A Somewhat Downcast Boy Before the Platform

A Somewhat Downcast Boy Before the Platform

On the first day of September, Aaron packed his things early in the morning and headed to King's Cross Station with Jeans accompanying him.

He pushed a trolley carrying two large trunks. One held his luggage and textbooks, while the other contained everything else.

He kept both Wands hidden on his person. He intended to use the black one openly, but he had no plans to show the white one lightly. It would either serve as a trump card or be reserved for unexpected situations.

Jeans had cast a small Levitation Charm on the two large trunks, making them far less heavy than they appeared.

A very cute white kitten dressed in clothes lay quietly atop the trunks. Abei drew plenty of curious looks to their little group.

Aaron looked at Jeans and smiled nervously and excitedly. "Uncle Jeans, once I enter the station, you won't be able to keep an eye on me anymore. Are you going to miss me?"

"I wouldn't say that. I'd prepared myself for this a long time ago.

Though those few following you in secret will probably be happy for quite a while."

Aaron's expression stiffened, and a flicker of anger rose in his heart. He was already eleven, yet he still had no idea who the guards shadowing him were. It was hard not to feel a little annoyed.

"Um, since it's come to this, could you tell me who they are?" Aaron asked expectantly.

Jeans hesitated for a moment. "There are six in total. Two protect you in secret at any given time, rotating every three days.

As for combat ability, they're all elite Auror-level fighters.

Luckily, Young Master, you spent most of your time in Diagon Alley and the castle. If you ran around everywhere, they might have to use Apparition just to make their shifts on time."

"Heh!" Aaron sneered. He would remember these people. Once he became powerful, not one of them would get away.

A gentleman took revenge ten years later, but he did not consider himself some scheming villain—nor was he any gentleman. He could not wait ten years.

Jeans noticed the change in Aaron's expression and raised an eyebrow, silently mourning those diligent bodyguards for one second.

As the Butler, he did not have to worry about being settled with later. But the rest would probably be in for a beating someday.

After entering the station, Aaron waved goodbye to Jeans.

He slowly pushed his trolley alone, savoring the feeling of "freedom" in the corridor. Though his sense of security had dropped by the tiniest bit, he felt exceptionally relaxed.

He passed Platform One, Platform Two, and did not stop until he reached Platform Nine.

Then he noticed a boy not far ahead, pushing a trolley much like his own. A white owl sat quietly in a cage atop it.

The boy was discussing something with a station guard, but things apparently had not gone well. The guard strode away, while the boy stood frozen in place, anxious and unsettled.

Aaron immediately guessed that this poor kid was also a new Hogwarts student. Clearly, though, he did not know how to get to the platform.

A young wizard asking a Muggle who knew absolutely nothing about magic where to find the platform to a magic school—there really was no one else like him.

Since they might become classmates in the future, Aaron decided to give him a hand and pushed his trolley over.

"Hello!"

The simple greeting seemed to startle the boy. He turned around in a panic and looked at Aaron, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

But it was not because of Aaron's appearance. It was because Aaron was pushing similar things, and that only seemed to make him even more nervous.

"Looks like you need a little help."

"Ah! Yes.

Do you know how to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters?" the boy asked awkwardly.

"You've come to the right person. I happen to know where that platform is.

But... as a young wizard about to start school, it's rather strange that you don't know where the platform is.

Didn't any family come with you?"

The boy hesitated for a moment, as though he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Aaron could tell that he had something difficult to talk about, so he did not press further. "Come with me. It looks like you don't get along very well with your family."

"Thank you," the boy said quietly, following behind Aaron in silence.

The two walked forward a short distance and arrived between Platforms Nine and Ten.

Aaron pointed at a stone wall at the boundary between Platforms Nine and Ten. "There it is, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Just run into it."

The boy nodded, then pointed at the stone wall before him in shock. "You mean we have to run into it?"

"That's right. You go first," Aaron said flatly.

The boy became hesitant, and his gaze at Aaron gained a trace of suspicion. This guy isn't trying to mess with me, is he?

"Why don't you go first? I don't have any experience."

"It's because you don't have any experience that I'm letting you go first. If I go through, I won't come back out to help you," Aaron said. Then, seeing the boy fidgeting and still unwilling to move, he frowned. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"I..." The boy pondered for a moment. "A little. After all, that's a wall, and we've only just met."

Aaron felt offended. He had kindly brought this future classmate to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, yet the other boy actually doubted him.

"May I ask whether you're a half-blood wizard, a pure-blood wizard, or whether both your parents are Muggles?"

"My parents were both wizards," the boy said hesitantly.

"Huh?" Aaron studied the reserved boy carefully and asked in confusion, "That shouldn't be the case. By that logic, you're practically Magic World born and bred, but your understanding of the magical world seems pitifully lacking."

"My parents died when I was one. I've been living with my uncle's family ever since."

"Oh! That explains it." Realization dawned on Aaron's face. "They must not be very nice people."

"They really aren't. Wait, how did you know?"

"You're wearing clothes more than one size too large, and your glasses are held together with tape. I really can't understand what kind of family would treat their relatives like that." Aaron pointed at the boy's coat and glasses, the corners of his eyes twitching slightly.

It was the first day of school, after all. Dressing like this was rather unbecoming.

Fortunately, they wore uniforms at Hogwarts, so these casual clothes would not be needed. Still, this boy's situation was exceptionally bad. It was hard to say whether he had even prepared a school uniform.

"Given that, it's understandable that you doubted me. Your way of thinking is still stuck in the Muggle world, so I'll reluctantly forgive you." Aaron pointed at the wall before them. "To Muggles, this platform is a wall, but to wizards, it's a door. To you, it's the gateway to the Magic World.

I'll demonstrate only once. After that, I won't be able to help you, so you're on your own."

Hearing this, the boy grew anxious. More precisely, he regretted it, because he no longer thought Aaron was trying to deceive him.

Besides, even if he was, so what?

Compared to escaping that family and the miserable school his uncle and aunt had arranged for him, was running into a wall really that difficult? At worst, he would just be laughed at.

"Wait, how about I go first?" the boy hurriedly said.

Aaron stopped and turned back to look at him with an amused expression. "Are you sure?"

"Uh... not really.

But I don't know any other way. I might as well treat a dead horse as if it were alive!"

"Nice." Aaron snapped his fingers. "You're a little smarter than I thought. Well then... go ahead."

The boy took a deep breath and charged forward with his trolley. As he neared the wall, he closed his eyes and prepared himself to be thrown back by the impact.

Yet nothing happened. He really did pass through the wall and arrive at the true Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

Aaron watched the boy disappear, shrugged, and calmly pushed his trolley into the wall.

After all, only those coming here for the first time, finding it amusing, or lacking mental preparation needed a running start. He certainly did not.