“Are you sure you don’t need me to drop you off at the platform?” A good-looking Chinese man asked his daughter from the driver’s seat, watching as she stood beside the road with a backpack, a wheeled luggage case, and a birdcage.
“I’m one hundred percent sure,” Scarlet replied, motioning for him to leave. “You can’t get into the platform anyway. Don’t worry, you know how capable I am. It’ll be alright. Besides, worst-case scenario, if I get expelled, I can always go back to regular school and proceed with my career plans, you know, the career plans?”
“If you say so,” Kyle Hong sighed, “Remember to send me an owl once you’ve settled in, alright?”
“Yes, I will,” Scarlet said, continuing to shoo him away. “Now go before the guards chase you off for blocking the way!” Finally, her father merged his car into the busy stream of vehicles.
She had arrived at the station early to avoid potential crowds and have a more relaxed timeframe to stroll around like a tourist. Well, she hadn’t had the chance to be here for a leisurely walk before, so why not take a look at this famous spot?
She tried her best to recall this part of the story from her previous life but failed as usual. She wasn’t a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, though she did have some impression of it since the series was a massive hit when she was young, and she had watched the first two films with friends. However, she had been too busy with her career to put much effort into remembering the story. If she had known she would one day be reincarnated into the Harry Potter universe, she surely would have memorized every single letter in the books!
Too bad she didn’t know about it beforehand. All she could count on was her vague memory of a story about a boy and a dark wizard. Probably a sad tale, as she recalled the colour tones of the posters for the later series being rather dull and depressing, but it was still a children’s story, so there should be a happy ending, right?
She thought she was just being left out of the memory-cleansing process after she died when she was tossed into this new world and reborn as a child. Being a child with an adult’s memories wasn’t an ideal position, as you’re constantly bombarded with all sorts of values that go against your beliefs. People would think you’re weird and treat you differently. Not that it was bad; she knew how to deal with it. It’s just that she sometimes felt quite lonely, as no one really understood her. Luckily, things changed when her dad adopted her from the orphanage. Finally, she could do whatever she wanted, and her dad wouldn’t object at all.
However, she felt some odd aspects when comparing this world to her previous one. The most obvious part was how the continental plates looked, and some locations had different names from what she remembered. And the country she had belonged to didn’t exist at all! Most of the history was the same, but some parts were entirely different, as if this world with the Harry Potter story had the same source as her previous world but took a different path, thus resulting in a different developmental trajectory...
Well, it wasn’t a big deal anyway, since it didn’t cause her any problems. In fact, she didn’t even know this was the Harry Potter universe until she received the acceptance letter from Hogwarts, delivered by a lady who called herself Professor McGonagall. Oh my Queen, that was quite a shock for her dad, who had been rather confused by her destined career path.
After exploring King’s Cross Station and buying some sandwiches and biscuits for lunch and tea on the train, she finally began her search for the mysterious Platform 9¾.
“Platform 9¾...Should be situated between Platforms 9 and 10, so I’ll just head there and look for a hidden portal,” Scarlet muttered to herself, recalling Professor McGonagall’s instructions. Holding her ticket, she vaguely remembered a scene where a boy, pushing his trolley, ran into the wall and hit his forehead...So, was there a secret password to enter the wall? And using the wrong password would result in hitting the wall? But Professor McGonagall hadn’t mentioned that...
While walking slowly, searching for Platforms 9 and 10, the red-haired girl, alone, and so focused on her task in the bustling station, that she startled when two teenage boys with widened eyes stood in front of her.
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“Oi, George! Look what we’ve found - our long-lost sister!” one of the boys exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
The other boy chimed in, “Blimey, Fred, you’re right! That hair’s as Weasley as they come!”
Only then did Scarlet notice that both broadly grinning boys were red-haired. It surprised her as she assumed most redheads stayed in Scotland and Ireland, making it rare to see any red-haired individuals outside of those regions...Well, probably not so rare in England, but indeed uncommon in Asia, where she had just returned from.
“Well then, our dear long-lost sister,” one twin said with an exaggerated bow, “might we have the pleasure of your name?”
“Bet it’s something posh,” the other added with a wink.
Scarlet chuckled at their funny tones and gestures, “Hi, I’m Scarlet Smith. Nice to meet you.”
