Aionios

Chapter 16

September- 1, 1994
King's Cross Station
Platform 9 3/4

Witches and wizards - young and old- crowded around the platform, excitedly awaiting the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. Standing on his toes at the edge of the platform was Harry Potter, scanning the crowd in search for his sister as Ron and Hermione stood beside him.

"Maybe she couldn't come because something came up at the Ministry", Hermione says, but Harry seems to ignore her as he continues to look for Isabelle.

She had visited him yesterday at the Burrow. They spent the whole day playing Quidditch and telling stories with the Weasleys. When it was time for Isabelle to head home, she had made a promise to Harry that she would be here to see him off to Hogwarts. And Isabelle always stuck to her promise, no matter what.

The hope was evident in Harry's eyes. He never got tired of standing on his toes and occasionally jumping up to see over the few tall heads that blocked his view of the crowd. But that hope soon turned into sadness upon hearing the distant whistle of the Hogwarts Express in the distance. He touches his feet to the ground and sighs in defeat while Ron and Hermione look at him in sympathy.

"Cheer up, mate", Ron pats his shoulder, "Maybe she had a valid reason for not coming".

"But she never breaks a promise", he grumbles, begrudgingly readying his suitcase as the Hogwarts Express came chugging into the platform.

"She'll make it up to you. I'm sure of it", Hermione assures as they board the train, hearing its loud whistle and exhalation of vapor.

Harry sighs again, walking down the train's corridors in search for an empty compartment. "It's not that", he sighs, sliding a door open and entering the lone booth, "It's the fact that she's not coming with us this time back to Hogwarts... and I just wanted to see her one last time before the both of us become too busy to see each other", he lifts his case onto the compartment above the chairs and slumps down in his seat dejectedly.

Hermione and Ron keep away their suitcases before sitting as well, Hermione beside Harry with Ron in front of them.

"She'll never be too busy for you", Hermione says, "I'm sure she'll find a way to visit you almost every single day".

"Well why couldn't she make a way to see me off before I left", Harry huffs. He might've been sounding childish, but he just really wanted to see her before he came back to Hogwarts without her. He just had this feeling that it wasn't going to be just as fun anymore without her there.

"I just want her here", he mutters, looking out the window and hoping he'll see Isabelle outside the glass... Of course, that was far-fetched.

The train jerks forward and soon they were chugging at high speed away from Platform 9 3/4 and back to Hogwarts, their home... Well, at least it felt a lot more like home when Isabelle was there...

Hermione lays her head on Harry's shoulder, pressing her lips together. She felt for Harry. She also wanted Isabelle with them. Isabelle was the only girl, aside from Ginny, that Hermione could talk to about everything. They could talk about books and life for hours, and Isabelle would still be excited to hear more about what Hermione had to say. Ron wouldn't admit it, but he wanted Isabelle there too. She was always so kind, helping him with his homework sometimes and just being a ray of sunshine in the Gryffindor Tower and Hogwarts in general. It was like everything felt sadder without Isabelle being there to brighten it up.

They stay in silence for a long time, just imagining how they'd survive the year without their red-haired friend. They hear the door sliding open thirty minutes later, but they remain still, thinking it would just be the trolley lady asking them if they wanted any sweets.