Amanda's plan won unanimous approval from the Young Wizards present; they waited at the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters until the hogwarts express pulled out.
After confirming they still couldn't get through, the seven of them walked straight out of King's Cross Station and into a nearby alley.
Harry scribbled a short note to Headmaster Dumbledore explaining the situation, handed it to Hedwig, and they simply stood where they were and waited.
Watching Hedwig disappear into the sky, Amanda's mind raced on instinct.
The magic sealing Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is maintained regularly by Ministry personnel.
And now, right at the start-of-term season, the Ministry would certainly have inspected the platform entrance in advance.
Even the Professors from Hogwarts should have checked it.
So the platform had shown no problems—until today.
Amanda mentally crossed out that conclusion and plugged in another line of reasoning.
No other Young Wizards were lingering in King's Cross besides their group.
Therefore the entrance must have been working normally before they arrived.
The only correct final conclusion: the platform had been sealed for those seven specifically.
Among the seven, only Harry had been warned by a House-Elf not to return to Hogwarts.
Narrow it further: the sealing was because of Harry, and the culprit behind it becomes obvious.
The House-Elf trying to stop Harry from reaching Hogwarts.
The magic at the platform entrance is jointly protected by the Ministry and Hogwarts; few Wizards in the entire British Wizarding World could affect it—let alone seal it.
But House-elves are different; their magic is nothing like a Wizard's, and for them such a feat should be simple.
Amanda worked through the entire chain of deductions in mere seconds, yet Hermione still caught the rapid flicker of her eyes.
Tilting her head in puzzlement, Hermione slipped an arm through Amanda's. "What are you thinking about?"
As soon as Hermione asked, the other five turned their gaze on Amanda.
By now all six Young Wizards, Hermione included, had more or less agreed: looking after Amanda ranked near the top of their priorities.
Amanda's face stayed blank as she recited her reasoning and its conclusion in a flat tone.
Harry felt dizzy listening, but he grasped one point: the most likely reason they couldn't enter Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was—him.
Though it wasn't his fault, he apologized sincerely to everyone.
Before he could finish, Penelope cut him off.
"It's not your fault, don't be like that—always apologizing isn't good."
"No need to stand on ceremony among friends, mate," Ron added, elbowing Harry twice until the grin returned to Harry's face.
Missing the train simply meant waiting a bit longer; they'd still get to school, so they cheerfully chatted and joked.
With Hermione hugging her arm, Amanda watched Harry and the others laugh together—and, incredibly, the corner of her mouth lifted the tiniest bit.
Catching the fleeting expression from the corner of her eye, Hermione spun around in disbelief; once sure she'd truly seen that minuscule smile and not imagined it, excitement ballooned inside her.
She fought with everything she had not to squeal aloud.
She was terrified that if she did, Amanda would realize she'd been seen and instantly revert to her blank mask.
Even so, and even without Hermione's squeal to disturb her, the smile on Amanda's face was gone in a flash.
In less than five seconds her lips had returned to their usual line.
Hermione felt a pang of loss, but also a huge surge of encouragement.
The smile had been faint—barely there—and lasted only an instant, but it had happened, and that was tremendous progress.
Hermione felt happier than if every Professor had given her top marks.
Admittedly, a tiny, tiny smugness crept in as well.
She was the only one who had seen Amanda's first smile—so didn't that make her special?
The thought that she might be different to Amanda left Hermione so giddy she felt bubbles rising inside her.
Owls in the Wizarding World fly fast and are highly intelligent.
Understanding her master's plight, Hedwig beat her wings even harder than usual.
She shaved the normal delivery time in half, and by the time Headmaster Dumbledore received the letter he merely lifted an eyebrow, smoothed his white beard, and glanced at Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, who happened to be with him.
McGonagall recognized Hedwig. "That's Potter's Owl, isn't it? What brings her here?" she asked, puzzled.
Dumbledore handed her the note. "Harry writes that they missed the train—the platform was sealed—and asks us to come for them."
"Missed the train?" McGonagall's eyebrows rose; nothing like this had happened in Hogwarts history.
"And by 'they'…" she paused, "you mean Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley as well?"
Reading on, she muttered, "Plus Miss Lin, Senior Penelopa, Miss Cho, and Miss Marietta—how did they all end up together?"
With a worried shake of her head she whipped out her wand.
They were still out there—just children, her students—and anything could happen; she itched to Apparate to them on the spot.
"Minerva, calm yourself," Professor Flitwick chuckled, patting his old friend's arm.
"With Miss Lin and Miss Penelopa among them, I'm sure the children are safe."
