At precisely ten-thirty on the morning of September 1st, Vernon's car pulled into the bustling car park at King's Cross Station. The moment the vehicle stopped, Harry threw open his door, his movements fueled by an impatient, nervous energy. Dudley, by contrast, emerged with a calm, unhurried grace, surveying the noisy, mundane world of the station with a detached air.
"It's still early, dear, we have plenty of time," Petunia said, her own voice tight with anxiety.
"But we still need to find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," Harry insisted. "Professor Dumbledore left in such a hurry, he forgot to tell us how to get there!"
"It's fine," Dudley said calmly. "Though I haven't been to this specific platform, I can infer the principles of such hidden entrances."
They pushed their trolleys laden with trunks and cages towards the station entrance. Petunia and Vernon trailed behind, intentionally keeping their distance. Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig, was hooting indignantly at the throng of people, drawing far too many curious glances for their comfort.
"We're here," Harry announced, stopping before the large signs for platforms nine and ten. As expected, there was no indication of a platform in between. "Now what? Should we ask a guard?"
"No need." Dudley's voice was placid. He blinked once, his spiritual vision activating for a fraction of a second. In that instant, the solid brick pillar between the two platforms shimmered, revealing a bright, magical aura—a hidden portal. "You simply walk straight through."
Harry stared at the solid brick wall and swallowed hard. "Won't we… crash?"
"No," Dudley explained, combining his observation with logical deduction. "Our tickets are enchanted. As long as you hold the ticket, you can pass through. A fully trained wizard likely wouldn't even need one." He turned to his parents. "Mother, Father, would you like to see us off?"
Petunia and Vernon exchanged a nervous glance. The thought of interacting with more wizards was terrifying, but this was their son, leaving for his first year of school. They had to see him off properly. "Okay," Petunia agreed, her voice barely a whisper.
"Alright. Hold my hand, Mother," Dudley said, pushing his trolley with one hand while taking his mother's with the other. "Harry, you follow right behind us." Without another word, he walked confidently towards the solid brick pillar. For a moment, it seemed as if they would collide, but instead, they simply vanished.
"That's… amazing," Harry whispered, his eyes wide. He had been watching closely, but one moment they were there, and the next they were gone, and not a single person in the bustling crowd had noticed a thing.
"Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Hurry up, we'll be late!" a loud voice said from behind him. Harry turned to see a short, stout woman shepherding four red-headed boys toward the same barrier. More wizards, he realized. Emboldened, he took a deep breath, lowered his head, and pushed his trolley straight at the pillar.
The world dissolved for a second, and then he was standing on a sun-drenched platform next to a scarlet steam engine, a plume of white smoke billowing into the sky. A sign overhead read Hogwarts Express. Dudley was there, waiting for him, and gave a small nod as he arrived.
"They actually have trains?" Vernon said, looking utterly bewildered. "I thought they'd ride magic carpets or flying brooms."
"Perhaps the magical world is also advancing with the times," Dudley said with a slight shrug. He turned to Harry. "Let's get our luggage stowed, then we'll come back and say our goodbyes."
As the boys wrestled their heavy trunks onto the train, Petunia watched her son, her eyes welling with tears. "Oh, Vernon, look at him," she whispered. "He's… he's grown up. He's a man now."
"He is," Vernon agreed, his own eyes surprisingly misty. "It's a shame it's a magic school. He could have gone to my alma mater, Smeltings. But… he'll still be great. He'll be an amazing wizard."
On the train, Dudley and Harry found an empty compartment at the very end of a carriage. With a grunt of effort that was more for show than necessity, Dudley lifted his heavy trunk onto the overhead rack, then did the same with Harry's.
"You're so strong now," Harry said, genuinely envious.
Dudley just smiled. His physical fitness was far beyond that of an ordinary boy. Beyonder powers inherently enhanced the body, and both the Judge and Black Emperor pathways were particularly effective in this regard. He briefly recalled the Sequence 8 of the Black Emperor pathway: Barbarian. It was a state of being that granted immense physical strength and combat prowess, a perfect complement for a Lawyer who, when unable to win an argument with logic, could always resort to more… physical persuasion.
They went back down to the platform for their farewells. Harry's was quick and a little awkward, but Dudley was immediately enveloped in a tearful, desperate hug from his mother. Just as the final whistle blew, he managed to break free and leap onto the slowly moving train.
As the train pulled away, he saw a pair of red-headed twin brothers leaning out a nearby window, shouting boisterously to their mother and younger sister on the platform.
"Don't cry, Ginny! We'll send you loads of owls!"
"Yeah! We'll even send you a Hogwarts toilet seat!"
"George!" their mother shrieked, though she was smiling.
"Just kidding, Mum!"
Dudley couldn't help but smile. The two brothers seemed interesting. He made his way back to his compartment and found that Harry now had company. The youngest of the red-headed boys was sitting opposite him.
"Hello," Dudley said, offering a polite greeting as he took the seat next to Harry.
"Oh, hello," the boy replied, a bit startled. "I'm Ron. Ron Weasley."
Dudley smiled. "Dudley. Dudley Dursley. Harry Potter's cousin."
***
(End of Chapter)
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