A/N: Hello, welcome to my fan fiction. If you are not familiar with me or my fiction stories, I'd like to say a few things. I appreciate constructive criticism in the reviews and ideas are welcome, I will credit you if I use an idea you've approached me with. If I don't, please let me know because it was probably a mistake. Just as a forewarning, this is another one of my 6th year fanfictions I started before HPatHBP came out. Enjoy!

Hermione

Hermione Granger walked through the barrier at King's Cross Station to platform nine and three-quarters. She waved her hand in front of her face hoping to rid of the billowing smoke from the Hogwart's Express.

"Hermione hurry!" her friend, Ron Weasly, called out to her. He was half on the train and half off as the final whistle blew.

Hermione quickly handed a man her luggage as Harry Potter poked his head out of a window and gestured for her to hurry it up.

She had just stepped onto the train when it started to move.

"Come on, Hermione!" said Ron, pulling her by her arm into the train.

"Hold your goblins, Ron, I'm here. Let's go find a compartment," she said, walking ahead of him and finding Harry.

"Hey Hermione," he said, joining her.

"Hi, Harry! How was your summer?"

His eyes darkened, "Oh, it was alright," he said, thrusting his hands into his pockets and looking away.

"I thought…we were…er…finding a compartment?" Ron awkwardly asked from behind Hermione.

Hermione stood up straighter, but still looked concernedly at Harry, "Right."

But as they walked through the train every compartment was packed with excited-looking students talking feverishly to their friends.

"I think we got onto the wrong car," said Harry, reaching the end of the car.

Hermione's eyebrow rose, "I suppose we could sit in the last one, whoever is in there," she said.

Harry looked into the compartment, then looked at the other two, shaking his head.

How ridiculous! she thought, pushing past him as she said, "Oh please, is Neville in there with his plant…"

But as she looked into it her words died and her expression slid off her face and formed into one of disgust.

"What?" Ron asked, "What is it, Hermione?"

"Malfoy," she replied, trying to act normal.

Ron's expression turned to that of deepest revulsion, "Oh," he said, looking down.

"Look guys, he hasn't seen us yet, he's too busy talking to those two blokes…"

"Three guesses what they're talking about," Harry quietly interrupted.

Hermione felt herself stop breathing, "Harry, it'll be alright," she consoled, looking at him.

Harry had barely spoken to anybody since the end of the school year, and Hermione knew why, but she didn't want to press the matter.

"Hey look!" Ron exclaimed, opening a compartment door, "It's empty!" he said, looking at them and grinning.

"Oh good!" said Hermione, following him into it, Harry slowly making his way behind her.

"Do you suppose they'll come looking for us?" Ron asked, sliding the door shut.

"Probably," said Hermione, letting Crookshanks out of his pet carrier.

"They have every year, haven't they, Ron? What would be different this year?" Harry asked.

"You fought his father and got away from him. That's what's different, Harry," Hermione replied.

He looked deep in thought and Hermione didn't want to disturb him.

"Who dyou reckon is the new defense against the dark arts teacher?" Ron asked, with a sour expression.

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know. Hopefully Dumbledor's judgment can be trusted this time…" she started.

Harry angrily interrupted her, "When haven't you trusted Dumbledor, Hermione?" he asked.

"Harry, no offense, but last year Umbridge was working for Fudge, who was very against Dumbledor at the time…"

He interrupted her again, "At the time, Hermione, not anymore…"

"And then" she loudly interrupted back, "Two years ago our teacher was an imposter who was working for Voldemort.

"But he was impostering someone Dumbledor trusted, how was he supposed to know he was an imposter?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged again, "I don't know, but somehow Dumbledor always knows these things."

"Yeah, after he tried to kill me," Harry yelled.

"Harry," Ron cut in, "You should be used to almost being killed by now. I know at least six times you've almost been killed. It shouldn't be that big of a deal…"

"Not that big of a deal! How can it not be that big of a deal?" he yelled even louder.

"Lower your voice, Harry, or Malfoy will hear you…" Hermione warned.

"I don't care who hears me! One of my so-called best friends just said almost dying isn't that big of a deal! How would you take that, Hermione?" Harry demanded.

Hermione was taken aback, "Well, I would think that he doesn't care about you very much…"

"Doesn't care?" Ron incredulously asked, "Doesn't care? I care!"

"That's not what I was saying, Ronald, I was just…"

Hermione was interrupted for the millionth time that day, but not by any of her friends.

"Oooh, fighting already, mudblood?" Draco Malfoy drawled. He looked pale as ever, his hair blond as ever and it was starting to grow out, and he was taller than Ron, Hermione noticed, as Ron stood up in front of him.

"Get your dirty self out of here, Malfoy," Ron calmly said, dramatically pulling his wand out.

"Or what? You'll jinx yourself?" Malfoy chided, making Crabbe and Goyle both snicker.

"Shove it, Malfoy," said Harry as Ron's ears turned red.

"You guys, we don't need a fight on the train," said Hermione, grabbing Crookshanks so he wouldn't go out of the compartment.

"What's that you got there, Granger? It looks like a pig with fur," said Malfoy, amusement playing in his eyes.

"That's my cat, Malfoy. If you couldn't tell that then I suggest you go back to the first year," she said, glaring at him.

This comment shut him up quickly, "Fine, but watch your step, mudblood, or you'll regret it," he said, and before he could move away from the compartment, Harry stood up, knocking Hedwig out of his lap, and pulled out his wand so that two wands were in Malfoy's face.

"Don't…call…her…mudblood," Harry said through clenched teeth.

"Or what?" Malfoy provoked, "You're going to run away from me? You're going to sic that fool Dumbledor on me?"

Harry had pushed Ron over so he fell on Hermione, sending Crookshanks out of the compartment, hissing profusely, and pinned Malfoy to the wall.

"Or I'll beat the bloody hell out of you," he quietly threatened.

Malfoy looked as if his life was about to end, "Come on, let's go," he said to his two sidekicks with a frightened and high-pitched voice. They ran down the corridor and Malfoy kicked Crookshanks as he passed him.

"Oh, that dirty little half witted oaf," Hermione angrily muttered, pushing Ron off of herself and running to get Crookshanks, "That little boy isn't very nice, is he?" she cooed, talking to her very fluffed cat. His tail looked like a bottlebrush.

She walked back into the compartment and slammed the door closed, "I don't know how he has the courage to even look at you, much less talk to you like that, Harry," she said, sitting down.

"Yeah, well, he does," he irritably said, not looking at any one.

Hermione looked at Ron, who shrugged and also looked away, so she looked down at a now purring, and slightly de-fluffed, Crookshanks and thought, "It's going to be a long school year."