Chapter 2- What Now??

Harry sighed with content and patted his extremely full stomach. "Feels great not having just left over and burnt toast and bacon for breakfast." He glanced around the Great Hall at all the other wizards and witches who where eating and talking to friends they hadn't seen all summer.

"What where going to say before? You said you had something really important to tell me." Said Hermione as she finished her last piece of bacon and helped herself to more sausage.

"I think we had better tell you later in a more private place." Ron replied with his mouth still half full. The three continued to eat until Hagrid came over to them.

"How was yer summers?" He asked. "Great! We went to America!!" came from Hermione. who was about to go into a detailed description when Ron interrupted. "We visited Bill and his family in Moscow." "What 'bout you, Harry?" "Same as ever. Dursley's still scared of me but not treating me any better." "Ok well I'll be seein' you all later on this week."

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In the Gryfindor common room, Harry, Ron, and Hermione where all seated in big, comfortable fluffy chairs around the hearth. They were enjoying the last day before classes would start. Suddenly Hermione said, "What was it you two where going to say to me before?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other. Harry said, "Come on, we'll show you." They lead the way up the stairs to their sleeping rooms. As the entered, they found Elizabeth asleep on the floor. Hermione gasped. "Who is the that?"

"That's what we wanted to tell you about. We think that she's a muggle."

"Does she know about. about."

"Us. No. We didn't tell her."

"Than how can you tell she's a muggle?"

"Well she doesn't know what a muggle is, so we just figured that she is one."

"We need to tell someone." Hermione got up to leave but Harry grabbed her by the arm. "You know just as well as I do that I could get expelled for bringing a muggle here."

"He's right, Hermione" agreed Ron.

"Yeah, but you didn't do it purposely did you?"

"No but."

"So what's to get in trouble for? And you can get in just as much trouble by not telling anyone."

"Well not right away."

Meanwhile, Ron who had been thinking hard (for a change) spoke up. "We could tell Hagrid!! We've kept plenty of secrets for him so don't you think he could return just this little one for us?"

"Ron! Hagrid's a teacher here and he could get fired for doing that! What if someone found out?" Hermione said aghast.

"But it would only be for a few days, until we can find a way to get her back to the muggle world."

"What if we can't find a way?"

"Then we'll have to tell Dumbledore." Ron said simply.

"And Hermione. Just THINK what would happen if I were expelled. Malfoy would have a field day!" Hermione sighed at last giving in.

"What happens if she finds out about- about - us? Our world?" Questioned Hermione.

"Then we'll have to tell her the whole story, I guess."

"Tell who what whole story?" Liz asked sleepily, having woken up just in time to catch Harry's last few words.

"Ummmm, nothing," said Harry uneasily.

~There they go being mysterious again.~ "Whatever. I'm hungry" Elizabeth stated.

"Well than I'll get you something from the kitchen in a few minutes." Said Hermione. She had become pretty good friends with the house-elves in the kitchen after her "House-Elf Liberation" thing the previous year. " And by the way. What's your name?"

"Elizabeth Durnham, but everyone calls me Liz."

"How old are you again?"

"Eleven and a half."

"Oh." Hermione sat thinking for a few minutes. She was thinking about her little brother who was also eleven and was starting his first year at Hogwart's this year. She wondered if Liz would be anything like him and if she was, Hermione was going to dread the few days she would spend with the young girl. "I'll go speak to the house-elves about getting her something to eat now." Said Hermione and left the room. As she exited the portrait hole, she thought about the fact that she now once again had a secret to hide. There hadn't been once in all her years at Hogwart's that something mysterious had happened. But being one of Harry Potter's best friends explained that. Now this time it was just by chance that it had happened to them. For all anyone knew it could have happened to Malfoy! (Although she seriously doubted that he would leave his trunk with all his precious family heirlooms open and unguarded at King's Cross Station.)

All thoughts off Liz and the present situation drifted from her mind as she heard Draco and his buddies Crabe and Goyle laughing about something near by. She peeked around the corner of the wall down the next corridor. What she saw made her gasp and she reached for her wand beneath the folds of her robes.

She pointed the wand straight a Malfoy and yelled " Stop it you idiot!" At the sound of her voice Draco turned and an even bigger (if possible) smirk appeared on his face. " So the big tough and mighty Derek needs a little Mudblood to stand up for him, does he?"

" Let my little brother alone." When Malfoy continued to poke the young boy with invisible needles by means of a new spell he had obviously learned over the summer, she yelled, " NOW!!"

Draco laughed. " Your not going to scare me you know Mudblood." This made the blood in Hermione's vein rush even faster. She waved her wand and yelled " PERIDIOUS VERNTICULOUS!" Malfoy started to squirm and wriggle as a he itched in one spot than the next. As Crabe and Goyle moved toward her she did the same to them only to hear an icy-cool voice behind her say quietly, " Well, well Miss Granger what do we have here?" She wheeled around to face the person she already knew would be standing there.

*^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^* A/N: Well what did you think? Want more? You know how to get it.. review, review, review!!! I know that Hermione probably doesn't have a little brother but for my purposes, she does. Oh and does anyone think I have too much talking??