Chapitre 6: Chapter 6: The Hogwarts Express
August 31, 1991 - 24 hours before the sorting ceremony
When the summer was finally over, and the day finally came to pack up her things and get ready to go to King's Cross in the morning, Hermione couldn't contain her excitement as she ran around in a tizzy, making sure she had everything, double and triple-checking her list for all her books and supplies.
Her parents watched her from the sofa, her mother leaning against her father, one of his arms over her shoulder, holding her snug into his body. They both wore a nostalgic expression as they watched their daughter, fondness and love in their eyes.
"So what are you going to become now, if not the Prime Minister?" her father teased her. "A cat?"
"Dad!" Hermione objected. "A cat isn't a job!"
Her mother laughed.
"We're just curious, dear," she said, smiling. "What kind of jobs are there for fully-trained witches?"
" Lots of things," Hermione said strongly. "There are so many I barely know where to start. I want to go to classes first and see what I like, and then narrow it down from there."
"You seem good at Transfiguration," her father remarked. "You've gotten the toothpick to turn into a needle."
Hermione scowled. "I still can't get the eye in it."
"It'll come," he dismissed. "What are some of these possibilities, Hermione?"
"Well, there are government posts, of course. They have someone like the Prime Minister - the Minister of Magic," Hermione explained. "So maybe that. There's also a governing legislature called the Wizengamot. It seems like it's mostly hereditary seats, so that might be harder."
"Would you like that?" her mother pushed. "Government work?"
"I have no idea," Hermione admitted. "I could become a Healer - a magical doctor." She sighed. "Maybe I'll just go on and get a mastery in something - it's like a PhD, but magical. And then I'll experiment with magic forever, and learn the limits of the universe…"
Her parents laughed.
"Well, so long as there are viable options, I suppose you have time to decide," her father said, grinning. "Be sure to write us once you're sorted, darling! We have a bet going on where you'll go."
Hermione looked up from putting her books away in her trunk, horrified. "You do?"
"We do," her mother confirmed, a smile playing around her lips. "And we won't tell you what houses we've bet on - it might influence where you go."
Hermione gave them a dirty look as she finished packing up her things, her parents laughing behind her.
Though she had been excited the previous night, now that she was standing on the platform, Hermione was nervous.
"I will miss you so, so much," she said, hugging her parents tightly. "I promise I'll write, and I promise I'll do well!"
Her mother stroked her hair fondly. "We have no worries about you doing well," she assured her. "Just… try to make friends there, too, love. Don't just focus on your studies."
Hermione took a step back and took a deep breath, trying to settle herself. "Okay."
"And don't fuse anyone's legs together," her father reminded her.
"Dad!" Hermione's cheeks flamed.
He laughed.
"Have a good term," he told her, giving her a hug. "We'll see you at Christmas."
Hermione murmured her final goodbyes and turned to face the wall on the platform with her cart, steadying her heart. Putting utter faith in the magic, she strode forward strongly toward it, though she closed her eyes at the last moment, convinced she was about to crash.
She didn't. The sounds around her abruptly changed, and when she opened her eyes, there was a large train there, emblazoned with The Hogwarts Express .
She had done it.
Happily, Hermione set about getting her trolley onto the train so she could unload it. She had made her parents arrive purposefully early so she could get her bearings. It was heavier than she thought, and after fighting with it to get it up the ramp, she gave up and looked around for help.
"Hey! Hey, excuse me?"
The boy she called out to looked to be about her age, and was wandering around aimlessly on the platform, as if looking for something.
"Will you help me get my trunk onto the train?" she asked. "I can't quite get it myself."
The boy looked surprised at having been asked, but gamely came over, helping her lug it up the ramp.
"This is heavy," he said, gasping a bit. "What's in here?"
"A lot of books," Hermione admitted. "I read a lot."
The boy offered her a shy smile.
"I like plants a lot," he said. "I'm looking forward to Herbology."
"Oh, you're a first year too?"
As they fought to get Hermione's trunk onto the train, Hermione learned that her new acquaintance was called Neville Longbottom, and was fairly clumsy, but very nice. He had accidentally lost his toad, Trevor, somewhere on the train when he was putting his own trunk on, and he was worried he had escaped onto the platform. He had grown up with magic, and he was from one of the Sacred 28 pureblood families. He was nothing like anyone else she had ever met, and she immediately decided that she wanted him for a friend.
