A New Year, a New Student

A new student

A new year at Hogwarts was beginning. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were on the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts. They'd ordered everything from the trolley and were now chowing down on the sweets. "This is going to be a great year!" exclaimed Ron with a mouth full of chocolate frog.

"I know," said Harry. "Since Sirious signed my permission slip, I can now go to Hogsmeade with you guys!"

"Which means no more sneaking around all the time," agreed Hermione, helping herself to some Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans. Harry looked up and suddenly, his face darkened. Ron and Hermione followed his gaze and they realized why. Draco Malfoy was standing there, smirking at them. When he saw that they knew he was there, he opened the door and walked in, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. He sat down and helped himself to some Bertibotts Every Flavored Beans, still smirking.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" asked Harry coldly.

"No need to be so testy," said Malfoy, his smirk not faltering. "I was just coming to see if you planned to enter."

"Enter what?" asked Ron.

"You mean you don't know?" laughed Malfoy.

"About what?' asked Harry.

"They don't know," laughed Malfoy, looking over at Crabbe and Goyle. The two began to laugh stupidly together.

"Tell us what you want or get out, Malfoy," said Hermione.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Malfoy beckoning Crabbe and Goyle and leaving the carriage. "Oh yes," he said, sticking his head back in. "Nice dress robes, Weasley." He laughed and ducked as Ron threw a Cauldron Cake at him. Ron got up and slammed the door shut, shattering the glass.

"Ron!" said Hermione reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand and muttered, "Reparo!" and the glass shards flew back into a single pane and back into the door.

"That moron is really going to get it one day!" snarled Ron. "One day, someone's going to teach him a lesson and he won't be laughing and acting so high and mighty anymore."

Suddenly, Ginny stuck her head in the carriage.

"Guys, come quick!" she said.

"What's going on, Ginny?" asked Harry.

"Someone just laid-out Malfoy!" she said.

"Who?" asked Hermione.

"No idea," said Ginny. "Apparently, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, were trying to pick a fight with some new kid and he knocked them all to the ground."

"A new kid??" asked Ron. "But the only new kids this year are the first years, right?" He thought about this, then he began to laugh. "Malfoy got beaten up by a first year?!" Ron was rolling on the ground, laughing, clutching his sides. Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes and Harry chuckled softly to himself

"Anyways," said Ginny once Ron had recovered from his laughing fit. "We're getting near Hogwarts. You guys better get changed into your robes." They all nodded, and began to get into their robes. The train slowed, then came to a stop. They exited the carriage, and Hermione bumped into someone and fell over. She looked up and felt her face flush. She was looking at boy she had never seen before, yet there was something about him that made her heart beat faster and her face flush. He had, short, black hair, and brown eyes. He looked as if he were from Asian decent; possibly Japanese. He wore a headband with a metal band on it that had what looked like mountains etched into it. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with worry.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, sticking his hand out and helping her to her feet. "I should have watched where I was going."

"N-no problem," stuttered Hermione still blushing.

"I'm Andy Hefner," said the boy. "I'm new here and am still getting to know people. I hope to get to know you better and that we can become friends."

"I'm Hermione Granger," she said, shaking his hand. Suddenly, Malfoy pushed through the crowd, pointing at the Andy.

"Hey you!" he yelled. "You're the one who hit me! My dad's with the ministry so you'd better not think that you can just--." "First of all, you started it," he interrupted, not even looking up. "Secondly, I hate guys like you who try to act all tough and cool like they're better than everyone else. Then, when they realize they're not all that, they start crying to everyone acting like they're the victim." He then looked up and stared at Malfoy, his eyes flashing. "Stay out of my way, and problems between you and me won't occur again." With that, he turned to Hermione and smiled. "Well it was very nice to meet you, Ms. Granger," he said, and with that, he walked out of the train. Everyone on the train stared after him, not sure of what to make of this new student.