Violet Potter and the Basilisk Plague (Year Two)

Chapter Six: The Sorting Of Ginny Weasley

Author's Note: We are going to get to meet Luna Lovegood earlier in Violet's story than in the official Harry Potter series. So much fun that is!

At King's Cross Station the next morning, there were even more non-magic people arriving and departing than the very first time Violet had went there to take the Hogwarts Express. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were well prepared for such a scenario and instructed everyone on how to carefully get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters without drawing any attention from any muggles.

Percy, Fred, and George went first through the barrier, then Ginny with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley guiding her along, then Violet, Tori and Hermione. Harry and Ron were supposed to follow at the very last but they still hadn't appeared on the Hogwarts Platform nor got on the train. Violet had asked, "Where are Harry and Ron? Weren't they supposed to be right behind us?"

Percy had already disappeared into the Prefects' car, and Fred and George had let the girls know that they would be spending the entire journey back to Hogwarts with Lee Jordan, who apparently now had a mysterious magical creature for a pet, and that they needed to ensure that Ron in particular did not bother them on their first evening back. They too, had left the girls to their own devices.

"D'you suppose that somehow, they missed the train? Maybe something went wrong with the barrier to get through?" Ginny wondered.

***

Meanwhile, on the non-magic side of the platform, calamity had ensued after Harry and Ron tried to make their own stealthy run through the enchanted brick wall where the sign for Platform Nine-and-Three Quarters stood with their carts full of luggage, books, Scabbers (Ron's pet rat who would later turn out to also be a rat of a worse sort) and Hedwig---

CRASH!!!

Both boys and much of their belongings went tumbling down, Hedwig was flapping, terrified and screeching angrily at Harry from inside her cage, and now they were scrambling to get everything back in order and on their luggage carts, with at least a few muggles muttering about 'animal cruelty,' and 'childish idiocy,' while giving Harry and Ron dirty looks.

One of the security guards on duty was then immediately on Harry and Ron's case. "What do you two think you're doing? Think you're being funny do you? Messing about, playing up and making spectacles of yourselves in a train station? Well here's one way to deal with troublemakers such as yourselves, you both had better be getting on your way out of here. Where are your parents?"

"That's the problem sir, we've lost them and we weren't able to make it onto Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters to get on the train to school---" Ron tried to explain, not taking notice of Harry mouthing, "It's no use Ron. There's no such platform as far as muggles are usually concerned."

"Platform Nine and Three Quarters! I've had it full right up to here with this time-wasting nonsense." And he told Harry and Ron to get moving and wait for their parents, wherever they may be outside or use the nearest
telephone booth to contact someone else they knew if they had to but there was to be no more of crashing into walls or making up silly platforms.

After the guard had returned inside the station, and Harry and Ron were sitting
on a bench outside, Ron was fuming over the dismissive way they had just been treated. "Ruddy unbelievable, this is. Muggles these days will do anything to ignore and deny the existence of magic, even if it stares them in the face! And now we've missed the train on top of everything, now what?"

"Maybe we should just wait for your parents to come and find us. I'm sure they'll know what to do." Harry had tried suggesting, but Ron shook his head, "Harry come on, the platform barrier has been sealed off, and it could take forever to return to normal or to find a way to Hogwarts...unless---we take the car!"