Platform 9.99999999999999999999...
Massive spoilers for HP, book 7. No clicky unless you've read to the end.
Harry's train station never went away and so Dumbledore eventually boarded the train. He fell asleep when the train began to move and when he woke up, he was back where he'd started at Harry's train station, in the same seat he'd waited in to talk to Harry. The monster, still wailing under a bench a few rows back, had woken him up. Dumbledore moved to the other side of the station. "Must have been the wrong train," he said.
The monster was still wailing when Dumbledore nodded awake. There were some more people standing around, a great many of which Dumbledore recognized. Dumbledore waved at them, but none seemed to notice him. "Perhaps I am meant to advise another. I'm certain it will become apparent which one is in need," he said to himself.
Horace Slughorn showed up and stayed for a while, twisting his hat in his hand and biting his lip. Horace was looking quite well, with far more hair than Dumbledore remembered him having, but he never sat down the whole time he was there, he just stood, twitching and waiting as other people passed by him. Dumbledore attempted to talk to him but Horace edged away nervously and when Dumbledore went to touch him, his hand passed through the Slytherin as if he wasn't there.
Dumbledore went back to the benches. The monster wailed and blubbered. Dumbledore arranged his hands in the ancient and mystical position of serene patience. Another train arrived. Everyone boarded it except Horace, who looked at his feet and bit his lip some more. The train left. Horace fiddled with his hair and attempted to make it lay flat.
There were some more people and trains and the monster wailed. Beams of light from the windows made spots on the floor. After long study Dumbledore decided they moved incrementally in nonsensical arcs. Dumbledore dozed.
More people arrived. Horace twirled the ends of his mustache. A young boy of about thirty-five ran up to Horace and belted him in the shoulder. "I can't believe you left me there by myself! You cad!"
"Darling, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" But the boy threw his arms around Horace and stuck his tongue in his mouth and Dumbledore never heard the end of what Horace was going to say. The boys stumbled, giggling, onto the next train.
"Slytherins," said Dumbledore. "Typical." And he went back to his seat.
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Harry arrived alone but left in a crowd. They filled a whole car on the train. Dumbledore was sad when they all left because their raucous laughter had quite covered the sound of the wailing monster. After that Dumbledore didn't recognize any more of the people who came through the station.
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Sometimes the monster crept along under the benches and touched Albus's shoes. It was a very wet monster and Albus's shoes were pure Erumpstack leather. Albus took to laying stretched out along the wooden benches. Dust motes whirled in the sunbeams from the windows. The monster wailed. Albus stuck his fingers in his ears and hummed. Loud.
It was absolutely shocking the way no one came by for the thing. Albus moved to the other side of the train station again.
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Fuck, this is annoying. And all these old ladies going by. One of them will make it stop. Hopefully soon.
Albus kicked the bench in front of him in time with the screams.
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Somewhere behind Al, somebody gasped and let out a sob. Al sat up and looked over the back of his seat. "Oh my gosh, who left you under there?"
Al picked up the baby and it cried. "Oh! Oh! Oh!"
"Oh, don't cry, baby. I wonder, are you a boy or a girl?"
The baby was so surprised to be asked that it stopped crying. It sniffed, wiped its nose on Al's shirt, and wondered whether it was a boy or a girl.
"I think that's our train."
"Oh?" said the baby.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Look, it's turquoise! Gosh!" And it was filled with children. And babies.
Al squeezed his baby tight and ran to meet it.
Harry's train station never went away and so Dumbledore eventually boarded the train. He fell asleep when the train began to move and when he woke up, he was back where he'd started at Harry's train station, in the same seat he'd waited in to talk to Harry. The monster, still wailing under a bench a few rows back, had woken him up. Dumbledore moved to the other side of the station. "Must have been the wrong train," he said.
The monster was still wailing when Dumbledore nodded awake. There were some more people standing around, a great many of which Dumbledore recognized. Dumbledore waved at them, but none seemed to notice him. "Perhaps I am meant to advise another. I'm certain it will become apparent which one is in need," he said to himself.
Horace Slughorn showed up and stayed for a while, twisting his hat in his hand and biting his lip. Horace was looking quite well, with far more hair than Dumbledore remembered him having, but he never sat down the whole time he was there, he just stood, twitching and waiting as other people passed by him. Dumbledore attempted to talk to him but Horace edged away nervously and when Dumbledore went to touch him, his hand passed through the Slytherin as if he wasn't there.
Dumbledore went back to the benches. The monster wailed and blubbered. Dumbledore arranged his hands in the ancient and mystical position of serene patience. Another train arrived. Everyone boarded it except Horace, who looked at his feet and bit his lip some more. The train left. Horace fiddled with his hair and attempted to make it lay flat.
There were some more people and trains and the monster wailed. Beams of light from the windows made spots on the floor. After long study Dumbledore decided they moved incrementally in nonsensical arcs. Dumbledore dozed.
More people arrived. Horace twirled the ends of his mustache. A young boy of about thirty-five ran up to Horace and belted him in the shoulder. "I can't believe you left me there by myself! You cad!"
"Darling, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" But the boy threw his arms around Horace and stuck his tongue in his mouth and Dumbledore never heard the end of what Horace was going to say. The boys stumbled, giggling, onto the next train.
"Slytherins," said Dumbledore. "Typical." And he went back to his seat.
~
~
Harry arrived alone but left in a crowd. They filled a whole car on the train. Dumbledore was sad when they all left because their raucous laughter had quite covered the sound of the wailing monster. After that Dumbledore didn't recognize any more of the people who came through the station.
~
~
~
~
~
Sometimes the monster crept along under the benches and touched Albus's shoes. It was a very wet monster and Albus's shoes were pure Erumpstack leather. Albus took to laying stretched out along the wooden benches. Dust motes whirled in the sunbeams from the windows. The monster wailed. Albus stuck his fingers in his ears and hummed. Loud.
It was absolutely shocking the way no one came by for the thing. Albus moved to the other side of the train station again.
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
Fuck, this is annoying. And all these old ladies going by. One of them will make it stop. Hopefully soon.
Albus kicked the bench in front of him in time with the screams.
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
Somewhere behind Al, somebody gasped and let out a sob. Al sat up and looked over the back of his seat. "Oh my gosh, who left you under there?"
Al picked up the baby and it cried. "Oh! Oh! Oh!"
"Oh, don't cry, baby. I wonder, are you a boy or a girl?"
The baby was so surprised to be asked that it stopped crying. It sniffed, wiped its nose on Al's shirt, and wondered whether it was a boy or a girl.
"I think that's our train."
"Oh?" said the baby.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Look, it's turquoise! Gosh!" And it was filled with children. And babies.
Al squeezed his baby tight and ran to meet it.