#94

It was past three in the afternoon when the train finally approached the bustling heart of London.

As the Hogwarts Express sped past several towns, the sun dipped lower in the sky. 

By the time the train slowed, gliding onto the platform, the golden glow of late afternoon bathed everything in warm hues.

Platform 9¾ was already crowded with parents and siblings eagerly waiting to greet their loved ones. 

The moment the train began to brake, students rushed to gather their belongings, changing into Muggle-appropriate clothing and stuffing their wizarding robes into trunks. 

Voices overlapped in an excited, chaotic buzz.

Ted and the other boys were unceremoniously herded into the corridor to change while the girls took the carriage. Then, with a final lurch, the train came to a stop, and the doors swung open.

A wave of students spilled onto the platform, pulling along their trunks, calling out to one another, and craning their necks to spot their families. 

The crowd was even larger than at the start of the term, with more relatives showing up to welcome their children home. 

The six friends huddled close, wary of getting separated in the sea of people.

A young girl's excited voice rang out above the noise: "Neville! Mum, I see Neville!"

Ted blinked. That line sounded oddly familiar. Where had he heard it before?

Neville, beside him, visibly shrank, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. But there was no escaping it. The girl had already spotted him.

Meanwhile, Ron groaned dramatically. "Oh, come on, Ginny! I'm your brother! Don't I even get a hello?" He glared at the little red-haired girl pushing through the crowd. 

Behind her, a red-haired couple followed at a more leisurely pace.

The man was tall, with a thinning hairline and an easy-going smile. 

He had the look of a proper British gentleman, though his eyes twinkled with mischief. 

The woman beside him was shorter and rounder, her warm expression exuding a motherly kindness.

"Oh, Ron, you've grown!" Mr. Weasley greeted, ruffling his son's hair.

Molly Weasley beamed as she grabbed Ron's shoulders, nearly lifting him off the ground. "Peggy wrote us saying you did well in all your subjects and earned fifty points for Gryffindor! Is it true?!"

Ron, suddenly very aware of the attention, fidgeted. 

It was one thing to brag in front of his classmates but another to have his mother announce his accomplishments so loudly.

"It was only fifty points," he muttered. "Ted and Hermione earned over a hundred for Ravenclaw... Oh, right! Mum, Dad, let me introduce my friends. You already know Harley and Neville. This is Ted—"

Ted stepped forward, offering his hand. "Hello, Mr. Weasley. I'm Ted."

Then, turning to Mrs. Weasley, he took both her hands in his. "Mrs. Weasley, thank you so much for the sweater. It fit perfectly and kept me warm all winter. I really appreciate it."

Molly's expression softened. "Oh, you sweet boy. As long as you liked it! You must visit the Burrow sometime and try my home-cooked meals."

"I'd love to!" Ted replied with genuine enthusiasm.

Ron continued. "And this is Hermione, Ravenclaw's very own genius."

Hermione greeted the Weasleys politely, earning a nod of approval in return. While Ron hadn't spoken as much about her as he had about Ted and Jerry, the Weasleys still recognized her as a good friend.

"And this," Ron said, grinning, "is Jerry."

Jerry, normally reserved, hesitated for a moment before offering a small smile. 

Before he could react, Molly pulled him into a warm hug.

"You're always welcome at our home, dear! You and Ted both."

Jerry swallowed hard, touched by the invitation. No one had ever invited him over before.

As they spoke, Ginny Weasley continued staring at Neville. He, on the other hand, looked ready to vanish into the floor.

"Merlin, she's doing it again!" he whispered to Ted, eyes darting around in panic.

Ted stifled a laugh. 

Neville had told him once how terrified he was of Ginny. 

Before Hogwarts, he'd visited the Weasleys a few times, and the youngest Weasley had apparently followed him around like a lost puppy.

"I swear, she looks at me like I'm a chocolate frog she wants to eat!" Neville muttered under his breath.

Ginny, oblivious to his distress, smiled sweetly.

Before Neville could make an escape, another voice cut through the platform.

"Sirius! Olivia!"

Harley's face lit up as she sprinted toward a tall, dark-haired man with a roguish grin and a well-groomed mustache. 

Beside him stood a striking woman with elegant features and kind eyes. 

Sirius Black caught Harley mid-run, laughing as he lifted her into a brief hug.

Not far behind them, a dignified older woman approached. 

She had a severe expression that made her resemble Professor McGonagall on a bad day. 

