[ Pᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ ]

Ana tossed her belongings hastily into her hat box and suitcase, shoving clothes and trinkets into place without much care. The morning rush left her little time for neatness. Her music blared from the record player, the beat sharp and loud, a deliberate wall of sound to keep Maddy from barging in with questions or complaints. The grey phantom toad, her peculiar companion, sat balanced on the spinning vinyl itself, blinking slowly as it turned with the record, watching her frenzy with eerie calm.

 

She huffed as she knelt to close her suitcase, bouncing on top of it until the latch finally snapped shut. The hat box wobbled in her hand, threatening to spill open with the last-minute things she had thrown inside—scarves, quills, even a half-finished sketch rolled haphazardly. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth it down, though the effort was mostly wasted.

 

“Right, that’s it,” she muttered to herself, voice half drowned by the music.

 

Snatching her suitcase handle, she cut the record short with a sharp flick, sending the phantom toad leaping off the vinyl with a disgruntled croak. It clung stubbornly to the edge of her hat box as if it refused to be left behind. Ana rolled her eyes but allowed it, too pressed for time to argue with the creature.

 

The clock on the wall reminded her how little time she had left. Her heart gave a nervous leap. Gathering everything, she dashed out the door, the echo of her shoes on the floorboards matching the quick rhythm of her pulse.

 

The morning air hit her like a rush of cold water as she stepped outside, weaving through the busy street with her luggage bumping along behind her. Each step brought her closer to King’s Cross Station, closer to the hidden barrier between platforms nine and ten. She could already imagine the scarlet steam engine waiting beyond, the crowd of witches and wizards bustling, owls hooting in their cages, the mingled smell of smoke and sweets in the air.

 

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters awaited, and Ana was determined not to miss it.

 

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Taken for Mischief Managed Roleplay. Mischief Managed is a Harry Potter Roleplay sim that invites students from ages 11 - 18 and adults of all ages to join and experience the Magic of the Wizarding World. For more information check out www.mischiefmanagedsl.net

 

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