Flight of the Stars

Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. If I was, I would own Harry Potter, which I don't. If I did, I would be rich. But I'm not. So no, I don't. Own Harry Potter, I mean.

o-0-o

The following Friday morning saw Hermione waking up early, her heart hammering as she tried to locate the source of the noise. She shot up quickly, her wand held out in front of her, a spell ready on her lips for the Death Eater that was standing in the corner, watching her. Then she blinked and saw that it wasn't a Death Eater but her robes hanging on her closet doorknob, and how would it be to blow Dumbledore's guest bedroom to pieces in return for his hospitality?

She grimaced and lay back down on the bed, checking the pocket-watch on her bedside table. 6:43. Brilliant. Really excellent start to the morning. The bloody sun wasn't even up yet.

She pulled her pillow over her eyes, and even though she knew she wouldn't go back to sleep, she tried anyway for another thirty minutes, before finally conceding and getting dressed in high-waisted jeans and a peasant blouse. She figured she might as well begin packing, as the train would leave that morning at 11 AM.

To her delight, she remembered that the underage magic restriction wasn't in place yet, and it took her only forty-five seconds to magic her things neatly into her trunk. The clock now read 7:16, and she left the bedroom to eat a quick bite of the grits that Dumbledore was so good at making, before scribbling a quick note to Dumbledore thanking him for his hospitality and that he knew where to owl her if he wanted to have an intellectual discussion of some kind.

Then, trunk in one hand and a mewing Delphi held in the other (the sleepy kitten tried snuggle more deeply into her blouse – thank Merlin she didn't shed), she left the cottage, breathing in the morning air.

She smiled as she gazed at the sunrise, and reveled in how peaceful everything was that morning. The sky was a million different shades of pink, the birds were chirping, and all in all it was far too happy of a morning considering that in a few hours' time, she would be going to school with Tom Riddle, the future Voldemort. She wondered if she would have to be Sorted, as this was supposed to be her first, albeit final year at Hogwarts, or if there was a separate dorm for the students who had just come to take their N.E.W.T.s. She hoped to be re-Sorted. It would be interesting to see whether she would go to Gryffindor again, or if she would go to an entirely new House. It would also let her know in what ways she had changed during the War.

Hermione realized with a start for the second time that morning that underage magic restrictions weren't in place. She grinned to herself and Apparated on the spot, reappearing at Platform 9 ¾. It was rather nice to be able to use magic whenever she needed to. She had been able to, of course, after she had graduated, but especially during the summer, she had found it particularly tiring to use the Muggle way for everything, when there was a far quicker and more efficient way to perform tasks.

She smiled as she gazed around the platform. This early in the morning, there was practically no one here. It wouldn't be hard at all to get a compartment. Maybe she could even perform a Notice-Me-Not charm on it so that no one would enter, wanting to make friends. She supposed that was a bit selfish of her, but she really wanted the time to read and gather her thoughts, not to socialize.

Having found an empty compartment near the back, she performed the charm and pulled out Hogwarts: A History; no one would find it strange at all that the new student wanted to learn more about Hogwarts, and it was comfort reading to her at this point. It was the one thing in her life that was constant, that didn't change. She needed it now more than ever. Hermione absorbed herself in the familiar pages and was soon lost to the world.

o-0-o

A particularly harsh jolt from the train caused her to jump. She hadn't realized that they were moving already. The Notice-Me-Not charm had clearly worked, as no one had come to disturb her for the entire train ride. She grimaced as she realized she needed to use the restroom. Thankfully, she had chosen a back compartment, so perhaps she could just duck in and out before anyone realized that she was there.