Chapter One.
On September 1st 1996 Hermione Granger was followed to King's Cross station by her two Muggle parents. She was carrying a suitcase that contained her school robes, newly bought school books, and tons of other useful things that Hermione always carried with her no matter where she went. She was looking forward to spend another year at her favourite place in the world, Hogwarts. She had spent her entire Summer on getting ready; studying, pursuing new things, practising and so on.
"Can you now have a good year, dear?" Mr. Granger said to his daughter.
"Yes, thank you," she replied with a smile. She hated saying goodbye to her lovely parents, but she knew she would be back again for Christmas.
Her mother had a worried look on her face. She had used the Summer on trying to convince Hermione to stay at home. It had been a pure waste though. Nothing could keep Hermione from returning to her friends at Hogwarts.
"Stay safe, lovely," Mrs. Granger then said in a soft voice, and kissed her daughters forehead.
"I will," Hermione smiled, "You too," she added. She was fearing her parents safety, but knew that they were getting the greatest protection there was. Hermione hugged her parents goodbye, and saw them leave. She ran towards the brick wall between platform 9 and 10, and ended on platform 9 ¾. As usual the platform was crowded with students, pets and teachers. She had a hard time finding the two people she was looking for.
"Hermione!" a familiar voice yelled. Hermione turned around, and spotted her two best friends Harry Potter and Ronald Weasly. She ran up to them and hugged them tightly. Both of them had grown several of inches over Summer. Ron had grown so much that Hermione accused him for using magic, but she knew he was not clever enough to do so.
They boarded the Hogwarts Express along with many other students.
"Sorry, Harry, but we have to sit in the.." spoke Hermione.
"Prefect compartment, I know," Harry finished for her. He had been sitting in a different compartment than his friends for the past two years. Harry sighed, but left Ron and Hermione behind and went looking for an empty compartment.
"Harry, hi!" Neville Longbottom, one of Harry's friends, yelled from a bit further in the train. He was standing next to Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw in the same year as Ginny Weasly, Ron's younger sister.
"Hi, Neville, Luna." Luna and Neville were standing close to each other. Harry had always had a feeling that they would end up together. He could just imagine them hunting rare creatures in cold countries together. Neville would like that.
"Can I sit with you?" Harry asked. By the glad expression on Luna's face, he could answer himself. They found a compartment near the end of the train.
"Will D.A continue this year?" Luna asked Harry after hours of silence. Harry remembered how much Luna had liked D.A last year.
"Well, there is no reason to now, is there?" Harry saw the excitement fade away in Luna's silvery-grey eyes.
"Do you know who will be our new teacher? Now that we are finally rid of Umbridge," Neville asked. He had also been a part of D.A, and liked it. He had done really well in the end.
"No, I am not quite sure," Harry lied. Why he did not tell Neville and Luna about his and Dumbledore's meeting with Horace Slughorn earlier that Summer? He was probably the one to be teaching them Defence Against the Dark Arts that year.
"Where is he?" Hermione gasped. They were all seated in the Great Hall, eating after a long, exhausting train trip. Hermione had been following Gryffindor's up to the carriages, and was sore from screaming. There had been so much talking that no one had paid attention to her anyway. Even Ron had just walked as had he not had a job to do.
"Dunno," Ron replied, filling his mouth with chicken. Hermione rolled eyes. She was sick of Ron not paying any attention to the situations going on.
"How can you be so calm about this, Ronald -oh." In that very moment a blood stained Harry, and Luna Lovegood entered the Great Hall.
"See, no need to worry," Ron said.
"He is covered in blood!" Hermione pointed out. "Harry, what have you been doing?" she asked as Harry sat down, saying goodbye to Luna who found her spot at the Ravenclaw table.
"Explain later," Harry spit out.
"Now, tell," Hermione said as soon as they entered the Gryffindor common-room.
"Malfoy," was all Harry replied. He was still in shock over hearing that Professor Snape was their new teacher in DADA, and Professor Slughorn was teaching Potions.
"Blimey, Snape? There is no way I will pass the subject this year!" Ron complained, and threw himself into one of the common-room's empty chairs. The most students had gone to bed as Dumbledore had told them to do. Hermione ignored him, and kept looking at Harry.
"What about him?" she asked. She was curious, of course.
Harry told her how he had been hiding in Draco's cabinet, how Draco had discovered him, paralysed him and stamped on his face, so that Harry's nose had broken. He there after had put Harry's invisibility cloak on him, in hope nobody would find him before the train got back to London. Fortunately Luna Lovegood had searched the train, and found Harry. She had also healed his nose, which Harry very much appreciated.
