Alternate Reality

The Train... and History in the Making

Hermione POV: 

"I've got to go mum." I kiss my mother on the cheek before walking towards the wall between platforms nine and ten. "Where in the bloody hell is nine and three quarters?" I whisper to myself, not yet noticing the two boys standing one just to my right, and the other just to the left of me. "First time?" A new, unfamiliar voice asks from my right. "Um, Yes... I'm a bit confused about how to get onto the platform." I admit, looking in the direction of the voice and taking in the appearance of it's owner. A boy, probably a few years older than me, with messy ginger hair and brown eyes, a Green and Silver tie adorns his neck. "Here, Fred and I'll help you." he says, gesturing to the boy to my left, who turns out to be identical to the boy on my right... except for his eyes are more hazel than  they are brown. "Thank you...?" I reply as the unknown boy lifts me to sit atop his trunk, while the one I know to be Fred grabs onto mine. "I'm George, George Pucey. The less attractive git is my brother, Fred." 

"Oh, You're lucky, I'm an only child." I tell George with a frown, noticing the way Fred's eyebrows cock upwards at his brothers new found friendship. "What house do you want to be in?" George asks me as he casually, and what one would describe as inconspicuously, pushes us through the wall between platforms nine and ten. "Honestly? I don't know. I'm a muggle born, so Slytherins would never accept me, I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, my loyalty can be described as easily broken, and I think I just wont fit in right with the Ravenclaws." at my comment about Slytherins not accepting me because of my blood status, George rolls his eyes and Fred lets out what sounds to be a growl of agitation. "Not all Slytherins are obsessed with blood purity. Fred and I think it's rather stupid." George explains, moving to pull his trunk (and me) over to a compartment. "Here." Fred says with a laugh, easily lifting me off of his brothers trunk and sitting me down inside a compartment, he and George climbing in after me a few moments later. "Our little brother is a first year this year too, We've not seen him since we were eleven though... Mum and Dad weren't very accepting of us after Slytherin claimed us." 

"So, You're telling me that they tossed you out because of how you were sorted? That's bloody ridiculous." I yell at George angrily, hardly noticing the smirks spreading across he and Fred's faces. "It's alright! We live with our dorm mate, His names-" George starts trying to calm me down right about the time a very angry boy with thick black hair, fair skin, and electric blue eyes throws open the door to our compartment. "Just where the bloody hell have the two of you been? Mum and Dad have been worried sick." the boy yells, taking a seat next to me before finally realizing I was in the compartment. "Adrian, Adrian Pucey, and you are?" He introduces himself to me, extending his hand for me to shake. "Hermione Granger... and I thought you two said your parents tossed you out?" I say, directing my question confusedly at the twins. "They did, Adrian's Mum and Dad adopted us the same week... our birth names are Fred and George Weasley." Fred explains, his face turning into a sneer at the word Weasley. "I guess I know to stay away from anyone with the last name Weasley." I say with a grin at the twins, causing them to burst into laughter. 

As the train pulls out of the station, I take notice of a Red headed man and woman standing on the platform, the woman waving goodbye at a boy in the compartment to the right of ours. "Those would be the Weasleys." Adrian whispers to me, noticing my gaze. I roll my eyes at the woman when her eyes meet mine, before she has a chance to respond, Fred is on his feet closing the blinds. "If you pay attention to them, it makes it worse." he explains, finally retaking his seat. "I have a question for you all, if I'm not in Slytherin will you still talk to me?" I find myself asking after a few minuets of listening to the boys talk about pranking the Gryffindors all year. "Of course, You're our friend now. Fred wouldn't have made me stop if he didn't think you'd be worth having as an ally at this school." George grins at the flush that suddenly rushes to Freds cheeks. Adrian opens his mouth to say something, but a knock on the compartment door stops him. 

"I'll open it." George volunteers, quickly hoping to his feet and yanking the door open. "Oh! I'm sorry Fred... I was looking for an empty compartm-" a boy starts, but I quickly cut him off. "That's George, Fred's sitting across from me." apparently, correcting the boy wasn't what he wanted me to do. "My mistake, I've not seen my brothers in a little over two yea-" this time, it's not me who cuts him off, but, Adrian. "You shut the bloody hell up, Those are my brothers. You have no right to throw around the B word like it holds any meaning for you... Your family broke their hearts when it disowned them, it's taken long enough for them to be happy again, and I'll not have you messing that up. Those are my brothers, not yours."  I can feel the venom lacing Adrian's voice as he speaks, and, though I know it's not directed at me, I can help but shutter. "Whatever, idiotic snakes... I just wanted to ask if you had any room in your compartment?" "We've got two seats left, but, those seats are for Lee and his neighbor." Fred finally speaks up, his eyes locking coldly with those of his younger brother. 

