Written for Budapest All Over Again's Creatures of Hogwarts Challenge/Competition (Troll)
Scabbers was still snoozing on Ron's lap.
"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."
He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway-
He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."
She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.
"Er - all right."
He cleared his throat.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow," Ron murmured. Nothing happened.
Then, the bossy girl started ranting about how she memorized the books by heart and how surprised she was to find out she's a wizard. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way. Who are you?"
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter," his new friend said.
"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.
"Am I?" said Harry.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."
And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
He felt really stupid in front of Miss Know It All. She seemed like she knew every spell their books have to offer.
He really hoped he didn't end up with her.
She made him feel really stupid.
That's why didn't want to end up in Ravenclaw. Not that he's cut up for it.
But Ron shudders at the thought of having fellow Ravenclaws laugh at him while he casts spells similar to "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
He did not like this Granger girl.
She knew how to make him feel stupid.