*Past*

Hermione Granger arrived an hour early to King's Cross station. She had a backpack and a book in tow. She walked onto the platform and pulled her train ticket from inside her book. It read Hogwarts Express  Platform 9 ¾. She looked to her right and saw platform 9 and to her left and saw platform 10. She then noticed an officer walking down the platform and so she went over to him and said,

"Excuse me officer I need some help."

"How can I help you young lady?"

"I am looking for platform 9 ¾." He got a puzzled look on his face then said,

"I am sorry young lady but there is no platform 9 ¾ we only have 12 platforms." With that he walked off to go yell at some boys who were skateboarding. She walked over to an empty waiting room and sat down. She would give the other students time to arrive after all she was an hour early. She opened her book and began to read. After about an hour a large group of people passed by the room she was in and she overheard a red haired lady say something about Hogwarts. Hermione placed her bookmark in her book and stood up. She walked to the door of the waiting room and peered around the corner just in time to see a little girl with red hair and the lady she had seen earlier push a cart right into the brick column of the platform 10 sign. She walked over to the column and gulped as she walked through. She expected to run into the wall and fall down but she soon found herself on a busy train platform. She looked up to see a sign 9 ¾. She smiled and made her way through the crowded platform and boarded the train. Hermione found and empty car and sat down. She placed her backpack on the seat next to her and opened her book. She was re-reading one of her favorite books Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She loved Elizabeth Bennet and hoped to find her own Mr. Darcy one day. Hermione decided to go to the bathroom before the train left. She closed her book over her bookmark and placed it in her bag. She found the bathroom, closed the door, locked it an placed her bag on the hook. She didn't trust anyone not to touch her bag. She had problems at her old school with people stealing her stuff. She had just finished washing her hands when the train whistle blew and the train began to move. She walked back to the car she had been in to find it full with the red haired girl from earlier, three other red haired boys, a boy with brown hair and  glasses, and a boy with a toad. She walked throughout the train to find all the other cars full too. She then decided to sit on the floor in the hallway. She pulled her bag off her back and sat down. She took out her book and began to read again. After a few minutes, a group of girl walked by and stopped in front of her. She looked up at then and said,

"May I help you?" The girls just laughed and a girl with brown hair and a stuck up face said,

"You must be a Ravenclaw with your nose stuck in a book." Hermione just looked at her and said,

"I don't know what that means but reading makes you smarter and besides Pride and Prejudice is a classic and one of the best books ever written." The girls laughed even harder.

"You must be a first year mudblood and what a stupid name for a book." The girl then pulled to book from Hermione's hands. Hermione stood up and calmly said,

"May I please have my book back?"

"Well since you said please." The girl held the book out towards Hermione then as she reached for it she pulled it back. Just then a boy with platinum blonde hair walked up and said,

"Give her the book back Pansy!" the girl glared at him and threw to book back to Hermione. She then said,

"When did  you go soft Malfoy?"  The girls walked away and the boy turned to Hermione and said,

"Sorry about Pansy she thinks she can do what ever she wants. I'm Draco Malfoy." He extended his hand towards Hermione. Hermione shook his hand and said,

"Thanks, I'm Hermione Granger." Draco smiled and said,

"So you are the transfer student from Ilvermorny?" Hermione just looked at him then said,

"I am but how on earth did you know that?"

"My father is on the board of the school and I overheard him talking to my mother a week ago and he said transfer student was coming from Ilvermorny and I heard him say your name. So welcome to Hogwarts or the train at least. Come on let's go sit down." Draco turned to walk away. Hermione hesitated but followed him to the front of the train. He stopped at a locked compartment, where he placed his thumbprint on a keypad and the door slid open. He motioned for Hermione to go in. She went in followed by Draco. The door closed behind them. Hermione placed her book in her backpack then sat back  holding it up against her chest. Draco sat across from her and said,

"So Hermione tell me about yourself."

Hermione swallowed then said,

"Well my family just moved to Britain a week ago from America. My dad is in the military so we have moved a lot. I am going into my second year. I love to read and I was top of my class last year at Ilvermorny." Draco smiled and said,

"Welcome to Europe. What do you mean by military?"

"My dad works for the United States AirForce. He fights for America. He helps keep the American Government safe. He is like a Auror but he uses guns instead of a wand."

"That is interesting. What is your favorite subject?"

"History of Magic and Charms."

"Okay cool any questions for me?" Hermione had about a million questions running through her head but after a minute she said,

"The girl who took my book said that I must be a Ravenclaw. What does that mean?"

"That is one of the four houses at Hogwarts. There is Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff. You are sorted by an old rugged talking hat your first year and you are in the same house all seven years. The people in your house become you like your family."

