Through the Years (Dramione Genderswap Fanfic)

Chapter One: First Year

Hermes Granger stared with wide eyes as the humongous scarlet Hogwarts Express greeted him when he passed through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10.

Glancing behind him, there was slight disappointment in his heart when his parents were unable to pass through the barrier. Of course, as Muggles, they were barred from doing so. Still, it would have been wonderful if they were to behold this lovely magic with him.

Disappointment was quickly replaced by excitement as a loud whistle from the train resounded in the whole platform, signaling its impending departure. Hermes quickly pulled his heavy trunk, murmuring apologies after hitting some strangers, before finally hauling his trunk onto the train.

Loud chatters scattered throughout the train and he peeked at each small window, hoping to find an empty compartment.

Growing up as a Muggle, he wondered how it felt like to be introduced to magic at a very young age. His eyes couldn't help but to widen every time he spied nifty tricks done by older students. The wand inside his pocket tingled and with a rush of adrenaline, Hermes pocketed his hand and grasped his very own wooden wand – 10 ¾ inches long, vine wood, with a dragon hearstring core.

He had been itching to try using his wand all summer, but because of the International Statute of Secrecy prohibiting underage magic outside Hogwarts, he had no other choice but to read through his textbooks instead. Mr. Granger pointed out he was practically inhaling all information and told him to enjoy his last few days of summer instead of reading his book. But how could he not? Magic was undoubtedly the most fascinating thing that had ever happened to him. Learning new things was practically his hobby, and so his parents finally left him alone to discover new knowledge for this world that had been nonexistent for him just a few months ago.

"Sorry, do you have company?" he asked, lifting his chin a little to show that he wasn't nervous at all. Inside the small compartment was a pretty blonde girl that, like him, only wore black robes. Definitely a first year.

"Go away," she said with a glower. "These seats are taken."

He frowned, glancing at the empty seats beside her. In fact, she was the only one inside the compartment. "There are no people inside," he said, already stubbornly dragging his trunk inside.

The girl then suddenly stood on her fullest height and snootily stared him down. Hermes' frown deepened, noting that she was a few inches taller than him.

"I said go away," she grounded out once more.

Hermes, not really wanting to make enemies on his very first day, rolled his eyes and finally pulled his trunk outside. The girl snapped it shut with a resounding thud, prompting him to slightly jerk in surprise.

"Git," he murmured under his breath and moodily continued his search for an empty compartment.

If people in this school were like that girl in that compartment, then he wasn't really looking forward on starting in Hogwarts after all.

Back in his previous muggle school, he didn't really have any friends. His classmates thought he was weird, nose always buried behind books during recess when everybody else was outside and playing with swings and slides and seesaws. When Hermes asked his mother one time why no one wanted to read books with him, because books definitely held more adventure than anything he had ever seen in real life, Mrs. Granger only smiled at him and told him he was special. And he should at least try to take the first step and ask them if they wanted to be his friends. That maybe he should set aside his book first and try to push a classmate on the swing or offer to be the other half on the seesaw.

And he tried, bless him, he really, really tried because he wanted friends too. But there were times when something strange would happen – pushing his classmates a little too high with a strange wind that would knock them out of their seats or keeping his classmate stuck mid-air on the seesaw, unable to bring him down no matter what they did.