A/N: Thank you's must go out to Monnbeam and vanillarush for their reviews and helpful hints, thanks guys. I am trying to keep my Para's shorter and less condensed with text, but it is an ongoing process. Glad You like Ragnar, more will be revealed about him in the next chapter. Thanks again TBK

Harry woke up refreshed, despite going to bed quite late, when he checked his watch he discovered that it was fairly early. He got out of bed and got dressed in his school robes, after a quick shower, and got himself down to the common room, and his eyes widened in shock. There was Rags sitting on the couch, grinning like a lunatic, dressed in his Gryffindor robes, looking like he had gotten eight full hours of sleep, rather that the six and a half that he would have gotten had been in bed at the time that Harry went. "Bloody hell Rags how on earth did you did that mate?" Rags burst out laughing "Well, you see Harry the secret is" he indicated that Harry should lean closer, when he did he whispered in his ear "Magic", it was at this time that Ginny came down from her dorm and saw her boyfriend and new friend, who was quickly becoming a very good friend, laughing like mad "Ok what's so funny?" She asked unfortunately this just set the two of them off again; it took them several minutes to calm down properly. Ginny looked t her watch and said "It's nearly seven forty five you two, should we head down to breakfast?" Rags went to get up but sat back down and said "You two go on ahead, I'll wait for Hermione" with a knowing glance that left Rags trying to hide a blush, Harry and Ginny left through the portrait hole and headed down to breakfast.

Hermione was in a hurry she was running behind schedule, something that she didn't normally do. It all started when she discovered that she had overslept, something that had not happened since term one of her first year, at the moment it was going on seven thirty and she had only just got out of the shower, it took her another twenty minutes to get ready, so at ten to eight she was racing around trying to get all her books together in her bag for the day, as she knew that there would be almost no time to get everything together after breakfast. Finally having got everything ready, including herself she dashed out of the girls dorms and ran into the common room, only to stop in shock at the bottom of the stairs in shock.

Sitting calmly on the couch, stroking her cat Crookshanks with his left hand, who was normally very picky on who had the honour of patting him, and holding a pencil in his right, yes a muggle pencil in a wizarding school, was Rags, who was also ticking and crossing things off in his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, which was actually hovering at about chest height in front of him. "Morning Hermione" he greeted with a smile, before closing the book and replacing it and the pencil in his school bag "ready for breakfast?" Hermione smiled and replied "Morning Rags, yes I am ready for breakfast so please lead the way" he grinned at her as he opened the portrait leading to the staircase and said "after you my lady" with a flourishing bow, Hermione replied in an equally aloof voice "Thank you kind sir, such chivalry is always welcome" no sooner had the pair gotten out of the portrait hole and onto the landing, they looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

Meanwhile Harry and Ginny were sitting at the Gryffindor table eating their breakfast, well trying to eat it and trying to avoid being sick at the sight of Ron shovelling food down his throat as fast as he could breath, "You know mate that looks pretty disgusting" said Harry as he tried to avoid a flying bit of bacon, Ron just glared at him, still not over the fact that Hermione would not go out with him, "Look Harry I don't make comments about your eating habits do I? No, so keep quiet about mine."

Harry and Ginny stared in shock at Ron, normally he just made a grunt and kept on eating, he never fired up like that. Harry decided to try to find out what was on his friend's mind, "Erm Ron is there anything bothering you?" Asked Harry, as innocently as possible, trying his best not to set off Ron's fiery temper, Ron sighed and said "Sorry mate I didn't mean to snap at you, its just…well its Hermione." Harry and Ginny were confused, so she piped in "What about Hermione?" she asked confusion evident in her voice. Ron replied by saying "I don't know what is the matter with her, we used to be so close, but now it's as if she is shutting me out. I've asked her out loads of times and she keep saying no, I don't understand it" Harry could hardly believe that Ron was this dense about what Hermione was telling him. Harry though he had better say something quick, Ginny was likely to say something quite harsh, she had told Harry in quite colourful language what she though of her mother helping Ron try to get Hermione to be his girlfriend, "Well you know what mate, she might be trying to tell you something" said Harry 'Yeah like she doesn't like you' added Ginny silently.

Ron strangely enough perked up at this "I know, she's playing hard to get, all the birds play it sometime don't they? They do it to see if a bloke is really interested, now that I know her game I can beat her at it and then she will be mine." This was the wrong thing to say in front of Ginny who immediately started to go as red as her hair and was about to launch into a Weasley shouting spree, that was causing Harry who could read the signs to slowly sink down in his seat. When Ron suddenly got angry himself and said "What does she think she is doing?" The other two turned round in their seats and looked towards the entrance of the Great Hall, and saw what had annoyed Ron so much.