"That's interesting. We were all in one dorm and each grade had a different floor. She also mentioned that I was probably a mudblood." Draco took a deep breath and said,

"Mudblood is a very derogatory and awful word for a muggleborn. Most of the pure bloods believe that anyone who is not a pure blood is unworthy and muggleborns shouldn't be allowed to study magic." Hermione turned her head slightly and said,

"What is a muggleborn and is it a bad thing?"

"A witch or wizard born to non magical parents and no.  You are one aren't you?"

"Okay we call no magical people nomaj in America and yes." The train began to slow down. Draco stood up and said,

"We are stopping at Hogsmede station. Let's go, our trunks will be delivered to our dorms."

"I don't have a trunk I just have my backpack." Draco looked at her and said,

Where are all your clothes, school books, cauldron, and all your school stuff?"

"Everything I need is in my backpack. I wasn't told to bring a trunk."

"Oh Okay well come on." They fell into step with the other students disembarking from the train., Hermione lost Draco in the crowd. She saw a giant man with a lantern calling all the first years over to him. She looked around and finally spotted Draco's hair in the crowd. She walked over towards him only to find him surrounded by a bunch of their students. They started walking towards some carriages. Hermione blended into the crowd as she wasn't able to catch up to Draco and his friends. She climbed into an empty carriage and was soon joined by several other students. The boy with the brown hair and glasses, the boy with the toad, and the three red haired boys. They looked at Hermione and one of the older boys with red hair said,

"Hi my name is George Weasley  and this is my twin brother Fred our annoying little brother Ron, our brother from another mother Harry Potter, and this is our special friend Neville Longbottom. What's your name?"

"I'm Hermione Granger.

"What year are you in cause we haven't seen you around before?" Fred asked.

"I am a second year transfer student from Ilvermorny. My family just moved to Britain a week ago." Harry piped up next,

"Welcome to Hogwarts. You will love it here. I know this is home for me." Neville the spoke up,

"So what house are you hoping to be put in?" Hermione shrugged,

"Draco Malfoy was telling me on the train that there are four houses." Harry quickly said,

" Beware of Draco Malfoy. He is not someone that you want to cross."

"He is a sweet person who invited me to sit with him on the train. He seemed nice." Ron then said,

"He is a jerk. He is in Slytherins and he is from a pure blood family and they think that they are better than everyone. He made Harry's life miserable last year."

"Well I think he is a great guy and I don't think you should judge someone you don't know." With that Hermione opened her backpack, took out her book and began to read.

They soon arrived at the castle. Everyone climbed out of the carriage and proceeded inside. Hermione closed her book, placed it in her backpack and followed everyone inside. She was in awe at the sure size of the castle. She saw a teacher in an emerald green robe with glasses on the end of her nose off to one side talking with a group of students. Hermione followed the crowd into the Great Hall. She stopped in the doorway and looked up at the floating candles. There was nothing like this at Ilvermorny. She then noticed that someone had stopped beside her. She looked over to see Draco standing there.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

"Yeah does it always look like this? "

"Most of the year except during holidays." Draco smiled at her and then proceeded to the Slytherin table. Hermione stepped to the side as the teacher and students she has seen earlier walked into the Great Hall. They walked down the middle and stopped at the front. Hermione followed them. Then a stool and a ragged old hat appeared on the platform. A scroll appeared in the teacher's hand. She cleared her throat and said,

"When I call your name you will come up here and sit on the stool. The sorting hat will be placed on your head and you will be sorted into your house. You will be with your house for the next seven years. There is no trading or swapping houses." Hermione nervously swallowed and glanced around the room. After a few minutes, Hermione noticed she was the only one left standing. Professor McGongall looked at her and said,

" Did I not call your name dear?" Hermione shook her said,

"No ma'am."

"What's your name dear?"

"Hermione Granger." Professor MCGonagall peered through her glasses double checking her list. After a minute, she said,

"Your name is not on my list."

"I am a second year transfer student from Ilvermorny."

"Ah yes miss Granger please have a seat." Hermione walked up and sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head.

"Hmmm Bookwork, very bright, top of your class last year, hmmm Ravenclaw seem like the perfect fit however you have amazing courage and value that above all else; so Gryffindor!" Hermione stood up as Professor McGonagall pulled that hat off her head. She glanced at Draco as she went to sit down. He smirked at her. She sat down next to a red haired girl who introduced herself as Ginny Weasley.

After a long speech by the headmaster and dinner, Hermione followed the group of first year students to the Gryffindor tower. She then made her way to the second year dorm and found the only bed not already claimed and sat her backpack down on the bed. She placed a charm on her backpack so no one would steal it while she was asleep. She then pulled out her book and a lamp. She attached the lamp to the wall using a sticking charm and turned it on. She then changed for bed and began to read. She stated drifting off to sleep and closed her book. She placed it under her pillow, turned of her lamp and drifted off to sleep.