A/N: I am very excited to actually start getting somewhere properly with this story, which will hopefully happen soon, currently I am slightly liking where this is going.

Whilst I write this I am reading the 4th Harry Potter book, and I hate myself for admitting I've never read it before, but I am very much enjoying it :D

Hermione walked up the stone stairs leading to the main entrance of the castle, otherwise known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Part of her was still outraged by Ron, yet part of her thought the anger she felt needed to finally die down. She didn't walk the steps alone, next to her was Ginny Weasley, Ron's youngest and only sister, who seemed to have spent the whole of the carriage ride and the walk to the castle spent talking about whether or not she did actually like Dean Thomas, another Gryffindor who was in Hermione's year.

"We spent the summer sending owls back and forth, I feel like we have this unique connection, but what if I just don't like him as much as I think." Ginny carried on talking, unaware that Hermione's attention was focused on her own thoughts, "The only thing we really have in common is a love for Quidditch, and even then we don't support the same team. Even in the Quidditch World Cup he favours the other countries teams, I understand that maybe we don't have the greatest Quidditch team ever, but when your countries playing you shouldn't be cheering on a completely different country. I just don't think a relationship can be built on this kind of thing. What do you think Hermione?" Ginny turned her attention to Hermione as they passed through the large wooden doors and then into the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony.

"Hermione." Ginny said a little louder this time after noticing how distracted Hermione looked.

"Huh? What? Sorry." Hermione apologised, finally pulled away from her thoughts and looked at Ginny.

"So what do you think about what I said about me and Dean?" Ginny repeated.

"I'm sure you'll both be great together." Hermionie said quite cautiously, hoping that what she said was right.

"Oh ok." Ginny smiled, "I'll talk to him later then." Hermione let out a sigh of relief, yet the dreaded feeling she was experiences seconds prior to the disruption of her thoughts instantly came back as she looked towards the Gryffindor table and saw Harry and Ron already seated on the benches, looking as if they were saving both Ginny and her a seat. She wasn't really in the mood to sit with either of them, but at the same time she didn't want to be considered as ignorant, so reluctantly she walked over to the table and took the spare seat next to Harry, which just as so happened to be across from Ron.

It didn't take long until the Great Hall had filed with the familiar faces of the Hogwarts students, all separated near enough equally by their school houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. At the front of the hall, placed on steps onlooking the room was a fifth long table, though not as long as the others. The table sat the teachers who each sat infront of their empty places, conversing with one another, undoubtedly looking forward to the start of term feast like all the other students in the room. Dumbledore stood up from his large thrown like chair in the middle of the table and made his way towards the eagle shaped podium, positioned to one side of the raised seating area. He held his wand to his throat and began speaking.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts everyone, for another year of learning. But before the feast will take place may I welcome the new first year students." Dumbledore said, his voice micro-phoned by the spell. Hermione was thankful that the beginning of the Sorting Ceremony wasn't the usual long and insufferable wait, there was only a certain length of time you can spend trying to avoid eye contact with someone when you actually have nothing else to look at. She turned all the way around in her seat, and watched as the doors were pushed open. Professor McGonagall entered the room, with a line of students quick on her heel. Hermione could see the nerves crossing the faces of many students as they passed by, and looked back to her own Sorting Ceremony just a few years ago, and here she sat now as a fifth year, moments away from taking her OWL's, knowing it wouldn't be long until this room and this school would be wonderful memories to forever cherish.

As Professor McGonagall reached the front of the hall, Professor Flitwick wobbled over in his usual style and placed the ageing and ratty Sorting Hat upon the stool, before returning to his own raised seat behind the Teachers Table. Slowly the motionless hat came alive, a rip spreading wide to look as if it was a mouth, a few gasps of fear and surprise left the first years mouths as they stared up towards the hat absolutely enchanted as the hat burst into its routinely song.

