AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Here's the next chapter!
"..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. Enjoy the fic and please review to let me know how you like it! Thanks!
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Somehow, all six had managed to squeeze into the compartment Hermione had saved. Luggage was shoved onto racks, and suitcases that had been mixed up during the chaos of arrival were returned to the proper owners. All six sat squeezed in the compartment, munching on Chocolate Frogs and Cauldron Cakes as the landscape outside their windows sped by.
There was a commotion outside in the hall and the sound of laughing voices as several pairs of feet rushed by. The door slid open and a dark face peeked in.
It was Lee Jordan. He brightened as he spotted the twin red-heads.
"There you are, Fred and George! I've been looking all over the train for you. My giant tarantula finally had spiderlings. I'm giving them away, first come first serve basis. Thought you might like one."
Ron visibly paled and swallowed hard. Harry recalled his huge fear of spiders, magnified since their second year. The twins smiled devilishly.
"Lead the way!" They jumped to their feet and followed Lee out into the hall.
Ron was visibly shaking. "I swear, if they try anything with that baby tarantula, I'll--"
"You'll what, Weasel? Force feed it to your hyperactive bird?"
It was their annual greeting committee: Draco Malfoy and henchmen.
"Go away, Malfoy," muttered Harry, not bothering to waste much breath.
"So how was your summer, Draco?" Hermione asked in a sweet voice dripping with sarcasm. "Get hired as the new attraction at Ripley's Believe It or Not as the Amazing Bouncing Ferret?"
Draco growled threateningly at the reminder of the embarrassing (and painful) event last year.
"Shut your trap, Mudblood. You'd better watch what you say. Things are gonna be different this year, Potter. It's not just Quidditch you'll have to worry about anymore." [AN: I know, I know. This is Cannon!Draco and you all wanna see Fannon!Draco. Don't worry, he's coming. ^^;; ]
Malfoy turned and left, Crabbe and Goyle silently following.
"What does he mean by that?" fumed Ron. "He knows something; I know he knows!"
"It's about You-Know-Who being back, isn't it Harry?" asked Ginny fearfully.
Harry looked grim but made no response.
There was a faint knock on their open door. They expected it to be another taunt from Malfoy. So they were shocked when an Asian face peeked inside.
"May I sit in her for a bit?" asked Cho Chang quietly. "I needed to get away from all the noise and rowdiness."
"Sure," said Harry when he finally found his voice.
Cho smiled slightly and sat beside Ginny.
Hermione didn't like Cho much, but no one else made any attempt at conversation. Ron had no interest in Cho, Ginny had always disliked her for taking away Harry's attention, and Harry was too busy deciding what to say rather than saying it. So Hermione tried to fill the uncomfortable silence.
"So how was your summer, Cho?"
The girl looked up from where she was uncomfortably staring out the window. "Alright," she said evasively. "But it's good to be getting back to Hogwarts. Though it won't be the same again."
For a second, there was a flash of pained emotion of Cho's face. Then it disappeared, to be hidden by the mask of disinterest.
"No, it won't," agreed Hermione. She realized, then in that small cramped compartment, that Cho wasn't just visiting. She was escaping. She was no longer the amiable popular seeker. Now she was a lonely girl, feeling lost and forsaken. She had changed after Cedric's death, while her friends had remained the same. Hermione made a silent vow to be a lot nicer to this girl than she had been in the past four years.
"But we will get through it together," said Hermione, passing an encouraging smile to the lonely girl. Cho looked up with surprise and gratitude on her face. She didn't need to vocalize it; her expression was clear enough. 'Thank you.'
"We will be approaching Hogsmeade Station in ten minutes," announced the conductor over the magical speakers.
Cho stood up. "I'd better go change into my robes." She headed to the door.
"Yeah. we'd better change as well. See you around, Cho."
She paused in the threshold and smiled slightly. "See you around, Hermione."
She left and pulled the door shut.
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AN: I know many of you aren't fond of Cho, but I just wanted to show how she had changed. She'll play a small role throughout the story. But never fear! She won't be Harry's love interest! ;D
Hope you liked it! Please review. Thanks! Ja!
~Calli-chan
"..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. Enjoy the fic and please review to let me know how you like it! Thanks!
