A Changed Lestrange (1-2) (under editing)

4: The Class Conundrum

"Are you sure that we've checked every compartment, Neville?" asked Hermione as she, Neville and Ashton ventured back down the train. "Because I could've sworn that we didn't —"

"No, it's fine," said Neville, his shoulders slumping slightly as he struggled to look up off of the floor. "We've already checked all the compartments — three times over."

"He'll turn up," said Ashton quietly, placing an awkward hand on Neville's plump shoulder, before muttering, "Probably." under his breath.

"Yeah, hopefully," said Neville. "Er, thanks for the — thanks for the help. Sorry to have, y'know, wasted your time."

"Rubbish," said Ashton.

"But, Neville, please do check that compartment down there — I'm sure that we didn't check it."

"Later," Neville mumbled as he turned the other way and stalked back into his compartment, sliding the door open and closing it, with a brief, weak smile wedged in between.

Ashton and Hermione shared a glance, and just as they turned to go back to their own compartment, a loud, horrible yell erupted from a compartment nearby.

Suddenly, three boys rushed out of the compartment and scrambled past Ashton and Hermione and tumbled into a different compartment. There was barely a moment to see their faces, but Ashton distinctly caught the sight of the boy who had introduced himself as his cousin — Draco Malfoy.

"Is it the same compartment?" asked Ashton, turning his head to look at Hermione, but she had already started marching towards the compartment door and entered it, and Ashton hurried after her, and stuck his head around to see what was happening.

It was Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's compartment.

"What has been going on?" said Hermione, and Ashton began staring at the sweets scattered all over the floor and Ron picking the rat he had tried to perform a spell on up by the tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He peered closer at the rat. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."

And so he had.

"Who were those lot and what were they in your compartment for?" asked Ashton, feigning ignorance despite the fact he had a faint idea of why his cousin and his friends would want to meet Harry Potter.

"I've heard of Malfoy's family, you know," said Ron, barely acknowledging Ashton's question, let alone answering it. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the dark side." he turned to Ashton and Hermione. "Did you two want something?"

Ashton's brow furrowed for a moment. He was about to speak when Hermione beat him to it.

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up the front to ask the driver and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us." said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you two mind leaving while we change?"

"Beats having to see it myself," said Ashton, shrugging as he left the compartment.

He could still hear Hermione going from inside the compartment, however.

"You've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?" she said before leaving, striding away, past Ashton, and towards their own compartment.

"Good thing we already changed before, isn't it?" said Ashton, as he reached to close the compartment door behind Hermione. "Means we're not in a mad rush like everyone else."