After wandering the corridors for a while, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were back in the Gryffindor common room, lounging on the couch in front of the massive fireplace.
"I am just appalled that you are so famous yet you live in such terrible conditions back home," Ron said in a rather disgusted tone as he recalled when he, along with Fred and George, rescued Harry from his room during the summer before the second year. "I can't believe your uncle locked you in your own room like that, putting bars in front of the window. I bet that would have been almost as bad as being sentenced to prison at Azkaban!"
"I know!" Harry exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "And to think that they're coming here. Well, I'm pretty sure that they'll be kicked out not long after they arrive anyway." He sighed gloomily and then turned to look at Ron. "At least your parents are much more pleasant to be around with than my aunt and uncle."
"You'll really like my parents, too," Hermione told both Harry and Ron. "They are both dentists by profession, and while they are Muggles, they do accept the existence of our world. The only thing that they do not recommend is the use of magic when manual labor could be used instead, such as cleaning my teeth using a charm instead of being subjected to all their shiny tools."
"I thought I remembered meeting them at Gringotts before the start of the second year," Harry recalled, "but I'm not entirely sure. I think it was after I found my way out of that dodgy place called Knockturn Alley."
"And then," Ron sneered, pointing an accusing finger at Hermione, "you just so happened to fall in love with this fraud named Gilderoy Lockhart. Seriously, I knew you were doodling hearts on your exam papers!"
"Shut up, Weasley!" Hermione screamed. "That event is over."
Ron stared at Hermione with his mouth open in shock. It was rare that anyone addressed him by his last name, except for Malfoy and Snape. He did not want to start comparing Hermione to two of his enemies.
"Just telling the truth," Ron said through gritted teeth.
"Okay, let's stop arguing," said Harry, "and-"
Harry was not able to finish his sentence, as a certain third-year girl had just clambered through the portrait hole.
"Ginny," Harry whispered. In response, Ginny blushed and ran towards the girls' dorm. "She seems to be shy again, all of a sudden."
"Hormones, I guess?" Hermione wondered. In response, Ron playfully slapped her on the back and laughed.
"Well," said Ron after he regained his composure, "that's my sister for you."
"If you say so, Ron," Harry replied while shrugging his shoulders.
"Okay, enough talking for now," Hermione barked as she grabbed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 from her bag, and began to read. "We have classes tomorrow. No more talking." And with that, Hermione lost herself in her textbook while Harry and Ron resumed yesterday's game of wizard's chess.