Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter….
525,600 Minutes: In Truths That She Learned, or in Times That He Cried-
-Chapter Eight
"Be careful. All of you. Don't try and do anything, well, stupid. Be constantly aware and report anything out of the ordinary immediately. Understand?" Lupin said, looking at Hermione, Draco, and Harry. "Same goes for you two." He said, pointing at Ron and Ginny. "Have fun! Bye!"
"Bye Professor Lupin"
"Good, bye dear. We'll miss you. Oh, I can't believe it, my Ron's last year a Hogwarts." Mrs. Weasly said, taking Ron into a big bear hug.
"Oi, Mum, ger off!" Ron yelled.
"Come, Molly. They have to get on the train. Bye, all. Don't forget to write." Mr. Weasly said.
"Bye, Mum, bye Dad." Ron and Ginny said together.
"Bye, Mr. And Mrs. Weasly." Hermione and Harry said. With that being said Mr. And Mrs. Weasly, and Lupin walked back through the barrier of Platform 9 and ¾.
"See you at school." Malfoy nearly whispered before disappearing into the crowd on the platform.
"Watch it Ron!" Harry nearly yelled and Ron came tumbling into him as The Hogwarts Express began it's day long trek to the magical school.
"Sorry mate, wasn't expecting the train to move."
"You'd think that there would be one empty compartment on the train." Hermione said. They had been searching for a compartment for the past ten minutes.
"Hey! Found one!" Harry said, opening the door.
"Thanks Harry, I-oh we're sorry, we thought this compartment was empty."
Sitting on the seat before them was a girl no older than they were. She light brown hair that was layered and came to her shoulders. She had light brown eyes, that complimented her hair nicely. She wore black rimmed glasses, that pointed at the end. She stood as Hermione, Harry and Ron came into the compartment, putting down the book she had been reading.
"It's ok. Please, come in."
"Thanks." The three muttered in unison.
The girl sat back down and began reading her book again. Hermione looked at her. She was positive that she had never seen this girl at Hogwarts before, but she looked to old to be a first year. She looked sixteen or seventeen.
"Excuse me." Hermione broke the silence that had filled the compartment. The girl looked up. "Well, if you don't mind me asking, I was wondering what year you're in. I mean, you're not a first year, are you?"
The girl gave a small, very familiar laugh. "No, I'm not. I'm a seventh year. Just transferred from Durmstrang." Hermione, Harry, and Ron gave sideways glances at one another. All three thinking the same thing. "I'm Annabeth Littledon. Are you three seventh years too?"
"Yes, we are. I'm Hermione Granger."
"Harry Potter."
"Ron Weasly."
"Oh." her face fell a little. She gave them a look that closely resembled the slightest disgust. "So, you're Harry, Ron, and Hermione."
"You've heard of us?" Ron asked, very confused.
"Yes."
"From who?"
"Me." a short answer came from the door way. All four looked in the direction of the voice.
"Malfoy."
"Granger." he seethed, coming farther into the room. "I see the three of you have met Annabeth." he said smirking.
"Hello Draco."
"Annabeth." he nodded, "Sorry I took so long. If I would have known that these three would have joined, I would have come back sooner." he glared at Hermione, Harry, and Ron.
"How flattering, Malfoy." Harry said in a mock drawl.
"Get out." Malfoy said.
"Oh, don't bother wasting your breath. The minute you walked through the door we were already half way down the hall." Hermione said, standing.
"I would never waste my precious breath on you three."
"Precious? Ha." Ron scoffed, also standing.
"Anything of mine that I have is and always will be more precious than any of your possessions put together, Weasly. I saw what was inside your trunk when we shared that God forsaken room. Looks like you got a few new robes. What did you have to do to get those? Sell everything else you own?"
Hermione and Harry grabbed Ron's, who had now turned a very deep shade of red from embarrassment and anger, sleeve to keep him from jumping on Malfoy. All three were glaring at the blonde.
"Please Malfoy. The day you and your high and mighty ego own anything precious is the day that my scar disappears."
Hermione was taken aback by Harry's comment. She had never heard him talk about his scar like that. A small smile tugged at her lips.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Annabeth." Hermione said, looking at the girl watching the scene before her. It was odd, ever since Annabeth had learned who they were Hermione could have sworn that as each second passed she grew colder and colder towards them.
"I'm sure it was." was all Hermione got in reply.
"Come on." Hermione said, tugging on Ron's sleeve and motioning her head towards the door. The three made their way towards the door and left, but not before hearing: "You really push it with those three, you know that?"
Hermione put down Magical Mishaps and How to Fix Them. She had finally found the book last night, under her bed. She had been trying to read it once she, Harry, and Ron had found the compartment that Ginny, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom were in half an hour ago, but it was useless.
That girl Annabeth had been plaguing her thoughts. Something wasn't right about her. Perhaps she's hiding something….Hermione thought. Hermione was positive that there was something familiar about the girl, she had first seen it when they walked in and also heard it in her laugh. Well, what ever it was, there was definitely something odd about her. Maybe Harry and Ron were feeling the same thing.
"Hey," Hermione whispered, leaning forward so Harry and Ron, who sat across from her, could hear. The two boys leaned forward. "Don't you think that that Annabeth girl was a bit odd?"
"Yeah she was." Harry said, "I don't know what it was, you know?" Both Ron and Hermione nodded. "It was weird, once she found out who we were she started to become really cold towards us. Before that she was really nice, but her entire body language changed."