“Pleasure’s all ours,” the twins spoke in perfect unison.
“Fred! George! Where were you two? It’s time to get to...oh, hello?” A woman’s voice suddenly sounded nearby. Scarlet located the source and saw another four redheads; whoa, a family of six, all with red hair!
The twins gestured dramatically towards Scarlet.
“Mum, you’ll never believe our luck!” one started.
“We’ve only gone and found our long-lost sister!” the other finished.
“Reckon she’s a distant cousin at least,” one suggested.
“Probably shares out great-great-gran's second cousin’s niece,” the other added sagely.
Three of the other redheads chuckled and giggled along, while one teenage boy rolled his eyes.
“Hello dear, it’s lovely to meet you.” the woman said, approaching Scarlet warmly, “I hope my boys didn’t frighten you off. They can be quite a handful with their pranks and jokes.”
“Not at all,” Scarlet replied, noticing their old-fashioned trunks. There were hints of the unusual, with a large owl cage and a small cage likely for a rat, which she connected to the list attached to her acceptance letter. She asked, “Excuse me, could you point me towards the entrance to the Hogwarts platform? It’s my first time here, I’m a bit lost.”
Initially surprised, the red-haired family soon understood. The woman motioned for Scarlet to follow her and said with a smile, “Not to worry, dear. It’s Ron’s first time to Hogwarts as well. Come along with us, we’ll enter the platform together.”
The youngest boy, Ron, gave her a timid smile, while the youngest girl approached eagerly. It must have been fascinating for them to see another young, unattended redhead witch here too.
“I’m Ginny, Ginny Weasley.” the youngest daughter introduced herself, falling into steps beside Scarlet, “I’ll be at Hogwarts next year.”
“Scarlet Smith.” Scarlet smiled while pushing her luggage with her birdcage resting on top, “I don’t know much about Hogwarts. Do you all go there?”
“Oh yeah, our whole family does,” Ginny nodded, reaching out to steady the birdcage. “Most wizards in Britain end up there, really.”
All British wizards attend the same school? Scarlet mused. It seems like a pretty small population with not much population flow.
Ginny glanced around, her brow furrowing slightly, “Where are your mum and dad? Did you come on your own?”
“Dad dropped me off,” Scarlet explained. “I told him I’d be alright, Didn’t want him getting lost in the crowd, you know?”
“How come?” Ginny asked, looking puzzled.
“Well, he’s...what’s the word again? Muggle?” Scarlet said while subtly watching for their reaction, “I’m not sure if that would be a problem...”
“That’s nothing to worry about!” Ginny said quickly, “Loads of students have Muggle parents. You’re perfectly fine.”
“Yeah, but...” Ron cut in, his ears turning slightly pink because it’s his first time talking with a future schoolmate, “Some gits care about that stuff. Best to steer clear of them, though.”
Stereotype? Discrimination? Racism? The same old song sung in every corner of the world, it seems. Scarlet mused with a nod.
They soon arrived at the wall Scarlet recognized as the one they needed to run through, similar to what she remembered from the film. The teenage boy named Percy went through first, then Fred and George. Just as she was about to walk towards the wall, a timid voice came from behind, “Ex..excuse me, cou...could you tell me how...”
All the redheads turned around to find a skinny boy with oversized clothes pushing a trolley, looking nervous.
“How to get onto the platform?” Mrs. Weasley, the Weasley matriarch, completed his sentence kindly, “Don’t worry, dear. Come with us, we have two attending Hogwarts for the first time as well!”
The skinny boy still seemed nervous, likely needing some time to gather his courage. So Scarlet turned her head and walked towards the wall. As expected, she passed through a magical barrier and emerged onto a platform filled with steam and the smells of old engines.
Right, a 9-hour train journey now. It had better be nice. Scarlet thought to herself with a sigh. She had considered going to Hogwarts from her place in Scotland, but Professor McGonagall had rejected that suggestion, insisting that taking the train was the only way for students to enter Hogwarts.
Fine, hopefully it will be a decent school year, she mused, though she had her doubts. Scarlet turned her head to find the skinny boy’s face alight with excitement and wonder - the protagonist was here, the story beginning, so...it seemed there was a lot to look forward to in her upcoming school years, huh?