Hogwarts Express

Previously:
I avoided their gazes as Lupin rushed to comfort Mrs. Weasley who was still panicking in the corner. I do not think she really understood what had just happened. "Will?" I said.

"Yeah?" he said instantly.

"We have a long day tomorrow," I said conversationally. "And it has been a long day already."

"Yep."

"We should probably get some sleep," I finished.

"Sure thing, my lord," Will said. "Do you need any help?"

"No, thank you Will, I can make it on my own," I said as I left the room.

I shakily made my way down the stairs and into my tent. Doing my best to hide the emotions that seemed to never go away. I had to for now. I knew that this was not a good idea but I needed to be strong so that I can be ready for what ever will happen tomorrow and the rest of the time at Hogwarts.

Yep. Tomorrow, we are getting on the train to start the long school year that I won't be participating in.

Yay.

Will and I were up the same time as the day before and like the day before, we trained in preparation to escort Harry and went out when we deemed that some people were up. This time though, we waited until six.

You can imagine my disbelief when I saw no one but Will and I in the kitchen.

"What in all of Apollo's over exaggerated good looks is going on?" I threw my hands up when I saw no one in the kitchen.

"I'm pretty sure my dad won't appreciate you talking about his looks like that," Will said as he got an apple from a bowl on the counter.

"Does it look like I care?" I asked as I threw myself onto a chair at the kitchen table.

"No," Will said cheerfully, "but don't blame me if you're feeling extra hot today." He must have seen my growing smirk because he quickly groaned. "Not that hot, Hades Percy, I meant temperature wise!"

"You sure?" I asked knowingly.

Will dropped his head into his hands and groaned again. "Percy, you can be worse than Shizzle, you know that?" he said from behind his hands.

I smirked again and stole his apple by summoning it and ignored his protests as I took a bite.

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Hermione' POV:
I jolted awake to the sound of hurried knocking on my door. "Hurry up dear," Mrs. Weasley called from the other side, "or we'll miss the train!"

Just like that I was out of bed and dressed, neatly stuffing everything back in my trunk. With everything packed I shooed Crookshanks out of my room and started pulling my trunk down the stairs. I got it to about the second landing from the ground floor before I lost control of it.

It started crashing done the stairs and would have run into poor Percy had he not suddenly spun around and caught it before it could got more than three steps.

"Let me get that for you, eh?" He said smoothly.

My face flushed as I nodded. He looked particularly fresh today, with his wet hair and gold t-shirt and combat boots. I shook my head of those thoughts; we hardly know anything about him.

Fortunately, I did not wake Mrs. Black's portrait with my loss of control of my trunk, that would have made this already hectic morning even worse.

I followed Percy as he easily lifted my book laden trunk to his hip and started down to the front room. Their golden tents were already tolled up and laying next to each other by a chair. Will happened to be sitting on said chair, bouncing his leg and tapping his fingers on the arm in an extremely bored fashion.

"How early were you up this morning?" I asked them, recalling what Harry said about yesterday morning. Will looked bored out of his mind and their tents were already gathering dust. Percy had looked bored when I saw him on the stairs and was probably wandering around when I nearly dropped my trunk on him. They were not in the kitchen, eating so I assumed they had already eaten.

"Around the same time as yesterday," Percy said casually. He tilted his head, as if confused. "But no one else was up when we left our tents, I don't get it. How late do you all normally get up?"

"Late?" Ron grumbled as he walked in with Harry. "I don't see how this is late, this is early."

Will laughed. "See, Percy?" he teased. "I think you are the only one to actually think that three thirty in the morning is normal."

"Nonsense," Percy waved his hand dismissively. "Both your father and Phoenix agree with me."

"Yeah, well, my father does not count and Phoenix is eccentric," Will argued back.

