It was only two days now till the Scamander sisters would go to Hogwarts. Matilda was kept busy packing the next couple days, and finally, it was time to leave!

"How are we going to get there?" asked Matilda, picking up her suitcase, and looking up at her father.

"We're going to take a taxi to platforms nine and ten," replied Mr Scamander. "Have you got everything?"

"Yes - well, I think so," said Matilda, opening her suitcase, and to her immense annoyance all the contents fell out! She groaned.

Lizzie came over and laughed. "Looks like you'll have to pick that all up and pack it back into the suitcase - neatly!"

"Oh, Matilda! Why did you just stuff your clothes in? You could have done it better than that," said Mrs Scamander, bending down to pick up Matilda clothes.

"Mum, there is a quicker way," Lizzie reminded her.

"Oh, yes, there is. But I don't want to be lazy," said Mrs Scamander. But she took her wand out of her pocket, muttered an incantation, and to Matilda's amazement the clothes floated into the air, folded themselves, and with Mrs Scamander's guide of her wand, the clothes floated slowly down and landed in the suitcase.

"Wow!" Matilda exclaimed. "That's amazing!"

Just at that moment Dora walked into the room. "Is everyone ready? Well - " she looked down at the pile of Matilda's books on the floor - "- I am, at least."

"Me too!" said Lizzie.

A little noise came down below, and Matilda looked down to see two-year old Beatrix, sitting on the floor and gazing up at them.

Lizzie laughed and picked up her baby sibling. Beatrix laughed as Lizzie swung her round.

✰ ✰ ✰

After about fifteen minutes, everyone was finally ready. Mrs Scamander picked up Beatrix, Lizzie and Dora started chatting animatedly while Matilda clung onto her father's hand.

The taxi had arrived, and the whole family piled in. (They had noted to the taxi driver to get a big car). Mrs Scamander sat with Beatrix on her lap, Matilda squeezed between Lizzie and Dora, while Mr Scamander was seated comfortably at the front seat.

When they arrived at platforms nine and ten, Matilda was so excited, but nervous at the same time. But at least I have my sisters, she thought. She squeezed her father's hand before jumping out of the taxi, and looking around. Her sisters did the same and Lizzie pointed at the barrier, whispering to Matilda and Dora, "We have to run through it."

Matilda still couldn't believe that you ran forward to it. She was nervous - what if she just crashed into it, like Harry and Ron had done in their second year. But Matilda tried to reassure herself - that was only because Dobby had enchanted it.

She told her worries to her father, and Mr Scamander laughed, saying, "You won't crash into it, darling. Don't worry." He smiled down at his daughter and said, "You'll make some friends on the Hogwarts train, won't you?"

"Of course I will - well, maybe. But I do have Dora and Lizzie, remember."

"Yes, you do. But it would be nice to make some friends, dear."

"I will, daddy." Matilda grinned back up at her father, then ran to her mother, Mrs Scamander. "Mummy, I can't wait! Especially to go on the Hogwarts train! But I'll miss you - I'm kind of scared."

"Don't worry, darling. You'll be with Dora and Lizzie." Mrs Scamander patted Beatrix's back, who was wailing loudly.

"But what if I do REALLY bad in my exams?" asked Matilda, very anxious. "Mummy, I'm SO nervous - but excited at the same time, I suppose."

"You'll be very good at your lessons if you listen to the teacher and study, dear."

"Okay." Matilda gave her mother a hug. "Should we run through the barrier now?"

"Wait till those muggles move - they are in the way of it," replied Mrs Scamander.

Matilda waited impatiently till the muggles moved - they had been staring closely at their phones, and Matilda had just wanted to take their stupid phones off them. She wanted to go to Hogwarts - not wait around!

Finally the muggles moved. "Phew!" said Matilda. "I couldn't have waited any longer. Let's go through the barrier now, please." She took her father's hand. Mr Scamander smiled down at her and said to Mrs Scamander, "Should we?"

Mrs Scamander smiled and nodded her head. "I'll go after with Lizzie, Dora and Beatrix."

"Okay," said Mr Scamander. Together he and Matilda looked around to check that no one was looking at them, and then they started to run towards the barrier. Matilda kept her eyes wide open, but then closed them at the last moment. When she opened them again, she was standing in a whole different place! Matilda couldn't believe what had just happened.