Katherine Greenwood: The Hidden World #6

Instructions

Katherine's POV: A few days had passed since Hagrid had taken me to Diagon Alley, and somehow, July 31 had arrived. I had spent most of those days getting ready for Hogwarts. I had packed and repacked my things several times, made sure my wand was safely stored, and spent hours reading some of the books I had bought. Some of them were difficult to understand, especially the ones that talked about magic and subjects I had never even heard of before, but I enjoyed reading them anyway. The more I read, the more real Hogwarts felt. Early that morning, Mum, Dad, Ava, Cecilia, Lucy, and Walter helped me load everything into the car. My trunk was packed with my clothes and school things, and I had my other equipment with me too. My snowy owl was safely settled in her carrier, and I kept checking on her to make sure she was all right. I held my Hogwarts train ticket carefully in my pocket. I had checked it so many times that I probably knew every word written on it. The drive to King's Cross Station felt much shorter than I wanted it to. I sat quietly in the car, watching the streets pass by through the window. I was excited about going to Hogwarts, but I was also nervous. I had never been away from my family before, and I still didn't know what to expect. When we finally arrived at the station, Dad helped me get my trunk out of the car while Mum made sure I had everything. "You've got your ticket?" she asked. I nodded. "Yes." "Your wand?" Dad asked. "Yes." "Your school things?" "Yes." "And your owl?" I looked toward the carrier. "She's here." Dad smiled. "Then I think you've got everything." We said goodbye to everyone beside the car. Ava hugged me tightly, then Cecilia and Lucy did the same. Walter gave me one last hug and reminded me that I had promised to show him something magical when I came home. I smiled. "I will." Mum hugged me for a long time. "We'll miss you," she whispered. "I'll miss you too." Dad hugged me next. "You'll be all right, Katherine." I nodded, even though I wasn't completely sure. Mum and Dad helped me get everything onto a trolley, and before they left, they made absolutely certain that I knew where I was supposed to go. "Find Platforms Nine and Ten," Dad said. "Your ticket should tell you where to go from there." I nodded and held the ticket in my hand. "I know." Mum gave me one last smile. "If you're not sure, don't be afraid to ask someone for help." I nodded again, although I wasn't sure I could actually do that. Asking strangers for help was one of the things I found hardest to do. My parents gave me one last hug, and then they walked back toward the car with my brother and sisters. I stood there watching them until they disappeared from sight. Then I turned toward King's Cross Station. Suddenly, I was completely on my own. I took a deep breath and started walking, pushing the trolley carefully in front of me. The station was much busier than I expected. People were hurrying in every direction, carrying bags, pulling suitcases, and talking to one another. I tried to stay out of everyone's way as I followed the signs. Eventually, I found Platform Nine. Then I found Platform Ten. I looked between them. There was no Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. I checked my ticket again. I looked at the signs. I looked back at the platforms. Nothing. I slowly pushed my trolley closer, hoping I had somehow missed something. There were people everywhere, but nobody seemed to be looking for the same thing I was. I walked up and down the area between Platforms Nine and Ten, checking every sign I could see. "Where is it?" I whispered to myself. I knew Hagrid had told me the ticket would tell me where to go, and it did say Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, but that didn't tell me how to actually get there. I looked around at all the strangers. Maybe someone knew. I could have asked. I knew I should ask. But every time I thought about walking up to someone and speaking to them, my stomach tightened. What if they didn't know? What if they thought I was strange? What if I bothered them?