Classified (HP) WTM/RTB

A Hogwarts Journey Begins: Platform 9 and ¾ and Sorting

Harry's final month at the Dursleys' residence proved to be a peculiar mixture of relief and desolation. No longer subjected to the harsh treatment he had endured in previous years, Harry found himself shunned into an eerie silence. The Dursleys, now apprehensive in his presence, opted for avoidance over confrontation, leaving Harry to navigate the hollow corridors of Privet Drive like a ghost haunting its own home. Dudley, once the tormentor, now avoided Harry like the plague, a testament to the newfound fear that gripped the Dursleys in Harry's presence. Petunia and Vernon, while no longer subjecting him to their previous cruelties, maintained a frosty distance, their silence more cutting than any harsh word.

"That's oddly depressing," Rabastan whispered to his group.

"Kinda reminds me of how we are treated on a daily basis," Tiberius Nott noted.

"Except we have it worse," added Rodolphus.

Despite the absence of overt mistreatment, Harry found the pervasive atmosphere of neglect and isolation equally disheartening. Days stretched into long, monotonous hours spent confined to his room, with his faithful owl, for company, whom he affectionately named Hedwig after stumbling upon the name in a dusty tome of magical history. It was during this solitary confinement that Harry found solace in the pages of his school books, immersing himself in the world of magic and wizardry that awaited him at Hogwarts.

"That's a nice name for the owl," Lily mentioned trying to find the positives in her son's life.

Yet, even Hedwig's companionship couldn't dispel the lingering sense of isolation that weighed heavily upon Harry's shoulders. Each night, as he marked off another day on the calendar hanging upon his wall, the anticipation of September the first loomed large in his mind, his departure for Hogwarts. Hogwarts, with its promise of adventure and belonging, remained the beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak existence.

As the eve of his departure drew near, Harry knew he couldn't leave without informing his reluctant guardians of his impending journey. Summoning his courage, he descended the stairs with cautious steps, mindful of the creaking floorboards that threatened to betray his presence. In the living room, the Dursleys sat in stony silence, their attention fixed on the flickering images of the evening news. Dudley, ever the epitome of dramatics, bolted from the room at the sight of Harry, screaming as he went along, leaving an awkward tension in his wake.

"Really," said Peter, "that's dramatic.

"Seriously, he did that," Alice said.

"I didn't do that," young Sirius commented, offended that Alice would say that.

"Ooh... just no," Marlen said, horrified. "Let's not go there."

"That was a bit over the top," he thought.

"Exactly," Peter said.

The members of the future that knew, tried not to give him any looks. Some feel as though they would not be able to contain their anger.

"Uncle, Aunt," Harry began tentatively, clearing his throat to break the oppressive silence. "I need to go to King's Cross tomorrow to catch the train to Hogwarts. Would it be possible for you to give me a lift?"

Vernon's grunt of assent was hardly reassuring, but Harry accepted it nonetheless.

"Thank you."

As he turned to retreat back upstairs, Vernon's gruff voice halted him in his tracks.

"Funny way to get to a wizard's school. Magic carpets would make more sense." Vernon remarked with a derisive snort, his disdain for the wizarding world palpable.