September 1st arrived beneath a clear morning sky.
For the first time in weeks, Emily woke before her alarm.
The realization made her laugh.
After months of preparation, training, and anticipation, the day had finally arrived.
Today, she would begin her journey at Hogwarts.
Meanwhile, Mohit had already been awake for nearly an hour.
As usual, he preferred starting his day early.
When Emily entered the dining room, she found breakfast already prepared.
"Good morning."
Mohit looked up from his tea.
"Morning."
Emily sat down and immediately noticed the calm expression on his face.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Are you ever nervous?"
"No."
"Not even today?"
"No."
Emily sighed dramatically.
"You're impossible."
Mohit simply continued drinking his tea.
The response only made her roll her eyes.
After breakfast, they performed a final check of their belongings.
School robes.
Textbooks.
Potion supplies.
Writing materials.
Personal items.
Everything had already been prepared the previous evening.
Most of the luggage was stored safely.
As a result, neither needed to drag massive trunks around like many Hogwarts students.
Emily still found that extremely convenient.
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of magical storage."
"It is useful."
"Useful?"
She pointed toward the neatly organized room.
"It's amazing."
Mohit couldn't disagree.
Storage magic was one of the most practical magical inventions he had encountered.
Shortly before departure, they left the house and hired transportation toward King's Cross Station.
The streets were already busy.
Workers hurried toward their jobs.
Shop owners opened their stores.
Morning traffic filled the roads.
To everyone around them, it appeared to be an ordinary day.
Only a handful of people knew that hundreds of young witches and wizards were secretly preparing to travel to Hogwarts.
As the city passed by outside the window, Emily watched everything with growing excitement.
Several times she almost started a conversation before stopping herself.
Eventually, Mohit noticed.
"You look excited."
"I am excited."
"Understandable."
Emily laughed.
"That's all you have to say?"
"Congratulations?"
That earned him another glare.
By late morning, King's Cross Station came into view.
The massive building bustled with activity.
Travelers moved between platforms carrying luggage.
Announcements echoed through the station.
The atmosphere was chaotic.
For ordinary people, nothing seemed unusual.
Yet Mohit immediately noticed several families behaving differently.
Children carried owls.
Parents wore oddly old-fashioned clothing.
A few individuals attempted to hide magical pets beneath cloaks.
Wizarding families.
Their destination was obvious.
Emily noticed them as well.
"They're going to Hogwarts."
Mohit nodded.
"Most likely."
Together, they entered the station.
Finding Platforms Nine and Ten proved easy.
Finding Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was another matter entirely.
To ordinary people, nothing unusual existed between the two platforms.
Only a solid barrier separated them.
Emily glanced at the wall.
Then at Mohit.
Then back at the wall.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
She looked unconvinced.
"We're supposed to run into a wall."
"Essentially."
Emily stared for several seconds.
"It sounds ridiculous."
"It works."
"Still ridiculous."
Mohit smiled slightly.
Before she could continue complaining, a nearby family casually walked straight through the barrier and vanished.
Emily froze.
"...Okay."
A second later she added:
"That was actually pretty cool."
They waited briefly before approaching.
Several other students passed through first.
Then Mohit nodded toward the barrier.
"Ready?"
Emily took a deep breath.
"No."
"Good enough."
Before she could protest, he started walking.
Emily immediately followed.
The barrier rushed toward them.
Instinct screamed at her to stop.
She ignored it.
The world blurred.
Then suddenly—
They were through.
The sight that greeted them stole Emily's breath away.
A scarlet steam train stood proudly beside the platform.
White steam drifted through the air.
Hundreds of students moved between compartments.
Families exchanged farewells.
Owls hooted from cages.
Cats wandered between luggage carts.
The entire platform radiated excitement.
For a moment, Emily simply stared.
"This..."
Her voice trailed off.
The scene looked like something from a dream.
Mohit quietly observed the train.
The Hogwarts Express.
One of the most iconic symbols of the wizarding world.
Seeing it in person felt strangely nostalgic.
Even for him.
Students hurried around them.
Some searched for friends.
Others looked for empty compartments.
Parents offered final advice.
A few younger students appeared close to panic.
Emily watched everything with fascination.
Then she noticed something.
Many students were staring.
Not necessarily at her.
At Mohit.
The attention was obvious.
Several girls whispered among themselves.
Others glanced repeatedly in their direction.
Emily immediately understood why.
Mohit's appearance naturally attracted attention.
Even before entering Hogwarts, he had already become a topic of conversation.
She found the situation surprisingly amusing.
Mohit, meanwhile, seemed completely unaware.
Or perhaps simply uninterested.
After locating an appropriate carriage, they boarded the train.
The interior was warm and comfortable.
Several compartments were already occupied.
Others remained empty.
Eventually they found a quiet compartment and settled inside.
Emily took the seat beside the window.
Mohit sat opposite her.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Instead, they watched the activity outside.
Students continued boarding.
Parents exchanged final farewells.
Excitement filled the air.
Then the whistle sounded.
A loud, powerful note echoed across the station.
The train was preparing to depart.
Emily smiled.
"We're really doing this."
Mohit nodded.
"Yes."
The train slowly began moving.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters gradually disappeared behind them.
The journey to Hogwarts had officially begun.
Neither of them realized that before the day ended, they would meet several people who would play important roles in their future.
And the first of those meetings was only moments away.