as well, but remembering that the two of them would continue traveling together to Hogwarts anyway, she dismissed the thought.
“Magic really is wonderful,” Mr.
Granger said, stroking Hermione’s head, his eyes scanning the surroundings without wanting to blink even once.
Mrs.
Granger, however, appeared somewhat melancholy.
After all, starting today, her daughter would be attending a distant and unfamiliar magical academy, and who knew how long it would be before they saw each other again.
Fortunately, it was a comfort that Hermione wasn’t setting off alone; she was accompanied by Leon, who had been on good terms with her since childhood.
“Leon, please look after Hermione while she’s at school.” “Of course, I will,” Leon nodded, giving his promise.
A mother always worries when her child travels far from home; no one was exempt from this universal truth.
The Grangers were genuinely good people who had given Leon a lot of help over the years.
Even if Mrs.
Granger hadn’t asked, he would have done it anyway.
And so, under the watchful eyes of Mr.
and Mrs.
Granger, Leon pushed the luggage and led Hermione onto the train, finding an empty compartment near the middle section.
Once their luggage was stowed away, Hermione ran to the window to look for her parents.
When their eyes met, she waved her arms vigorously to say goodbye.
Leon noticed that the corners of her eyes were already a bit damp.
She was just a child after all, so Leon didn’t tease her.
Instead, once Hermione sat down, he smiled and handed her a chocolate bar he had brought along.
As the rest of the students boarded, the steam train heading straight for Hogwarts began to move.
With a blast of its whistle, the train started up, gaining speed and gradually leaving the platform far behind as it surged forward along the tracks toward the distant wilderness.
Having calmed down after eating the chocolate bar, Hermione talked nonstop to Leon about Hogwarts, her mouth moving a mile a minute.
All her information came from Hogwarts: A History.
Even though Leon already knew most of what was in it, he still listened patiently to her sharing.
The journey was long, and it would be quite boring if there was no one to talk to along the way.
Just as Hermione was speaking with great enthusiasm, a sudden series of knocks came from the door.
Hermione stopped talking immediately and looked toward the door with curiosity, while Leon opened the compartment door to see who was knocking.
It was a plump little boy with rather ordinary features, looking somewhat restrained and nervous.
“U-um, have you seen a toad anywhere?” The combination of a plump little boy and a missing toad told Leon everything he needed to know: this boy was none other than Neville Longbottom, the boy who would be hailed in the future as the “Gryffindor Swordmaster.” “Sorry, we haven’t seen it,” Leon answered softly.
Hearing Leon’s quiet reply, Neville let out a sigh, then lowered his head and said, “Okay, sorry to bother you.” Just as Neville was about to close the door and continue his search, Hermione jumped up and said, “Would you like me to help you look for it?” Much like Mr.
and Mrs.
Granger, Hermione was warm-hearted.
Combined with the boy’s timid demeanor, she really couldn’t bear to see him looking so distressed.