On the Hogwarts Express, Jane and Neville sat down across from Hermione, and Crookshanks.
Minutes later, Draco, with Crab and Goyle by his side, opened the door.
"Hey Hermione," Draco said, "Is Ron still at St. Mungo's, with all the other feebs?"
Neville got up, looking furious. He started to storm toward Draco, but Hermione got up and got in front of him, blocking him. "Neville don't."
Jane got up and stormed up to Draco. She punched him in the chest, which was as high up on him as she could reach.
Draco laughed and walked away.
Percy soon showed up. "Hey guys, do you mind if I sit here?"
"I don't," Hermione said.
Jane shook her head.
"Fine with me," Neville said.
Percy sat down, next to Hermione.
"What's your cat's name?" he asked.
"Crookshanks," she said. "My parents thought it would help if they got me a pet. I had wanted an owl, so we went to the pet shop in Diagon Ally, but then I ended up falling in love with a cat."
"Well, that can happen."
"Hey, whatever happened to Scabbers?"
Percy pulled the rat out of his pocket. "I've got him. I thought of leaving him with Ron, whose home now, but Scabbers always seemed to like it at Hogwarts."
Crookshanks lunged at Scabbers.
Percey quickly wrapped her hands around Scabbers, while Hermione grabbed Crookshanks and pulled him off.
Jane stopped in front of the carriage, and reached her hand out, as if she were petting a horse. Neville smiled at her, seemingly not at all surprised. A blond girl skipped up to her and joined her.
Hermione stared at them in shock.
"You're not going mad," Percy assured Hermione. "They can only be seen by people who've witnessed death."
Percy, Hermione, Neville, Jane, and the blond girl all got into the carriage.
]Hermione looked awkwardly at the stranger.
"This is Luna," Jane introduced. "She's in my year."
Neville sat beside Hermione, during the start of the year feast.
"Hey, Hermione," Seamus asked, "sorry to hear about Harry. Did you get to see him before he, you know…"
"No. I had wanted to, but Dumbledore was in a hurry to get everyone home, and said they wouldn't recognize me anyway."
"Ron seems to recognize us, to an extent," Fred said.
"I'm not sure if he knows exactly who we are, but he seems to know that we're family at least," George explained.
In the common room, the next day, Neville waited for Hermione to come downstairs. "Hermione," he greeted, "would you mind possibly being a little late for breakfast today? I want to talk to you in private."
"That's fine, but I'm not sure where to talk in private," she said, looking around.
"My dorm room is empty."
They went up to the third-year boy's dormitory and shut the door.
"When I was a baby my parents were tortured for information, but they wouldn't give in, and they went insane."
Hermione gasped. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks, but I don't want your pity. Anyway, they live in Saint Mungo's, and my gran and I have visited them regularly for years. I'm not sure if they know I'm their son, but they're always happy to see me, and they seem to know we're bonded. My mother and I have this tradition where she gives me a gum wrapper every time I come, which is clearly supposed to be a sign of affection."
Hermione looked down, slowly rubbing her hands together. "Neville," she said, "thanks for telling me."
"You're welcome. You won't say anything about this to anyone else, will you?"
"No."
"Good."