Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

3

Hogwarts

Hermione got on to platform 9 ¾ with much more ease than the first time. When she passed through the barrier, Hermione had waited for Harry and Ron until the last minute before 11:00. They can't have missed the train! she thought worriedly. Hermione was pretty sure she hadn't missed them coming through the barrier, but she couldn't be completely sure until she had checked the train. She ran to the Hogwarts Express as fast as she could (which wasn't very fast, since she was carrying a trunk), and looked in each compartment for Harry and Ron. Hermione didn't find them. Her breathing was growing fast, she forced herself to take deep breaths. She had passed by her Slytherin friends' compartment, so she thought she should go join them and maybe Harry and Ron would show up.

When Hermione passed another compartment, she spotted flaming red hair. Weasley hair! She thought excitedly. She pushed open the door to the compartment, but, to her surprise, she didn't find Ron. Instead, it was the youngest Weasley (and only girl), Ginny, and, sitting in the seat across from the red-head, was a girl with blond hair and radish earrings.

Hermione walked inside the compartment, unsure if they would want her there. "Hello," she said warily, looking back and forth from Ginny to the other girl. "Can I come in?"

Ginny nodded, shifting in her seat so Hermione could sit. Hermione pushed her trunk on top of the racks that were above the seats, then she sat down next to Ginny.

"Hi," Ginny said. "How are you, Hermione?"
Ginny and Hermione had become friends quickly at Diagon Alley.

"I'm just fine, but I can't find Ron and Harry," Hermione replied, rubbing her hands together and she shot Ginny a nervous look.

Ginny looked confused. "They were right behind me," she shrugged. "They'll turn up."

Hermione nodded. "How have you been?"

"Awesome. I met her," Ginny cocked her head towards the blond who was looking at a magazine upside down. "Luna Lovegood. She's… odd… but I like her."

Hermione turned her head to look at Luna. "Hello, Luna."

Luna looked up from her magazine and her radish earrings jingled. "Hello, Hermione."

Hermione was surprised Luna knew her name, she didn't know how the blond could know.

Hermione brushed it off and turned back to Ginny. "Do you two want to come sit with me and my friends?"

Ginny hesitated before replying, "The Slytherins?" Hermione nodded, realizing that Ron must have told the Weasleys that she was friends with Slytherins. "I don't know…" she shook her head. "No, sorry, at least not now."

"That's alright." Hermione got up. "I'm going to go talk to them for a little, but I'll be back." She walked outside the compartment to her Slytherin friends' compartment.

She sat down next to Pansy after greeting them.

"I heard that the last Weasley is coming to school this year," Pansy said.

Draco groaned. "Another one? Isn't five enough?"

"At least it's the last one," Blaise remarked.

"What do you think, Hermione?" Pansy asked, turning to face Hermione.

Hermione thought for a moment. "I don't think she's like her brothers… there's something different about her."

"Well, she's a Weasley, she can't be any different from the rest of them," Draco replied, shooting a look at Pansy and Blaise. They both nodded in agreement as Hermione shook her head.

The sorting happened with still no sign of Harry and Ron. Hermione's eyes darted across the Great Hall. She knew she should be hungry and looking forward to the feast, but she didn't think she could stomach the food in this state.

Ginny was put in Gryffindor to extra loud cheers from her brothers. Hermione clapped along, but when Ginny sat down next to her, she whispered, "Still no sign of Harry and Ron?"

Ginny shook her head, starting to look a little worried. She turned to Fred, who was sitting on her left side, and whispered something to him. He shook his head as well and turned to George, who was sitting next to him, and whispered something to him. George started to shake his head but then caught sight of something on the table. A copy of the Daily Prophet. (Obviously, Hermione had not seen the owls come in to deliver.) George picked up the paper and read it before handing it to Fred, shaking his head but smiling. Fred looked at the paper too, and then a grin appeared on his face. He handed the paper to Ginny, who took it and read the headline before her eyes grew wide open with shock. She silently pushed it to Hermione, who took it with weariness.