I frowned and shared a look with Ron. Who was Phoenix? All these secrets made me suspicious. I just didn't understand how these two were supposed to protect Harry. They seemed too immature and strange. They kept talking about things no one knew about and they didn't know simple terms of the wizarding world's everyday language. What was this camp they spoke of? I have never heard of it.

The things Harry said about Percy were too weird to be true. Gold and blue wings? I mean really. I think Harry was deprived of food for too long. He also said Percy didn't know the Minister's name. I found that to be almost as unbelievable as the wings.

Still, I was wary. I noticed something dark underneath Percy's jacket sleeve when he was handling my trunk. And I've never seen either of them use a wand.

Suddenly Mrs. Weasley was in the room. She was bustling about throwing on her jacket and checking the luggage. "If we do not leave soon, we are definitely going to miss the train," she said with a glance towards the stairs. She sighed and moved to the base of the staircase. "WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW PLEASE?" She shouted, promptly waking Sirius' mother.

"MUDBLOODS! SCUM! CREATURES OF THE DIRT!" Mrs. Black's screeches suddenly filled the house.

In the next two minutes, Ginny, Fred and George all made it down stairs with minimal damage.

"Right, now, are we all ready?" Mrs. Weasley shouted over the portrait. No one bothered to really close her curtains, we were all leaving anyways.

As if to answer Mrs. Weasley' question, a bark came from next to Harry. Sirius was in Animagus form and was cheerfully waiting for every one to lead the way out.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!" Mrs. Weasley rubbed her forehead. "You are still wanted by the Ministry, you know. What if you get caught?"

Sirius barked again and started for the door.

"Sirius is a convict?" Percy asked quietly.

There. See? He should have known that. Even the wizarding government in America knows about him.

"Yes," Ron said slowly as if he were talking to a small child. "But he is innocent. The Ministry thinks he is a murderer but they are wrong."

A light went on in Percy's eyes and he shared a look with Will. "It seemed we have more in common that we first supposed," he said almost to himself.

"You are wanted in America?" Harry asked, suspicion clear in his voice.

"No," Percy said, his voice deeper and more authorities. "I was accused of something I am not even capable of doing."

"Was?" Harry asked, hope lining the question.

"They soon realized their mistakes," Will said. "Though they did do that when they thought he was dead." Will added the last part bitterly.

"Come along, dears!" Mrs. Weasley called front the door where Sirius had already gone out. "We need to go!"

We walked on foot, reaching the platform nearly twenty minutes later, exhausted from carrying all the luggage. Yet, Percy and will seemed just fine. In fact, they had taken on them Ginny's and my trunks, leaving us with out owl and my cat. They were not even panting by the end of it.

We barely made it onto the train, making it on just as the doors started slamming shut.

"Shall we find a compartment then?" Will asked when we didn't move.

"Oh, well-we're-well- Ron and I are expected in the prefect carriage," I stuttered awkwardly. Ron and I avoided Harry's gaze, I was sure he still resented not getting the prefect badge himself. "I don't think we need to stay there the entire time," I quickly added.

"Fine," Harry said curtly, "We'll save you a seat then."

I nodded awkwardly then dragged Ron off in the direction of the prefect carriage.

Once there, I quickly scanned the carriage and what I saw caused me to sigh and roll my eyes.

"Malfoy," Ron growled.

Said person smirked and leaned back in his seat. "Weasley, Granger," he greeted smugly.

"Oh, Merlin," I muttered. This school year just became a whole lot more difficult.

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A whole hour of listening to what we were suppose to do and Malfoy being disrespectful can get on people's nerves. It took all of my will and Ron's restraining me for me not to hex him for every disrespectful thing he said. I was immensely grateful for when we were dismissed.

As we came to the compartment Harry and the others were in, we saw Percy waiting outside with his arms crossed.

"You've got some strange friends," was all he said as we walked up.

Ron and I stared at each other in confusion before we opened the door. Upon entering, I could see why he thought that. Luna Lovegood, otherwise known as Loony Lovegood, was sitting in the Order, reading the Quibbler upside down. Neville was covered in green slime and was apologizing to the others presumably for the slime that had sprayed on the others.

