Chapter 9: The Hogwarts Express

In the British magical world, September 1st is a very important day, especially for wizards aged eleven and above who have not yet graduated.

On this day, Hogwarts opens.

Young wizards who have just turned eleven eagerly await this day, hoping it will come as soon as possible.

However, wizards aged twelve to seventeen may not feel the same way, as the start of the school year means the end of a pleasant summer vacation and the need to face homework that has been forgotten over the summer.

This is not good news.

This is particularly evident in Kyle and the Weasley twins.

In front of the Burrow, Kyle, standing at the front, was very excited, while Fred and George behind him looked nervous, often whispering to each other, as if they were going to Hogwarts for the first time.

Yes, Kyle is here too.

Originally, Chris planned to Apparate directly with him, but before they left, they encountered Mrs. Weasley knocking on the door.

Mrs. Weasley seemed to have guessed what he was going to do. The first thing she said to Chris was that there were too many Muggles at King's Cross Station, and Apparating would be easily seen, which was too dangerous. She insisted that Kyle should go with them.

Chris wanted to say something more, but seeing Mrs. Weasley's firm attitude, he could only swallow his words and nod in agreement.

Kyle, standing nearby, rubbed his forehead helplessly.

He wanted to tell Mrs. Weasley that in the eyes of Muggles, seeing nine people get out of a Ford would be much more shocking than two people suddenly appearing.

After all, there is no Ganges, and the Ford is not a magical car that can fit as many people as you want.

But unfortunately, he was only eleven, and his words carried little weight, so he was ignored.

Just as he was thinking, Mrs. Weasley suddenly came to Kyle's side and asked with concern, "Dear, have you packed everything?"

"Of course." Kyle, coming back to his senses, kicked a large box at his feet and said, "I checked three times before we left, nothing is missing."

"That's good." Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded.

As they were talking, Mr. Weasley drove up in an old car that looked very vintage.

This was their mode of transportation, a second-hand Ford that Mr. Weasley had found somewhere, but he loved it very much.

"What are you waiting for, get in the car."

At Mr. Weasley's urging, Chris got into the car first.

Seeing this, Kyle knew it was too late to say anything and followed helplessly, followed by the Weasleys.

The car was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, so even with nine people and a lot of luggage, it didn't feel crowded at all.

Mr. Weasley's driving was excellent, and Kyle didn't feel any significant bumps or sudden stops on the way, making it much better than a certain public bus.

Around ten o'clock, they arrived at King's Cross Station.

Fortunately, the situation Kyle had imagined did not happen, or rather, the people around them didn't pay any attention to the old and dilapidated Ford. The group smoothly reached the pillar between platforms nine and ten.

At this point, there was no longer any need to worry about being seen by Muggles.

There was a Muggle-Repelling Charm nearby, so ordinary people would subconsciously ignore everything happening here. Even if there were special circumstances, nearby Ministry of Magic officials would handle them immediately, ensuring safety.

The group lined up skillfully and, under Mrs. Weasley's direction, passed through the pillar one by one, arriving at the famous Platform 9¾.

It was much busier here.

A deep red steam train was parked on the platform, with a sign that read: Hogwarts Express.

"Looks like I'm not late." A gentle voice came from behind Kyle.

Hearing this familiar voice, Kyle turned around sharply and saw Diana smiling at him.

"Mom?" Kyle exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't you have a mission...?"

"Of course it's finished." Diana squatted down and straightened Kyle's clothes, "Today is your first day of school, such an important day, I didn't want to miss it."

"That's great." Kyle was very happy.

If only Chris had come to see him off, it would have been a regret.

Diana spoke to Kyle for a while more, and just before the train was about to leave, she sent him onto the train, giving him one last reminder, "Chris has probably already told you about Hogwarts, so I won't repeat it, but there's one thing he might not have mentioned."

Diana looked at Kyle with her deep blue eyes and said seriously, "Dear, your father and I graduated a long time ago, and we don't want to recall our house life, so please don't let us receive any letters from professors, including Dumbledore, okay?"

"Don't worry, Mom." Kyle smiled, "I won't break the rules, they have no reason to send letters home."

"Of course, dear." Diana kissed Kyle's cheek and watched him board the train, "And don't forget to tell us your house assignment."

"I will." Kyle nodded and then turned to get on the train.

A few minutes later, the train slowly pulled away from the platform, and Diana finally turned her gaze away.

Not far behind her, Chris had just finished talking to a middle-aged man and quickly came to Diana's side.

"Mr. Diggory was boasting about his son again?" Diana laughed.

Clearly, she also knew the man Chris had been talking to.

Amos Diggory, like Chris, worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic, and he also had a child at Hogwarts. However, his child was a year older than Kyle and in the same year as the Weasley twins.

Unlike the mischievous twins, this child excelled in every aspect, much like Percy.

Therefore, Diggory, the proud parent, almost always boasted about his son whenever he spoke to someone.

Once or twice was fine, and people would join in with a few compliments, but it was unbearable when he kept talking about it.

So Diggory gradually became one of the least popular people at the Ministry, especially among parents whose children were at Hogwarts but had average grades. Unless necessary, they would avoid him.

Even if they occasionally met, they would quickly pass by with their heads down, trying not to speak to him.

Those who couldn't avoid him, like in the elevator or colleagues in the same department like Chris, would make small talk and then immediately find an excuse to leave, not giving him a chance to change the subject.

This time, Chris clearly couldn't avoid it.

"Cedric is indeed very excellent."

Chris smiled bitterly, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Is your mission really finished?"

Although he didn't know the specifics of the Department of Mysteries, he knew that any mission there would take at least a month, and it was almost impossible for it to be completed in just two days.

"Of course not." Diana narrowed her eyes, "But my colleagues are very understanding. A short leave of absence, they won't say anything."