𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 [ ON HOLD ]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

Hermione rubs a lone tear off her cheek as she sees Maryse, Robert and Magnus become vague and eventually disappear from her sight. She was now all on her own. Anxiety rises within her, fear clouding her brain. What if she could not do it? What if she disappointed the Clave or, more important, disappoint her family and friends? What if she.. died?

Shadowhunters live in the knowledge that every day could be their last, but it wasn't forbidden to feel fear sometimes, was it? This would be a dangerous mission where she can not slip up. She has no one to talk to, no one to share her struggles with unless she was actually in major danger. Before this Project Hogwarts, she has never even gone somewhere on her own. There was always her cousins, her uncle and aunt, someone they knew or her best friends. Now it was only her. Hermione Carsta-.. Granger. Hermione Granger.

The bushy haired girl was so distraught and deep in thought that she almost did not hear the door being pushed open, almost being a keyword in that sentence. Shadowhunters always stay focused and prepared for danger. A boy stumbles inside, not much taller or shorter than her own short frame, wearing a knitted sweater and some baggy pants. His face was round, a little on the chubby side, and his brown hair was combed to the side. His green eyes scan the room and turn to disappointment when he sees her sitting there.

"Oh, this compartment is full too I see. Sorry to bother you," he mumbles and the boy immediately turns around to leave. Hermione frowns her eyebrows. How was the compartment full, she was the only one there? "It isn't full. You can join me, if you want."

The boy throws a look over his shoulder that shows his confusion. "You don't mind?" Hermione gifts him a smile. "Of course not. We all need to make new friends! Are you a first year student too?" A little bit more reassured by her open and bright posture, the boy puts down the trunk in his hand and sits opposite her on the bench. "Yes, I am. My name's Neville Longbottom and this here-" He takes something out of the inside of his coat,"- is my toad, Trevor. A gift from my great-uncle Algie when he heard of my admission at Hogwarts. Sorry, I'm rambling and haven't even asked your name!"

Hermione smiles while Neville wipes some of the nervous sweat droplets off his face. He must be really desperate to make friends and that was kinda sad. He must not have had much friends as a child. Neither did she, but she had her cousins and her two best friends and that was more than enough. He, however, seems very lonely..

She outstretches her arm, glad that she had activated her invisibility-rune before Portalling to London. Neville takes her hand with a goofy grin and pumps it up and down. "I'm Hermione Granger. You have a nice toad!" The boy looks stunned for a moment. "Oh, thanks! Most people make fun of me for having a toad instead of a cat or owl. A toad isn't exactly cool.." Hermione shows a scowl that was dubbed as the 'Carstairs-Scowl' by Jace. "That is mean! A toad has as much worth as a cat or an owl!"

Neville, a little surprised by her outburst at first, starts to grin. "Thank you.. What House do you hope you end up in?" At that the bushy haired girl was at a loss. What House was he talking about? Had she missed something during her research of Dumbledore's book? "H-House?" "Hogwarts Houses? Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin?"