A/N: I am so sorry this has taken so long to get up.

June 13th, 1376

I did it, I created the stone from my dreams. It is exactly how I saw it. I am so happy I brought the family Grimoire with me otherwise I would never have found that last spell I needed. Now to test it. If my calculations are right then I must boil it and if I place three drops on my tongue I should be able to reverse my age by three weeks without effecting my magical core or the age of my soul. Then just do the age revealing spell and I shall see if it worked.

June 14th, 1376

Oops, seems I miss calculated. I am now three years younger, but at least it works. Now what did I do wrong? I think I may have boiled it for too long, oh well what is three years for someone who shall be reversing back to 15 soon? Nicolas will be home tomorrow from the potion masters meeting, he has finally been accepted I knew it would only be a matter of time before he would be.

When he gets home we will both reverse our ages to 15. I cannot wait.

Chapter 4

"Hello!" The door banged open as Harry bounced in. He smiled at each of us as he pulled us one by one into a hug. "They finally left! I'm free!" The Dursley's had been planning a family trip for months. Weird as it may seem the one who was the most excited was the only one who wasn't going, Harry. He would be staying with Alex and Nicolas. He had been begging them to let him stay with them for years but he couldn't. The wards on his "aunt's" house currently wouldn't let him live anywhere else, we assume that will change in time for Hogwarts. We had tried a few times to disable the wards but none of us could tell what exactly they are and we don't want to run the risk that of attracting unwanted attention by trying to counter whatever it is. So Harry is still staying with those brutes.

The Dursley's couldn't have picked a better time to go away. Not only would they be gone during Harry's birthday but his letter should be arriving soon and they won't be here to intercept it. That and my parent's dental conference in Paris, France just happened to occur at the same time.

We had a great few days just hanging out. We spent some time in the library reading up on different magic. We spent time outside being the children that we appear to be. Then it was the day that Harry's letter would arrive. Mine arrived just a few weeks before the end of school, which I thought was weird because I clearly remember it arriving on my birthday last time. Or at least I thought so before Alex explained why my letter arrived late. Apparently the Pen at the ministry that sends out the letters tracks the true age of our magical core not our apparent age. It sees me as a 70 year old woman and, just like Alex, as too old for school. Alex had to sneak into the ministry to put a 'confundus' on the Pen so that it would send me my letter. She said it took longer than the last two times she did it; the ministry had reorganized itself making it harder to find your way around. And she did mention something about having to change my birthday, like it really mattered to me when people thought my birthday was.

We were sitting around the dining room that morning talking about Hogwarts. At first we were just talking about general things like the ceiling in the great hall, the classes and teachers but then Harry brought the conversation around to the one thing he must have been dying to ask.

"You said we'd be sorted into houses. How does that work? It won't be the Headmaster will it?"

"No, well mostly no, he does have some influence over the hat about where each student goes. Should the student be completely unfit for the house then they cannot be placed there. So don't worry about it." Alex said as she got up to slip into the kitchen.

"What house do you think we'll be in?" Harry asked me as he started bouncing slightly in his chair.

"Gryffindor." I state with a smile but Harry still looks slightly worried. He must be remembering the conversations we had with Alex and Nicolas over the years. Whenever Hogwarts is brought up they always tell us that we should do everything possible to not end up in Slytherin and to not trust the Headmaster, no matter what.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure; you're stubborn and never think about the consequences of your actions. Gryffindor is the perfect fit for you." I keep my face as still as possible as Harry sticks his tongue out at me. Just then an owl flew through the window dropping a letter in Harry's lap. With a tiny smile I say "I'll go and see what is keeping her; she should have been back by now." He paid me no mind just waved his hand in a shooing motion.

So I stood up and made my way into the hall. As I got closer to the kitchen I could hear hushed voices.

"So what did you see?" Nicolas' whispering voice asked.

"They were meeting with someone, someone I couldn't see." Her voice sounded dead. I'm sure if I could see her face it would be completely devoid of emotion. "The red haired lady and Dumbledore were standing over a chair and yelling at whomever was sitting there." I waited for a long time before anyone spoke.

"What were they yelling about?" Nicolas' voice had a low, calm and soothing aspect to it.

