A Family Reunion

22nd September, 1993

Hogwarts School Grounds

So far, it’s been three weeks since the start of the year and from what Harry could tell nothing too life threatening was about to occur. No evil professor trying to kill him or his friends, no monsters to kill, and most of all no hint of Voldemort (so far). The only two events that seemed to be somewhat out of place was when Malfoy tried and failed to ride a Hippogriff, blaming Hagrid for the whole incident, then Professor Trelawney (his new Divination professor whom Hermione thinks is full of rubbish) told Harry during class that she has seen a death-omen in his tea called the grim and that one Voldemort's followers will return. That last part made Harry somewhat uneasy but he had faith that Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to him or his friends. Not to mention Hogwarts is impossible for anyone to break into, or at the least that's what Hermione told him. 

The Trio had finished with classes and were heading over to Hagrid's, with Harry and Ron were discussing the strategy for the upcoming Quidditch season while Hermione was tuning them out while clearly being angry at something which just caught Harry's attention.

"Hermione, is everything alright?" Harry asked her which finally got the attention of a distracted Ron. 

"I'm fine, Harry." Hermione lied, which wasn't enough to fool her friends. 

"Really?" Harry asked again. "You seem to be pretty upset to me."

"Yeah, come to think of it, you seemed to be upset all afternoon!" Ron said. 

"Exactly, my point!" Exclaimed Harry.  "So, what's going on Hermione?"

Hermione exhaled and began to explain what happened to her earlier today. 

“Okay, fine.” Hermione sighed as she began to explain what was going on. “Well, it’s just that I wasn’t pleased with muggle studies today.” 

“Why’s that?” Harry asked. “I thought you said that you loved that class, especially with Professor Evans teaching.”

“Yes, I do love the class and Professor Evans does a much better job at teaching than that poor excuse of a teacher, Trelawney!” Hermione began to rant. “It’s that today she assigned an end of the year project where I and a partner have to do this oral report of an important historical event in muggle history.” 

“That doesn’t sound so bad ‘Mione.” Ron told her. “In fact isn’t that something you like doing? Getting assigned projects six months in advance?”

Hermione ignored Ron’s last comment and continued to explain herself; “Normally I’d be excited about these projects but only I’m dreading this whole thing is solely because of the partner I was assigned to.” 

“Who were you assigned to?” Harry asked her.

“Pansy Bloody Parkinson.” Hermione answered coldly. 

Harry and Ron were stone faced with shock and confusion. They both stood in silence for almost a minute before Harry asked her; “You’re joking, right?”

“I wish I was, but unfortunately I’m not” Hermione told him.

“This doesn’t make any bloody sense!” Ron exclaimed. “What the hell is Parkinson, ‘Queen of the Snakes’, doing in a Muggle Studies class?!” 

“That is none of your bloody business Weasley!” Someone shouted back at him. The Trio turned around to see Pansy Parkinson herself standing right in front of them with her arms crossed and a small yet smug smile.

“What do you want, Parkinson?” Harry asked. 

“Hello to you too, Potter.” Pansy responded sarcastically. “And to answer your question, I’m here to see if I can borrow Granger for a second.” 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence Parkinson?” Hermione questioned while shooting a death glare at her. 

“I was just seeing when we can get together so we can start with our own project, this way the sooner we’re going the sooner we don’t have to work together.” Parkinson explained. 

“Well Parkinson, I’ll have to check my schedule which usually makes sures that I stay away from you and your dumbass Slytherin friends” Hermione shot back. 

“Great!” Parkinson replied with a smile. “Why don’t we start tomorrow in the library at let’s say four o’clock?” 

“Sure, I guess.” Hermione sighed clearly dreading the thought of being alone with Parkinson. 

“Alright then, I’ll see you then Granger.” Parkinson told her as she began to leave the trio. “By the way Weasel, you’ve got food stuck in your teeth.” 

“What?!”

“Bye now!” 

“Well Hermione, looks like you’ve got a date with Parkinson.” Harry told her with a smile that was trying to hide the fact he was trying not to laugh. 

“Shut up, Harry!” Hermione snapped at him. 