'In times of old when I was new

And Hogwarts barely started

The founders of our noble school

Thought never to be parted:

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning,

To make the world best magic school

And pass along their learning

'Together we will built and teach!'

The four good friends decided

And never did they dream that they

Might some day be divided,

For were there such friends anywhere

As Slytherin and Gryffindor?

Unless it was a second pair

Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?

So how could it have gone so wrong?

How could such friendship fail?

Why, I was there and so can tell

The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those

Whose ancestry us purest.'

Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose

Intelligence is surest.'

Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those

With brace deeds to their name.'

Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,

And treat them just the same.'

These differences caused little stifle

When first they came into light,

For each of the four founders had

A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,

For instance, Skytherin

Took only pure-blood wizards

Of great cunning, just like him,

And only those of sharpest mind

Were taught by Ravenclaw

While the bravest and the boldest

Went to daring Gryffindor.

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,

And taught them all she knew,

Thus the houses and their founders

Retained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony

For several happy years,

But then discord crept among us

Feeding on our faults and fears.

Had once held up our school,

Now turned upon each other and,

Divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school

Must meet an early end,

What with duelling and fighting

And the clash of friend on friend

And at last there came a morning

When old Slytherin departed

And though the fighting then died out

He left us quite disheartened,

And ever since the founders four

Were whittled down to three

Have the houses been united,

As they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

And you all know the score:

I sort you into houses

Because that is what I'm for,

But this year I'll go further,

Listen closely to my song:

Though condemned I am to split you

Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfil my duty

And must quarter every year

Still I wonder whether Sorting

May not bring the end I .

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

The earning history shows,

For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

Or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you

Let the Sorting now begin'

(Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling. The Sorting Hats New Song.)

Hermione always managed to enjoy the song of the Sorting hat, and as the school broke into a chorus of applause she knew everyone else did too. She saw it as a little bit of a disappointment comparing it to last years Sorting Hat song, though she enjoyed the historical teaching aspect of the lives of the four founders of Hogwarts. It was at this moment that she began to doubt whether she was truly placed in the right house. Gryffindor held it's fame for taking in the brave, yet here she was avoiding the eye contact of one of her bestfriend's for next to no reason at all, maybe she would of been better off in Ravenclaw, maybe then she could find a friendship group with people who were a little bit more on her intellectual level, and didn't look at her as if she had three heads each time she wished to spend her lunchtimes and any free time she had within the library.

"When I call your name, you will take a seat upon the stool, the hat will be placed upon your head and the hat will place you into your house." McGonagall's voice ran throughout the Great Hall as the claps eventually died down.

"Ambercombie, Euan." Professor McGonagall said loud enough for the whole of the hall to hear, as she read the first name off the long parchment. A small rather frightened looking boy made his way through his fellow classmates and took the dreaded walk towards the stool. The hat was placed upon his head, and the form of fear across his face only appeared to grow.

"Gryffindor." The sorting hat screamed out, after moments of contemplation. A look of relief crossed the boy as he made his way to the table set at the far right.

"Appleton, Julie"

"And let the feast begin." Within seconds the bare tables became covered in all sorts of mouth-watering foods, from roast potatoes and pork chops, to large chocolate cake and ice-cream. It was this that always managed to make everyone enjoy the horrible time of returning to school, and especially for Hermione who refused to eat next to nothing the year before once finding out it was the poor enslaved house-elves who made it, poor house-elves according to her anyway, they are nearly everyone else disagreed with her belief. Despite how unsuccessful it had ended up being the year before, Hermione still carried on with S.P.E.W however didn't priorities it as much.

"So where did you go after leaving the compartment Hermione?" Harry asked as he shoved a forkful of mashed potato into his mouth. Hermione's glanced towards Ron and watched as the pile of food on his plate continued to grow, before turning back to her own half-filled plate.

"Well, ummm. I went to find Ginny and spent rest of the time with her." Hermione lied. Instead after writing in her diary she seemed to spend the majority of the train-ride pacing along the length of the train, it was only within the last 30 minutes of the ride did she go to seek Ginny out.

