Chapter 3: The Hogwarts Train
King's Cross Station was bigger and louder than anything Elias Thorn had ever seen. The noise of chattering families, squeaking trolleys, and rumbling trains made his heart pound. He clutched his ticket tightly.
Platform 9¾.
He stared at the signs between Platforms 9 and 10. There was nothing but a solid brick wall.
"Lost, dear?" a warm voice asked behind him.
He turned to see a plump, kind-looking woman with a friendly smile and a trolley full of trunks and owl cages.
"I—uh—I'm trying to find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," Elias said, a little embarrassed.
"Ah, first time, is it?" she said kindly. "Don't worry. Just watch my boys."
She stepped aside as two red-haired twins sprinted toward the wall—and vanished right through it.
"See? Just walk straight at the wall. Bit of a run if you're nervous."
Elias blinked. "Thank you."
She smiled. "I'm Molly Weasley. Good luck, dear."
Clutching Shade's cage and his trunk handle, Elias took a deep breath—and ran straight at the wall.
---
He didn't hit anything. Instead, the world rippled, and suddenly he was standing on a platform filled with steam, red trains, and hundreds of witches and wizards.
The Hogwarts Express loomed before him, its gold lettering glinting in the sun.
He found an empty compartment near the back of the train and pulled his trunk inside. Shade hooted softly as he sat by the window.
A moment later, someone slid the door open.
"Mind if I sit here?" a boy with red hair and a hand-me-down robe asked.
"Go ahead," Elias said.
"I'm Ron. Ron Weasley."
"Elias Thorn."
"First year too?"
Elias nodded. "Yeah."
Ron grinned. "Nervous?"
"Terrified."
Ron laughed. "Same here."
They were just beginning to talk when the door opened again. A boy with messy black hair and round glasses stepped in.
"Everywhere else is full. Mind if I sit here?"
Ron's eyes widened. "Are—are you—?"
"Yeah," the boy said quickly. "Harry. Harry Potter."
Elias blinked. The Harry Potter. He wasn't sure what he expected—but this boy looked just as nervous as they were.
"Nice to meet you," Elias said, moving over. "I'm Elias."
"Ron," added Ron.
Harry smiled, a little shy. "Glad to meet you both."
---
They quickly fell into conversation. Ron talked about growing up in a wizarding family. Elias listened intently—he didn't know half of the words they were using, but he tried not to show it. Harry, surprisingly, had grown up with Muggles too, and looked just as overwhelmed.
"I only just found out I was a wizard," Elias admitted.
"Me too," Harry said.
"Really?" Elias looked surprised.
"Yeah," Harry said. "It's been... a weird summer."
Elias chuckled. "You're telling me."
Just as they were getting comfortable, the compartment door slid open again.
---
"Has anyone seen a toad?" a girl with bushy brown hair asked briskly. "A boy named Neville's lost one."
They shook their heads.
"I'm Hermione Granger, by the way. You're Harry Potter, aren't you? And...?"
"Elias Thorn," Elias offered. "And Ron."
"Nice to meet you all. You'd better change into your robes soon, we'll be there before long."
She turned to go—but paused.
"All the other compartments are full. Mind if I stay here?"
Ron groaned quietly, but Harry and Elias both nodded.
"Sure," Elias said.
Hermione sat down and launched into a conversation about spells she'd read about, the history of Hogwarts, and how she hoped to be sorted into Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Elias just smiled, listening to her chatter, occasionally exchanging glances with Harry and Ron.
Despite the awkward start, something felt... right.
---
As the train rolled through green fields and distant hills, the four of them slowly grew more comfortable. Elias told a bit of his story—leaving out the slums and shadows, for now—and listened as Ron joked about his brothers, Harry shared a little about the Dursleys, and Hermione talked about memorizing her spellbooks.
The sky began to darken.
In the quiet moment, Elias looked out the window and whispered, "I didn't think I'd ever belong anywhere."
Harry nodded quietly. "Me neither."
Hermione smiled. "Well... you do now."
And for the first time, Elias felt like he wasn't just starting a school year.
He was starting a new life.
---
As the train neared the station, a voice echoed over the compartment:
> "We will be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your belongings on the train. First years, prepare to disembark."
The four students looked at each other, wide-eyed.
They were almost there.
And none of them would be the same again.