Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 1st is a very important day in the British wizarding world, especially for wizards and witches over the age of eleven who haven't yet graduated.
It's the first day of school at Hogwarts.
Young wizards and witches who have just turned eleven look forward to this day, day and night, hoping it will arrive soon.
But wizards and witches between the ages of twelve and seventeen don't necessarily see it that way. The start of school marks the official end of their joyful summer vacation, and they must confront all that forgotten homework.
This isn't good news.
This is especially true for Kyle and the Weasley twins.
Standing in the open space in front of the Burrow, Kyle was excited, while Fred and George, standing behind him, looked nervous and would occasionally whisper to each other, as if it were their first time at Hogwarts.
Yes, Kyle was there too.
Chris had originally planned to Apparate him directly there, but before they could leave, Mrs. Weasley knocked on the door.
Mrs. Weasley seemed to have guessed what he was going to do. The first thing she said when she saw Chris was that there were too many Muggles at King's Cross Station and that they would be easily spotted if they Apparated. It was too unsafe and Kyle had to go with them no matter what.
Chris wanted to say something more, but seeing Mrs. Weasley's firm attitude, he could only swallow his words back and nodded in agreement.
Kyle, on the other hand, rubbed his forehead helplessly.
He really wanted to tell Mrs. Weasley that in the eyes of Muggles, nine people getting out of a Ford was much more shocking than the sudden appearance of two more people in front of him.
After all, there was no Ganges River, and Ford was not some legendary car with a diamond logo that could take as many people as they wanted.
But unfortunately, he was only eleven years old and his words were insignificant, so he was simply ignored.
Just as Kyle was thinking, Mrs. Weasley suddenly approached him and asked with concern, "Dear, are you all packed?"
"Of course," Kyle said, kicking a large box at his feet. "I checked it three times before leaving, and nothing's missing."
"That's good," Mrs. Weasley nodded with a smile.
As they spoke, Mr. Weasley pulled up in front of the group in a vintage-looking car.
This was their transportation for the trip, a nine-hand Ford that had been found somewhere, but Mr. Weasley loved it dearly, treating it like a treasure.
"What are you waiting for? Get in," urged Chris at Mr. Weasley's urging.
Seeing this, Kyle realized it was too late to say anything, so he reluctantly followed, followed by the Weasley family.
The car was encased in a non-traceable expansion charm, so even with nine people and a pile of luggage, it didn't feel cramped at all.
Mr. Weasley was a skilled driver. Kyle didn't feel any noticeable bumps along the way, nor did he experience sudden braking or a sudden start. It was much better than a bus.
Around ten o'clock, they arrived at King's Cross Station on time.
Fortunately, Kyle's expectations didn't happen, or rather, the people around him didn't care about a beat-up, old Ford. The group arrived smoothly at a pillar between platforms nine and ten.
Once there, there was basically no need to worry about being discovered by Muggles.
There was a Muggle-Repelling Charm nearby, so ordinary people would subconsciously ignore anything that happened here. Even if there were occasional special circumstances, the Ministry of Magic members nearby would deal with them immediately, making it very safe.
Everyone lined up skillfully and under Mrs. Weasley's guidance passed through the pillars in front of them one after another, arriving at the famous platform 9 and 3/4.
It was much busier here than outside.
A crimson steam train stood beside the platform, a sign reading: Hogwarts Express.
"Looks like I'm not late," a gentle voice called from behind Kyle.
Hearing this familiar voice, Kyle whipped his head around to see Diana beaming at him.
"Mom?" Kyle asked, pleasantly surprised. "Didn't you have an assignment…"
"Of course I've completed it." Diana knelt down and straightened Kyle's clothes. "Today's your first day at school. I don't want to miss such an important day."
"That's good," Kyle rejoiced.
It would have been a shame if Chris had been the only one to take him to Hogwarts.
Diana spoke to Kyle for a few more words, and only saw him off to the train just as it was about to depart. She gave him one final instruction: "I'm sure Chris has already told you the general outlines of Hogwarts, so I won't repeat myself. However, there's one thing he probably didn't mention."
Diana gazed at Kyle with her deep blue eyes and said seriously, "Dear, your father and I have both graduated a long time ago, and we don't want to dwell on our college days. So please don't let us receive any letters from any professors, including Dumbledore, okay?"
"Don't worry, Mom," Kyle smiled. "I won't break any school rules. They have no reason to send letters home."
"Of course, dear." Diana kissed Kyle's cheek and watched him board the train. "And don't forget to tell us the sorting results."
"I will," Kyle nodded, then turned and boarded.
A few minutes later, the train slowly pulled away from the platform, and Diana finally looked away.
Not far behind her, Chris had just finished talking to a middle-aged man and walked over to Diana.
"Mr. Diggory showing off his son again?" Diana laughed.
Clearly, she knew the man Chris was talking to.
Amos Diggory, like Chris, worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic and also had a child at Hogwarts. He was a year older than Kyle, though, and in the same grade as the Weasley twins.
Unlike the mischievous twins, the child was exceptionally talented in every way, almost as talented as Percy once was.
Consequently, Diggory, a child-showing enthusiast, had been praising his son almost every time he spoke that year.
Once or twice would be fine, and people would chime in with a few compliments, but no one could stand his constant praise.
Consequently, Diggory had gradually become one of the most unpopular people at the Ministry of Magic, especially among parents whose children at Hogwarts were average students. Parents would avoid him unless absolutely necessary.
Even when they did run into him, they would simply pass by with their heads down, avoiding conversation if possible.
If they really couldn't avoid it, like running into him in the elevator, or if they were colleagues in the same department like Chris, they would immediately find an excuse to leave after a few pleasantries, never giving him a chance to change the subject.
And this time, Chris obviously couldn't avoid it.
"Cedric is really excellent."
Chris said with a wry smile: "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Have you really completed your assignment?"
Although he didn't know the specifics of the Department of Mysteries, he knew that the missions that could appear there were at least monthly in length, and it was almost impossible for something like this to be completed in two days.
"Of course not." Diana squinted her eyes and said: "But my colleagues are all very easy to talk to. It's just a little leave, they won't say anything."
[End of the chapter]