Chapter 9
The Hogwarts Express was louder than Harry expected.
Not just noise.
Life.
People were everywhere—laughing, shouting, dragging trunks down narrow corridors that already felt too full.
Ivy didn’t hesitate.
She just started walking.
Harry followed, trying not to get separated from her.
Which was harder than it sounded.
“Left side,” Ivy said without looking back.
“What?”
“Left side. We find seats on the left side.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone else is crowding the right side.”
“That’s not—”
“It’s logic.”
Harry sighed.
It was always logic with Ivy.
⸻
They found a compartment halfway down the train.
Empty.
Ivy opened the door and stepped inside like she owned it.
Harry followed, dragging his trunk in behind him.
The door slid shut.
Silence fell instantly.
For the first time since arriving at the station, it felt like they could breathe.
Harry dropped into a seat.
Ivy immediately sat opposite him, already looking out the window.
“I like it,” she said.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
“I’ve seen enough.”
“That was two seconds.”
“Two very informative seconds.”
Harry shook his head.
Then—
The compartment door slid open again.
A boy stood there.
Red hair.
Freckles.
Nervous expression.
“Er—sorry,” he said. “Is this seat taken?”
Ivy glanced at Harry.
Harry shrugged.
“No.”
The boy smiled in relief and stepped in, dragging a trunk nearly as big as he was.
“I’m Ron,” he said quickly.
“Harry,” Harry replied.
“Ivy,” Ivy added.
Ron paused.
“You’re… twins?”
“Unfortunately,” Harry said.
“Absolutely,” Ivy said at the same time.
Ron laughed nervously and sat down.
There was a beat of silence.
Then—
“Cool,” Ron said.
Harry nodded.
Ivy studied him.
Ron shifted under her gaze.
“What?”
“You’ve got a lot of chocolate on your sleeve,” Ivy said.
Ron looked down.
“Oh.”
Harry sighed.
“That’s her thing,” he said.
“My thing is observation,” Ivy corrected.
“That sounds worse when you say it out loud.”
“It shouldn’t.”
⸻
The train began to move.
Slow at first.
Then faster.
Privet Drive slipped away outside the window.
Harry didn’t realise he was watching it until Ivy spoke quietly.
“You okay?”
He blinked.
“Yeah.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“You don’t have to pretend.”
“I’m not.”
Ivy leaned back in her seat.
“Good.”
Ron watched them like he wasn’t sure if he was interrupting something important.
“So,” he said after a moment. “Hogwarts. Excited?”
Ivy answered immediately.
“Yes.”
Harry hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Yeah.”
Ron grinned.
“Same.”
Then the compartment door slid open again.
A girl stood there.
Brown hair.
Curious expression.
“I’ve checked nearly every compartment,” she said briskly. “This is the only one with space left.”
She stepped in without waiting for permission.
“I’m Hermione Granger.”
There was a pause.
Ivy nodded.
“Good for you.”
Harry choked.
Ron looked confused.
“What?”
“I said my name,” Hermione repeated.
“I know,” Ivy said. “I heard you.”
Another pause.
Harry could already tell this was going to be interesting.
Hermione frowned slightly.
“You’re not going to introduce yourselves properly?”
Harry opened his mouth.
But Ivy got there first.
“He’s Harry,” she said, pointing. “I’m Ivy. That’s Ron. He has chocolate on his sleeve. You’re Hermione and you’re standing too close to the door for someone who values efficiency.”
Harry closed his mouth again.
Ron looked impressed.
Hermione looked offended.
“I don’t stand too close to doors.”
“You are currently standing too close to a door.”
Hermione looked down.
Shifted slightly.
“…Fine.”
Harry rubbed his face.
“We just met her,” he muttered.
“I know,” Ivy said calmly. “She’ll be useful.”
“That’s a bold assumption.”
“I’m rarely wrong about useful people.”
Hermione looked like she wanted to argue.
But didn’t.
Instead she sat down.
The compartment settled again.
Outside, the countryside blurred past in streaks of green and gold.
And Harry realised something strange.
For the first time in his life—
He wasn’t the only one figuring things out.
Ivy was there.
And somehow, that made everything feel less impossible.