Harry Potter Rewritten - Through Anothers' Eyes

Hogwarts Express

The month leading up to Hermione's first day at her new school was tedious and long. The days felt like years, the minutes like centuries. That didn't make sense, but it was true. 

Hermione was supposed to start attending the local school at the time, but on admission in Hogwarts, her parents had nullified her admission. However, the fee put in previously was non-fundable, so they couldn't get back the money, leading to a loss. Her parents didn't say anything, but she knew that because of her, the stress was getting to them, which made her even more wanting to leave her home, to not be a burden anymore.

According to some books she had read, adulthood in the wizarding world was at 17 years, meaning she could move out at that time and support her parents, especially since Hogwarts offered the best academics in the country and guaranteed a stable job. Maybe she wouldn't be able to go in designing, like she had always wanted to, but she would be secure financially and be able to live a good life, independantly. Hermione promised herself and her parents that she would excel in her studies and pour her soul into it.

In fact, she was so determined, that even on the car ride to the train station, she was reviewing Hogwarts a History and the other advanced books she had brought to such a level that she had nearly memorized it all. No matter how many times she reread it, it still brought a thrill of fascination to her and her hand would flutter to her new wand in suspense of the magic she would learn. Some spells she had already learnt, but had no yet performed it with her new wand.

Hermione still couldn't quite wrap her head around what had happened at Ollivander's shop. He had said she would be a great witch, and that her wand was extremely special. He had also said that no one should know of her real wand. Hermione couldn't understand most of that yet, but knew for a fact that this meant she would be successful and it calmed her in a way. 

As soon as they reached the station, her mother touched her shoulder gently. Hermione turned around, confused at their awkward expressions.

"We wish we could come with you," her father told her. "But... we're... what do you call it?"

"Muggles," Hermione said, not sure where this was going.

"Yes, that. Muggles." Her father bobbed his head up and down. "We aren't witches or wizards, so I don't think it'll be fit for us to come with you."

"What?" Hermione asked, bewildered. "You guys know that there are other muggle-borns there too, right? You won't be the only non-wizarding parents."

"We know, Hermione," her mother said, softly. "But we don't feel comfortable. This is all very new to us."

"Oh, okay." Hermione didn't know what to say to that. She didn't know how to ask them to stay without sounding like a whining child, so she just waved goodbye and left, pushing her trolley that held her two suitcases. As soon as they were out of sight, she started searching for the station.

On the ticket, it said the train would be at Platform 9 ¾, but as Hermione looked around, there was no such platform. It did make sense that it would be hidden, as it would be quite unusual for muggles to see kids with wands entering a bus with people dressed as witches and wizards.

She was still trying to find out how to access it when she spotted a familiar face. He saw her too, and his face turned pale.

"Hermione Granger?" Justin asked, his voice a whisper and his eyes darting here and there. He too had a cart with suitcases and what looked like an owl in a cage.

"You're kidding me." Hermione shook her head. One of her tormentors was also a wizard? Talk about irony.

"I'm so sorry for bullying you," he sputtered, his face a bright red. "I just thought that if I bullied you, then no one would suspect me of also doing things like that."

"So you used me," Hermione stated, knowing it as a fact rather than a question.

He nodded, sheepishly. "Do you know where the platform is?" He asked, changing the subject quicker than her parents had pivoted away from the station. "My aunt dropped me off here because my parents had work and I think she left."

"I'm looking for it too," Hermione told him, slightly thankful the subject had been changed because she didn't have any energy for that. Just then, she spotted the same boy she had seen inside the bookstore running into a wall. She nearly called out for him to stop, but low and behold, he vanished. "I think I know how to get there," she told Justin. Before he could ask what it was, she took a deep breath and ran into the wall that Draco had disappeared into, and found herself in a practically new place. 

It was a bustling, busy station with kids running here and there, each one with carts and parents next to them. A train was steaming on the rails with Hogwarts Express written in big gold letters.

"I guess this is our train," she told a bewildered Justin who had appeared behind her. "We're going to Hogwarts."

(A/N This chapter is pretty short but I wanted to post something... you know, last chapter of 2022! Who else still can't believe the year is almost over?!)