[1] New Beginnings: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Philosopher's Stone

14: the choosing of the wands

Instead of standing around blocking the pathway like a bunch of idiots, as one portly woman had said disdainfully, the two boys made their way over to Platforms Nine and Ten, as that seemed like the most logical place to start. As they neared the platforms, Percy saw a large family of redheads grouped together between the large pillars that separated the platforms.

The woman, presumably the mother of the bunch, was speaking. "Alright, Percy, you first." An older, pompous looking boy took his trolley and walked towards the brick wall on Platform Ten. He vanished. Percy blinked. Surely he didn't just disappear. Maybe the crowd got in the way and he was on the other side. Percy looked at Harry to see if he had seen anything odd, but he was staring at the wall. Percy's thoughts were interrupted by the woman. "Fred, George, you next."

Two boys that looked identical and that were slightly younger than the first stepped forward. "Honestly woman, you call yourself our mother?" the first said accusingly.

"I'm Fred and he's George," the second said.

The woman just shook her head. "Oh, sorry George."

"I'm just joking, I am Fred." The first ran forward, into the wall, and the second followed. Percy definitely didn't imagine it that time. They absolutely had run into the wall, disappearing from sight.

Harry had already gone forward. "Excuse me!" He caught the woman's attention, along with her two remaining children, a boy that looked their age, and a girl that looked slightly younger.

The woman turned to Harry. "Yes, dear?"

"Er, I was wondering, er, how-"

"How to get onto the platform?" The woman finished for him. Both Percy and Harry nodded. "Well, it's really quite simple! It's Ron's first year at Hogwarts too. You just need to walk towards that wall there, but it's best to do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous." She smiled kindly at them.

"Thank you!" Percy was already running towards the wall when Harry thanked her. He closed his eyes as he neared, certain he was going to crash, but he never did. When he opened his eyes, he was in a completely different place. It was still King's Cross, but there was a sign hanging over the train: Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Percy looked back through the barrier, but instead of a brick wall, it was an archway and he could see through to the other side. The woman and her children were still there, and Harry was running towards the barrier. Percy got out of the way so Harry wouldn't crash into him. As soon as they were both through, they took their luggage over to board the scarlet train engine.

****

Harry was having quite a few difficulties getting his luggage up the steps into the train. The two identical redheaded boys suddenly appeared behind Percy. The one on his right spoke first. "D'you think he needs help with that, Gred?"

"He probably does, Forge."

"Should we help him, Gred?"

"We probably should, Forge."

"Blimey, Gred! Look who it is!" The twin on his right suddenly got a good look at Percy's face.

"It's Harry Potter, Forge!" The twin on his left was now staring at Percy too.

"Er, no, that's actually him." Percy pointed to Harry, who had now gotten his trunk up the steps and onto the train.

The twins looked from Harry to Percy in shock, before saying at the same time, "Are you guys twins? And who're you, then?" The last question was directed at Percy.

Percy started to drag his truck up the stairs and replied, "Nope, not twins, just look really similar, and I'm Percy Jackson."

The twins looked surprised for a moment before saying, once again together, "Jackson?" They then ran off to their mother and younger brother and sister where they began chattering away, probably about Percy and Harry. Percy just shook his head and followed Harry, who was halfway down the train by now.

****

Percy found Harry in an empty compartment near the end of the train. He threw his trunk up above the seat and put Kasper next to it. About five minutes later, the train started to move and not long after that, while both Percy and Harry were watching the passing landscape fly by out the window, the redhead that was called Ron knocked on their compartment door.

"Do you mind if I sit? Everywhere else is full, and I don't fancy sitting with my brothers." Harry told him that he didn't mind, and Percy just shrugged and went back to looking out the window. "My name's Ron Weasley. Your's?"

Percy looked away from the window and decided to join the conversation. "Percy Jackson." Almost at once, he noticed a change in Ron's attitude towards him.

"Jackson?" He asked this with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah? What of it?"

Ron didn't answer for a moment, then: "I guess you're alright. For a Jackson." Percy had absolutely no idea what that meant.

Ron turned back to Harry, who was watching their exchange with raised eyebrows. "And you?"

"Er, Harry. Harry Potter."

Ron's eyes widened and he gasped. "Bloody hell. The Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived Harry Potter?" Harry shrugged. "Does that mean you have the - the scar?" Ron whispered the last two words to Harry as if there was some sort of taboo on those specific words and in that order. In response to Ron's over-dramatized question, Harry moved his hair, which was slightly longer than Percy's, so that Ron could see the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Ron gasped again and breathed, "Wicked."

****

I feel very proud of myself. I actually managed to update in a timely manner.

Fact of the day! I had to look up the difference between silk and satin and, as it turns out, manmade polyester satin is the stuff that's almost slippery, and silk is not - there's more friction with silk because of how the silk strands from the silkworms are woven together. The more you know!

Please comment any grammar or spelling mistakes you find.

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