[ Author's Note : Ooh, the creative juices are positively FLOWING! *Dance* Well, I'm writing again! I'm so happy... for a long time all of my ideas just transmogrified up there *points at brain* and turned into disgusting, mixed-up, goosh of nastiness, but now I've got a bit of a clear idea! Yay for me! ]

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Chapter Two

"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Hermione gave each of her parents a hug and ran towards the scarlet steam engine. Stepping inside only moments before the train took off, she leaned against the side of the train, panting. She had almost missed the train! What would she have done if she hadn't been able to get to Hogwarts...?! No matter how unrecognized she was there, she would be positively heartbroken if she couldn't go. Catching her breath at last, she made to step into the nearest section of the train. Opening the door, she was greeted by the sight of her two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley - plus two girls whom they were both exuberantly flirting with.

Stepping quickly backwards, she peered through the crack between the two doors. She could hear what they were saying, the stupid boys were flirting so loud that she strongly suspected that the section next to them could hear and were probably right now putting charms on their door to stop the voices from coming through.

"Oh, Harry," Parvati exclaimed, "That's so interesting! I wish I'd been there to help you - I would have been so much more... useful than that ugly buck-toothed bitch. You're so brave... what if something had happened to you?" The blonde girl put on such an utterly unconvincing concerned face that it was all Hermione could do to stop herself from laughing out loud. Her smile, however, evaporated as Parvati placed a manicured hand on Harry's chest. 'Watch it, Miss Eyeliner!' Hermione thought ferociously, 'Lay one more hand on my friend and I'll give you buck-toothed!' Ron was trying, and failing, to capture Lavender's attention. She kept staring at Harry as though he was some sort of god. She scooted closer, but Parvati gave her a look that very painly said 'Back off of my guy!' and Lavender's gaze shifted lazily back to Ron, who was animatedly describing his escapade being captured by merpeople last year during the second task.

At that point, Hermione could bear it no longer. Stepping into the compartment, she cleared her throat loudly. Everyone turned to look at her, and she saw Harry flush and even Ron's freckles went pale. "Er... hello Hermione," said Harry, attempting to appear cool and casual and failing miserably. Lavender and Parvati quickly found excuses to leave and did so rather animatedly. "I'm sorry to interrupt your flirting session, guys, but I've been waiting a while and you two didn't seem to be in any mood to let up," she told them, smiling slightly at the sight in front of her despite herself. Ron and Harry looked thunderstruck. "Y-y-you were... y-you didn't hear... you couldn't h-have..." sputtered Ron. "Oh yes, this ugly buck- toothed bitch DID hear. I believe those were her words, weren't they, Harry?" Hermione's face changed from amused to hurt and angry at these words. There was a guilty silence. Finally, Hermione said rather stiffly, "I'm going to go change into my robes. We should be there soon," turned on her heel, and left the compartment, slamming the door behind her.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, guilt written all over their faces. "That really wasn't a good turn out, was it, Harry?" was all Ron could get out. "Apparently not," agreed Harry. Standing up, they went to change into their robes, figuring that Hermione would feel at least a little bit better if they did what she had indirectly suggested. However, when they returned, Hermione was nowhere to be seen. Time passed, and pretty soon twenty full minutes had gone by. Turning to Harry, Ron said, "I hope she hasn't gone and locked herself in the girl's privy. There's no way even we could get her out of there." Despite his worry for his friend, Harry couldn't help but laugh at the look of utter disgust on Ron's face at the thought of having to pry Hermione out of the girl's toilet.

Hermione's friends knew her all too well. Luckily the girl's bathroom had been magically enhanced in the Hogwarts train, so she was now seated on a long bench, tissue in hand, her face red from crying. 'Ugly buck-toothed bitch, am I? I'll show her. Just wait.' Whipping out her wand, Hermione waved it once. "Accio Daily Prophet!" The newspaper zoomed magically into her hands. Flipping quickly to the "Shops" section, she browsed. "Cats... Creams... Cosmetics!" Holding her wand lightly, she pulled out a few sickles, a galleon, and a knut. Tapping the paper lightly on top of the item "Sleakeazy's Hair Gels," the appropriate amount of money disappeared from her hand and a large bottle of hair gel appeared in her hand. Hermione continued, tapping on various items, until her money was completely gone except for a single knut. Smiling through her tear-reddend face, she stuffed the items into her small carry-on bag. As she was about to step out of the privy, she heard an announcement blare over the loudspeaker.

"Students, we will be arriving at the school in five minutes' time. Please prepare yourselves."

