Finding Hermione Argentum (Saving Tom Riddle Book 2)

Chapter 1

HERMIONE

Saying goodbye often isn't easy.

Ginny, Luna and I waved goodbye to Harry, Ron and Neville. The train sped around a corner, and the boys were out of sight.They had decided that, although last year's seventh-years were offered the chance to retake their seventh year, they wanted to go to the Ministry of Magic instead. They were studying to be Aurors.

Luna and Ginny had only been in their 6th year when Snape and Voldemort took over Hogwarts, so since I was retaking my 7th year, we were now in the same year group.But I had experienced so many different events to the two of them.

Though Ginny had suffered the horrors of Hogwarts under the Death Eaters and Luna had been kidnapped by the Death Eaters, I had done more. I had lived for a few extra months last year. In fact, I'd gone back in time, met Tom Riddle, fallen in love with him, saved Harry Potter's life and come back just in time to be almost killed by Lord Voldemort.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked cautiously, pulling me from my reminiscences.

"Yeah?"

"You should probably go get changed into your robes..." she explained. She was already wearing her new Gryffindor robes, complete with her Prefect badge. Luna had disappeared – I presumed that she'd gone to get changed.

I left the compartment, heading to the bathroom. Luna was just leaving, and I saw that she wore a Prefect badge with the Ravenclaw eagle as the background. Presumably she had been a Prefect since her 5th year, but I'd only just noticed.

"You're a Prefect, Luna!"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. Of course, I wasn't allowed to wear it last year."

I smiled. "Of course... oh well, that's all in the past now. Anyway, I'd better get changed. See you back in the compartment."

***

After I'd changed, I returned to find the two girls deep in conversation about who the Head Boy and Girl would be.

"I suspect that originally, the Head Boy was going to be either Neville or Harry," Luna commented, and Ginny nodded as I sat down.

Then she frowned at my robes and suddenly shrieked, "HERMIONE! YOU'RE HEAD GIRL!"I looked at where Ginny was pointing, fully aware of the fact that I wasn't Head Girl. The badge she was indicating was a new one –

"Oh, no I'm not. I'm the Head of Prefects. McGonagall introduced it this year for the repeating seventh-years, like me. So, the idea is that while the Head Boy and Girl will take responsibility for the juniors, from years 1-4, while the Heads of Prefects will take responsibility for years 5-7. And the Prefects in particular," I explained.

Luna gazed interestedly at me. "That's an important job – Ginny and I thought that perhaps you had gotten Head Girl. We hoped."I shook my head.

"No, I wonder who did..."

***

Headmistress McGonagall stood up. "First, I'd like to briefly mention the new positions for our seventh-years. We've introduced the position Head of Prefects. They will be a boy and a girl who were given the Prefect position in their fifth year. The Heads of Prefects will look after our older students and particularly our Prefects. The two positions have been given to Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."

I turned around to see Malfoy at the table behind me, wearing a badge identical to mine. Our eyes met. He looked defeated and weary.

I sighed.

This year wasn't going to be fun.

At least it would be better than last year – well, better than 55 years ago. I didn't have to worry about Tom Riddle anymore.

We sat down and McGonagall continued, "In the case of our new Head Boy and Girl, we've decided to make this a surprise. The Heads don't know who they are, but I'm going to announce them now. Our new Head Girl is Ginny Weasley, of Gryffindor House –" our house broke out into loud applause "– while our new Head Boy is Michael Corner, of Ravenclaw." I clapped along with the rest of the Great Hall, smiling at Ginny.

Michael seemed a nice enough guy, but he was also Ginny's ex-boyfriend.

I thought again, This year is not going to be fun.

I didn't know how right I was.