Chapter 3

September the first couldn't come fast enough for Hermione. She would miss her parents but she knew that Hogwarts was an experience some children would only dream of. She crossed off the days on her calendar (neatly in red biro) and packed her trunk days in advance to prepare. Her mother started to get quite teary-eyed and sobbed when Hermione wasn't around. It was a little surreal, but she supposed warranted since it had just been sprung upon them that they wouldn't see her until Christmas.

On the first at eight o'clock, Hermione sprung out of bed, a beaming smile on her face, and her voice running around and around in her head, reminding her of all the things that had been on her mind. Really it's nothing to be excited about, I mean it's only school, now you must set a good example. Of course if there's a test when we first get there, you'll be fine because you read all of the books set, and if there's a practical examination, then you should be fine anyway, because they won't expect you to do anything that's not mentioned in the books and you've practically mastered all of the simple spells…

Breakfast: sugar free bran flakes. Her parents were dentists after all…and they are good for the teeth. At about half past nine they got in the car and headed for Kings Cross station. It was quite a while away, and they arrived there at quarter past ten. The station was full of people bustling about and fighting over trolleys. A few oddly dressed teenagers rushed past them as they walked onto the platform, and a family of about seven people were all bustling about trying to separate the luggage to individual trolleys. Hermione led the way to platform nine, then waited expectantly. Her father stood before her for a moment, staring down at her as though attempting to memorise her face. Then he hugged her tightly and told her to stay safe…next her mother who was now crying uncontrollably and drawing a little attention to herself. Martha bent down and spluttered something indecipherable behind the tears. Hermione nodded anyway and hugged her mother, allowed herself to be smothered with kisses, then said her last goodbyes. Over her mother's shoulder she could see the family of seven heading her way. She wanted to get on the train before they did, they looked like a noisy bunch. Then they stopped to talk to someone, a kid, so she took her chance. She waved to her parents as she leant on the barrier and slid right through as though it was never there. Now she was in a completely different place. It was still a platform, and there was a big red train waiting to be boarded, but there was a magical feel about the air. There was a cloud of smoke drifting from the train, but Hermione could swear there was a purple tint to it, and it smelt like violet. She pushed her trolley through the throngs of people towards the train and a boy with a prefect badge helped her to load her trunk up, then she headed off down the carriage searching for a compartment. She found an empty one and sat down in the corner with Hogwarts: A History which she was reading for the sixth time.

After about ten minutes a round faced boy slid open the door and went red when he spotted Hermione.
"H-hi…my names Neville, can I please sit here…e-everywhere else is f-full…" he stammered, going even redder in the face. Hermione beamed at him.
"Sure Neville, my name's Hermione. Come sit here…but I'm not going to talk much, it's vital that I know as much as I can when we get there." She replied, indicating the book she was holding.
"Why! Is there going t-to be a test?" he asked, going (if it's possible) even redder still. He suddenly looked like he'd rather be anywhere than the train at that moment.
"Oh don't worry Neville, it probably won't be hard." Hermione assured him as he sat down, but his face was still screwed up in misery.

They had sat together in silence for what must have been another five minutes when a small vicious looking woman appeared at the door to their compartment. She glared at Neville as she pulled the door open, then she thrust out her hand and Hermione was shocked to see a fat toad sitting on it.
"You boy had better not lose it!" She shrieked before vanishing again. Hermione blinked then looked at Neville who was shaking slightly.
"My nan…" he explained in a faint voice. "And my toad," he said, showing Hermione the toad, now in his hand. "Trevor." He finalised, then he put his head against the window and watched the people on the platform.

Hermione looked out of the window and spotted the large family arrive on the platform. They all looked very familiar, and she wondered if she'd seen them before. They all had vivid red hair, and the youngest boy was having his face scrubbed by the mother. There was only one daughter, and the rest looked troublesome. The boy they had talked to before crossing to 93/4 was nowhere to be seen. Hermione watched as two of the boys (twins) vanished with the trunks, then the eldest who shook hands with his father and pecked his mother on the cheek, cast a disapproving look at the returning twins before leaving himself. The youngest's eyes widened at something the twins had just told him…the girl started jumping up and down before she was scolded by the mother…Hermione just watched with interest.

