The compartment door slid aside to reveal a short girl with elbow length
ebony-coloured hair, very pale skin and green eyes. Her name was Jessica
and she was a witch. But of course this was nothing to boast about as her
train happened to be heading for Hogwarts school of witchcraft and
wizardry, where being a witch made you nothing more than ordinary. She was
already wearing her black school robes, and cloak. She smiled at her
companions and said:
"Mind if I join you? There's nowhere else really."
One of the two girls looked up, she too smiled to show large, white front
teeth emblazoned with a blue and silver brace, and tucked her thick brown
hair behind her ear as she offered Jessica a seat
Hermione Granger was very anxious. It was what she was good at, among other things, but once again, she felt the situation called for someone who was good at being anxious. Her two best friends, the colossal idiots that they were, had managed to miss the train leaving a very frantic Mrs. Weasley to say a hurried goodbye to the girls as a worried looking Mr. Weasley tried to get back through the barrier to find the boys.
She surveyed the new girl with increasing interest, she seemed nice enough, but Hermione got the impression that they had met before; there was something familiar in her face but she couldn't explain or put her finger on exactly what it was. She was distracted again by a stray thought and turned to voice it to the red haired girl sitting next to her
"Ginny, you don't think Harry and Ron are in trouble do you? I mean, there must have been a reason if they missed the train."
Ginny Shrugged, she was far too nervous about the upcoming sorting to worry that much about her brother's antic with friends. The girl opposite them, however, sat up straight.
"Are you talking about that tall redhead and the guy with glasses, Harry Potter? I saw them! They couldn't get on to the platform. They were saying something about a car, I think. O and I'm Jessica by the way."
"Hermione Granger, and this is Ginny. She's the redheaded idiot's sister. What year are you in, you don't have any colours, but you don't look like a first year." By colours, of course, Hermione meant the house badges all pupils wore on their robes.
"Oh, are you the transfer Professor McGonagall was talking about?"
"Well, not exactly, I'm in second year, but you wouldn't know it to look at me would you? Short, skinny and scrawny, just like my parents." She smiled. "I was in Hogwarts last year, but I'm transferring to Gryfindor." She sighed and looked out of the window at the countryside whizzing past. Hermione looked puzzled.
"Were you wrongly placed or something" This caused Ginny to tremble even more.
"No, I was given a choice, and I made the wrong one. Dumblebee only let me switch because I got the highest exam results in my year. And there were more...personal reasons as well." She looked as though she really didn't want to talk about those.
"So, you were in Ravenclaw? I mean, high exam results usually mean that you're in Gryiffindor or Ravenclaw, its always one of the two."
"No. I was in Slytherin. Yeah, I know BIG mistake-they're all pricks" this last statement caused both Ginny and Hermione to laugh; Jessica smiled and joined in giggling.
They started talking animatedly about things. Ron and Harry's stupidity for one; school, teachers and everything in general. Soon they began comparing exam results. It turned out that Jessica had very narrowly beaten Hermione's score by three quarters of a point. This made Hermione wrinkle her brow and shrug in a would-be-indifferent kind of way. But her thoughts were interrupted by a rude joke from Ginny (apparently, Fred told her) and they all fell about laughing again. Hermione liked Jessica's laugh it was cheerful and fruity. It put her in mind of happy days in the past it soothed her.
At lunchtime the lady with the lunch trolley arrived as usual. Jessica bought something for all of them refusing to let Hermione or Ginny pay.
"My treat, honestly! Call it my lame and feeble attempt to make new friends." Their laughter was cut short as the compartment door opened again to reveal someone less welcome.
"Evans, you've made some new...friends I see." He sneered, lip curling, a hideously unpleasant expression etched onto his face; though it was nothing to rival the look that Jessica shot back at him.
"I am quite capable enough, Draco to make my own decisions regarding who I acquaint myself with." Draco Malfoy blinked before spinning on his heels and accompanying his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle out of the compartment. He stopped at the door, however, spun round once more and spat back,
"Evans, I would be very careful indeed this year, you never know when my tongue may slip. You know what disastrous consequences there would be. Remember Jessica, you're real place is in Slytherin, if you turn your back on us, you will regret it." With that, he stormed off without a single glance backward. Jessica seemed to be emitting steam from her eyeballs, her anger more than evident than ever. Not noticing this, Hermione said:
"Jessica Evans! I knew I'd seen you before, you went out with that flea- ridden toe rag Malfoy last year didn't you?"
