We reached the platform with only five minutes to spare. It was extremely busy, people quickly walking towards their respective trains.
I looked around silently. Ginny had told me we were to get on the train at platform nine and three-quarters... but there was no platform nine and three-quarters.
"Uh... Ginny?" I started to asked, but Mrs. Weasley put a hand on my shoulder and responded instead.
"Platform nine and three-quarters is right in-between nine and ten. Just walk through that wall between them and you'll get there. Don't be nervous, but we really have to get through now." she said kindly but also nervously as she looked at the clock overhead. "Percy, you go first and show Aelynn how to do it."
Percy nodded, looking from side to side for a second as if he were about to cross a street. Then he strode briskly forward and vanished.
So I knew that was going to happen... but what?! He just walked through a wall...
Fred and George went next, blowing kisses as they walked up to the wall and waving dramatically at Ginny and I. Disappearing a moment later, Mrs. Weasley gave a sigh of frustration, muttered a quick apology, and quickly followed them, probably to make sure they weren't blowing any kisses on the other side of the wall.
I was about to ask Mr. Weasley if I could go through next when suddenly I got a feeling. Not that feeling that someone was watching me, but a feeling like something was about to happen.
"Ginny, Aelynn, you both want to go next and I'll follow?" Mr. Weasley asked us, causing me to jump slightly and look over quickly.
"Uh..." I started, looking back at the wall between platform nine and three-quarters, the feeling becoming stronger. "Is it okay if I watch you go first? It'd be great to have another example..."
Ginny looked at me questioningly, but I just shook my head.
"Of course, of course!" Mr. Weasley said buoyantly. "Ginny, why don't you wait to go through with your friend?"
Ginny nodded and we watched as Mr. Weasley stepped through the barrier.
"What is it, Aelynn?" she asked as soon as he disappeared.
Harry and Ron, who were the only others left at this point, looked at us with curious expressions. When she noticed, Ginny's face turned bright red and she shrunk back a little, her back now facing the two boys.
"I don't know..." I replied, looking back at the barrier. "Something feels... off. I don't know, I can't explain it..."
I felt completely lost but the feeling wasn't going away.
"Erm... well the train's going to leave in a minute." Ron said quickly. "We have to hurry."
Shaking my head slightly, trying to get the feeling to disappear, just nodded. "Yeah, you can go first."
"Let's go together, we don't have lots of time," Ron said to Harry and he quickly nodded.
After adjusting their trunks slightly and wheeling their trolleys to face the barrier, both walked purposely towards the barrier, gathering speed as they went, breaking into a run...
And crashed right into the wall, collapsing on the ground and supplies flying everywhere. My mouth fell open and my eyes widened.
What...
People around us started to stare, muttering about cruelty to animals as they watched Harry's owl's cage rolled away while the owl shrieked indignantly.
"Sorry... Lost control of the trolley..." Harry gasped, clutching his ribs and taking a deep breath.
Ginny and I rushed over and helped them get their supplies back on the trolleys and get Harry's owl back safely on top of the trunk.
"Why couldn't we get through?" Harry asked in a low whisper.
"I dunno," Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief. "But we're going to miss the train. I don't understand why it sealed itself..."
I looked at the barrier as the rest looked at the clock, counting down the seconds until the train left. Walking casually towards the wall, I carefully laid a hand on it. It didn't go through but the feeling I'd been feeling increased intensely, nearly causing me to walk backwards as I stumbled away from it. No one seemed to notice though as they looked back at the ground.
"It's gone." said Ron, looking completely stunned. "What if Mum and Dad can't get back through? What are we supposed to do?"
I looked at Ginny who was biting her lip, looking extremely nervous. Then I looked at the people who were still staring at us... mainly because of the owl's continued shrieking... and then looked at the wall that had let people pass through it and then suddenly didn't...
And that feeling...
"I think we'd better go and wait by the car," said Harry quietly. "We're attracting too much attention-"
"Harry!" Ron interrupted, his eyes lighting up as if he'd been struck by a sudden idea. "The car!"
Harry tilted his head, clearly confused. Feeling the same way myself, I raised my eyebrows.
"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!" Ron clarified.
Fly the car? Fly the car?
"Erm... what?" I asked, my mouth falling open.
"We're stuck aren't we? And we've got to get to school... and even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it is a real emergency. That's section nineteen... or something of the Restriction of... Things..." Ron trailed off with a confused expression but a moment later his eyes were gleaming with excitement.
Harry opened his mouth to speak but I quickly asked my question before I could get any more confused. "Your car can fly?"
The impeccably strange words sounded forced coming from my mouth and made Ron stare at me for a second while Ginny looked at her brother with annoyance.
"Yeah," Ron said his expression changing and looking slightly smug, missing Ginny's look entirely. "Dad enchanted it so it can turn invisible too. That way Muggles won't notice us."
Turning back to Harry, he gestured in the direction of the car. "It's the perfect way to get to Hogwarts, and make sure everyone can get back through the platform.
"Can you fly it?" Harry asked, his earlier caution turning into excitement.
"Not a problem," said Ron with half a smirk on his face as he started to wheel his trolley to face the exit. "C'mon, we have to hurry so we'll be able to follow the Hogwarts Express."
While following the others out of Kings Cross, my attention was drawn to movement at the edge of the platform. That feeling from earlier came back... just for a second, then disappeared.
I shook my head, an extremely confused expression on my face as I continued to follow Ron and Harry towards the flying car with Ginny falling into step beside me.
Well that was weird...