1Chapter 15: The Muggle World

A/N: Okay, I have to say this now... I've never been to London, so I really have no idea as to how their subway system works or anything like that. What I've written is only based on my experiences on the trains in Japan. But I'm guessing subways and trains works pretty much the same everywhere, so I shouldn't be too far off :-D. Enjoy!

Selphie looked as though she had forgotten what Squall had said as she stared out their compartment window. They were on the Hogwarts Express heading towards London, whatever London was. Supposedly, as McGonagall had told them before seeing them off at the Hogsmeade station, the Hogwarts Express ran all the time, but that its busiest days were the ends and beginnings of school holidays. She told them that it had been decided it was safest for them to travel on the Express, which would take them straight into London, where they could then travel "unobtrusively". Squall was unsure what all this meant but decided not to question it.

Rinoa sat across from him, looking as though she were pouting about something. Quistis, who was next to her, was busy snapping photos of the blurry countryside they were passing, and taking notes. Zell sat on the other side of her, his head against the wall and his eyes closed. Irvine sat on Squall's other side, looking as though he didn't want to be bothered. They were all silent. And they get mad at me for being melancholy, Squall thought.

"It looks just like the Balamb countryside," Selphie suddenly spoke. "I wonder how that works?"

"Interesting," Quistis replied, making another note. Squall read upside down: "10:06 AM- Selphie remarks how similar our countryside and their countryside is".

There was a light knock on the door. Irvine leaned over and slid it open to reveal a girl with a heart-shaped face and short pink hair, who had introduced herself at Hogsmeade as Tonks. "Hello," she greeted. "We'll be there in a few minutes. Any questions before we get off the train?"

They all looked quietly at her. "Alright," she said cheerily before leaving them.

Silence swept the compartment again. Suddenly the door slid open and Seifer sauntered in, back from the bathroom or wherever he had gone (Squall didn't remember nor did he care). He gave an evil grin to Squall before squeezing himself between Rinoa and Quistis. Quistis gave him a dirty look that he didn't catch, and Zell was woken up but quickly fell back asleep. Seifer put his arm around Rinoa and said softly, "Did you talk to her?"

"What do you think?" Rinoa snapped back quietly, quickly glancing at Squall.

"And...?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Squall pretended he was looking at the floor. He would have been stupid not to know what they were talking about. Quistis looked cautiously at them but didn't say anything. The rest of the ride was spent in relative quiet once again, until they started pulling into the city.

"It's so... big," Selphie remarked as they all huddled around the window.

"Hey... they don't wear cloaks here," Rinoa said as they pulled into the station. "All the girls wear... pants...?"

The train came to a sudden stop, which surprised all of them as they toppled over each other, even though they were seasoned train travelers. "King's Cross!" they heard a man shout.

Tonks came back to their compartment. "Good day, everyone," she smiled brightly. "Here we are in London. We'll actually be traveling Muggle-style so as not to attract too much attention. I'll have to ask all of you to keep quiet about the Magical World until we get to Diagon Alley."

They nodded.

"I'd like to explain before we go about my own special talent," she continued as they gathered their things and began walking out. "I was born with the ability to transform my appearance instantly, which makes me a Metamorphmagus. So, for safety purposes, I will appear different than I do now while we are traveling through London."

And with that, she blinked and suddenly her hair was a sleek dark brown and reached down her back. Her body was as sleek as her hair, and her face perfectly sculpted in every way. She was wearing an outfit that looked extremely expensive. "Shall we?" she asked. Irvine stared at her with his mouth open. The others looked stunned, except for Seifer, who looked bored. "Yes," he answered.

Tonks smiled at them. "Okay! Let's go!"

As they stepped out of the train, they couldn't help but gaze all around them. There were people of all ages around, wizards obviously, carrying various items (Owls, screaming plants, etc). There were pops here and there as people appeared or disappeared. Tonks led them to a large brick pillar with a sign that said "Platform 9 ¾" on it. She stopped to face them. "Now, I know this is going to sound strange, but I need each of you to have the confidence to run straight through this brick wall."

"Oh, like we came through the mirror?" Zell asked. Tonks looked quizzical for a moment before realizing what he meant and nodding.

"Yes, exactly how you came through the mirror, only this time the magic has been done for you. Now you don't need to buddy-up, but you're welcome to if you want. Who's first?"

Squall felt himself be pushed slightly from behind and turned to see Irvine giving him a big grin and thumbs up. Rinoa and Quistis laughed. Seifer smirked. "I am," Squall gave in.

"Good. And your name is...?"

"Squall Leonhart."

"Alright. Now, everybody stand back and give Squall some room to run."

Everyone, except for Squall, made a semi-circle around the pillar. Tonks gave him a nod and Squall returned it with a slight grimace before he resolved to run at the wall. It was his duty as Assistant Leader, after all.