"Don't say his name in my presence! Grimy little freak!" She snarled at the closed door where his back had been.
"Is he really awful?" Put in Ginny earnestly
"Yes! He's slime! I hope he chokes on that over large tongue of his!" She breathed deeply regaining herself "But now I am free to make fun of his stupidity without having to think about how it will affect our house score!" She winked. Deciding it would be better for all concerned, Hermione tactfully changed the subject.
A little while later, as the girls were trooping un-concernedly up towards Gryffindor tower, they spotted Ron and Harry gazing rather stupidly at the portrait of the fat lady in the pink silk dress. They couldn't look more dumbfounded if they'd been given clubs and told to imitate the stupidest- troll-of-the-year contest. Hermione rushed forward to berate the two of them as Ginny went ahead to greet Fred and George in the common room. Jessica hung back, feeling awkward as Hermione said her bit. When she finally took time to breath, Hermione realised the confused looks on the boy's faces and remembered.
"Oh, this is Jessica by the way. Jessica, these oafs are Ronald, Ginny's brother, and well, I'm sure you know-Harry Potter."
"I'm sure I do, call me Jess-hi!" Harry was looking strangely at her; his scar was giving a feint prickle of recognition, but he shook it away and held out his hand to shake hers. He opened his mouth but Ron interjected;
"Jess Evans, Malfoy's ex?" He was eyeing her up and down, looking sceptical
"Unfortunately, yes-but for the record, I dumped him, no matter what he tells his Slytherin cronies. I hate him; he flew of the handle when I told him I was a halfblood. If I'd known beforehand what he was like I would have told him to shove his head so far up his own arse that he'd spend years shitting out his own face in tiny little grimy pieces." At this last exclamation, Ron's face warmed slightly and he grinned with sardonic amusement. "Hang on a minute- Evans! Are your parent's Aurors by any chance, because I think my dad knows and Evans at the Ministry" Jessica closed her eyes wearily as though she had known this was coming
"No- they weren't, my mum was a teacher in a small wizarding school in Devon and my dad was a muggle doctor." Ron seemed satisfied, but Hermione looked puzzled
"Why do you speak in the past tense? Have they changed jobs or moved or something?"
"No, no they haven't. They're dead actually. They were killed a few days before Harry's parents were and by the same murderer" Harry cut in
"Voldemort Killed your parent's too?" Ignoring the flinches from Ron and Hermione, he noticed Jessica neither flinched at the name or fear saying it.
"Yes, 21st October, not a date I'm going to forget too quickly."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry I should have just-"
"No don't, it's better that you know. I prefer it this way rather than me having to point it out in a couple of months while you're all talking about going home to see your families for Christmas." She had a grim smile on her face, which fooled everyone but Harry. He knew that look; it was the look he wore himself whenever anyone asked about his family. Ron put in sympathetically
"What were their names?"
"Daniel Evans and Sarah Brook strange, but even though I never knew them, I still hate Voldemort more than anything else in the world for taking them away from me." Her large green eyes widened and landed on Harry's identical emerald orbs, two pairs of green eyes staring into each other's souls. They understood each other enough had been said. At last, after a lengthy pause, Jessica looked up and said jovially,
"We'd better be getting into the common room, I suppose Fred and George" she had met the twins at dinner "will be planning some crazy party for your miraculous entrance to the grounds." The boys blushed while Hermione and Jessica giggled. They all turned around and entered the common room together. Later, as she lay in bed, Hermione was having difficulty getting to sleep. Just as she began to drop off, she heard a quiet sobbing noise coming from the bed next to hers followed by a cry of physical pain, stifled quickly. She fell asleep realising whom the voice belonged to, but by the time she woke up in the morning, she had already forgotten.
A few day's later the gang found themselves in Hagrid's Cabin, Harry in his Quidditch robes, with Jessica and Hermione comforting Ron as he plunged his head back into the bucket Hagrid had provided, spewing slugs. Hermione glanced around the cabin, then, as if she'd just realised the potentially awkward situation before her, she said,
"Oh Hagrid, this is Jessica by the way, she's just joined Gryffindor" But Hagrid waved a hand in the air and said,
"Yeh, we've met. Las' year an all." He smiled and looked sidelong at Ron with something that might have been a giggle if he hadn't stiffened up and said in a much lower, manlier growl than usual.
"Ehem, Harry. Quidditch eh? Howa that team of yers goin'?" Harry frowned.
