Hogwarts Express

In the British Wizarding World, September 1 was a very important day, especially for witches and wizards over the age of eleven who had yet to graduate.

It was the first day of term at Hogwarts.

Newly eleven-year-old wizards eagerly counted down the days, hoping it would come sooner.

But those aged twelve to seventeen didn't necessarily feel the same way. The start of term meant the end of their wonderful summer holidays, and they had to face the homework they'd forgotten about all summer.

That was hardly good news.

This was especially obvious with Kyle and the Weasley Twins.

In the clearing in front of the Burrow, Kyle stood at the front, looking excited. Behind him, Fred and George wore tense expressions and kept leaning close to whisper to each other, as if they were the ones going to Hogwarts for the first time.

Yes, Kyle was here too.

Chris had originally planned to Apparate there with him, but just before they left, Mrs. Weasley had arrived at the door.

She seemed to have guessed what he was planning. The first thing she said when she saw Chris was that there were too many Muggles at King's Cross Station, and Apparating there made it easy to be spotted. It was far too unsafe, and Kyle had to go with them, no matter what.

Chris had wanted to say more, but Mrs. Weasley was so firm that he could only swallow his words and nod in agreement.

Kyle, standing nearby, could only rub his forehead helplessly.

He wanted to tell Mrs. Weasley that, to Muggles, seeing nine people get out of a Ford was far more shocking than two people suddenly appearing beside them.

After all, there was no Ganges River, and a Ford wasn't one of those magical cars with a certain diamond-shaped logo that could fit as many people as you wanted.

But unfortunately, he was only eleven, and nobody took him seriously. He was ignored outright.

As he was thinking about this, Mrs. Weasley came over and asked him with concern, "Dear, have you packed everything?"

"Of course." Kyle nudged the large trunk at his feet. "I checked it three times before we left. Nothing's missing."

"That's good." Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded.

As they spoke, Mr. Weasley pulled up in an old car that looked as if it had seen better days.

It was their transportation for the trip: a ninth-hand Ford he'd picked up somewhere. Mr. Weasley adored it and treated it like a treasure.

"What are we waiting for? Get in."

At Mr. Weasley's urging, Chris got into the car first.

Seeing this, Kyle knew it was too late to say anything. He could only follow reluctantly, and then the rest of the Weasley family piled in.

The car had been enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm. Even with nine people and a huge pile of luggage inside, it didn't feel cramped at all.

Mr. Weasley was an excellent driver. Kyle didn't feel any major bumps along the way, and there were no sudden brakes or jolting starts. It was much better than a certain bus.

Around ten o'clock, they arrived at King's Cross Station right on time.

Fortunately, what Kyle had feared didn't happen. Or rather, the people around them didn't pay any attention to an old, beat-up Ford. The group made their way without incident to a pillar between platforms nine and ten.

Once they were there, they no longer had to worry much about Muggles spotting them.

There was a Muggle-Repelling Charm nearby, so ordinary people would instinctively overlook anything happening there. Even if something unusual did happen, Ministry of Magic personnel in the area would deal with it right away. It was perfectly safe.

The group lined up with practiced ease and, under Mrs. Weasley's direction, passed through the pillar one after another, arriving at the famous Platform 9¾.

It was much livelier than the outside.

A deep red steam train stood beside the platform, with a sign reading: Hogwarts Express.

"Looks like I haven't missed it." A gentle voice came from behind Kyle.

Hearing the familiar voice, Kyle spun around and saw Diana smiling at him.

"Mum?" Kyle exclaimed, delighted. "I thought you still had a mission..."

"Of course I've finished it." Diana crouched down and straightened his clothes. "It's your first day of school. I wouldn't want to miss such an important occasion."

"That's good." Kyle was delighted too.

If Chris had been the only one to see him off to Hogwarts, it really would have been a shame.

Diana talked with Kyle for a little while, then saw him onto the train just before it was due to leave. She gave him one last reminder. "I think Chris has already told you the basics about Hogwarts, so I won't repeat it. But there's one thing I don't think he mentioned."

Diana looked into Kyle's deep blue eyes and said seriously, "Dear, your father and I graduated a long time ago, and we don't want to be reminded of our school days. So please don't let us receive letters from any of your professors, including Dumbledore, all right?"

"Don't worry, Mum," Kyle said with a smile. "I'm not going to break any school rules. They'll have no reason to send letters home."

"Of course, dear." Diana kissed Kyle on the cheek and watched him board the train. "And don't forget to tell us which house you're sorted into."

"I will." Kyle nodded, then turned and boarded the train.

A few minutes later, the train slowly pulled away from the platform. Only then did Diana turn her gaze away.

Not far behind her, Chris had just finished talking with a middle-aged man. He walked over to Diana in a few quick strides.

"Was Mr. Diggory showing off his son again?" Diana asked with a smile.

Clearly, she knew the man Chris had been speaking to.

Amos Diggory worked in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic, just like Chris, and he also had a child at Hogwarts. The boy was a year older than Kyle and in the same year as the Weasley Twins.

Unlike the mischievous twins, however, the boy excelled in every way. He was a lot like Percy had been.

As a result, Diggory, a shameless braggart when it came to his son, spent the whole year praising him almost every time he spoke to someone.

Once or twice was fine. People would play along and praise the boy too. But he just kept going. Who could stand that?

So Diggory had gradually become one of the least popular people at the Ministry of Magic, especially among parents whose children attended Hogwarts but weren't particularly good students. Unless they had no choice, they would never speak to him.

Even if they happened to run into him, they would hurry past with their heads down, avoiding conversation if they could.

Those who couldn't escape—for example, if they ran into him in an elevator, or if they were colleagues in the same department like Chris—would make a little small talk, then immediately find an excuse to leave, giving him no chance to change the subject.

This time, Chris clearly hadn't been able to get away.

"Cedric really is excellent."

Chris gave a wry smile. "Anyway, enough about that. Have you really finished your mission?"

He didn't know much about the Department of Mysteries, but he knew that its assignments usually lasted at least a month. One that could be finished in just two days was almost unheard of.

"Of course not." Diana narrowed her eyes. "But my colleagues are very easygoing. I only asked for a little time off. They won't say anything."