Chapter 4

"Very interesting indeed, Mr. Ollivander. But aren't Life and Death two sides of the same coin? After all, without one, the meaning of the other is lost." 

"Huh, really... This is a very strong wand, Mr. White. To be honest, I didn't think I'd ever see this wand choose a wizard." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You see... This wand was my attempt to recreate the wand from the legends, or to be more precise, the very wand that was gifted to the elder Peverell... In my pride, I wanted to recreate that Oldest Wand." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Ah, I'm sorry. These are just legends of wizards, I advise you to familiarize yourself with the Tale of the Three Brothers. I believe that the name of the wand is one of the mysteries ... At least the wood it was made of." 

"Okay, is there anything else I need?" 

After that , the wand manufacturer added a case for carrying this wand and gave the wand care kit said: 

"I expect great things from you, Mr. White." 

"I will try to meet your expectations, Mr. Ollivander." 

After saying goodbye to him, Professor McGonagall and I went back. At the moment when we almost reached the Leaky Cauldron, I decided to try my luck: 

"Professor, can I stay in the Leaky Cauldron?" 

In response , the woman arched an eyebrow and asked: 

"Mr. White, and why do you need this?" 

Catching a very skeptical note in her tone about my idea, I had to somehow try to persuade the professor: 

"I just wanted to practice spells from books. And in general, learn more about the magical society." 

"Have you thought about how to get to the platform? Or what will you tell your teacher?" 

Apparently, it definitely won't work to convince her, so we'll have to wait until Hogwarts." 

"Eh... You're right, Professor McGonagall." 

The woman looked at me and decided something, said: 

"All right, hold on tight, Mr. White." 

After that, I again felt a transgression, I tried to try to use DE. But only here the sense of self— preservation sharply told me "Don't be a moron.". 

"Professor, where exactly will it be necessary to go on September 1st? And how will it be necessary to find a platform?" 

"It will be necessary to get to King's Cross Station, the platform will be between 9 and 10." 

"I see." 

After that, we went to the shelter where Matrona was already waiting for us. The professor was having a conversation with her about the fact that I would have to be delivered to the train station on September 1. 

"See you soon, Mr. White, and it was nice to meet you, Mrs. Smith." 

"Goodbye, Professor McGonagall," Mrs. Smith and I said together. 

After that , the matron looked at my trunk with things and said: 

"Adam, take your things to your room and come down." 

Nodding, he began to carry the chest, which he had to buy anyway, since the chest didn't weigh much. Weight reduction charms helped in this, unfortunately models with expanded space cost more. 

*After 3 hours* 

As soon as I finished my business at the shelter, I finally had time to think about the situation that appeared in front of me. 

"King's Cross Station, right?" 

King's Cross Station is a railway station in central London. 

"We should find more information ... I think there should be at least something in the History of Hogwarts..." 

Platform 9 3⁄4 is an enchanted platform at London King's Cross Station. In order to get to platform 9 3⁄4, it is necessary to pass through the barrier separating platforms 9 and 10. Every year on September 1, the Hogwarts Express departs from Platform 9 3⁄4, traveling to Hogsmeade Station. This train also takes students for the Christmas and Easter holidays, then takes them back to Hogwarts and returns them to London after the end of the school year. 

In addition, the platform is used as a tourist attraction at other times, since some magical villages of Britain can be shown in this way. 

Only wizards and Muggles accompanied by them can see it and get there. Perhaps the animals, in order to get to platform 9 3⁄4, either have to have magical properties themselves, or have to be picked up by wizards. 

When Ottaline Gamble decided to adapt the Muggle train to transport Hogwarts students, she also created a station in Hogsmeade, the village of wizards, a necessary addition to the train. The Ministry of Magic was well aware of the fact that the construction of a railway station for wizards in central London could shake the unwillingness of Muggles to notice magic happening under their noses. 

Evangeline Orpington, who served as Minister in 1849— 1855, pushed through the decision to add a hidden platform to the newly built King's Cross Station, accessible only to witches and wizards. In general, it was a good decision, except for minor incidents that occurred in the following years, due to the fact that wizards dropped bags full of biting textbooks or newt liver on the polished floor of the station, or they disappeared behind the barrier too loudly. At the beginning and end of the school year, there are usually several ministry employees on duty at the station, dressed in Muggle style, in order to influence the memory of Muggles if they notice something. 

"Yeah... It will be interesting …" 

*Week before September 1st* 

During all this time until the end of the summer, I was able to read more or less completely books on transfiguration, DADA and Enchantment. In general, we can say that the successes are very, very small, but I am glad that this success is in principle there. Especially considering the fact that I refused to use the wand. 

Its intoxicating properties are quite scary, and I don't really want to spend time studying magic with this thing. Still, this creates a huge weakness for me as a magician. I readily believe that wizards can do magic without a wand. Fortunately, there are enough examples of this in the history of magicians, especially considering the magicians of antiquity in the likeness of Odin and Zeus. 

And in order to achieve similar results, I started practicing magic without a wand. At the same time, paying great attention to DE. 

"Still, what kind of energy is this? I asked myself, watching the red energy that enveloped my right hand." 

