"So what've you been doing all these years?" asked Chloe.
"Not much." Said Hermione.
They were still in the park, but had retreated into the shade of the woods.
"Oh come on!" Chloe exclaimed. "You've got to have been doing something."
"No not really. Just been learning like you have." Hermione lied.
It had been a long time since Harry noticed Hermione still had her knack for lying and how good she was.
"You never told me what school you went to either." She said.
"I told you," Hermione replied. "Oh, no, wait I didn't did I? It's called Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts? Never heard of it. Where is it in London?"
Ron was starting to get nervous. Yeah he liked Chloe but what was with all the questions? Hermione on the other hand was playing it cool.
"It's not in London." Hermione told her.
"Well where is it then?" she asked exasperatedly.
"Scotland."
"Scotland?" Chloe choked turning to her old friend. "How on earth do you get there?"
"We get the school train." She said waving her hand as if it was nothing.
"You're school has a train?"
"Yep." Hermione replied brightly.
"You went that far away to go to some private school? I mean, I called your house several times, but all your parents said was that you were at a school club. I asked what it was they told me to ask you but that was years ago Hermione!"
"Well…" Hermione struggled to find words and was looking slightly ashamed that she had not contacted the girl who had stuck up for her primary school when she was taunted for being a teacher's pet and burst into tears. Hermione's past times with her flashed into her mind. Going to the park to feed the ducks when they were five; them sleeping over at one another's houses staying up late watching comedy films at eight; having a food fight in the Granger's kitchen at ten. And finally, meeting up at Chloe's house for a sleep over at eleven. That was the last time Hermione saw her and now they were reunited seven years later.
Harry stepped in to help.
"We worked long hours at school." He said. "We came home late."
"Oh." Chloe said. Now she was lost for words. "Right. But didn't you even try to ring me? They must have telephones at your school?"
Now it was Ron's turn to speak up. "They have… some methods of communication with the outside world, but ecleck – I mean electricity doesn't function well in that area." He corrected himself. "In or out."
"You could have told me Hermione." Chloe sighed. "All of those holidays. Christmas. Summer. We used to be the best of friends, what changed that, why did you have to go to such a far away school?" She was starting to look upset now.
"Chloe… I'm sorry. I had to go to Hogwarts. It's extremely selective. It's not the kind of school to turn down. Besides we didn't get half terms, or half days, nowhere near how many you probably get. I would have got in contact with you sooner but something had to be… dealt with."
Chloe raised an eyebrow.
"Um… how did your GCSEs go? What did you get?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.
"They went ok, I got better grades than I thought I'd get."
"That's great!" Hermione said cheerfully.
"What did you get?"
"Seven O's and one E." said Hermione proudly. She quickly slapped her hand to her mouth, horrified at what she'd just said.
"But… GCSEs are graded in A, B, Cs and stuff." She said.
"They do different grades in Scotland." Said Harry quickly.
Chloe looked at them, stepping back. "I know someone who lives in Scotland and she got straight A's in her GCSEs! And her phone works fine! I don't know what Hogwarts is about, but I would really appreciate it if you told me what's going on. The truth. You owe it to me."
Will Hermione tell all? Read Chapter 15 to find out!