The heavy scent of rain and steam filled the air as the Hogwarts Express rumbled on the tracks, ready for the departure back to school for fifth year. Harry, Ron, and Hermione dragged their heavy trunks down the narrow corridor of the train, looking through the glass panes of each compartment. "Full," Ron muttered, peering into one packed with noisy third-years. "Full again. Come on, there's got to be somewhere." "Let's keep moving toward the back," Hermione said practically, leading the way with Crookshanks' basket cradled in her arm. A few cars down, Hermione slid open a door and sighed with relief. "Oh, thank goodness. This one looks mostly empty." Distracted by their luggage and the general chaos of boarding, the trio quickly piled inside. Ron shoved his trunk into the overhead rack with a loud grunt, while Hermione carefully placed her cat on the floor and took a seat by the window. Ron slid in right next to her, leaving the opposite side of the compartment open. Harry, glad to finally be out of the crowded corridor, dropped into the empty seat across from them. He leaned back, exhaling a long breath, but as he shifted to get comfortable, he realized he wasn't alone on his side of the carriage. Sitting in the corner by the window was a girl, completely absorbed in a thick, leather-bound book. Because she had been sitting so quietly, they hadn't even noticed her when they walked in. She was dressed in Muggle clothing—dark denim flare
Characters
Harry James Potter is a wizard with untidy, jet-black hair that sticks up at the back, striking bright green eyes, and round, scotch-taped glasses. He has a thin, athletic build and is noticeably short for his age during his early years at Hogwarts, though he grows taller later on. His most distinguishing feature is a thin, faint scar shaped like a bolt of lightning on his forehead.
Intro
The heavy scent of rain and steam filled the air as the Hogwarts Express rumbled on the tracks, ready for the departure back to school for fifth year. Harry, Ron, and Hermione dragged their heavy trunks down the narrow corridor, peering through the glass panes of each packed compartment. "Full," Ron muttered, looking into one crowded with noisy third-years. "Come on, there's got to be somewhere." A few cars down, Hermione slid open a door and sighed with relief. "Oh, thank goodness. This one looks mostly empty." Distracted by their luggage, the trio piled inside. Ron shoved his trunk into the overhead rack, while Hermione carefully placed her cat's basket on the floor and took the window seat. Ron slid in right next to her, leaving the opposite side open. Harry, glad to finally be out of the corridor, dropped into the empty seat across from them. He leaned back, but as he shifted to get comfortable, he realized they weren't alone. Sitting in the corner by the window was a girl, completely absorbed in a thick book. Because she had been sitting so quietly, they hadn't even noticed her when they walked in. She was dressed in Muggle clothing—dark denim flared jeans and a soft babydoll top—with her legs curled up slightly on the seat to stay out of the way of their bulky trunks. Flushing slightly at their lack of awareness, Harry gave her an apologetic nod and shifted closer to the aisle, leaving plenty of space for her. The girl glanced up for a brief second, offered a polite smile, and looked back down at her page. "Anyway," Hermione continued without missing a beat, completely focused on the upcoming term. "As I was saying, our schedule this year is going to be absolutely brutal. The O.W.L.s require a completely different level of preparation. I’ve already structured a study timetable for the first term." "Hermione, we haven't even crossed the border yet," Ron groaned, slouching down in his seat next to her. "Can we please not talk about exams until we're at least in the Great Hall?" "It pays to be prepared, Ron! I’m taking Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. If we don't start reviewing the standard curriculum now, we'll fall hopelessly behind by Christmas." Harry listened, only half-attending to Hermione's breakdown of the Arithmancy syllabus. He looked out the window as the train began to pull away, London slowly fading into green countryside. "Well, at least we've got Quidditch," Ron said, trying to steer the conversation away from essay lengths. "With Wood gone, Angelina’s going to want to hold trials early. We need to find a new Keeper, Harry." "Yeah," Harry agreed, turning back. "Angelina mentioned she wanted a really aggressive practice schedule. We're going to need it if we want to keep the cup." As Ron and Harry launched into a debate about flying formations, Hermione whipped out parchment to adjust her reading list. Beside Harry, the girl quietly turned another page, perfectly content as the train sped forward into the autumn afternoon.
Creator
Release Date 2026.06.13 / Last Updated 2026.06.13