"There!" she said, clapping her hands as they finally got the trunk settled. She turned to Neville and beamed. "Thank you!"
Neville blushed, rubbing his head. "It was nothing."
"Nevertheless, I really appreciate it." She smiled at him. "Let's go look for your toad now."
Neville looked surprised.
"You'll… come look with me?" he said, uncertain.
"Of course," Hermione said, surprised. "I'm going to help you. Isn't that what friends do for each other?"
A small smile touched Neville's lips, and Hermione didn't miss how his face colored.
"Friends," he murmured.
Hermione marched past him, taking control of the search. Together, they searched the entire length of the platform in a systematic way, ensuring that no toad could escape their gaze. It was a challenge once the platform started to get more crowded, but they managed.
Neville was crushed, but Hermione kept her head up.
"This is good," Hermione said firmly. "This means that Trevor is safely on the train. We can look for him while we're on the way to Hogwarts, and he's not in as much danger of being stepped on as he would be out here."
Neville looked mildly alarmed by that, but he allowed himself to be guided onto the train.
"My gran dropped me off early this morning," he said. "She- she had somewhere else she had to be. I'm glad she's not here. She'd be so disappointed to know I lost something already."
Hermione hesitated. If she wanted Neville as a friend, she'd need to be nice, not just say what was on her mind.
"Accidents happen," she said finally, firmly. "It will be okay, Neville. We'll find your toad."
She left unsaid ' Why wasn't he in a cage?'
It wouldn't be a helpful thought to express, she thought.
Once the train started, Hermione and Neville began systematically searching the train, starting at the back, working their way forward. Neville was unsure of disturbing compartments of older students, but Hermione pushed him to anyway - if his toad was important, surely it was important enough to overcome his shyness for.
Hermione had no problem putting her shoulders back, tossing her hair, and asking each compartment if they'd seen a toad. Most compartments just shook their heads no, but a couple smiled at her indulgently - what a precious little first year.
She scowled, after closing one such compartment door. Precious little firstie indeed. Maybe now, but she'd grow up in to someone powerful and important.
She opened the next compartment door. Inside were two boys who looked to be about her age. One was tall and gangly, with ginger hair and blue eyes. The other had dark, messy hair and green eyes. He looked underfed. They were both not wearing robes.
"Have you seen a toad?" she asked. "Neville's lost one."
"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said the red-headed one. Hermione nodded absently, looking at his wand.
"Are you doing magic?" she asked. "Let's see it, then."
She sat down on the bench next to the black-haired boy. She was curious to see what the redhead could do and compare herself to someone else her age.
"Er - all right."
The boy cleared his throat.
" Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
He waved his wand, but nothing happened. His rat stayed asleep.
Hermione's first instinct was to point out that his rhyme wasn't a real spell at all, but she hesitated. Her mother had urged her to make friends, and she didn't want to be unbearable here, did she?
"Where'd you get that spell?" she asked finally. "I've never heard of one like that."
The boy scowled.
"My brother," he said. "He was probably playing a joke."
Hermione considered the situation.
"No matter," she said diplomatically. "We'll be at school shortly, and I'm sure we can learn the real spell then, if you want."
The boy blinked, before looking at her with interest.
"Who are you, anyway?"
That was quite a rude way to ask for someone's name, but Hermione let it slide.
"I'm Hermione Granger," she said, inclining her head. "And you are…?"
"Ron Weasley," the redhead boy muttered.
"Harry Potter," said the black-haired boy.
"Are you really?" Hermione said, surprised. "… wait, I take that back. What a stupid question. Of course you know who you are. It just didn't occur to me that you'd be in my year in school. The books all glorified your infancy, and never really went into what happened after the fall of Voldemort."
Ron hissed on the seat across from her, but Harry looked interested.
"I'm in books?"
"Of course - you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts . You're also in Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century . They all pretty much say the same thing, though," she said, shrugging. "Voldemort came to kill you, couldn't, and was somehow vanquished."
She looked at him for a long moment, looking at his scar, and Harry looked uncomfortable. Hermione bit her lip, considering.
