Hermione Granger was in an excellent mood.
Quite a change, considering that minutes earlier, she had been on the verge of collapse.
When Professor McGonagall had appeared at her home and casually executed several Transfiguration spells in front of her parents, Hermione's worldview shattered—and then rebuilt itself around the one truth she now worshipped:
Magic existed.
And because it existed, it could be learned.
Science had taught her that much.
But it also made one thing painfully clear:
Being Muggle-born was her greatest disadvantage.
Especially after Diagon Alley, when she saw Vaughn Weasley snap his fingers and summon magic as naturally as breathing—while McGonagall off-handedly mentioned he was nearly a year younger than her.
(Hermione's birthday was September 19th—just twenty days shy of qualifying for the previous school year.)
That realisation had made Hermione's scalp go numb.
Terrifying.
Wizard-born children grew up around magic, practising spells since they could walk… while she had "wasted" twelve years doing multiplication tables and reading children's encyclopedias.
By her calculations, she was roughly a century behind.
Thus began Hermione's dramatic spiral into academic despair.
She spent her entire summer devouring magical theory and practising spells at every opportunity. But without proper instruction, learning real magic was nearly impossible—and as September 1st approached, her anxiety skyrocketed.
The moment she boarded the Hogwarts Express, she marched up and down the corridors searching for wizard-born students to compare coursework with.
At first, things went well.
She met Susan Bones, a friendly girl whose aunt was the formidable Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Hermione had been thrilled—until she proudly demonstrated the Mending Charm she'd learned.
Susan stopped talking to her entirely.
Disheartened, Hermione continued her search.
Next she spotted another familiar redhead—Ron Weasley—showing off a new wand to none other than Harry Potter. Two legends in one cramped compartment.
It had seemed the perfect chance.
Naturally, Hermione insisted Ron try a spell.
The result was catastrophic.
Hermione fled before the wand smoke even cleared.
The last student she encountered was Neville Longbottom, who she found in the corridor, sobbing with joy while hugging a toad and kissing its slimy head.
The sight made Hermione question whether wizarding families had any educational standards at all.
"I can't do magic," Neville stammered when Hermione questioned him. "My gran thought I was a Squib… until the Hogwarts letter came…"
"You grew up in the magical world," Hermione said, horrified. "How can you not know anything?"
Neville pointed rapidly down the corridor.
"W-why don't you ask Vaughn Weasley? He—he just helped me find Trevor!"
Vaughn Weasley.
The name itself triggered the academic nightmares that had haunted Hermione all summer.
But after half a day observing other first-years, she had regained enough confidence to lift her chin.
Following Neville's direction, Hermione turned a corner—
And there he was.
Tall. Lean. Red-haired. Wand in hand. Strolling down the carriage as if he owned the world.
"V-Vaughn… Weasley?"
She had intended to say it calmly.
But when he turned, and that maddeningly handsome face came into view, Hermione's heart exploded into frantic, disobedient pounding.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Is this… the aura of a rival?
For a girl whose mind usually contained only the word study, everything around her dissolved into white noise.
Vaughn did not seem surprised; the carriage only had so many compartments.
He smiled. "Hello, Miss Granger."
Hermione had prepared so many lines—she'd planned to compare spells, discuss textbooks, maybe even mention the articles praising his potion innovations.
Instead, her brain turned into a blank sheet of parchment.
"H-Hello… Mr. Weasley…"
"Was there something you needed, Miss Granger?" Vaughn asked kindly.
"I—"
Whatever she meant to say was cut short when someone shoved her sharply aside.
A pale boy with sleek, platinum-blond hair strutted past her, flanked by two thickset boys like hired bodyguards. His chin tilted in a perfect imitation of superiority.
"Move, Mudblood."
Hermione's breath caught. She stumbled, nearly falling.
The boy didn't spare her a glance.
He looked Vaughn up and down, smirked, and said lazily:
"Another Weasley. Saw one earlier—dirty and stupid—running around with that spectacled Potter. And you—" he sneered, "you're even stranger."
He glanced at Hermione again—then recoiled slightly, as though insulted by her very existence.
"Making friends with trash like that? Hair like seaweed… and those rabbit teeth—"
He didn't finish.
Because Vaughn interrupted.
"Draco Malfoy?"
Draco blinked, surprised—then smirked.
"Yes. Looks like you're not as ignorant as that fool Ron."
Vaughn's expression cooled. His voice dropped into something quiet and dangerous.
"If I were you, I'd walk away. Quickly. Because on this train… your mummy and daddy aren't here to protect you."
A dark flush crept up Draco's neck.
"You want a fight? Crabbe! Goyle! Get him!"
The two hulking boys cracked their knuckles.
They lunged.
Hermione barely had time to gasp before Vaughn raised his wand.
"Impedimenta."
The air shimmered like heat over stone.
Crabbe and Goyle slammed into invisible resistance—limbs slowing, stiffening—until both boys drifted helplessly in mid-air, flailing like overturned beetles.
"DRA—DRACO! HELP!"
They had chosen the wrong saviour.
Draco's eyes went wide as Vaughn turned toward him.
A sharp flick of his wand—
"Expelliarmus!"
A blast of red light hurled Draco backward. He smashed against the wall so hard his teeth rattled.
Before he could recover—
"Densaugeo."
A horrible tingling seized his mouth.
His front teeth shot outward, lengthening past his lips, curling grotesquely until they resembled wild tusks.
Draco froze.
Then broke.
He let out a strangled wail and fled down the corridor, sobbing—abandoning Crabbe and Goyle without hesitation.
Up and down the carriage, compartment doors slid open. Students whispered feverishly.
Vaughn flicked his wand, cancelling the spell.
Crabbe and Goyle crashed to the floor, scrambled to their feet, and bolted after Draco.
Hermione stared at Vaughn as though she had just witnessed a meteor strike.
(End of Chapter )
PS :
Muggle-born – Witch or wizard born to non-magical parents.
Mending Charm (Reparo) – Charm used to repair small objects.
Susan Bones – First-year student; niece of Amelia Bones.
Amelia Bones – Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.