CHAPTER FIVE

The I am sorry letter from the early hours of the morning was still weighing on Hermione's mind. She could not think about anyone that it could be from. No one needed to apologise for anything, for anything that she could think of.

Still tired from having a very restless night, Harry and Ron began to stir as they had set an alarm for 9 o'clock in order to make sure they could get on the train early.

Hermione yawned loudly. "Why are you so tired?" Ron asked.

"I don't know really..."

"Did I hear you get up last night, and go by the window?" Harry said.

"Um. No. Why?"

"I thought I heard someone move around. I must be mistaken. Anyway, let's get ready for school."

After saying goodbye to Molly and Arthur, Hermione and Ron and the station, they boarded the Hogwarts Express at 10:45 precisely. Like last year, Harry could not be with them as they had to make their way to the Prefect carriage.

On entering the Prefect carriage, they saw Gabriel Truman, Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot at a table talking. Cedric Diggory would have been seated with them a year ago, but after what happened two years ago, Hufflepuff has not been the same. Hermione felt the sadness wash over her. She was friends with Cedric, maybe even more than friends - but that is another story.

They also saw Penelope Clearwater, Marcus Turner, Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil seated at the Ravenclaw table silently. Padma gave a quick smile to Hermione, yet turned away when she saw Ron. Padma and her sister Pavarti had still not forgiven Harry and Ron for how they treated them at the Yule Ball.

The Slytherin table was empty, which was a relief, as Hermione and Ron were not in the mood to deal with them right now.

They seated themselves at the Gryffindor table and talked about the new year until Professor McGonagall came in greeting the prefects.

"Good morning." Professor McGonagall said. "Are we all here?"

Everyone turned to look at the Slytherin table, where none of the students had turned up yet.

"I don't even know why Dumbledore picked them out of all Slytherins to be prefects." Professor McGonagall muttered under her breath. "Anyway as you know, you will be continuing your posts as prefects. After the Sorting Ceremony and Feast, you will take the first-year to their common rooms, and-"

Professor McGonagall was abruptly cut off when Draco Malfoy and his fellow Slytherin Prefects, of which included Pansy Parkinson, strode in with an air of disgust as they looked around the carriage. They seated themselves at their table but did not turn to face Professor McGonagall to listen to her.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," Professor McGonagall said, raising her eyebrows and looking directly at Draco. "You will be having more responsibility around the school, and I believe that you will all act in a way that is sensible and be a role-model to the younger years. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Professor." Hermione said, blushing a little as the others just nodded. The Slytherins burst out laughing like a pack of hyenas.

"Don't worry about them, Hermione." Ron reassured her across the table. "They're gonna be the ones who are booted out of the Prefect position."

Being Prefects, Hermione and Ron had to patrol the Gryffindor carriages for trouble. From their experience of last year on the train, the Gryffindor students were relatively sensible but may have to be asked to be quieter if they get too loud.

As their task was only for an hour, the pair chatted for most of the time and only saw Harry, Luna and Neville briefly as they were not supposed to talk to their friends.

On entering the Prefect carriage after their shift had finished, two Hufflepuffs noticed them and made their way out to patrol the carriage as it was their round now.

"Hey, Padma." Hermione waved, walking over to the Ravenclaw table. "How was your summer?"

"Quite conflicted really." Padma confessed. "My parents did not know whether to send Pavarti and I back to Hogwarts."

"Well, Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place, while Dumbledore is here especially." Hermione told her.

"True yet now Voldemort's back, no one truly knows what he is really capable of." Padma explained. "Plus, my parents do worry a lot about Pavarti and I's safety."

"We will all be perfectly fine with Dumbledore still at Hogwarts!" Hermione reassured.

"And we've got Harry-" Ron interjected.

Padma gave him a vicious glare and rolled her eyes. Hermione laughed and said good-bye to Padma as Ron and her walked over to Hannah Abbot.

