After collecting two trolleys to carry their luggage to Platform 9 and 3/4,
Mrs. Weasley summoned the fourp eople to follow her to the platform.
As they reached the "entrance" to the platform, Mrs. Weasley, who was still acting rather coldly towards Harry, said, miffed, "Harry . . . you are to go through first with . . . Ron."
He nodded, looked at Ron, who was apparently doing his best not to look back, and went to stand next to him, pushing his luggage trolley along with him.
"Hey."
No reply.
Harry decided it would be best to shut up and he'd talk to him once they got on the train.
"Ready?" Harry asked, quietly.
Ron nodded curtly, and began running ahead of Harry. He disappeared instants before Harry felt himself materialize and the scarlet steam engine came into view, with "Hogwarts Express" engraved in the front of it.
Harry, suddenly feeling better, looked towards Ron and said, "Want to sit with me on the trai--"
"No," Ron said quickly, as he saw Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, waving at them, and running to join them.
Quickly, Vicki appeared beside him, and Harry decided she would sit with him.
"So, where do you want to sit?"
She didn't even turn to reply before she ran off with her trolley to meet some of the girls she hadn't seen all summer.
Harry, feeling particularly disgrunlted, made his way through the crowds of people in order to find an empty compartment on the train. They were full of friends greeting friends and people having fun. He looked forward, as it was irritating to see these cordial and happy people when he was so miserable.
Harry finally found a compartment at the very end of the train, entered, and started heaving his bags and trunks up onto the luggage rack.
After he finished this, he flumped onto the couch and sat there, looking gloomily out the window at the now cheery Mrs. Weasley seeing her two children off onto the train. Vicki was nowhere in sight, probably off with her girlfriends discussing who and where they had met this summer.
And then it hit him.
Where was Hermione?
She had surely been there the night before he had gone to Sirius' funeral, and apparently wasn't there when he came back from staying with Annabelle. Where had she gone? It was almost weird how he hadn't even noticed her absence, she had gone so quietly and furtively.
He heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," he said despondently.
The door slid open, and oddly enough, it was Hermione.
"Hermione, where have you been? After the funeral, I didn't even notice you were gone!"
"Nevermind that . . . you'll never believe what I've just heard! Actually, you'll be quite joyous indeed!"
"What is it?"
"Malfoy . . . Draco . . . he's gone to a different wizarding school up north! People are saying that it's Durmstrang, but everyone knows that that was shut down after they found Karkaroff . . . rumor is that it's started up again! But I won't believe it 'til I hear it from Dumbledore . . . but anyway, apparently his father, Lucius, just got so fed up with teachings of Dumbledore and of Muggle-loving and such, so he sent him somewhere else!"
Harry's stomach did flip-flops. This day was turning out not so bad. Malfoy . . . gone! Not another ugly, disgusting remark towards them . . . no more mockery of he and his friends. This had made his day much happier indeed!
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"Positive . . . heard it from Pansy Parkinson and a bunch of Slytherins."
"That's . . . great!" Harry said, smiling.
"Yeah . . ."
"So, wait, Hermione, where have you been exactly?"
"Harry, I was . . . I was . . . I was with some friends from London. They wanted to see me immediately. A relative of mine is . . . sick. They just don't know if she's going to make it."
"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry. Have you told Ron?"
"No . . . he seems to be in a very bad mood lately. I tried talking to him, but he's sitting all alone in a compartment. It seems as if he's very upset about something."
"I know what he is upset about."
"What is it?"
"I'm guessing that he's mad that I didn't tell him about me and Victoria. Well, in case you didn't know, me and Vicki are getting married once we get out of school this year."
"Are you serious? Congratulations . . . I'm not saying that she's the best choice for your wife, no offense, but . . . congratulations. I will certainly be at your wedding."
"Thanks."
"Surely."
"Yeah . . ."
"Well, I better be off to see Ron and see what his point of view is on things, and I'll see what I can tell you later. I'll probably see you before we get to Hogwarts, bye!"
It was the weirdest feeling ever. As Hermione left the compartment, Harry realized that this was teh first time that he, Hermione, and Ron hadn't spent the trip to Hogwarts together. He felt as if they were growing further and further apart, and he didn't like that feeling at all. It was horrible to think that the three of them wouldn't be friends.
He tried to retire this thought and went back to staring out the window. Absentmindedly, the train had apparently started to move and they were now speeding along, following a rural scenery. It was beautiful.
Around midday, Harry was still staring out the window, taking in the view of the countryside. The lunch trolley came along, with the plump little fat witch, asking him whether he'd like some lunch.
He said he would, and bought some Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans, three Cauldron Cakes, and a bunch of Chocolate Frogs with some of the left-over Galleons he'd had from when Vicki went to Diagon Alley for him.
He looked sadly at the mountains of food he had next to him, and gloomily pushed it away at the fact that he had no one to share it with.
