Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!

Summary: And ruin the surprise? I would never;)

*~Prologue~*

"Just a second there, Mudblood!"

Hermione Granger's head snapped quickly around at the sound of that cold, drawling voice. Fighting down a sudden onrush of fury, she turned away from platform nine and three-quarters, back towards the immense scarlet Hogwarts Express. Which was currently being exited by one Draco Malfoy.

As Malfoy stepped off the train, she was pleased to note that faint rings were still visible on his face. She doubted that they'd ever be able to re- create the combination of curses that they'd leveled on him and his goons that day, but she could certainly enjoy the effects while they lasted.

Noting her irritated look, he winked arrogantly at her. "Temper, temper, little one," he shot in a patronizing tone of voice. "No reason for the nasty looks."

"No more reason than you had to insult Cedric like that!" she snapped back. "He was pureblood all the way back, never did wrong a day in his life, and how you can stand there and just.."

He cut her off, raising a brow. "Do I take that to mean that you fancied him, Bucktooth? Strange, I thought you only went for ugly bludger-targets - or redheaded weasels."

She jerked back as if she'd been slapped, then deliberately strode forward, her gray eyes narrowed in a vicious glare. As she advanced, seething fury, he only gave a mocking smirk. That tore it. She ripped her wand from her book-bag, leveled it at him, yelling, "Mustela Furo!"

((A/n-can you guess what she did to him? Here's a hint...'Mustela' is derived from Mustelidae. Next chapter should be out in a few days, if you can't figure it out~_*.))