"Hi, Hermione." Hannah greeted. "Oh, hi Ron."

"Hi, Hannah. How was your summer?" Hermione asked.

"It was alright." Hannah explained. "My family and I went abroad to America to try and get away from all this nonsense."

"What was the atmosphere like over there?" Hermione questioned.

"They acknowledge the sudden presence of Voldemort, but they weren't as worried as we are over here."

"Strange." Hermione pondered. "I wonder why?"

"Maybe Voldemort is not as great of a threat as he is over here, or maybe there are not as many Death Eater attacks over there?" Hermione suggested.

"For a Hufflepuff," Rob interrupted. "You actually have good ideas."

Hannah gasped and looked a little sad. Hermione comforted her and then turned back to Ron. "People who are less intelligent are not always sent to Hufflepuff." Hermione snapped smartly. "By the way, you act sometimes like you should be in Hufflepuff because of the traits you associate it with."

Hannah let out a small giggle. "C'mon Ronald. Let's go to the Gryffindor table. See you later Hannah."

"Bye Hermione!"

Hermione and Ron walked over to the Gryffindor table, while Hermione scolded him. "How could you Ronald?"

"I didn't mean it like that...I was being nice." Ron said, disgraced. "Anyway, haven't you seen the time?"

"Yes, we can go and see Harry now." Hermione said cheerfully, with a tone of regret. "We did leave him quite abruptly though. We did not even say good-bye."

"Why are you worrying?" Ron laughed. "We're going to see him now anyway!"

The pair laughed as they made their way out of the Prefect carriage. The Slytherin's were nowhere to be seen, which wasn't a surprise.

On making their way back to the Gryffindor carriage, they were stopped multiple times by other house students, who asked for their help. After a while, Ron got fed up and shouted at a first-year, and sent her running off crying. Hermione scowled at him until they found the carriage that Harry was in.

"Harry-" Hermione said opening the door of the compartment, before being interrupted by Professor Flitwick.

"Ah! Hermione, Ronald." Professor Flitwick called troubled. "There's a few girls, second-years, crying in the bathroom. Hermione could you go and help them out. And...er...Ronald, could you go and tell Professor McGonagall that a smoke bomb has gone off in the Slytherin carriage?"

"Yes of course, Professor Flitwick." Hermione replied.

Ron groaned and Hermione glared at him. "Fine." Ron moaned reluctantly.

As the journey came to a close, Hermione and Ron met up and gathered their things from the Prefects carriage.

On exiting the train, Hermione looked around, trying to spot Harry through the mass of students swarming around them.

"Where is he?" Hermione said to Ron worriedly.

"Don't worry," Ron reassured. "He's probably already off the platform."

Walking towards the end of the platform, lighted by the falling evening sun, Hermione saw Hagrid. "Ron, 'Ermione." Hagrid boomed.

"Hello, Hagrid." Hermione greeted politely. "I'm just wondering if you have seen Harry walk past already?"

"Can't say I 'ave." Hagrid replied. "Sorry 'Ermione."

"It's ok Hagrid." Hermione replied unconvincingly.

6th years were brought to the castle by carriages, so Hermione and Ron boarded a carriage with Dean, Ginny, Hannah and Neville.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked, interrupting Ginny and Dean's conversation. Ginny smiled at her. "Hey, what's up?"

"Um, have you seen Harry around?"

"No, why?" Ginny questioned suspiciously.

"The last time I saw him was when he invited me to join him in the carriage with Neville and Luna, but I had to go and meet Dean." Ginny replied.

Hermione turned away from the rest in the carriage and gazed into the closing darkness of the forest, that the carriages were driving through.

The hope of seeing Harry at the Sorting Ceremony spurred Hermione on for the rest of the trip. Feeling worn-out and exhausted from her Prefect duties, she fell asleep for the remainder of the journey, only to be shaken awake by Ron when they had reached Hogwarts.

