The next day, King's Cross Station was as lively as ever, its platforms bustling with travelers. Among them, a peculiar group of passengers stood out, their attire a bit unconventional, and many of them pushing trolleys topped with large birdcages containing owls of various species.
The newer security guards watched the scene with curiosity, whispering among themselves, while the more experienced guards simply shrugged it off. It was the same every year—likely some kind of owl festival—and they were well accustomed to the oddity.
On Platform 9¾, the red steam train stood gleaming, surrounded by a hive of activity. Parents bustled about, bidding emotional goodbyes or welcoming children returning from the magical world.
"Thanks for the lift, Dobby," Kyle said to the cheerful House-elf at his side.
Since it was the first day of school, Kyle had initially considered taking the Knight Bus, but Dobby had enthusiastically offered to transport him via Apparition. The best part was skipping the crowded station altogether, arriving directly on the hidden platform.
"Dobby is always happy to help Mr. Kyle," the House-elf said, his voice bright with pride.
Kyle checked the time. "Harry isn't here yet. Do you want to wait a few minutes for him?"
Dobby looked tempted to linger, but after a brief hesitation, he shook his head.
"No, Dobby has much to do today—the Demiguises need looking after," he said earnestly. "Will Mr. Kyle please say hello to Harry Potter from Dobby?"
"Of course," Kyle replied.
Hearing the answer, Dobby beamed, gave a low bow, and disappeared with a pop.
"Kyle!"
Kyle turned to see Kanna walking toward him, dragging her suitcase behind her.
"When did you get here? I didn't see you come in through the station entrance," she said, brushing her hair back.
"A House-elf brought me," Kyle explained. "Apparition."
"How convenient," Kanna said with a hint of envy.
Not long after, Cedric and Cho joined them on the platform. However, the Weasleys had yet to arrive, so the group decided to board the train early and find a compartment before it filled up.
As the train's departure time neared, they walked from the front of the train toward the back, eventually finding an empty compartment.
"So, how was everyone's holiday?" Cho asked as she hoisted her luggage onto the shelf. Her tone was less enthusiastic, and her expression was glum. "I spent two months stuck at home. My mum promised to take me on a trip to Sydney, but she canceled at the last minute because of work."
"I went to Hampshire, to my grandfather's place," Cedric said. "My dad thought it was safer there, so he packed me off and only picked me up yesterday afternoon."
He turned to Kyle. "By the way, I heard you received a warning letter from the Ministry of Magic. What happened?"
"You got a warning letter?" Kanna asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "How do you know about that? It wasn't in the papers."
Cedric grinned. "My father told me. I got him drunk yesterday and learned a lot about what's going on in the Ministry."
"..."
Kyle stared blankly for a moment. Really, Mr. Diggory's shining example of a good son.
"It's nothing," Kyle said, giving Cedric a look of disbelief before shaking his head. "It's all been sorted out. Just a misunderstanding."
"I bet it had something to do with You-Know-Who," Kanna said, her voice laced with concern. "I've been reading The Daily Prophet, and it keeps saying Dumbledore's gone mad. The Ministry clearly doesn't want to admit that You-Know-Who is back. That must be why you got dragged into this."
"It was," Kyle admitted, "but like I said, it's been handled."
A loud whistle cut through their conversation.
"The train's about to leave," Cedric said, opening the window and sticking his head out for a better look. "That's strange. Fred and George aren't here yet. Kyle, weren't you with them?"
Kyle shook his head. "No, I came alone."
He found it odd as well. Mrs. Weasley wasn't the type to let them run late, especially on the first day of school.
A few minutes later, the whistle sounded again, and the train slowly began to pull out of the station.
"Looks like they really are late," Cho muttered with a frown.
"No, they're here!" Kyle exclaimed.
He glanced out the window just as Fred and George appeared, barely making it in time. The twins Apparated directly into the compartment with a loud crack.
"Phew... we made it," Fred said, leaning against the door and catching his breath.
"What happened?" Kyle handed him a bottle of Pumpkin Fizz. "Where's Harry? Why are you two the only ones here?"
"Moody was attacked," Fred said, taking a long drink. "Some Death Eaters broke into his house early this morning."
"How's Professor Moody?" Cedric asked, his brow furrowed.
"He's injured, but nothing too serious," George replied. "Sturgis Podmore happened to be visiting him at the time. Saw a Killing Curse fly right past his head."
"That was close," Fred said grimly. "Moody could've been killed."
"Not that easily," Cho interjected. "Don't forget—Professor Moody is one of the most famous Aurors alive. The Death Eaters couldn't just take him down like that."
"Maybe," George said, "but everyone thought it was likely the Death Eaters would try something else, like ambushing Harry at King's Cross. So they were extra cautious on the way here."
Fred nodded. "Nobody paid attention to the time, though. We didn't realize how late we were until we got to the station."
"George and I were the fastest runners," Fred continued, "but Harry and the others had too much luggage to keep up."
He stuck his head out of the window for a better look, but the platform had already disappeared from view.
"Crap. I wonder how Ginny's going to get to school."
"Too bad we can't Apparate people," George said, slumping into a seat.
"Don't worry," Kyle said reassuringly. "There are plenty of adults with them. They'll figure it out. Ginny and Ron won't be left behind."
"You're right," George agreed, sitting down next to Cedric. "Mum would never let that happen."
"I just hope they get here soon," Fred said, sitting beside him. "Wait—George, do you think Sirius's new car can fly?"
The twins froze for a moment, exchanging wide-eyed looks.
"If it can…" George said slowly, "I won't sleep tonight."
"Me neither," Fred muttered.
"It's easy enough to find out when we get to school, isn't it?" Cedric said, attempting to steer the conversation. "But don't you think it's strange that the Death Eaters suddenly targeted Professor Moody?"
"Maybe they were trying to find out where Harry is," George suggested. "You-Know-Who's always wanted to get rid of him."
"But why Moody, specifically?" Fred asked. "He's not exactly an easy target."
"You guys…" Cho hesitated. "Do you think it could have something to do with the Defense Against the Dark Arts curse? It's odd, isn't it? Last year was the first time the professors actually made it through the entire year unscathed."
Her words gave everyone pause.
It was true. For decades, Defense Against the Dark Arts professors had never lasted more than a year. Last year had been an exception, with both Moody and Sirius completing the term and leaving Hogwarts for the holidays unscathed.
Initially, many had assumed the curse was less potent because the role had been shared between two professors. But now, with classes about to resume, Moody had been attacked out of nowhere.
If this wasn't connected to the curse, it was an awfully big coincidence.