Chapter 74: Another Year, Another Train Journey (1/2)

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The link is also in the synopsis.

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[The chapter was edited by my Editor: Alan_Loo/AlanL]

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In northwestern London lay King's Cross Station, a Muggle railway station that was one of the busiest in the city. It was a perfectly ordinary station, with big plastic numbers over each track and guards who had never heard of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

However, every September 1st, as the clock overhead approached eleven o'clock, the InterCity-125 was pulled into platform nine. A strange crowd turned the occasional people's heads. The pack was wizarding children, bearing enormous trunks and caged owls and other unusual pets, making their way toward —and then through— the solid metal barrier between platforms nine and ten.

Through this barrier, of course, lay Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, home of the famous Hogwarts Express. A look back at the barrier revealed it was a wrought-iron archway with the words ”Platform Nine and Three-Quarters [Platform 9¾]” on it. Over the scarlet steam train's billowing smoke was a signboard that said the Hogwarts Express would depart at eleven o'clock.

Though the platform was only used six days a year, a round trip for the beginning and end of term. One on Christmas and Easter holidays each; the platform on those days, was awash with activity. Steam from the scarlet engine flooded the platform as cats wound their way around the wizards' legs and owls hooted to each other, as hordes of students and parents moved around through the steam ”like dark ghosts”, their voices carrying through the mist.

Near one of the pillars inside Platform 9¾, stood Quinn with Lia talking with each other until the time for Hogwarts Express to leave.

”So what do you think about the Azkaban breakout? Peter Pettigrew was the one who betrayed the Potters,” asked Quinn, having idle talk with his sister.

”Hmm... I would say that he choose the right time to break out. A lot of Aurors are busy right now,” replied Lia, thinking about the recent events that had been going on the front page of every magical newspaper and magazine.

Quinn nodded in agreement. ”What do they call themselves, ah, yes, Novellus Accionites. They have been targeting no-majs and first-generation magicals in Voldemort's name. Not sure if Novellus Accionites is a good name, though.”

”Why not?” questioned Lia. She knew about the origins of the group's name. ”Weren't the Accionites, a group of anti-no-maj, magicals? That seems a good name for their group; it goes well with their current agenda.”

”Maybe you are right. People don't know the complete history of the group,” conceded Quinn. Then he proceeded to tell Lia the history of the original group.

”The thing about original Accionites is that their leader was dumb, really dumb. First, he tried to steal from the goblins by summoning gold from the Gringotts. He got away with a mere lifetime ban. In that time, goblins executed anyone who tried to steal from them. After all that, he died when he summoned a large barn over his head.”

Quinn laughed as he snorted, ”So dumb~. I can't take those guys seriously knowing what I know.”

”Quinn,” called out a voice.

Lia turned her head to see who was calling her brother to see two girls walking towards them. One of them was waving her hand with a beaming smile on her face while the other girl followed her with a bland expression on her face.

'Now, who are these two girls,' she thought as a mischievous light flashed in her eyes.

”Hey, you two. How have you been?” said Quinn, greeting his two favorite Slytherins.

He had avoided everyone he knew as much as he could. He completely avoided Tracy and Daphne because, first, they were in a different house, and second, they were not in the same year as him. So it was fairly easy to avoid them.

Tracy was about to continue speaking when she met the person Quinn was standing with. The bubbly brunette peered at the woman and observed her.

She was beautiful. Tracy would describe her as one of those girls who often caused double-takes as she passed by and looked good no matter the occasion. Her first impression was that she was someone confident and outgoing.

Daphne also looked at the women with some curiosity. Given that the unknown person was talking to Quinn, it was clear that Quinn knew her. And after a second look, Daphne noticed the black hair and stone-grey eyes.

'Same as Quinn,' the blonde thought, noticing the similarities between Quinn and the woman.

”Why don't you introduce her to us, Quinn?” asked Tracy, curious about the woman.

”Oh, right,” Quinn turned and introduced the two parties.

”This is Lia West, my sister,” said Quinn, gesturing at Lia. Then the younger West child turned his face to his two friends and spoke, ”And these two are Tracy Davis-,” pointing at the brunette. ”- and Daphne Greengrass,” pointing at the blonde. ”They are my friends.”

Lia pushed herself off the wall, put a hand on Quinn's shoulder, and asked, ”So which one do you like?”

Tracy and even Daphne blushed at the sudden question.

