The Wayward Toad
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Summary: In which Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom meet and look for one lost toad.
Rating: K+
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"Blue," Susan thought as Hermione Granger introduced herself. The bushy haired girl took her seat besides Susan in the quiet train compartment. Not blue as in depressing or sad, but rather blue in the sense that Susan believed that Hermione was a Ravenclaw. Had to be if she had truly worried about whether memorizing only half their textbooks would be good enough.
"Susan Bones." Susan calmly replied as she absently fingered her copy of Hogwarts, A History that was resting comfortably on her lap. She had just started the section that covered the misgivings and worries that Slytherin had for Muggle-borns being trained at Hogwarts when Hermione had entered with her school trunk and copy of the same book in hand.
That alone made Susan suspect she would be sorted into Ravenclaw. When she had introduced herself, with a brief history of her discovery of being a witch. Susan had no doubt that she would be sorted into Ravenclaw. She had a true thirst for knowledge and hunger for learning. Susan could tell for she felt exactly the same way about learning.
Before she could tell more about herself, more than just her name, another girl entered the compartment and took a seat opposite them.
"I'm Hermione Granger and this is Susan Bones," Hermione told the newcomer eagerly.
Susan nodded as Hannah Abbot introduced herself.
She was intrigued to note that they all had changed into their school robes. The train had only left the station ten to fifteen minutes ago. She quickly chalked it up to them all being excited and ready for their magical schooling to begin. It was why she had changed the moment she entered the express.
"Have you both thought of what house we will be sorted into?" Hermione began flipping through her copy of Hogwarts, A History. "Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. I personally haven't come to a satisfactory decision. If only more was written about the sorting ceremony..."
Susan missed Hannah's mumbled answer as she notice the candy trolley slowly push past their compartment. Not stopping to offer them treats.
"I don't know. I would like to be Ravenclaw, the house of my father, but I've heard that sorting doesn't regard parental houses in its decision."
Hermione frowned and then nodded. "From what little is said about how one is sorted it does appear that it only reflects on the potential or merits of that student. Not family ties like you mentioned. I wonder what type of exam they will be using to place us..." she trailed off as she continued to flip through her book.
"Exam?" squeaked Hannah, "who said anything about an exam?"
"It makes sense. To require us to do an exam." Susan remarked wishing she had a chocolate frog, but not wanting to go flag down the old lady to acquire one.
"How else would they be able to sort us into the correct houses if not by means of an exam of some sort?" Hermione reasoned aloud as she skimmed through her book. Looking for something but what that something was Susan did not know.
"Written or practical?" Hannah asked leaning forward in her seat, "I mean, do you expect them to make us perform magic and brew elixirs already? When we haven't even had a single class."
Susan automatically replied with her assumption of it being a written exam at the same time Hermione voiced her thoughts on it being a more practical one. They then got into a nice long discussion about why they felt that one method was the more obvious over the other to sort them. Hannah would join in pointing out a flaw in either Hermione's or Susan's reasoning whenever it happened and the three girls spent the passing hours quite contently. Until one blonde boy timidly knocked on their compartment window.
"Come in," Susan and Hermione replied in unison and the boy opened the sliding door. He looked around the compartment and sighed.
"You haven't seen a toad by any chance? Hopping through?"
"A toad?" Susan asked drawing up her feet under herself hurriedly. Trying to avoid any toads that may be lurking under her bench.
"No we haven't," Hermione replied.
"I haven't seen one since boarding the train," added Hannah.
"Oh," the boy said rather despondently before muttering, "Trevor where are you?" before closing the door.
Susan blinked and was about to say something about the odd encounter when Hermione stood and called out as she slid the door open again. "Wait. When did you last seen your pet toad?"
The boy paused and looked at her in surprise. "Just after coming on. He was in my compartment as I changed into my robes. I left to buy some candy from the trolley and when I came back he was gone."
"We will help you look."
"We will?" Susan asked looking at Hermione in shock. A lost pet was one thing but a toad? Maybe the boy had lucked out and it had hopped out of the train to freedom? Probably not, but this was the wizarding world. Weirder things had been known to happen.
"I will at least." Hermione replied straightening her robes and joining the boy in the main corridor.
"I'll help." Hannah offered as she too got to her feet, "what does Trevor look like?"
"He's about three years old and about average size. Green."
Susan rolled her eyes and sighed for good measure before joining in on the impromptu search and rescue mission. "We'll help you look for your toad. Um, what is your name?"
The boy blushed and then cleared his throat. "Neville Longbottom."
Susan stiffened slightly. The son of Alice and Frank Longbottom. The ones terribly tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. No wonder he was shy and rather timid.
"Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot," Hermione pointed to each one of them before pointing at herself, "and I'm Hermione Granger. Muggle-born. What train car is your compartment in?"
Neville blinked at her then gave her the number. "How does that help us find Trevor?"
"Well," Hermione began, "Susan can search that car to see if you overlook anything. Especially places where a toad could hide. Hannah and you could work together. Asking each compartment whether they have seen any toads or not. Starting from here onward to the engine. While I can retrace your steps backwards starting from here to the last car. Just in case he has been spotted since you last asked." She quickly added.
"Oh," was Neville's only reply before he and Hannah began working forward. Susan didn't argue with Hermione's logic, as she didn't see anything faulty about it, but she was not a toad-person and secretly wished she wouldn't be running into Trevor anytime soon.
"Blue. She is clearly blue." Susan thought again as she heard Hermione knock on a compartment down from theirs and began her questioning. "Or, maybe a little bit red." she finally conceded to herself. A Gryffindor would do something like orchestrating a toad search for a missing pet toad.
Fini
Disclaimer: For the full disclaimer please refer to the first installment.
Submission for: 1991 Challenge at HPFFC.
Prompts:
September Event Prompt: Plot - Being on the Hogwarts Express
1991 Challenge Prompt: Susan Bones. Blue.
Word Count: 1,171