Hermione rushed back to the compartment, and was met by Harry and Ron's concerned faces and wiped their apologies away with a wave of her hand. Smiling, she could only think of what she was going to do once she got back into the girl's dormitories. Stepping out of the Hogwarts Express, she walked with Harry and Ron up to the castle. They were finally back at Hogwarts.

Professor McGonnagal led the 2nd - 7th years up into the Great Hall, while Hagrid took the rather frightened looking 1st years on their traditional crossing of the lake. Hermione, Harry, and Ron sat down next to each other at the Gryffindor table. Babble broke out among the students. Hermione caught Ron looking at Lavender and gave him a stern look very reminiscent of Professor McGonnagal's, but before she could say anything, a group of scared 1st years filed in. They stepped up, and McGonnagal made her yearly speech to the younger students about the sorting hat.

"Oh, right now you may think that I've

Got you in a flap

By telling you that I can tell

You where you go,

Just like that

But if you'll please place me on

Your head, I know you'll see

There's no one you can trust to

Place you more than me.

Let's look at all the places

You may be fit to go

The houses of Hogwarts

Each special in their own,

First we have cunning Slytherin

Well known for stealth and whim

Always in their blood will run

An eager thirst to win,

Gryffindor, the brave, the true,

True friends you'll find here,

Those Gryffindors are famous,

For friendship and no fear,

Or maybe in clever Ravenclaw,

You will feel at home,

Ravenclaws are loved indeed,

For their shrewdness

in their deeds,

Or last, but not least, Hufflepuff,

You'll find your path beaten,

The loving Hufflepuffs are just,

A sour day they'll sweeten.

So try me on,

I'll tell you just

Where you ought to go,

For in that mighty brain of yours,

I'll reach down quite low,

And find exactly where you each

Will make yourself at home!"

The Great Hall burst into appreciative applause. The hat seemed to beam through its folds, and Professor McGonnagal faced the nervous-looking first years.

"When I call your name, please step up, sit on the stool, and place the Sorting Hat on your head. When a house name is called, please go sit at the according table." She looked down at the long roll of parchment in her hands and began to call names.

"Aberts, Hillary!"

A young, nervous looking girl stepped up and sat on the stool. Placing the hat on her head, there was a couple moment's silence.

"RAVENCLAW!" Called the hat. The table next to where Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat exploded into cheers.

"Bronston, Kayla!" Became the first new Gryffindor, a pretty little girl with long brown curls and a slight dusting of freckles. Smiling boldly, she rushed over and sat down in the vacant seat between Fred and George Weasley, who promptly began filling her 'innocent' mind with all sorts of folly about the school and the classes. Grinning, she shook her head up at them, saying, "Even though I'm the only one in my family to go to Hogwarts, I still have two big brothers. Don't even try it." Fred and George, looking slightly put out, shrugged to one another and set about trying to feed her a canary cream.

The list continued. There were ten other new Gryffindors: Adam Driver, Jonas Easton, Kelly Jacobs, Jessica Lloyd, Philip Martin, Elizabeth Nordac (who insisted upon being called Eliza), Olivia Perla, Tayla Robinson, Jordan Renolds, and Eylie Wood (in no way related to Oliver, who had graduated the year before).

The feast that year was magnificent, as always. After an hour and a half of pure tucking stomachs and catching up with friends, Dumbledore stepped up and cleared his throat, his voice magically magnified so that the entire hall could hear him clearly.

"Students," he began, "surely you have had a wonderful time catching up with old friends, making new ones"—his eyes flickered ever so slightly to where Neville was attempting to flirt with Olivia Perla—"but it is now time for us to all stagger up to bed and get a good night's sleep before tomorrow, which promises to be tiring with the start of all new classes." There was a universal groan throughout the great hall, and a crinkle of laughter around Dumbledore's eyes. "However, before we all collapse into bed, I would like to introduce a new addition to our staff to you all. Since it was explicitly secret, obviously you all know about the incident with 'Professor Moody' last year. Since the real Professor Moody is in no condition to walk, let alone teach, there will be a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. My, we do seem to be running low on them, don't we? So, without further ado, I am pleased to introduce you all to Professor K. Aileu, who has informed me that you all must call her Kim."

A pretty woman of about twenty sitting to the right of Dumbledore stood up and smiled warmly at the bout of applause that she was receiving—considerably louder from the males sitting in the great hall.

"Now," continued Dumbledore, "you are all permitted to go to the house dormitories and get a good night's rest." There was a bout of yawning at the welcome thought of sleep, and the students of Hogwarts made their way up to bed.





So? Do you like it? Finally, I finished this chapter. Please REVIEW (hint hint, wink wink,) because if I don't know what you like and dislike then how can I change it? ^^; Go a little easy on me.. I'm an amateur, but I need constructive criticism.

--Allie