AN: There may be typos. I'm not the greatest editor in the world. A beta would be nice. PM me if your interested.
Disclaimer: Once I take over the world Harry Potter will be mine! But I don't own him now:(
Chapter Two
Hermione knocked twice on the door of her compartment. Someone was in there, obviously, since the curtains were drawn.
"Who is it?" Ginny's voice asked in a muffled tone.
"Harry Potter," said Hermione in a deep voice. There was loud crash and fierce whispers coming from inside. The door swung open, revealing Ginny smoothing down her black robes frantically. She looked up casually and Hermione burst into laughter as she stepped in.
"That wasn't very funny," Ginny pouted.
"Oh yes it was," Hermione said, "I can't believe you actually fell for it!"
"Well…you sounded like Harry."
"Me? Sound like Harry? That's impossible, Ginny. I wasn't even trying." Hermione dumped her book bag on a seat. She then noticed Luna in the corner. She was robed as well.
"Don't do that again," whined Luna as she pulled of the robe. Under it was just her bright blue and orange matching polka-dot underwear. There was also an exotic looking bronze medallion dropping fast her bra.
"What's that?" Hermione asked.
"This?" Luna asked as she slipped on her skirt. "It'll protect me from Maois."
"What?"
"You know, Maois. They're yellow and green parasitic creatures that can cause severe sweating, memory loss, dizziness, and pimples. There's been an outbreak of them in Australia."
"Uh, okay."
"I'm not making this up! My dad wrote about it in his magazine!"
"And I'm sure he had some excellent sources then."
"Oh yeah, ever since he got all famous and stuff people have been sending him letters with information like crazy. The Quibblers selling millions."
"Really, Luna. Don't you think those letters might be mockeries or something?"
"No. Why would people be mocking him? He's even getting fan mail."
"Yeah, okay. Sure," said Ginny, "so what Head related happened, Hermione?" Ginny had a mirror and was combing her silky red hair.
"Well," Hermione said laboriously as she pulled a small bag of clothes from a crammed drawer under the seats. "Unfortunately Draco Malfoy's been made Head Boy."
"Ooh, really?" said Luna who had put on a lovely lavender sweater and was rummaging through a box of accessories. "Oh Gin, could you pass the mirror---thanks." Luna picked out a handful of accessories and put them on as she spoke. "I think Draco's sorta cute."
"Excuse me?" Hermione stammered as she unbuttoned her blouse.
"Well he is."
"No, Luna. He isn't cute," Ginny said. "He is hot."
"Excuse me?" Hermione said again, shocked.
"Aw, admit it, Hermione," said Luna, "He's gorgeous."
"Oh," Ginny said, "and you'll be working together, learning together, living together."
"Ah, how romantic," said Luna dreamily. "Alone together…"
"You guys do look like a good couple," Ginny said, looking at Hermione, "You are both physically beautiful people."
"I'm not."
"Psh!" went Ginny and Luna.
"Merlin, Hermione. You've changed a lot. How could you not notice that? Everyone else has. They're talking about you. About things unrelated to Harry or school. You're damn beautiful and you don't even wear make-up."
"Does anybody ever just ignore looks?" Hermione groaned. "I would no way fit with Malfoy. Besides, we won't even be all alone together. I've got to live with Blaise Zabini too."
"What?" Ginny and Luna asked, astounded.
"You get all the luck, Hermione. It's so unfair." whined Luna.
"Why do you have to live with him, too?" Ginny asked.
"Well, its because," said Hermione, finally putting her robe on, "Dumbledore wants Inter-House Unity. Malfoy and I'll have to plan special school events and stuff. He thinks we might need help so he's allowing us to have helpers called Auxiliars. Zabini is Malfoy's Auxiliar."
"Who's yours?"
"I haven't chosen one yet," said Hermione. "Maybe it could be one of you two?"
"I want to be it!" Luna cried. Ginny, however, was silent.
"I don't. I'll be too far from Harry," she said.
"Ugh, Ginny. You're such a stalker." Hermione said. "Okay, Luna. You can be my Auxiliar. You get fairly good grades right?"
"Hon, I'm in Ravenclaw," Luna said, pointing to her Ravenclaw badge, "of course I do."
