Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

King's Cross Station was filled with the usual bustle of travel, everything seemed the same as always, except for the small, understated but undeniable group of people seeing each other off between platforms nine and ten.

There were no media cameras or microphones, but several plainclothes security personnel were cleverly scattered around, while bodyguard Paul stood in a position that allowed him to control the situation without being conspicuous, his eyes alertly watching his surroundings.

Charles and Diana opted for simple, dark coats and sunglasses, attempting to blend into the background, but their innate elegance still attracted some fleeting glances.

William and Harry, on the other hand, made no attempt to hide their excitement, circling around Henry and his luggage.

Grandpa and Grandma didn't come. They were too conspicuous and would inevitably attract media attention—in fact, if it weren't for the effective security, their whole family would probably be surrounded by the media by now.

Henry's luggage was minimal, consisting of a dark leather suitcase imbued with a seamless stretching spell, and a sturdy owl cage containing his snowy owl named "Mercury," who always seemed to be deep in philosophical contemplation. He wore ordinary jeans and an Oxford shirt, with a casual jacket over them, looking like any well-off prep high school student.

"Is everything packed? Have you checked the list?" Princess Diana asked for the tenth time, her fingers unconsciously smoothing out a wrinkle on Henry's jacket.

"Everything's here, Mother. Textbooks, robe, crucible, scales, and Mercury," Henry replied patiently, squeezing his mother's slightly cold hand.

Charles glanced around the station and whispered to Henry to be careful at school.

"I will write on time, Father," Henry said to Charles with a smile.

William tugged at Henry's sleeve, lowered his voice, and his eyes lit up: "Henry, if you really see a flying broom, could...could you find a way to get me a model? Just the most basic one will do!"

Harry looked up, a hint of reluctance in his eyes, and asked, "You'll be back for Christmas, right? Will you really have magic then?"

"I'll try my best to make a model, and I promise I'll be back for Christmas," Henry promised with a smile, giving his two younger brothers' hair a good ruffle.

He glanced at the huge clock in the center of the station; the hands were pointing to 10:50.

Time is up.

"Well then, I should get going." Henry took a deep breath and gave his family a reassuring smile.

He picked up his suitcase and the owl cage.

Under the watchful eyes of his family, he pushed his luggage cart toward the seemingly solid wall between platforms nine and ten.

Following Dumbledore's description, he found the entrance to the platform, where many wizards were already queuing up to rush inside.

Like passing through a warm soap bubble, a gentle and brief feeling of weightlessness, followed by a brightening of the vision.

Before me lay a wide stone platform, with a dome that resembled a bright autumn sky created by magic.

A gleaming, deep red steam locomotive was belching out thick white smoke, with a prominent sign on its front: The Hogwarts Express, departing at 11:00.

The platform was crowded with people: young wizards in black robes chatting excitedly; parents busy giving instructions, hugging, and waving goodbye; owls flapping and hooting in their cages, cats nimbly weaving between legs, and toads occasionally jumping out of baskets, causing small commotions and laughter.

The air was filled with the smell of coal smoke, the sweet aroma of pumpkin pie, and a wonderful, indescribable flavor.

Henry walked through the bustling platform, carrying his luggage, and followed the flow of people toward the open doors of the train.

He deliberately avoided the noisy carriages that were already filled with excited older students and walked towards the back of the train, hoping to find a relatively quiet compartment.

Luckily, he found an empty compartment in one of the last carriages.

He carefully placed the suitcase on the luggage rack and put the cage containing Mercury in the empty space by the window.

The snowy owl shifted in displeasure, but quickly resumed its philosopher-like gaze.

Henry sat down by the window, his gaze turning to the ongoing farewell scene outside.

Not long after, the sliding door to the cubicle was gently pulled open.

A girl with a round face and two golden braids peeked in. She looked a little nervous, but her eyes were friendly.

"Excuse me, are there any seats available here? It seems like all the other seats are full." Her voice was soft.

"Of course, please come in." Henry smiled and nodded, then got up to help her put a small suitcase on the luggage rack.

"Thank you! I'm Hannah Abbott." The girl sat down opposite Henry, breathed a sigh of relief, and introduced herself.

Yo?

Although Henry had never read any fanfiction, he knew her nickname.

Oh, it's the Iron-Capped Prince.

"Henry Welsh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Abbott." Henry used an alias, speaking naturally.

"Just call me Hannah." Hannah seemed a little more relaxed, looking at Henry curiously. "Are you a freshman too? You look... well, very calm."

Seemingly realizing that this wasn't quite right, Hannah added, "Most freshmen are either excitedly chattering away or a little uneasy about leaving home..."

"I'm just trying to stay calm, but I'm actually looking forward to it," Henry replied ambiguously.

Just then, the cubicle door opened again, and another brown-haired girl walked in. She looked more composed than Hannah.

"Hannah! Oh, you're here too. Is there any room left in this cubicle?" the brown-haired girl asked.

"Susan! Yes, come in quickly," Hannah greeted him happily, and introduced them to Henry, "This is Susan Burns, we're neighbors. Susan, this is Henry Wales."

Susan Burns nodded politely to Henry, put her luggage away, and sat down next to Hannah.

"Hello, Mr. Wells. I hope we haven't bothered you."

"Not at all, Miss Burns. It's more lively with more people," Henry said gently.

He could sense that both girls came from wizarding families; they were polite, slightly reserved, but not malicious.

They're definitely not a potential Slytherin.

At that moment, the train sounded its whistle, the train body shuddered slightly, and it slowly pulled away from the platform.

The scenery outside the window began to move backward, the crowds seeing each other off on the platform and that magical archway gradually receded into the distance.

The three children instinctively looked out the window, watching the London street scene being left behind. A shared excitement and trepidation about stepping into the unknown permeated the small cubicle.

They started chatting, mainly Hannah and Susan, talking about their imaginations of Hogwarts and guessing which house they would be sorted into.

Henry listened most of the time, occasionally offering a few innocuous comments, neither overly enthusiastic to arouse suspicion nor appearing aloof or detached.