"Not too good actually Hagrid. Alicia Spinnette's left the team – so we're down a chaser. I think Wood's holding trials soon though.
"'Spect ye'll be getting' loadsa people wantin' ter be on the Gryffindor team now that yer on it an all" Hagrid winked and Harry flushed slightly. "So tell me" Hagrid continued "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"
Hermione Granger was very anxious. It was what she was good at, among other things, but once again, she felt the situation called for someone who was good at being anxious. Her two best friends, the colossal idiots that they were, had managed to miss the train leaving a very frantic Mrs. Weasley to say a hurried goodbye to the girls as a worried looking Mr. Weasley tried to get back through the barrier to find the boys.
She surveyed the new girl with increasing interest, she seemed nice enough, but Hermione got the impression that they had met before; there was something familiar in her face but she couldn't explain or put her finger on exactly what it was. She was distracted again by a stray thought and turned to voice it to the red haired girl sitting next to her
"Ginny, you don't think Harry and Ron are in trouble do you? I mean, there must have been a reason if they missed the train."
Ginny Shrugged, she was far too nervous about the upcoming sorting to worry that much about her brother's antic with friends. The girl opposite them, however, sat up straight.
"Are you talking about that tall redhead and the guy with glasses, Harry Potter? I saw them! They couldn't get on to the platform. They were saying something about a car, I think. O and I'm Jessica by the way."
"Hermione Granger, and this is Ginny. She's the redheaded idiot's sister. What year are you in, you don't have any colours, but you don't look like a first year." By colours, of course, Hermione meant the house badges all pupils wore on their robes.
"Oh, are you the transfer Professor McGonagall was talking about?"
"Well, not exactly, I'm in second year, but you wouldn't know it to look at me would you? Short, skinny and scrawny, just like my parents." She smiled. "I was in Hogwarts last year, but I'm transferring to Gryfindor." She sighed and looked out of the window at the countryside whizzing past. Hermione looked puzzled.
"Were you wrongly placed or something" This caused Ginny to tremble even more.
"No, I was given a choice, and I made the wrong one. Dumblebee only let me switch because I got the highest exam results in my year. And there were more...personal reasons as well." She looked as though she really didn't want to talk about those.
"So, you were in Ravenclaw? I mean, high exam results usually mean that you're in Gryiffindor or Ravenclaw, its always one of the two."
"No. I was in Slytherin. Yeah, I know BIG mistake-they're all pricks" this last statement caused both Ginny and Hermione to laugh; Jessica smiled and joined in giggling.
They started talking animatedly about things. Ron and Harry's stupidity for one; school, teachers and everything in general. Soon they began comparing exam results. It turned out that Jessica had very narrowly beaten Hermione's score by three quarters of a point. This made Hermione wrinkle her brow and shrug in a would-be-indifferent kind of way. But her thoughts were interrupted by a rude joke from Ginny (apparently, Fred told her) and they all fell about laughing again. Hermione liked Jessica's laugh it was cheerful and fruity. It put her in mind of happy days in the past it soothed her.
At lunchtime the lady with the lunch trolley arrived as usual. Jessica bought something for all of them refusing to let Hermione or Ginny pay.
"My treat, honestly! Call it my lame and feeble attempt to make new friends." Their laughter was cut short as the compartment door opened again to reveal someone less welcome.
"Evans, you've made some new...friends I see." He sneered, lip curling, a hideously unpleasant expression etched onto his face; though it was nothing to rival the look that Jessica shot back at him.
"I am quite capable enough, Draco to make my own decisions regarding who I acquaint myself with." Draco Malfoy blinked before spinning on his heels and accompanying his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle out of the compartment. He stopped at the door, however, spun round once more and spat back,
"Evans, I would be very careful indeed this year, you never know when my tongue may slip. You know what disastrous consequences there would be. Remember Jessica, you're real place is in Slytherin, if you turn your back on us, you will regret it." With that, he stormed off without a single glance backward. Jessica seemed to be emitting steam from her eyeballs, her anger more than evident than ever. Not noticing this, Hermione said:
"Jessica Evans! I knew I'd seen you before, you went out with that flea- ridden toe rag Malfoy last year didn't you?"
"Don't say his name in my presence! Grimy little freak!" She snarled at the closed door where his back had been.
"Is he really awful?" Put in Ginny earnestly
"Yes! He's slime! I hope he chokes on that over large tongue of his!" She breathed deeply regaining herself "But now I am free to make fun of his stupidity without having to think about how it will affect our house score!" She winked. Deciding it would be better for all concerned, Hermione tactfully changed the subject.
