Chapter Three: Destiny Unfolds, Part One

September First, 2011

Athena rolled over in her bed, groaning. The night before, she had stayed up until midnight chatting with her father via the Trans-Time Notebook, and now she was totally regretting it. On the corner of her bed, near her feet, Cinder still slept, purring happily. Probably dreaming about chasing rats or something, Athena thought as she chuckled to herself. Scowling slightly, she dragged herself out of bed, preparing herself mentally for the day. Today was going to be one of the most important days of her life!

While Athena was running a brush through her fiery red hair, she listened to the sounds of activity from the other people in the same hallway. Every morning she did the same thing, for listening to the sounds of normality greatly calmed her down. Mentally sighing, she pulled off the pajama dress she had slept in the night before, and pulled on a pair of muggle jeans and a t-shirt with the slogan "I Visited Independence Hall and All I Got Was this T-Shirt!" that she had gotten when she had visited Philadelphia a couple weeks before. After pulling her hair back in a ponytail so it wouldn't be in the way, Athena started to pack herself up. Humming a song to herself (I Just Can't Wait to Be King from the movie The Lion King) she waved her wand, using a handy little spell George had taught her the previous summer to pack everything up at once. Gods, she loved that spell.

Finally, she was walking through King's Cross station, observing the trains with a mild sense of curiosity. Athena knew how to get on the platform, seeing as her adoptive father had gone to Hogwarts as well, so she headed straight for Platforms Nine and Ten. On her way there, she passed a group of three. One of the members of that group appeared to be about her age, with large bushy hair and hazel brown eyes. She was talking to her parents hastily.

"Come on, Mum, dad! We're going to miss the train! It's 10:00 and we haven't even found the platform! Oh, where's my copy of Hogwarts, A History? I'm sure it says something about the platform somewhere!"

"Relax Hermione. We have an hour." A male's voice reached her ears. This must be the girl's father.

"But still! We could never find it, and then I would miss the train!"

"Don't worry, dearest. We will find it."

Athena started. This girl must be going to Hogwarts as well, but she didn't know where the platform was. Athena decided to help a classmate in need and point in the direction of the platform.

"Excuse me."

The conversation stopped as Athena walked confidently toward them. "I can tell you how to get on the Platform. All you have to do is walk between the walls of Platforms Nine and Ten, and don't think about crashing. Here, Hermione right?" The girl nodded, not daring to hope that this girl was being friendly with her. "Well, Hermione, you can come through with me." She told her, and then gestured to Hermione's parents. "As for you two, just watch us and you will see how it is done."

They nodded, still confused.

"A-are you sure?" Stammered Hermione. Athena nodded, and grinned cheekily at her.

"Of course, I'm always right!"

"Well, if you say so."

The elder Grangers watched as their only daughter and a stranger they didn't even know disappear through the barrier, and they hoped that this stranger truly wanted to take their daughter under her wing.

Meanwhile, Hermione quickly closed her eyes as they rushed toward the wall, fearing the worst. But they didn't crash. The wind kept on coming. So when they stopped, she opened her eyes and gasped. In front of her stood the most beautiful scarlet and gold steam engine she had ever seen. She looked up and saw a sign that proclaimed this as Platform Nine and Three Quarters. She had done it! It was not a prank! All around her, happy music played in her ears as she watched the scene unfold. Families exchanged tearful goodbyes, and caring parents gave last minute reminders. Hermione overheard one boy telling his grandmother he had lost his toad, and another set of boys teasing their little brother. She smiled. It was on this platform that she would begin her true destiny.

"Well, Hermione? Want to go find a compartment?" the girl asked as she put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and gestured toward the train. Hermione nodded as she dragged her trunk toward the train, and they eventually found an empty compartment near the back of the train. At this time, the train started to move.

"You know," Hermione began as she sat down with the girl on the cushiony seats inside the compartment, "I never did get your name."

"I'm Athena Washington, but this world knows me as Athena Potter."

Hermione instantly perked up at this. "Wow, really? I've read all about you. You're in Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts!"

Athena chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm. She was a Ravenclaw if she ever saw one. "Easy there, Hermione. Remember, don't trust everything you read. Books can be used as propaganda as easily as newspapers, as George once told me."

"Who's George?"

Athena explained, and Hermione sat there, fascinated with her tale. By the time she finished her explanation, a couple hours had passed.

"Wow! I would give anything to meet him!" Hermione exclaimed when Athena finished telling the tale. Athena chuckled, but got interrupted by the compartment door sliding open. She looked up to see who it was and realized it was the pale boy from Diagon Alley, the Malfoy kid. This time, however, he was accompanied by two… were those pigs?

