Chapter 11: The Hogwarts Express
On the evening of August 31, the family gathered in Ethan's room to help him check that he had all his belongings.
"Changes of clothes, school uniform, brass scales, pewter cauldron, collapsible telescope." Albert checked off the items as he packed the first suitcase.
"Very good, that's everything." Sofia nodded, satisfied, and zipped up the case.
"All the books on the list are here, but son, are you sure you want to bring all the extra books?" Albert looked worriedly at the other suitcase, which was much larger and stuffed with books.
He tried to lift it, but found he couldn't manage it easily. He wasn't used to physical labor, and even straining with all his might, he couldn't hold it for more than a few seconds before setting it down.
Ethan tried lifting it too, and sure enough, he couldn't raise it at all.
Sofia looked at the two of them with concern and suggested, "How about we switch to two smaller suitcases? You could leave some books at home."
Ethan glanced at the heavy box on the floor, then at his father's not-so-robust frame, and finally at his own skinny arms and legs, realizing that even together they would struggle to lift it. He nodded and began to rummage through the books.
Finally, he managed to fill a second box with books, completing the preparations.
Looking at the dozen or so books left behind, he felt a pang of regret that he couldn't take them with him.
Sofia couldn't bear it any longer. "All right, they'll still be here when you get back. If you miss them, you can take them with you when you come home for vacation."
His mother gently kissed his cheek and left his room with his father.
He went to bed early that night, but he didn't sleep well, as he kept dreaming about Hogwarts.
In his dreams, he was a powerful and influential figure, defeating Voldemort and Grindelwald with his fists and kicks, and even Dumbledore treated him with the utmost respect.
"Heh, what a wild dream." He woke up early the next day and chuckled to himself as he recalled it.
After breakfast, the three of them were driven to King's Cross Station.
Although they had told the driver that Ethan was going to a city in the north to attend school, the man was still curious as to why his employer's son was taking the train rather than being driven. However, his professional ethics and generous salary kept him from asking.
In the car, with the driver present, Sofia didn't say much, only telling Ethan to take care of himself.
Shortly after ten o'clock, the three of them were already standing between Platforms Nine and Ten, waiting for Hermione. They had agreed to meet at ten-thirty.
At ten-thirty, Hermione and her family arrived, carrying just as much luggage as Ethan.
Pushing their trunks, the two of them observed the barrier between the regular platforms, searching for Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Soon, they spotted several children their age pushing similar carts and vanishing into the seemingly solid barrier.
They exchanged glances, then said their goodbyes to their parents.
Sofia kissed his cheek, and Albert clasped his shoulder.
Beneath the reluctant gazes of the four adults, he and Hermione each pushed their carts forward, took a deep breath, and charged straight at the barrier.
The anticipation of impact made him squeeze his eyes shut. When he opened them again, a gleaming dark-red steam locomotive stood before him.
He glanced back at Hermione, who looked equally astonished, and exclaimed with delight, "We made it, Hermione."
"Yes, we did!" Hermione beamed back at him.
He lifted his trunks onto the train first, then helped Hermione with hers. Together, they began searching for seats.
Before long, they found an empty compartment in the middle of the train.
With Hermione's assistance, he hoisted several heavy leather trunks brimming with books onto the luggage rack in the corner, then collapsed into the seat beside her, slightly out of breath.
"I suppose parents aren't forbidden from entering this area. I should have invited them to see the Hogwarts Express," Hermione said, a hint of regret in her voice.
Ethan agreed wholeheartedly. "There will be other chances. The next time we come to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, we'll bring them along."
Ever since he'd accompanied his parents to Diagon Alley, they had been endlessly curious about the wizarding world.
Hermione smiled fondly, thinking of her own parents. "Mine are the same way. Especially my mum, now that she's tried some beauty potions. She has such a wonderful impression of the magical world."
He chuckled. He drew his wand, tapped the small table in front of him, and cast a spell. "Scourgify!" A layer of grime lifted from the table's surface, leaving it gleaming.
"That was well cast! Watch this." Hermione raised her vine wood wand and performed the same cleaning charm.
They shared a smile, then pulled out the books they hadn't finished over the summer from their backpacks. Settling into seats facing each other, they closed the compartment door, tuned out the chatter in the corridor, and lost themselves in reading and discussing their thoughts.
During the two-month vacation, except for the first month when Ethan had stayed in Croydon and not seen Hermione, he frequently asked Pierre-Nico to drive him to her house so they could exchange books and discuss the finer points of spellcasting technique.
After a month of spending so much time together, the two had grown quite comfortable with each other. Hermione was no longer so easily flustered around him.
This was partly due to the natural deepening of their friendship, and partly because Ethan's control over his own abilities had improved considerably over the past two months.
On the surface now, he probably appeared to be just an ordinary-looking fellow, and his captivating charm had dulled considerably compared to before.
"Hello? Is anyone else here?" a hesitant voice called out as the compartment door slid open.
"The compartment's empty; please come in." Ethan glanced at Hermione, who hadn't noticed anyone yet, and rose to help with the luggage.
"Thank you very much. I'm Neville Longbottom, and the woman outside the window is my grandmother." He gestured toward the old woman standing on the platform.
The elderly woman on the platform glanced at Neville and sighed helplessly.
"Augusta Longbottom. You are all new students at Hogwarts, aren't you?"
"Yes, Mrs. Longbottom. I'm Ethan Jones, and this is Hermione Granger."
"Good boy," Augusta replied, before turning back to lecture Neville, who stood by the window.
Ethan listened for a while. It was mostly just reminders not to forget this or that, the sort of ordinary things grandmothers always said.
Before Grandma could finish, Neville cried out in terror, "Grandma, my toad is gone!"
"Oh, Neville." This was the second time she had sighed in the past few minutes. "It was right at your feet. I watched it jump."
"Ah!" Neville looked down, searched around his feet, and picked up the toad that had hopped just two steps away.
"Alright, you can chat with these two students. I'm leaving now." Seeing Neville's carelessness, the old lady had no more patience left for advice. She nodded to Ethan and Hermione and headed toward the exit.
Neville stood by the window until his grandmother's figure disappeared from sight. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, took a few steps back, and plopped down in a seat.
Meeting their gazes, Neville stammered as he explained, "I... I'm a little afraid of Grandma. I always forget things and disappoint her."
As he spoke, he lowered his head and nervously stroked the lumpy toad in his hand.
It's okay. I sometimes forget things too, but they're family. They won't blame you." Ethan felt a surge of sympathy for Neville, the sensitive, vulnerable boy.
Throughout the series, he'd always liked the boy who appeared only briefly yet left a lasting impression, even if his portrayal in the films had been a bit stiff.
Soon the train was packed, and with a whistle, it began to move.
The students leaned out of the windows, waving goodbye to their families still standing on the platform.
//=================//