"Okay, then." Hermione said. "I guess we'll probably have to tell Professor McGonagall soon."
"We might have to do it at school," said Luna, peeking through the drawn curtains, "we're almost there."
Big black puffs of smoke billowed from the chimneys of the great Hogwarts Express. It gave one last continuing whistle, slowly gained speed, and was off. Hot air was cast behind it, blowing against the forest trees and the emerged students still starting to leave.
Honey brown curls flew about the forlorn face of Hermione Granger as she stared motionless at the bright red train shrink and disappear behind the dark green forest foliage. Ginny and Luna, who were next to her, couldn't help but notice her lamenting state.
"Hermione," Ginny said as she clapped a hand on her shoulder, "what's wrong?"
"This is my last year at Hogwarts," Hermione murmured almost inaudible among the noisiness of the other students and Rubeus Hagrid's deep shouting.
"Really?" said a voice other than Ginny's but just as familiar. The source revealed itself by stepping out in front of her. "Mine, too! What a coincidence!" It was Harry Potter, and, soon enough Ron Weasley appeared.
"Wow, Hermione, it took us so long to find you guys," said Ron. "Oi, why so sad?"
"She's being emo because she's going to miss school." Luna replied.
"'Emo'?" asked Ron. "What does that mean?"
"Emo means extremely emotional. The emotion's usually depression. They get so depressed that they want to hurt or kill themselves. An emo person is a person with hair on their face.They dress in red, black, and gray. They hate everyone especially themselves, they cut themselves especially their wrists, they think hurting themselves is good, they think they have cool hair, they isolate themselves from any un-emo or jolly people….and I think that's it…I think." Luna explained.
"Um…okay," said Harry. "Did your dad tell you that?"
"No, they're on the muggle news. Something about a huge Emo suicide massacre thingy, I dunno. I just watched it to see the pictures. Daddy says they're possessed by Meerinjigglers."
"I'm sure they are… So Emos are just like Goths?" said Ron, rather interested.
"No no no," Luna said, shaking her head. She, Harry, Ron, and Ginny spent most of the trip to the school (on carriages) debating about the difference between Goth and Emo while Hermione sat solemnly quiet.
"Ron, Goth people don't like bright colors like red because they do not hurt themselves and like to see the blood," Ginny said, then she noticed Hermione, who seemed to like her short invisible time. "Hermione?"
Hermione sighed. "My last year and I have to spend it with Malfoy."
"Aw, c'mon, 'Mione," said Ron. "Being Head Girl doesn't necessarily mean you have to always be with the Head Boy." Ron said.
"Yes it does," she said woefully.
"Not all the time," said Ron. "Do you have all the same classes with him?"
"Probably."
"Well you can at least try to be away from him. Just be as far as possible from both of the Slytherins and don't make any eye contact. They probably will ignore you too if you're lucky."
"Yeah, and maybe it'll all work out and you could enjoy your last year," said Harry.
"They can't ignore me. They've got to help with all the Inter-House Unity stuff."
"Isn't it possible that you could do it all by yourself? Maybe in secret or something."
"…That's a good idea, but Luna'll be helping me of course," Luna nodded at Hermione's words, "Okay, I'll do it."
"You really think staying away from them is a good idea?"
"Yes, of course it is!"
Hermione and her friends chatted happily about their plans to help Hermione have a good year, after all, it was the last. Soon they approached their beloved school: Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The day had grown very late and now lamps and torches illuminated the castle's many turrets, towers, and other parts of medieval castle architecture. Looking fantastically majestic and great in every way, it appeared dark and mysterious; nevertheless, this castle was their second home. There it stood, magnificent royalty, aging greatly over the years and having some incredible experiences though it looked familiar enough and brought swoops of excitement into the students.
"Fred, George!" called Harry. Fred and George Weasley, the mischievous twins, brothers of Ron, stood leaning against opposite sides of the great doorway Professor McGonagall had lead them through six years ago.
"Hey, Harry," they both replied in unison. Harry and the group stood behind the large group of tiny first years…and a strikingly colored girl about the age of fourteen. They were supposed to follow the rest of the seventh years directly to the Great Hall, but Harry stopped them because he saw Fred and George.
