Behind the Brains
Chapter 4
You do know that's not a platform number?
A/N Three guesses as to what this chapter is about!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter but | do own...my socks?
-HP-
The days flew by and soon it was the thirty-first of August. Hermione had packed her trunk the day before and was sitting on her bed reading Hogwarts, A History, after she had read all of her set books and the other extra books she had acquired at Diagon Alley: 101 charms for everyday life, Transfiguration Tricks and the books Dedalus recommended Modern Magical History, The Rise an Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.
'The things in here really are interesting!' though Hermione, 'I mean who would of thought that you could charm a ceiling to look like the sky outside! I'll have to try that some day.'
Sitting up Hermione remembered that she was allowed to try some spells from her books. She had read them all through several times and was confident that, if she were to be quizzed on the information in the books, she could answer any question about the content.
'Oh right magic!' Hermione thought moving over to her trunk, opening it and removing a wand. 10 and 3/4 inch, made from vine wood and had a core of dragon heartstring. Hermione was proud that the fifth wand she tried had shot gold and silver sparks from the end when she swished it.
Hermione then opened her charms book and turned to page three hundred and seventy-four. She then moved her eyes over to look at the spell description.
Water-Making spell (aguamenti)
Incantation: Aguamenti (AGUA-menti)
Hand Movement: Flick wand
Effect: Produces a fountain of water from the wand tip
'Seems simple enough.' She thought and was just about to attempt the charm when two thoughts struck her, 1. How was she going to stop the water, and 2. If this charm produces water, wouldn't it be better to do it in the bathroom.
Walking into the bathroom Hermione turned the pages until she found the page reading:
Canceling spell (Finite)
Incantation: Finite (Fin-ee-tay)
Hand Movement: No hand movement purely verbal
Effect: Cancels last spell produced
Hermione smiled, "Aguamenti" She said
A fountain of water was produced from the end of the wand and fell into the bath.
"Ummm...Finite!" She exclaimed.
'Oh my god I've just done magic!' she thought excitedly 'I'm going to try another one!'
She flipped through the book until she happened upon a charm that opened locks.
Unlocking spell (Alohomora)
Incantation: Alohomora (Aloh-ho-mora)
Hand Movement: Tap locked object
Effect: Unlocks locked object
'Well,' She thought 'It never hurts to be prepared does it!'
She walked over to her locked bathroom door and said "Alohomora" As she taped the lock.
There was a click and she reached out towards the door and pushed it lightly. Slowly the door swung open and gathering up her book she walked back into her room to do some more reading and try out some new spells.
-HP-
It was the morning of the first of september and although Hermione had checked, double checked, triple checked and quadruple checked that she had all her things, she still felt like she had forgotten to do something.
"Oh" she gasped as she had just remembered what it was "Mum" she called up the stairs.
"Yes Hermione dear?"
"Which platform is the train leaving from?"
"I don't know. Dedalus is coming to transport us there."
"Ok then."
"He should be here soon so don't worry too much!"
"I wasn't worrying Mum"
"Of course you weren't" Helen Granger said and she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"I wasn't!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I know dear. Now where is that ticket."
"My train ticket?"
"Yes that one."
"I don't know you had it last."
"Oh there it is, by the fruit bowl!"
"Oh yes because that's the most normal place to put it isn't it!"
"Don't be so cheeky young lady! I put it there earlier when I was having breakfast. Now Dedalus should be here any minute now."
"Ok. What platform is the train leaving from then Mum, because Kings Cross seems like an odd place to leave for a Wizarding school doesn't it."
"Yes it does dear." Helen Granger replied, "Oh here's the platform, it says the Hogwarts Express leaves on the first of September at eleven o'clock sharp from platform...nine and three quarters...oh."
"Mum stop being silly, which platform does it really leave from?"
"Nine and three quarters."
"Muuuummmmm," Hermione whined, "I'm being serious!"
"And so am I!"
"So the train leaves from platform nine and three quarters?" Hermione asked disbelievingly.
"Yes dear."
"You do know that's not a platform number don't you?"
"Yes dear I do," Helen said exasperated.
Just then there was a popping noise and Dedalus appeared in the kitchen.
"Hello Grangers!"
"Hello Dedalus" Hermione replied.
"Got your things?" Dedalus asked
"Yes" Hermione said.
"Books?"
"Check."
"Robes to change into on the way?"
"Check."
"Wand?"
