A/N: Hello readers! Welcome to my story "The Truth Can Change You". The first thing I have to note is that this story is a rewrite! The original is still going to be posted on my profile, if only because I don't want to lose the memories of those who reviewed the story the first time around.
I also would like to note that Hermione defiantly appears a little OOC at times in this story. I tried to stick as close to the books as possible as a story line. In the original story, Richard was in the same year as Hermione through out Hogwarts, however, after rereading the sotry 5 years after I wrote it, I realized that a) the writing was terrible and b) I didn't like going out of storyline. So I changed a bit of it, added a few details here and there, however a lot of it is still the same. So, if you've read this story before, thanks for coming back! If this is the first time, please keep an open mind!
I hope to see many readers come back for more, and please review, I don't care if you review every chapter, personally I love when readers do that! Anywho, that's all I have to say. Please, enjoy.
The war was over and things were beginning to get back to normal, especially on platform 9 ¾ where hundreds of Hogwarts students boarded the train and waited for it to leave. Hermione Granger was among those hundreds of students. She grabbed her trunk and walked aboard the train, searching for an empty compartment. At the back of the train she found one, stashed her trunk on the racks, and took a seat.
Yes, Hermione Granger was almost 19 years old and should have been long gone from Hogwarts, however, after the war and missing her last year of schooling, she decided to take Professor McGonagall up on the opportunity to finish her education and move on into the real world, the proper way. Of course her two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley didn't think this way. They believed they had enough training, believed themselves to be ready to face whatever the Wizarding World had in store for them after the war. In a way they were right. The trio had gone through so much the last year, and learned to use many skills they didn't know they had even possessed. Sure, Hermione could have chosen to join the Auror department alongside them, but Hermione Granger believed in doing things the right way.
Hermione glanced out the window and at the nervous faces of the parents standing there. She couldn't blame them for worrying about their kids, although she knew the real danger had passed. Voldemort was dead and the Wizarding World was safe from the likes of him and his Death Eaters.
A knock of the door startled Hermione, making her jump. She turned to the door to see a handsome boy with dirty blonde hair standing in the entrance to the compartment.
"I'm sorry to bother you," he said, "but would you mind if I sat here? I can't seem to find a compartment."
Hermione smiled at him, "go ahead," she said. The boy looked very vaguely familiar but she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out who he was.
"I don't mean to sound rude but you just look so familiar to me but I can't place your name."
"Richard Wilson," the boy smiled. "I'm actually not even supposed to be returning to Hogwarts at all. I was supposed to have graduated two years ago. However I felt my education was lacking. When McGonagall announced she was accepting students to repeat their seventh year I wrote to her, explaining my fear that I wasn't trained properly, what with all the switching of teachers, and interruptions we've had the past few years. She understood my concern and agreed I could repeat my seventh year if I felt it was necessary."
"McGonagall is a wonderful woman," Hermione smiled, "she will be a splendid headmistress."
"Couldn't agree more," a voice said from the door. Hermione and Richard both looked up to see Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley enter the compartment.
"Hello Richard," Luna said smiling at the boy. "I didn't know you were coming back to Hogwarts."
"You two know each other?" Hermione asked as Ginny took a seat beside her.
"Oh yes, Richard is in Ravenclaw,"
"That and my father helped old Xeno out a few years ago."
"What happened?" Hermione asked, remembering Luna's father.
"Xeno found these old stones and claimed they belonged to Nargles. Apparently Nargles used them to scare off unwanted enemies." Ginny rolled her eyes and Hermione stifled a laugh while Luna nodded seriously. "What the stones really did was jinx whoever tried using them. Dark Magic," he said, catching Hermione and Ginny's attention. Their faces were serious again. "Dark Magic was placed on the stones. Xeno tried using the stones and my father, who was coming up to talk about some article in the quibbler, found him lying under a tree. When he touched the stones he must have been thrown backwards and jinxed. Father helped remove the jinx and mother cured him, however Xeno still believes the Nargles own them."
"What happened to the stones?" Hermione asked.
"Father used his wand to throw them in the river behind Lovegood's house, and buried them. Xeno is determined to find them but Father hid them fairly deep down in the mud."
"That's terrible," Hermione said frowning.
"Daddy was alright," Luna said, "he wrote a nice long article about it for the quibbler the next day! By the way, Richard, this is Ginny Weasley."
"I know," he said. The girls looked at him confused. "And you're Hermione Granger, smartest witch of the generation."
"I wouldn't go that far," Hermione said, cheeks turning slightly pink.
"I would," Richard said looking at her seriously and she blushed harder, cheeks turning from pink to red. Ginny, noticing this, cleared her throat.
"Ron said to wish you good luck this year," she said. Hermione looked at her. "He and Harry wanted to be here to say goodbye but they had Auror training at 8 this morning."
"That was sweet of him," Hermione mumbled, looking uncomfortable.
"Something wrong Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"Has Ron not mentioned anything?" Hermione asked. Ginny shook her head and Hermione sighed. "Ron and I decided we would be better off as friends, things just weren't working right for us, and with his Ministry work and me going back to Hogwarts, we decided it just wouldn't work."
It was quiet in the compartment, nobody saying anything. Hermione stood up and opened her trunk. "I'm going to change into my robes," she said quietly, leaving the compartment and finding the bathrooms to change in.
When she came back, the trio left in the compartment was buzzing with conversation again and a pile of candy from the trolley was sitting on both seats.
"Want some Every Favour Beans?" Ginny asked, holding her hand out.
Hermione smiled and took some, popping one in her mouth with hesitation. She chewed and made a face. Ear Wax. Richard, watching her from across the compartment, laughed.
"What?" she asked, swallowing the bean quickly and popping another one in. Pepper.
"Your face was priceless," he said.
"You were watching me?" she asked him and he smiled and nodded.
"Yup," there was no hesitation and no shame when he admitted it. Hermione blushed and took a bite of a chocolate frog. The rest of the ride to Hogwarts went quickly, the group of four talking and laughing. Richard was easy to talk to, easy to joke with, and fun to be around. Hermione had missed this, joking and laughing in the train. Sure, it wasn't the same without Harry and Ron, but that didn't mean she shouldn't enjoy herself.
Finally the train arrived at Hogsmead Station and students began pulling their trunks down and getting off the train. Hermione followed the rest of the students, feeling happy and excited to be back.