Chapter 5

Platform 9¾ was bustling with activity as usual on the first day of a new term. Parent saying goodbye to their children, students from other years meeting their friends and the train staff checking everything over. In the middle of this walked Hermione Riddle flanked by her friends that where starting that year with her Harry, Padma and Parvati. Lavender had ben held up by some first year werewolves. She had been instructed to make sure they boarded the train properly and knew how things where going to be.

The four friends walked to the front of the train and boarded the forwardmost carriage. It was the Riddles private car. Tom had instead it be installed on the train so that his daughter and her descendants would always have privacy on their way to Hogwarts. It was a good way to make sure no one tried to listen in on them. After all despite the wards and the carriages it wasn't to difficult to hear what other students where saying on such a crowded train.

Hermione and her friends reached the carriage in short order. It was as luxurious as one would suspect for the private carriage of the ruler of the wizarding world. It had red velvet carpets, soft leather chairs, mahogany table and all the comforts of home. Hermione and her friends took their seats as the train departed.

The group settled in and relaxed. Harry and Padma where playing exploding snap. Pravati was looking out the window and as expected Hermione was reading a book. The tranquillity was shattered however by Lavender storming in. She burst through the doors and put her fist though one of the dividers creating a large hole. Hermione raised her eyebrow and looked at her friend

"Mind telling me why you're destroying my carriage" Hermione said concern in her voice. If Lavender was that angry not during a full moon. Then something bog had happened.

"It was either that or a handful of students" Lavender growled.

"Easy Lav" Padma said calmly. She knew out of everyone here, only herself and her sister would be bale to contain Lavender, if she really did explode. An angry wolf was a challenge though even for two vampires.

"What happened?" Hermione asked calmly

"As you know i was helping the first year wolves, Then this group of four boys, they must have been fifth years, cornered us. I told them to back off and they just laughed. They said that it was good I had fight in me, they liked a bitch with a little bite. I wanted to rip them limb form limb, but I didn't want to endangered the other students. So I just pushed past them and ushered the wolves away. As I did they mocked me saying they where wrong maybe I didn't have much bite. The they said something about me learning my place at Hogwarts" Lavender said her anger being to subside as she vented. Everyone in the carriage was furious. How dare someone say something like that to Lavender. Not only was she one of the highest ranking werewolf children she was also a member of Hermione's inner circle. The carriage was filed with calls of where are they now, I'll kill them myself and they'll regret this.

Hermione however just raised her hand and the group stopped "I trust you can recognise these boys if you saw them again?" Hermione asked, Lavender nodded "Good then for now we will do nothing. I will personally make an example of them myself at a later time. For now we must get ready for the sorting and our first night of school." she said calmly but inside Hermione was fuming. She was going to enjoy making them suffer oh so very much.

The great hall

The rest of the trip ha been uneventful if a little ruined by the bad mood everyone was in. The first years had been met at the station by the care of magical creature professor Firenze. The tall Centaur had led the kids to a set of boats and escorted them across the lake, before disappearing and leaving the students to make their way to the great hall. Hermione had to admit the sight of Hogwarts was breathtaking, the once grey stone had been replaced with black, although some of the original stone had been left as it had been burnt during the fire giving it a black hue. It truly looked amazing.

As the group of students walked Hermione could feel the dark magic flowing through the castle. It felt wonderful, she rememberer being told that the castle power increased when school was in session.

The group of students finally made it to the great hall and where greeted by Deputy Headmistress Malfoy. She was dressed in dark green robes with silver detailing. As the students approached she regarded them "Well now you are finally here we can begin. In a few moments you will step through these doors and join your classmates. You will be sorted into your house and that is where you will stay for your time here. While your here you will be representing your house as well as your families. Any disobedience or incorrect behaviour will be dealt with, with the docking of house point at the very least. However if you convey yourself appropriately you will be rewarded" She said sternly before nodding and leading the students into the great hall

The great hall was as beautiful as you would expect with four house tables, floating candles and banner bearing each houses crest and the school crest as well as the dark mark. As the students approached the sorting hat, they took in the sight. Two of the house had ben unaffected by the change of power. The only house that had been destroyed and rebuilt was Griffindor or Chimera as it was now known. Gone where the red and gold colours they where replaced with Brown and bronze. the crest was of a chimera. The other change was that of Hufflepuff it had been renamed and its colours changed to gold and black it was now known as Dracarus. Its crest was a Dragon

"When I call your name you will step up and you will be sorted" Narcissia said as she unrolled a scroll "Hannah Abbot" she called. A tall athletic girl with blond hair stepped up. The Abbots where the best slavers in the world. They had tricked the light into thinking they where on their side then they enslaved those that weren't killed. If you needed slaves you went to the Abbots. And from what Hermione had heard Hannah was just as proficient if not more so then her parent when it came to selecting and training slaves. "Dracarus" the hat called. The sorting continued with Hermione paying little to no attention aside form when Lavender was called she was sorted into Chimera. Hermione also felt sorry for her friend a nit long after Ronald Grey was sorted into Chimera. He looked terrified. Hermione remembered fondly falling asleep to the screams of himself and his parents after his stunt at the ball. Hermione father had been more angry then she was.

"Neville Longbottom." Narcissia called. Neville walked out of the crows his dark hair combed down, he was a strong built man with an intelligence close to Hermione's. His parent where thr go to for information. They where an interesting pair, they had played both sides throughout the war. Selling information to both sides and made a very large fortune for themselves in the progress. Once the war was over they had been rewarded for their help and allowed into her father inner circle. Hermione wondered if the rumours about Neville being better where true. She guessed she would find out.

Then Draco was sorted into Slytherin much to no ones surprise. Then the Patil twins where sorted Padma was sorted into Dracarus, which was good fro Lavender and hopefully band for Ron. Pravatti was sorted into Ravenclaw. Then came the moment Hermione was to be sorted. The moment her name was called the whole room froze. She smirked and walked gracefully up the start to the chair and the hat. She sat on the chair as of it where a throne and surveyed the room. She of course knew that her years was an eclectic bunch but seeing them for real was impressive. As soon as the Hat touched her head it called out Slytherin. In that moment Power radiated out from Hermione across the floor and magical energy surged around the Slytherin Table. If there was any doudt she was true Riddle it should have been destroyed now. She got up and walked towards her new house as soon as she reached the table the whole house stood up and waited for her to sit, well almost the whole house a handful of students didn't, Malfoy among them. Earning him a disapproving glare from his mother. They would learn soon enough.

The last of Hermione friends to be sorted was Harry he was placed in Slytherin. It worked out nicely Hermione now had at least one person in each house. That would no doubt be useful. It had been an eventful day so far but Hermione knew the night was young and so was her school year. Ans there was still the matter if what happened on the train, that was going to be fun. One thing was for sure though, it was going to be one hell of a ride.