"Check."
"Some money?"
"Check."
"Good, now we had better be off!" Dedalus exclaimed.
"One question." Hermione said.
"Yes?"
"How do we get there? It's quarter to eleven, and we live further than fifteen minutes away from Kings Cross."
"Portkey."
"What?"
"We will go by portkey, into a small waiting room under the same charms as Diagon Alley so muggles won't see us!"
"Ok...but I meant what's a portkey?"
"Oh a portkey is an enchanted magical object which can be time activated, like this one, or simply set to activate whenever it is touched, it transports whomever is touching it to a predetermined location." Dedalus finished with a flourish pulling out an empty can of beans.
"So what do we do and what time does this portkey set off?" Hermione questioned.
"Well you just have to be touching it and it sets off..."Dedalus said as he checked his watch, "...Good gracious, it sets off it about twenty seconds! Both of you hold on to the portkey!"
Hermione and Helen reached out and touched the empty can. A few seconds later, the can glowed a bright blue and they were transported to London, Kings Cross with a feeling of being hooked behind the navel.
"Whoa." Hermione gasped steadying herself.
"My sentiments exactly." Helen Granger said standing up from her place on the floor.
"Ah yes, portkey travel can be quite an odd sensation the first time. I remember my first portkey experience. I was at Hogwarts and there was this interesting muggle object in the transfiguration classroom, a trampy-lean I believe, anyway I had just walked up towards it when a banana flew through the window and smacked me right in the face well I ran straight towards the window and-"
"That story sounds very interesting Dedalus, but I need to remind you that the train leaves at eleven and its eight to now so we should probably get going!" Helen Granger interrupted.
"Yes, yes." Dedalus said shaking his head, "Off we go!" He cried running out from the waiting room as fast as his legs would carry him (In his case, not very fast).
Hermione and Helen looked at each other and then followed him out into the busy train station where Dedalus was looking around slightly stunned.
"Are you alright Mr. Diggle?" Hermione asked
"Yes, it's not every day I see this many muggles all in one place thats all! Now Mrs. Granger if you would be so kind as to take us towards platforms nine and ten. I would you see but I'm not tall enough to see over these muggles."
"Of course Dedalus." Mrs. Granger replied, "Hermione give me your trunk I can see a luggage trolley."
"Yes Mum."
A couple of minutes later, Hermione, her Mum and Dedalus were stood before the divide between platforms nine and ten.
Where's the platform Dedalus, theres nine and theres ten but wheres platform nine and three quarters?"
"Well isn't it obvious!"
"No!"
"It's right through that brick wall!"
"Haha very funny. You don't actually expect me to walk into that ticket box do you!"
"Well you could always run if it makes it easier."
"Seriously you don't believe this do you Mum?"
"Well, it does make sense." Helen Granger replied.
"Alright then. You go through first then!"
"I'm afraid your Mother will have to be touching a wizard or witch the first time she walks through the barrier, otherwise the anti-muggle wards will make it just seem like a brick wall!" Dedalus explained.
"Alright then. Why don't you go first and then we follow."
"Alright then." Dedalus replied as he walked into the wall and disappeared.
"Oh." Hermione said
"It seems he was telling the truth, shall we go then dear," Hermione's Mother said reaching out and grasping Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione nodded and they set off.
"Wow." Hermione gasped as she stood on the platform.
"Miss Granger I'm sorry to rush you and your mother's goodbyes but the train departs in three minutes." Dedalus smiled.
"Oh yes. Mum, I promise I will write when I can,"
"I know you will," Hermione's mother said with tears in her eyes, "Be safe and don't get into trouble darling."
"You know I won't! Say bye to Dad for me."
"Of course. Bye."
"Goodbye." Hermione hugged her Mother goodbye and then left to find a compartment on the train.
Helen Granger and Dedalus turned around and left to head back to the waiting room.
-HP-
"Excuse me," Hermione said, "Is anyone sitting here?"
"Um no." The round-faced boy replied.
"Ok." Hermione said pulling her trunk into the compartment and up onto the luggage rack. Turning around she said "Hello, my name's Hermione Granger,"
"I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom."
"It's very nice to meet you."
"You too," Neville replied. "Are you a first year?"
"Yes, you?"
"Um, yes."
Hermione sat down and said. "There's no need to be scared of me, I don't bite."
Neville laughed and started to look more relaxed, "Are you muggleborn?"
