MAGIC TRAIN
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The morning had arrived way too early. Lucy was the first one awake. Not because she was anxious or nervous. Of course not. She was excited. Very, very excited. Her trunk had been packed the night before. Then unpacked. Then packed again because Lucy decided she absolutely needed three more books. Then unpacked once more when Dad pointed out that she had somehow packed two copies of the same book. The trunk had finally made it by the front door. Lucy stood right next to it in her black denim overalls, grey t-shirt and brown boots. Her long white hair was neatly braided down her back. Not to mention the pink wool beanie she had firmly on her head. She was ready. Mostly…
Mum came downstairs carrying a mug of tea and stopped when she saw her.
"You've been waiting here long?"
Lucy nodded.
Mum looked at the time.
"You've been waiting here since six."
Lucy nodded again.
Dad appeared behind her, already dressed and carrying the last of their things. He looked at Lucy. Then at the trunk. Then back at Lucy.
"Ready?"
Lucy gave him a huge grin.
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The trip from Inverness to London by train felt impossibly long. Lucy spent the first half pressed against the window. The familiar looking Scotland slowly disappeared behind them, replaced by unfamiliar countryside. She pointed out birds. She pointed out sheep. She pointed out something she was absolutely sure was a bear but actually was just a rock. She found a beetle. She drew it in her notebook and showed it to Mum. Mum then examined it closely. Lucy added several more details. Dad was reading. Mum tried to. Lucy kept interrupting at least one of the two approximately every five minutes. So much to see!
At some point during the ride, beneath all the excitement, Lucy realised something. This was actually happening. She was really going to Hogwarts. She was really going to get on a MAGIC TRAIN. And. She was going to leave her parents behind. That last thought was less exciting. Lucy was staring out the window for a while without pointing at anything. Mum noticed this. She reached over and took Lucy’s hand. Lucy squeezed it. Hard. Then she leaned against Mum’s shoulder. Just for a little bit.
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London was huge. Enormous even. Lucy stared up at everything as they made their way through King’s Cross. People everywhere. Noise everywhere. Things were moving everywhere. She secured her notebook under one arm and kept one hand firmly attached to Mum. Dad was on Trunk Duty, pulling it behind him. They were following the instructions and made their way through Platform 9. Then they all saw what Lucy was waiting to see with her own eyes, and so were her parents. People walking straight through a brick wall. This had to be it. Lucy’s eyes went wide. There it was. The place that would change everything. She stared. Then she looked at Mum. Then Dad. Then back at the wall. Her grin was slowly growing. Mum smiled.
"You ready?"
Lucy nodded.
This time, she was. Lucy was striding toward the wall with no hesitation but her parents still weren’t quite believing it.
They made their way to the wall. Her parents slowed down in front of it, putting their hands through first before stepping in. Meanwhile Lucy just strode through. Like a mist the wall hit their faces and then they were on the other side. Platform 9¾. The Hogwarts Express was enormous. Red. Shiny. Awesome. Students and their families crowded the platform, carrying trunks, cages and bags. People hugged. Parents fussed over their children. Older students wandered around as if boarding a magical train was the most mundane thing ever. Lucy thought they were insane. The train was A MAGIC TRAIN! She grabbed Dad’s sleeve and pointed at it with such force that he nearly lost his balance. He laughed. Lucy was practically vibrating. She hurried closer, staring at everything. The red engine. The windows. The steam. The carts. The enormous Hogwarts Express as a whole. She wanted to look at everything at once. She wanted to touch everything! She grabbed her notebook and scribbled on it furiously.
MAGIC TRAIN
Then, underneath:
REAL
She showed Mum. Mum laughed.
"Yes, Lucy. So it seems. Real."
Lucy looked back at the train. Then at her parents. And suddenly the excitement was painful. It really hurt. Because they weren't coming. She knew that. She had known that. But knowing something and actually standing there with her trunk were very different things. She lowered her notebook. Her arms just flopped down there. Mum crouched down in front of her for a moment and neither of them moved. Then Lucy dropped the notebook and threw her arms around her. Mum hugged her tightly. Lucy buried her face against her shoulder. She didn't want to cry. She really, really didn't. She still did. Mum stroked the back of her braid.
"Oh, sweetheart."