Headmaster Dumbledore nodded agreement. "Indeed, and the Muggle World is reasonably safe."
"Besides, one can't Apparate inside the Castle—we'll have to walk beyond the grounds first."
"All right, I was too hasty," Professor McGonagall said, nodding and tucking her wand away, no trace of embarrassment on her face.
Worrying over students hardly warrants embarrassment; for a Professor it's perfectly normal.
"Albus, let's be off," Professor Flitwick urged, glancing at Headmaster Dumbledore.
Clearly he wasn't as calm as he pretended to be.
Headmaster Dumbledore gave a grave nod and strode briskly toward the Castle gates, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick close behind.
The three veteran Professors fairly flew along, moving far faster than their years suggested.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Three sharp pops rang out beyond the alley; Amanda spun around, instinctively drawing the wand from her pocket and aiming it at the entrance.
"Amanda, what is it?" Cho Chang asked, startled by the sudden motion and reaching for her own wand.
"Those three cracks match the Apparition sound described in the books almost exactly."
Amanda stared at the alley mouth, eyes cold and still. "Chances are, three people just Apparated outside."
"Most likely it's Headmaster Dumbledore and the Professors come to collect us."
"But we can't rule anything out, so I drew my wand in case."
Listening to Amanda's flat, matter-of-fact explanation, the other five exchanged glances, then in silent accord leveled their wands at the entrance.
Hermione, standing closest to Amanda, shifted a half-step away.
If things turned violent and the newcomers weren't Professors, Amanda was unquestionably their best fighter.
Hermione needed to give her room to maneuver, not become a hindrance.
At the same time Hermione kept the muscles in her legs taut; though she wasn't yet much of a duelist,
she could still throw herself forward to block a curse for Amanda if it came to that.
All seven Young Wizards held their wands at the ready, every spell they'd learned racing through their minds.
This was the sight that greeted Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick when they stepped into the alley.
Their students stood wands raised, pointing straight at them, faces alert and stern.
Far from taking offense, the three Professors were delighted by their students' wariness.
Professor McGonagall looked almost proud; Professor Flitwick beamed; Headmaster Dumbledore merely twinkled and spoke cheerfully.
"Good morning, children."
Recognizing the Professors' voices and faces, Hermione and the others lowered their wands with visible relief.
Only Amanda kept her wand up—Polyjuice Potion existed, after all.
Securing hairs from Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick all at once seemed unlikely,
but the probability wasn't zero, and Amanda refused to ignore it.
The faint ache in her thigh, a reminder of past danger, told her that Hermione and the rest deserved better than careless assumptions.
"Amanda, they're the Professors," Hermione whispered, tugging her sleeve.
"Could be Polyjuice," Amanda replied, voice steady, eyes fixed on the three adults.
Where moments earlier the Professors had felt pride at their students' caution,
now their hearts ached. Vigilance was good,
but for a second-year to consider Polyjuice disguises so thoroughly spoke of profound insecurity.
Memories flickered; Amanda recalled Professor McGonagall once suggesting she explore the eighth-floor tapestry on her next nighttime wander.
Satisfied, she lowered her wand.
She bowed her head. "My apologies, Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick; that was rude of me."
"No fault at all, Miss Lin," Headmaster Dumbledore said, stepping forward with a smile. "Only the cautious stay safe."
"I'm heartened by your vigilance, Miss Lin."
Professor McGonagall ruffled her hair, wishing Hogwarts could one day give her all the security she needed.
Professor Flitwick beamed. "With awareness like that, you deserve points!"
"Filius, we can't award points before term starts,"
Professor McGonagall laughed, though her expression said she'd love to.
"Right then—time to head back," Headmaster Dumbledore announced to the seven children.
The Professors took them in three turns, Side-Along Apparating to Hogsmeade.
The sensation was dreadful, especially the first time; back at Hogwarts Hermione and the others clutched their stomachs, pale and retching.
Amanda, though not sick, was equally white; Hermione took two steadying breaths and thumped her chest.
"That rivals the knight bus."
Once everyone had recovered, the Professors led them toward Hogwarts Castle.
Professor McGonagall glanced sideways at Hermione walking almost pressed to Amanda and raised an eyebrow.
So close… she smiled in understanding.
Remembering Amanda's perpetually blank, never-quite-happy face,
she thought that if her guess proved right,
she might speak with Filius about letting Miss Granger spend a few nights in Ravenclaw Tower.
After all, Hogwarts dormitories had room to spare.
But that could wait; they were still so young.
And even if Miss Granger already sensed which way her heart leaned,
melting Amanda's icy shell would take time and patience.
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