"Plans; the one sitting in the chair wasn't doing what they wanted. She, for that is how the voice sounded, was begging them. But they still threatened her, said she wouldn't ruin their plans… no matter what they had to do to make sure everything goes exactly the way the two of them want it to." Then her voice began to rise and become more airy as she said: "Why did I see this? I only see what directly affects my family. Why did I see this?" I could hear her sobs through the closed as easily as if I were sitting right next to her.

"I, I don't rightly know, dear. I don't rightly know." I stood there for a few more minutes hoping to hear more. When it was obvious that no more would be said I turned and sneaked back down the hallway. I rejoined Harry who was looking through my copy of 'Hogwarts-A History' with his letter open and lying right beside it.

"So what is keeping her?" He asks, without looking up, as I shakily lower myself into the chair next to him.

"She is talking to Nicolas." The voice doesn't sound like my own but I know it is; I can feel my tongue twisting around each word.

"You okay?" I nod but by the look in his eyes he doesn't believe me. So when he approached me I let him pull me into a hug. This is how Alex found us as she came back in joking about how she had to run to the store and everything in an overly-happy voice.

For the rest of the day she kept glancing at me, well Harry did too but he was just checking that I'm okay where as Alex's eyes seemed to be searching for something more. Little to say what I had overheard and the feeling of eyes following me put a damper on my mood for the rest of the day.

Because of our need for caution we decided that we couldn't all go to Diagon alley together, in fact Harry couldn't go with any of us. But he could show up with his 'aunt'. So after a short breaking and entering into his own home Harry had the oh-so important hair of his aunt (we even did a genetic test to make sure it belonged to the only female Dursley). The fact that Alex already had a vial of Polyjuice worked well in our favour. So Nicolas and I watched as the two of them left in Nicolas' car with me shooting tips to Harry as Nicolas rolled his eyes. My last advice before Harry rolled up his window, while rolling his eyes, was to stop and get a post owl. All day we waited for them, then again there wasn't much else for us to do. I was so sure that something would go wrong; I mean this is Harry we are talking about. But when they got back Alex claimed that it went almost perfectly. Other than being swarmed by adults shortly after they left Olivander's, all of which wanted to shake Harry's hand, and the few minutes while they waited for Tom, the barman, to open the archway they were pretty much ignored.

To top of the whole day Harry had gotten Hedwig, he even told me thanks for suggesting that he get an owl. Told me that she just might be the best early birthday gift he had ever gotten. We both had a good laugh about that as we normally celebrate our birthdays together the day before school begins. Four hours later I woke him up to tell him 'Happy Birthday' right as the clock struck midnight.

November 8th, 1399

I visited a healer today after feeling sick to my stomach for almost a week. I'm pregnant and I'm terrified. Now the sickness in my stomach is not just from the baby, but also nerves. What if I'm not a good mother, my mother wasn't, isn't that inherited from your parents? Nicolas isn't as nervous as I am, but he is still nervous. He is worried that without his mother around he won't know what to do with a baby. I won't either but I suppose we will learn together. Now why doesn't that ease my worry?

Then it was my turn to visit the alley. I don't really know why I chose to go on Harry's birthday, but I did.

Nicolas and I arrived early, shortly before nine so none of the shops were open. We sat in the 'Leaky Cauldron' waiting and watching as a few last minute proprietors ran out of the fire place, tripping over tables and chairs in their rush to open their shops.

At nine o'clock the two of us separated, me for Madam Malkin's and Nicolas to watch the bank. Almost surprisingly I was the first customer of the day. Her automatic measuring tapes had just finished measuring me when the next customer came in. I couldn't help the hiss of their name that escaped my mouth. "Malfoy." Lucius glanced back at me and sneered before he started arguing with Madam Malkin; his words were clear to me, I didn't really even need to hear them to know what it was he was saying and yet hear him I did.

"Good no important customers, Draco hop on up she will serve you immediately." His tone was cruel as he ignored Madam Malkin's protests. "Move Mudblood, superiors are to be served first." He sneered at me as he pushed his son forward.

"I'm sorry; I don't bow down to Death Eaters." I heard a gasp and turned slightly to see Madam staring at me her mouth slightly agape.

"You dare speak to your betters in that tone!" A small crowd was gathering around us now and getting bigger as more families came for their robe fittings. They all were looking at me in shock and horror as I laughed at the tall blond man.