Lucy shook her head. She pulled back just enough to look at Mum. Then she signed quickly.
I'll be okay.
Mum nodded, although her eyes were wet.
"I know."
Lucy turned to Dad. Somehow that was worse. Dad smiled at her, but his own eyes were shining. He crouched down too.
"You're going to have an amazing time."
Lucy nodded.
I know.
Then she hesitated. She pointed at him. Then at Mum. Then herself. She made a small circle with her fingers.
Come too.
Dad's smile wobbled.
"I wish we could."
Lucy hugged him. Very tightly. He hugged her back. For a while, there was no Hogwarts. No magic. No train. Just Lucy and her parents. The people who had learned how to understand every expression, every gesture, every scribbled note. The people who could tell what she wanted before she even finished pointing. The people who knew when she was angry, excited, worried, curious or about to do something that she probably shouldn’t. Her family.
Eventually Mum wiped her eyes.
"You'll write to us?"
Lucy nodded immediately.
Then Dad.
"And try not to accidentally destroy anything."
Lucy stared at him. Then narrowed her eyes. She pointed accusingly at him.
ONE TIME.
Dad laughed. Mum also. Lucy tried very hard not to smile. She failed. The whistle sounded. Lucy froze. Her eyes snapped toward the train. Students were beginning to board. This was it. She picked up her notebook. Then her trunk. Then stopped and looked at her parents one last time. Mum opened her arms. Lucy ran into them. One final hug. Then Dad. Another hug. Then both of them together. Lucy squeezed them as tightly as she could. When she finally pulled away, her cheeks were wet. She wiped them quickly with her sleeve. She pointed at them. Then at herself. Then made a determined little fist.
I'll be okay.
Mum smiled through her tears.
"We know."
Lucy picked up her trunk. She turned toward the train. The Hogwarts Express waited for her. A magical train. A magical school. A completely new life. Lucy took one step. Then another. She looked back once. Her parents were still there. She smiled. Then she turned back toward the train and climbed aboard. For the first time in her life, Lucy Runo was all alone. She was going to Hogwarts.
❀ ────────────────────────── ✽ ────────────────────────── ❀
The morning had arrived way too early. Lucy was the first one awake. Not because she was anxious or nervous. Of course not. She was excited. Very, very excited. Her trunk had been packed the night before. Then unpacked. Then packed again because Lucy decided she absolutely needed three more books. Then unpacked once more when Dad pointed out that she had somehow packed two copies of the same book. The trunk had finally made it by the front door. Lucy stood right next to it in her black denim overalls, grey t-shirt and brown boots. Her long white hair was neatly braided down her back. Not to mention the pink wool beanie she had firmly on her head. She was ready. Mostly…
Mum came downstairs carrying a mug of tea and stopped when she saw her.
"You've been waiting here long?"
Lucy nodded.
Mum looked at the time.
"You've been waiting here since six."
Lucy nodded again.
Dad appeared behind her, already dressed and carrying the last of their things. He looked at Lucy. Then at the trunk. Then back at Lucy.
"Ready?"
Lucy gave him a huge grin.
❀ ────────────────────────── ✽ ────────────────────────── ❀
The trip from Inverness to London by train felt impossibly long. Lucy spent the first half pressed against the window. The familiar looking Scotland slowly disappeared behind them, replaced by unfamiliar countryside. She pointed out birds. She pointed out sheep. She pointed out something she was absolutely sure was a bear but actually was just a rock. She found a beetle. She drew it in her notebook and showed it to Mum. Mum then examined it closely. Lucy added several more details. Dad was reading. Mum tried to. Lucy kept interrupting at least one of the two approximately every five minutes. So much to see!
At some point during the ride, beneath all the excitement, Lucy realised something. This was actually happening. She was really going to Hogwarts. She was really going to get on a MAGIC TRAIN. And. She was going to leave her parents behind. That last thought was less exciting. Lucy was staring out the window for a while without pointing at anything. Mum noticed this. She reached over and took Lucy’s hand. Lucy squeezed it. Hard. Then she leaned against Mum’s shoulder. Just for a little bit.