It was then that he decided he needed to talk to Ron. He was going to find him.
He got up and slid open the door, looked down both ends of the train. A few doors were slid open, and he could hear a few voices coming from within. No one was in the corridor, thankfully, and Harry turned left and started walking.
He must've walked past the compartment that Vicki was in, as he heard her voice inside. He paused and stood next to the door to listen.
"So wait, you spent a whole night with him in his bed and he didn't even pull one move on you?" one of her girlfriends said.
"No, it was very innocent. I just loved being in the same bed with him. He's so muscular and just took me in with his arms."
"Sounds pretty lame to me," the same girl said.
'It wasn't . . . as I laid there that night, it was almost as if I was seeing into his soul, what he's all about. Even though he may be brave on the outside, he's got a lot of insecurities and fears inside. I just wish he'd open up to me more . . . oh yeah, by the way, we're getting married."
"WHAT?" a voice he recognized said, it was Susan Bones.
"Yes . . . it's true!"
"You didn't even tell me! I'm your best friend!" Susan yelled.
"Yeah, I know, but still . . . we only got engaged last night ."
"Oh . . ."
Harry continued walking down the corridor, smiling to himself from the news of Vicki's confession.
He came to a door that was slid open a half-inch and looked inside. Indeed, it was Ron. Hermione was sitting with him. She was talking to him in a very soothing tone.
'Ron, why do you have to be so hostile? Harry's still your best friend . . . things aren't going to change after they get married . . ."
"Of course they will! I don't see why he has to get married so quickly . . . we'll never have time to experience other women together, or, or, or . . . or to talk about other girls . . . why does he have to tie the knot so early? He's already consumed with Vicki . . . that girl's got it in for him! Think of how much time she will demand of him when they're married! Why do things always have to change? I can tell how much we've grown apart these past years! We're just not the same people anymore . . . and that . . . and that's the thing that hurts."
At that last remark, Ron completely had broken down into tears. Hermione moved towards him and hugged him. Hermione was now facing Harry, and saw that he was at door. She mouthed to him, "Harry, not now."
He turned right and started walking back down the corridor. He felt . . . horrible.
As he entered the compartment again, he kicked the bunch of candy he had on the floor and pushed his vase of flowers off the table next to the window. Why did he always have to mess things up for him and Ron? 90% of the time it was his own fault.
He sat down on the seat and put his face in his hands. He sat up, ran his hands through his hair. He didn't know what to do. Things were so different now.
What Harry needed was a nap.
So he slept.
As they reached the "entrance" to the platform, Mrs. Weasley, who was still acting rather coldly towards Harry, said, miffed, "Harry . . . you are to go through first with . . . Ron."
He nodded, looked at Ron, who was apparently doing his best not to look back, and went to stand next to him, pushing his luggage trolley along with him.
"Hey."
No reply.
Harry decided it would be best to shut up and he'd talk to him once they got on the train.
"Ready?" Harry asked, quietly.
Ron nodded curtly, and began running ahead of Harry. He disappeared instants before Harry felt himself materialize and the scarlet steam engine came into view, with "Hogwarts Express" engraved in the front of it.
Harry, suddenly feeling better, looked towards Ron and said, "Want to sit with me on the trai--"
"No," Ron said quickly, as he saw Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, waving at them, and running to join them.
Quickly, Vicki appeared beside him, and Harry decided she would sit with him.
"So, where do you want to sit?"
She didn't even turn to reply before she ran off with her trolley to meet some of the girls she hadn't seen all summer.
Harry, feeling particularly disgrunlted, made his way through the crowds of people in order to find an empty compartment on the train. They were full of friends greeting friends and people having fun. He looked forward, as it was irritating to see these cordial and happy people when he was so miserable.
Harry finally found a compartment at the very end of the train, entered, and started heaving his bags and trunks up onto the luggage rack.
After he finished this, he flumped onto the couch and sat there, looking gloomily out the window at the now cheery Mrs. Weasley seeing her two children off onto the train. Vicki was nowhere in sight, probably off with her girlfriends discussing who and where they had met this summer.
And then it hit him.
Where was Hermione?
She had surely been there the night before he had gone to Sirius' funeral, and apparently wasn't there when he came back from staying with Annabelle. Where had she gone? It was almost weird how he hadn't even noticed her absence, she had gone so quietly and furtively.
He heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," he said despondently.
The door slid open, and oddly enough, it was Hermione.
"Hermione, where have you been? After the funeral, I didn't even notice you were gone!"
"Nevermind that . . . you'll never believe what I've just heard! Actually, you'll be quite joyous indeed!"
"What is it?"
"Malfoy . . . Draco . . . he's gone to a different wizarding school up north! People are saying that it's Durmstrang, but everyone knows that that was shut down after they found Karkaroff . . . rumor is that it's started up again! But I won't believe it 'til I hear it from Dumbledore . . . but anyway, apparently his father, Lucius, just got so fed up with teachings of Dumbledore and of Muggle-loving and such, so he sent him somewhere else!"
