"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said.
She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.
She held her head high.
I smiled, By the looks of it she was the mom friend.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." said the girl.
She sat down next to me.
Ron looked taken aback.
"Errr... all right."
He cleared his throat.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow," he said with a little swish of his wand.
Sadly Scabbars still lay there, its grey fur still the same dirty grey it had always been.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl.
"Well, it's not very good, is it?
I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's worked for me.
Nobody in my family's magic at all.
It was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased.
Of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard.
I've learned all our course books by heart, of course.
I just hope it will be enough." she says in a hurry.
"I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you," she adds.
Harry looked at Ron and me and looked relieved to see by Ron's stunned face that we hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.
I didn't look quite as stunned because I too went through the books.
I didn't learn them but I did go through them.
I smiled and responded "I'm Y/N L/N.
I'm not a muggle-born but I did grow up in a muggle orphanage, unaware of my heritage.
So I know what you mean by surprised.
I'd actually thought it was a joke for weeks until Professor McGonagall payed my orphanage a visit to help me shop at Diagon Alley."
At this I suppose Ron and Harry realised that they too, had to introduce themselves.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter," said Harry.
"Are you really?" said Hermione.
"I know all about you, of course.
I got a few extra books.
For background reading, you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century." She said smiling.
"Am I?" said Harry, looking dazed.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.
"Do any of you know what house you'll be in?
I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad...
Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville'stoad.
You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." she said as she left, taking the toadless boy with her.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.
"I don't know. I think she's nice. Would be helpful to have a smart friend especially when you are bad at learning things." I say.
He threw his wand back into his trunk.
"Stupid spell... George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud," said Ron.
"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.
"Gryffindor," said Ron.
Gloom seemed to be settling on him again.
"Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin." he continued.
"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" asked Harry.
"Yeah," said Ron.
He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.
"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, clearly trying to take Ron's mind off houses.
"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" he added.
"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.
"Did either of you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles, someone tried to rob a high-security vault," he said suddenly interested in the conversation again.
Both I and Harry were shocked.
"Really? What happened to them?" Harry said, breaking out of the quiet spell we'd fallen into quicker than I did.
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news.
They haven't been caught.
My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get around Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd.
Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it." said Ron.
"So it's possible to steal from Gringotts??" I say in shock.
"Apparently," said Ron.
Harry was beginning to look scared.
I on the other hand was confused.
"Didn't you say You-Know-Who was dead?" I say.
"Well, yes, but with the kind of dark magic he used, no one can ever be too sure," responded Ron.
Now was as good a time as any to ask Harry about the conversation...
I turn to him about to speak but was once agin interrupted.
"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.
I sigh, "The Montrose Magpies. I've read loads about their victories they seem good."(Not to mention that Magpies are le author's patronus :))
"Er, I don't know any," Harry added.
"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded.
"Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world."
With that he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money.
I helped explain the rules based on what I learned from the books but I mostly just listened seeing as I was bad at that.
He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville, the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.
Three boys entered, and I recognized the middle one at once, it was Malfoy.
He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.
"Is it true?" he said.
"They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" he added.
"Yes," said Harry.
He was looking at the other boys.
Both of them were thick-set and looked extremely mean.
Standing on either side of Malfoy, they looked like bodyguards.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said Malfoy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking.
"And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." He said smiling proudly.
Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger.
Malfoy looked at him.
"Think my name's funny, do you?
No need to ask who you are.
My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." he said sneering.
He turned back to Harry.
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." he said.
He returned back to his casual racism.
He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.
By now I'd given up. I'd resigned to being ignored. I suppose if someone extremely important sat right across you then you would be practically invisible...
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly
I felt bad for Malfoy but couldn't help but feel like laughing. He deserved it.
Maybe in a few years, he'd grow to learn why he deserved it but it was still sad the way he was disregarded.
Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared on his pale cheeks.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly.
"Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.
They didn't know what was good for them, either.
You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you." he said.
Both Harry and Ron stood up.
"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
This is when I stood up.
Author's note:
One last chapter and then we get to the sorting hat!!!!
Word count: 1337
~Author <333