Silence (A Dramione Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

Hermione POV

The Hogwarts Express slowly came to a halt as the engine roared signalling for everyone to leave. As everyone stepped off the train, students ranging from first years to eighths, Harry, Ginny and Hermione got on a carriage that was pulled by a black and skeletal horse called a Thestral which were invisible to everyone except for the people who have been truly touched by death. This used to be quite rare, but ever since the war, pretty much everyone in the school could see them.

"Wait...Where's Ron", Ginny slowly turned around with a confused expression on her face.

"He'll probably catch up to us later" Harry shrugged.

"Hey Hermione, what did Ron say to you on the train when he pulled you out? You came back like...half and hour later without him. We got kinda worried"

Hermione felt her heart sink as she heard the question. She had been hoping to avoid this topic, on the off chance that Ginny would forget about it but clearly not...

"Oh, he broke up with me", she whispered, looked down at the ground, not daring to meet her friend's eye.

Time seemed to freeze as Ginny processed the information. Then Ginny exploded.

"HE DID WHAT?"

People in the carriages before and after theirs poked their heads out the window to try to understand what was going on. Harry gestured quickly for Ginny to quieten down.

"The next time I see that bloody bastard, I swear to Merlin I'm going to hex him to the oblivion!", Ginny said menacingly, her voice now deadly quiet. She pulled out her wand but then shoved it back in her robe pocket as she restrained herself.

Harry had a bewildered yet disappointed expression on his face and furrowed his eyebrows. "But why would he do that?"

"Because I'm ugly, boring and I work too much, according to Ro-"

"Which is complete utter nonsense, you know that right?" Ginny quickly cut in.

"Thanks Ginny", Hermione said, summoning up a smile.

"I can never tell a lie."

Time passed rapidly as they were catching up with each other, talking about the summer holidays and what their plans were for the new term, and before they knew it, a beautiful, glowing castle was standing right before them surrounded by the giant lake that was reflecting the full moon. Hermione could just make out the shadow of the giant squid lurking just under the shimmering ripples of the Black Lake. Hogwarts, she thought, had never looked so beautiful and full of new beginnings.

The Great hall was blazing with light when they finally got inside the castle. Peeves was nowhere in sight, and the ceiling in the Great Hall was patterned with pinpricks of white, where the stars shone through the inky black of the night. Hermione, Ginny and Harry wound their way between students, before finally reaching the Gryffindor table. Hermione couldn't help wondering who was Head Boy. She would have to work with them for an entire year, so whoever it was, they had to be prepared to buckle down. She saw Ron walk in and immediately stared down at the table to avoid eye contact. Ginny gave an unladylike snort and muttered under her breath about something along the lines of 'stinking bastards' and 'make him pay'.

Up at the staff table, Professor McGonagall rose, and began to speak, her Scottish voice filling the now silent hall.

Suddenly, the door creaked open with Hagrid leading a bunch of nervous looking first years, stumbling across the middle of the Great Hall as they looked up to the bewitched ceiling that looked like the night sky. One by one, they were called out for the sorting ceremony and each house cheered every time someone new came to join them. Hermione noticed one girl who looked smart and wary and hoped that that girl would join the Gryffindors, but as soon as "Finching, Madeleine" was called, the girl was elected to join Ravenclaw.