Fight For a New Life

Disclaimer: I am not making any money. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters, settings and seemingly this entire wizarding world. I merely twist their fates. If I should include any original characters, those alone are mine.


Chapter 2: Reminiscing before realization (2/?)


It was their seventh year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were getting ready to embark on their last ride on the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts, their home. Hermione looked around at the crowd bustling about platform 9 ¾. A wave of nostalgia hit her full force looking at the nervous yet excited faces of the first years. 6 years swam before her eyes and she had to hold back her tears and stifle the smile spreading across her lips. 6 years she had been friends with Harry and Ron. For six years they had faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and here they stood ready to face their last year. She was almost reluctant to step aboard the train, wanting this moment to stretch on forever, a year left of her now dwindling childhood.

Hermione was abruptly tugged out of her reverie by Ron forcefully tugging on her hand. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. He looked at her with soft eyes and a silent exchange occurred and she knew he understood her thoughts. Six years of the closest friendship allowed for a lot of intimacy of character. The trio often communicated volumes by mere glances. It had been a key to their friendship and sometimes their survival.

She momentarily marveled how much they had all grown and matured before her eyes. Ron had found an ease with himself and with some added confidence, his hot headed nature had simmered considerably. Not that he still wasn’t prone to attacks of loud mouthed ignorance, but they were fewer and far between. His temper just wasn’t as easily provoked. Harry was still a wonder to her. He had by all means grown into a well balanced individual. Sometimes she wondered how he had overcome the horror of his past and most likely his future. The bitterness that he possessed through fifth year and somewhat into their sixth had diminished and left him with nothing more than a calm and determined air.

Needless to say, she loved them both dearly. They had become her sanctuary from a world gone awry. Her parents had been killed at the end of their sixth year, a fact that still wasn’t firmly lodged in Hermione’s brain. She wasn’t prepared to deal with the cold hard truth just yet. All of her innocence would shatter in that moment. Nothing tethered or grounded her to the muggle world, and when she left Hogwarts she only knew she would now follow Harry and Ron to the ends of the earth and farther if necessary.

Not surprisingly, Hermione had gained the position of Head Girl and was delighted, but felt a pang of hurt at the knowledge that her parents were not there to witness it. The day she received her badge they were all residing at Grimmauld Place working on some business for the order. The trio had been made full members at the end of the summer. Harry had been adamant in his pursuit to become full members, most likely due to the fact that information had been withheld from him for too long, and where one member of the trio goes the others follow. Harry had eventually won out right before the start of school. Harry bluntly told the order one evening if they refused to include them, that they could forget his assistance. A very convincing argument if there ever was one. Harry being predestined to fight the dark lord, his role was needless to say vital to the orders’ operations.

It was a short lived victory. With school starting that left us little time to attend meetings. Dumbledore did however promise to get them information as it became available. Who knew if this was believable. Hermione had begun to mildly doubt the adults that had taken a active hand in planning her life. The trio agreed to stand beside each other first and foremost. If the adults of the order did not agree to their plans, then so be it. Not that they did not need or want the orders help, but they were not going to be passed over as naïve children any longer. The reality of the situation was, even if they didn’t want to admit it… their childhood had been over for a very long time.

With all these thoughts whirring through her mind Hermione almost fell when the Hogwarts Express let out a loud whistle blow and jerked violently signaling their departure. Platform 9 ¾ faded out of sight as she pressed her face to the window. Her thoughts broken when the familiar and all too comforting voice of Harry interrupted the silence “Everything will be okay Hermione.” Those soft spoken words from the lips of her best friend broke down a small bit of her defenses and she leaned back into his brotherly embrace. Ron patted her head good naturedly and grinned at her. Together she thought… Together they could stand against any odds. Looking back at that moment, she might have questioned her judgment.

A/N: Not even to Hogwarts yet. Still working on the feel of this fic. Be patient. All good things come in time :D