#king's cross

[galina]

In Hato Store there’s a tiny but playful collection of zines and design-led books!

[just-sittin-on-a-fence]

Photos of these 'Baby Deltic' diesels are not very common. They ran in service for less than a decade and only on the commuter belt out of London King's Cross.

June 1963

[paulpingminho]

[vulpinefae]

[babywinterlove]

[blankdblank]

Posting a snippet, because I can, so there neh. :P

...

Through the opening you passed entering the teacher car peering into each sleeper car with Professors in differing states of readying for the train ride. A few flashed you quick grins while Barty’s hand remained on your back keeping you moving forward, even past Slughorn’s box, inside which he was anxiously closing the curtains on the windows after having been escorted by house elves from the safe house you had sent him to at his call for aid a few days after you had spoken.

The final car on the left sat open and Snape intensely set out a quartet of notepads and pens around the plastic boxed boggle game on his left Minerva sat readying the biscuit tin and tea she had brought in a thermos she poured into the cups she had set out. Widely grinning at the duo who greeted you the pair of you entered and Barty said, “Found our new hire.”

Minerva grinned up at you and Severus stated, “I was swindled by a child down the street in hopes of winning a scooter, this, supposedly is a one of the best so called board games offered. We are going to test this.” Making you smirk and take your seat when Snape very seriously gave it a shake then set it down. “Write down every word you see.” He took his own seat when Minerva did then lifted his pen and flipped the tiny hourglass, “Now.”

[chemicalarospec]

becoming obsessed with the song "King's Cross" by Pet Shop Boys.... "I've been guilty of hanging around".... "you leave home and you don't go back".... the King's Cross lore.... like. "I found myself lost by the station called King's Cross/dead and wounded on either side/you know it's only a matter of time". UGH. dudeeee. i'm obessed with the things I'm obsessed with.

[daviddurand]

London

© David Durand 2023 - Website

[hafanforever]

So I got back from my trip to England late last night, and I’ve been busy all day with my job and unpacking goods. But I finally have pictured here all of my souvenirs that I bought while there:

Cadbury chocolate and Dr. Pepper Zero from the Heathrow airport

Lion and tiger key chains and plushes from the London Zoo

A Ravenclaw key chain and lanyard from the Harry Potter shop at Platform 9 3/4 from King’s Cross train station

[evbell]

Evannah Potter: King's Cross Station

My first ever published (mini) chapter (1,843 words)!! This takes place after the true beginning of this story, but is the only chapter I wrote that I am halfway satisfied with. That being said, there are a few things that need to be clarified: Evannah was raised away from Harry for reasons that will be explored in another post. Like many muggle-born students, Evannah received a visit from Professors Burbage and Dumbledore to explain magic to her (in her case with a long-lost brother bonus) and is making her way alone to King's Cross. The characters Phoebe and Nancy are originals and orphanage friends.

...

For the first time since she was seven years old, Evannah Potter wasn't sure where she was going when she left the orphanage that morning.

London was engraved in her brain, obvious in her accent. Orphan City stuck to her like a tattoo- literally- and the London Underground system might as well be her playground, and this was all without counting the buses. So, standing between platforms 9 and 10 at King's Cross, trying to work up the courage to pass a wall, which would (supposedly) take her to a magic school, where her long-lost brother(?) would go to in two years, the girl had never felt more ridiculous or clueless. Evannah was early and exhausted from walking all the way from Soho to King's Cross with a trunk the size of a crib- which she still did not understand, these people had magic, magic, and insisted on carrying luggage around, of all things- not to mention the whining cat she brought with her in a cage on her other hand- oh yes, try opening a door like that. Or stairs. If the tattoo on her finger wasn't already enough of a people repellent, then that vision ought to do it. 

"You're lucky you're cute, Atticus," she whispered down to the grey ball of fur meowing away in a box by her feet. The cat looked at her indignantly, and meowed louder. 

Evannah crouched down in front of the box. "I'm sorry, alright? But what else should I do? Put you on a leash?"

Atticus did not look any less offended.

"What, you think I should've let you free? Atticus, you're scared of balloons, I can't expect you to follow me all the way here."

The following meow sounded like it meant that she very well could and should have, so she reached into the cage slowly, waiting for the cat to press up against her fingers. He did, after a moment, purring softly at her silent apology, until something caught his ear.

The next second, Evannah found herself sprawled over King's Cross' filthy floor, loud, startled cat protests echoing at her side and two red-ish blurs in front of her.

"Oh, by Merlin, are you okay? So sorry about this-" said one of the blurs at the same time the other said, "Ah, fuck, sorry, sorry. We didn't see you."

"FRED! GEORGE!" screamed a woman from far away. Distantly, Evannah thought she sounded like she was carrying multiple bags at once. Like those mothers with three or so small children that go around the supermarket playing with the cart, you know? The mothers that always have those gigantic durable supermarket bags on them.