"Yes. I only found out about magic when I received my letter. What about you?"
"I'm pureblood. But |'m not one of those people who acts weird around people with different blood-statuses."
"You mean you aren't discriminative towards people because of their blood-status."
"Yes that."
"Apparently there are several families in the Wizarding world who are very discriminative and judgmental."
"Um, I'm not really sure what that means but probably." Neville replied.
"Ok. Do you know how long the train ride is Neville?"
"No, I don't."
"It probably won't be too long, I've read that there is a start of term feast so we should be there for that, so the train ride might be about six or seven hours."
"Uhh...yeah." Neville replied.
"So do you have any pets then Neville?"
"Yes, I have a toad, he's right here...oh no!"
"What?"
"Trevor's gone!"
"Trevor?"
"My toad."
"Well you had better go and look for him. If you ask everyone and still can find him come back and I'll help you look. Meanwhile I will read a book." Hermione stated reaching up and opening her trunk she took out Hogwarts, A History then began to read it.
"Oh...um ok see you soon then." Neville replied opening the compartment door.
-HP-
The compartment door opened a few hours into the journey and Hermione looked up expecting to see Neville returning with, or without his toad.
"And who, may I ask are you?" Hermione questioned the blonde haired boy flanked by two rather thickset boys who looked like bodyguards standing either side of the middle boy.
"I, am Draco Malfoy. I imagine that you've heard of my father."
"No I can't say that I have."
"He is an extremely influential politician, and if you don't know him then you should."
"He's a wizard then?"
"Obviously, no Malfoy would ever be non-Wizards. Who are your parents and where do they work then if they are so important that they don't even know the Malfoy family?" Draco Malfoy asked.
"My parents are Helen and William Granger and they're dentists."
"What in Merlin's name is a dentist!" Malfoy laughed.
"They look at people's teeth and fix them if they need to."
"Eugh they must be muggles then."
"Yes." Hermione answered.
"Oh well excuse me but I must be going, the smell of filthy blood is getting to me." Malfoy said, "Crabbe, Goyle with me!"
"Oh, sorry." Neville said quickly as he bumped into one of the large boys leaving the compartment.
The boy grunted in response as he rushed to catch up with Malfoy and the other bodyguard like boy.
"Who were they?" Neville asked.
"Someone called Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle."
"Oh. My Grandmother has told me about them."
"Oh really, and what did she say?"
"She said that their fathers were some of You-Know-Who's followers. Part of his inner circle of Death Eaters." Neville whispered.
"If their fathers really were some of You-Know-Who's biggest followers, don't you think that they would be in Azkaban by now?"
"Well yes but...how do you know about You-Know-Who and Azkaban, I thought that you were muggle-born?"
"I am. I just happen to have read some books."
"Oh. I don't really read that much."
"Yes well, did you find your toad then?" Hermione asked.
"No," Neville said glumly, "Will you help me look for him?"
"I suppose so," Hermione said. "The only other thing to do is to read and I've already read all of our set books two or three times. Also I've already changed into my robes so I only need to stop back here when the train stops."
-HP-
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," Hermione said looking into yet another compartment, this one only had two boys and lots of sweets.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it," A ginger boy with lots of freckles said. He had a wand out and looked as though he was about to do some magic.
"Oh are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She said sitting down.
"Er - all right." He said.
He cleared his throat and said
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
He waved his wand and nothing happened. The rat stayed just as fat and just as grey.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Hermione asked, "Well, it's not a very good one is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and i'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 our set books of my heart, of course," Well, 'I've read them through enough times to answer any questions on them' she thought, "I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She finished.
"I'm Ron Weasley," The ginger boy muttered.
"Harry Potter," The other one said.
"Are you really?" Hermione exclaimed, "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."
"Am I?" Harry said slightly stunned.
"Goodness didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," Hermione said. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around 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, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." Said Hermione before she left with Neville in tow.
"Come on Neville, I'm sure you will be able to find Trevor by the time we get there...and if not well I'm sure that one of the teachers know a spell to make him appear or something...I think I remember reading about a summoning spell somewhere, but I think it must be a higher level than a first year spell." Hermione said smiling at Neville, "Let's go and look over there," Hermione said setting off towards where she had pointed.
-HP-
A/N Sorry for the long wait but it was the holidays :) anyway thanks to those who reviewed love you *Hands out cookies to reviewers* thanks for reading.