Harry wasn't sure what he was going to say. He didn't have any experience with crying girls — or crying people in general.

Dudley's crocodile tears didn't count.

Despite his insecurity, Harry hadn't hesitated when he'd seen Hermione Granger ran past them in the yard. He knew by her fast-paced walking and the sniggers of the other first years that she had heard what Ron had said about her.

"What are doing, Harry?" Ron had shouted when he'd spontaneously followed Hermione.

Harry had no idea what he was doing. He was asking himself the same question the whole time he was trying to catch up with the crying girl.

Shouldn't he be happy he wasn't the target of mean comments and bullies this time? He had friends! Why did he care about another classmate?

But what kind of person would be happy someone else was being outcasted. Harry couldn't deny it would have been easier to just keep walking with Ron.

However, what he'd felt at Ron's mean words was not a feeling of relief. Harry had never said a mean word at a classmate before, so he hadn't felt any particular feeling of familiarity or satisfaction.

On the other hand he was very familiar with Hermione's reaction, that was something he could relate to. He knew exactly what Hermione must be feeling.

Harry saw Hermione disappear behind a door on the left, but when he reached it he stopped in his track.

The girl's lavatory.

Well, he was here. He would look stupid if he backed out and returned to Ron now.

Before pushing the door open, he checked no one was looking and he slipped inside hesitantly.

Thankfully, Hermione wasn't inside a cubicle yet. She was standing at the end of the room, hands rubbing at her eyes. She suddenly turned to him with a gasp, her eyes red and watery.

"What d-do you want?" she said taking a step back and lowering her head to hide her wet cheeks.

Harry gulped uncomfortably, "Nothing," lamely came out of his dry mouth.

Hermione frowned at him like she was trying to figure out a math problem.

"Yo-you were with Ronald b-before," she said, her voice trembling but with clear determination, "are you here to make fun of me?".

Harry thought she was way braver than he ever was at his old school. If he was in her shoes, he would have tried to escape.

"I'm here because I was bullied at primary school," he blurted out without thinking. Nice, Potter. Harry grimaced at his idiocy.

"Oh," the girl's eyes opened wider before adding a feeble, "me too." Hermione was smiling timidly at him with no pity in her eyes.

Harry felt he had mended a bit of the damage Ron's words had done. He was more than certain he was doing the right thing.

"Do you want to get out? I don't think I should be in here," Harry said remembering his surroundings.

"Oh! Right!" Hermione had blushed a little when Harry mentioned they were standing in the middle of the girl's lavatory.

"Do you want to sit with me in Transfiguration?" Harry asked while exiting the bathroom.

Hermione looked at him with her mouth slightly open like he had said something shocking.

"Do you mean, as friends?"

"Of course!"

Harry sticked out his hand and offered her a smile, "Friends?" Hermione took Harry's hand after a few seconds of hesitation and shook his hand enthusiastically.

"Friends!" she declared her eyes lighting up with stars.