"They're saying all down the train that Athena Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, huh? I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. We met at Madam Malkin's last month. Come with me so I can introduce you to the proper sort. No use for the Girl-Who-Lived to be hanging out with slimy mudbloods. Come along!" He told her, holding out his hand for her to shake. Over in the corner, Hermione was pointedly not looking at the scene. Hermione thought she was going to lose the first friend she had ever made. But Athena didn't move. Instead, she glared at Draco with cold, Avada Kedavra green eyes. Hermione felt hope swell up in her.

"I do not take too kindly to a person that hurts the feelings of another, especially if the person getting insulted is my friend. Mutationem caprarum rosea!" Snarled Athena, flicking her wand at the Malfoy heir. Suddenly, Malfoy's hair turned… pink! Draco started spluttering in anger.

"Hmmm, how about if we add some green skin with that! Pink does go well with green after all." Hermione started snickering as Athena cast a second spell, getting the reference to one of her favorite musicals. Athena turned to her and gave a sadistic grin. "viridi cute!"

Malfoy's skin turned green. Draco was fuming. How dare this… this… traitor humiliate him like this! His father would totally hear about this!

"MY FATHER WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS!" He shouted, face red with uncontrollable anger. For some reason, Athena and Hermione looked at each other and started giggling into their hands. Soon, they were full on laughing. Outside the compartment, a small crowd had gathered to watch the commotion take place. In his rage, Malfoy left the compartment, steaming with fury.

When the Malfoy heir had left and the crowd had dispersed, Athena and Hermione looked at each other and high-fived. They were not celebrating for long before they were interrupted once again by the trolley lady, who brought her cart full of tasty treats along. Grinning mischeviously, Athena pulled out her wallet. She dug in there for a minute until she found what she as looking for in one of her jacket pockets: a handful of galleons. She looked the trolley witch in the eye and said, "We'll take the lot!"

A minute later, after Hermione protested a bit, ("My parents are dentists! They would kill me if they caught us eating this much sugar!") we find our favorite duo sitting and eating many various sweets. By now, Athena has had at least three chocolate frogs, adding the cards of Circe, Merlin, Nicholas Flamel, and coincidentally enough, the cards for Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to her ever-growing collection. Hermione, on the other hand, had gotten the cards for Rowena Ravenclaw, Albus Dumbledore ("So this is Dumbledore!"), Helga Hufflepuff, and Morgana Le Fay, which were all now safely stored in her collection. They had given the Every Flavor Beans a pass, especially after Athena got a poopy-flavored bean. When they were about an hour away from Hogsmeade Station, they were interrupted again (surprise surprise) by a tall gangly red-head, whose face was adorned with numerous freckles, at the door.

"Do you mind? My twin brothers kicked me out of their compartment. And all the other ones are full."

Hermione and Athena looked at each other. Athena thought the boy looked shifty, seeing as he was shuffling his feet back and forth and his eyes were moving around nervously. He was clearly lying, and hadn't she read in Hogwarts, A History that the train magically expanded itself if all the compartments were full? He probably just wanted to be near the famous Athena Potter.

"I wouldn't mind, if I thought you were being honest. But I distinctly remember reading in Hogwarts, A History that the Express magically expanded itself if it was full. Clearly you have not read that book. I would also give you the benefit of the doubt, but my gut is telling me not to trust you. So please get out before Athena here hexes you." Hermione ranted. Ron Weasley, however, ignored the witch that was clearly a mudblood and went to sit next to the famous Potter female, the one who had all the fame.

That was going to be the stupidest mistake you ever made. No one ignored Athena's friends if she had any say about it. And this boy was clearly around her for the glory. She hated people like that.

"Missa Ictus!" Growled Athena, flicking her wand once more at the Weasel spawn, and laughed loudly with Hermione as she watched the second-youngest Weasley perform an exceptional tap dance routine. Once again, the Weasel left the compartment, only for two redheaded twins to descend upon them.

"Don't mind our brother-"

"-He's just a little thick in the head-"

"Yeah, that's what it is. I'm Fred-"

"And I'm George-"

"Weasley." The two finished together. Athena's mind was blown. How the heck did they do that twin speak?

"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Athena Potter." Hermione decided to be brave, and introduce herself to the Terrible Two, as they were known around Hogwarts.

"Pleasure to meet you." One twin, who she thought was Fred, said. Hey, that rhymed!

Their conversation was once more interrupted by a loudspeaker, which stated, "We will be arriving at Hogsmeade Station in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, for it will be taken into your dormitories."

"Nice to meet you too, but can you please leave while we change? We will see you around Hogwarts."

"Au revoir, firsties! See you around!" Chorused Fred and George as they left, sliding the compartment door shut. Athena and Hermione glanced at each other, and had an unofficial race to see who could change into their robes first. Needless to say, Athena won.

"We are now arriving at Hogsmeade Station. Thank you for riding on the Hogwarts Express."


END OF CHAPTER


Disclaimer: I do not own HP, Wicked, The Lion King, or 1776 or any other musical/book/movie mentioned/referenced to in this story. Toodles for now!