After another few minutes she decided to change into her robes so she pulled them out of her bag and threw them on, then sat back down to read her book. A whistle blew somewhere, and the red-head's made their way quickly onto the train. Neville looked around them sheepishly then cried "Oh no! I've forgotten my wand!" before dashing out of the compartment. Hermione checked her watch – 10:57 – he'd make it if he hurried. Luckily for Neville, his grandmother hadn't left the platform yet.

At 11:00 the whistle blew again, and Neville collapsed down into his seat. Parents along the platform waved and students bellowed out the windows to them. Hermione heard something about a toilet seat from the compartment next to hers…but shrugged it off and went back to reading her book as the train jolted forwards. They were on their way to Hogwarts!

It was about an hour later when Neville finally managed to attract Hermione's attention without having to overcome his shy nature and talk to her. She noticed him staring at her, almost tears in his eyes.
"Neville? Are you ok?" she asked, lowering her book.
"Trevor's gone. Nan's going to kill me if I don't find him…I don't know what I'll do…" he said quietly, looking helplessly at the floor as though expecting the toad to leap up saying 'here I am!'
"Well, search the compartment then Neville. I'll look in the luggage rack, you check under the seats." She said, trying to be kind but really just glad she was in charge of something. At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Neville jumped up off the floor so that his bottom was no longer pointing at their visitor, and an elderly lady popped her head in the compartment.
"Anything from the trolley dears?" she asked in a frail sounding voice. Neville shook his head and Hermione beamed down at the lady.
"Yes please," she said jumping down from the seat she had been stood on to check the luggage rack. She went out into the passageway to see what was for sale, and bought a pumpkin pasty, some non-alcoholic butterbeer and a liquorice wand. She put them on her seat for eating when she had finished the task at hand. "Come on Neville, let's go ask about." She said, so they went back into the passageway and walked down the way the trolley lady had come. She checked a few compartments but everyone just shook their heads, then she came to one with two boys in. One had red hair, and Hermione recognised him as the youngest of the family from the platform. The other had scruffy black hair and clothes that were too big for him. He also had round glasses that were broken and sellotaped together in several places. The red haired one had his wand out and pointed at a rat on his knee.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." She asked. They both rolled their eyes.
"We've already told them we haven't seen it," said the read haired one.
"Oh, are you doing magic?" they looked at each other… "Let's see it then." She said in her bossiest voice. The red haired one cleared his throat loudly, whilst the other smirked and started picking about in the huge pile of sweets they had between them.
"Sunshine, Daisies, Butter, mellow…turn this stupid fat rat yellow!" he exclaimed. A yellowish spark flew out of his wand but nothing happened to the rat. Hermione smiled to herself, she could probably do something better than that.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not a very good one, is it?" The red haired one pulled a face at his friend who tried not to laugh. Hermione moved into the compartment and sat down opposite them. "I've only tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learnt all out set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it'll be enough – I'm Hermione Granger , by the way, who are you?" They were silent for a moment whilst they exchanged looks. They obviously hadn't read the set texts.
"I'm Ron Weasley." The red haired one muttered, his hand full of what looked like fluorescent jelly beans.
"Harry Potter." said the other.
"Are you really?" Hermione asked, she'd read all about him – he was the only person alive to survive the killing spell, and Voldemort had been vanquished because of him. Voldemort had been on a rampage practically, killing hundreds of people, and then one night he went to visit the Potters, and killed Harry's parents in a heart-beat. But he couldn't kill Harry. He used the killing spell, Harry survived, and Voldemort vanished. People said he was dead, Harry was a hero. But Hermione didn't want to say all of that out loud. "I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century." For some reason he looked stunned. It was as though he hadn't read as much as he could about Magical history…as though he didn't know how famous he was…
"Am I?" he asked. That only confirmed what Hermione expected. These boys weren't going to take their education seriously.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," she said. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been reading and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, I'd better go look for Neville's toad. You two had better change into your robes, I expect we'll be there soon."

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