"You have never even seen me before and you believe yourself superior?" As my laughter came to an end I could feel my spin straightening in preparation for what I would need to do. "Birth and money means nothing! Talents on the other hand are what make the witch or wizard. Your only talent is for throwing money around. That is not a talent I would ever wish to be known for." Anyone watching could clearly see that I was wandless, and yet no one raised a hand to stop Mr. Malfoy as he pulled out his own and aimed it at me, perhaps they believed I deserved whatever was sent my way. I smirked out at the crowed knowing that with all of them here he wouldn't even dare to use an unforgivable.

"Petrificus Totalus," see I was right, although I did expect that he would use a more powerful spell. Then again any spell is powerful against someone who couldn't defend themselves. Luckily I could for the spell bounced harmlessly off of my shield. I love wordless, wandless magic. The shock on everyone's face was priceless. They were all trying to locate the wand that had cast the shield charm but the only wand that was close enough to cast it was Malfoy's.

"Who dared cast that?" 'I have never before seen a Malfoy turn that colour of red.' I observed as his voice echoed on the walls. No one even looked at me, why would they I am just an eleven year old girl without a wand. People tend to doubt children can do anything that they cannot; well this adult was in need of a little lesson.

I flicked my finger slightly and the man's loosely held wand flew from his hand to land in my own. "I did." The whole crowed turned to stare at me. Glancing from my face to my hands and back again a few times. "Now Madam Malkin would you be so kind as to finish up my fitting? Mr. Malfoy's wand shall be returned to him once I am on my way out." I was almost surprised when Malfoy didn't try and butt in again, but then again he is a pureblood Wizard, most of them depend completely on their wands. In the muggle world, had someone wanted to fight me, taking away their knife wouldn't stop the fight. It would just improve my chances of living. I got out of there fine although a few people were giving me strange looks throughout the rest of the day. I was almost surprised when no Auror's showed up to arrest me, until I remembered the whole discussion Alex and I had had about my Hogwarts letter.

I stopped at a few other places to get my potion supplies and the like before making my way to Magical Menagerie in the hope of finding Crookshanks. I did find him and, of course, I bought him without a second thought. I would either have to get Alex to keep him during the summer or I would have to work on my pouty face in order to convince my parents to let him stay with us.

Harry had been instructed to write down any titles he thought he might like so that he would not pull to much attention to himself by buying books that were not on our school lists. So I ended up spending almost two hours just picking up those books and didn't have enough time to search for a book I have yet to read.

My last stop was at Ollivander's. To my surprise Draco Malfoy was inside the shop getting his wand, his father, and mother, were luckily nowhere to be seen. I waited off to the side, almost invisible to anyone entering the shop but still able to see them. I was surprised at how long it took Mr. Ollivander to find Draco a wand, almost twenty minutes after I entered the shop he finally got a positive reaction from a wand.

We both moved at the same time, I stepped forward and he turned towards the door. We found ourselves face to face and to my shock he was smiling politely at me. He held out his hand as if for me to shake.

"How do you do?" I reached out and hesitantly took his hand.

"How do you do?" His hand shake was firm, not painful or trying to show that he was better than me, just firm.

"My name is Draco Malfoy, and yours?" Why is he being so polite to me? Me, a muggleborn girl.

"Hermione, Hermione Granger," he smiled again, this time he seemed more excited.

"You're a muggleborn aren't you?" He didn't call me a Mudblood!

"Yes."

"You're the one who took out my father, yes? And without a wand too!" He was, there was really no other word to describe it, vibrating. I could even feel it through my hand, which he was still shaking.

"Where is your father if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh he's being questioned by the DMLE, apparently you can be fined for pulling a wand on a minor while in public. You two attracted enough attention that someone actually reported it. Never happened before, then again don't think as many people are scared of him anymore. You proved that he isn't this big scary person who can get away with anything just because he is a pureblood, has a fancy wand and lots of money on his side." I raised my eyebrow; this is definitely not the Draco Malfoy I knew. "It was brilliant! I have never seen wandless magic before! Well I should go find mother. It was very pleasant to meet you; maybe we will be in the same house." With that he let go of my hand and left the shop. I watched him for a few minutes before turning around to face Mr. Ollivander. His jaw was hanging open as he stared at me.