"I'm starving," was the first thing Ron said wen he sat down. He accepted the offered chocolate frog from Will and tore the wrapper off.

Percy had followed us in and took his seat in between Ron and Will, making Ron scoot over into Luna. I sat down on the other side, next to Ginny and Harry.

"Guess who is the Slytherin prefect?" Ron grumbled from his seat next to Luna.

"Malfoy," Harry replied at once. He sighed when Ron confirmed it with a nod and rubbed his face. "Great."

"Malfoy?" Will spoke up, leaning forward.

"Yeah," Ron said. "Haven't you heard of them? The Malfoys are this family's purebloods that-"

"You don't mean Draco Malfoy?" Will interrupted.

Ron looked a little disgruntled about being interrupted so I answered. "Yes, him," I said, "Do you know him?"

Will and Percy shared a glance. "What do you know about him?" Percy asked, narrowing his eyes at first Harry then me.

"I don't like him," Ginny suddenly spoke up, suddenly very passionate. I saw Percy stiffen. "He called Hermione a mud blood in my first year and he is the absolute worst to Harry."

Before another word could be said, the compartment door opened. Everyone turned to look and I could sense Harry tense.

"What?" he asked aggressively before anyone could say anything.

"Careful, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," Malfoy drawled. He looked almost exactly like his father, yet he seemed more...graceful somehow. "You see, I, unlike you have been made a prefect so therefore, I can hand out a punishment. Tell me, how does it feel to be second-best to Weasley?"

"Dragon?" a not so new voice spoke up. "Nero?"

I could see Malfoy's and Goyle's faces pale drastically. Malfoy turned to see Percy sitting next to will with a stern expression on his face.

"L-lord A-Ariston?" Malfoy stuttered.

I shared an astonished look with Ron and Harry. I don't think I have ever heard Malfoy stutter.

"Draco, please don't tell me you are a bully," Percy almost pleaded.

If possible, Malfoy and Goyle paled even more.

"Percy hates bullies," Will stage whispered.

"N-no," Goyle said slowly, also stuttering.

There was a moment of silence as Percy stared at Malfoy and Goyle unflinchingly. Finally Percy stood up. "If you'll all excuse us," he started, "I need to have a private word with Dragon and Nero." He led the way outside but before he got very far, he noticed Crabbe trying to follow. He stared at the Slytherin in confusion. "Who are you?" He asked sharply.

Crabbe stared at Percy in shock. He looked at Percy to Malfoy and Goyle and back again. "I-I am-"

"Never mind," Percy interrupted with a wave of his hand. "You stay here, I don't need to speak with you. Will?"

With out another word, Percy left the compartment with Malfoy and Goyle on his heals. Will had stood up and moved so Crabbe was forced further inside. He looked rather intimidating, he had gone expressionless, like how Percy is normally.

We never figured out what they talked about exactly; once they got back, Percy glared at Crabbe and nodded his head in the direction of the door of the compartment. Crabbe instantly left, scurrying after Malfoy and Goyle while Will relaxed in his eat casually.

"What did you say to him?" Will asked curiously.

All Percy did was give him a look.

Will laughed, throwing his head back and holding his stomach. "Oh, he is not going to be able to sleep for weeks!" He exclaimed.

"What did you say?" Luna asked, curious.

Percy turned his expressionless face to the rest of us, all of which were very curious about what Percy had said. "I told him I would be telling his mother about this and personally asking her to set a crazed girl on him if this happens again," he said.

"I do not get it," Neville said, "Why is that so terrifying?"

Will laughed again. "Because he has sworn of of any relationship relating to romance!" He exclaimed hysterically. "You do not want that woman meddling in your love life!"

"I know from experience," Percy said seriously.

See if you can guess who Draco's mother is!! ;)

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