Hermione woke up early next morning to see the dormitory was empty. She got dressed and walked down into the common room, looking around to find Harry playing chess with Dean.
"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked, walking up to them.
"In the Great Hall. He said he was showing Beatrix around the school some more."
"Why?"
"Because she doesn't know where to go. Check mate." Hermione gave a fixed expression towards Harry. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah."
Harry and Hermione walked passed the Fat Lady while Dean was figuring out if he could still make a move.
"So are you nervous?" Harry asked Hermione.
"About what? The fact Ron will be ignoring us for most of the school year? Or that Ron will be in no classes with us? Or nervous about whether Ron is going to forget us entirely?"
Harry looked puzzled.
"Actually, I was just wondering if you were nervous about which classes you were accepted in to."
"Oh. Not really."
They made their way down the marble staircase.
But I am nervous whether Ron is going to forget about me...
"Hermione, watch out!" Harry shouted as Hermione was just about to step into the trick step, nearly falling on her face. Harry grabbed a hold of her arm, before she fell down the steps. "Hermione, look out where you're going. How could you forget about that step?"
Hermione didn't respond. She just walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. As they entered, she saw Ron talking to Beatrix, who was laughing hysterically at something he said.
He's not that funny.
A blond girl brushed passed Hermione, taking no notice to her and walked up to Ron and Beatrix, carrying an edition of The Quibbler.
"Hello, Ron," the girl said.
"Hi, Luna," Ron responded, blankly.
"Who's this?" she asked, looking over at Beatrix. Hermione stood and continued to watch while Harry conversed with Neville, who stopped him to talk about this rare plant.
"Oh, this is Beatrix. She—"
"What was so funny that you told her?"
"Er—I was telling her about one of my brother's pranks. It inflames your cheeks like they're full of cotton."
Luna broke into hysteria. "Puffy—oh—full of cotton!"
Harry grabbed Hermione's arm, making their way slowly to the Gryffindor table as the Great Hall quieted down and all eyes were upon Luna, Ron, and Beatrix.
"That is so funny, Ron," Luna said, walking to her own table. "Inflamed cheeks! What will those two think of next?"
Harry and Hermione sat down and Hermione took a last glance at Luna as Harry spoke, "She can be a bit insane, eh?"
"If 'a bit' means ‘massive’ then yea, she's a bit insane," Ron said intensely. Beatrix sniggered at his comment.
Hermione noticed Ron's ears turn red as food appeared in front of her. She began eating, though she wasn't very hungry. Screeching owls above her brought her attention towards the ceiling and a letter dropped in her food. She gave a scolded look towards the owl as it flew away and wiped the letter clean with a napkin.
"Hermione, are you going to eat that?" Ron asked, eyeing her food.
Hermione shifted her cold expression upon Ron and said, "No, Ron. You can have it, by all means."
She threw her napkin at him and opened her letter. Ron stared at her until a letter hit him in the head and landed in front of him.
"Bloody owl!" he yelled as he opened his letter. "Oh no."
"What?" Harry asked.
"I've got Divinations." Harry laughed as an owl dropped his letter. "Don't laugh. Open yours and see what you got."
Harry opened his schedule, read it, and sighed, "Oh no."
"See! You've got it too!"
"No, worse. Potions."
"What?! What other classes do you have?"
"I guess Snape hasn't tortured me enough. Defence Against The Dark Arts. Charms. Transfiguration. Care of Magical Creatures. Herbology. What about you?"
â€Defence Against the Dark Arts. Transfiguration. History of Magic. Charms. Care of Magical Creatures. Herbology. As least we have some classes together. But Potions? Wow. I feel your pain."
Ron looked over at Hermione to see her staring at her schedule.
"Hermione, what classes do you have? Or better question, what classes don't you have?"
Hermione didn't answer. Beatrix implied, "Oh, Ancient Runes isn't that horrible."
"What?" Hermione asked.
"You have Ancient Runes, do you not?"
"Yes, but how did you know that troubled me?"
"Oh. I didn't. I just saw it on your schedule."
"Oh."
No one spoke for a minute.
"Well," Ron began, breaking the silence, "what classes are you taking?"
"Astronomy. Ancient Runes. Muggle Studies. Arithmancy. Defence Against The Dark Arts. Potions. Care of Magical Creatures. Charms. Transfiguration. Herbology. History of Magic."
"And whereabouts in that will you be sleeping and eating?" Beatrix asked, jokingly.
Hermione didn't take note towards her comment.
"Well we have some classes together," Harry pointed out.
Hermione grabbed Harry and Ron's schedules and compared them to hers. She looked up and said, "Not likely. We have the same classes, but at different days."
"What?" Ron asked, grabbing the schedules. "Bloody hell, we only have Defence Against The Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, and Transfiguration together."
Hermione weakly smiled. Ron and her stared at each other until Beatrix broke in, "Oh look, Ron! We're in practically in all the same classes. Except Potions. I'm in that with Harry and Hermione. I have a lot of classes with Hermione, too!"
Hermione rolled her eyes, placed her head on her hand, and picked at her food with her fork.
"What are you taking, Bea?" Ron asked, looking away from Hermione.
"I have Potions with Harry and Hermione, Muggle Studies, Arithmancy, Herbology, and Ancient Runes with Hermione, Care of Magical Creatures, Defence Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, and Transfiguration with all three of you, and Divinations and Charms with you, Ron."
Beatrix began talking with Harry about Potions as Ron leaned towards Hermione, and said, "Didn't I tell you she was bright like you?" Hermione looked up and him and then back down at her food. "How was the first year lot?"
"They were fine," she said coldly. Ron looked at her, placing her schedule in front of her.
"I guess we better get going to our first class. Bea, I'll show you where Divinations is. See you two later."
Ron and Beatrix stood up and walked towards the doors.
"Come on. We've got Charms," Harry said.
Hermione grabbed an orange and threw it towards them and hit a Ravenclaw. Hermione's eyes widened, and she quickly turned around, looking down at the table. Harry looked at her puzzled and asked, "I suppose you were concerned about their nutrition?"