Hermione didn't have a chance to dwell on her dream the following day
for it started off hectic. She awoke late, leaving her to dash around the
dorm, trying to get things ready for the day. Skipping breakfast, she
hurried straight to Transfiguration where Ron and Harry were waiting for
her. They appeared to have patched up their previous argument for they
were both laughing and joking.
"Here." Ron shoved an envelope into her hands when she appeared. "An owl brought this for you at breakfast."
"Where were you?" Harry asked and for a moment, Hermione saw a bit of the old Harry in his face.
"I woke up late," she told them, opening the envelope and pulling the letter out. "I was having these really weird dreams and I couldn't sleep very well the first part of the night." She became silent as her eyes scanned over the pages. "Oh, great!" she cried when she had finished reading the letter.
"What?" the boys asked in unison.
"My grandmother wants me to come in earlier to meet some distant relatives of mine," she replied, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm supposed to take the train tomorrow."
"But tomorrow's only Wednesday!" Ron cried, looking forlorn. Harry grinned at his friend's reaction. "You're not supposed to leave until Friday."
"You think I don't know that?" Hermione read the letter again. "What can I do?" she sighed. "I'll have to go early. Fighting with my family is one thing you don't want to do."
"But, isn't your family Muggles?" Ron asked, confusion filling his face.
"Yes."
"Then why wouldn't you want to cross them?"
Harry and Hermione shared a look. "Because it will make them angry," Hermione answered slowly.
"But aren't all Muggles nice?" Ron asked, more confusion in his eyes.
"Not even close, Ron," Hermione said as the lesson began. "Not even close."
That afternoon, Hermione went to Dumbledore's office with the letter where he greeted her warmly. "Sit down, Miss Granger! Would you care for a cup of tea?"
"No, thank you, Professor. I've come here for a reason." She handed the letter to him and glanced around the office as he read it. She had always liked his office, full of mementos and pieces from the past. It was a comforting place and she enjoyed being in it.
Dumbledore's face was creased with worry. "This presents a bit of a problem, I'm afraid," he said slowly, studying the letter. "As you know, there is a group of students planning on taking the train home on Friday. Normally, we only allow students to take the train during the week if it is an emergency."
"I see," Hermione said quietly. Inside, she was brewing with happiness. It wasn't as if she didn't love her family, because she did, quite dearly. It was just that every year was the same. A boring party with boring guests and she was never allowed to bring a friend. It was uninteresting for a girl her age and she secretly wouldn't mind just sending her grandmother a gift from school.
"However," continued the headmaster, "considering your excellent status as Head Girl, I've decided to make an exception." He beamed at her.
"Um, thanks, Professor Dumbledore," she stumbled, unable to decide how she felt about this. He went on to tell her that the following day, she would travel to Hogsmeade Station and take the train from there to King's Cross. "You have a choice of travelling to Hogsmeade," he told her, studying her carefully. "You can either take a carriage or, if you have light luggage, walk. The station isn't far from the Main Street."
Hermione considered these options silently. She hated taking the carriages. Quite often, they made her feel nauseous. But did she really want to walk with Voldemort running on the loose? When reality kicked back into her mind, she figured what were the chances of being struck down by Voldemort in broad daylight in a well-populated area?
It happened to Professor McGonagall, said the small voice in the back of her mind, but she overrode it when she said, "I'll walk, thank you, Professor. I won't have very much luggage."
He nodded, looking unperturbed at her answer and that relieved Hermione a little. If Dumbledore was willing to give her that choice and seemed unconcerned at her answer, then there was nothing to worry about. Right?
"Here." Ron shoved an envelope into her hands when she appeared. "An owl brought this for you at breakfast."
"Where were you?" Harry asked and for a moment, Hermione saw a bit of the old Harry in his face.
"I woke up late," she told them, opening the envelope and pulling the letter out. "I was having these really weird dreams and I couldn't sleep very well the first part of the night." She became silent as her eyes scanned over the pages. "Oh, great!" she cried when she had finished reading the letter.
"What?" the boys asked in unison.
"My grandmother wants me to come in earlier to meet some distant relatives of mine," she replied, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm supposed to take the train tomorrow."
"But tomorrow's only Wednesday!" Ron cried, looking forlorn. Harry grinned at his friend's reaction. "You're not supposed to leave until Friday."
"You think I don't know that?" Hermione read the letter again. "What can I do?" she sighed. "I'll have to go early. Fighting with my family is one thing you don't want to do."
"But, isn't your family Muggles?" Ron asked, confusion filling his face.
"Yes."
"Then why wouldn't you want to cross them?"
Harry and Hermione shared a look. "Because it will make them angry," Hermione answered slowly.
"But aren't all Muggles nice?" Ron asked, more confusion in his eyes.
"Not even close, Ron," Hermione said as the lesson began. "Not even close."
That afternoon, Hermione went to Dumbledore's office with the letter where he greeted her warmly. "Sit down, Miss Granger! Would you care for a cup of tea?"
"No, thank you, Professor. I've come here for a reason." She handed the letter to him and glanced around the office as he read it. She had always liked his office, full of mementos and pieces from the past. It was a comforting place and she enjoyed being in it.
Dumbledore's face was creased with worry. "This presents a bit of a problem, I'm afraid," he said slowly, studying the letter. "As you know, there is a group of students planning on taking the train home on Friday. Normally, we only allow students to take the train during the week if it is an emergency."
"I see," Hermione said quietly. Inside, she was brewing with happiness. It wasn't as if she didn't love her family, because she did, quite dearly. It was just that every year was the same. A boring party with boring guests and she was never allowed to bring a friend. It was uninteresting for a girl her age and she secretly wouldn't mind just sending her grandmother a gift from school.
"However," continued the headmaster, "considering your excellent status as Head Girl, I've decided to make an exception." He beamed at her.
"Um, thanks, Professor Dumbledore," she stumbled, unable to decide how she felt about this. He went on to tell her that the following day, she would travel to Hogsmeade Station and take the train from there to King's Cross. "You have a choice of travelling to Hogsmeade," he told her, studying her carefully. "You can either take a carriage or, if you have light luggage, walk. The station isn't far from the Main Street."
Hermione considered these options silently. She hated taking the carriages. Quite often, they made her feel nauseous. But did she really want to walk with Voldemort running on the loose? When reality kicked back into her mind, she figured what were the chances of being struck down by Voldemort in broad daylight in a well-populated area?
It happened to Professor McGonagall, said the small voice in the back of her mind, but she overrode it when she said, "I'll walk, thank you, Professor. I won't have very much luggage."
He nodded, looking unperturbed at her answer and that relieved Hermione a little. If Dumbledore was willing to give her that choice and seemed unconcerned at her answer, then there was nothing to worry about. Right?
