The next morning at eight o'clock, Jon woke up.
He turned off the alarm clock, which was still loudly crowing like a rooster, then got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt... He definitely didn't want to walk into the train station wearing thick, stuffy wizard robes.
Carrying his suitcase, he headed downstairs to the yard. Eric had already started the car and got out to help load Jon's suitcase into the trunk.
Judy was there too, changing her shoes.
"Mom, are you coming with us?" Jon asked.
"Yes!" Judy smiled kindly. "Eric and I are both taking you to King's Cross Station."
...
As they drove down the highway, Eric hummed the tune of "God Save the Queen" while steering the car.
Judy sat in the backseat, visibly anxious, and kept fussing over him:
"Don't act so casually at school like you do at home!"
"Don't get into arguments with your professors or classmates!"
"When it gets cold, remember to put on more layers—I packed two wool sweaters at the bottom of your bag…"
"I got it, Mom!" Jon replied with a smile, unfazed by her constant nagging.
"Ugh, I still feel uneasy…" Judy covered her face with her hands. After all these years, this was the first time she'd be apart from her son for so long.
"Stop worrying, dear!" Eric, in much better spirits, chuckled while humming. "Have some faith in our boy—I think he's more capable of surviving on his own than you are."
"Shut it!" Judy shot him a glare, though her mood clearly lightened.
After about two hours on the road, they arrived at King's Cross Station around 10:30.
Eric set the suitcase on a luggage cart and asked, "Jon, which platform are we going to?"
"Eleven o'clock, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters…" Jon pulled out his ticket.
"What? Nine and three-quarters?" Eric frowned. "I don't recall there being a platform like that at King's Cross."
"Maybe we should check between Platforms Nine and Ten!" Jon said, already familiar with the drill thanks to the story from his past life.
King's Cross Station was one of the oldest train stations in Europe and currently the largest in London. Still, compared to the bustling Hongqiao Station or even Shanghai Station that Jon had seen in his past life, it felt far less impressive.
After weaving through a sparse crowd, they reached the vicinity of Platform Nine.
Platform Nine led to Aberdeen in Scotland, while Platform Ten was bound for Glasgow.
Given what Jon knew about the weather at Hogwarts from his previous life, he figured the school was likely located in the mountainous central region of Scotland, near the northern tip of the British Isles.
With over 400 miles (about 600 kilometers) between London and Hogwarts, it made sense that the train departed at 11 a.m. and didn't arrive until evening.
"I'm not seeing any Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," Eric said as he glanced between Platforms Nine and Ten, then shrugged.
He went over to ask a passing guard for help, but judging by the guard's expression, he clearly thought Eric was a bit crazy.
Jon glanced up at the nearby clock—10:15 already. Not great.
He knew the trick was to walk through a pillar between Platforms Nine and Ten... but there were at least ten pillars in sight.
He couldn't very well headbutt them one by one to test it—that would be ridiculous.
What's worse, based on his memory of Chamber of Secrets, thanks to Dobby, the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters would soon close early. If he didn't get through in time, he'd end up flying to school in a car with the two Chosen Ones—and get detention on top of that.
"Gran, I think I lost my toad again!" A timid voice suddenly came from behind.
"Oh, Neville..." came the sigh of an older woman.
Jon's eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around.
An elderly woman and a boy were walking toward them. The woman had an imposing air, while the boy looked awkward and clumsy. Both wore black wizard robes, making them stand out sharply from the crowd.
Eric had also heard them and noticed their presence.
Without Jon needing to say anything, he immediately stepped forward.
"Hello, ma'am... I'm Hart," Eric said earnestly. "My son's trying to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. He's a first-year at Hogwarts, but we're not sure how to get there…"
"A Muggle?" The old lady looked a bit surprised at Eric's attire.
But Eric was a lawyer—he spoke with the kind of calm, trustworthy confidence that put people at ease.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hart... I'm Mrs. Longbottom," the woman replied with a smile. "My grandson, Neville, is a second-year student at Hogwarts. I think he can take your son to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."
"Hello, Neville!" Jon greeted him warmly.
Neville nodded back timidly.
"Neville, take Mr. Hart into the station," Mrs. Longbottom instructed firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Okay... Gran…" Neville mumbled.
He pushed his luggage cart toward one of the pillars between Platforms Nine and Ten.
Jon quickly followed, pushing his own cart close behind.
Behind him, he heard Mrs. Longbottom call out, "Mr. Hart, walk right in the center of the pillar. Pretend there's nothing in front of you, and you won't bump into it."
Thunk… A soft impact sounded ahead, and Jon quickly slowed down.
Following her instructions, he made sure to walk straight through the center of the pillar.
A deep red steam engine appeared before him, with a sign on the front reading: Hogwarts Express.
Beside the train stood a brand-new platform, marked "Platform 9¾."
"Made it!" Jon grinned.
"Ow!" Neville clutched his head, his luggage cart tipping to the side.
A small red bump had already appeared on his forehead—he must've turned his head just before crossing through the barrier and banged into something.
"You okay, Longbottom?" Jon asked, concerned.
"I-I'm fine..." Neville groaned as he slowly stood up.
"Neville!" called a crisp voice nearby. "Are you alright?"
A brown-haired girl came running over.
"I... I'm—"
Before he could finish, she had pulled a wand from her belt and pointed it at Neville's head, murmuring a spell.
The swelling disappeared almost instantly.
"Thanks, Hermione!" Neville adjusted his cart. "Hart... Wait, where did he go?"
The boy who had come through the barrier with him had already vanished.