Demigods at Hogwarts

Chapter Ten: The Hogwarts Express

Hermione's POV
Today was the day. We were going back to Hogwarts, for our final year. I couldn't quite believe it. I smiled, remembering all of our time there. I remember the first time that I met Ron and Harry. On the Hogwarts Express. Eight years ago. Now, we only had a year left. One year.

I sat the car, staring out of the window as drove to Kings Cross Station. Ron was sitting next no me and he held my hand in his. I was thankful for that, as it was somewhat comforting. We drove through London, not talking. Just thinking. As we drove along, I felt many emotions. But, overall, I was excited. I was also overwhelmed, at how fast our time at Hogwarts has all gone.

Soon, we were on Platform 9 3/4, about to get on to the Hogwarts Express. After saying goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, we climbed aboard, struggling with all of the heavy luggage. We walked down the isle, and found an empty compartment. In the compartment next to ours, I saw a bunch of students I didn't recognise, who were around our age. Must be the exchange students... I thought to myself. Yep, definitely them... I added in my mind when I heard the American accents through the door. Harry Ginny, Ron and I sat in the compartment, and started talking. Through the wall, I could still hear the American exchange students chattering.
"Hermione? Hermione, you with us? Hermione, Ginny just asked you a question. Earth to Hermione... Are you OK, you've completely just..." I hear Harry say, waving a hand in front of my face.
"Huh? What? Sorry... I was just thinking. What did you ask?" I questioned, looking at Ginny curiously.
"Umm... I asked how you feel about going back to Hogwarts..." She said, giving me a weird look.
"Oh! You know me! I'm excited, obviously!" I exclaim.
"'Mione, you OK? You're acting a bit odd..." Ron asks me.
"I'm fine! I told you, I was just thinking!" I say. It came out a bit louder than I expected, but it wasn't like I was yelling.
"You sure, 'Mione? You're nearly shouting," Ron said, carefully.
"I said, I'm fine, Ronald!" I yell.
"I don't get what I've done wrong!" He snaps.
"I'll tell you what you've done! I told you that I was fine, and you carried on smothering me!" I yell, standing up and running out of the compartment, slamming it behind me, tears falling out of my eyes. God, what was wrong with me? He was just trying to be helpful! Whilst we had been fighting, the train had started to move. I was making my way to find Luna, when one of the American exchange student opened the door and walked out, blocking my path. She was blonde, with grey eyes and was wearing an orange t-shirt, and denim shorts. She had a recent looking scar on one of her legs. She wore a large, deep blue hoody, too, but it didn't look like it was hers. It was way too big. Her blonde hair was held up in a high ponytail.
"Are you OK? We heard you shouting, and you slamming the door. I'm Annabeth, by the way," she said, smiling at me.
"Hi, I'm Hermione. Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a fight with my boyfriend, that's all. I just needed a break. He was smothering me and kept asking if I was OK, because I was deep in thought and off in my own world. It's stupid, really," I explain, wiping my eyes with my sleeve.
"Do you want to come and sit with us, for a bit? You're very welcome too," she offered.
"Um... Sure," I say, smiling.

We walked into the compartment, and everyone looked up and smiled at me.
"Guys, this is Hermione. She's going to sit with us for a bit, she had a fight with her boyfriend," Annabeth said, introducing me, as she sat next to a guy with jet black hair and sea green eyes and took his hand in his. I smiled and waved at all of them.
"Hey," I said, grinning. They all introduced themselves and budged over so I could sit down. I took a seat and dried the rest of my tears off.
"So, Hermione, what's Hogwarts like? We've been talking about it since we found out we we found out that we were coming," the guy called Jason, with blond hair, bright blue eyes and a scar on his upper right lip.
"Um... It's good. It's a very big castle. Students are sorted into four groups; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Gryffindor are brave, Ravenclaw are smart, Hufflepuff loyal and Slytherin are shewd. But everything will be explained properly when you get there," I say. "It's going to be very different from what I know it to be though, now the war is over," I add.
"Know how you feel," the girl called Hazel said. She had dark skin, gold eyes and curly cinnamon coloured hair. She was wearing a purple t-shirt, with gold writing on it that read; 'SPQR.' I knew that that meant Senātus Populusque Rōmānus. The senate and the people of Rome. I wondered why she would be wearing a t-shirt with that on it. Maybe she has gone to Rome, or something. I notice others had the t-shirt, too so I came to the conclusion that they had gone on a holiday together and all bought the same top in a souvenir shop as something to remember it by. That seems plausible.
"Yep," Piper agreed. She hard choppy dark brown hair in two plaits, with a blue feather in each. Her eyes were facinating; they seemed to be changing colour. She also had a dark tan. She wore one of the orange t-shirts, like Annabeth, jeans, boots and a ski jacket. Wait, why am I looking at peoples' clothes? I guess I'm just being observant. Anyhow, all the other exchange students agreed with her and Hazel.
"So... Our... Uh- headmaster, Chi- no, Mr. Brunner said that you've been through a war, with some guy called, um..." Leo, the curly haired guy with ash and oil all over him said.
"Voldemort," I said.
"Yeah, him. Mr. Brunner told us that a kid called Harry Potter killed him," Leo finished.
"Oh! Yeah, he did. It took a while, and it wasn't easy. Actually, he's in the next compartment, he's one of my closest friends," I explained.
"Oh, cool. We just went through a war, too," Frank said.
"Yeah, I've kinda inferred that. When I said it's weird now the war is over you all agreed, saying you knew how it felt. Also, you all seem to have a few small scars on you, which look fairly recent," I explained. I'm turning into Sherlock Holmes, all of these observations and conclusions! I think to myself, silently chuckling.
"Ah," the guy called Percy said. He kinda looked a bit like Harry: jet black hair and green eyes. Although, Percy's were more if a sea green, Harry's emerald. Percy was obviously a lot stronger and was a bit taller, too. Also, he didn't have the lightning scar or glasses. "I think that you're gonna get along well with Annabeth, judging by... Ya know..." He added.
"She's smart?" Annabeth asked.
"Yep. That," he said. Everybody started laughing at this. Soon, we were talking and laughing as if we'd been friends for years.