Time had a funny way of slipping through the cracks. Before Charlie knew it, half a month had vanished, and September had arrived right on schedule.
Lugging a gargantuan suitcase that practically rivaled him in height with his right hand, and clutching a battered little leather briefcase in his left, Charlie finally bid farewell to the cramped attic that had been his home for the past two years.
By the time he actually hauled himself into King's Cross Station, he was wheezing like a deflated accordion.
"Bloody hell," he muttered to himself between gasps of air. "I desperately need to get my hands on an enchanted, magically-expanded briefcase. Assuming, of course, I ever stop being completely broke."
The mere thought of Newt Scamander's legendary case, the one rumored to hold an entire wildlife sanctuary inside, was enough to make his magical heart flutter with envy. Having one of those would be exactly like carrying your entire house in your pocket. For someone like Charlie, whose roots were about as deep as a tumbleweed's, it was the ultimate dream.
Thankfully, King's Cross Station was civilized enough to provide luggage trolleys. With a little pity-induced assistance from a passing station guard, his monolithic trunk was heaved onto a cart, and Charlie finally experienced the sweet taste of liberation.
He navigated his way to the dividing barrier between platforms nine and ten, spotting the exact brick pillar Professor Dumbledore had described. Call it sheer luck, but just as he approached, he caught a glimpse of a bustling, red-headed family casually melting straight through the solid brickwork.
Well, that settled it. At least he wouldn't have to worry about getting the wrong pillar, bouncing off solid masonry, and ending up flat on his back like a flipped turtle.
With the mystical gateway verified, Charlie didn't waste another second. Checking over his shoulder to ensure no muggles were watching, he gripped the handle of his trolley, broke into a brisk jog, and collided with the barrier.
Whoosh.
It felt exactly like plunging into a pool of cool water. A soft, yielding, yet undeniable pressure washed over his entire body, entirely absorbing the momentum of his frantic sprint.
Before he could even process the sensation, he was unceremoniously deposited onto the other side. Instantly, a tidal wave of noise crashed over him. The yowling of irritated cats, the hooting of captive owls, and the frantic, tearful farewells of a hundred parents assaulted his eardrums all at once. It was a chaotic symphony reminiscent of his first step into Diagon Alley. He had, quite literally, walked into another world.
The magnificent scarlet steam engine of the Hogwarts Express rested patiently on the tracks, puffing lazy clouds of smoke over a platform packed shoulder-to-shoulder with witches and wizards. A particularly grumpy tabby cat weaved through his legs.
Charlie stood completely still for a moment, simply drinking in the absolute madness of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. A genuine, unrestrained smile broke across his face.
Click, clack, whirrrr.
An urgent, metallic ticking sound erupted from directly above him. Charlie glanced up to see a small, bronze cuckoo clock protruding from the wrought-iron archway, its mechanical bird flapping its wings in a frantic warning.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was squawking about. Glancing back over his shoulder at the ticket barrier, he could see the faint, shimmering outline of another student hurtling toward the brick wall from the Muggle side. The mechanical bird was simply doing its job, telling him to clear the landing zone.
Taking the hint, he shoved his trolley toward the far end of the platform, specifically aiming for a carriage door that wasn't currently blocked by sobbing mothers. Wrestling his luggage down the narrow train corridor, he eventually struck gold right at the very back of the train: a completely empty compartment.
He hauled his belongings inside, slid the door shut, and pulled out his wand with a small sigh of relief.
"Wingardium Leviosa," he chanted softly, giving his wand a precise swish and flick to arrange his things.
To date, his entire magical repertoire consisted of exactly three spells: the Wand-Lighting Charm, the Levitation Charm, and the Mending Charm. He had spent the last few weeks secretly using Reparo to fix up all the creaky floorboards and broken junk in old Mrs. Martha's house.
Unfortunately, it seemed that neither the Levitation Charm nor the Mending Charm could be upgraded or 'Specialized' by his mysterious internal System. Whether this was due to a severe lack of Wonder Dust, or some other arcane rule he hadn't discovered yet, Charlie had absolutely no idea.
He pulled off his rather ordinary-looking cap and tossed it onto the compartment's folding table. With a soft pop, the fabric twisted and expanded, transforming into Alice.
The large, floppy-eared rabbit instantly began twitching her nose, inspecting her new surroundings with bright, intelligent eyes. Alice was an exceptionally bold creature, possessing a sharpness that made her incredibly easy to manage. Charlie certainly didn't have to worry about her constantly wandering off and getting lost, unlike the unfortunate pets of certain round-faced boys he remembered from his reading.
Settling comfortably against the plush upholstery, he pulled out his copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration and began to read.
He wasn't trying to rigorously memorize every single wand movement or incantation just yet. Honestly, forcing himself to master concepts he barely understood would only give him a headache. Instead, he preferred to read it casually, treating it less like a dry textbook and more like a fascinating encyclopedia of magical secrets.
