When Brian woke up in the morning, his head was still in a daze. As he struggled to sit up, his hand struck the sharp corner of the nightstand, leaving a small cut.
"Forget it—hurrying is more important," Brian muttered. He quickly got up, dressed, and after washing up, used a Shrinking Charm to shrink his packed luggage and tuck it into his pocket.
A glance at the wall clock told him it was only six o'clock. No matter how rushed he felt, he could still make it to King's Cross Station before half-past ten and catch the 11 o'clock Hogwarts Express.
Downstairs, Elinore and Ted were already awake, sitting quietly in the dining room, watching Brian come down.
"Morning, Mom and Dad!" Brian yawned, intending to say goodbye. But before he could speak further, Elinore stepped forward and pulled him to sit at the table.
"Eat first before you go." She frowned as she noticed the cut on his hand. "How could you be so careless?"
Despite her scolding, she quickly fetched the household first aid kit and began bandaging the wound.
"Mom, I'm not a child anymore. It's just a scratch," Brian mumbled.
"You'll still have to listen to me even when you're thirty," Elinore retorted as she finished tying a neat bow on the bandage.
Ted suddenly burst out laughing, clearly amused. But the moment Elinore slapped his shoulder, he stopped and lowered his head. Meeting Brian's eyes, he said in a more serious tone, "Brian, get along with your classmates, don't cause trouble, and study magic diligently!"
Brian: "..."
The warm family moment lasted only through breakfast. After saying his goodbyes, Brian headed out to catch a bus to King's Cross Station.
From that point on, not a second could be wasted. Missing the Hogwarts Express would be a disaster.
...
After some searching, Brian finally arrived at King's Cross Station half an hour early. The station was bustling with people. After scanning the crowd, Brian eventually spotted Harry, who was being teased by the Dursleys.
"Well, here you are, boy. Platform Nine and Platform Ten. Your platform should be between them—but looks like it hasn't been built yet, has it?"
Typical Dursley sarcasm. Brian rolled his eyes and waved at Harry, who had just noticed him.
"Brian!" Harry called out excitedly, waving back.
Mr. Dursley's smug grin faltered. He clearly hadn't expected the peculiar Harry Potter to have friends—especially wizard friends. Brian's arrival seemed to make him both irritated and uneasy.
"I wish you a successful term," Mr. Dursley muttered awkwardly before quickly retreating with his family.
"Do you know where Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is?" Harry asked, puzzled as he examined his ticket.
"Of course," Brian said calmly. "It's in the wall between Platforms Nine and Ten. We just have to walk through it."
Harry, struggling with Hedwig and a mountain of luggage, looked completely weighed down. Brian considered using a Shrinking Charm but quickly dismissed the idea—there were too many Muggles around, and it was likely that the Ministry was watching. Instead, he helped Harry push the trolley.
"Where's your luggage?" Harry asked.
Brian hesitated for a second. "...I learned the Shrinking Charm from a book."
"You already know magic? That's so cool!"
Brian smiled faintly, his earlier seriousness fading. "It's not that hard. I studied for a whole month."
Harry was silent for a moment before sighing, "Really? I wish I'd looked through my books, too. But Hagrid didn't let me use magic in the Muggle world. Honestly, I don't even know how I spent the last month. The Dursleys hate anything to do with magic."
Brian pushed the trolley while Harry carried Hedwig's cage. Chatting as they went, they passed through the wall and stepped onto the Hogwarts Express platform.
A deep red Victorian-style steam locomotive sat by the platform, its sign gleaming: Hogwarts Express — Eleven O'Clock.
Turning around, the boys saw that the wall they had come through had become a wrought-iron archway labeled: Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Steam from the train billowed into the air. The platform bustled with noise—students chatting, owls screeching, cats weaving through legs. It was a kind of organized chaos unique to the magical world.
The first few compartments were already packed. Some students leaned out of the windows to wave goodbye; others were playing inside. Brian and Harry eventually found an empty compartment near the end of the train.
With Brian's help, Harry managed to shove his trunk into the corner.
"Thanks," Harry said, settling into a window seat. Brian sat across from him, pulled his shrunken luggage from his pocket, and restored it with a flick of his wand. The space suddenly felt more cramped.
"Was that magic?" Harry asked, curious.
"Just restoring my luggage. Someone will come around to collect it. It'd be weird if I had none," Brian replied.
"Right. I really don't know anything about this place…" Harry trailed off. Their eyes met, both filled with a quiet worry.
Harry was concerned about this strange, magical world that still felt like a fairy tale. Brian, however, was dreading the inevitable arrival of Ron Weasley—the notorious trouble magnet. Staying under the radar would be impossible if Ron got involved. And then there was Hermione—the overly enthusiastic know-it-all. If she decided to 'help' him, oh no...
Luckily, perhaps because of the piled luggage, no one else had entered their compartment. No red-haired boy appeared. Instead, Harry enthusiastically bought nearly all the snacks from the trolley and shared them with Brian.
Brian didn't refuse. Munching on pumpkin pasties and treacle tarts, he kept up the small talk, but in the back of his mind, one question lingered:
"Where's Ron?"
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