September 1995

There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air as heavy rain splattered against the train windows as the trio settled into their chosen compartment. In the days following the chaos of the Quidditch World Cup, Hermione, Harry and the Weasley children had stayed close to the Burrow, if only to avoid the wrath of Mrs Weasley.

When they had departed for Diagon Alley, Hermione had been glad that she had gotten her books earlier in the summer; though she had been herded into Madam Malkins for her formal dress robes which she had yet to get. After an hour or so of having garment after garment thrown her way, she had eventually settled on a periwinkle dress with layers of tulle that seemed to float where they lay. Though it wasn't something she'd usually buy, Mrs Weasley and Ginny had agreed that it was "the one"; Hermione had agreed if only so she could finally leave.

"…Bagman wanted to tell us what's happened at Hogwarts" Grumbled Ron, pulling Hermione from her thoughts as he covered the excitable Pigwidgeon's cage in an attempt to muffle his hooting, "At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what—"

"Shh!" Hermione suddenly cut off, pressing a finger to her lips as the sound of a familiar drawl drifted in through the open door.

"…Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster, you see…But mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away…Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible approach to the Dark Arts…they actually learn them, not just the defence rubbish we do…" Malfoy bragged.

Quietly shuffling over to the door, Hermione easily slid shut the compartment door, blocking out Malfoy's voice before marching back to her seat in sock-clad feet. "So he thinks Durmstrang would've suited him, does he?" She muttered, pulling Crookshanks back onto her lap when she sat down, "I wish he had gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him"

"Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" Harry questioned.

"Yeah, and it's got a horrible reputation. According to An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts"

"I think I've heard of it" Ron vaguely said, "Where is it?"

"Well, no one knows for sure, do they?"

"Er—why not?" Asked Harry.

"There's traditionally a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools, that's why they conceal themselves so the others schools can't steal their secrets"

"Come off it" Ron laughed, "Durmstrang's gotta be about the size of Hogwarts, how do you hide a great big castle?"

"The same way you put a three-room apartment into a two-man tent" Hermione sassed, "With magic. To a Muggle, Hogwarts looks like a mouldering old ruin with signs warning danger, do not enter, unsafe"

"So Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outside too?"

"Maybe, or it might have other charms on it like the Muggle-repelling charm or an Unplottable charm—"

"Come again?"

"Well you can't enchant a building you can't find it on a map, can you?"

"Er…if you say so"

"Anyway, I reckon Durmstrang must be somewhere really cold because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms" Hermione continued.

"Ah think of the possibilities" Ron sighed dreamily, "It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier…shame his mother likes him…"

As the train ride drew on, Hermione delved into one of the many Wiccan novels she had tucked away in her trunk whilst the boys filled in the hours snacking on sweets from the trolley, playing rounds of exploding snap and catching up with friends who dropped by including the inevitable interaction with Malfoy who seemed it necessary to assert his dominance in a very peacock-like manner.

Boys. Hidden behind her current book, The Gatekeeper: Keeper of Witches, Hermione rolled her eyes at the unnecessary peacocking, even as Malfoy and his little gang left and Ron slammed the compartment door shut so hard that the glass pane shattered on impact.

"Oh honestly, Ron—Reparo!—Don't let Malfoy get to you" Hermione popped out from behind her book for a moment.

"Him! Get to me?! As if!" Ron grumbled, picking up on the remaining cauldron cakes and squashed it into a pulp in his anger.

"…What did that cake ever do to you?" Ron just glared at Hermione before plopping back into his seat with a huff. "Fine, if you're going to be like that…"

Snapping her book shut, Hermione rose to her feet and grabbing her robes on her way out disappeared down the train so she could change and find her other friends in the last bit of the train ride. Slipping inside the end stall, it didn't take long for Hermione to swap out her acid wash jeans for her pleated school skirt and her floral blouse for her school shirt, tie & cardigan.

Forgoing her cloak for the moment, Hermione quickly went through the motions of tying her Gryffindor tie where it hung snugly around her neck before she departed from the busy bathroom and headed down the train in search for the other girls.

"Minnie!" Cheered Charlotte as Hermione slid open the compartment filled with girls and familiars under piles of sweets. Crammed up next to the windows were Charlotte and Emilia Wilson (a sixth year Hufflepuff) on either side of the compartment; to their sides sat Victoria Baker (a seventh year Gryffindor) and Lila. Finally, Luna Lovegood (a third year Ravenclaw) and Sophie sat contentedly on the floor, amongst all the wrappers playing exploding snap.

"Hey, Ringtail" Hermione smiled, shoving over some sweets so that she could sit next to Lila who was happily shoving chocolate frogs into her mouth.

"Y'know, we were just talking 'bout that…" Emilia mused around the sugar quill sticking out of her mouth.

"Oh?"

"Well, we've all got our monikers…"

"Yeah…"

"But you two haven't got your names yet"

"What? Like yours?" Hermione smiled. The names that Emilia referred to were just nicknames or codenames that the girls had given each other after they had first discovered their animagus forms.

Charlotte was a racoon & therefore Ringtail, Lila was a tabby maine coon & therefore was dubbed Cheshire. Emilia was a sleek dalmatian named Pongo, Sophie was a great horned owl named Archimedes and Victoria was a wild mouse called Whiskers. Kinda reminds me of the Marauders thing to be honest, not that they know that of course.

"Hey! Pongo is a very good name, thank you!" Emilia defended, "Oi! What are you grinning about Cheshire?" The girl turned to Lila who sat nearby.

"Nothin'" Lila grinned.

"Yeah right"

"Just tell 'em what they need to do, Pongo" Sophie drawled from behind her collection of cards where she and Luna were playing exploding snap at their feet.

"I'm getting there, Archimedes!" Emilia turned back to face Hermione as she continued, "Anyway, as I was saying, we reckon you two are ready for the next step"

"Which is…?" Hermione pursued.

"Your animagus'"

As the train doors opened again, the sound of thunder rumbled overhead accompanied by the sounds of grumbling students as they dashed out of the warm train into the wet weather as they made their way to the castle.

Hermione had rejoined Harry and Ron by then where she had bundled Crookshanks into her cloak and raised her wand skyward where she cast a wordless umbrella charm to shield her from the pelting rain; for once glad for Mrs Weasley's instance that she learn some domestic spells. By this point, both boys had huddled together on either side of her so as to share the small patch or dryness as they headed for the thestral-pulled carriages parked to the side.

"Hey Hagrid!" Harry called to the large silhouette at the far end of the platform as the trio passed.

"All righ', 'Arry?" Hagrid bellowed back with a wave, "See ya at the feast, if we don' drown!"

"Ooh! I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather" Hermione shivered as they clambered into a carriage along with Neville, Ginny and Luna. The door snapped shut behind them and a few moments later the carriage lurched forth, following the long procession up the path to the castle.