"Well, the books didn't tell me anything really important, like what you were like," she said, offering Harry a smile. "Tell me, Harry - are you excited for Hogwarts?"
Gradually, Harry started to relax, and the three started talking. When Neville trailed back up the train, Hermione pulled him in with her, and the four chatted. Ron was excited for Defense Against the Dark Arts, while Neville was looking forward to Herbology. Harry didn't really seem to have a grasp of the classes, so talk soon turned to houses.
"I hope I'm in Gryffindor," Neville told them, "but I bet I get Hufflepuff. My Dad was in Gryffindor - I think my gran will be disappointed if I go anywhere else."
"All my brothers are in Gryffindor," Ron said. "That's probably where I'll go. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."
Hermione stiffened.
"That's the house Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Ron confirmed.
"A lot of Dark Wizards come out of Slytherin," Neville added.
Hermione couldn't hold her tongue any longer.
"Merlin was in Slytherin," she told them. "So were five of the last seven Ministers of Magic. A particular house doesn't mean you're a Dark Wizard."
Ron shot her a look. "All of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters came out of Slytherin," he told her.
"That's a lie," she shot back. "Sirius Black was a Gryffindor, Carlisle Selwyn was a Ravenclaw. Maybe more came from Slytherin, but that makes sense, if that was Voldemort's house - they'd have been his friends, wouldn't they?"
Ron and Neville had both shuddered at her casual use of the word Voldemort, but Harry looked thoughtful.
"That makes sense," Harry said. "If there was a house of all Dark Wizards, they'd probably just shut it down."
"Why do you care?" Ron sneered. "You said your parents were muggles. Slytherin's full of blood purists, so it's not like you'll end up there."
Hermione held her tongue back from lashing out. Now would not be the time to pick a fight, or to explain about being New Blood. These boys weren't about to listen, anyway.
"I just think it's unfair to be prejudiced against an entire house for the actions of a few individuals," she said carefully. "What if one of us ends up in a different house than the rest of us? I want us all to still be able to be friends."
She gave them a small, hopeful smile, and Neville returned it.
"I'll still be your friend, if you'll have me," Neville said. "Even if I'm in Hufflepuff."
Ron and Harry glanced at each other and nodded, then nodded back to Hermione.
"We're friends now," Harry pronounced. "Houses don't matter. We can always hang out outside of class, right?"
"Of course." She smiled, and he smiled softly back at her.
There was a pause, before Hermione remembered.
"Legs rested enough, Neville?" she asked, standing and stretching. "We still need to find Trevor."
Neville nodded, getting to his feet. Hermione glanced back at Harry and Ron.
"We're probably getting close. You might want to put your robes on soon," she advised. "We'll be seeing you."
The search for the toad continued to be unsuccessful. With a sigh, Hermione and Neville agreed that maybe it'd be easier for someone to search the train after all the students were gone, and they headed back to the compartment they'd shared with Harry and Ron.
"-don't want to be in his house," Harry was saying as they entered.
"He'll be in Slytherin for sure," Ron told him darkly. "Malfoys were all on the Dark Side. No question."
Hermione held back the urge to laugh at Ron's mention of "the Dark Side," imagining for just a moment that Ron spoke the phrase in Darth Vader's ominous tones. She bit back a grin; anyone who feared Lord Voldemort so much that they couldn't speak the name aloud probably wasn't ready to hear about the terrible Lord Vader.
"You met Malfoy?" Neville said, taking a seat.
Harry explained the altercation he'd just had with Draco Malfoy and his two goons. As he talked, Hermione's heart slowly sank. They were going to have an even lower opinion of Slytherin House now. If she did end up sorted there, she'd have to make sure they saw her, and not the color of her tie, in order to stay friends with them.
Hermione had never had friends before. She didn't want to give these first ones up.
Despite that, though, Hermione knew if she needed to, she would. She had plans, and rumors to whisper and connections to make. She knew Slytherin would help her reach her greatness, and if that meant she had to cut ties with her first friends, she would.
The rest of the train ride, Neville and Ron were animatedly explaining Quidditch to Harry, and Hermione let the gentle rocking of the train lull her into a doze, filled with dreams of lions, snakes, and eagles, all fighting in some magical valley far, far away.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone