Disclaimer : I own nothing, nadda, niente, zip, nani mo. Except the plot of course.

Chapter 3 : Arrival

                Ron jumped up from his seat, his eyes wide with surprise.

                "A prefect?  Hermione!  Why didn't you say anything?" Ron went over and wrapped his arms around her.

                Hermione, startled, asked, "You aren't mad?"

                "Well of course I am!  You ought to have told us.  But it's wonderful news Hermione.  Everyone knew that you were going to get the badge anyway.  Not much of a surprise," Ron assured her.

                She looked at Harry who gave her a nod, "That's right.  You are the smartest in school.  It's no wonder McGonagall picked you.  Congratulations."

                Hermione smiled.

                "You boys are fantastic.  I was so afraid that you wouldn't want to be friends anymore.  I mean, just because you're my best friends, doesn't mean you'll be getting any special leniency."

                Ron raised an eyebrow.

                "Ok," Hermione gave in, "Maybe a little, but I will have to reprimand you sometimes."

                Harry nodded again, "We'll just have to make sure that we don't get caught, eh Ron?"

                Grinning, Hermione left the compartment.  Why had she been worried?  She ought to have known that they wouldn't care.  She walked all the way back to the last compartment where both the Heads and the prefects met.  Hermione was all smiles now.  Her friends were happy and she had finally achieved one of her dreams of becoming prefect.  Her parents were so proud of her. 

                Sliding the door open, the cabin revealed to be larger than the other ones to make room for all of the extra people.  Glancing around, Hermione recognized all of the students.  Hufflepuff prefects were Ernie MacMillan and Hannah Abbott.  The two sat beside the window talking lazily about Quidditch.  Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw were dangerously trying to play a game of Snap on their knees.  The two Slytherins, Blaise Zabini and Adrian Pucey (A/N I wasn't sure what year the Slytherins were in, but I didn't want to make Draco a prefect.  If you know a fourth male Slytherin in Harry's year, lemme know and I can change it, but for now, this is how it is.  Same with the Heads.  Not sure what year everyone is in and it makes it difficult) wore evil grins on their faces while they spoke but Hermione, from experience, knew they weren't up to anything.  Slytherins always looked evil no matter what.  Hermione's prefect counterpart, Dean Thomas, was slouching in his seat, twiddling his thumbs, looking very bored.  Catching sight of his fellow Gryffindor though, he straightened up and made room for her to sit down.

                "Thanks Dean," she slid beside him.  She was quite delighted that another Muggle-born was prefect with her.

                "Alright, now listen up," Alicia Spinnet, the Head Girl from Gryffindor, announced.  Stewart Ackerly, Ravenclaw Head Boy, nudged Hannah who was still locked a lazy spiel about which Quidditch team had the best Chasers.  She jumped at Stewart's touch and looked at Alicia sheepishly.

The Head Girl nodded and began her speech.

"Dumbledore asked me to go over the rules with you briefly.  Things like making sure students are in bed by lights out.  No girls in the boy's dorms and vice versa.  Dress code.  I don't think he meant for us to go into each one, just to make sure you'd enforce them.  I want all

students treated fairly.  No special favours for your friends," Alicia looked at Hermione, then, switching her gaze to the Slytherins, added, "And no extreme punishments for your enemies."

The prefects all nodded in unison.  Hermione was glad that Malfoy hadn't made prefect.  He would have taken full advantage of his privileges and made Ron and Harry's lives hell.  It wasn't a surprise that he hadn't received a badge. 

'Snape may have wanted him, but I doubt Dumbledore would have agreed with such a choice.  He knows Malfoy would severely abuse his power,' she thought.

Alicia's speech was short and to the point, something for which the prefects were grateful.  They left as soon as she finished and walked through the train to theirs compartments, talking about their newfound authority.

"I'm really glad your prefect, Hermione," Dean told her smiling, "As much as I like Lavender and Parvati and the others, I just don't think they would do a very good job, like you will."

                Hermione was flattered right down to her toes.  She grinned widely at Dean's praise and confessed to him, "I'm glad you are too.  I think you're the best man for the job.  Harry and Ron get in way too much trouble."

                Dean went slightly red at the words 'best man'. 

                Reaching her compartment, Hermione said goodbye to her peers and went inside.  Harry and Ron had given up on Exploding Snap and were now digging through the food they had bought of the trolley.

                Ron looked up as she entered.

                "Hermione.  You missed the food trolley."

                "I can see that.  Did you leave anything for anyone else?" Hermione teased.

                "Mock all you want," Harry told her, "We happen to be growing men."

                "Right.  Growing, maybe.  Men…no."

                "That was uncalled for," Ron defended them, "Now you don't get any of the chocolate we bought you."

                The red-haired boy scooped up some of the candy and held it away from Hermione. 

                "That stuff rots your teeth," she informed them.

                "Spoken like a true dentist's child," Harry said.

Hermione laughed and sat down and took a chocolate frog from the pile in Ron's arms.  He sighed.

                "Ok.  You can have some."

                The trio sat, working their way through the sweets.  For a while, the sound of chewing was all that could be heard.  Then the cabin door slid open, and there stood Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. 

                "What do you want Malfoy?" Harry demanded.

                "What?  Can't a guy just come and chat once in a while?" he replied with mock offence.

                "A guy can, but a guy never has," Hermione reminded him.

                "Ah, Granger.  Always a pleasure," he sneered, "Still hanging out with Dumbledore's pets are you?"

                "At least they can hold a decent conversation." Hermione retorted.

                "Are you implying that Crabbe and Goyle can't?" Malfoy questioned.

                "Grunting doesn't count as talking," she told him.

                Malfoy's bodyguards stood silent for a moment, trying to figure out what she had said.  When they did, they made fists and started towards her.  Hermione jumped slightly, but Malfoy held the two large boys back.

                "Don't waste you're breath.  A Mudblood isn't worth it.  Especially on who thinks she's better than a Pureblood.  Filth like that," he paused and looked straight into her eyes, "isn't worth anything."

                Harry leaped from his seat and took a stance in front of his enemy.

                "Get.  Out," he snarled, his face inches from Malfoy's.

                Malfoy turned on his heal, satisfied with his ability to provoke the wonderful Harry Potter.

                As soon as the three Slytherins had left, Harry sat down beside Hermione and told her, "You know that anything Malfoy says, can't be believed, Hermione.  You're worth more than a thousand of him.  You are better than that slime."

                Hermione gave a little smile and replied, "I know, Harry.  It doesn't bother me so much anymore.  He'll never grow up.  I've given up hope that he might one day realize the trouble his bitterness and disagreeable nature will cause him."

                "I think he has more than just a disagreeable nature, Hermione," Harry pointed out.

                Hermione gave him a soft punch in the ribs, "You know what I mean."

~~~~~~~~~

                When the Hogwart's Express came to a stop in Hogsmeade, Ron, Harry and Hermione pushed their way off the train.  A wave of nostalgia came over the trio when they heard Hagrid calling the 'firs' years.'  They stood around, waiting for the horseless carriages.  When they came into view, Harry gasped.  They weren't horseless at all.

                "What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked.

                "The horses…the carriages…What are those?" he stuttered.

                "You can see them???" Hermione exclaimed.

                "See what?" Ron butted in; wanting to know what was going on.

                "The Thestrals, Ron.  The creatures that pull the carriages.  I've never seen them of course.  I've read about them though," Hermione informed them.

                "Is there anything you haven't read about?" Ron asked sarcastically.

                Hermione glared at him.

                "There really interesting.  They follow the smell of blood.  They can sense it from really far away."

                "How come we can't see them?" Ron wanted to know.

                Harry, still somewhat shocked by the arrival of these dark, night-creatures, tore his gaze from them and looked expectantly at Hermione.

                "They're invisible.  Well to most people anyway.  You can only see them if…." she broke off.

                "If what?  If what??  Hermione?" Ron pushed.

                Taking a deep breath, Hermione blurted, "If you've seen death."

                Harry looked down.  Cedric.  He had seen Cedric die.  Why did it have to haunt him?

                "Harry," Hermione pleaded, "You know it isn't your fault.  You couldn't do anything."

                He knew she was right.  He couldn't do anything.  If only he had had more time.  Voldemort was so quick to kill him; Harry hadn't gotten any chance to react.

                He nodded and gave her a strained smile.  Ron patted him on the back with a, "Wasn't your fault, mate."

                Trying to ignore the eerie fleshless horses, Harry climbed in the carriage after his friends.  They arrived at the castle and were ushered into the Great Hall by their dorm heads. 

                Once seated, the students waited impatiently for the sorting to begin.  It's song was long and curiously sad.

                "Must've been on the shelf too long.  Getting' sappy on us, eh?" Hermione heard a 6th year whisper to his friend.

                After it finished, the first years began to be sorted.  Each table cheered loudly as their new members joined them.  Among the Gryffindor newcomers were Jason Spinnet, Alicia's younger brother and Susan Watson, a small girl with fiery red hair reaching down the length of her back, pale skin and as many freckles as Ginny Weasley. 

                "Who's that?" Harry asked, pointing out the redhead, "She looks an awful lot like Ginny."

                "Susan?  She's my cousin, mate, on Mum's side.  I didn't know she was coming this year.  I thought she was only ten.  We don't see her family much.  Her father's a bit….erm….richer than ours.  But she's nice enough I suppose.  Figures she'd be in our house.  Weasley's have always been Gryffindor's.  Dad can trace us back five generations," Ron told him proudly.

                As soon as the golden plates had been filled, the young Weasley stalked up to Harry and said pointedly, "You're, Harry Potter."

                Harry, somewhat startled by her blunt approach, mumbled in agreement through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

                "Mum told me you'd be here," pausing, she pointed to the small space in between Harry and Hermione, "Mind if I sit?"

pablo5280 : Thanks. I will!

Anonymous HPFAN : Thanks. I'm glad you like it. Great minds think alike eh?

Von : You have no idea what an idiot I looked like after I read your review. I was all smiles for like five minutes. Lol. I'm glad you like the story. I've read oodles of the kinds that you've mentioned, like everybody falls in love in like two seconds, and while some may be well written, I just don't see them as believable. (A/N No offence to anyone who reads this. Believe me, I still like em () I shall definitely start a mailing list if you want to be informed when I write more. Hopefully I keep up with it. I have a tendency to stop when I get bored. But reviews are definite boosters. I know that you will notice that I added the Thestrals and a few things that go with OotP. Sorry bout that. I just thought that after reading it, it sounded cool, so I put it in. But I wont do that often. Thanks again!

princess55 : Ok! Updated. Did you want me to add you to the mailing list? Thanks for reviewing!

A/N : I put in new characters, something I don't like to do cuz they always seem so not real, maybe that's cuz I know they aren't ;). But anyway, these new people shouldn't be really big in the story. I dunno tho, can't make any promises. Keep up the R&R!