"Well that is a sight I never thought I'd see." He mumbled as he moved off and started pulling out wands. Then he stopped and turned back to me. "Wandless magic did he say?" I nodded and watched as he disappeared into the back room only to come back out a few seconds later with a small piece of paper. He handed it to me before pushing me out of his shop.

I opened it slowly. An address was written on it in small cramped writing. '3 ½ Keystone Crescent.' Probably works just the same as platform '9 ¾', but why give me this? It sounded like a muggle street so why send me there? Why didn't he give me a wand? He didn't hand me a single one!

Maybe I should check it out, but I shouldn't go alone. I'll have to bring Nicolas with me again since he's the only one who really looks like an adult.

"This is number 3. Wonder how we will find it." I said as I glanced up at the tall man beside me. It was later the same day that Mr. Ollivander had given me the address and I was glad that Nicolas had come on such short notice. Although I would rather it have been Harry or Alex. I was glad to not be facing the unknown alone.

"Step forward, maybe something will happen." So I did, nothing happened. We just stood there watching the houses hoping something would happen. Just as we were about to leave a pretty, young woman came dashing down the street.

"I'm so sorry... Pant... that I'm... puff... late." Then she beckoned us over to the wall between number 3 and 4. She tapped four times and a little door popped into being. She motioned for us to go on in and then followed us. "Make yourselves comfortable, uncle should be back soon. I'll make us some tea shall I?" Then she proceeded to abandon us in the middle of the entrance hall.

That is where we stayed for almost 25 minutes before Mr. Ollivander came out of the fireplace.

"Ah good I see you made it, right this way." As he showed us down the hall and into a woodworking room. "Now pick one." He said as he pushed a huge trunk over to me and flipped open the lid. Inside were over seventy little potted trees. "Hold your hand over the trunk." I did as told while keeping my eyes on the old wand maker.

"EEEP!" Something brushed my hand! I jump and glanced down to see two small branches intertwining around each other as they crept up my hand.

"Interesting, very interesting," He said as he waved his hand over the trunk. "Vine and Reed." He peered up at me. "Interesting." Then he started twirling the two woods tighter together until they became one. Then he yanked on each end and smiled. "Strong, surprisingly strong, I would never think to combine these two."

Then he started muttering under his breath as he pulled out various other objects tossing them onto this surface or that one. "Aha! Here it is!" He held up a large green gem up to the light. "Hold this in front of you like so," then he held it in the palms of his hands. He handed it to me and waited as I copied his pose. "Pectus pectoris quod Animus." The stone glowed faintly then rose up and beams shot out and hit four containers. Two were bathed in deep red light, another in deep green and the last in a pale almost translucent blue. Then Mr Ollivander was bustling around opening each of the glowing containers and pulling out different glowing objects. I recognized some of the objects but others were completely foreign to me. "Dragon Heart string and Unicorn Hair both are fairly common in wands. Most people will match fairly well to one or the other even if it is not a perfect match. That is why I make so many of them. Easy to sell, very little cost for material. But these two; never have I used either before; Mermaid blood and Squid Ink." He laid the hair and string out side by side on his work bench. Mumbling words as he sprinkled different things on them, as he did they wound together into a thin rope. Then he used an eyedropper to place some blood and ink along the length of rope, still mumbling so low that I couldn't catch a single word. He started to pull the twisted woods towards him but suddenly he stopped. "It is missing something." Pulling his wand out he started to mutter. Then he beckoned me closer. Before I knew it he had hold if my hand and had sliced my finger open letting exactly four drops fall onto the mass. "That should do it." He smiled away as he finished up.

He handed me my new wand with a smile. He watched me expectantly for almost a full minute before sighing. "Give her a wave." So I did. Oh it was beautiful. A rainbow of colours came shooting out like fireworks. Mr. Ollivander was bouncing on his feet clapping with joy. "Yes that will do quite nicely, hummm?" All I could do was smile. I smiled so hard that I think my cheeks were about to fall off. "That'll be 20 galleons. Custom wands are expensive." He gave me a knowing look, as if he could tell that I had been about to complain about the price. Before I could say anything about not having enough on me Nicolas stepped forward and handed him a large chunk of gold.