Harry's stomach did flip-flops. This day was turning out not so bad. Malfoy . . . gone! Not another ugly, disgusting remark towards them . . . no more mockery of he and his friends. This had made his day much happier indeed!
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"Positive . . . heard it from Pansy Parkinson and a bunch of Slytherins."
"That's . . . great!" Harry said, smiling.
"Yeah . . ."
"So, wait, Hermione, where have you been exactly?"
"Harry, I was . . . I was . . . I was with some friends from London. They wanted to see me immediately. A relative of mine is . . . sick. They just don't know if she's going to make it."
"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry. Have you told Ron?"
"No . . . he seems to be in a very bad mood lately. I tried talking to him, but he's sitting all alone in a compartment. It seems as if he's very upset about something."
"I know what he is upset about."
"What is it?"
"I'm guessing that he's mad that I didn't tell him about me and Victoria. Well, in case you didn't know, me and Vicki are getting married once we get out of school this year."
"Are you serious? Congratulations . . . I'm not saying that she's the best choice for your wife, no offense, but . . . congratulations. I will certainly be at your wedding."
"Thanks."
"Surely."
"Yeah . . ."
"Well, I better be off to see Ron and see what his point of view is on things, and I'll see what I can tell you later. I'll probably see you before we get to Hogwarts, bye!"
It was the weirdest feeling ever. As Hermione left the compartment, Harry realized that this was teh first time that he, Hermione, and Ron hadn't spent the trip to Hogwarts together. He felt as if they were growing further and further apart, and he didn't like that feeling at all. It was horrible to think that the three of them wouldn't be friends.
He tried to retire this thought and went back to staring out the window. Absentmindedly, the train had apparently started to move and they were now speeding along, following a rural scenery. It was beautiful.
Around midday, Harry was still staring out the window, taking in the view of the countryside. The lunch trolley came along, with the plump little fat witch, asking him whether he'd like some lunch.
He said he would, and bought some Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans, three Cauldron Cakes, and a bunch of Chocolate Frogs with some of the left-over Galleons he'd had from when Vicki went to Diagon Alley for him.
He looked sadly at the mountains of food he had next to him, and gloomily pushed it away at the fact that he had no one to share it with.
It was then that he decided he needed to talk to Ron. He was going to find him.
He got up and slid open the door, looked down both ends of the train. A few doors were slid open, and he could hear a few voices coming from within. No one was in the corridor, thankfully, and Harry turned left and started walking.
He must've walked past the compartment that Vicki was in, as he heard her voice inside. He paused and stood next to the door to listen.
"So wait, you spent a whole night with him in his bed and he didn't even pull one move on you?" one of her girlfriends said.
"No, it was very innocent. I just loved being in the same bed with him. He's so muscular and just took me in with his arms."
"Sounds pretty lame to me," the same girl said.
'It wasn't . . . as I laid there that night, it was almost as if I was seeing into his soul, what he's all about. Even though he may be brave on the outside, he's got a lot of insecurities and fears inside. I just wish he'd open up to me more . . . oh yeah, by the way, we're getting married."
"WHAT?" a voice he recognized said, it was Susan Bones.
"Yes . . . it's true!"
"You didn't even tell me! I'm your best friend!" Susan yelled.
"Yeah, I know, but still . . . we only got engaged last night ."
"Oh . . ."
Harry continued walking down the corridor, smiling to himself from the news of Vicki's confession.
He came to a door that was slid open a half-inch and looked inside. Indeed, it was Ron. Hermione was sitting with him. She was talking to him in a very soothing tone.
'Ron, why do you have to be so hostile? Harry's still your best friend . . . things aren't going to change after they get married . . ."
"Of course they will! I don't see why he has to get married so quickly . . . we'll never have time to experience other women together, or, or, or . . . or to talk about other girls . . . why does he have to tie the knot so early? He's already consumed with Vicki . . . that girl's got it in for him! Think of how much time she will demand of him when they're married! Why do things always have to change? I can tell how much we've grown apart these past years! We're just not the same people anymore . . . and that . . . and that's the thing that hurts."
At that last remark, Ron completely had broken down into tears. Hermione moved towards him and hugged him. Hermione was now facing Harry, and saw that he was at door. She mouthed to him, "Harry, not now."
He turned right and started walking back down the corridor. He felt . . . horrible.
As he entered the compartment again, he kicked the bunch of candy he had on the floor and pushed his vase of flowers off the table next to the window. Why did he always have to mess things up for him and Ron? 90% of the time it was his own fault.
He sat down on the seat and put his face in his hands. He sat up, ran his hands through his hair. He didn't know what to do. Things were so different now.
What Harry needed was a nap.
So he slept.