He half expected to crack his head as he quickly approached the bricks, and was surprised somewhat after he realized he had appeared on the other side. Suddenly he was in a high-ceilinged train station, this one a lot more crowded and full of people wearing even different clothes then the ones at King's Cross. Or was this still King's Cross? The whole thing confused Squall so much he was starting to get a headache. It reminded him too much of time compression and being lost in the sands of time, literally. But that's really what this whole thing is. Only it's dimension compression.

As he turned around to face the pillar, Selphie and Irvine charged out of the bricks together. Squall wondered why the other people in the station weren't freaking out as much as he wanted to. When everyone finally came out, Tonks gathered them all together and said in a clear voice, "Welcome to London. On our walking tour today we will be taking the Tube to a famous pub, called the Leaky Cauldron. Any questions so far?"

They all looked at her confusedly. Squall figured this out to be some kind of trick to anyone who might be listening. He had worked out over the last few days that the wizarding world and the "Muggle" world rarely mixed, and that in fact non-magical people hardly had any idea that wizards existed. The others seemed to know this too, and they nodded at her. But Zell had to ask the next question, even at the possibility of sounding stupid to the Muggles. "The Tube?" he asked. Tonks leaned over and whispered, "It like a train that runs underground. Muggles use it all the time."

And with that, they began walking towards the "Tube" or "Underground". "Escalators!" Quistis remarked as they stepped aboard, progressing downward. "I've only seen these in Deling City."

Tonks bought them all tickets with "Muggle money", and they walked through push-gates that were just like the ones in their own rail stations. As they walked to their platform, the train swept in, causing Selphie to jump back. Tonks laughed. "Trains don't move this fast back home," Selphie explained, seeming nervous to walk into the car when the doors slid open. Tonks led the way in. The car was crowded, so they had to stand up and hold onto strange triangular hangers. They were all pretty quiet, new to this weird, fast-paced world. Squall knew everyone else must be quiet because they didn't want to cause an incident of some kind by talking about the wrong thing. Suddenly Selphie leaned over and whispered to Squall, "You think we should have brought our weapons, just in case?"

Squall looked around for a moment before shaking his head. "I think that would have only caused more trouble."

She agreed with a nod and Squall was back to his thoughts. He peered around the subway car. Most of the people were wearing clean-cut clothes with neat black jackets and ties and carrying what looked like small suitcases. There was an older woman sitting in a seat closest to the door. Suddenly his eyes fell on a group of about four younger teenagers, who were practically gaping at his group. Squall looked away and tried to listen to what they were saying.

"... must be a cosplay convention somewhere..."

"Look at their outfits! They're so realistic."

"I know! And they're all in a group! Look, Seifer and Rinoa are actually acting like a couple!"

"Where's her whip? A good Quistis always has her whip..."

Squall was taken back by this. They know our names? He glanced at his comrades. No one else seemed to be listening. "Train, train, take us away," Selphie sang softly to herself.

He wanted badly to say something to them, but Tonks whisked them off at the next station before he had a chance. With a whoosh, the train was gone, along with the fascinated kids. Squall wished more then ever that he would wake up any moment and be back in his dormitory in Garden. All these strange things were confusing him too much.

They walked for a few blocks. Quistis was taking pictures left and right, scribbling in her journal every now and then. Selphie grasped her arm around Irvine's, and they both gawked at everything around them. Rinoa and Seifer lagged behind, quietly arguing. Zell trotted happily along next to Squall, who couldn't help but notice a few odd glances from other teenagers and people here and there. He suddenly shivered, jealous of the girls and Zell, who had all been smart enough to bring coats.

"I can't believe where we are," Zell said to him.

"Hmm," Squall replied.

"What's the matter with you? Aren't you at all amazed?"

"I guess."

Zell rolled his eyes. Suddenly Tonks stopped, and Squall noticed they were in front of an old, average-looking shop with a sign that said "The Leaky Cauldron". "We're here!" she announced. She lowered her voice for what she said next. "Just act normal and follow me round back. Greet back to anyone who greets you but take the conversation no further. I'm sure most of you know that the papers have already got a story on you, but we mustn't encourage it by talking to the press. Alright then, let's go get you some wands."

She transformed back to her normal self as they walked inside. The pub was dingy and very unimpressive. Many people hardly noticed the outsiders walking through, as they read magazines or chatted quietly with friends. Squall noticed some had copies of The Daily Prophet. An older man from behind the bar hobbled over to them. "Good day," he said suspiciously. "Might I inquire of your business at me Pub?"

Tonks turned to him and said cheerily, "Hullo, Tom. We're on special assignment from Dumbledore. Hogwarts business. Just making our way to the Alley."

He looked unconvinced but said nothing as he nodded and went back behind the bar. Tonks led them out a back door and they were in a small garden area, where she tapped the brick wall in a pattern that was known only to her. Suddenly the bricks whirled open like some magical portal and revealed a crowded street with many small shops. She faced them again, smiled, and said, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."