Revised: March 4, 2022

The biggest revision was an added scene with Fred since *gestures to tags*

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Harry stared at the barrier that led to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters in disbelief.

"I think we'd better go and wait by the car," he said. "We're attracting too much atten —"

"Harry!" said Ron, his eyes gleaming. "The car!"

"What about it?"

"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"

Harry blinked. "We can do what now?"

"We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy..."

"Shouldn't we wait for your mum and dad? If they can even get through..."

"They know how to Apparate," Ron pointed out. "You know, just vanish and reappear at home! They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we're all underage and we're not allowed to Apparate yet..." He seemed to pick up on Harry's hesitation. "Why, do you have another idea?"

"We can send an owl." Harry glanced at Hedwig, who was staring at him reproachfully.

Ron clapped a hand to his face. "No wonder you're a Ravenclaw."

Harry shrugged and found some parchment and a quill. He wrote a quick note and unlocked Hedwig's cage. "Ready for your first message of the year, girl?"

Hedwig hooted and stuck out her leg. Once the message was attached, she took off.

Ron watched as she disappeared. "We may as well sit down. She'll be a while."

Harry mumbled in agreement and they took their trolleys and wheeled them off to the side away from curious stares. He hoped no one was too worried about their absence.

"They should've come through by now," said Ginny, craning her neck to peer around Fred. "Has the barrier ever stopped working before?"

"Not that I'm aware of," answered Fred. "And it can't have closed because we were late."

"Well, there isn't anything we can do for now," said George. He nudged Fred's arm. "Come on, Freddie. They'll be fine. They're smart enough not to panic."

Reluctantly, Fred followed George into a compartment where their friend Lee Jordan was waiting.

"You okay?" he asked as he shifted aside.

"Harry and Ron didn't get through the barrier," George explained.

Lee's eyes widened. "What? That's impossible! It's always open!"

"Apparently not." Fred gazed out the window as if he'd find Harry and Ron clinging to it.

Lee fell silent for a few seconds, then pulled out some cards. "Exploding Snap?"

Fred turned away. "I guess."

Halfway through their third game, the compartment door opened. Hermione stood there.

"Is it true?" she asked. "Ron and Harry aren't on board?"

George nodded.

"Oh." A mixture of relief and anxiety filled her gaze. "I thought Ron was avoiding me..."

She said that part so softly Fred guessed he wasn't supposed to have heard. "They'll be fine," he said, trying to put as much conviction in his voice as possible.

"Yeah," said George. "You think anything will get past Ron's amazing chess skills?"

"Or Harry's Ravenclaw brain?" added Fred.

It seemed to soothe Hermione somewhat. "I suppose you're right." She withdrew from the compartment and left.

Fred sighed. He hoped they were okay.

"Ugh," groaned Harry. "I thought Floo was bad enough."

Professor Flitwick had Apparated him and Ron outside the gates of Hogwarts. He had warned the boys of the strange sensation it would bring, but it hadn't quite prepared Harry for it. By Ron's expression, the same went for him.

Flitwick chuckled. "Don't worry. You won't have to worry about Apparating until you're of age."

Harry and Ron followed the tiny professor into the Great Hall and separated to their tables.

Many people turned to watch as Harry walked past, but he did his best to ignore them and sat down next to a dirty blonde-haired girl.

"You're Harry Potter," she said, pale eyes resting on him. Unlike most students, she didn't say this with any awe and wonder. On the contrary, it sounded more like she was just stating a fact.

"Yes, I am. And you are?"

"Luna Lovegood." She smiled up at him, eyes focused on his head, but not at his scar. "Your head's full of wrackspurts."

"Any way to get rid of them?" Harry asked, ignoring the odd looks he was receiving from a few students close by.

Luna shook her head and held up her necklace, which was made of butterbeer corks. "No, but this keeps away nargles."

"Well, if you have any extra corks, I'd be happy to have one myself," said Harry, and he could tell Luna was pleased with his response.

"I'll remember that," she replied before turning back to her meal.

Meanwhile, Ron had just taken the seat next to Hermione.

"You made it!" she said, unable to fully hide her relief. "What happened with the barrier?"

Ron shrugged. "I'm not sure. I don't think I've ever heard of it closing off before."

Fred looked over at the Ravenclaw table. Harry seemed fine, chatting with Luna Lovegood, a girl he knew to live not far from the Burrow.

It's not as long as long as I would have liked, but I'm more satisfied with it now than before.