I Never Told You

Chapter One:

The train was full of kids traveling up and down the aisle. Some would stop at compartments they found their friends in. Others were just looking for a place to put their trunk and relax. One young girl with brown bushy hair was sitting in a compartment by herself. Hogwarts: A History open in her lap. She looked up when the compartment door slid open.

"Is this seat taken?" A round faced boy asked sheepishly, red coloring his cheeks.

"No. Please." She gestured toward the seat across from her. "I'm Hermione Granger, and you are?"

"Neville Longbottom." He barely said above a whisper. "And this is Trevor." He nodded his head toward the toad he had tightly grasped in his hands.

"Do you mind?" He asked, holding the very green, very squished looking Trevor toward her. Hermione closed the book in her lap and set it on the open seat next to her before taking the toad from him.

"Thanks." He replied as he bent over to pick his trunk up off the ground and placing it in the overhead bin. When he was sure the trunk was secure he turned around, taking Trevor back from Hermione and sat down.

"It's exciting isn't it. To finally be going. My family was worried I wouldn't be accepted. Thought I was a squib." He finished in a small, embarrassed voice. Then he perked up, "So, what about you? Have you always known you were going to go to Hogwarts?"

"Well, no actually. I didn't know about magic at all. Then one day a woman came to our door and explained to me and my parents why I could do the things I could. Honestly, I didn't believe her at first. Then she turned our tea pot into a hedgehog. She told us I was a witch and with proper training I could do the same and more. Then gave me a letter telling me I had been accepted to Hogwarts."

"So, you're a muggleborn? You're parents aren't magical?"

"That's right."

"I'm pureblood. We've had magic in our family as far back as I know."

"Does it make a difference?" She asked meekly.

"Not really. I mean, yeah to some it will, but for the most part it doesn't matter at all."

She was glad he said it didn't matter. She would never admit it, but it was bothering her. She knew perfectly well what it felt like to not have friends. To be looked at differently. To feel as though you don't belong. Her time at primary school was lonely. She tried to make friends, she really did, but she just didn't understand the other students.

The teachers liked her well enough. She listened in class. She never caused trouble. She did what she was asked. She quickly realized when she could answer the questions they asked her she'd feel empowered. So, she would make sure she always had the answers to their questions.

The compartment door slid open and two faces were looking in on them. "Are these seats taken?" The pale boy spoke with a heavy Scottish accent.

Neville was the one to tell them to come in and moved over a bit to give them some more space.

"I'm Neville."

"Hermione." She said as she gave a little wave.

"I'm Ernie."

"Susan."

The two pushed their trunks into the overhead bin and took their seats. Hermione let the three talk while she sat back and kept reading her book. It was fascinating. It was a short time later when Neville jumped from his seat.

"Trevor!" He shouted as he looked around in a panic. "He's gone. Where has he gone?"

Hermione closed her book, shuffled it to the side, and began to help him look for his pet. She didn't see him anywhere in the compartment. "He's not here. I'll check the other compartments. See if anyone has seen him."

"Good idea. I'll help you." Said Ernie.

They walked out of the compartment. Ernie going to the left and Hermione choosing the right. The first compartment she came to had a bunch of girls sitting together. Two who looked exactly alike. "Has anyone seen a toad?" The girls shook their heads, so Hermione closed the door. The next compartment she checked had a group of students sitting together giving all their attention to a blonde-haired boy.

She slid open the door and they all looked at her. "Excuse me, has anyone seen a toad? There's one missing."

"A toad. What prat brought a toad?" The boy sneered. A smirk on his face that made him look as if he was smelling something unpleasant.

Hermione stood a little taller. Not letting the boy's remark affect her. "That's not really the point. Have you seen the toad or not?" She said in the bossiest voice she could muster. She knew boys like this. Boys who thought they could intimidate others through judgment and ridicule. Well, it wouldn't work on her.

The blonde-haired boy tilted his head, looking at her for a moment before replying. "No." She closed the door and moved on. She went to a few other compartments, talking to the students inside, but having no luck finding Trevor. The last compartment she came to had two boys sitting across from each other. One with the brightest red hair she'd ever seen in her life. The other with dark hair who apparently didn't own a comb.

She slid the door open and sighed "Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost one." She looked at the boys and couldn't help but notice that the red-head had dirt on his face. It also looked like they were about to do some magic. She had seen proper magic done when the woman came to her house explaining about Hogwarts. After she went to Diagon Alley and bought her school books she was eager to try a few spells out. She had never seen someone her own age perform magic. She was curious.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then."

