Secrets She Kept » Harry Potter

Part 18

September 1st 1994
Kings Cross Station, London

Petunia stood nervously beside her eleven-year-old son George, who was excited to embark on his own adventure after being accepted into Hogwarts. He had heard about many wonderful opportunities and adventures his older cousin had enjoyed during the previous three years he had attended Hogwarts. The pair of boys had exchanged letters for the duration of the school year, although the past summer had been different for the pair who had a close bond as Harry had permission to stay back in England with his best friend Ron Weasley. Harry had been invited to enjoy quality time with the Weasley family and was invited to the Quidditch World Cup just the weekend before, although communication had been nonexistent since before he was due to travel for the event. That concerned Petunia as the boy had promised to meet George outside the entrance of the gate as Petunia had his belongings with her for the upcoming school semester.

"Do you think Harry will be late?" George wondered, looking at the watch on his wrist which was getting close to the time that the train was due to depart.

Petunia was glad the twins were able to stay with her friends back in Australia and she was able to have bonding time with George before she would farewell him. This summer she had managed to convince her son to finally chop his hair from the long dark locks she was used to seeing under a cap he wore most summer afternoons. Now it was cropped and gelled back to keep it from falling in his face. Petunia wanted to make sure he made a good impression for the first semester. "He promised to meet us outside the gate, perhaps there was traffic." Petunia made an excuse.

George was stunned to see Harry rush through the gate the opposite way, he was puffed from running through the busy crowds on the other side. He wore a pair of his glasses as he had run out of contact lenses over the summer break and his hair was similar to George's had been just weeks prior, long and messy. "Sorry!" Harry mentions as he rushed close to his aunt and cousin. "It was chaos with the Weasley family getting ready this morning."

Harry had kept the truth about the family being under watch in a safe house from what occurred the night of the Quidditch World Cup. Although PEtunia could sense there was something the teenager was keeping from her, she didn't want to ruin the excitement that George had to go through the barrier for his first year of Hogwarts. "I requested more contact lenses to be sent over the coming months, as you didn't give me enough time to order them before our travel here." She explains to Harry handing over the trunk that had his initials carved into it. "Millie and Beckham picked out snacks for the pair of you to enjoy."

Harry was thankful for the younger adopted siblings he had back home, he had missed their presence the previous summer gone. Yet he enjoyed being surrounded by older children, being able to relate to them more than just an older brother figure. "I made sure Millie didn't pick you a pink sweater for winter," George mentions remembering the shopping trip where the youngest daughter tried to arrange to have the older boys have matching pink sweaters with her that she received for Christmas. Being the only girl she felt left out of the games the boys would enjoy playing.

The farewell was short as time was running out for the boys to board the train. Both hugged Petunia before they set on their way through the barrier and George was finally introduced to the wizarding world. The Muggle still wasn't comfortable travelling beyond the barrier just yet. Although she was thankful that George wasn't travelling alone and had someone to ask for advice while he figured out where he belonged in this strange new world he was encountering.

Both Harry and George made their way through the crowds after being directed where to place their belongings. Harry felt rushed he wasn't able to replace his glasses which were similar in style to those of his father's to his contacts most were accustomed to seeing the boy wear. "I'll introduce you to my friends." He mentions dragging the younger boy through the train to find his friends in an empty compartment. George is faced with a boy with red hair who was munching on snacks his mother had made him and a girl with curly hair engrossed in reading a newspaper. George saw the headline on the front of the paper showcasing the terror from a skull figure replaying in the sky with a snake slithering from the mouth. "Guys this is my brother, George."