Tracy looked at Quinn and found that her male friend had changed in the break. For one, Quinn had grown a few inches. Overall, his jaw and face was now sharper as he had lost the baby fat. Tracy felt his shoulders had widened a little. Even his arms looked a little bigger overall, and Quinn was more filled out than before.

He was much more handsome than last year.

Daphne, on the other hand, recalled the memory of Quinn holding her close. She remembered him saying that he would have invited her to Hogsmeade if she wasn't a second year. She was a third-year now and was allowed to go to Hogsmeade this year onwards.

Would he invite her this year... were Daphne Greengrass' thoughts as she stared at the boy in front of her.

Quinn closed his eyes as he held the bridge of his nose. He was really feeling embarrassed and was trying to hide it. ”You know, I wondered whether you would do anything to embarrass me if we met my friends. I really thought you wouldn't do it, but it turned out I was wrong.”

”Why did you have to do that?” Quinn deadpanned towards his sister.

A smile bloomed on Lia's face as she gave her explanation, ”Because it's so much fun!”

Quinn was about to say something, but his eyes caught sight of something. He spoke to the three girls: ”I will be back in a minute. You guys talk to each other...” He turned to Lia and warned her, ”... and you... behave.”

Quinn ran off somewhere, leaving Tracy, Daphne and Lia behind.

”So how did you two meet my baby brother?” asked Lia with a friendly smile on her face.

”We met Quinn in our first year. In fact, we met today, two years ago in the Hogwarts Express,” answered Tracy. She giggled and recalled, ”Oh, that day was fun.”

”What is Quinn like at home?” It was Tracy's turn to ask a question. And she really wanted to know if Quinn was the same as he was outside. ”He is annoyingly put together all the time.” She pointed at Daphne behind her. ”Along with this girl; the two dress so perfectly that it makes me feel quite annoyed. I mean, not a single hair out of place.”

Lia turned her eyes to the one called Daphne Greengrass and observed the blonde. And she could see what Tracy Davis was talking about.

”Well, Quinn was raised by Ms. Rosey, and she is very particular about caring for one's appearance at every time, so being well put together is ingrained into Quinn's bones.” Lia chuckled as she remembered the times Ms. Rosey yelled at Quinn for having an untucked shirt or messy hair. ”Given that it is Quinn, I am sure that he uses magic to fix his appearance every hour or so.”

Tracy's eyes widened, and a smile appeared on her face. She grabbed Daphne's arm and laughed. ”She does it too. Every hour, she waves her wand and fixes her appearance. Like clockwork!”

Lia began to like Tracy. The brunette seemed to be a fun girl. Additionally, Lia was interested in Daphne even though she hadn't said a single word since their meeting.

What interested Lia was that when she asked Quinn the question, she saw Daphne's eyes blur as if she remembered something, and then the girl had looked at Quinn with a blush on her face.

She wanted to know if Daphne liked her brother. ”Daphne Greengrass, was it? Do you li-”

But before she could complete her sentence, a joyous shout cut her off.

”Lia!”

The three girls turned to see Quinn walking towards them, a grin on his face. They saw Quinn pulling a girl with him.

Quinn stopped near them, brought the girl in front of him, and then slipped his hands under the girl's shoulder and lifted her up as if showing her off.

The girl that Quinn brought and lifted had waist-length, straggly, dirty blond hair. Interestingly or weirdly, the girl was wearing dirigible plum-shaped earrings on her ears.

Lia found herself looking at the girl as the girl stared back at her with her silvery eyes.

”Meet Luna Lovegood,” Quinn introduced the young girl with a bright smile on his face. ”She's my junior in Ravenclaw. Absolutely adorable, isn't she?”

Quinn put the now named Luna Lovegood down and spoke to the young Ravenclaw, ”Luna, this is my sister, Lia.”

Luna's eyes shined as she moved towards Lia and observed her by orbiting around her. Then she sized Lia up, sweeping her eyes up and down before saying, ”You look like Quinn.”

”... That I do,” replied Lia. Sure, Lia found Luna Lovegood cute to look at, but she wasn't sure who she was looking at. ”I'm his sister, after all.”

Luna nodded before turning her back to Lia. She walked back to Quinn's side, who gave her chocolate, patted her head, and told her: ”Good work.”

”So what did you three talk about?” Quinn asked after giving Luna chocolate.

”Oh, Tracy was telling me about the first time you guys met,” replied Lia.