Magic? || Years 1-5

Hermione Too?: Year 2

Amisty felt her heart sink even lower, but she still desperately tried to keep hope that it wasn't true.

"But there's always a chance... there's always got to be a chance," She sounded more like she was convincing herself rather than the rest of them.

"Riddle does sound like Percy -- who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?" Ron asked sharply, veering the topic away slightly.

"But the monster had killed someone, Ron," Hermione protested, her honey brown eyes wide.

"And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts. I don't blame him for wanting to stay here..." Harry continued.

Amisty stiffened slightly at the word orphanage. She had spent a fair amount of time in one and she had despised it.

The cramped quarters, the lack of individuality.

Not to mention no one there seemed to have any hope that good would come through one day.

That's why she ran away, that crisp winter night. The memory was still bright and fresh in her mind.

She would never forget the rush of adrenaline she felt when her legs hit the ground after she jumped from the window.

"You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry?" Ron asked carefully, still pondering.

"He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," Harry replied almost immediately. A

misty nodded in confirmation.

There was a period of silence that feel between the four of them, only broken after Hermione finally asked the question they all had been wondering.

"Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?" She asked, her voice timid and lacking its usual confidence.

"That'd be a cheerful visit. Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?" Ron replied sarcastically.

By the end of their conversation, it was decided that unless there was another attack nothing would be said about their discovery to Hagrid.

-=+=-

There was a new project for the second years once their Easter holidays came along.

Course selection for their third year.

"It could affect our whole future," Hermione pressured, going down the list and checking off the boxes.

"I just want to give up Potions," Harry groaned, rubbing his head as he looked over the courses.

"We can't. We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ron replied sullenly.

Amisty listened to their conversation quietly, checking off Care of Magical Creatures.

"But that's very important!" Hermione protested, looking up with her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Not the way Lockhart teaches it. I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose," Ron shook his head, rolling his eyes.

Poor Neville was pouring over letter after letter, looking very distressed.

Dean ended up picking classes at the random, and Hermione checked them all off.

"Is that even possible?" Amisty asked, peering over at Hermione's list and then looking back to her own.

Her own wasn't quite as filled.