HIS CHOSEN GIRL
chapter twenty eight-harry nearly died
[Harry's P.O.V]
☟ ☟ ☟
"HURRY UP!"
Molly Weasley is furious. Fred and George forgot their exploding snaps and insisted we go back home to get them, now, because of the delay, we're nearly late for the Hogwarts Express.
"10:58," Mr. Weasley notes. "Come on, come on!"
We quicken our paces to a run as we hurry towards the platform.
"Train will be leaving any moment!" Mrs. Weasley yells frantically.
"Fred, George, Percy, you first," Mr. Weasley instructs as we finally reach platform
9 3/4.
Fred runs first, followed by George, then by Percy. Despite the stress, it still amuses me, how exactly one gets on to platform 9 3/4. After Percy disappears through the wall, Ginny grows visibly nervous among the realization that her turn is next.
Both of her parents put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Molly kisses her cheek then gives her a push and Ginny too runs through the wall for the first time as a Hogwarts student. Her parents go next, following right behind her, leaving just Ron and I left to go.
"Let's go," I say, turning to my best friend.
He nods and the two of us start running towards the wall and I close my eyes just a moment before we go through.
To my complete shock, the wall is hard and I crash into it. Ron, from just behind me, crashes his cart into mine and we end up on the floor laying underneath our luggage and trolleys. We arise, panicked and embarrassed as we scramble to pick up our stuff.
A plump train station worker storms over to us angrily. "Oi! What do you two think you're doing?" He barks.
"S-sorry," I stutter. "Lost control of the trolley," he shakes his head at us disapprovingly before he walks away murmuring to himself. I turn to Ron frantically. "Why can't we get through?"
"I don't know. The gateway sealed itself for some reason," he replies as we hit the wall hoping it will miraculously let us through by doing so.
A clock chimes somewhere off in the distance causing my heat to sink. "The train leaves at exactly 11:00, we've missed it!"
Ron gets a terrified look on his face. "Harry... if we can't get through, maybe mum and dad can't get back."
I pace back and forth as I try to think about what we can do. It's not like we can call anyone and tell them to pick us up. And we can't use my broomstick because we'd be seen. I sigh and turn to Ron. "Maybe we should just go and wait by the car."
A lightbulb goes off in Ron's head by the look on his face. "The car..."
Your P.O.V
"Where are they?" I ask Hermione for the billionth time.
"I don't know," she replies for the billionth time.
"You don't think they..." I cut myself off not wanting to jinx it.
"If those two idiots managed to miss the train then they are more stupid then I thought they were," she replies coldly. Someone knocks at the door to our cabinet and Hermione squints through the distorted glass door. "That better be them now."
"Come in," I call.
The door opens and in walks Ginny Weasley. Not going to lie, my heart drops a little bit, all jokes aside I really, really hope those two didn't actually miss the train. Remembering that Ginny's still standing at our door, I quickly smile at her. "Hi Ginny, need anything?"
She looks at the two of us anxiously. "Can I sit here?"
I get immediate nostalgia at the repetition of history. The memory of just a year ago when her brother stumbled into our compartment, asking us the same thing.
"Of course," Hermione replies and I nod in agreement.
She smiles gratefully and takes the seat beside me. I look at her closely, this being the first time I've seen her up close. She is most definitely a Weasley. Fiery red hair, cute little face. I smile at her. "Had enough of your brothers have you?"
She rolls her eyes. "Please, I've had enough of my brothers for years."
The three of us laugh and Hermione speaks up once the laughter finally stops. "Did you by any chance see Harry and Ron board the train?"
"I haven't seen them since right before I ran through the platform. They were suppose to go after me," she replies.
I shake my head in disbelief. "How on earth did those two possibly manage to miss the train? How exactly do they plan to get to school?"
The girls shake their heads as if to say that they don't know either.
"They'd better figure it out," Hermione says. "They've got about eight and a half hours or so."
Despite worrying about the boys, I can't help but smile. Only eight hours to go. Eight more hours until home.
Harry's P.O.V
"Ron, I should tell you, most muggles aren't accustomed to seeing a flying car," I say whilst nervously looking down at the streets below as the Weasley's Ford Anglia soars across the London sky. I can't help but feel like this is wrong I mean what are Mr. and Mrs. Weasley going to say when they realize their car is missing?
Then again though, that fact that just because somethings wrong, has never really stopped me from doing it anyways in my previous years.
"Uh...right," Ron replies pressing a button on the dashboard that makes the car invisible we and continue flying through the sky.
We fly for what seems like ages with still no sign of the Hogwarts express. I lean my head outside the window to see that the car is one again visible. Ron starts pressing the button continuously then groans. "Oh, no. The invisibility booster must be faulty,"
"Well come on, then, let's go lower we need to find the train," I suggest to which Ron nods and steers the car lower through the valley we're driving through. He drives the car down to the railroad tracks and then begin driving on them. After about only a minute do I start getting impatient again. "We need to find the train!"
"Well we can't be far behind," Ron replies.
The train whistle blows as if on cue and Ron squints his eyes to see forward.
"D'ya hear that?" I ask squinting my own eyes as well.
"We must be getting close!" Ron announces excitedly.
I continue looking forward still a tad confused. If we can hear the whistle then surely we would be able to see the train. Why can't we see the train? I strain my neck forward but then a horrible thought dawns on me. "Hold on.."
Ron and I look at each other in unison as the thought sinks into both of our heads. I take a deep breath before turning my head to look out the back window, Ron doing the same. Just as suspected, the Hogwarts express blows its whistle again and now I actually wish we didn't see it at all. Ron and I scream as he struggles to drive away.
Ron makes a sharp right turn and we fly off the tracks. However, the turn must've been too sharp because the car flies off course and starts spinning around in the air. Sometime in the act the car door on my side opens and before I know it I'm flying out. I grab onto the car door without stopping my screams throughout the entire course of events.
"Harry!" Ron yells panicked from inside the car.
I continue dangling around helplessly in the wind and try to pull myself up and into the car.
"Hold on!" Ron yells. I make the mistake of looking down and get extremely woozy after seeing that I'm dangling over the Hogwarts express which is a good 50 feet or so from where I am. If I make the fatal mistake of letting go, then I am dead. Ron extends his hand to me and yells, "take my hand!" I attempt to swing myself up to grab hold of his hand only for a second before my grip fails me and I let go. "Hold on!" He yells exasperated.
"I'm trying!" I respond. "Your hand's all sweaty!" I grab on for a second time and he tries pulling me up. It takes a few seconds and I hold my breath the whole time, but he eventually pulls me up enough so I can hoist myself into the car. I slam the car door shut and we both take a sigh of relief. "Well, I think we found the train," I finally say breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Ron replies still out of breath.
We continue driving alongside the Hogwarts express. Needless to say, the rest of the ride is pretty quiet. It's literally only been about an hour into the school year and I've already faced the hands of death.
It can't get any worse than that.....
Right?
✵