Noise.
Before the excitement, the fear, the sadness - before the unspoken truths, and the quiet goodbyes - came the noise. Loud and irritating, muggles, tourists and workers were passing through King's Cross Station in an endless stream of chatter and sounds. Some people were rolling heavy suitcases, some were speaking excitedly on the phone, but none of them seemed to notice that they weren't alone. Everyone seemed to make as much noise as possible, as if to annoy the entire world.
Ophelia frowned. People could be so... exasperating, sometimes.

With a look of contempt in her face, she found the courage to dive into the crowd, and began to walk towards Platform 9 3/4. Her footsteps disappeared among thousands of others ; from individual, she became the mass. With grace and elegance, her parents followed her.

Her parents did everything with elegance, for that matter.

She fount the right platform and waited for her parents to join her. She couldn't think properly because of the ambient noise ; it was repelling for her seeing so much people bother and push and squeeze each other. It was nothing close to the refinement and the delicacy of the receptions her mother hosted now and then.

But Norà seemed to notice the look of disgust in her daughter's face, because she reprimanded her with a severe glance. Her sophisticated voice replaced the background chatter.

_Don't look so contemptuous, darling... You make it look like an awful experience.
You are going to Hogwarts for the first time, you should look honoured, and joyful. Is that too much to ask ?

Look. She used look, and not be. Of course, the Byrnes family was all about appearance ; but Ophelia was astonished to hear her mother unwillingly admit it. Quiet, she didn't say a word, but she held her chin higher, in a discreet yet effective protest. She was eleven years old : wasn't she old enough to take care of herself, and her actions ?
But she knew her mother was right, because she was always right. Always. So she rapidly composed a more neutral face, and hid the contempt she felt towards the mundane crowd behind a light smile.

Her hesitation didn't go unnoticed, though. Her mother gave her a firm look.
_Your behaviour is ridiculous, really. ...Don't you agree, Andrew ?

Andrew was elsewhere, as usual. Probably doing some damn business in his head. But the call of his name seemed to wake up the man from his thoughts, because he looked at the two women beside him, and agreed promptly :
_Absolutely, yes, absolutely.
You shouldn't despise normal people, Ophelia-dear... They are sometimes boring but it's thanks to them that you live in such a big house, don't forget. Without customers, we are nothing but shadows and wind.

The young girl sighed. Yes, of course, she knew that. She was not going to forget.

For that matter, she never forgot anything. Knowledge was too precious to be lost.