**************************************************************************** ** **************************************************************************** **
Somehow, all six had managed to squeeze into the compartment Hermione had saved. Luggage was shoved onto racks, and suitcases that had been mixed up during the chaos of arrival were returned to the proper owners. All six sat squeezed in the compartment, munching on Chocolate Frogs and Cauldron Cakes as the landscape outside their windows sped by.
There was a commotion outside in the hall and the sound of laughing voices as several pairs of feet rushed by. The door slid open and a dark face peeked in.
It was Lee Jordan. He brightened as he spotted the twin red-heads.
"There you are, Fred and George! I've been looking all over the train for you. My giant tarantula finally had spiderlings. I'm giving them away, first come first serve basis. Thought you might like one."
Ron visibly paled and swallowed hard. Harry recalled his huge fear of spiders, magnified since their second year. The twins smiled devilishly.
"Lead the way!" They jumped to their feet and followed Lee out into the hall.
Ron was visibly shaking. "I swear, if they try anything with that baby tarantula, I'll--"
"You'll what, Weasel? Force feed it to your hyperactive bird?"
It was their annual greeting committee: Draco Malfoy and henchmen.
"Go away, Malfoy," muttered Harry, not bothering to waste much breath.
"So how was your summer, Draco?" Hermione asked in a sweet voice dripping with sarcasm. "Get hired as the new attraction at Ripley's Believe It or Not as the Amazing Bouncing Ferret?"
Draco growled threateningly at the reminder of the embarrassing (and painful) event last year.
"Shut your trap, Mudblood. You'd better watch what you say. Things are gonna be different this year, Potter. It's not just Quidditch you'll have to worry about anymore." [AN: I know, I know. This is Cannon!Draco and you all wanna see Fannon!Draco. Don't worry, he's coming. ^^;; ]
Malfoy turned and left, Crabbe and Goyle silently following.
"What does he mean by that?" fumed Ron. "He knows something; I know he knows!"
"It's about You-Know-Who being back, isn't it Harry?" asked Ginny fearfully.
Harry looked grim but made no response.
There was a faint knock on their open door. They expected it to be another taunt from Malfoy. So they were shocked when an Asian face peeked inside.
"May I sit in her for a bit?" asked Cho Chang quietly. "I needed to get away from all the noise and rowdiness."
"Sure," said Harry when he finally found his voice.
Cho smiled slightly and sat beside Ginny.
Hermione didn't like Cho much, but no one else made any attempt at conversation. Ron had no interest in Cho, Ginny had always disliked her for taking away Harry's attention, and Harry was too busy deciding what to say rather than saying it. So Hermione tried to fill the uncomfortable silence.
"So how was your summer, Cho?"
The girl looked up from where she was uncomfortably staring out the window. "Alright," she said evasively. "But it's good to be getting back to Hogwarts. Though it won't be the same again."
For a second, there was a flash of pained emotion of Cho's face. Then it disappeared, to be hidden by the mask of disinterest.
"No, it won't," agreed Hermione. She realized, then in that small cramped compartment, that Cho wasn't just visiting. She was escaping. She was no longer the amiable popular seeker. Now she was a lonely girl, feeling lost and forsaken. She had changed after Cedric's death, while her friends had remained the same. Hermione made a silent vow to be a lot nicer to this girl than she had been in the past four years.
"But we will get through it together," said Hermione, passing an encouraging smile to the lonely girl. Cho looked up with surprise and gratitude on her face. She didn't need to vocalize it; her expression was clear enough. 'Thank you.'
"We will be approaching Hogsmeade Station in ten minutes," announced the conductor over the magical speakers.
Cho stood up. "I'd better go change into my robes." She headed to the door.
"Yeah. we'd better change as well. See you around, Cho."
She paused in the threshold and smiled slightly. "See you around, Hermione."
She left and pulled the door shut.
**************************************************************************** ** **************************************************************************** **
AN: I know many of you aren't fond of Cho, but I just wanted to show how she had changed. She'll play a small role throughout the story. But never fear! She won't be Harry's love interest! ;D
Hope you liked it! Please review. Thanks! Ja!
~Calli-chan