A Tune to a Different Note Chapter 1: All Snorcaxes Great and Small

Ronald Wesley woke up that morning with no worries at all. No premonitions of what was to come. In fact the only mildly interesting thought that is of any use to this narrative was, "wonder what socks I'll wear today?'
After dressing rather haphazardly in the empty dormitory room he lazily made his way down the stairs

Hermione Granger had woken early that morning with a great many incredible thoughts chasing each other round her mind. The least interesting (not to mention the least complicated) of said facts was, "wonder what socks Ron will wear today?" After dressing in the clothes she had lain out the night before she picked up seven or eight books she might like to read while she waited for Ron.

Several hours and seven books later Ron emerged tousle haired from the stair case to the boy's dormitories.

"Well it's about time you were up." She said putting a book mark in When Good Nifflers Go Bad.

Ron looked at her blurry eyed, groaned, then fell in an over stuffed chair. "Do you have to be so cheerful" he said at length. "That smile of yours is giving me a head ache."

"My parents are dentists you know. Now you better go and get going or we'll be late."

"Hermione its Saturday there's nothing to be late for!" He said; now awake enough to raise his voice.

"Don't you remember we promised Hagrid we'd look after the animals while he went away this weekend, now hurry up Harry, Ginny and Neville are waiting for us in the Great Hall."

"Just let me put my shoes on first." Ron held a pair of trainers in his hand, and his feet were bare except for socks. Hermione glanced at them. The argyles she had given him for his birthday, a good choice.

They walked out of the common room together and down to the Great Hall. The ceiling showed that it was a very sunny day and that there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The Great Hall was relatively empty but around the Griffindor table sat a small crowd of people. Among them were Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna Lovegood a Ravenclaw in Ginny's year.

Ginny rose as she saw them approaching, "I hope you don't mind but I told Luna she could join us.

Ron looked like he did mind but Hermione spoke before he could say anything rude. "No, we don't mind at all. How are you Luna?"

Luna who had been starring dreamily at her plate looked up at Hermione. "Oh, I've been fine I suppose but my father and didn't find a single crumple-horn-snorcax over Christmas break."

"I can't imagen why you wouldn't." said Ron snidely but as soon as he did he wished he didn't because Luna fixed him with one of her infamous stares. Neither angry nor sad, neither happy nor any emotion Ron could think of. To look into her eyes was to stare into a veil of mist. He walked over and sat between Harry and Neville. Hermione sat across from him next to Ginny.

"Your cheerful this morning, Ron." Said Ginny looking at her still half sleeping brother.

"If you all are done we really should be going" added Hermione.

"Done! I've barely even started!'' shouted Ron, his plate piled high with eggs and sausage.

She surveyed the mountain of food somewhat disdainfully. "Well I've had enough and besides Hagrid said the fire crabs need to be feed precisely at nine."

"Where's he gone anyway" Ron managed to say around a mouth stuffed with eggs.

"France I think." Hermione stood and started to walk towards the door, the others followed her, leaving Ron with his food. With a groan he too left the Great Hall stuffing sausages in his pockets.

The ceiling had been right; it was an exceptionally beautiful day. Ron wished he hadn't been so rash in promising Hagrid. Ahead he could hear Luna boring them all with a talk on the migration patterns of Snorcaxes.

"And they can find there way back to a place they haven't been to since they were babies. They are so amazing. They can even swim up stream.."

"I thought it was salmon that did that." Neville rarely spoke in front of Luna and Ron could understand why. She gave him a look of pity at his obvious stupidity and continued in her misty voice.

"The crumple-horn-snorcax is a distain relative to salmon. Another a amazing thing is that when they migrate they can make themselves look really small..."

"all most invisible." Put in Hermione.

Luna continued as if she hadn't' heard her. "...which of course their not my dad said he saw one that was over six feet tall.

"I'll bet he did." Ron had finally caught up to the group now and was walking next to Harry who was being unusually quite. "What's up Harry?"

"oh," Harry, who had been staring off into space, jumped back into reality, "it's nothing just I've got really bad feeling about today."

"I know you mean" said Ginny a feel the same thing.

"I always feel that way," said Neville, "especially just before Potions."

"My dad wrote an article about premonitions, there was this which out side of Swansea who all way saw clouds just before it rained."

"Don't be silly there are no such things as premonitions." Hermione turned to face them all just out side of Hagrid's hut, and everybody sees could s just before it rains, where else would the rain come from!"

"Just the same," put in Ron, something in the others spirits must have rubbed of on him, "something tells me today's not going to be as easy as we thought."