(1st September 1991)
Hagrid is making Harry and I walk fast beside him; well, I don't think he means to but his steps are completely different to ours. Additionally, Harry and I are kind of falling behind due to all of our luggage on the carts we are pushing. A middle-age couple passes by us and gives Hagrid a suspicious look.
" What are you looking at?!" Hagrid shouts back at them. He then comes to a stop and take out his pocket watch then looks at it.
" Blimey, is that the time? Sorry, you two, I'm gonna have to leave you. Dumbledore will be wanting his- well, he'll be wanting to see me. Now, uh, your train leaves in ten minutes. Here's your ticket."
Hagrid then passes me the tickets," Stick to it guys that's very important. Stick to your ticket."
I look down at the ticket then look to Harry. He looks at the ticket in my hands then looks at me with same confused expression I have. My attention goes back to the ticket.
"Platform 9¾? But, Hagrid, there must be a mistake. This says Platform 9¾. There's no such thing...is there?" I say as I look up. I was expecting to come face to face with the friendly giant but he wasn't there. He vanished. Harry looks around our surroundings to see if he can find Hagrid but he is nowhere in sight.
" Come on, Harry, we have to keep moving or else we miss the train," I explain. The both of us make our way near the train tracks where all the trains were stationed. A man unexpectedly runs past me and almost causes my cart to fall over.
"Sorry!" The man shouts. Not far away I see one of the guards, I decide to approach him.
" Excuse me, Sir, can you by any chance tell me where platform 9 ¾ is?" I ask him.
The man turns and looks at me in disbelief. "9¾? Think you're being funny, do you?" The man says before walking off and leaving Harry and I standing there. All of a sudden, a woman runs past us with a young girl and four boys. All having bright ginger hair. I look to Harry and gesture for him to follow me as I follow the woman the children.
"It's the same year after year. Always packed with Muggles, of course," The woman says.
"Muggles?" Harry questions.
"Come on. Platform 9¾ this way! All right, Percy, you first," The woman says as they come face to face with a brick wall. A tall ginger boy comes forward with his cart. He then looks at the brick wall then runs with his cart towards it. Amazingly, he disappears into it. The woman then turns to two more boys who I presume are now her sons. However, this time the both of them are twins. One of the twins turn and make eye contact with me and I am automatically taken back by his looks. He has a head of flaming-red hair and abundant freckles. He then shoots me a beautiful wide smile, showing off his pearl white teeth.
"Fred, you next." The woman says addressing the young man looking at me. The other twin looks at his mother in disbelief. " He's not Fred, I am!"
The boy that was looking at me winks then turns around and looks at his mother. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother."
The woman gives her sons an apologetic look," Oh, I'm sorry, George."
The son that went by the name of George walks in front of the wall then quickly turns back and looks at me. He points his finger at me then at his mother. " I'm only joking. I am Fred. He then runs through the wall, and is followed by his twin brother. Harry shakes his head in disbelief.
" Guess someone has a thing for you," Harry says. I slap his arm playfully, "Shut up!"
I push my cart towards the woman in front of me. " Excuse me, Ma'am?"
The woman then turns and looks at me with a bright smile, " Oh please no need for manners, call me Molly."
I smile back at Molly then gesture for Harry to come over. " I'm Iris and this is my brother Harry. Is there any possible way you can tell me how to do that?" I say as I point at the brick wall. Molly pats my arm, " How to get to the platform? Of course, dear. It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well, however you seem a little older." She says as she looks me up and down.
" Yeah, I kind of missed a few years so I could stay and keep an eye on my brother, Harry, here."
" Well, no worries. Now, all you've got to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous," Molly says. A young girl that I didn't see was standing close to her mother's side looks up at me and smiles, " Good luck." I nod to show my appreciation towards her before turning and looking at Harry.
" You heard the nice woman, Harry. Just run between platforms 9 and 10."
" You make it sound so easy," Harry says to me as he moves his cart towards the two platforms. I hear Harry count down from three then he runs towards the brick wall and disappears. The young boy by the name of Ron follows Harry not that far behind. Molly then stands next to me and touches my arm gently. " You've got this, dear. Also, ignore my sons' flirting ways."
I look down at my cart and try my hardest to hide my bright red face. Molly laughs then steps back, allowing me to step back a bit. I take a deep breath.