"Who's Lee?" I ask Adrian in a hushed voice as George goes to help the boy find a compartment, and Fred leaves for the loo. "He should be here any moment, he had to collect his neighbor from the other side of the train, the poor boy lives with his abusive Aunt and Uncle and has no clue how any of this works." Adrian explains to me, gesturing to everything around us. Right about the time the twins return, the compartment door slides open and an older looking dark skinned boy pushes a younger boy, who'green eyes instantly capture my own, into the compartment, before following him in. "I found Harry on the other side of the train talking with Cedric Diggory of all people." the oldest one says, with a snort, pushing the one I assume to be Harry down into the seat between Fred and George. "You must be Lee, I'm Hermione." I say confidently, standing and offering my hand to the older boy, who I now notice brandishes a Ravenclaw tie around his neck. "Well, I assume the twins found a little spitfire like you, and, yes, I'm Lee... This is my, uh, Little Brother. Harry, Harry Pot-Jordan!" I roll my eyes at him, "I know that's Harry bloody Potter, the scar gives him away." 

The rest of the way to Hogwarts is rather uneventful, the six of us staying in our compartment and talking the entire time. "Look." Fred leans up in his seat a few hours into the ride and points out the window of our compartment, Lee insisted on opening the blinds as soon as he had arrived. "Wow." I suck in a breath, the castle is beautiful... It's like nothing I've ever seen before. "Wow is right, It looks even better inside." Adrian laughs at my expression, throwing his arm around my shoulders. "Now, Adrian, She's only just turned eleven." Lee scolds his friend, not prepared to be corrected. "I'll be twelve the nineteenth."all eyes snap to me. "What?" "My birthday is September nineteenth, nineteen-seventy nine... I missed starting school last year by nine days." I watch as Freds eyes widen to the size of Kunts. "You're telling me, We could have already known you for a year... if you'd been born nine days earlier?"  He asks, shifting in his seat a bit... he reminds me of a pouting toddler. "Yep..." 

Our conversation doesn't continue any further as we are rushed off the train and Harry and I are whisked away and placed on boats. "What house do you want?" I ask him, having made my mind up on the train ride over. "Ravenclaw... I need to be near Lee, He's the closest thing to family I've got." A grin spreads over my face, I knew Harry would say that... He's a bit predictable. "I think I know where I want to be... I'd like to be with the Twins and Adrian... but, Ravenclaw wouldn't be so bad either." I tell him, watching a bright smile break out across his face. The boat ride to the castle is beautiful, and I wish I could do it over and over again... there is nothing like the first real look you get of Hogwarts. It only takes about ten minuets for all our boats to reach the boat house and for a strict looking professor to lead the lot of us to the great hall. "When I call your names, please come and place the hat on your head, then join the house it calls upon you to join." She says, taking a look down at her list then up at us she reads, "Hermione Granger." 

On wobbly legs I walk to the front of the hall, willing for this to hurry up and be over with, I hate having all eyes on me. The very second the hat is placed upon my head, I can feel it peering into my mind, looking through my childhood memories. "Hmmm, Very difficult indeed. You would fair well in Ravenclaw, young one... but, I see your path does not lie with the intellectuals, your path is so much greater... better be... SLYTHERIN!" A heavy, relieved sigh  escapes me as I hop off the stool and take off running towards the twins and Adrian, all three of whom are applauding me. "Thank Merlin." Fred says, hugging me, and then passing me over to George, who then hands me over to Adrian. Tuning back into the sorting, I catch the last five names. "Draco Malfoy." - Gryffindor, "Theodore Nott." - Slytherin, "Harry Potter!" - Ravenclaw, "Ronald Weasley." - Hufflepuff, and lastly "Blaise Zabini" - Slytherin. 

"This'll be interesting." Fred whispers to George and Adrian, the three of them watching me start up a conversation with Blaise and Theodore, both of whom I think I'll become rather close with.