She looked at the headline, not sure what it meant.

Flying Ford Anglia Mystifies Muggles

Hermione looked at Ginny and the twins, confusion clear on her face.

Ginny noticed and whispered, "That's Dad's car."

Hermione's eyes widened and, tentatively, she said, "Harry and Ron flew this to school, didn't they?"

Ginny nodded. Hermione crumpled up the paper and threw it down on the table. Harry and Ron were going to get a good scolding when they got to the common room that night.

The next morning, Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table, across from Ginny and Neville. Hermione's copy of Break with a Banshee sat in her bag. She had been reading it that night to calm herself down after yelling at Ron and Harry, but it had proven to not be very calming. She thought something was a little fishy about the book. There was no time to dwell on that though because a few minutes after Harry and Ron had sat at the table, owls came soaring in. A grey, lumpy sort of looking owl flew straight towards where they were sitting, and just as his feet touched the table, the poor owl toppled over into Ginny's porridge. Ron reached over and picked the owl up by his feet ("Errol!") and plopped him on the table. Errol seemed to be unconscious and didn't move except for heavy breathing.

"On, no —" Ron gasped.

"It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.

"It's not that — it's that."

In Errol's beak was a red envelope. Ron and Neville looked at it, eyes wide in fear. Hermione and Ginny exchanged half excited half worried looks.

"Open it, Ron," Neville advised. Harry looked very confused at their worried expressions, but once Ron opened the letter, Harry wouldn't be confused anymore.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"It's a Howler," Hermione whispered, handing the letter to Ron. Harry still looked confused as Ron peeled open the envelope and a deafening voice echoed throughout the Great Hall.

The envelope flew up until it was at Ron's eye level. Then it started yelling in Molly Weasley's voice.

"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR? I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!" The envelope turned around to face Ginny and continued, in a much softer, nice voice, "Oh, and Ginny, dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud." The Howler burned to ashes, falling on the table. Harry brushed the ashes off the table, hand shaking. Everyone in the Great Hall had watched the letter (Mrs. Weasley) yell at Ron, but when it was over, a few people just chuckled and the Hall went back to its usual chatter. Hermione looked over at the Slytherin table and saw Draco, Pansy, Blaise, and Daphne still laughing, but when they saw her gaze on them, they quickly went back to eating. Hermione turned back to Ron.

"You deserved that," Hermione told him matter-of-factly.

Ron just groaned and continued to wolf down his eggs and bacon.

A week later, Hermione strolled into the Gryffindor common room, only to find it almost completely deserted. But what surprised her the most, was that Ginny was sitting at the fire. Sure, that was normal, but what wasn't normal was who she was talking (and laughing) with.

"Ginny? Daphne?" Hermione said, coming over to see her friends.

"Oh, hi, Hermione," Daphne replied, moving over on the couch so she could sit. She sat down, surprised. She felt like she had been hit with the Confundus charm, she was so confused.

She had a million questions, but only one came out of her mouth. "When did you two meet?"

Ginny and Daphne looked at her confused expression and burst into laughter.

Hermione crossed her arms, annoyed at her friends. "What is so funny?"

"Just that—you—look—so…" Daphne managed to say in between giggles.

"Confused," Ginny supplied, in between fits of laughter. "You're never confused." Daphne nodded.

Hermione thought that through. It was kind of funny, but she wanted answers. "Okay, sure. But when did you two become friends?"

"Well…" Ginny started. They explained a whole story about going to the same muggle primary school and becoming friends then. They had seen each other on the train and had caught up and everything.

"Why didn't either of you tell me this?" Hermione asked, more surprised than angry.

"I didn't know you knew Daphne," Ginny explained. Hermione figured that made sense.

"And Daphne?"

"I don't know," Daphne said. "I guess it didn't cross my mind."

Daphne and Hermione introduced Ginny to Pansy and the girls became friends fast. Finally, everything was going right. But they were about to be turned around again.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and please review. The next chapter will be coming out in two weeks. Stay tuned and stay safe!