The boy recited some ridiculous poem. Not likely a real spell. As it were, nothing happened. "That's not a real spell is it?" She asked. The boy looked at her incredulously. Embarrassment plain as the dirt on his face. She looked at the dark-haired boy and noticed for the first time that his glasses were broken.

"I can fix those if you'd like." And she pulled her wand from her robes, pointing it at his face. His eyes went cross, and he sat a little straighter in his seat.

"Oculus reparo." All fixed. The boy pulled the glasses from his face and that's when she saw it. A scar on his forehead. In the shape of a lightning bolt. She instantly remembered her reading.

"You're Harry Potter." She said matter-of-factly. He just stared at her. "I'm Hermione Granger." She looked to the red head, "and you are?"

"Ron Weasley." He said, mouth open, looking at her in astonishment.

She noticed they were still dressed in regular clothing. This was what she found in all the compartments that she had stopped in. Was she really the only one to put her wizard robes on as soon as she got on the train? "You two better get in to your robes, I expect we'll be arriving soon." She said and closed the door and walked away.

Having no luck finding Trevor, she made her way back to the compartment with her belongings. They should be arriving soon, and she needed to check over her things and make sure everything was in its place. She opened the door to see Neville clutching his toad, and Ernie explaining that he was outside a compartment just a short way from theirs.

"I'm glad you found him Neville." She said to the round-faced boy as she made her way in to her seat.

"Thanks for helping. My uncle gave him to me when they found out I'd be going to Hogwarts. Gran would kill me if I lost him."

The rest of the train ride was uneventful, and it was almost dark before the train pulled into the station with a large sign saying Hogsmeade. When the doors opened everyone filed out on to the platform. A large man was standing there with a lantern beckoning first years to follow him. That had to be the tallest man she'd ever seen in her life.

From the station the children, with the man leading the way, walked to a lake where a fleet of boats were waiting for them. The large man got into the biggest one and had the children get in the rest. Hermione got into a boat and looked around for Neville, Ernie and Susan. It seemed they had gone into a different boat from hers. It was a pair of twins and another girl who got into the boat with her.

"Alright everyone. Let's get you lot to the castle for sorting." He boomed.

But there were no oars. How were they supposed to get there if they had no way of moving the boat forward? As she looked around the boat made a slight jerk forward as if being pulled by a rope, only there was no rope. The boat was moving itself forward. "Brilliant." Was the only thing she could say.

If she thought the boats were brilliant, there were no words to describe her admiration as the castle came into view. And then when they entered the Great Hall she struggled to take it all in. It was huge. She followed the other students as they shuffled toward a small stool near the front of the room. On the stool was a ratty looking hat. The woman at the front was the same woman who came to her house, Professor McGonagall. She explained the hat would be the method they used to sort the students into their houses.

When it was her turn she walked to the front and sat on the chair. She didn't expect it, but the hat talked to her. After having a one-sided conversation, it decided to put her in Gryffindor. She hopped off the stool and walked to an open seat at the table waiting for everyone else to be sorted. Susan was already sitting at the Hufflepuff table where Ernie joined her. Harry and Ron were sorted into Gryffindor with her. While the blonde-haired boy, she found out was called Draco Malfoy, was put in Slytherin.

The feast began. Hermione couldn't help looking around. The teachers were at the front of the room at a long table facing them, deep in conversation with one another. She looked to the other tables. The students chatted amongst themselves getting to know others in their year, as well as others from their house. Everyone seemed preoccupied with something, except Draco. He was looking at her. When he noticed she was looking back at him a crooked smile crossed his face and she smiled back, feeling the rush of blood flow to her cheeks.

The next day was the start of classes. Although she had already read the text books she was enthralled by it all. Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology. There was so much to learn. So much to soak in. She listened to the teachers. She answered their questions when they asked. She did extra reading. She never knew the wonderful world of magic, but now that she had become a part of it, she was determined to learn all she could.

That first week of school Hermione found herself, more-often-than-not, in the library. At her old school she would have sat alone. She would have three or four books open, simultaneously reading them all. Not paying any attention to anything or anyone around her. But here, she wanted to have friends. She found an interesting book and made her way to a table with a few scattered students sitting at it.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" She whispered to the group. When no one protested, she placed the book on the table and sat. She had read a few pages when she felt someone approach the table. She looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing with a book in his hands.

"Would you like to sit?"

He answered by putting his book down and pulling out the chair across from her. He didn't say anything, just opened his book and began reading. They would take turns glancing up from their books and looking at the other. Never at the same time, but still aware the other was looking.

And that is how it went over the first few days of school. They wouldn't talk, just sat across from each other and read. While she might not have made any traditional friends yet, she did have her nights in the library with the boy with the blonde hair.