"That should cover it I would hope. It should also cover the fee for not putting a tracking charm on it as well as a privacy charm. We wouldn't want word of this special wand to reach the wrong hands by accident." Mr. Ollivander could do nothing but comply, after all that chunk of gold must have been double what we owed.

I had a new wand; a beautiful new custom wand. Oh they had better watch out because nothing and no one will stand in the way of Harry and I.

February 21st, 1400

I lost her. I lost her. I LOST HER!

My little girl, I lost her. They say it was the stress but I don't care what caused it. I lost her. I have been crying for the last week. Nicolas has been stepping lightly around me until today. Today he yelled at me, something along the lines of 'you are not the only who lost a child'. He is right. From now on I will have to be more positive.

"Will we see you two next summer?" Harry asked as he held his grandparents in a tight hug.

"That would depend on who is watching." Alex smiled at me over Harry's shoulder. "We all know that there are those who will be watching both of you. Especially you Hermione. After they see what you can do they will watch you like a hawk. Harry they would watch anyways."

Then Alex pulled me into a tight hug. "You keep care of each other, no matter what."

"We will." I said as I pulled away. "I must be going. Don't want there to be any chance of them thinking I came with Harry." The other three nodded. A quick hug each and I turned and walked over to my parents who were standing just out of hearing range. Together the three of us made our way towards Kings Cross Station a block away.

I made is safely onto platform 9 ¾ without any problems, well none other than mum's to tight hug. I was the first one on the platform; in fact I even beat the train. I had to wait almost twenty minutes before the train arrived. I got all settled in one of the middle compartments. After setting up and performing a wandless locking charm on the door, just to be safe, before going back onto the platform.

Slowly people started too arrived. I continued to walk back and forth across the platform. Watching for the loyal and looking out for those who will be a threat. Neville was the first of the loyal to enter the train station, his grandmother close on his heels. He probably has that awful wand of his, the one he had that didn't really work for him. We will have to fix it sooner or later, preferably sooner. I watched him closely to see which section of the train he would be sitting before going back to looking for the rest of the Loyal.

Susan Bones was the next one I saw. She came through the floo followed closely by Hannah Abbot. They were talking and were unaccompanied by any adults. They too entered the train car that Neville had. I kept watching that train car, a small smile playing across my face.

"What or who are you looking at?" a soft male voice interrupted what thoughts had been swimming through my brain. "You've been staring at that train car for the last ten minutes." I turned towards the voice.

"Draco?" I looked from him to the glaring man standing four feet behind him. His father was looked like he would give anything to rip my head from my shoulders but he also didn't seem inclined to come any closer.

"At your service," he smiled as he bowed low. "So what is it that you were looking at?"

"I wasn't really looking at anything; I was just...uh... lost in thought." I glanced back towards the train.

"Do you have a compartment already?" I nod, not turning away from the train. "May I sit with you?"

"What!" I spun around to stare at him again. "Sit with me?" I could feel my eyebrows rising higher and higher into my hairline.

"Yes you." His smile seemed more forced as the seconds went by but it never slipped from his face.

"Sure." Even to me my response sounded weak and unsure. "Sure, let me just show you the way." So I did. I showed him to my compartment and let him in. "I have to leave now, but I will be back before the train leaves." He nodded as he got settled. "There may be some others who will be joining us."

"Of course," he smiled again. A small smile graced my lips as I turned to leave.

I found myself standing by the barrier at ten to eleven. I was almost knocked over when the first of the red heads came flying through the barrier.

"Watch where you're going girl, can't you see I have lots of important things to do." He pointed at the badge on his shirt and the large 'P' that adorned it before pushing by me and rushing onto the train. Percy, I'm-to-big-and-important-Percy. I sniggered as I quickly got out of the way of anyone else. Just in time to. I watched one twin and then the other rush onto the platform before slipping off to find someone, probably Lee Jordan.

Then Harry came through. He didn't look happy and was muttering under his breath. Then he saw me. First a small smile crossed his face and then a frown took over his features and he stumbled slightly as he tried to stop by me. A small shake of my head and a small smile and he continued right by me acting like he had never seen me before in his life, just like we planned.

I hoped no one had seen but the feeling of eyes burning into the back of my head made me doubt it. I turn around to look across the station. There sitting exactly where I left him is Draco and his eyes are glued to me. He catches me looking and his right eyebrow rises up and he glances towards Harry before looking back at me with a smile.

