Room For One More
By Jai-kun
It was the last year of Hogwarts for HermioneGranger. She wasn't looking forward to leaving theinstitute of learning that had been her home for mostof the last seven years, but there really was so muchto learn now on her own. And, with Voldemort stillaround, she'd need to be at her peak to protect herparents from his Death Eaters.
She'd be alone, as usual, on her way to the stationto catch the Hogwarts Express, the magnificent redtrain that bore all of the students across England toHogwarts Academy. She never liked going alone, butafter her third year, her parents had been afraid tomake the trip and be around all of the wizards andwitches there. They'd always been dodgy about hergoing through the platform wall, but even more solately after they'd been told about Voldemort(something she'd never truly forgiven Arthur Weasleyfor, despite how she felt about his sons).
It wasn't that she, herself, was afraid. DespiteVoldemort's presence in the world, nothing untowardhad happened on the way to school. Still, since she'dmade actual friends at Hogwarts, and would usually seethem before leaving for school, she found that goingto the train station by herself to be a lonelyexperience (which, really, is how one defines lonely,as being by ones self, so it was silly to think thatway. But think that way she did).
She looked over her schedule one last time. She stillneeded to drop one course if she wanted to be able totake the advanced arithmacy (which she did, verymuch), and she hadn't decided. Her eyes kept slidingover to Divination.
"I really shouldn't. I promised Parvati I would giveit just one more chance... but I do so want to takeArithmacy..." Hearing it aloud steeled her resolve.She took out her quill and crossed Divination from herlist. Nodding, satisfied, she nodded and put her quilland list away, settling all of her belongings awaybefore laying down to finally sleep. It wouldn't be sobad. She'd see Harry and Ron at the station, and mightcatch Parvati on the train.
She closed her eyes, and drifted to sleep.
It was foggy, which, for where they were, wasn't soodd. She was alone, sitting on a rock, waiting... forwhom, she didn't know. Possibly Ron. It was just likehim to be late.
She leaned against a rock, pulling her muffler closerover her hands, watching the road anxiously. It was adirt road, and that seemed both peculiar and not, forsome reason. Before long, the ponderings were broughtto nothing by the clop clop clop of horses hooves. Shelooked up.
What was approaching was not the carriage she seemedto be waiting for, but a large black horse drawnhearse. She stood, backing off of the path slightly,as the hearse came close. However, the driver broughtthe hearse to a stop right next to her, and lookedover. Her heart leapt into her throat.
The driver's face was pale and drawn, eyes wide andbulging a bit. He smiled at her, his cruel lipspulling away from stained teeth. His voice came out ina rasp, and as he spoke, she could hear screams comingfrom the hearse. "There's room for one more, Ithink..."
Hermione woke with a gasp, hand clutching her chest.After a few moments, however, she composed herself. Itwas only a silly dream. That was all. Looking at herclock, she decided there was really no sense inwasting more time. She gathered her luggage and pulledit out to the stair, loading it onto a cart to catch ataxi with. After a small breakfast (she really was tooexcited to eat) and a final goodbye to her mother andfather, she set out.
At the end of her street, there were quite a fewpeople out. She had just missed one taxi pulling away,and another was the only one on the street it seemed.A woman claimed it. "The train station, please!"
A man near her stepped forward. "I'm going to thetrain station, too. Could we perhaps share a cab?"
The woman nodded, and the driver got out, loadingtheir luggage into the trunk. He turned to Hermioneand smiled, lips pulling back from stained teeth."There's room for one more, I think..."
Hermione stepped back involuntarily, but stammeredout, "N-no, thank you... I'll... I'll take the nextone." The driver shrugged and closed the trunk,ambling to the door and getting in.
The next cab didn't arrive for another hour, but shewas still half an hour early for the train. Before shestepped through the pillar, she overheard aconversation between two muggles.
"A tragedy, that's what it is. Just a tragedy."
She perked her ears, listening without looking likeshe was. But, at the same time, her eye caught apicture on a newly installed monitor tuned to a localnews station. There was the face of the driver,underneath the caption, "3 die in Taxi Cab Crash."
When Ron and Harry approached her, she was puttingDivination back on her class list. She could use theTime Turner for one more class...