Sara Writes: Platform Nine and Three Quarters

Platform Nine and Three Quarters - the wonderful, the mysterious, and the very exciting entrance to the Hogwarts Express station. *sighs* It is just one of those things J.K. Rowling has created that leaves me baffled, in love, and intrigued. It is the three quarters fraction that makes it so special and unique of course but to have a hidden platform that could take you to Hogwarts ... now that is something I want to exist for real.

It does exist now, actually, thanks to the Wizarding World in Orlando. I know it can't take me to the real Wizarding World but hey, it's excessively exciting. Each time Abbie and I visit I get goosebumps at the magical entrance through the platform and I am left speechless at the sight of the Hogwarts Express. It is just so so awesome!!!

You're walking through Universal Orlando Resort, wearing your Potter pride in your ootd, your bestie by your side, camera in hand, excitement in your heart, and a bounce of glee in your step. It's a long walk through the entire park before you reach Kings Cross Station. But once you do you can feel the magic on your skin and it gives you goosebumps. Kings Cross Station stands in front of you, in its glorious entirety. It is an exact replica of the real deal - inch by inch exactly the same. You enter, your ticket is checked, you walk through the station following the queue of fellow Muggles, Witches, and Wizards ahead of you. You spot the luggage trolleys around you and you can already begin sensing the magic. And then it happens ... you're at Platform Nine and Three Quarters' entrance and you can see people disappearing as they make their way through. You're stunned. You're staring at them disappear completely in awe of the magic unfolding in front of your eyes. It's mesmerizing. You want to stand there and keep looking as people disappear one by one. But you also want to walk through the platform yourself because you know that the scarlet engine of your dreams, the train that takes you to Hogwarts, will be on the other side to greet you ...

The moment when I entered through Platform Nine and Three Quarters 😍 pic.twitter.com/NVTl37tmDJ
— Saraallie ✨ (@sara_allie) April 17, 2019

I could swear you feel it when you step through the platform. There's this cooler gush of air around me and I can feel it against my skin when I step through the magical entrance.

Maybe you're imagining it. Is it even really there?

No no, it must be a cool effect the creators of the park have added there.

But everybody else is just walking, not showing any signs of feeling something.

But I swear I felt it. The place where you disappear. I felt it!

Maybe you could ask Abbie.

Maybe ... but I swear it's there.

Across, on the other side, you're stunned as your eyes fall upon the steaming scarlet engine. The Hogwarts Express is choo-chooing away as excited muggles, witches, and wizards line up to board it. It is just like in the books and movies. There's excitement in the air, excitement about heading to Hogwarts. There's the whiff of goodbyes in the air, goodbyes for leaving this side of the park behind. Everything feels just as magical as it did reading the books and watching the movies.

"Don't talk rubbish. There is no platform nine and three-quarters." - Vernon Dursley

Ah, Mr. Dursley, if only you had known better.

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