[Hogwarts Between] Platform Nine and Three-Quarters: Amber

[Margaret Dean]

[OOC:  Moving this to the correct list and retitling it]

     Amber leaned on the car door armrest by the window watching
the scenery move by. Now, after learning all the things she'd
only read about in books was real and she was in it, a car was a
boring hunk of metal going forty miles an hour. She closed her
eyes and pictured the thing she'd be dreaming of ever since she
saw it, riding a broom. She saw herself sweeping through the air
arms outstretched. The red-haired child closed her eyes and
lifted her face to the sky, feeling the rush of wind brush her
throat and fly into the distance behind her. The broom bumped up
and back down and Amber's imaginary dream was gone. She cursed
under her breath at the car for ruining her fun but gave up
taking it out on the car, knowing it wouldn't get her anywhere,
and leaned back on the armrest. 

     Kings Cross was far away from where Amber lived. It was four
hours by car, but in Amber's world it must have been at least
seven. All the excitement made the car ride feel like they were
going about two miles per hour, each stoplight was painful and
each bump in the road was a dream killer. Then the buildings
started to get bigger and London was in sight, Amber exploded.
She started to talk constantly about what her grandfather thought
was going to happen, where they were going to go, (even though
she knew) if anyone else they knew was a witch/wizard, and any
other question you can think of about wizardry and didn't wait
for an answer, she just needed something to do.

     The car rolled into the large parking lot with the steady
stream of words following. The old car screeched to a stop and
Amber burst out the doors and landed on all fours, ready to kiss
the ground. A few of the people gave a side glance but many kids
just stopped and stared, mouths agape, before their busy mothers
pushed them toward the station. Amber's grandfather made his way
around the car and offered a hand to his granddaughter. Amber got
up on her own and bolted to the sliding doors at the entrance;
Phil stayed behind and got the suitcases.
 
     "Come back and get your things, love!" he called holding one
of the lighter bags in the air. She had almost forgot! Her heart
wanted to continue inside but her legs thought otherwise. She
turned and ran back regardless of the excitement gripping her
chest. Amber carried the two smaller bags and her grandfather
rolled the large suitcase filled with all a witch needs to learn
magic. 

     Amber followed her guardian through the maze of trains and
people with no idea of where they were going. Her grandfather
turned suddenly and headed straight for a large barrier with the
number nine on one side and the number ten on the other. He kept
walking until he got right next to it and vanished. Amber stopped
abruptly. This didn't make sense, Amber thought, it's just solid
wall. She reached her hand out to touch the wall but nothing
touched her fingertips. Just air. Then the lighting of the room
suddenly changed and when Amber looked around to see what had
happened, she was somewhere else. The pillar now said 9¾.