"Hey, Hermione! Wake up, we're here."

Opening her eyes, Hermione realised how dark it had got. Jumping down from the carriage, Hermione and Ron caught up with Neville and Hannah as they made their way to the castle.

Intimidating yet incredible, Hogwarts Castle loomed above them high up on the hill. The views were stunning yet no one was noticing it, due to the hurry of teachers persisting that the students walk briskly.

Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Neville knew truly why, but the others only had a faint idea. The four knew that Voldemort could strike at any time and as Hogwarts was the safest place on earth, the teachers had orders from Professor Dumbledore to protect the students from harm at all costs.

On entering the Great Hall, Hermione gazed up to see the illusion of the sky on the ceiling of the hall, with hovering candles lighting up the room, that she had read about in Hogwarts: A History before the start of her first year. The teachers were all seated on the raised platform. Professor Dumbledore stood at his podium, waiting for all the students to take their seats.

Hermione said good-bye to Hannah, as she went to seat herself at the Hufflepuff table. Harry was nowhere to be seen and that caused a sickly feeling in Hermione's stomach. Feeling uncomfortable with the missing presence of Harry, she squirmed uncontrollably in her seat. Ron rested his hand on her shoulder which caused her nausea to ease and to regain her concentration.

"Good evening everyone." Professor Dumbledore announced. "Hope you all had an enjoyable summer and a well-deserved rest."

Once Dumbledore's opening speech had been said, Argus Filch opened up the huge doors and Professor McGonagall with the first years strode in some looking confident, others unsure.

After the first-years had been sorted and congratulated by their fellow housemates, Professor Dumbledore turned his attention to the concern of the majority of his students in the room.

"Just before the summer, there was an attack at the Ministry of Magic." Professor Dumbledore began. "This was due to a former student of ours, Tom Riddle, more commonly known as Voldemort."

Muttered voices whispered amongst the Great Hall.

"I am glad to say that Voldemort has been weakened, but there is still a threat that he may attack. That is why it is safer for you to stay here and when you are told certain rules, they are for your own safety!" Professor Dumbledore explained.

Hermione looked at Ginny, Neville and Ron cautiously, all thinking the same thing.

"I am also glad to see that the students that were involved in the attack are all...here and well."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes locked with Hermione's and seemed to question where Harry was, but all Hermione could do was shrug her shoulders.

"Anyway, welcome back, work hard, and enjoy the school year." Professor Dumbledore finished. "Let the feast begin!"

The four dining tables were lined with every type of food you can imagine, from mashed potato to sausages wrapped in bacon.

Hermione perched on the edge of her seat, waiting nervously for Harry to arrive. Ron started to fill up his plate with anything he could find and munched it down, then he took his goblet and clumsily drank that down as well. Hermione clapped him on the back of his head.

"Hey!" Ron cried out. "What was that for?"

"How can you be sitting there, pretending like nothing's happening?" Hermione cried. "Our god-damn friend is missing and there you are stuffing your face like you haven't eaten in months!"

Ron looked at her astounded. Ginny smiled at Hermione, while Dean, Neville and Seamus gave her a thumbs up. She gave them a weak smile.

About ten minutes later, the dinner plates disappeared and were replaced with a wide array of desserts. As Ron was about to dig into his apple crumble, the Great Hall's doors were opened but an angry-faced Filch with Mrs Norris at his feet. Harry strolled in, much to Hermione's delight. Yet the delight was taken away when she saw him holding up a tissue to his bleeding nose. Harry was followed in by Luna, who joined the Ravenclaw table.

"Why is it that every time I see Harry he's covered in blood?" Ginny questioned rhetorically.

Harry sat down between Hermione and Ginny; Ginny took the tissue from his nose and started dabbing it herself until he winced in pain and left him alone. He gave her a kind smile but turned towards his two best friends to see Hermione's face looking worriedly at him.

"Where have you been!?"