Atropos → george weasley

v. crossing the threshold

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five

crossing the threshold

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Two days before September first, Ottilie made the trip with her mother to London. Her father had gotten them some free nights at a hotel belonging to the chain he worked for after he decided he would stay home with Adelaide.

Without her father or sister there to violently flinch whenever her mother asked her about anything magic-related, the small holiday was rather nice.

While they walked London streets to visit Ottilie's favorite museums, she chatted with her mother about magical history she'd read about in Bathilda Bagshot's A History of Magic. Although, Ottilie did leave out the part about the recent defeat of one of history's most powerful Dark Wizards who wanted a new world order in which people like her (Muggle-borns) were all imprisoned (or even killed).

Her mum seemed somewhat excited about her daughter being a witch, and Ottilie didn't want to ruin it.

The day before September first, Ottilie returned to Diagon Alley. She and her mother explored for a while, equally entranced, though Ottilie hid it better than her mother. Ottilie purchased a few more history books, including Hogwarts, A History, as Hermione had recommended. They got ice cream and purchased an owl so Ottilie could exchange letters with her family.

She was also careful to stay away from Knockturn Alley.

On September first, they arrived at King's Cross station forty-five minutes before the train was meant to leave.

The station was hectic and loud. Ottilie was keenly aware of the looks strangers were giving her and her owl, christened Guinevere over breakfast that morning.

They made their way through the concourse towards the platforms, where it was slightly cooler. A train pulling into the station stirred up a brief breeze. They stopped between Platform Nine and Ten and surveyed the area.

"I don't get it. Do you get it?" Kanna muttered.

Without speaking to her mother, Ottilie walked forward to carefully look at the signs over their heads. No secret message magically appeared to her. She craned her neck up to the ceiling, but there was nothing there either.

"Maybe we should wait for another student to come by," her mother said behind her. Ottilie didn't respond, growing frustrated. She wasn't accustomed to not being able to figure things out right away. And there was no chance she'd embarrass herself by having to ask for help.

Platform Nine and Three Quarters...Platform Nine and Three Quarters...

Ottilie chanted it in her mind, thinking it must be a hint. She tilted her head back to look at the signs again, and then her gaze landed on the brick barrier separating the two platforms.

With her eyebrows drawn in concentration, she walked underneath the brick arch where the sign for Platform Ten was hanging. Figuring the Three Quarters bit meant that the entrance had to be a bit closer to Platform Ten than Nine, she squinted at the bricks on that side of the barrier. Then, she recalled the barman of the Leaky Cauldron, Tom, opening the entrance to Diagon Alley by tapping his wand on the wall in the pub's backyard.

"I think I've got it," Ottilie said to her mother. She rummaged through her things until she found the pale blue box her wand had come in. Kanna watched with concern on her face but didn't comment.