Chapter three: The Starting Line

Hermione watched as Neville walked down the corridor towards a large group of boys, and she instantly began to regret it. These boys didn't look friendly in the least bit. She was relieved to say the least when Neville slipped past them unharmed, the worst they had done was laugh at him.

Once she knew that Neville was safely on the other side of the boys, she turned her attention in the opposite direction and set of in search of Trevor, the lost toad. She didn't really know where she was going; or were she should be looking; all she knew was that she was helping Neville to find his toad.

She walked through the corridor dodging past other students until she reached a compartment that she could get to. The door was open and she stopped so that she could get a good look inside.

The first thing she saw was a boy with bright red hair, his hair wasn't unlike that of the girl she had seen chasing after the train. His pale face was dotted with freckles, more than she could count, and he had dirt in the crook of his nose. His clothes looked old and faded, like they had been around the block a few times and she supposed they had been. His wand was aimed dangerously at an ugly rat.

Across from him, there was another boy, one with hair as black as a raven's feather. It didn't look combed, his hair that is, and he wore a pair of thick round glasses that were held together with bits of white scotch tape, and cracks ran across the lenses. His clothes were old, large, and fit him like bits of old elephant skin; hand me downs for sure.

"Can we help you with something?" Hermione hadn't realized that the boys had looked up at her.

"Yes actually, you haven't happened to see a toad have you; a boy named Neville has lost his." She held her self with confidence as the words left her lips. She didn't want to give them any reason to dislike her.

"No" they both said simultaneously.

"Oh, Oh! You're doing magic? Let's see then." she said looking over at the red headed boy once more as he aimed his wand down at a rat once more.

He cleared his throat "Sunshine, daisies, butter, mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow." Hermione bit her lip as she tried to contain her laughter. The 'spell' he'd used sounded ridiculous; the little red sparks that had erupted from the end of his wand didn't help any.

"Are you sure that's real magic?" Hermione asked as she let out a small giggle. "Well I have learned better ones than that from a standard book of spells year one, for example." She pointed her own wand at the raven haired boy, and fear rapidly spread across his face. "Oculus Repairo." They all watched as the lenses mended themselves. What had once been cracked and taped now existed in pristine condition.

"Whoa!" He said taking them off, blinking, and then putting them back on.

"Holy Salt, You're Harry Potter!" She exclaimed, she could see the bold red scar painted across his skin. Drake had told her about the boy who lived! How he'd survived a deadly curse. "I'm Hermione Granger," she reached out to shake his hand vigorously before turning to the other boy, "and you are?" She asked curiously.

"Ron Weasley." He said taking a bite of a sandwich; she didn't care to know what was in it.

"Pleasure." She said looking down at his open mouth with disgust.

"Well," She said as she walked back to the door "If you see one let me know." She turned to leave, but soon stopped herself "You have a bit of dirt right there." she said indicating to a spot of dirt on the side of Ron's nose. He rubbed at it but it didn't go away. Hermione decided to leave it, so gave him a small smile, and then left.

As she continued to make her way down the corridor she continued to ask everyone she passed if they had seen Trevor… but so far it was a no go. After a while she began to notice that several people were laughing at her, especially the students in green. She finally gave up after one girl called her a… Well I can't say it.

She was lost in her own mind when she bumped into him, a 'him' that she hadn't seen step out of a compartment. "Oh I am so sorry." She said looking up at a blond boy. He was taller than her by a few inches and had handsome features; but also, he looked very familiar. He gave Hermione a confused look.

"You look really familiar." He told her bluntly as he shoved her away from him. He couldn't risk getting wrinkles in his cloak.

"Maybe you have seen me somewhere before." She suggested not recognizing him; they had both changed tremendously in the past years.

"No, probably not, you're a muggle; I don't associate with you kind." The venom in his voice couldn't be ignored, and the bite stung. She offended by his comment, and there's no kinder way to put it. "My blood status shouldn't have anything to do with it, I have a friend and he is pure blood and he doesn't pay any attention to that, though his parents would kill him if they knew." She explained passionately.

"Well, than I guess he is just a blood traitor." The boy said, he wasn't able to hide his look of guilt. His face betrayed him as he walked away leaving Hermione standing there disappointed.

OoOoOoOoO

The castle was beyond words; it was amazing, beautiful, magnificent and so much more. Being the biggest structure she had seen, Hermione couldn't begin to imagine how grand it really was. The longer she looked up at the castle, the more daunting it became, the windows, twinkling with light, seemed to go on forever, their vast bodies sinking into the flagstone walls.

On one side of this magnificent creature there was a dark looming forest resembling something from The Lord of the Rings. Her mind went wild with imagination as she thought of what all could reside with in the vast looming wall. To the other side was great lake with dark murky water that sunk to unimaginable depths. Hermione smiled to herself, she was going to like it her…

"It's incredible isn't it?" She said dreamily as she looked back at Neville, his jaw hung open as he gazed up at his home. She knew he was thinking the same things as she.

"It's amazing." Neville managed to stammer as he stumbled forward off of the train, a collective group of first years had begun to gather on the platform.

"Firs' years, over her'" Hermione watched Neville flinch as the words rang out through the platform. Hermione turned in the direction of the voice. Standing at the pier towards the end of the platform was a tall, wide, gruff looking man with a long black beard and scruffy appearance. Hermione had never seen a man of this size before, and she doubted she ever would again.

Carefully, after a moment's thought, she and Neville began to meander over to him along with the other students. "Firs' years," He called out again as he counted the number of students in front of him, mouthing the numbers as he went.

"Ah. That's all of you firs' years then." He said. "This way, follow me." They all followed him. He led them out to a small dock at the end of the pier. The dock seemed to extend out onto the lakes surface for quite some time before it came to an end. Along the edges of the dock Hermione could just make out the shape of nearly a dozen four man boats silhouetted against the murky water.

"We'll be takin' da boats to the castle, four to a boat please. We don't want yer boa' sink'in." He commanded, assisting students into their boats. Hermione was the first to clamber into her boat, but she was soon followed by Ron, Harry, and a terrified Neville.

Once everyone was situated in their boat, she could hear Harry telling Ron about the man, and she learned how he'd saved Harry from the Dastardly Dursley's. She also learned that this man was called Hagrid.

When the boats finally jerked into motion, Hermione instantly turned her attention back the castle silhouetted against the night sky; it was even bigger than she had originally thought it was. She smiled as she took in its beauty; still marveling at how this was her home. It made her feel proud to be attending school in this castle.

OoOo A/N oOoO

I don't plan to go super in depths with the years, describing every single thing that happens… It would be like reading the original books if I did, I will have my own little flares to thing, and plot points will be everywhere. Well, Enjoy!

~Taylor