Hi, I finally wrote this. It's really choppy and sloppy, and I apologize for any mistakes.

-I went back later though, and fixed/added some things.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Some quotes and everything you recognize from J.K Rowling belong to her.

CHAPTER ONE

ABOARD THE TRAIN

Hermione faced the wall, dumbstruck.

"Are you sure I'm supposed to go through this?" she asked slowly, twisting her head to look around at her parents. Her white knuckles clamped onto her cart filled with her belongings and she bit her lip nervously. "Are you really sure? What if it doesn't work?"

Her mother gave a watery smile. "It will."

"I'm not sure if it will let you in though." Hermione stared sadly at her parents. "I'm going to miss you."

"We'll miss you too, honey," said her father, giving her a warm hug. "We'll watch you go from here."

"Are you sure you don't want to try?"

"We'll probably crash right into it."

"You would think so, huh?"

They laughed.

"I'll see you soon though, right?" she asked hopefully. "For Christmas?"

"Yes," agreed her mother. "And remember what I told you earlier; Be safe, learn loads, and know that we are so proud of you. And don't forget to write! Now hurry up, you're going to be late!"

Her eyes widened. That was enough for her.

Hesitating slightly, she approached the wall at a steady pace, her eyes scrunched up, waiting for the impact if it didn't let her through. It was when the cart was mere inches from it, did she let her eyes fall shut and kept walking. She didn't stop moving, but she was waiting, waiting for something... and then she heard it.

Opening her eyes, she saw a long scarlet steam engine near a platform with a sign overhead that said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Behind her the words Platform Nine and Three-quarters on an archway. A surge of happiness flooded over her, and for a second she thought she was drowning. She was really going.

Hermione went and looked for any empty compartment, but she couldn't help but stare at all the people. She assumed most of them were magical, but she found it odd how normal they looked, even compared to her. While she was already wearing her school uniform, everyone else was dressed in regular clothing that the kids at her school wore. A hint of nervousness creeped up her spine. Should she have not changed?

As she looked through a door, she saw only a small, plump boy with a round face sitting in one of the seats, looking lost. She decided to try and join him- she might even make her first real friend! With that happy thought, she knocked on the door and without bothering to wait, she opened it too.

"Hello," she greeted. "You wouldn't mind if I sat here too, do you? I don't really know where else to go."

"Oh, sure," muttered the boy uneasily, glancing up at her.

She peered closer. "Are you all right? Only, you don't look so good..."

The boy looked at her in distraught. "I'm not. See, I lost my toad, Trevor, and he was gift- I tried asking around, but no one has seen him! I kind of having a problem with losing my things... It wouldn't be the first time Trevor has gone missing, but this time it's too crowded to see anything. He's gone!"

"Oh." Hermione looked around busily. "Well, I'm sure you'll find him somewhere, but I can help you if you want. We can go down to different compartments and ask more people- maybe we'll get lucky. Anywho, what's you're name?"

"Um, Neville Longbottom," said none other than Neville Longbottom. "You-?"

"Hermione Granger. Well, it's nice to meet you Neville. Come on, let's go."

She lead him out of the room and outside to the aisle. She looked around before deciding to pick the closest compartment next to her, and pulled it open. "Excuse me, I'm sorry for interupting but-" She stopped when she realized no one was in there. Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. She quickly closed the door.

"Oh, I-I thought someone was in there..."

Neville gave her a weak smile.

They tried another one which already held four people inside. They looked much older. "Hello," she said trying not so sound nervous. "Has any of you seen a toad? Neville here lost his."

"No," said a girl. "Anyway, you shouldn't bother, I mean, it's just a toad. They're kind of lousy, aren't they?"

Neville blushed. "Well, he was a gift..."

"A gift?" another girl laughed. "Why would anyone give that as a gift? What was it for?"

If anything Neville looked like he wanted to disappear. "Hogwarts."

"Oh. So, you're a first year, right? Maybe we'll see you in our house. We're Gryffindors."

Hermione perked up. "You're in Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, best house there is!"

"What about the others?" questioned Hermione. "I've read some things, but-"

"The others are okay," interrupted the first girl. "I guess. It's Slytherin you have to watch out for. They're not really the lot you want to be around. Ravenclaw is fine, they're smart. And Hufflepuff... well, they're kind, just useless. Trust me, you'd best be lucky to get into Gryffindor. Only the brave go there."

The second girl nodded. "And Dumbledore was in Gryffindor." She turned to look at Neville. "Oh, good luck with your toad. Though it might be best if you don't find it. See ya, firsties."

And with that dismissal, they slowly backed out of the compartment.

"Do you know what house you want to be in?" she asked once they closed the door.

"I dunno," muttered Neville. "Gryffindor sounds good, but I'll probably be a Hufflepuff."

"I wonder how they sort us?"

"You probably don't want to know. I've heard horrible stories."

"Oh," was all she said. She decided to change the subject before she could worry more. "Why don't we go find your toad?"

She decided to try another one a little way down. She slid it open with a squeak. Inside were two boys, one having red hair and his skin covered with freckles, and the other having messy black hair and green eyes framed behind rounded glasses. She raised her chin.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one-"

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said the redhead grumpily. She ignored him, her eyes on the wand that was in his hand. So, he probably already knew magic then, which he meant he maybe wasn't a 'muggleborn' like her. There was a knot in her stomach. What if everyone was better then her?

