Various people knocked on her compartment door. Every time she answered, "I'm getting dressed." She just hoped the same person didn't come twice.
Finally, when the door-bangings stopped and the train was moving, Hermione unlocked her compartment door. She wanted the food-cart to come by. She was starving. Her father never made the meals, her mother had before she was killed. Hermione fended for herself when it came to cooking. But, she wasn't very good, so she hadn't had any breakfast at all. It was eleven-thirty.
She dug into her pants pocket and pulled out her pocketknife. She opened it. Hermione traced the blade along her arm.
No, Hermione, not out in the open, she thought to herself.
She snapped the pocketknife back shut and slipped it back into her pocket.

The food-cart did come by not long after that. Hermione bought plenty of Chocolate Frogs. As she ate them up, she remembered what good chocolate her mother used to make from scratch. At the thought, she chucked the rest of them across the room. She jumped out of her seat and tore the pocketknife back out of her pocket. Hermione opened it, and held it to the skin of her left arm. She pressed down on the skin, and felt it penetrate. Warm, red blood flowed across her skin. She cut over the many other scars there were on her arm. She wished this cut. maybe it would take her. take her to her mother.
She heard the squeaking of the compartment door. Damn, she'd forgotten to lock it again. She closed the knife and put it back in her pocket. Her cut arm dropped to her side. The blood wiped onto her shirt. There was no way to cover this one up. She looked to the doorway. God, her day was just improving by the second. It was Draco Malfoy.
"What the hell is that?" he asked, pointing to her bloodstained shirt.
"Nothing, Malfoy," Hermione hissed. "Now get the fuck out of my compartment before I make your balls into pancakes."
Totally ignoring her, he let himself into the compartment, closing the door behind him. He walked toward her, and grabbed her left arm. He lifted it by the wrist.
"Holy fuck, Granger," he said. "What the hell-?"
"Get out Malfoy!" She pulled her arm from his grasp. He looked up at her, mouth open in surprise.
"What the hell are you doing to yourself, you stupid Mudblood?"
With her good arm, Hermione grabbed Malfoy around the neck. "Don't you dare tell anyone about what you saw Malfoy, or there will be hell to pay! I'm serious about turning your balls into pancakes."
Malfoy pulled away from her. Without a word, he opened the compartment door, walked out, and closed it again. Hermione rushed up and locked it before anyone else could intrude.

Harry was sitting across from Ron, Luna by his side, and Ginny next to Ron.
"I haven't seen Hermione at all, Ron!" Harry exclaimed. "What if she isn't even coming to school this year?"
"Hermione?" asked Ron. "Not at school? I doubt it."
"Ron!" exclaimed Ginny. "You know what happened to her mum! It wouldn't surprise me one bit if she was allowed to skip the school year."
"Maybe she was captured by a Mettlecase Mirkmonster," suggested Luna. "My father says they are being breeded in a city near where Hermione lives."
Ron rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I guarantee no one is breeding Mettlecase Mirkmonsters near Hermione's house."
"Dad's got some very reliable sources," said Luna.
Just then, there was a knock on the compartment door. Harry stood and opened it. His most dear, favorite person in the world was standing there: Draco Malfoy.
"What the hell do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"You might wanna go check up on your Mudblood friend," Malfoy said. "Compartment Thirteen."
He turned and left, without a single snide comment, other than the "Mudblood" thing. Harry turned to Ron, Ginny, and Luna.
"What are we waiting for?" asked Ron, throwing his hands into the air.
The three jumped up behind Harry and they left their compartment in search of Hermione's. After damn near fifteen minutes, they found Hermione's compartment. They knocked.
"Go away," a voice, knowingly Hermione's, came from inside.
"Hermione, it's us," said Harry. "Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna."
No answer.
"If you don't open the door, we'll come in anyway."
The door slid open. Hermione looked terrible. There were extremely dark bags under her eyes. Her eyes themselves were bloodshot horribly. But, the first thing Harry noticed was the bloodstain on her shirt. He grabbed her arm and turned it up. There were scars all over it, and one looked good and fresh.
"What the hell, Hermione?" he asked.
Luna pushed forward to look and grinned. "Looks like a Mettlecase Mirkmonster to me. Wait till I tell Dad."
"Luna," Ron said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. "I don't think you should tell anyone about this."