"Nasty fall, that was, do you think you can stand?" asked someone gently, but casually. Not the blurs. An older voice. Someone that sounded like they wore leather.

"Again, so sorry about that-" said a blur.

"-we really are," added the other guiltily.

Did she fall? That couldn't be, Evannah Potter hadn't fallen since 1986. She had ridiculously good reflexes. Once she even caught a button that flew out of Phoebe's shirt.

One of the blurs made a sound of realisation.The one on the right? "Oh, you need your glasses, don't you? Ginny, can you get the glasses?"

A flash of movement to her left, the soft brush of metal against her hand. "Here."

Christ, she should really say something, shouldn’t she?

"Er, thanks," Evannah finally managed and put the glasses on.

Oh, the red-ish blurs were twins. Gingers. A whole family of fiery-red hair and freckled faces, it seemed. 

The twins still hovered over her, brown eyes checking her for injuries. The older voice, the one that wore leather, was indeed much older and did, in fact, wear a leather jacket. Spot on, she thought distantly. The one who had handed Evannah the glasses, on the other hand, was a girl about Nancy’s age, maybe a bit older, definitely more outgoing. 

“You’re welcome,” replied the girl politely.

“BILL, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WATCH THEM-” came the yelling again. Evannah could see the woman now, a short, less fiery ginger, mother with a kind demeanor but furious glint in her warm brown eyes- who was not carrying gigantic supermarket bags, although she must have at some point, with so many children. 

“Oh, my! Dear, are you all right?” questioned the woman once she saw her.

Honestly, Evannah was still rather confused about how she ended up on a filthy train station floor, and the angry cat next to her wasn’t helping, so her eloquent response was: “I think so, ma’am.”

“What even happened?” asked a new voice. A boy with gelled-back hair behind the woman.

The older one with the leather jacket straightened up. Bill, from what Evannah gathered. “They were running around with their trunks- I know, mum, alright? I’m sorry- and crashed into her.”

“Really sorry about that,” said the twin on the right.

“We were trying to see who’s fastest,” added the other.

Understandable.

Irresponsible, but understandable.

Evannah made to stand, an attempt to help the twins out with their mother. “It’s okay, I think. Really, I’m all right.”

They helped her stand- the twins, that is- and she thought the family’s worry was rather sweet, if a bit exaggerated. Her trunk had probably had more damage done to it than Evannah herself.

“Sorry, kitty. We didn’t mean to scare you,” said a twin to Atticus as he flipped his cage back to the correct position. The cat hissed his opinion on the matter, but sniffed the boy’s hand nonetheless.

“Sorry, trunk,” copied the other twin as he took her luggage from the floor, and Evannah had to laugh. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Fred,” reprimanded the mother.

“But, mum, I’m only being polite,” protested Fred, offended.

The other twin, giving up his luck with Atticus, who had stopped sniffing and was glaring at him, took the cage from the floor and handed it to Evannah. “Here’s your cat. Sorry again.”

“Yeah, sorry,” repeated Fred, more genuinely than when he apologized to the trunk.

“It’s fine, really. You didn’t do it on purpose.”

The twin that was not Fred nodded, “We really didn’t, we were trying to get to the Hogwar- to our train on time.”

“Oh, you’re going there too, aren’t you?” asked the girl. Gina?

“...where?”

“Hogwarts, of couse,” announced a completely new voice, and Evannah was faced with two other red-headed boys- wow, that’s a lot of children- and a tall man that must’ve been their father. “We saw the fall on the way here, hope you’re all right,” continued the voice. The second oldest of the children, a boy with the three top buttons of his shirt unbuttoned.

“Oh… yeah.” 

It must be real then. Okay.

“Us too.”

“First year?” asked the father.

“Er, yeah”

The twins straightened up. “Same as us, then.”

“Oh,” nice? Okay? Good to know? What do you say to people who knocked you over and were really nice about it? “-cool.”

“All right, we should start going to the platform, in any case,” spoke the father, ending the discussion, “Would you like to go first…?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m Evannah. I’ve never… been before.” the girl gestured to the wall.

“Nervous, are you?” said Bill . “You won’t hit the wall, don’t worry. Did it for seven years, only ever hit my head on the train window.”

“Charlie, go on first, then, show her,” commanded the woman to the son with the unbuttoned top buttons. 

Charlie grabbed his trunk and rushed to the door, looking back at her reassuringly, and just as she thought he would collide face first with the wall, the tall boy disappeared behind the red bricks. The boy with gelled-back hair- Percy, apparently- went next, seeming very proud of himself for being a demonstrator. Soon enough the twins were through as well- the other one’s name was George- leaving Evannah to go next. 

The mother smiled encouragingly at Evannah “Now, off you go, dear. We’ll be right behind you. You’ll be all right.”

