Meet the Talbots

For a recap, view posts with label "Henry's Story"

A few hours later at the Talbot house…

“Sorry, Henry,” Gregory Talbot replied apathetically, “but I am just too busy to see you off. Unfortunately I must get this in to my boss by the end of the week. Ask your mother; I’m sure she’d love to accompany you to the railway station.” Through his whole defence, Henry’s father hadn’t bothered to look up from his computer. They’d never been close, but Henry had hoped that maybe just this once, his father would take a break from work to spend some time, however short it may be, with his son. And so Henry slumped away, dejected, in search of his mother. He found Melissa Talbot curled up on the couch in front of the television, watching reruns of Dr. Who.

“Mum, will you drive me to the railway station?” Henry asked.

“Henry, dear, I’d be delighted to.” She replied gladly, instantly putting him in a much better mood. She jumped to her feet and skipped outside, keys in hand. Henry followed shortly after. On the way out the door, Henry ran into his younger sister. He took a deep sigh, for however small she may seem, Leah Talbot was a force to be reckoned with, and Henry wasn’t getting away easily. Although she was as petite and delicate as a flower in appearance, she prides herself on being the most stubborn child to have ever walked the earth.

“Mum, are you taking Henry to wizard school? I want to go with! I want to go with! Mummy, you must let me go with you!” before Leah could slip any farther into an unrelenting torrent of whining, Melissa retired and agreed to allow her to come with. Henry recalled being in a similar situation with his obnoxiously persistent sister; and of what he remembered, it didn’t end well. Better to give in, Henry thought, then to waste an entire hour.

After sixty minutes of sitting in the backseat, trying to tune out the off-pitch sing-along to Rihanna’s “We Found Love”…

Oh, Irony, Henry mused to himself, we could have spent an hour convincing Leah to stay home; but instead, I must endure an hour of her horrible taste in music. As soon as the car rolled to a stop in front of King's Cross Railway Station, Henry jumped out, more than eager to leave his mother and sister to themselves. Henry dragged his school supplies as quickly as his legs could carry him inside. Once out of sight of his deranged family, he could finally relax. He leaned up against a wall and collected his bearings. Breathing heavily, he checked his cart to be sure he hadn’t dropped anything. Finally, with everything accounted for, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his ticket. In large print, centred on the ticket, it read: Platform 9 ¾