"No you—." Ginny started, but then abruptly stopped, "Sorry, yes she was. She was giving me advice on me and Dean." Both Harry and Ron stared towards Ginny with eyes as wide as their plates.

"Why'd need advice on you and Dean?" Ron asked.

"Urm… well." Ginny began realising the mistake she had just made, and looked over towards Hermione for some help, but she too was unable to think of a lie to support her friend who seconds before had lied for her.

"Well what?" Ron turned to look down the table where Dean Thomas sat with his bestfriend Seamus Figgins, and fellow Gryffindor Neville Longbottom. "Please tell me there is nothing going on between the two of you?"

"Technically there isn't." Ginny looked down towards the table, almost as if she was trying to hide from the critical glare that Ron was giving her. He dropped his cutlery onto the table, catching the attention of a few surrounding people.

"It better stay that way. He's not good enough for you." Ron said, Harry nodded his head subtly in agreement.

"Ron, just please give Ginny a break. She is more than old enough to choose who she wishes to go out with, you do not need to pull the overprotected brother act. You and I both know that Dean is a perfectly decent guy." Hermione snapped towards him. She found herself once again so easily aggravated by him, and she herself was unable to understand it. Ginny's love life was hardly Hermione's concern, and it wouldn't bother her who Ginny went out with. When the words of annoyance left her mouth she felt as though she had no control over them, and it was only after she saw the shocked faces of the other three that she actually realised what had happened.

She felt slightly embarrassed, and instead chose to ignore them all and enjoy her food.

Hermione neared the top of the stairs, panting as she felt the energy leave her body. No matter how many times a day she found herself walking these stairs last year, after a summer of not walking them she found herself exactly where she had started. She felt her calf muscle straining with each step, and her breathing becoming much heavier. She was glad when she finally stood infront of the portrait waiting for the prefect, Eric Murley to say the password.

"Hermione do you mind if we just go and talk somewhere in private." Harry whispered into her ear and tugged on the arm of her robe and pulled her away from the crowd and back down the stairs she had just worked so hard on getting up. They ended up in an abandoned corridor, which was merely used as a passageway, despite the number of doors which littered along the walls.

"What's a matter with you today?" Harry asked, as he stopped in his tracks, "You have just been all." He took a pause as he assessed which word would best describe it whilst avoid offending Hermione "…well snappy."

Hermione's face dropped, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, wishing to ignore this moment.

"I just do not know Harry. Just everything about him is irritating me." Her hands balled into fists, and she could feel her finger nails pushing sharply against the palms of her hands.

"You like him don't you?" Harry asked. Hermione couldn't help but blush, her face overcame with a shade of red and Harry received his answer. "I can see it in your eyes, and the way you are around him. Just talk to him."

Dear Diary,

I had always considered Harry to be rather intelligent. He may not be exactly academically smart, but that does not exactly make him stupid. I received a rather thought provoking piece of advice from him today. I guess it could be described to be simple, obviously showing how much I've over thought things.

'Just talk to him.' Could that be all there was to it?

Of course there is so much more to consider. Like Ron isn't the best of people to be talking to, well unless it's about wizarding chess or Quidditich, they are the only moments anyone has ever kept his attention for longer than a minute.

Plus as silly as it may sound, but I would feel rather foolish talking to him about it. I know he looks at me only as a friend, the same he looks at Harry, and maybe Ginny. I instead what him to look at me the way he does with the other Gryffindor girls, with lust and attraction.

And what if he does laugh at me when I admit how I've felt for him since he came and helped save me from the troll, could that destroy our friendship? Or maybe our friendship will be what stops us from being more.

I guess the whole part of being a Gryffindor though is to take a risk and show your inner brave side, maybe this is how I will truly feel at home.

Hermione xxx

Thank you for Reading.