Chapter 2-On the Train

Disclaimer: I only own the plot

Hermione leaned casually against the barrier and fell through onto platform 9 ¾. She pushed and pulled her way through the crowd and finally reached the train. She yanked her trunk onto the train and began to look for an empty compartment. She found one and settled to wait for Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She didn't have long to wait before the compartment door slid open. But it wasn't Harry, Ron or Ginny standing in the doorway, it was Draco Malfoy, her and her friends arch nemesis (oooh I love that word!). "What do you want Malfoy?" Hermione said, thinking, 'can't he wait until we are at school before he starts to ruin my life?'

"Oh nothing really mudblood, just for you to give me your unconditional love," Malfoy replied, looking dead serious, but obviously he wasn't.

Hermione snorted, "Fat chance you'll ever get that from me. But you may get it from Parkinson, oh, wait, the only thing you'll get from her is.hmmmmm, let me think.your bankruptcy. Now if you'll kindly leave me alone I have some thinking to do, oh wait, if you need help out the door I'll understand, I know your brain isn't large enough for you to do things like that yourself," Hermione said. She really did want to think of her parents, and she did want Malfoy out of the compartment, but she instantly regretted saying that last part.

"What did you say to me?" Malfoy's face was going red and blotchy.

Hermione had no time to worry about what he would do to her, she was angry that he didn't leave and angrier still when he stepped inside the compartment. "You heard me, I said that your brain was so small that you'd need help going out the door, but that's okay, a small brain is just one of the many symptoms of stupidity, along with not doing what you are told and- " Hermione was happy to see the look on his face, but was cut off abruptly when he picked her up and pinned her to the wall 'boy is he strong,' she thought.

Just then Harry and Ron entered the compartment and saw Hermione pinned to the wall by Malfoy. "Drop her, Malfoy," Harry said fiercely.

"Gladly, because now I have to wash these robes," He said, dropping Hermione to the floor. On his way out he turned suddenly and said, "Oh, yeah, you were supposed to go to compartment one a few minutes ago," and with that he walked away.

"Dang it," Hermione yelled, as she ran out of the compartment.

"What was all that about?" Ron asked Harry once she had left. Harry just shrugged.

Hermione skidded into the compartment only half a minute after she had left her compartment. Breathlessly she said, "You (gasp) wanted (gasp) to see me?"

Professor McGonagall seemed rather amused at Hermione's behavior; she had skidded into the compartment, almost falling over, and all out of breath, this was very un-Hermione-like. This had probably resulted because she had sent Malfoy to get her. "Well yes, I did, as a prefect, you are to be patrolling the halls of the train to make sure no magic is being done, understood?" Hermione nodded, still panting. "Good, you are dismissed."

So for the rest of the train ride Hermione patrolled the corridors on the train.

At Hogwarts all the students (except first years) piled into the horseless carriages that took them up to the castle, and then they all went into the Great Hall. After the sorting Dumbledore said, "I have an announcement, this years prefects are.Hermione Granger, from Gryffindor, Terry Boot, from Ravenclaw, Susan Bones, from Hufflepuff, and Draco Malfoy from Slytherin. This years Head Boy is Roger Davies from Ravenclaw and this years Head Girl is Katie Bell, from Gryffindor. Would the prefects and Heads come and meet me up here please? Let the feast begin!"

"I'll see you guys later okay?" Hermione said to Harry and Ron. They nodded as she walked over to talk to Dumbledore.

"Ah, yes my prefects, we are doing something a little different this year, to see if it works out. You four will be the only prefects this year; there won't be any sixth year prefects. Some of your jobs this year include organizing the social events and planning Hogsmeade weekends. You all have your own table at the end of the hall, right there," He pointed and a table came up, laden with food, "And, last, but not least, you will have your own common room, as will the heads. Meet me in the Entrance Hall after you have led your houses to their house. That is all, you may go eat at your table now."

Hermione was annoyed with Dumbledore, first he makes Malfoy a prefect also, but now she had to sit and eat with him! It was just too much. Now she had a headache. Quickly she took out her wand and said a spell to make the headache go away. She sat down between Susan and Hannah and began to eat.

Draco's POV

Draco was thinking back to the train incident with the mudblood. 'Why did I let her get to me like that? I rarely lose my temper, but then again, she said I was stupid, I am not stupid.' He looked up at Granger, her words were quite a bit harsher than last year, and he had only been teasing when he had said he wanted her unconditional love. But then it had seemed that she had had a lot on her mind, and maybe something bad had happened to her and she had needed to cool off, she had shown no fear when he had pinned her to the wall, only anger was in her eyes. Maybe he should have just given her the message and left. Oh well, what's done is done.

He sighed a little and went back to eating.

Hermione's POV

Dinner was over quickly and she led the Gryffindors to their common room, initiating the password (Dragon Heartstring) and left to go meet Dumbledore in the Entrance Hall. She was the last one there and Dumbledore said, "Ah, yes the last one, well, follow me." He led them up to the fourth floor and showed the Heads where their portrait was (it was a portrait of a little girl probably only seven who was playing with a sheep dog in a grassy field) and left them to choose their password. The four prefects followed Dumbledore up three more floors to the seventh and made their way southward to a portrait of a unicorn with a woman who looked a little like Hermione on it. They chose their password (Unicorn Blood) and walked inside. Hermione gasped at what she saw.