❀ ────────────────────────── ✽ ────────────────────────── ❀
London was huge. Enormous even. Lucy stared up at everything as they made their way through King’s Cross. People everywhere. Noise everywhere. Things were moving everywhere. She secured her notebook under one arm and kept one hand firmly attached to Mum. Dad was on Trunk Duty, pulling it behind him. They were following the instructions and made their way through Platform 9. Then they all saw what Lucy was waiting to see with her own eyes, and so were her parents. People walking straight through a brick wall. This had to be it. Lucy’s eyes went wide. There it was. The place that would change everything. She stared. Then she looked at Mum. Then Dad. Then back at the wall. Her grin was slowly growing. Mum smiled.
"You ready?"
Lucy nodded.
This time, she was. Lucy was striding toward the wall with no hesitation but her parents still weren’t quite believing it.
They made their way to the wall. Her parents slowed down in front of it, putting their hands through first before stepping in. Meanwhile Lucy just strode through. Like a mist the wall hit their faces and then they were on the other side. Platform 9¾. The Hogwarts Express was enormous. Red. Shiny. Awesome. Students and their families crowded the platform, carrying trunks, cages and bags. People hugged. Parents fussed over their children. Older students wandered around as if boarding a magical train was the most mundane thing ever. Lucy thought they were insane. The train was A MAGIC TRAIN! She grabbed Dad’s sleeve and pointed at it with such force that he nearly lost his balance. He laughed. Lucy was practically vibrating. She hurried closer, staring at everything. The red engine. The windows. The steam. The carts. The enormous Hogwarts Express as a whole. She wanted to look at everything at once. She wanted to touch everything! She grabbed her notebook and scribbled on it furiously.
MAGIC TRAIN
Then, underneath:
REAL
She showed Mum. Mum laughed.
"Yes, Lucy. So it seems. Real."
Lucy looked back at the train. Then at her parents. And suddenly the excitement was painful. It really hurt. Because they weren't coming. She knew that. She had known that. But knowing something and actually standing there with her trunk were very different things. She lowered her notebook. Her arms just flopped down there. Mum crouched down in front of her for a moment and neither of them moved. Then Lucy dropped the notebook and threw her arms around her. Mum hugged her tightly. Lucy buried her face against her shoulder. She didn't want to cry. She really, really didn't. She still did. Mum stroked the back of her braid.
"Oh, sweetheart."
Lucy shook her head. She pulled back just enough to look at Mum. Then she signed quickly.
I'll be okay.
Mum nodded, although her eyes were wet.
"I know."
Lucy turned to Dad. Somehow that was worse. Dad smiled at her, but his own eyes were shining. He crouched down too.
"You're going to have an amazing time."
Lucy nodded.
I know.
Then she hesitated. She pointed at him. Then at Mum. Then herself. She made a small circle with her fingers.
Come too.
Dad's smile wobbled.
"I wish we could."
Lucy hugged him. Very tightly. He hugged her back. For a while, there was no Hogwarts. No magic. No train. Just Lucy and her parents. The people who had learned how to understand every expression, every gesture, every scribbled note. The people who could tell what she wanted before she even finished pointing. The people who knew when she was angry, excited, worried, curious or about to do something that she probably shouldn’t. Her family.
Eventually Mum wiped her eyes.
"You'll write to us?"
Lucy nodded immediately.
Then Dad.
"And try not to accidentally destroy anything."
Lucy stared at him. Then narrowed her eyes. She pointed accusingly at him.
ONE TIME.
Dad laughed. Mum also. Lucy tried very hard not to smile. She failed. The whistle sounded. Lucy froze. Her eyes snapped toward the train. Students were beginning to board. This was it. She picked up her notebook. Then her trunk. Then stopped and looked at her parents one last time. Mum opened her arms. Lucy ran into them. One final hug. Then Dad. Another hug. Then both of them together. Lucy squeezed them as tightly as she could. When she finally pulled away, her cheeks were wet. She wiped them quickly with her sleeve. She pointed at them. Then at herself. Then made a determined little fist.
I'll be okay.
Mum smiled through her tears.
"We know."
Lucy picked up her trunk. She turned toward the train. The Hogwarts Express waited for her. A magical train. A magical school. A completely new life. Lucy took one step. Then another. She looked back once. Her parents were still there. She smiled. Then she turned back toward the train and climbed aboard. For the first time in her life, Lucy Runo was all alone. She was going to Hogwarts.
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