In the magical world of Britain, September 1st is a very important day, especially for wizards who are eleven years old and above but haven't yet graduated.
It marks the start of the school year at Hogwarts.
Young witches and wizards who are just turning eleven eagerly await this day, hoping it will come faster.
But those who are twelve to seventeen years old don't necessarily feel the same way. For them, the start of the school year means the end of their joyful summer break, and they must face the homework they forgot about during the holidays.
This is not good news.
This is particularly evident in the case of Kyle and the Weasley twins.
On the open space in front of the Burrow, Kyle, standing at the front, was filled with excitement, while Fred and George stood behind him with nervous expressions, occasionally whispering to each other as if it were their first time going to Hogwarts.
Yes, Kyle was there too.
Originally, Chris had planned to use Apparition to take him there directly. However, just before they were about to leave, Mrs. Weasley knocked on their door.
It seemed Mrs. Weasley had already guessed that Chris was going to use Apparition. Her first words upon seeing Chris were that King's Cross Station was too crowded with Muggles, and Apparition there would make them too visible—it wasn't safe. She insisted that Kyle and the others go together.
Chris had more to say, but seeing Mrs. Weasley's firm attitude, he had no choice but to swallow his words and nod in agreement.
Kyle, on the other hand, sighed in resignation and rubbed his forehead.
He wanted to tell Mrs. Weasley that in Muggles' eyes, it would be far more shocking for nine people to get out of an old Ford than for two more people to suddenly appear.
After all, there was no flying carpet, and the Ford wasn't some mysterious car from a famous brand—people could get in as many as they liked.
But, unfortunately, he was only eleven, and his opinion was easily dismissed.
While he was thinking this, Mrs. Weasley suddenly came over to Kyle's side and kindly asked, "Dear, have you packed everything?"
"Of course," Kyle replied, kicking a large suitcase beside him. "I checked it three times before leaving. Nothing's missing."
"That's good." Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded.
Just then, Mr. Weasley drove up in a vintage-looking car, stopping right in front of everyone.
This was their mode of transport—a nine-seater Ford that looked like it had been salvaged from somewhere, but Mr. Weasley loved it dearly and treated it like treasure.
"Why are we still waiting? Get in the car," Mr. Weasley urged.
At his prompt, Chris got into the car first.
Seeing this, Kyle realized it was too late to say anything, so he reluctantly followed, with the Weasley family piling in afterward.
Inside the car, a charm had been cast to make it larger on the inside. Even with nine people and a lot of luggage, it didn't feel cramped at all.
Mr. Weasley was an excellent driver. Kyle didn't feel any significant bumps or sudden jerks, and the car moved smoothly, much better than some public buses.
By around 10 AM, they arrived at King's Cross Station right on time.
Luckily, the situation Kyle had anticipated didn't happen. In fact, the people around didn't pay any attention to the old, dilapidated Ford. They made their way easily to the pillar between Platform 9 and 10.
Once there, there was no more worry about Muggles spotting them.
Nearby, a Muggle-repelling charm was in place, so ordinary people would automatically ignore what was happening. Even if something unusual did occur, the Ministry of Magic members nearby would handle it quickly. It was completely safe.
The group quickly lined up, and under Mrs. Weasley's direction, they passed through the pillar and reached the famous Platform 9 ¾.
It was much livelier here.
A deep red steam train was parked on the platform, with a sign above it reading: The Hogwarts Express.
"I guess I'm not late after all," a gentle voice came from behind Kyle.
Hearing that familiar voice, Kyle quickly turned around and saw Diana smiling at him.
"Mom?" Kyle exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you still had a mission…"
"I finished it, of course," Diana said, crouching down to adjust Kyle's clothes. "It's your first day going to school. I didn't want to miss such an important day."
"That's great," Kyle said, feeling happy.
If it had just been Chris sending him off to Hogwarts, it would have been a bit of a regret.
Diana chatted with Kyle for a bit more, and when it was almost time for the train to depart, she sent him onto the train, finally reminding him: "I think Chris has already told you about Hogwarts, so I won't repeat it. But there's one thing I want to mention that he probably didn't say."
Diana looked at Kyle with her deep blue eyes and said seriously, "Dear, your father and I graduated a long time ago, and we don't want to remember our days at school. So please, don't let us receive any letters from professors, including Professor Dumbledore. Okay?"
"Don't worry, Mom," Kyle smiled. "I won't break the 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 your house result."
"I won't," Kyle nodded and turned to board the train.
A few minutes later, the train slowly pulled away from the platform, and Diana finally turned her gaze away.
Not far behind her, Chris had just finished talking to a middle-aged man and walked over to Diana.
"Mr. Diggory is showing off his son again?" Diana asked with a smile.
Clearly, the man Chris had been talking to was someone Diana knew.
Amos Diggory, like Chris, worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and he had a child at Hogwarts. His child was a year older than Kyle and was in the same year as the Weasley twins.
But unlike the mischievous twins, Diggory's son was an excellent student, much like Percy Weasley.
As a result, Diggory, who was obsessed with praising his child, had become one of the least popular people in the Ministry. Parents with children at Hogwarts who weren't top students avoided him whenever possible, unless they absolutely had to interact with him.
Even when they couldn't avoid him, like in an elevator or when they crossed paths like Chris did, people would try to make small talk and then quickly find an excuse to leave.
Clearly, Chris had no way of escaping today.
"Cedric is indeed outstanding," Chris said with a wry smile. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Has your mission really been completed?"
Though Chris didn't know the details of the Department of Mysteries, he knew that tasks there usually lasted at least a month. It was almost impossible for something to be finished in just two days.
"Of course not," Diana said, narrowing her eyes. "But my colleagues are very understanding, so I just took a short leave. They won't mind."
(End of Chapter)
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