"What're you doing?" called Ron. All the attention of the first years and the other girl were focused on Ron, Harry, and the rest.
"We're about to tell the migits about the houses. Duh?"
"Where's McGonagall?"
"Dunno, went off to talk to some Isee lady. We're takin' the liberty of kindly take the first years to get sorted. They'll be late, you know."
"C'mon, let's go Ron," said Ginny, tugging on his robes. "Who cares about these two ding-dong-heads. We'll be late."
"Ding-dong-heads?" Fred and George asked. "Why, you couldn't possibly mean us? Our dear, sweet sister would never say such a thing like that, would she?" The unsorted ones stared at her, making her blush bright red. "Please stay, Gin. We'd be so honored!"
"Alright then," muttered Ginny. "We can blame them if we get in trouble."
"Okay," started George.
"If you haven't got the brains to know that we're going to tell you about the houses and take you to sorting,"
"We're going to tell you about the houses and take you to sorting!"
"I'm Fred Weasley, co-owner of Hogwarts' Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and Hogsmeade's Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."
"And I'm George Weasley, co-owner of Hogwarts' Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Hogsmeade's Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."
"First off, how on Uric's jellyfish will you get sorted?"
"Well, Fred, they'll get to put on a gribbly singing hat that'll sort them!"
"Gee, George, what'll they be sorted into?"
"Well, Fred, they'll get sorted into these lovely things called 'houses'. Can you all say 'houses'?"
"Houses," the children said obediently as Fred and George mouthed he words. Ron, Harry, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny just watched, annoyed.
"Excellent!" Fred and George clapped their hands gleefully.
"Righto," said Fred gleefully. "So what are these houses?"
"Fred, how stupid can you be?" George laughed loudly, deeply, and much like one of those cheesy toddler shows (but not like Sesame Street because Sesame Street is awesome). The children laughed along while the older ones rolled their eyes.
"Now who here knows the name of one of the houses?" George asked. Many hands shot up. "Let's see… Hmm, how about you?"
The other hands fell down. A pudgy kid with a baby face answered, "Hufflepuff."
"MmHm, yes. Hufflepuff. We were in Hufflepuff, weren't we Fred?"
"Nope. Why?"
"Because we're special!" Fred and George said. The other houses all saw Hufflepuff as a place for the normal students. A place for those without exceptional courage, brains, or cunning.
"Yes, now. Another, please." The students' hands rose up again. "You."
"Ravenclaw." said a brown haired, bespectacled girl.
"Oh yes!" George said, clapping his hands. "Ravenclaw is where the nerdy kids go. If you're brainy and actually like school, Ravenclaw is for you. Now, another."
"Gryffindor!" shouted several children.
"Yes! Yes! Oh, yes! The best one, of course! Gryffindor, the home of the brave hearted and the cool! That's us, Fred, isn't it?"
"Of course!"
"Now, last and certainly least?"
Someone cleared their throat in the back. All heads turned. Standing next to Hermione was none other than Draco Malfoy. He inattentively dropped something into her hand and took a step forward.
"I hope you don't mean Slytherin, Weasley?" he asked menacingly as he strode to the front.
"Why, what on earth would make you think that?"
"The common jealousy of Slytherins amongst Gryffindors, of course. What else?" Draco shoved Fred and George aside and turned to the crowd. "I'll take over from here. I am, as many of you already know, Draco Malfoy---" Whispering broke out at this. "Many know me as the Slytherin Prince since well, what else would there be better to call me? Now, however, you may address me as the Head Boy of Hogwarts. Slytherin is the best house, if you must know, made up of the best students. Over five Quidditch Cup wins in a row and," he chuckled to himself, "who knows how many House Cups. If you are anywhere nearly as perfect as I am, Slytherin is for you. Now, follow me." He turned but soon whirled back. "Ah yes, that girl in the back," the students turned their heads, "yes, the filth with the unruly hair. I'm sure she still doesn't realizing this as well, see the badge in her hand?" Hermione finally looked at the thing he dropped in he had dropped into her hand. It was in fact a golden badge with an H engraved onto it. "She is Head Girl, but don't bother asking her for help. She's helpless herself."
He led the students away.
Only their chatting was heard to Hermione, who was busy shaking the insults out of her head.
"How dare he?"
