Chapter 1
"Oy! You with the glasses!" called a voice, carrying clearly through the crisp autumn air.
Harry Potter turned. Loping towards him, grinning maniacally, was his friend Ron Weasley.
"Hello, Ron," said Harry glumly. "Have you seen Hermione?"
"Yes, we're to meet her over at Flourish and Blott's."
They walked off in the bookstore's direction. It was the last day of August, and the day before they would have to take the train back to Hogwarts. As always, they had met up in Diagon Alley to buy supplies for school and to catch up on each other's lives.
Harry, as he walked along, was mulling over the events of the past few months. Now everyone knew Voldemort had risen again, but what would the incompetent Ministry do about it? And Sirius was gone, gone forever... Harry was alone...
Pondering these depressing thoughts, he was completely unprepared for the compact amount of young woman that flung itself at him, knocking him to the ground and flinging up a cloud of dust around them. He unconsciously reached for his wand, but froze when he looked over at his attacker's face, and saw, through the dust, that she was Hermione.
He sprang to his feet, and held out a hand to help her up. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet.
"Sorry, Harry!" she gushed, brushing dust off her clothing. "I guess you weren't expecting that."
"Hermione," said Ron weakly. "You look... different."
And indeed she did. Her normally bushy hair was straight and shiny, as they has seen it only once before, at the Yule Ball almost two years ago. She was wearing rather revealing Muggle clothes, proving once and for all that she did have a figure.
"Do I look all right?" she said anxiously. "I thought it might be time for a change, and, well, er..." She gestured vaguely at herself.
"Oh-- oh, you look fine, Hermione," said Harry, with great sincerity.
She smiled at him. There was something about her, Harry thought. Maybe it was the new appearance, but she seemed unusually happy, and much more mature.
She was like a whole new person.
Chatting politely, the three wandered off into Diagon Alley.