TRAIN CONFRONTATION

CHAPTER 6

Days past until it was finally the end of the summer holidays. The first day of Hogwarts was today. Everyone at the Burrow was rushing to the train station.

Harry and Ron woke up at dawn, so they were running a bit late.

The Weasley's, Harry and Hermione were almost sprinting to catch up. It looked very strange to the muggles; it wasn't everyday they saw kids running with carts and owls. (and, of course, Crookshanks)

Finally, they went through the wall, and landed in Platform ¾. The Hogwarts Express was almost leaving. Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione rushed over there.

"ALL ABOARD!" yelled a deep voice.

Harry recognized that voice, "Hagrid!" He was still as hairy as ever.

"HARRY!" Hagrid bellowed, "I've miss ya! Yer too, Ron, Hermione!"

Hermione gave Hagrid a hug. "I missed you, Hagrid!"

"Missed yer too, Hermione!" he said, "But the trains' bout to leave. Get on, get on!"

"Bye, sweeties!" Mrs. Weasley called out. "Be good! And stay out of trouble! I'm talking to you, Fred! George!"

They all waved, and got on.

The trio rushed onto the train. The train was very packed so it took a while to find any seats. Finally they found an empty compartment, and put their luggage on the shelves. Hermione was having trouble with it, so Ron stepped up.

"Need help with that?" he asked.

Hermione smiled, "Yes, please."

Ron blushed. Harry laughed.

"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, nothing." Harry hid a smirk. Ron gave him a glare then put Hermione's stuff up. The trio sat down.

Suddenly, Harry felt pain in his forehead. Even more bad than the last time. He felt like he was going to pass out, instead, he fell.

"Harry!"

"What was that?" Ron asked, helping Harry up.

Harry, still rubbing his forehead, said, "N-nothing." He lied.

"Was it your scar?" Hermione asked.

"No."

"Harry…" she said, threateningly.

"Maybe."

"HARRY!"

"Ok, ok! Fine, yes, it is. So what? " he said.

"So? This isn't good, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Calm down, Hermione!" Harry said. "Look, I just have a headache, alright?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, Harry?" Ron said, a bit nervously. "If your scar hurts, um, doesn't that mean that You Know Who is close?"

Harry didn't answer.

"Harry." Hermione pleaded. "You can tell us. Please, we can help." Ron nodded.

"Fine," Harry took a deep breath. "It started ever since I had that dream about him. I mean, I always think he gonna come up behind me or something. I don't know. But it's been happening a lot more frequently. And to be honest, I have absolute no idea if he's near or not. In the dream, he said he's coming after me, but, I just don't know when or where."

Hermione and Ron nodded. "But didn't you say that he needed that-that Crystal of Light thing first?" Ron asked.

"Right," Hermione agreed. "He needs to get that before he 'comes after you'?"

"Exactly," Harry said, "So, what if he already found it?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, I don't think he did yet."

"How can you be so sure?" Ron asked.

"Well, like I said before, You Know Who wants the Crystal for something more than just to destroy Harry." Hermione said wisely.

"Ok, well if that is the case, then what else does he want to do?" Harry wondered.

Hermione sighed, "I really don't know, Harry. He's a Dark Lord, he's evil. Who knows what goes on in his mind? But don't worry, right when we get off to Hogwarts, I'll go to the library straight away and find out what exactly is the Crystal of Light."

Harry smiled with relief, "Thank you so much, Hermione. What would I do without you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Well you would probably be dead about now." They laughed.

"Alright, alright," Ron said. "Enough of this talk. Harry? Did you hear their looking for a new Quidditch Captain?"

"Oh, right! Oliver Wood graduated last year." Harry said, remembering the letter he received.

"Right! So why don't-" Ron got interrupted by a knock on their compartment window.

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were standing outside.

"Hey, mate!" said Dean.

Ron smiled, "Hey!"

"How's your summer been?" Seamus asked.

"Pretty good." Harry answered. They were talking about their summer for a while.

"Sorry, we've got to run, Neville's waiting for us." Dean said.

Just before they left, Seamus said, "Uh, hi Hermione."

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading while the boys were talking. She was surprised since she never really talked to Seamus much.

"Hi, Seamus." She said.

Seamus blushed for some reason, but Dean just rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let go," and dragged him away.

When the two left, the trio was left even more confused.

"Oooo-kay," Ron said, "that was strange. But, anyway, Quidditch Captain!"

"Huh?" Harry asked.

"You should go out for Captain!" Ron said.

"Captain?"

"That's a great idea!" Hermione seconded.

"But, why me?" Harry said.

"Oh, c'mon, mate!" Ron said, "You're the best on the team!"

"Well I guess…."

"Well, look who it is," sneered a voice the 3 knew oh-so well. Draco Malfoy. 2 of his goons were there too. "Scarhead, Weasel, and the Mudblood."

Ron stood up, "Back off, Malfoy," he snapped. "We don't want to you here, get out. Now."

"Aww! Isn't that cute?" he mocked, "The Weasel standing up for his little mudblood girlfriend." Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

At this, Harry stood up and took his wand out, so did Ron.

"Don't call her that," Harry said in a dangerous voice, "get out right now, Death Eater's boy."

Draco steamed and pointed his wand at Harry, "You don't know anything! Call me that one more time and you'll get it."

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione hissed, "Sit down this instant!"

Draco smirked, "Listen to your Mudblood, Potter."

That was the last straw. Ron and Harry lunged, but Hermione held them back. "You 2 are acting like children! Sit down NOW!"

They obeyed, still pointing their wands.

Hermione turned to Draco and said, "Get out, Malfoy. Now."

Draco smirked, once again, and said, "I don't think so, Granger."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "If you don't get out right now, I swear I will get my wand, find a curse that is so horrid, that a person in hell would find terrifying, and I will hex you so bad that it will crush every single damn bone in your body. " She said, in very dangerous tone.

For a long moment, Draco was scared, terrified even. But Hermione looked him straight in the eye.

He gulped, then said, "We're almost there, anyway. Let's go, Crabbe, Goyle." And with that, they walked away.

Harry and Ron just sat there, stunned. They never heard Hermione curse. It was Hermione! And she just scared off Draco Malfoy.

"Wow," Harry said, both impressed and frightened for his life at the same time, "you're really scary when you want to be, Hermione."

Ron just nodded, then smiled, "That was brilliant, Hermione!"

"Way cool!" Harry agreed.

Hermione smiled sweetly and sat down, returning to Hogwarts: A History.