4 Aug 2025, 12:10
First ride to Hogwarts
Juliette arrived at King's Cross Station in London with her parents, her heart thumping in her chest. She peered around, looking for any hint of Platform 9¾ among the numbered signs. She never heard of such platform before. Her countryside upbringing had never prepared her for busy stations. The school's representative that was accompanying Juliette and her parents gave Juliette a gentle smile, telling her to “just walk through the wall between platform 9 and 10.” With a trembling breath, Juliette gripped her trunk and stepped forward, her cheeks warming as she emerged onto the secret platform. She turned around, waiting for the adults to follow.
The moment she saw the train steaming on gleaming rails, awe washed over her. As they all walk around, she could see families bustled around—some fidgeting with trunks, others waving their goodbyes. Juliette felt the familiar shyness creeping in her mind, but she reminded herself that this was the start something completely new and exciting, a whole new world was opening to her. She let her eyes wander to the nameplate on the engine: HOGWARTS EXPRESS.
After saying goodbye to her parents and promising to keep them updated, she hugged her parents one last time, before boarding the train. Juliette scanned for a quiet corner. She settled beside an empty window seat, arranging her notebooks and her favorite paperback novel beside her. Each compartment buzzed with students swapping stories—some already bonded, others just as nervous as she felt. Juliette hugged her trunk to her side, savoring the safety of her small space in the bustling coach. As the train started to move, Juliette found herself immersed in her book. She could hear other student chatting, but her focus was on her book.
WC: 288
The moment she saw the train steaming on gleaming rails, awe washed over her. As they all walk around, she could see families bustled around—some fidgeting with trunks, others waving their goodbyes. Juliette felt the familiar shyness creeping in her mind, but she reminded herself that this was the start something completely new and exciting, a whole new world was opening to her. She let her eyes wander to the nameplate on the engine: HOGWARTS EXPRESS.
After saying goodbye to her parents and promising to keep them updated, she hugged her parents one last time, before boarding the train. Juliette scanned for a quiet corner. She settled beside an empty window seat, arranging her notebooks and her favorite paperback novel beside her. Each compartment buzzed with students swapping stories—some already bonded, others just as nervous as she felt. Juliette hugged her trunk to her side, savoring the safety of her small space in the bustling coach. As the train started to move, Juliette found herself immersed in her book. She could hear other student chatting, but her focus was on her book.
WC: 288