Here comes Ron... quick, hide!

Sorry. I don't like him that much.

At ten to eleven, Harry stepped through the gateway to Platform 9 and ¾.

He was filled with a sense of familiarity as people he recognised bustled around him on the platform, as well as the many new first years that were smaller than he ever remembered himself being. He peered over the crowd's heads – he had grown two inches over the summer – and saw Hermione and Ron a few metres away. Grinning, he hauled his trunk over to them and tapped Hermione on the shoulder.

"Hey guys." He said cheerfully. "How was your summer?"

Hermione and Ron turned. Hermione stared at him for a moment, non-plussed. Ron frowned.

"Do we –" he began, but Hermione cut him off.

"Harry!" she gasped. Ron choked.

"What?" Harry replied, confused. Hermione gasped and whipped her wand out. He didn't hear the quickly murmured spell, but immediately his face felt odd – as though he were wearing a mask made of mist.

"Harry?" Ron asked in an awe-struck voice. Harry scowled at him.

"No, the Balinese Goddess of Plenty." He snapped. "Who else would it be?"

"Well… you don't look like Harry." Hermione said slowly, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"What are you guys on about?" Harry asked, now wary.

"Have you not noticed?"

"No – what's not me?"

"Well, your face is kind of a different shape. Your cheekbones are sticking out a bit. And you've got nearly scrawny."

"I'm not scrawny!" he protested loudly. A few curious heads turned. Hermione shushed him and motioned for him to pick up his trunk and get on the train.

"So what, I've grown up a bit. I don't look like girl anymore – I thought you'd be happy for me." He said quietly as they moved down the corridor to find an empty compartment. Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

"You haven't just grown up, Harry." She stopped and frowned. "And you never looked like a girl."

Ron shrugged.

"This one's empty."

Harry sat down heavily on the seat and laid his head back. Hermione sat down beside him and Ron opposite, peering at him

"She's right, you know." He said slowly, tilting his head this way and that. "Your face has got thinner."

"I haven't changed!" Harry exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his hands. "You just haven't seen me for ages!"

"Harry, calm down," Hermione soothed, laying a hand on his arm. "You're getting agitated, and we know that when you get agitated you stop making sense. You're contradicting yourself. You don't think you've changed, because the changes have happened slowly over the six weeks of summer holiday and you've seen your reflection every day, so you never noticed." She explained.

"But for someone who's not seen you for six weeks, like me and Ron – well, you really can notice the changes." She finished, smiling apologetically. Harry growled and leant his head against the window and the train moved out of the station, families waving goodbye to their children for another fifteen weeks.

"I'm guessing that was a glamour you cast on me a minute ago then."

"Yes. I would have asked, but it was important."

"How?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"Think, Ron." She sighed exasperatedly. "We didn't recognise him at first, so chances are other people wouldn't. I mean, we are his best friends. But can you imagine the fuss that would be caused if Harry Potter suddenly didn't look like Harry Potter any more? The media wouldn't leave him alone!"

"What should it matter?" Ron asked, perplexed.

Hermione ignored him, turning and fixing Harry with a serious look.

"Harry, are you sure you don't remember noticing any changes? Any at all, even if it was just growing a bit more?"

"I can't think of anything." He replied slowly, shaking his head. Hermione scratched her head absently as she thought.

"Was there any point at the end of last term that someone could have cast a minor charm on you? The twins, perhaps, when you saw them at the station? It seems like something they'd do."

"But why would anyone want to change how Harry looks?" Ron asked.

"Well, if it were the twins – to cause a commotion, probably." She said wryly. "But if it was someone else, I'm not sure."

"What makes you so sure that it's a hex?" he asked suddenly. Hermione frowned.

"Well, what other explanation would there be?"

"Maybe I've just grown," he suggested wryly. Hermione shook her head.

"You've not grown Harry, I've told you – you've changed. You don't look like Harry Potter any more. Which leaves us with two options – either someone hexed you at the end of last year, or someone put a timed charm on you."

"Hey guys!"

Ginny and Luna were stood in the doorway, already changed into their robes. Ron motioned them in and they sat with him.

"Hello. Did you have a good summer Luna?" Hermione asked politely. Luna sent her a rather dreamy smile.

"Yes thank you Hermione. Father and I went Mimamomi hunting in Yugoslavia. Unfortunately we didn't find any, but all the running around kept us busy."

"What are Mimamomi?" Harry asked, suppressing a yawn.

"They don't exist." Hermione said under her breath. Luna looked rather affronted.

"Yes they do!" she protested, and scowled at Hermione, who sniffed in disdain. Ron snorted.

"Hello there Ronald!" Luna said as though she had just noticed him. "Ginny's told me that you spent your summer moping in your bedroom. What were you moping about?"

"I wasn't moping!" he said angrily, glaring past Luna at Ginny, who looked completely unrepentant.

"Yes you were." She replied serenely. Ron choked.

"And how was your summer, Harry?" Luna said over the Weasley bickering. Hermione smiled.

"Abysmal, as usual." He answered in a rather bored tone.

"You three should get changed. We already have."

"Yes, we can see." Hermione said snappily. Luna ignored her.

Nodding, Harry hoisted Hermione's trunk down from the overhead and dropped it onto the floor, pulling his off straight after. Ron yanked his own down. It landed heavily and split down one side.

"Bugger!" he swore as clothes and books spilled out across the floor. Hermione sighed and whipped out her wand.

"Reparo!" she practically sang. Ginny snorted as the trunk snapped back together, leaving a pair of boxers out on the floor. Ron went bright red and stuffed them into his trunk, glaring at Hermione and Harry, who were trying not to smile.

"Thanks for the confidence vote." He grumbled. Sniggering, Harry pulled his robes on over his head. Gryffindor crest on the left breast, red and gold trimmings around the edge – the same as everyone else. Only now, looking down, he realised that they were a good three inches too short. He groaned.

"I told you!" Hermione said, shaking her head, and used her wand to lengthen the robes. They ended up a bit too long though, sleeves nearly covering his fingers and dragged slightly on the ground. Hermione blushed and made to reverse the effect before changing her mind.

"On second thoughts, maybe not." She said hastily. "We don't want you wearing a mini-skirt, do we?"

"Great." Harry snorted, and sat down awkwardly as the train jolted on the bridge. "Wake me when we get to Hogsmeade." He said, yawning again, and settled into the seat, still confused as to why he had caused such a reaction at the platform.

Look! Plot!

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smokey

is suffering from lack of coffee.