" C'mon, Iris. You've got this," I mumble to myself. I tighten my grip on my cart and close my eyes then run towards wall and emerge through to the other side. I open my eyes and I now see that I'm at a different station. On the train tracks there is a red train; which I presume is the Hogwarts express.
" Iris!" A familiar voice shouts. From the corner of my eye, I spot Harry waving at me. I quickly speed walk towards Harry with my cart. All of a sudden, a whistle is blown. Signaling that we should get onto the train.
" I'll go find us a compartment," Harry says. Before I can reply, Harry is already on the train and he has left his cart next to me.
" Harry-" I say with frustration.
" Need some help?" A voice says from behind me. I turn around and lock eyes with a familiar red head and freckled young man.
" Yeah, I guess I do," I say.
" I'm Fred," The boy says as he sticks his hand out. " Iris," I reply as I accept his hand and give it a firm shake.
" Iris. I like the sound of that," Fred says as he gives me smile. His attention then turns to the carts, he reaches into his pocket and grabs two tags. He then reaches into his other pocket and takes out a pen.
" So, Iris, I'm going to be needing a last name." Fred says.
" Potter. Iris Potter," I say confidently.
" And for the young gentleman that was with you?"
" That was my brother, Harry Potter." I reply.
Fred writes the names down then stops as he is about to put the tags on my luggage. "Potter?"
" Yeah, that's my last name."
Fred puts the tags on Harry and I's luggage then looks up at me," The ones that survived the Dark Lord?" I nod nervously, earning a chuckle from Fred. " Was not expecting to meet you. I thought you were supposed to attend Hogwarts a few years ago."
" Yeah, I was supposed to but I just couldn't leave my brother, the household we are currently living in is not that safe." I clarify. Fred looks down at the floor, " Sorry, I shouldn't have asked it's not my business."
" No, it's fine."
Fred then smiles at me before stepping up onto the train dramatically and offering a hand out to me. I look at him then look at the luggage.
" What about the stuff?"
" Don't worry, someone will come and collect it. Now come on, it's cold out here and I don't want you to get sick before you attend Hogwarts." Fred says softly as he leans further forward with his hand out. I lean forward and place my hand in his and he helps me onto the train with a tug. He then opens the door and holds my hand as he guides me down the hallway where all the compartments were.
" My brother, George, should be around here somewhere." Fred looks in every compartment. His grip on my hand tightens as the train starts moving, which causes me to get butterflies in my stomach.
" Georgie?" Fred says as his opens a door to another compartment.
" Nah, it's me Ron," a voice says. Fred turns to me and points into the compartment," Guess we found your brother though." Leaning closer to Fred, I manage to look into the compartment and I stare down at all the rubbish on the floor.
" Blimey, Harry, did you spend all the money already?" I ask.
" Nah, Sis, there is still a lot left." Harry answers.
" Did you grab me anything?" I ask. Ron reaches into his pocket and takes out a frog that is covered in chocolate. " Do you want this?" He asks.
" Does it taste alright?" I question. Fred then let's go of my hand and places his arm round my shoulders; which takes me by surprise.
" Only one way to find out, try it," he says. I look down at the chocolate frog then look up at Fred and only now did I notice his height and how close we were standing to one another. He practically towered over me with his tall frame and our sides were stuck together like glue.
" Take a picture it may last longer," Fred teases. My attention then goes to the frog in hope that Fred doesn't see me blushing. I lift the chocolate frog near my mouth and take a bite.
" These actually taste really good," I say as I approve the chocolate in my mouth. Harry points to the seat in front of him and Ron. " Do you guys want to sit down?"
Turning to Fred I notice that his arm has not moved a budge: it's still around my shoulders. " Do you want to?" Fred looks down at me and shakes his head. " I really wish I could but I really need to go find George. You know? The least good-looking twin." Smirking, I nod my head.
" No worries, I understand. See you later?" I ask.
" Most definitely, can't escape me that easy." Fred withdraws his arm from my shoulder before walking off to the compartment at the bottom of the hallway. He opens the door and looks over at me.
" I FOUND HIM!" Fred shouts.
All of a sudden, Fred is tackled to the floor by his twin. Both laughing at their reunion. Other students look out of their compartments and stared at the two, all having confused expressions. Fred whispers something to George; causing him to look over at me. Both of them wave at me then help each other up. George still hasn't broken eye contact with me, he then blows me a kiss. Due to this, he earns a slap across the head from his brother. Smiling wide, I walk into the compartment which Harry, Ron and I are sharing and take a seat in front of them.