Dumbledore had rarely ridden the Hogwarts Express since he had become a professor. He preferred to floo, a quick and convenient means of travel, or even Apparate to Hogsmeade if he wanted to walk the short distance to Hogwarts. He glanced at his watch and at platform 9/10, the one that led to the wizarding station. King's Cross Station was, as usual, full of Muggles. The bustling crowd created a constant hum of chatter and the clatter of luggage wheels on the stone floor. The scent of steam from the trains mixed with the smell of freshly brewed coffee from the nearby kiosk, creating a distinctly Muggle atmosphere that always felt slightly foreign to him after months within Hogwarts' ancient walls.