King's Cross Station

Jon woke from his dreams at eight o'clock the next morning.

After turning off the alarm clock that was still loudly crowing like a rooster, he climbed out of bed and put on jeans and a shirt... He had no desire to wear thick, stuffy wizard robes into the train station.

Dragging his suitcase downstairs into the yard, he found Eric had already started the car and gotten out to help Jon load the suitcase into the trunk.

Judy was there too, changing her shoes.

"Mom, are you coming with us too?" Jon asked.

"Yes!" A gentle smile appeared on Judy's face. "Eric and I are going to King's Cross Station to see you off."

The car sped along the motorway as Eric drove, humming the tune of "God Save the Queen."

Judy sat in the back seat, looking worried as she kept reminding him:

"At school, don't be as casual as you are at home!"

"Don't argue with your professors or classmates!"

"If it gets cold, remember to put on more clothes. I put two wool sweaters at the very bottom of your bag..."

"I know, Mom!" Jon did not seem annoyed by Judy's nagging at all, instead replying with a smile.

"Sigh, I'm still a little worried..." Judy covered her face with both hands. In more than ten years, this was the first time she would be separated from her son for so long.

"Don't worry yourself sick, dear!" Eric seemed far more relaxed. Humming a little tune, he teased, "Trust our boy. I think his ability to survive on his own is even better than yours..."

"Shut up!" Judy shot him a glare.

But she did seem to be in a much better mood.

They spent around two hours on the road and arrived at King's Cross Station at ten-thirty.

Eric placed the suitcase on a luggage trolley and asked, "Jon, which platform are we supposed to go to?"

"At eleven o'clock, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters..." Jon took out his ticket.

"What? Nine and Three-Quarters?" Eric frowned. "I don't remember King's Cross Station having a platform like that."

"Maybe we should look between Platforms Nine and Ten!" Knowing the plot of the novel from his previous life, Jon naturally knew exactly what to do.

King's Cross Station was almost one of the oldest railway stations in Europe, as well as the largest station in London today. However, compared to Shanghai Hongqiao Station—and even Shanghai Station—that Jon had seen in his previous life, it was nowhere near as bustling.

Passing through the sparse crowds, they arrived near Platform Nine.

Platform Nine's destination was Aberdeen, Scotland, while Platform Ten went to Glasgow, Scotland.

Based on Hogwarts' weather patterns as he understood them from his previous life, Jon could infer that Hogwarts was probably located at the northern end of Britain, in the mountainous region of central Scotland.

It was over four hundred miles, or more than six hundred kilometers, from London. No wonder the train left at eleven in the morning and did not arrive until night.

"I don't think I see any Platform Nine and Three-Quarters!" Eric glanced between Platforms Nine and Ten, then shrugged.

Then he went to ask a passing guard. Judging by the expression on the guard's face, the man seemed to think Eric was an idiot.

Jon glanced at the large clock nearby. It was already ten-fifteen, which was not good news.

He knew that the way into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was through a pillar between Platforms Nine and Ten... but there were at least a dozen such pillars in front of him.

He could not exactly test them one by one with his head. That would be too stupid.

Besides, according to his memories of the plot of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets from his previous life, because of Dobby, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters would close early before long. When that happened, he would have to ride the flying car to school with the two Boys Who Lived—and get detention along the way.

"Grandma, I think my toad's gone missing again!" A timid voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Sigh, Neville..." he heard an old woman say with a sigh.

Jon's eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around.

An old woman and a boy were walking toward them. The old woman looked imposing, while the boy appeared somewhat clumsy. Both wore black wizard robes, standing out sharply from everyone around them.

Eric had clearly heard their conversation too and noticed them.

Without needing Jon's reminder, he hurried over.

"Hello, ma'am... I'm Hart!" Eric said earnestly. "My son is trying to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. He's a first-year student at Hogwarts, but we don't know the way..."

"A Muggle?" Seeing Eric's clothes, the old woman was clearly somewhat surprised.

But Eric was a lawyer, after all, and there was something trustworthy about the way he spoke.

"Hello, Mr. Hart... I'm Mrs. Longbottom!" the old woman said with a smile. "My grandson, Neville, is a second-year student at Hogwarts... I think he can take your son to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."

"Hello, Neville!" Jon smiled warmly at Neville.

The other boy nodded timidly in response.

"Neville, take Mr. Hart into the station!" Mrs. Longbottom ordered, her tone leaving no room for refusal.

"Okay... Grandma..." Neville's voice stuttered slightly.

Then, pushing his luggage trolley, he charged toward one of the pillars between Platforms Nine and Ten.

Jon quickly pushed his own trolley and followed.

Mrs. Longbottom's voice came from behind him. "Mr. Hart, go right through the middle of the pillar and pretend there's nothing in front of you. That way, you won't crash into it."

Thud... A soft impact suddenly sounded from ahead, and Jon hurriedly slowed down.

Following Mrs. Longbottom's instructions, he deliberately walked through the very center of the pillar.

A deep red steam engine appeared before him, with a sign hanging on it that read: Hogwarts Express.

Beside the train stood a brand-new platform, marked "Platform 9¾."

"I did it!" Jon laughed happily.

"Ow!" Neville stood off to one side, clutching his head as his luggage trolley tipped sideways.

There was a faint red bump on his head. From the look of him, he had clearly turned his head to one side while passing through the barrier and hit it.

"Are you all right, Senior Longbottom?" Jon quickly asked with concern.

"I-I'm... fine..." Neville clutched his head and struggled to his feet.

"Neville!" A crisp voice came from nearby. "Are you all right?"

A brown-haired little girl jogged over.

"I... I'm..."

Before Neville could finish, the girl had already pulled out her Wand from her belt, pointed it at Neville's head, and muttered an incantation.

The red swelling on Neville's head quickly vanished.

"Thank you, Hermione!" Neville straightened his trolley. "Hart... Huh, where did he go?"

The boy who had just entered Platform Nine and Three-Quarters with him had already disappeared.