"And before all of that I heard Draco say that he might not even return next year," Harry added, which made Hermione look firstly frightened and then confused.
"But why should Malfoy not return? I mean, his parents seem very into his education," Ron cut in.
"Voldemort does not care about education," said Harry as was it an obvious fact.
"Harry.. You seriously still think that.." Hermione started.
"That Draco is a Death Eater, yes I still think so. I know so." Hermione hushed at him. She was afraid somebody would hear them.
"Harry, that is so ridiculous. You and I both know that Draco is far too young for that. What should You-Know-Who want to do with him?"
Harry did not answer. He, too, could honestly not come up with something Malfoy could do for Voldemort. But he was sure that there was something. He knew Malfoy was a Death Eater. There were no other explanation.
The next morning at breakfast Harry and Ron were discussing Quidditch try-outs. It was different this year because Harry was captain, and had to choose the team.
"But Ron, you do not even have to try out! Of course you are on the team again this year," said Harry. He knew that putting his best mate on the team did not look good, but Ron was actually really good. At least sometimes..
"Really? Why thank you, Harry, my mate!" Ron said. He looked pleased. Probably because he knew that if he actually tried out he would not succeed. It was luck to him that Harry was captain.
"You are the best Keeper in Gryffindor!" Harry knew he was overrating Ron's talents a bit.
"Blimey, thank you!" Ron made his way through some more bacon. He seemed to have gotten his appetite back again.
"You do not even have to be at the try-outs, actually," spoke Harry. He would feel less nervous without Ron around. And then Ron had a tense to.. interrupt Harry's thoughts.
"Good, I do also have a lot of studying to do." A mix of a choke and a chuckle sounded from next to Harry. Hermione had nearly gotten her breakfast the wrong way down her throat.
"Studying?" she chuckled. "Ron, it is beginning of the semester! We started up just last week. How much behind can you actually be?" Ron was not the smartest in class, but even Harry was keeping up.
Harry chuckled along with Hermione, but Ron did not move his gaze from the bacon.
"I actually.." spoke Hermione but then cut herself of.
"You what?" Harry asked without sounding further interested.
"No, nothing." Hermione's voice was fragile, like she had said something she had not intended to say.
"Yes, something! You can not just start a sentence, and then do not tell us the rest!" Ron broke in. he had apparently been paying attention to the conversation without showing it.
"I.." Hermione took a breath. "I-have-considered-trying-out-for-the-Quidditch-team," she said in a hurry. Ron dropped the piece of bacon he had halfway choked through.
"You have what?" he cried. Somewhere behind that cry was a laughter.
"Well, Hermione, that is.." Harry was looking for the right word. He remembered playing friendly matches with Hermione at The Burrow during Summer time, but he had never considered her professional. "Great," he then added after an amount of time.
"You both find me silly, don't you." But she did not say it as a question, more as a fact.
"Hermione, Quidditch, honestly? I mean, you are really great at school and so, but.." Ron said. Hermione turned red in her face, but not from blushing. She was furious.
"Blimey, Ronald Weasly, I am so sick of you never believing in me! Just because I am a girl does not mean I can not play Quidditch!" she said, then she got up from the bench and left the Great Hall for her first lesson.
"Quidditch.. She must be crazy," Ron talked to himself while finishing his bacon. Harry sat as frozen to his chair. If Hermione tried out, how could he in any way turn her down -because she obviously was not good- without her getting mad at him? Sometimes Harry hated making decisions.
At the following days Quidditch try-out Harry watched many Gryffindor, and other students who had sneaked in, fly around nervously. Only a few managed to impress him. Harry found it hard to be captain because there were so many things to be arranged. He had kept Ron for the reason that he knew it would be hard to find a new Keeper.
After having seen all the hopeful students fly around (Sending half of them home because they were not Gryffindors) Harry had a struggle to find out who to put on the team. Both Katie Bell and Ginny Weasly had done great jobs as Chasers, but he needed one more. Ron was the Keeper, Harry himself took place as Seeker, and Jimmy Peaks and Ritchie Coote were Beaters. Harry kept thinking through the try-outs of Demelza Robins and Dean Thomas, but none of them had done so well.
"Is it too late, or can I still try out for Chaser?" a familiar voice sounded from behind. Harry turned around and saw directly into the familiar chocolate brown eyes that he had known for so many years..
