September 1, 1991
Kings Cross Station
Platform 9 ¾
London UK
10 AM.
Hermione arrived in a convoy that included her parents and the Tonks. She had her massive head of golden brown curls, folded into a French braid. For the occasion she wore her rhinestone earrings. She had applied strawberry flavored chapstick and Monica added a touch of perfume. She had donned her uniform and had an air of distinction. She carried all of her belongings in a backpack that looked deceivingly normal.
Crookshanks walked behind Hermione as he refused to go in the pet carrier. He could not refuse the bath or clipping of his nails, he even bore the brushing of his teeth and the lecture Hermione gave him for poor dental hygiene. However, he opposed the Pet carrier, that was for plebeians, not for him.
When Harry arrived though, he did it with Neville and his cousin Draco, Lady Augusta, Lady Malfoy and his adoptive father Sirius Black. Hedwig was standing on the trolley where his trunk was. Harry argued that his backpack was enough and he really loved the backpack being more practical. Sirius winked and said he could take the backpack inside the trunk, and when he arrived at the train he could switch carriers.
Still he wanted to kick Draco out of the window, when the train was in motion. The little dragon hadn't stopped teasing him about his magnetism with women. Harry retorted that Draco sounded like an angry and jealous sister. That got them to punch each other. Draco learned a couple of things. He loved venting out his frustration in the ring, and Harry was a machine when it came to punching. Now Draco was training along with Neville.
Never in a million years did Neville conceive of being on good terms with Draco Malfoy. His grandmother could not forget that Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband and brother in law broke into Longbottom Hall and attacked her family. However, since Sirius' exoneration. Augusta had turned over a new leaf. Being a regular visitor to Black Castle, she had also received the heir Black and his godson Harry many times in her own home thus forging a new alliance. An alliance that made Neville part of the group of friends of Harry Potter.
Daphne Greengrass was greeted by Tracey Davis and then she waved to Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot as they walked into the gate. Then they turned to the Tonks. The Tonks were in the company of a new family. The young witch looked familiar, then it dawned on Daphne, that was the girl at the pet store a week ago. Her pet cat, Crookshanks, looked well groomed and walked behind his witch like an experienced bodyguard. It brought a smile to Daphne's face to see the old feline with his unique swagger. She was about to comment when a commotion of voices broke in the casual air.
Susan said, "Oh dear, here come the Weasleys," At which, the girls just turned to the copper-red haired bunch that entered the platform in a hurry. The girls said goodbye to their families and boarded the red train. Rumors said that nothing got in the way of the Weasley matron.
Hermione smiled at Crookshanks, he had captured Trevor; Neville's toad and she had the amphibian in an aquarium styled cage. She was reading, while Crookshanks dozed lulled by the soft movement of the engine as it advanced.
Harry noticed a girl sitting alone. That caught his eye. How could she remain alone in a train that seemed to contain a circus advancing towards Scotland? He observed, she had a goblin rune on the door handle. He couldn't unstick it. He decided then to knock.
"Come in," said the girl behind the door. Harry entered and said, "Sorry to bother you, but have you seen a toad? My mate Nev, lost it, oh wow, you made him stay with an aquarium cage, very clever,"
Neville, who was just behind Harry, noticed the girl, the cat and then, "Trevor, there you are," he looked up and noticed the pretty girl smiling at both him and Harry. Harry pulled Nev away and said, "Nev, I was talking to her first, now, um, Miss Granger, I almost didn't recognize you, good morning. Neville, is that Trevor?"
"Duh, Harry, I already said it was," replied Neville with a smile.
"You'll have to excuse Nev, he was dropped on his head when he was a baby and forgot his manners," said Harry.
Hermione smiled and said, "You don't say, would you like to sit with me, Mr. Potter?"
Harry said, "Uh, yeah," Neville, who had seen the exchange, smiled, and said, "The old Black charm is working."
Harry turned to Neville and said, "You found your toad, now, do you mind?"
"No, not really," Neville sat opposite Hermione, while Hermione was just enjoying the exchange. She said, "You're such good friends,"
"He's a pain that forgets that amphibians require proper care and transportation," said Harry.
"Yeah, but at least I know how to talk to a girl without drooling," said Neville. Neville nodded and said, "Alright, I'll leave you alone, Miss Granger, thank you again for taking care of Trevor." He then exited the compartment.
Harry muttered, "Git,"
When alone, the rune locked the door, and Harry turned to Hermione. He said. "I have been a bad friend."
"Why do you say that, Mr. Potter?" asked Hermione.
"First off, it's just Harry, to my friends Jamie," said Harry.
Hermione felt as though something changed in the air. Her brain recalled two assassins that were betrayed and died on their mission. For a second, it was a confusing memory. That couldn't be right, could it? She discarded the thought and said, "Well, I know for some people it's hard to say my name, so if it's easiest, you can call me Jane,"
A part of Harry began screaming that something felt oddly familiar.
