| Jarvey
Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Oceanic Flight 815
Posts: 558
| 
Okay, I know this one is short too, but don't worry, the next chapters are going to be super-duper long! And also, I say what era he's in! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 5
Finally, it had come!
It was August 24, a week before I’d be at Hogwarts. I was still hoping it wasn’t just all a dream and that I was being a real idiot, but I never seemed to wake up from this dream.
All of my school things were packed, Gwaihir was in his cage, and Dad was still trying to figure out a way to get us to London fast enough. The clan had had an entire meeting about it, and decided it would be best if Dad and I were taken by the pony of the village to the outskirts of London and then walk the rest of the way. So, early in the morning, I was awoken by Dad and he told me to get dressed and be ready within ten minutes. When I was finally done, wearing the most modern clothes I could find (a pair of gray trousers and a white button-down shirt) I walked out of our hobbit house and into the valley, where the cart and pony were waiting.
When I got there, there was my dad in his own most modern-day clothes (sadly these included breeches) with Uncle Tolman, Aunt Filier, and Rosie. All my stuff was in the cart along with a pack of food and plenty of hay for the pony.
Uncle Tolman took me into his arms and gave me the hugest hug he could possibly manage. Now, Uncle Tolman was a chubby hobbit with a mane of black curls. He was beaming and he finally said to me, “Be good lad, and show those Men what Hobbits can do!” He then patted me on the back and Aunt Firiel came over to me.
She smiled warmly and said, “Good-bye Bandy. Don’t forget to wash be’ind your earz!”
I grinned and told her I wouldn’t forget, and she immediately took my head in her hands and kissed me on both cheeks. Rosie was by her side, still rubbing her eyes and yawning. She was told she didn’t have to wake up for me, but she said she would. I had to kneel down to talk to her, since she was so short and only felt like whispering early in the morning. She muttered in my ear, “Write to me Bandy.”
I couldn’t help but smirk at this. I gave her a big hug and said, “I’ll write to you tonight if I get a chance okay.”
She looked at me with her mother’s eyes and said, “Okay Bandy.”
I then got up and settled in to the seat in front of the cart next to my dad, and we headed off. I waved behind me as the pony walked at a slow pace, and I saw Rosie rubbing her face into her father’s vest, obviously crying. I smiled. Rosie was so much younger than I was. She was twelve, making her about six in hobbit-years, and she was such a good girl. I was going to miss her forcing me to play soccer or attempting to put flowers in my hair.
We stayed in the countryside, not wanting to be seen by Men. They’d sure have a fun time picking on the short people in the small pony-powered cart.
We slept by day and traveled by night, and after a week of riding, we finally made it.
At 8:30, we came to the outskirts of London. My dad hid the pony in an abandoned metro tunnel, and we took my stuff, and headed out into the sunlight. We walked for two hours, until we finally got to King’s Cross station. I grabbed my ticket out of my pocket that came with my letter, and it said, “Platform 9 ¾”. What did that mean?
I turned to Dad. He was reading it too. He looked around, and shrugged. So, we went to the best place we could think of; platform 9 and platform 10.
Oh man, what were we going to do? I looked at the clock nearby, it said 10:50. I was going to miss the train if I didn’t figure this out. Then I heard a woman behind me saying, “Come along boys, we don’t want to miss the train.”
I turned around; a plump woman with red hair was walking by us with a double stroller with five boys behind her, all with red hair to match hers.
I peered in the stroller. I saw a girl and a boy. They looked about the same age, but the boy was probably older. They too had red hair.
I didn’t think much of them originally, but then I saw what they were carrying on their trolleys. An Owl. I suddenly realized that these people must be wizards. I walked over to them. All of them were so much taller, but I had to gain all my courage up. “Excuse me, miss?” I said to the woman.
She looked down at me curiously. I then became very self-conscious. I realized I hadn’t bathed since I left the mountains, or had time to change my clothes. I must’ve stunk. “Yes dear boy?” she replied.
“Umm… I was just wondering… umm… how to get onto Platform 9 ¾?”
My dad was just staring at me, not really sure what to say. I was talking to a complete stranger, and no less, a human stranger.
“Oh, yes, dear. It’s my son’s Charlie’s first year too.” The boy with a dragon pin on his shirt beamed down at me. “See, all what you have to do is run straight at the barrier in between Platforms nine and ten. You got it? But before you go, let Bill demonstrate.”
The oldest boy walked up. He seemed to tower over the rest of his siblings, and even his mother. He had on a leather jacket, and his hair was rather long. He flopped it backwards out of his face and made a run for it pushing his trolley. I stared at him, and one second he was there, the next second he was gone. Dad and I stared in disbelief. “Now, would you and your father like to try dear?”
The woman was smiling at us kindly. I took my dad’s hand, and together we pushed the trolley towards the barrier, hoping that we wouldn’t be pushed back.
But we were never stopped by a brick wall. Instead, we kept on running, until I saw in front of me a gigantic scarlet steam engine, with red smoke billowing out of it. I’d never seen one in person, just in pictures, but they were far more spectacular than I could possibly imagine. Bill was standing by the barrier, waiting patiently for the rest of his family. He smiled the same warm smile as his mother’s and told me that I should probably get on the train, put my stuff in an empty compartment, and returned to say good-bye to my dad.
I did what Bill said and returned to find the rest of the red-haired family on this side of the barrier. The two younger children in the stroller were ooing and awing at the train, along with the many people bustling around us. My dad was just standing there nervously, not quite sure what to do. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. “Good-bye dad,” I said, while hugging him.
There were tears in his eyes. This will be the last time we’ll see each other until the holidays, which would make it the longest we’d ever be apart. “Be good Bandy,” he said, trying to hold back tears. “And never forget that your other half of lineage, no matter how much you love being a wizard.”
“No worries Dad,” I told him. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that while everyone’s taller than I am.”
Dad laughed. “Now, don’t let the other kids make fun of you, and please write to me.”
“Of course I’ll write to you. You have no worries there.” I paused. “I love you Dad.”
“I love you too Bandy. Now get on that train, and show them what Hobbits can do!”
“Of course Dad.” I walked away, not wanting to take a last look at my dad. For if I did, I just knew, I’d see him crying. And I’d probably cry too.
I got on the train, and sat in my compartment. I checked the watch that was once my mum’s, and at exactly 11:00, the train began to move, and I finally looked out, and saw my dad waving at me from the very edge of the platform, holding on to a post to keep balanced.
As he got smaller and smaller, I began to think about what he’d do without me, and if he’d be okay being alone. But then I thought, if he could raise me by myself, surely he could live a few months without me. With this last thought, I looked away from the window, and began thinking about what awaited me at Hogwarts. |