"Harry! What are you doing here!" Hermione Granger, not normally known for being loud, ran helter skelter along platform Nine and Three Quarters, ignoring the other students she knocked into. Upon reaching the far end of the train, she flung herself onto the tall dark, haired boy standing there. Winded and surprised, Harry Potter hugged her back.

"Hey Hermione. What, not happy to see me?" Harry flicked his fringe off his face and looked at his friend, out of breath from her run.

"Of course I'm happy to see you, idiot. It's just…well, after everything you said last year, I didn't think I'd see you here" she stood back, serious again. "You did say you weren't going to come back, after the funeral."

"I know. But, believe it or not, I change my mind. I realised that apart from what Dumbledore told me when we went after the locket that I don't actually know anything about Horcruxes, or how to destroy them. I figured there'd be something in the library at Hogwarts, and I could carry on studying too. Anything's better than staying at the Dursleys, or at Grimauld Place without you, Ron or Sirius." Harry sighed, and picked up his trunk, getting ready to board the train that would take them to school.

Hermione gave him a little smile. "True. I guess it's a good job I called in reinforcements then, isn't it?" she picked up her own trunk, just as a loud voice and louder hair yelled at them

"Harry? What the bloody hell are you doing here mate?" Ron walked up as fast as he could without tripping over his trunk, owl cage or his own legs and dumped it all unceremoniously at his friends feet.

"Is anyone happy to see me?" asked Harry with a smile. That earned him another bear hug, one shorter than Hermione's but still as intense.

"'Course I am, but none of us thought you'd be back after last term." Ron collected all his stuff, and joined Harry and Hermione as they stepped onto the train, searching for a compartment not taken up by either terrified first years, giggling second and third years or fourth and fifth years who stared at the trio as they went by.

"She said she'd get us a compartment, and I really hope she did" Hermione said, almost to herself. Harry overheard though, and inquired as to who the "she" was.

"Reinforcements." Hermione replied mysteriously. Moving further down the corridor, she stopped outside on compartment and pushed the door open to reveal a girl sitting with her legs stretched out along on of the seats, dressed in jeans and a fitted T-shirt, trainers lying discarded on the floor. So preoccupied in her book, she didn't look up immediately, giving Harry time to get a good look at her.

Dark brown hair curled slightly down toher middle back, framing a pair of deep violet eyes, a small nose and full lips completeda pretty face, while the rest of her was very feminine and toned, giving the impression she worked out a lot. Harry saw a lot in those few second before she looked up, surprised at the intrusion, and he liked what he saw. Then the moment was lost as she did look up, and saw Hermione.

"Mione!" she leapt up, her speed and grace adding to Harry's suspicions that she worked out, as he'd started doing. Hermione stepped forward and hugged the stranger tightly.

"Evie! It's so good to see you again!" The two girls broke apart, and turned on a very confused Harry and Ron.

"Boys, this is my reinforcements!"