Hermione turned to the door and noticed a kid with orange hair trying to get into the compartment. Harry looked to where Hermione was looking and found Ronald trying to access their booth. "Merlin, he is persistent,"
"An admirer?" asked Hermione.
"A pest, the worst part? we're related," said Harry.
Hermione opened her eyes comically, "You don't say?" she asked.
"Yeah, it turns out my grandmother Dorea and Cedrella, his grandmother, were born Black," said Harry in a defeated tone.
Hermione waited and Harry continued, "Last year, my godfather Sirius had a new idea, get all the people in the wizarding world for a family reunion. It didn't end well," Harry recalled it had been a family Zoo that time. The good thing, the reunion had been in Sirius' newly refurbished Grimmauld place. The bad thing? The Weasley matron wanted to help and felt offended by the house elves.
"Seriously, Mrs. Weasley thought we were going to start a seance and then sacrifice some babies, then go out for some muggle baiting, after all we were Black," added Harry.
Hermione began laughing and added, "And, I'm sure Tonks changing her face to add a pig's snout didn't help,"
"Oh Merlin, Tonks told you about that?" asked Harry in a low tone of voice. "I mean Mr. Weasley, the twins Fred and George, What's his name… Bill, and Charlie, were a riot, had Sirius and myself loving their jokes. Hell, they even made Lady Malfoy laugh, and that was the miracle of the day, but cousin Ron, his mother and baby sister Ginny, uh, words are not enough,"
Ron kept knocking on the door, and then the twins appeared and noticed his dilemma of not being given access to the compartment. The twins recognized Harry in the compartment and smiled, then dragged Ron away shaking their heads, pointing out that Harry was busy, and he was blocking his attempts at talking to the girl.
Percy Weasley looked at his brothers then the inside of the cabin and nodded to Harry and walked away. Hermione asked, "Is that another Weasley?"
"Yeah, Percy. Of the lot, I think that's the one Grandfather expects the most," said Harry. He then turned to the book Hermione was reading, and again something felt too familiar. She was reading a bodice ripper called Sweet, Savage Love by Rosemarie Rogers.
A part of him seemed to recognize the eagle eyes, her choice of hairdo and the bodice rippers. A part of him wanted to cry. Instead, he looked through the window showing the countryside moving. Before he knew it, Harry fainted. " What a way to start Hogwarts, " was his last thought.
Jane knew that if anyone noticed Harry was lying unconscious on the floor, bedlam would follow. So her instincts kicked in as soon as Harry fell flat on the floor. She sent a wave of wandless magic to the rune attached at her door. The glass on the door became opaque, and it displayed a Notice me, not, charm. She got on her knees and carefully listened to his heart, checked on his vitals and body temperature. This was her second life, but not her first time in a tight spot.
She unbuttoned Harry's shirt and loosened his tie, she went to her backpack and brought rubbing alcohol out, she dampened a piece of gauze and then placed the strong smelling cloth to Harry's nose.
It was the first time Jamie succumbed to anxiety. Then again, he was in the body of an eleven-year-old boy. Those fucking memories of Jane, just took the best out of him. Jane, his beautiful Jane. The primary feelings seemed to catch up, and this was a magical child, he would probably blow a circuit. Trying to manage the wild magic, his memories and this kid's raw need for love, plus his, turned him into pudding.
He came back to his senses, with his head on her lap. "Wow, what happened?" asked Harry.
"I think you got motion sickness, but instead of venting you fainted," said Hermione, biting her lower lip.
Harry wanted for the ground to open and swallow him. "It's not your fault, you just have a delicate disposition," said Hermione, who was now displaying tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," said Harry.
"Never mind that, do you feel better, now?" asked Hermione.
"Merlin, I suck at being suave, I had every intention of giving you a birthday gift, and I end up fainting, bite me," said Harry.
Crookshanks who was tired of this monkey enthralling his human girl found a perfect opening, in Harry's last request. He bit his pinky.
"Ow, why did you do that?" asked Harry of the cat.
Crookshanks replied, "Meow," which to Hermione sounded like, " Get off from my seat, and make up your mind, why don't you, "
"Crookshanks, what am I to do about you? Stop being rowdy, Harry fell on the floor, and hit his head," She turned to Harry and asked, "Do you feel better, now?"
Harry wanted to say, "I do," but then his brain kicked in, and he noticed his head was in her lap. The Jamie part of his brain wished Hermione and himself were of age. Harry felt self-conscious, he said, "You know, I get the feeling that this scene is familiar,"
Hermione nodded and then blinked, her face changed from worry to delight as she said in a small voice, "You mean the last time I knocked you out at the ring?"
"Yeah, um, thank you, Miss Granger, thank you for guarding my head from the knock and my reputation with that goblin rune on the door," added Harry.
"You're welcome," retorted Hermione.
It was convenient that at the moment that the trolley lady was knocking at the door, Harry stepped out of the compartment.
Once he arrived at his compartment, he got a potion for a headache. He had to be in his best shape as Dumbledore was at the castle, and his father and grandfather had warned him. Vigilance, Constant Vigilance. For the assassin alter ego, that was only half of the plan.