*** 

The week before the trip was unusually long. Still, when the desired date is getting closer, the waiting becomes incredibly painful. I decided to devote the rest of my time to rest and planning my actions. After all, if I want to become incredibly powerful, I will have to act starting from the first year. 

"Adam! Mrs. Smith's rather intimidating voice sounded." 

Turning around and seeing the way the matron looked at me ... I realized that I would have to resort to apologies again. 

"Sor—" 

"Are you ready for September 1?" — Mrs. Smith asked me suddenly. 

Stop. Doesn't she know about what happened recently? 

"Yes, all the things are already packed. Did something happen?" 

You could tell by my tone how scared I was of her threatening tone. 

"If everything is ready, then great ... But why did you get Mrs. Watson into a white rut again?" 

Her menacing gaze could frighten even criminals ... 

"Heh, I'm sorry?" 

"Adam, you won't get off with a simple apology this time." 

Realizing that fate could not be avoided, I just sighed in resignation. 

"Eh... What do I have to do?" 

"Just nothing, all week to help me and the rest of the girls in the cleaning." — Mrs. Smith finished with a sweet smile. 

But for me, this smile was like the grin of a predator that grabbed its prey. 

"OK. " — it remained for me to say accepting this punishment. 

*A week later* 

The week passed pretty quickly thanks to the fact that I helped everyone in the orphanage. Starting from cleaning, and ending with cooking. 

"The suitcase is ready." — I started checking my luggage, and made sure that all the things were in their places. 

Going to the mirror and seeing there a beautiful self in pretty good clothes. 

"Handsome is ready." 

After looking at his hands, where red flashes flashed, and seeing his crimson eyes that shone from the inside: 

"Power?" — enhancing the glow, and making sure that everything works. "Ready. 

Ready for anything, I started down the stairs, where Mrs. Smith was already waiting for me. The woman, after examining me, and apparently remaining satisfied, said: 

"Did you double— check everything?" — Seeing my nod, she continued. "In that case, we won't wait. After all, the station is located between Pancras Road and Justin Road." 

As soon as we loaded my things into the shelter car, I sat in the back seat and began to wait for Matron and the driver of this transport. It didn't take long to wait, and pretty soon Mrs. Smith and Mr. Wiggins got into the car. 

"Well, is Adam ready? "Mr. Wiggins asked me, a rather elderly man who went through the First World War and the Second, too, according to him, he reached Berlin. 

"Yes, Mr. Wiggins. I can't wait to study." 

A rather cheerful face of a bearded man looked at me from the rearview mirror. 

"That's good, you're there, the main thing is to be careful with the girls! "finished already with a frank smile on his face. 

Missy Smith was stunned by these words and literally growled: 

"Stuart!" 

"Hahahaha, well, I'm right!" Stuart replied. 

From such actions of the man and the reaction of Mrs. Smith, I could not help laughing. And under such a cheerful atmosphere, we arrived at the train station. 

"Well, here we are, Adam."— Mr. Wiggins said, looking straight at me. 

And now I was standing with a suitcase in my hand near the car. Mrs. Smith also looked at me with a very caring look and said: 

"Be careful Adam, I know that you are more mature than your peers. But you 're still a kid …" 

The woman who raised me apparently to not show tears. What kind of bastard would I be if I didn't hug her now? 

"Mrs. Smith, I promise that I will behave very decently there. " — hugging her, I said, feeling how the matron's caring hands enveloped me. 

Mr. Wiggins grabbed me by the shoulder and said: 

"Show them there. "— still with the same slight smile on his face. 

"Yeah." 

After saying goodbye to the adults, I went further inside the station, fortunately there were carts in which I could load a suitcase. Of course, it wasn't difficult for me to drag all this, but the surrounding people were definitely surprised by this. And it's not worth paying such attention to yourself now. 

*Inside the Train Station* 

Was the train station inside a typical train station? Yes, he would be if you didn't pay attention to some details in the form of people with holsters with sticks. And people in dark gray suits who were located all over the station. Only it felt like no one noticed them? 

Most likely they were people working for the Ministry of Magic, the so— called obscurantists. Which most likely serve to monitor compliance with the Statute. 

In the book I read, not much was said about the Statute, only that it must be observed. I have a lot of hopes that Hogwarts will tell about the reasons for its creation and by whom it was created. 

"hm... Is it necessary to find platforms 9 and 10? 

There was no need to look for a way because the families of wizards, and they could not be anything other than wizards, were moving in the same direction. The reason I decided they were wizards was because other people didn't pay attention to them. As if they didn't exist at all. 

Pretty soon my guess turned out to be correct, as one by one children of my age, or a little older, began to disappear behind the column. Approaching the column, I was thinking about what would happen if I started using my TE while passing through the column? 

But as quickly as this idea appeared, I threw out this idea pretty quickly. After all, the devil knows what will happen to the magical structure of this portal? 

"Young man, are you also a magician? a rather young female voice sounded behind me. 

Turning around, I saw one red— haired woman who apparently spoke, at the same time her family was next to her in the form of a girl my age. There was a dark— haired woman standing next to her who looked very grumpy, and her son was probably standing next to her. 

"Yes, you too? 

The woman was obviously looking at my hair with interest, but she recovered quite quickly and answered: 

"Oh, no. My daughter is a sorceress. My name is Hortense Evans, and this is my daughter Lily.