Glancing around their over crowded compartment, Hermione saw her two best friends absorbed in their game of exploding snap. Ron was stuffing food in his mouth, as usual, and Harry looked deep in thought. Luna was reading her quibbler magazine and Neville was crooning over his new mimbulus mimbletonia (the last one died).

Hermione smiled to herself as she sat in the compartment surrounded by her friends. This was her first day as head girl and she was looking forward to the benefits. The enormous head common room, her luxurious new bedroom and the best part, close access to the library (it was joined to the common room by a passageway). She didn't know who the head boy was, but she didn't care. She was head girl, the position she had dreamed of being in since her first year (of course she had imagined that Harry or Ron were in the head boy's position, but not everything can be perfect. Right?)

Deciding to go and find out, she delicately navigated herself around the cages full of magical animals and squeezed the doorway (the door would only slightly open due the Neville heavily slouching on it)

Hermione all but fell in to the hallway as the exploded from the crowded compartment. Sighing she started towards the front of the train, only to be stuck behind a long queue of students waiting for the lolly trolley. She pushed her way to the front of the line to be met by an overfull trolley. 'Oh shit' was all she thought. Sucking her all ready flat stomach in, Hermione squeezed through a gap almost impossible to get through.

Upon reaching the heads compartment, Hermione paused before opening the door. She didn't know who would be on the other side. All she could think was 'please don't be a Slytherin'. She gathered up all of her courage and opened the door, only to be momentarily blinded by a bright light. The sunlight was reflecting off a head of white-blonde hair. 'No, no, I must be in the wrong compartment. Malfoy can not be head boy. He's just not good enough. Turning around to walk swiftly out of the room, she was interrupted by the voice that she dreaded so much.

"Nice of you to turn up Granger, it's only 30 minutes into the trip" Draco Malfoy sarcastically told Hermione who was glowering with anger.

"Oh, I'm sorry ferret, did I miss your last make-out session. Or couldn't you find one this trip" smirked Hermione as malfoy's face dropped.

It was then that the new prefects walked in, reminding Hermione that the passwords needed to be passed out. (Gryffindors was 'Expecto Patronum' in tribute to Harry's battle with the Dementors in their third year)

Once all of the tasks had been completed Hermione took her chance to leave. The halls were being periodically patrolled and Malfoy had collapsed heavily on the soft-fluffy couch and apparently fallen asleep.

Hermione had just reached the door, when Malfoy opened one eye and told her, "No need to leave on my account Granger"

"Not everything is about you ferret, I have friends that are waiting for me. Clearly that is not the case for you" Hermione replied as she walked casually back into the cramped hallway.

Making her way back down the train, Hermione saw several of her friends. Fred and George Weasley were huddled in their compartment, clearly devising a new prank (the came back after Umbriges departure), Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbot were talking animatedly, while Michael Corner was running around with bogeys hanging off his face, compliments to Ginny Weasely's bat bogey hex (she really was quite good at it)

Once Hermione had made it back to her compartment (which always seems to be at the end of the train), she squeezed back through the gap she left through as Neville had not yet moved. In fact he had fallen into a deep sleep while she was gone and had started to drool excessively on his mimbulus mimbletonia. Luna was still reading her Quibbler magazine much to the confusion of Hermione, who could not understand how it took her so long to read such a useless magazine. Harry and Ron had given up on their games of exploding snap and had started to talk about Quidditch, although they had done so all summer. Smiling to herself again, she sat down amongst her friends and loudly announced she was back.

"Huh? Where have you been Mione?" asked Ron, who was currently distracted by the shining headlights of cars that the train was quickly passing.

"I was at the heads meeting. None of you would believe who got head boy!" Hermione exclaimed to those conscious.

"Malfoy?" offered Harry who could tell by Hermione's voice.

"Yes, that insufferable ferret got the position that one of you two should have gotten" Hermione shrilly replied.

"Oh, that boy with the blonde hair?" asked Luna, still reading her magazine.

"Yes, that boy with the blonde hair" Hermione said huftly.

"I thought he was rather cute" Luna stated in a matter-of fact way only to earn a glare from Hermione who's face was turning a strange shade of red.

It was then that Harry decided to change the subject, as he knew that explosive anger came from faces the colour of Hermione's from his past life with his Uncle Vernon.

"What's our new password Hermione?"

"Oh, um, Expecto Patronum. I thought it would be easy to remember considering our third year" she almost calmly responded.

"What? Dementors!" screamed Neville who had woken to hear the last part of the conversation and tried to dive under the seat, but his bottom got stuck.

Neville! There are no Dementors. We were discussing the password." Hermione explained shrilly to him

"Mmmph" Neville replied and his bottom started to wobble from side to side.

Luna chose this time to re-emerge from her magazine to state the obvious, "I think he's stuck"

Ron glanced over and started to laugh, but ended up choking on the chocolate frog that he was attempting to eat whole.

Patting Ron on the back, Harry looked over at Neville and said clearly, "Hang in there Neville, we'll pull you out", only to receive another muffled response.

As Ron was still recovering from choking on his chocolate frog, so Hermione got up to help Harry rescue Neville. They both grabbed a leg and pulled, which was quite difficult due to the limited space that they had for leverage. It took several long minutes of what seemed to be endless pulling, but eventually, Neville was yanked free, only to whinge.

"Why do bad things always happen to me? In our first year you paralysed me (he pointed shamelessly at Hermione), in our second year the Cornish pixies hung me from the ceiling, in our third year lupin embarrassed me, in our fourth year I thought I killed you (now he was pointing at Harry accusingly), in our fifth year that death eater cast that Tarantallegra curse on me, last year I ran into that blasted invisible wall and now I get stuck under the seat. I swear the world hates me!" Neville whined in a high-monotone.

"Yes, well are you finished?" asked Hermione insensitively as she wasn't listening.

"Hmmm, yeah, I suppose" replied Neville insulted by Hermione' insensitivity as she usually was rather sensitive.

"Good, because we need to get our robes on, we're nearly there" Hermione exclaimed happily. She loved Hogwarts.