I glare at him and he starts to laugh. I just shake my head and go back to paying attention to the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley had just crossed the barrier holding tight to Ginny's hand.

"Ron that one looks like it has room." She pointed towards where the twins were helping Harry load his trunk. He nodded and started to move away from his family when Mrs. Weasley grabbed a hold of his arm and yanked him close to her. "Remember the plan and don't you dare fail." She growled at him, I think she meant to be quiet but her voice was loud enough to carry to where I am standing. Not that I'm standing very far from them, but it is a lot farther than it probably should have. Ron nodded and a cruel smile spread across his face. "Good now stay put." She hissed.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"Her yell literally echoed through the station.

"Coming, Mum."Came their call from a little ways down the train as Mrs. Weasley turned back to Ron.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."I moved quickly away towards my compartment. Listening to the twins banter brought a smile to my face. I had just entered the compartment when I heard them exclaiming about 'Harry Potter' being on the train. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as Ginny begged her mother to let her see him.

"Well...?" I glanced up to see Draco looking at me with a small smirk. "Who was that?"

"Uh, who was what?" I tried desperately to keep my face blank. He just laughed.

"So you don't trust me yet, understandable. I wouldn't either after how my father treated you." He placed his palm against his chest and smiled at me. It was weird; I never thought I would ever have a decent conversation with Draco Malfoy, not in the last life or this one. We sat in silence while the train started moving.

An hour later Neville came to the door. He looked between Draco and me before starting to back out with a fearful look on his face.

"Sorry, so sorry."

"Wait!" I smiled at him, the boy who grew up to be such a confident man. "Won't you join us?" He gave me this weird look. "My name is Hermione Granger. And yours?" His eyes seemed to pop out of his head as he glanced between me and Draco.

"Neville Longbottom. I don't wish to seem rude but are you a muggleborn?" at my nod he grew more confused. "Then why is he sitting there acting like you're friends?"

"Perhaps because I hope we are." Draco drawled.

"Hope?" His question was directed at Draco but his eyes were glued to mine.

"Well she did beat my father, anyone who can do that without a wand and untrained is more than worthy of being my friend." His tone was joking, softening the blow his words would otherwise have held.

"We aren't friends Draco; I don't know you all that well so I don't think we could be called friends."

"Well someday I hope we can be."

We both turned back to Neville only to find his mouth agape as he tried to say something. I raised my eyebrow slightly and waited. It was a good choice because eventually what he was trying to say was chocked out. "Wandless?"

"Yeah want to see?" He nodded at me. "What spell should I do? Oh I know! Close and lock the door." I waited while Neville did as I asked. I pointed my finger at the door and intoned, for Neville's sake, "Alohomora!" I smiled as I heard the all familiar click. "You may check if you'd like but I am sure that it is no longer locked." And sure enough it wasn't.

The three of us talked for a little while when Neville suddenly jumped to his feet. "I forgot oh no, oh no, oh no. Gran is going to kill me!"

"What is it Neville?"

"I lost my toad, Trevor!" I could barely keep the smile from coming to my face. It was the perfect excuse to search the train for the Loyal and the perfect excuse to make Ron think he'd succeeded in driving everyone else away from Harry.

"We will help you look, won't we Draco?" He agreed but as we got up to go looking I remembered something, they weren't in on Harry's and my plan. "Let's stick together; we can start near the back and work our way forwards." They both nodded and off we went.

There was no one in the first three compartments so we searched them from top to bottom moving everything around and then putting it back before moving on. We searched in companionable silence until we reached the third compartment. The one next to it had the door partially open and we could hear two male voices talking. Both were easy to recognize, one only because of how often I was forced to hear it over the years and the other was that of the one person who means more to me than anyone, even my parents.

So I close the door to the compartment we were searching and whisper 'follow my lead, okay' before turning and marching over to the compartment from which the two voices are coming. Surprisingly the two boys followed without asking any awkward questions.

We walked in, me in the middle with the boys a step behind me. Actually it was much the same way that Malfoy, no, Draco, used to walk up to us. I even raised my nose in the air and looked down it at the two boys.

