2 February
Dear Diary
The war with You-Know-Who is over and I can't bring myself to speak his name. Harry, Ron, and I are returning to Hogwarts to finish our final year, and our NEWTS. The war was saddening but I live with a new hope in my heart. Ever since Ron heard my voice coming from the strange device Dumbledore gave him, things have become more serious. I believe I hear them returning from the dining car. Expect things to become more boring than our recent adventure; that's for sure. More later, Ron will criticize me for the rest of the trip if he sees me writing.
Love Always
Hermione J. Granger
As I finished my last word, the door to the compartment opened and Ron and Harry stepped in, the remnants of Ron's meal staining his shirt.
"I see your writing in that bloody journal again. I don't know how you can write constantly and never tire," Ron said for the hundredth time since we boarded.
"Well, I'd like to remember this last year as vividly as if I lived it yesterday, of course mind you, when I'm older and have my own family," I said defensively.
"When we have a family you mean," he corrected me.
"Of course," me and Harry said in unison.
I glared at Harry. When did he gain the right to tell me who I was and wasn't going to be with for the rest of my life? He fallen out of the role as hero since the defeat of You-Know-Who and I supposed he needed something to keep him out of trouble. I guessed he didn't want to attract anymore of Snape's unwavering glares during detention.
"Well? I didn't quite catch that bit," Ron said innocently.
"Yes, I will. Don't you doubt that for a heartbeat Ronald Weasley," I said humorously.
He put his arm around me while Harry conversed with us about the coming year and the past war. We chatted until Ron and Harry dozed off. A few hours later, I could see the flickering glow of the castles lamps in the distance. I extracted myself from under Ron's arm so I could place my face against the glass and watched the lights grow as we approached. As we came within the sights of the train station, I woke my sleepy companions.
"Come on you two. We're about to stop and board the carriages."
"Alright, I give up. Would you like help getting your things from the overhead?" Harry asked.
"No thank you. I can still handle myself Harry," I said quietly, "Ron, wake up you lazybones."
"Five more minutes," he grumbled.
"Fine, but in five minutes the train will be emptied and will leave with you still onboard."
"Are we there already? It isn't possible!" he exclaimed.
"You've been asleep for hours. Yes, it's very possible," I explained.
We all gathered up our belongings and waited to be released. People tumbled down from the cars behind ours so they might have a fair chance at reaching the carriages before us all. When our car was released I almost jumped for joy. It had been months since I had been at Hogwarts for any reason.
I lugged my travel chest and Crookshanks' cage that my parents had held onto. I'd asked Professor McGonagall about a charm to reverse the Oblivious hex I'd cast on my parents before the war. Being the brilliant professor she was, she'd found it and I was able to restore their memory.
I looked through the crowd of students and was able to spot some familiar faces, at least those that hadn't been murdered by Him. I saw Ginny Weasley and her friends, along with Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind them. It was strange, I wondered, where's Malfoy? He isn't dead I hope. It was a stupid thing to ask seeing as how I wasn't supposed to care. Ron would have died right over Harry's lost, hatred-filled glare.
The sound of Harry and Ron's harsh words brought me out of my reverie. We were standing in front of the steps to a carriage, speaking to the one student sitting in the dark. The voice sounded frightened but familiar, but I couldn't see the students face from behind Ron's back.
It was the only carriage left, and I pushed my way past Ron and stared right into the face of Draco Malfoy.
"Malfoy, may we ride in the carriage with you seeing as how this is the last one and it looks as if it may rain?" I asked him politely.
"Granger! Umm….certainly. Be my guest," he said uneasily and surprised as if my kindness caught him off guard.
We rode up the winding road to the castle, only making the occasional polite conversation. I suppose we were all a little afraid to say something that might offend the other party. When we final reached the castle, we got out and untied our belongings and made our way up the stairs to the dormitories.
Malfoy wished us a pleasant evening and said he would see us at dinner. This was different from his usual behavior towards us but a good change in my eyes. Ron scowled after he left.
"He's nothing but a bloody liar. I still don't trust him Harry," he remarked.
"Ron, let's not be so quick to judge this new Malfoy. The war has changed all of us. Maybe him more so, we may never know if we don't try to play nice," I said in defense of Malfoy.
"She's right Ron. We might as well give it a try," Harry replied.
As I made my way to the room I shared with Ginny and other Gryffindor girls, I saw the old common room, unchanged since we left. I unpacked my things and put on my new robes that I had ordered from Madame Matkins just in case we never fought the war.
What a horrid assumption, I thought to myself.