Dressed in fine robes and wearing an eagle-shaped hat, she radiated an air of authority.

Ted squinted. Was it just him, or was that hat... magical?

Magic pulsed faintly from it. Whatever it was, it was no ordinary hat.

Trailing behind the old woman was a short, stout man in his forties.

"Grandma! Uncle!" Neville blurted out, looking nervous.

His grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, nodded sternly before shifting her gaze to the rest of the group.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Oh!" Neville straightened up. "This is Ted..."

And so, the introductions continues,

The old lady Longbottom warmly thanked Ted for his help with Neville and extended an invitation for him to visit their home whenever he had the time. 

Ted, feeling both honored and slightly overwhelmed, nodded with a polite smile.

The Weasleys, the Black-Potters, and the Longbottoms had all been members of the Order of the Phoenix in the past. 

Now, their children were classmates and close friends, naturally continuing the bonds their families had forged long ago.

Soon, the Weasleys regrouped as the twins and Peggy arrived. 

After some quick goodbyes, each group set off in different directions.

Sirius and Harry made their way toward the platform's internal Floo Network. 

The old lady Longbottom followed suit, guiding Neville by the shoulder as he nervously glanced at Ginny, who was still watching him with an unsettling level of enthusiasm.

Jerry had to take a special route provided by the Ministry of Magic to return to his village, where other demihumans lived in seclusion.

Meanwhile, the Weasleys were heading out to their enchanted car, a modified Ford Anglia. 

Mr. Weasley, his face practically glowing with excitement, glanced at Ted and Hermione as if waiting for their reaction.

Hermione, oblivious to what was coming, gave a polite nod. 

But Ted? 

Ted knew exactly what Mr. Weasley was about to say.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley, you've been working on cars? That's amazing!" Ted's compliment hit the mark perfectly. 

Mr. Weasley's grin widened as he launched into an enthusiastic discussion about Muggle engineering and how fascinating it was that they managed without magic.

Ted, thanks to years of absorbing information from video games, fantasy worlds, and late-night Wikipedia sources (Henry: You're using Wikipedia as your source?), responded with just enough technical jargon and enthusiasm to keep Mr. Weasley utterly enthralled.

By the time they reached the red brick pillar that separated Platform 9¾ from the Muggle world, Mr. Weasley looked like he had found a kindred spirit.

On the Muggle side, several parents were waiting. 

Among them stood Hermione's parents, both dressed in practical, professional attire, waving as their daughter approached.

"Mum! Dad!" Hermione beamed, running up to them. 

Introductions followed quickly.

Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Granger immediately fell into a deep discussion about knitting techniques and cooking, while Mr. Granger and Mr. Weasley exchanged thoughts on cars and dental care, with Arthur fascinated by the concept of braces. 

When all else failed, they discussed the weather—because, of course, today's weather was awful. Typical of London.

"Ted, would you like to come over?" Hermione asked, her eyes hopeful.

Ted gave her a grateful smile and patted her arm lightly. "Thanks, Hermione, but I need to stop by the Leaky Cauldron first to settle in. 

I'll write to you soon, I promise. Maybe we can plan a trip to Diagon Alley together later?"

Hermione nodded, albeit a little disappointed, but she understood.

After promising Mr. Weasley they'd have another chat about Muggle technology soon, Ted watched as the Grangers got into their car and drove off, Hermione waving at them through the window.

"Alright then, let's get going," Mr. Weasley said cheerfully.

Since the Weasleys were passing by the Leaky Cauldron, they offered Ted a ride. H

e climbed into the enchanted car, which, despite its small size on the outside, had a magically extended interior that made it feel as roomy as a small bus.

The drive was filled with chatter. George and Fred were already scheming, whispering among themselves about some mysterious "plan," their grins devilish.

"Don't forget our plan, Ted!" George called as Ted got out of the car in front of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yeah! We're counting on you!" Fred added.

Molly, overhearing this, shot them both a sharp look. "What plan?! If this is anything like your last experiment, you two are in for it!"

Mr. Weasley, wisely avoiding any disciplinary discussions, waved at Ted. "Take care, my boy! We'll see you soon!"

"Will do!" Ted waved back as the car turned a corner and disappeared down the street.

Turning to face the familiar, slightly crooked entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, Ted grinned.

"Ah, old Tom, I'm back!"

{First Year Ends}

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Word count: 1583

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