He absorbed the nuances of Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, the critical safety warnings, and the core theoretical concepts. Brilliantly, the author had hidden all this vital foundation right in the book's preface. If Charlie had treated it like a normal school book, he absolutely would have skipped the intro and missed the most important parts entirely.
Time crawled by in a comfortable haze. Outside, the cacophony of the platform never truly faded, remaining a constant hum of excitement and last-minute panics. Inside the train, however, the atmosphere was shifting.
The corridor outside his compartment, initially abandoned, was steadily filling with life. Laughter, arguments over Exploding Snap, and, somewhat inevitably, the awkward shuffling of teenage romance echoed through the wood paneling. Hogwarts was a school filled with hormonal adolescents, after all. Reunited after a long summer, many couples were desperately seeking a quiet corner to lock lips, which naturally led them toward the very back of the train. Right where Charlie was sitting.
About an hour later, Charlie finally peeled his eyes away from his book. He paused, tilting his head. Had he just heard a knock?
Tap. Tap.
There it was again, so faint it was barely audible over the chatter outside.
"Door's unlocked, come on in!" Charlie called out amiably.
The sliding door nudged open a few inches, revealing a boy with a perfectly round, heavily flushed face. The boy nervously scanned the compartment before whispering, "Erm, excuse me? Is anyone sitting here? May I...?"
Charlie lowered his book entirely, raising a single, highly amused eyebrow. "Well, I certainly hope I count as 'anyone.' Otherwise, I'm having a serious existential crisis."
"I... oh! I mean... I didn't..." The poor boy looked absolutely horrified by his own clumsiness, his hand instinctively gripping the door handle as if preparing to bolt in the opposite direction.
"Relax, I'm just pulling your leg," Charlie laughed warmly, waving him inside. "There's plenty of room. Come on in, don't look so terrified."
The round-faced boy blinked, let out a shaky breath, and finally stepped into the compartment. He offered an awkward, slightly stiff bow.
"Thank you. I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom."
Neville wrestled his trunk into the corner behind the door with a loud thud. Just as the trunk settled, a dark, lumpy mass tumbled off the top of it, landing on the carpeted floor with a distinctly moist splat.
It was massive, easily larger than a grown man's palm. You would need both hands to cup it properly. It had a back covered in bumpy warts and a sickly yellowish underbelly. It didn't take a Magizoologist to identify it.
"Let me guess," Charlie said, his eyelid giving a subtle twitch. "Your traveling companion?"
"Oh! Yes," Neville said, hastily scooping the creature up. "This is Trevor."
"He's... very robust," Charlie offered diplomatically. "I've been wondering, actually. Why exactly are toads on the approved pet list for Hogwarts? Is there some deep, historical magical bond between wizards and amphibians that I haven't read about yet?"
If there was a grand magical history regarding toads, Neville certainly didn't know it. The boy simply shook his head.
"I really have no idea. My Gran picked him out for me. But I do like him, really."
Neville placed Trevor gently onto the folding table. Driven by sheer curiosity, Charlie reached out and lightly poked the toad's warty back. Surprisingly, it wasn't horribly slimy or disgusting like he had imagined. It just felt like cold, leathery skin.
Thump, thump.
Alice hopped closer, her nose twitching furiously as she inspected Trevor with mild disdain.
"Ah, right, introductions," Charlie said. "Neville, Trevor, meet Alice. She's a transfigured rabbit."
Charlie had barely finished his sentence when the compartment door was violently wrenched open. The heavy door slammed against its track with a deafening crash, startling both Charlie and Alice so badly that man and rabbit visibly jumped in perfect synchronization.
"Is anyone sitting here?" a rather bossy voice demanded.
Charlie looked up to find a young girl standing in the doorway. She had an unruly mane of bushy brown hair and rather prominent front teeth.
"Well, clearly it's only the two of you," she continued rapidly, answering her own question before they could even open their mouths. "So, I'll be sitting here."
She hauled her trunk inside without waiting for permission, her sheer aura of authority completely bulldozing over them. Neville instantly shrank back into the corner of his seat, thoroughly intimidated by the girl's intense energy.
"Oh, look. A rabbit and a toad," the girl observed briskly, shoving her trunk behind the door. "A toad makes sense, I suppose. I've read all about them; they are historically quite useful to wizards. But a rabbit?" She placed her hands on her hips, looking critically at Alice. "That is strictly against school rules, you know!"
Charlie immediately clasped his hands together, his face twisting into an exaggerated mask of pure terror.
"Oh, please, kind stranger!" he gasped dramatically. "I beg of you, don't turn me in to the authorities! If they confiscate Alice, they'll expel me for sure! I'll be cast out onto the cold, unforgiving streets, left to wander aimlessly as a tragic, uneducated outcast!"