"Have either of you seen a toad?" I sneered, and then turned towards Neville who was looking at me with wide eyes. "Longbottom here lost his." I winked at him while still maintaining the sneer on my face. At my wink he smiled and then sneered as well although he had trouble holding it as he failed to hold in his laughter. I looked back at the two boys glancing between the two and their mountain of candy. "Enough candy?" The red head's glare kept switching from me to my right, where Draco stood.

"No." His voice had an angry edge to it.

"Not very friendly is he?" I 'whispered' loudly to my two companions. I heard three chuckles but my eyes stayed on Weasleys blue eyes.

"You haven't told us your names you know. Not very friendly of you," Harry's voice was quiet and unsteady, almost as if he were to afraid of laughing if he were to talk louder.

"Granger, Hermione Granger" I spoke in the snobbiest I could manage while I pointed to myself then to either side. "And this is Longbottom and Malfoy." When Ron laughed I turned back to him and glared. I remember perfectly the words Draco had said to him on the train ride last time, if there was any way to make him think that I'm a pure-blood bigot then that speech is it. "Think our names are funny do you?" when he nodded while still laughing I continued. "No need to ask yours. Red hair, hand-me down robes, you must be a Weasley." As his face slowly turned the colour of his hair I smiled, sure it was a cruel smile but a smile none the less. "And you are?" I turned back to Harry.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter." I let my eyes widen just like we practised.

"Are you really?" He nodded yes. "You will learn that people in the wizarding world aren't always as they seem not to mention that some are clearly better than others. I can help you there." With that I held out my hand.

"I think I figure that out for myself thanks." I could feel Ron's gloating eyes on me but I kept mine glued to Harry. His fingers moved quickly a spelling out a single sentence. In that moment I was very glad that the Flamels had decided early on that it was necessary for the two of us to learn simple sign language. They said that it was great for communicating during stealth missions, guess they were right.

As I pretended to storm out I had to prevent myself from laughing until we were out of earshot. I couldn't stop myself I collapsed to the floor in laughter as Neville and Draco looked down at me. They waited patiently for me to stop laughing and to catch my breath.

"So what was that?" Draco asked.

"That was a plan perfectly executed. Thanks for the excuse to go in there Neville; I thought I was going to have to make something up."

"Excuse? But I thought you said you'd help me find my toad." His eyes started to water.

"I did, but why would we search every compartment when a spell would work well enough?"

"But who would we get to cast it?" I could hear the panic raising in his voice and I was about to comfort him when another spoke. I had almost forgotten that Draco was with us.

"She can." His finger was point at the dead centre of my head. I looked up to see his eyes laughing at us. "Go on, show him." I nod and then pull out my wand.

"Accio Trevor!" It took a few minutes but then the toad was safely sitting in the centre of my hand. Neville's eyes widened as I handed him his toad.

The rest of the trip passed pleasantly. The three of us talked, read and played exploding snaps. All too soon we were pulling into Hogwarts and the three of us had just gotten back from putting on our robes.

The train stopped and a deep voice called out: "Firs' years. Firs' years follow me. No more 'an four 'o a boa'" The two boys followed me to the boats. I got in line right after Harry but when it came time to board the boats I turned to the two girls behind us.

"Would you like to go with them? There isn't room for the three of us." I smiled as the two girls nodded. Draco, Neville and me all climbed into the next boat. As the castle came into view everyone gasped, even me. I haven't seen it from this perspective in sixty-one years; I had forgotten how moving the sight is.

I ignored Professor McGonagall's speech about your house being your home; I was too busy watching all my fellow first years. Most were shaking either from nerves or excitement, but I couldn't be sure which. Others, mostly those I know were Slytherins last time, stood tall and expressionless.

When the ghosts entered I noticed something. Only those who are muggle raised jumped or screamed. Most of the purebloods sneered at anyone who had reacted to the ghosts. So that is how they picked us out. I stood watching the purebloods until Professor McGonagall returned.

It wasn't long until we were all standing in front of the Great Hall waiting our turn to be sorted. I watched the reactions of the older students as each of the first years were sorted. I was so engrossed with watching that I stopped hearing the names being called.

A sharp pain in my side pulled my attention back to the sorting.

"Miss Granger, must I call you again?"

"Sorry." I stepped forward and let Professor McGonagall place the hat on my head.

"Interesting, how peculiar." The hat whispered in my ear as the hall disappeared behind its brim.