There was Hermione smiling and having what appeared to be a quite animated and friendly conversation with Rags, who in tern was wearing one of his smaller smiles, an obvious indication that he was enjoying his time with the girl next to him. "Look at her" Ron said "she is practically throwing herself at him", this unfortunate comment earned Ron his second slap in as many days, this time from his sister, "Ronald Bilius Weasley, who Hermione sees, who she is friends with, and indeed who she decides to have a relationship with is no concern of yours. So unless you are going to say something nice or polite then keep your mouth shut." Harry and Ron were both staring at Ginny with two very different expressions on their faces, Harry had one of awe and respect, Ron's was something akin to embarrassment and anger, but he didn't get up an move as one would expect someone to do in his position, he stayed where he was as it gave him a good view of what Hermione and Ragnar were doing, as in his mind she was already cheating on their relationship.

Hermione was really enjoying her conversation with Rags, she found out that he was a kindred spirit, he enjoyed learning and reading, and even more surprising was that he was taking loads of classes, just like her, 'Maybe I won't be on my own studying in the library all the time this year'. Rags looked at Hermione oddly wondering why she was suddenly blushing, he gave a cheery wave to the scowling bandaged Malfoy over at the Slytherin table and the two of them sat down to enjoy their breakfast. Hermione looked over at Harry and was about to say something, when she caught sight of Ron glaring hatefully at Rags, she looked at Ginny who motioned her to keep quiet, and that she would tell her later, Hermione also wondered why Ron looked like he had been slapped.

"Sixth years, here are your timetables" said Professor McGonagall, as she came over from the staff table to deliver her houses timetables, and sort out any mishaps or misplaced subjects that were put down by overzealous students who unfortunately did not have the marks that they needed to get into the subject of their choice. "Ok Mr. Potter, you have Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration and I m very pleased with your mark in my subject Potter well done, Herbology yes that's fine, um Potter why haven't you put down for Potions this year, I thought that you wanted to be an Auror?" Harry looked up at the professor and said "Yes Professor, but Professor Snape said that he would only take O students to N.E.W.T. level I only got an E." McGonagall smiled thinly and said "Yes that is correct but Professor Slughorn is willing to take students to N.E.W.T. Potions on an E, so shall I put you down for it?" Harry nodded "Yes please Professor, but I don't have any books or equipment" McGonagall told him that Slughorn would be able to lend him some books and other Potions equipment on his way to class, "Oh and by the way Potter, this was supposed to be sent out to you with your letter but it was mislaid, congratulations." She passed him a silver badge with the words Quidditch Captain imprinted on its surface; Harry grinned and got a big congratulatory kiss from Ginny, which caused more than one catcall from the Gryffindor table. After receiving his updated timetable, kiss, and Captain's badge, he was glad to see that he was going to be in the same class as Dean, Seamus, Ron and Neville for most of his subjects, he was just waiting to see what classes Hermione and Rags were going to get.

"Miss Granger" came the commanding voice of Professor McGonagall as she reached Hermione, "Congratulations you qualified for all your courses. Defence, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, very impressive Miss Granger, even more impressive that you are avoiding that little issue of third year." Hermione Grinned at that, she wasn't going to make the mistake of using a time turner again, once was enough. She watched as McGonagall moved on to Rags "Ok Mr. Valerian, you are good for Defence, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, I'm sure you will get along well with Professor Hagrid, and you are with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger for most of your subjects, so if you have any problems just ask them or myself if it is serious matter." With that McGonagall moved off to sort out the fifth year timetables, Harry shared a glance with Ginny "Rags is doing the same amount of subjects as Hermione, think he can keep up that workload?" Harry asked Ginny, who just shrugged indicating that they would have to wait and see.

Rags smiled a little as he read his timetable, sure it was as lot of subjects but he was interested in all of them 'It'll also stop me thinking about…Freya. NO think on the now, not the then' he shook himself out of his memories and looked back at his schedule, Herbology was probably the subject that interested him less than the others but that was the one he had the least knowledge about, but he had been assured when Dumbledore checked his entrance O.W.L. Exams that he would do well enough in the subject. Glancing at the current day he noticed that his first class was Ancient Runes, sneaking a look he noticed that Hermione had the same class followed by Defence Against the Dark Arts. Glancing up he noticed that she was looking at him "Ready for Runes Hermione?" he asked. Hermione smiled and said "Sure lets go, Rags why are you taking runes? I'm just wondering why, not many people do." Rags replied by saying "In Norway most of the historical sites and writings are in a form of runic language, the same goes for wizarding history, so I thought that seeing that for over a thousand years my peoples written language consisted of a runic text I should get a better idea of where I come from." Rags tried hard not to laugh at Hermione's open mouthed expression at his explanation, "What I can have a civilised educated conversation if I want" this just caused Hermione to start laughing, which Rags soon joined in with, and with that the two of them left the Great Hall, leaving Harry and Ginny smiling and Ron glaring after the two of them.

A/N: Ok I know the story has taken little while to progress, but I'm going to try to move it along quicker, event wise not content, in the next chapter. Just so it's not a day by day account of life at Hogwarts, again please Read and Review. Cheers TBK