“Unless you're waiting for your parents…” offered the father, suddenly realising that the girl was alone.

“Oh, no, no. I’m on my own,” responded Evannah immediately, vaguely. “Right, guess I’ll go, then.”

She shot the family one last look before holding on tightly to her cart and running towards the bricks. Halfway through, Evannah was already regretting her decision. Was she about to be knocked over a second time in the same day? She was ready so splash her head against the wall, Atticus hissing his protests behind her, and then…

The twin that was not Fred nodded, “We really didn’t, we were trying to get to the Hogwar- to our train on time.”

“Oh, you’re going there too, aren’t you?” asked the girl. Gina?

“...where?”

“Hogwarts, of couse,” announced a completely new voice, and Evannah was faced with two other red-headed boys- wow, that’s a lot of children- and a tall man that must’ve been their father. “We saw the fall on the way here, hope you’re all right,” continued the voice. The second oldest of the children, a boy with the three top buttons of his shirt unbuttoned.

“Oh… yeah.” 

It must be real then. Okay.

“Us too.”

“First year?” asked the father.

“Er, yeah”

The twins straightened up. “Same as us, then.”

“Oh,” nice? Okay? Good to know? What do you say to people who knocked you over and were really nice about it? “-cool.”

“All right, we should start going to the platform, in any case,” spoke the father, ending the discussion, “Would you like to go first…?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m Evannah. I’ve never… been before.” the girl gestured to the wall.

“Nervous, are you?” said Bill . “You won’t hit the wall, don’t worry. Did it for seven years, only ever hit my head on the train window.”

“Charlie, go on first, then, show her,” commanded the woman to the son with the unbuttoned top buttons. 

Charlie grabbed his trunk and rushed to the door, looking back at her reassuringly, and just as she thought he would collide face first with the wall, the tall boy disappeared behind the red bricks. The boy with gelled-back hair- Percy, apparently- went next, seeming very proud of himself for being a demonstrator. Soon enough the twins were through as well- the other one’s name was George- leaving Evannah to go next. 

The mother smiled encouragingly at Evannah “Now, off you go, dear. We’ll be right behind you. You’ll be all right.”

“Unless you're waiting for your parents…” offered the father, suddenly realising that the girl was alone.

“Oh, no, no. I’m on my own,” responded Evannah immediately, vaguely. “Right, guess I’ll go, then.”

She shot the family one last look before holding on tightly to her cart and running towards the bricks. Halfway through, Evannah was already regretting her decision. Was she about to be knocked over a second time in the same day? She was ready so splash her head against the wall- shielding Atticus, of course- and then…

...

[teanicolae]

i'm watching the rain wash the streets thinking, fuck! like a smith beating a hammer hot, i've been warring with myself for too long. when i was sixteen, i thought i was meek so i slid viciousness between my teeth when i was nineteen, i thought i was cruel so i choked on sugarcane, oblivious that it is impossible to only sustain yourself on rock candy when i was twenty-two, i thought i couldn't trust myself with my heart, so i gifted it in a music box in the hopes new hands would care better for it i watch my thoughts drop like pearls on canvas and decide that my gospel is the chambers in my chest the chambers in my chest housing sweetness the sweetness of the tears streaming down my cheeks under the neon lights on oxford road the sweetness of the rage carving my fingertips in sand dunes the sweetness of baring myself soft to a new pair of well-meaning hands despite fears of being young in all the wrong ways i listen to the waves of being echoing in my navel and wonder what if my path is one of softening instead of breaking what if i can trust myself with my heart? last night i felt alive under the lamp poles and monsoon sky, listening to lana singing about harry nilsson whispering in her ear, "come on, baby, you can drive" and i thought come on, baby, i will drive. "king's cross hotel", quick poem i wrote this morning watching the rain. early rough draft so bear with me.

[shaddowsong]

His Mother's Son

is up on FFN and AO3.

Summary: Harry rests in Limbo as Dumbledore explains what's happened with the Horcrux in his head. If everything goes as it should, Harry will be able to step back into the battle and defeat Voldemort once and for all for the sake of the Wizarding World. But Harry is drawn to the baby under the bench. Will his choice change when he asks himself a simple question- What would my mother do?

inspired by @ellorypurebloodculture and her title tale, which you can find here.

[fruitcage]

Purple line reflections by Clem Onojeghuo

[raingallery]

St. Pancras Station

[paulpingminho]

[sheltiechicago]

“Beauty in the Mundane”

“The simple geometric lines and shadow of a handrail, set against the bold terracotta patterned walls of Tapestry Apartments in King’s Cross, London. This was taken during a day trip to London for photographic inspiration and observations. I’m often drawn to photographing graphic shapes and compositions of typically mundane objects.”

© Tim Green, United Kingdom

2023 Sony World Photography Awards