"I noticed it too Harry." Hermione said.
"Me too. Do you find it odd that Dumbledore is letting a student from Durmstrang come to Hogwarts with the war so near. I mean, those students are hardly good, Karkaroff, who was a Death Eater was the old Headmaster. Evil, the lot of them. Do you think she's a Death Eater."
"Please Ron. Dumbledore wouldn't bring a Death Eater into the school. He must trust her."
"You and your trust Hermione. Maybe he doesn't know she's a Death Eater." Ron said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh Ron, honestly." Hermione rolled her eyes. "But it's odd. She transferred from Durmstrang and yet she didn't have an accent."
"Well, maybe she lives in England. After all Malfoy was going to go to Durmstrang." Harry thoughtfully said.
"True, but I don't think Malfoy even got accepted into Durmstrang. Remember what we over heard. His Father wanted to send him there, and that he knew the Headmaster. He was probably planning on buying Malfoy into the school. But his mother didn't want him doing to school so far away."
"Well, maybe her parents didn't mind sending her so far away." Ron said.
"Then why would she be coming to Hogwarts in her seventh and final year of school?"
"I'll be back in a little bit you guys."
"You got a Head Boy/Girl meeting, Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Not really. It's just to meet the Head Boy, because it didn't state it in the letter."
"Ok, see you later." everyone in the compartment said as Hermione made her was through the door and to the Prefects meeting compartment, waving behind her.
Hermione quickly made her way to the very front compartment and opened the door.
"YOU!" she yelled.
"Yes me Granger. Who were expecting?" Malfoy drawled, looking up from Quick Quidditch: Your Instant Update on the Best Sport in the World, the magazine he had been reading.
"Well, since Harry or Ron didn't get it I was expecting some one from Ravenclaw." she said matter-of-factly.
"Oh please Granger, you actually thought that Potter and Weasly could beat me to the position of Head Boy?"
He has a point. Hermione thought, even if it was Malfoy who made the comment. Harry and Ron were smart but they always did their homework at the last minute, they hardly studied, and they needed her help on most of the work…not exactly the Head Boy kind. Plus there was no way Dumbledore would give Harry position of Head Boy with the war so close. "You give yourself more credit than you disserve Malfoy."
"How kind Granger. And really a Ravenclaw? Sure they are smart, but I get better marks than half of them, and besides I'm a Malfoy."
"So I'm taking it then that your Father bought you this position?" Hermione said it, even though she knew deep down that it wasn't true. Dumbledore would never take a bribe.
Malfoy grew angrier with the girl and jumped to his feet and grabbed Hermione's shoulders…hard. Pulling her so that she was eye level with him. "Never, I repeat, never say that again Granger. And never speak about my Father in front of me! I swear that if you do, I'll curse back to first year!" he raged, giving her a slight push, making her stumble backwards.
"Watch your temper Malfoy, or I'll tell Dumbledore that he needs a new Head Boy. Your hardly showing Head Boy attitudes."
"Go read a book." Malfoy said. He inwardly kicked himself for his stupid remark. His mind was clouded by his rage and he could hardly think of a respectable comeback.
Hermione smirked as she made her way back to the door. "You flatter me Malfoy." she sarcastically said before casually walking out the door. Not pausing to close the door without it slamming, and not flinching when it did.
"Hey Hermione, who's Head Boy?" Harry asked as Hermione made her was into their compartment.
Hermione's mind was elsewhere. That was the second time in the past week that Malfoy had exploded into anger because of the mention of his Father. Hermione shook her head He's probably embarrassed that his Father was realized from Azkaban and then sent back. Well, it didn't matter why. It was all confusing. Everything was, and it all started with that cursed night.
"Hermione? HERMIONE!" Ron yelled.
"What, oh, yes sorry? Were you saying something?"
"Harry asked who the Head Boy was."
"Sorry Harry."
"It's alright, so who is it?"
"Malfoy." she said, barely above a whisper. It was still loud enough for everyone in the compartment to hear.
"WHAT!" a unison question came from Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville.
"Yeah."
"I swear, if he tries anything funny when you have your meetings, I'll curse him so bad he won't even know what hit him." Ron said
"Thanks Ron, but I can handle him myself. We should go change, we should be arriving soon."
Minutes later everyone was dressed in their school robes talking excitedly about the upcoming school year. The group of six had become quite close friends over the past year after what had happened in Hermione's fifth year. But Hermione, Harry, and Ron still spent a lot of time together alone like they used to. Ginny, Luna, and Neville spent a lot of time together and had almost become a second Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the three were inseparable. But time and time again, the six would spend a lot of time together.
Their conversation had slowed down with the train as the castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came into view.
Author's Note: Tah dah! What do you think? Who is Annabeth Littledon? Read to find out!
Exploded toilet bowl: Naw, Malfoy didn't take her book…though he still has her other one. Well, Thanks for reviewing!
Queen of Duct Tape: Glad you liked that line. I thought it would be semi-Ronish…lol. Thanks for the review!
tigerlily727: Thanks!
Sever13: Glad you like the portrayal of Draco. Hermione's kinda bitchy? Hm, not something I was shooting for. But I think she's just not herself because of what happened and what she learned. I think this chapter she is more like herself…what do you think? Thanks for the review and for pointing it out.
Glad you all love the story and your reviews are very much appreciated!
Remember, if you have any questions please ask!
More to come soon!
The Lonely Goatherd