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Chapter Nine: Hermione and Hogwarts.

Hermione sighed as she took a thick strand of her bushy hair and pulled it behind her ear. She was bored and tried not to scream out in frustration.

She was in Hogwarts now, the place she thought she belonged too. She realized soon it wasn't the magical happy place it was supposed to be. No, - here, it was worse than school before, because didn't have friends nor could she use her magic to scare people away.

It was morning and Hermione had been in school for some two weeks now. She was awake before anyone else and rummaged through her trunk to fish up some cloths for herself.

The true reason why she was so bloody über-nervous was because of what had happened to her on the train ride to school.

The train ride had been quite eventful. Her parents had brought her to the station and on instinct, he had known what to do (she also had noticed the dark skinned girl dragging an owl cage with her and a boy who was discreetly making his many suitcases float over the floor whilst combing his hair).

Hermione was early, yet as they passed the barrier, there were so many people they had to hold hands so they wouldn't get lost. She had tried to hold onto her mother's hand, but it had been sweaty and Hermione had felt it slip away from her grasp.

So now she had been in the middle of the train station, alone. Her little heart had started to beat faster as she felt some odd nostalgia for the place. But mostly, she felt very uncomfortable. She was going to give up everything, she knew for this! It felt intimidating and somehow wrong. Hermione was scared and just wanted to return home.

Someone dumped violently against her, so she had to walk away from the entrance to the hidden train station. Hermione decided to search for her parents, somehow feeling something stronger than the power inside of her. She yearned for a bit of comfort.

But just as she thought this, she felt a tug. A very slim, unsure tug. Hermione slowly turned around and saw nothing but a mass of people moving safely away from a trolley pushed by two red-headed boys. She felt a slight tingling, something was telling her to go towards them and say something.

But just as Hermione was to take her first step, she felt a heavy grip on her arm. Her father had found her. As soon as she felt her father's presence, all insecurity vanished. Her new mission was to find those boys, find the tug, find the feeling of life she had lost.

Hermione was on the train now. Her parents had put her in a wagon containing two other girls, one her age, another one who was a bit older before kissing her good-bye. Viveca watched her daughter, who without even knowing it looked strong and proud, shining like stainless steel, decided and determined to get what she wanted. Her head was posed in a defiant angle and her parents knew they lost her now.

Nicolas was proud and solemn. He approached his daughter slowly and took her in his arms for the last time. Now she had to embrace her real heritage, now she was different from them, from now on they couldn't help her. It was as if his daughter would have started in a school where she would talk a foreign language and even if she needed help she couldn't get it from them since they didn't understand it.

Yes,- now, Hermione had to assume herself.

" Hermione, follow your instincts!"

" Hermione, listen with your heart."

With these wise pieces of advice, Nicolas and Viveca turned around and made their way out of Hermione's world to theirs.

So now Hermione was on the train. The others girls smiled to her nervously as her eyes trailed quickly over them before she nodded.

The younger girl had thick hair, a round face that shone of innocence and was slightly shorter than Hermione. She wore a yellow summer dress and pigtails. She seemed nice, thought Hermione, but she also seems kind of soft and malleable.

"You're new, aren't you?"

Hermione nodded.

"I'm a Third year, in Gryffindor. My name is Stella Fantansia."

"I am Susan Bones."

Just when Hermione was about to answer she felt the odd tug again. She turned her head, the window was open, a mother was scolding her daughter. Slowly, she approached the window. The tug became stronger.

" Excuse us! Hello Stella, mind if we use your window?"

" Hello George, hello Fred, be our guests."

Hermione stepped slightly aside and the two boys she had seen earlier with the trolley stuck out their heads to talk to the mother and the little girl. Now the tug was a low beat, a slight irritation to her senses. It was as if she had known these people for too long and just she wanted to avoid them, they popped up.

But Hermione decided to stay to watch the family. She didn't really listen to the dialogue going on between the family members. There were laughs, scoffs and Hermione feet like she did belong to that world, the one of siblings.

The train started moving, the boys waved off their sister. They finally closed the window and turned around to observe the other occupants of the cabin.

" Aah, new faces!"

" Ickle, first years"

"I'm Hermione Granger and no offence but I'm almost as tall as you are!"

This wasn't exactly true: Hermione was good ten centimetres shorter than both of the boys yet she was imposing. It was clear that she wouldn't let anyone try to patronize her.

The two boys smiled.

"You're cheating though" one of the boys said and pointed at her hair.

Hermione smiled.

"I am Fred Weasly."

"I am George Weasly, not in any way related to Percy Weasly, the prefect."

"Or Ronald Weasly."

Stella shook her head.

"Don't listen to them."

Hermione nodded. The two boys made her smile. Twins. Fred and George Weasley. Ronald Weasly. Percy Weasley.

Stella turned to the two boys and inquired about the rest of their family. Hermione found out that they had two more brothers and a little sister, Ginny, who she saw on the train station. The boys started to rummage through an old leather satchel and took out a set of photographs.

"Bill sent us pictures from Egypt!"

Suddenly Hermione felt how sun invaded her mind and excused herself. She tried to get out, but stumbled on her bad, rammed into one of the twins who bumped into the other one who sent the pictures flying. The trio fell almost out of the cabin if it hadn't been for a poor boy that was walking nearby, clutching a frog in his hands.

" I'm sorry"

" Are you alright?" asked Susan.

" No harm done."

Hermione just smiled, not feeling a bit embarrassed. A boy with dreadlocks walked in and laughed at the foursome, holding a little box in his hand.

"- Hermione, meet our friend Lee, Lee meet Hermione-the-first-year who has already fallen for my good looks."

Everyone smiled expect for Susan and Lee who produced both a very bark-like laugh. Hermione moved away from the boy's embrace and the other twin helped the blonde boy.

"You're a first year too, yes?"

" Neville Longbottom."

Hermione stepped back to let the boy in and stepped aside to let the boy in. She bent down and picked up the pictures she let fall on the ground. But as soon as she touched the surface, her skin felt warm, her mouth was dry and her eyes felt gluey.

At that precise moment, on another continent, Bill Weasly who was digging in the sun felt cool, refreshed and smelt the dusty, wunderbaumy smell of the red train that used to bring him to school.