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then," she said, wanting to know what he could do. She had read her magic books millions of times, but she didn't know if that was good enough. Maybe she should have gotten more books?

The boy stared at her a little taken aback. "Er, all right," he muttered, clearing his throat and waving his wand;

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. The rat in his lap didn't do anything, but kept on sleeping. If she didn't know better, she would say that his pet was dead.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" she questioned. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magical, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean it's one of the best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard- I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

She looked from one stunned face to another. She hadn't meant to talk so much or too fast, but she was really nervous. She was meeting kids just like her- she could finally fit in and make friends. It was all she ever wanted.

"Ron Weasley," muttered the redhead boy.

"Harry Potter," said the other one, and she almost gasped. She knew that name!

"Are you really?" asked Hermione excitedly. "I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

Harry looked at her with wide, glazed eyes. "Am I really?"

Hermione blinked at him, shocked. "Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," she said. "Do either of you know which House you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. Anyway," she glanced at Neville, "we'd better go and look for Neville's toad."

She started backing away, before adding, "you two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And without saying another word, she took ahold of Neville and left.

There was a fuzzy feeling in her head, and she had a weird desire to start skipping. Did she actually just have a real conversation with someone her age? If she was back at her other school, she wouldn't dare talk so much. Especially to Lin Taylor. She had always thought it was better to just keep her head down and avoid eye contact, and hopefully no one would notice her.

But she needn't do that anymore.

"You look really happy," commented Neville.

Hermione didn't say anything, but slowly trudged up to the front of the train where the conductor was, snapping at everyone who jostled and bumped into her, running around the place.

"Excuse me," she said, "but do you know when we'll be arriving?"

"Almost there," was the answer. And as she didn't have anything else pointless to say, she turned back around.

"You know, I can't believe that was Harry Potter," said Neville.

"Harry Potter?" asked a cool voice behind them, and they whipped around.

She immediately had a unsettling feeling in her stomach, and she tried not to glare. He had a pale face and blonde hair with an air of arrogance around him. He looked at them both disdainfully. All she could think of was a certain bully.

"Yes," she said easily. "You heard right. Why?"

She glanced at the two, large boys behind her. They reminded her of some bodyguards.

"I was hearing all down the train that a Harry Potter was here. Which compartment?"

"Why?"

"Which compartment?" snapped the boy.

She shot him a sharp look. "Right in front of you," she sniffed. "Come along Neville, we should be doing something." She marched off, still dragging a silent Neville. "How rude."

"I-I think that was a Malfoy."

"A Malfoy?" She stared at him in confusion. "What's that?"

"No, his name. I haven't heard many good things about his family..." Neville shrugged awkwardly. "But it really doesn't matter."

"Well, I'm not sure if I liked him," she said. "Did you see the way he was staring at us? I mean, honestly, it's not like he knew us, of course, seeing as we've never met. I wonder why he wants to see Harry."

"Er-" said Neville. "I'm guessing it's because it's the same reason why everyone else wants to- he's famous."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Poor Harry, I'm not sure if he likes the attention. He seemed embarrassed when I told him about all the books he's in... Speaking of books, did you read Hogwarts: A History-?"

"No-"

"-because it was ever so fascinating, I even tried to make my mum read it. I never knew so many things, and it was just so-"

"Er-"

"-brilliant, you know? I've already read it like ten times-"

"Do you hear that-?"

"-if you don't have it, maybe I can lend it to you? Though, I heard Hogwarts has a library, so-"

"Listen!"

Hermione stopped rambling and they both fell silent. She could hear shouts coming from the compartment where she was in before, and she quickly dashed over just in time to see the pale boy and his large friends run away. She stopped in front of the door and glared in. Did they really have to make such a racket? How immature.

"What has been going on?" she demanded, her eyes falling over the ground littered with sweets, and to where Ron was picking up his rat.

"I think he's been knocked out," she heard him say. "No- I don't believe it- he's going back to sleep!"

Hermione repressed a snort with difficulty. That rat seemed quite useless, if you asked her.

Before she could say or do anything, Ron asked Harry something about Malfoy, who then proceeded to tell a story.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He abruptly turned toward her and added rudely, "can we help you with something?"

Hermione felt a rush of anger and dislike, but chose to ignore his tone. "You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!" Idiots, she added silently.

Ron scowled at her. "Scabbers has been fighting, not us. Do you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right- I only came in here because people outside are behaving childishly, racing up and down the corridors," she huffed. She looked pointedly at him. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Not wanting to stick around, she turned around and left.

"You should get changed," she reminded Neville.

"Oh- oh yeah!"

She gave a small smile and went to the empty compartment and sat down. The second she did, a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

And it ended.

"I'm sorry we couldn't find your toad. I'm sure he's somewhere."

Neville nodded glumly.

There was nothing else to do but stare out the window. She didn't know how she should be feeling, but an icy numbness had spreaded inside her. There was no going back now.

She was going to Hogwarts.

Please review! I hope you like the story so far.

-I'm also really sorry it's taking long to update. This always happens. I'm horrible.