A little while later, as the girls were trooping un-concernedly up towards Gryffindor tower, they spotted Ron and Harry gazing rather stupidly at the portrait of the fat lady in the pink silk dress. They couldn't look more dumbfounded if they'd been given clubs and told to imitate the stupidest- troll-of-the-year contest. Hermione rushed forward to berate the two of them as Ginny went ahead to greet Fred and George in the common room. Jessica hung back, feeling awkward as Hermione said her bit. When she finally took time to breath, Hermione realised the confused looks on the boy's faces and remembered.
"Oh, this is Jessica by the way. Jessica, these oafs are Ronald, Ginny's brother, and well, I'm sure you know-Harry Potter."
"I'm sure I do, call me Jess-hi!" Harry was looking strangely at her; his scar was giving a feint prickle of recognition, but he shook it away and held out his hand to shake hers. He opened his mouth but Ron interjected;
"Jess Evans, Malfoy's ex?" He was eyeing her up and down, looking sceptical
"Unfortunately, yes-but for the record, I dumped him, no matter what he tells his Slytherin cronies. I hate him; he flew of the handle when I told him I was a halfblood. If I'd known beforehand what he was like I would have told him to shove his head so far up his own arse that he'd spend years shitting out his own face in tiny little grimy pieces." At this last exclamation, Ron's face warmed slightly and he grinned with sardonic amusement. "Hang on a minute- Evans! Are your parent's Aurors by any chance, because I think my dad knows and Evans at the Ministry" Jessica closed her eyes wearily as though she had known this was coming
"No- they weren't, my mum was a teacher in a small wizarding school in Devon and my dad was a muggle doctor." Ron seemed satisfied, but Hermione looked puzzled
"Why do you speak in the past tense? Have they changed jobs or moved or something?"
"No, no they haven't. They're dead actually. They were killed a few days before Harry's parents were and by the same murderer" Harry cut in
"Voldemort Killed your parent's too?" Ignoring the flinches from Ron and Hermione, he noticed Jessica neither flinched at the name or fear saying it.
"Yes, 21st October, not a date I'm going to forget too quickly."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry I should have just-"
"No don't, it's better that you know. I prefer it this way rather than me having to point it out in a couple of months while you're all talking about going home to see your families for Christmas." She had a grim smile on her face, which fooled everyone but Harry. He knew that look; it was the look he wore himself whenever anyone asked about his family. Ron put in sympathetically
"What were their names?"
"Daniel Evans and Sarah Brook strange, but even though I never knew them, I still hate Voldemort more than anything else in the world for taking them away from me." Her large green eyes widened and landed on Harry's identical emerald orbs, two pairs of green eyes staring into each other's souls. They understood each other enough had been said. At last, after a lengthy pause, Jessica looked up and said jovially,
"We'd better be getting into the common room, I suppose Fred and George" she had met the twins at dinner "will be planning some crazy party for your miraculous entrance to the grounds." The boys blushed while Hermione and Jessica giggled. They all turned around and entered the common room together. Later, as she lay in bed, Hermione was having difficulty getting to sleep. Just as she began to drop off, she heard a quiet sobbing noise coming from the bed next to hers followed by a cry of physical pain, stifled quickly. She fell asleep realising whom the voice belonged to, but by the time she woke up in the morning, she had already forgotten.
A few day's later the gang found themselves in Hagrid's Cabin, Harry in his Quidditch robes, with Jessica and Hermione comforting Ron as he plunged his head back into the bucket Hagrid had provided, spewing slugs. Hermione glanced around the cabin, then, as if she'd just realised the potentially awkward situation before her, she said,
"Oh Hagrid, this is Jessica by the way, she's just joined Gryffindor" But Hagrid waved a hand in the air and said,
"Yeh, we've met. Las' year an all." He smiled and looked sidelong at Ron with something that might have been a giggle if he hadn't stiffened up and said in a much lower, manlier growl than usual.
"Ehem, Harry. Quidditch eh? Howa that team of yers goin'?" Harry frowned.
"Not too good actually Hagrid. Alicia Spinnette's left the team – so we're down a chaser. I think Wood's holding trials soon though.
"'Spect ye'll be getting' loadsa people wantin' ter be on the Gryffindor team now that yer on it an all" Hagrid winked and Harry flushed slightly. "So tell me" Hagrid continued "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"