Charlie pushed his trolley through the bustling crowds of King's Cross Station.
Storm, perched proudly atop his trunk, surveyed the surroundings with an imposing air, drawing stares from passersby.
"Platform Nine and Three-Quarters…" Charlie muttered, frowning as he glanced down at his ticket.
He'd walked back and forth between Platforms Nine and Ten several times, but hadn't found a single sign of anything with a fractional number.
Ask the staff? Forget it.
This was clearly a magical secret. Asking would only get him labeled insane.
Just as Charlie was hesitating, a familiar figure came into view.
It was that same black-haired boy from the wand shop, Harry Potter, pushing a cart piled with luggage, looking just as confused as Charlie felt.
More noticeable, however, was the group Harry was speaking with, a short, plump woman with kind features and a flaming red mop of hair, surrounded by five equally red-haired children.
Charlie moved closer with his cart and watched as one of the red-haired boys ran straight toward the wall between Platforms Nine and Ten, with his cart, and vanished into it.
Charlie's eyes widened.
"Walking through walls?" he blurted in amazement.
Wait a minute, does this mean my dream of sneaking into the girls' bathhouse might actually come true?!
Hearing his voice, the red-haired woman turned and looked at him. Her gaze settled on the owl on his trunk, and a knowing smile appeared.
"You're heading to Hogwarts too, aren't you, dear?" she asked kindly.
Charlie nodded.
"Yes, ma'am. But I… can't find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."
"Oh, don't worry," she said warmly.
"All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between Nine and Ten. Don't stop, and don't be afraid."
"If you're nervous, a little run might help."
Charlie nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, ma'am."
By then, Harry had already pushed his cart forward, and vanished through the barrier.
Charlie took a deep breath and followed close behind.
He closed his eyes and ran at the wall.
There was no impact.
When he opened his eyes again, the sight before him took his breath away.
A gleaming red steam engine sat waiting by the platform.
The sign on the front read Hogwarts Express.
The platform was packed with students and families.
Owls hooted, luggage clanked, people laughed and shouted. It was lively and magical all at once.
"Whoa…" Charlie murmured, genuinely amazed.
This blend of steam and spellcraft, it was surreal.
Not far away, Harry was standing and staring, just as awestruck.
Their eyes met, and they both smiled.
"Hey, wanna find a compartment together?" Charlie offered.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, sure."
Together, they loaded their things onto the train and found an empty compartment. After storing their trunks, they sat across from each other.
"I'm Charlie White," Charlie said, holding out his hand.
"Harry Potter." Harry took it, watching Charlie's reaction a little anxiously.
Charlie just nodded, calm, unfazed.
Harry looked relieved. He already felt a little more at ease.
"You lived in the Muggle world too?" Harry asked.
Charlie nodded. "Yeah. Only found out I was a wizard a month ago."
"Me too!" Harry said with sudden excitement.
"I grew up with Muggles. I didn't know anything until Hagrid came to tell me. He's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts."
The two boys smiled at each other, finding instant connection in a strange new world.
Outside the window, Mrs. Weasley was scolding her red-haired twins.
"You two had better behave this year, understand me? If I get one more letter saying you've blown up the toilets, "
"We've never blown up a toilet," said one twin innocently.
"But it's a great idea. Thanks, Mum!" the other added cheerfully.
"That's NOT FUNNY!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
Charlie watched the twins with admiration.
"Now that's real talent," he muttered.
"If a tyrant showed up, even he'd bow to their mischief."
Imagine how many Tyrant Points I'd get for blowing up a school toilet…
Harry looked puzzled. "Tyrant what?"
"Ah, nothing. Just a joke," Charlie quickly deflected.
Moments later, the compartment door slid open. The twins and the red-haired boy from earlier stepped inside.
"Hey, is there room here?" the younger boy asked. "Everywhere else is full."
"Of course," Charlie and Harry said in unison.
The three joined them.
The twins introduced themselves first.
"I'm Fred Weasley."
"I'm George Weasley."
"And this is our younger brother, Ron."
"Charlie White."
"Harry Potter."
"Wait, you're Harry Potter?" Ron asked in disbelief.
Harry nodded, face slightly red.
"For real?" Fred asked, eyes wide. "Do you really have the, uh, scar?"
Harry lifted his bangs to reveal the lightning bolt on his forehead.
All three Weasleys leaned in, stunned.
"Whoa…" Ron gasped.
Harry looked clearly uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being gawked at like some kind of rare creature.
Charlie, noticing Harry's growing awkwardness, stepped in just in time.
"Fred. George," he said casually.
"When you go blow up a toilet next time, can you take me with you?"
The twins blinked, surprised. They hadn't expected this posh-looking, handsome new student to be… one of them.
Fred gave Charlie a curious look. "Why do you want in?"
"Because pranking people helps me get stronger. Also, I can learn new spells that way."
"Hahaha! That's the best excuse I've ever heard," George laughed. "Fred, next time Mum catches us, we'll say it's for magical development."
Charlie shrugged.
These days, even telling the truth felt like a joke.
"…Fine," he added. "Because it sounds fun. Blowing up toilets sounds way more exciting than reading textbooks."
George grinned. "Haha, now that I like!"
The twins exchanged a glance, then said in perfect sync:
"Welcome to the Weasley Prank Squad!"
"But," Fred added with a smirk, "we can't share our top-secret plans just yet."
"You'll find out when we get to Hogwarts," George said, just as mysteriously.
They stood to leave. Fred turned back before exiting.
"Remember, we're professionals."
"Newbies need to keep up," George added with a wink.
Charlie gave them an OK sign. "Don't worry. I won't slow you down."
The twins nodded in approval and returned to their own compartment.
Peace settled back in, leaving only Ron, Harry, and Charlie behind.
Ron stared at Charlie in admiration.
"You really dare to mess around with Fred and George? They're the biggest troublemakers in school!"
"Mum gets complaint letters about them every year."
Harry nodded. "They seem fun. I've… never had friends like that before."
Charlie leaned back and crossed his legs.
"Life's short. Might as well enjoy it."
Ron and Harry both found Charlie fascinating.
There was something refreshing about his carefree attitude, it felt new.
Just then, the train let out a long whistle and began to move.
Charlie glanced out the window as the scenery rolled by.
He sighed, slightly annoyed.
All I'm doing right now is riding a train, so my Tyrant Points haven't gone up at all.
If I dropped my pants and took a dump in the aisle, maybe I'd get a few... but that's just dumb.
[This humble servant supports His Majesty's plan, but if anyone asks, I was never involved.]
Charlie: "..."
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters