𝕷𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖑:𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖎𝖟𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉'𝖘 𝕾𝖚𝖗𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖟𝖊

Chapter Five

Rose's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Rose, he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Rose in her cupboard, force her to do anything, or shout at her -- in fact, they didn't speak to her at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Rose in it were empty.

Rose kept to her room, with her new owl for company. She had decided to call her Hedwig, a name she had found in A History of Magic. Her school books were very interesting. She lay on her bed reading late into the night or try making the potions in the textbook; she supposed they were good, for a beginner.Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased.

It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before she went to
sleep, Rose ticked off another day on the piece of paper she had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.

On the last day of August she thought dhe'd better speak to her aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so she went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. She cleared her throat to let them know she was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.

"Er -- Uncle Vernon?"

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

"Er -- I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to -- to go to Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"

Grunt. Rose supposed that meant yes.

"Thank you."

She was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.

"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

Rose didn't say anything.

"Where is this school, anyway?"

"I don't know," said Rose, realizing this for the first time. "I just take the train from platform nine at eleven o'clock," she read.

"howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up
to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."

"Why are you going to London?" Rose asked, trying to keep things friendly.

"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."

Rose woke at five o'clock the next morning. She got up and pulled on her jeans because she didn't want to walk into the station in her wizard's robes -- she'd
change on the train. She checked her Hogwarts list yet again to make sure she had everything she needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up.

Two hours later, Rose's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Rose, and they had set off.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Rose's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for her. Rose thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Have fun,Girl" He sneered and walked away, The three Dursleys laughed madly, happy the freaky girl is not going be around.

She pushed her trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. She started to walk toward it. People jostled her on their way to platforms nine and ten. Rose walked more quickly. She was going to smash right into that barrier and then she'd be in trouble -- leaning forward on her cart, she broke into a heavy run -- the barrier was coming nearer and nearer -- she wouldn't be able to stop -- the cart was out of control -- she was a foot away -- she closed her eyes ready for the crash -- It didn't come... she kept on running... she opened her eyes.