“Guys, do I really have food stuck in my teeth?” Ron asked his friends. 

“Yes, Ron! You had it stuck in there since lunch.” Hermione told him, while being annoyed by her friend. 

“Why the bloody hell didn’t one of you tell me?!” Ron asked them angrily. 

“Because that’s not our bloody job to remind you whether or not you’ve got shit in your stupid teeth!!!” Hermione yelled at him while exploding into a short lived fit of anger. 

“Bloody hell, Hermione. "Pull yourself together!” 

“I’m sorry, Ron.” Hermione apologized. “I’m still pissed off that I still have to work with Bloody Parkinson for the rest of the year.” 

"You know, Hermione, if you have such a problem with this, why don't you just ask Professor Evans to assign you a different partner?" Ron asked.

"I tried that already, she told me that she wouldn't do it." Hermione explained to her friends. "She told me her decision was already final." 

"Have you told her how much of a bitch Parkinson could be?" Ron asked her. 

"I did, just not in the way you said it." 

"Well, what are you gonna do?" 

"I guess, I'll just have to do the project the best I can, even if it means I have to work with Parkinson for the rest of the year." Hermione told her with even more dread in her voice than before.  

“I’m sure you’ll be fine even if Parkinson is your partner.” Harry reassured her. 

“Nay, if anything I think you and her will try to kill each other after about five minutes of being around each other.” Ron exclaimed, causing a look from Harry and Hermione. 

“Ron! How the bloody hell can you even say that?!” Harry angrily asked him. 

“I’m just giving her my honest to God opinion. I don’t know what the hell you're doing, Harry.” 

“What I’m trying to do, Ron, is to help my friend and be as supportive as I can to her.” Harry told his stupid friend. 

“So just to be clear Harry, your definition of being supportive is to lie to a friend about what kind of situation she finds herself in.” Ron asked, sounding even more like an idiot. 

This of course leads the two boys into a debate on what the so-called ‘proper social protocol’ was supposed to be in such a situation. After a minute of this, Hermione began to tune her friends out for they were getting on her nerves. Because of this, Hermione began to hear a noise that seemed to come from the sky. At first, the young witch thinks she’s just hearing things, however the noise begins to get louder and more clear. Hermione heard the sound before, as it was the sound of a jet plane. 

“Mione?” Harry asks, snapping Hermione out of her train of thought. 

“Yeah, Harry?”

“You okay? Your mind seems to be somewhere else.” 

“Can’t you hear that?” She asks them. 

“Hear what?” Harry asked her. 

“Blimly, the thought of working with Parkinson must be causing her to go insane!” Ron exclaimed. 

“Just listen.” she tells them. 

After a minute or so, the two boys begin to hear the noise which is becoming louder and louder to their surroundings. 

“What is that?” Ron asked. 

“It sounds like an airplane.” Harry told him. 

“An air what?”

“An airplane, Ron. It’s a muggle flying machine that transports people from place to place.” Harry tried to explain to his friend. 

“Up there!” Hermione shouted out, pointing to the sky where they could see an object that was flying above them. 

“That’s an airplane Ron.” Harry said. 

“So, that’s what the muggles use as broomsticks?” Ron asked. 

“Pretty much.” 

"Is it me or does that plane seem to be getting closer to the ground?" Hermione asked nervously. 

Just as Hermione asked that question, the plane begins to make a sharp left turn towards the quidditch fields. As the plane turns, it reveals its two engines are engulfed in fire and smoke. Before it could hit the stands surrounding the fields, the plane crashes. 

"We should go and see if anyone is hurt!" Hermione shouted out as she began to run towards the wreckage. 

"Hermione, wait!" Harry and Ron yell out in unison. 

Once the trio gets close enough to the crash site, the plane's door is busted open by a middle-aged man who appears to be wearing a military uniform carrying a suitcases and a small duffle bag. As soon as he gets out he begins to walk towards the three students.

"Get back, it's gonna blow up!" The man yells out in an accent that the trio has never heard before. 

"Y'all get back!" He yelled out again before a large explosion destroying the plane behind him, throwing debris everywhere. A piece of said debris then hits the head of the man, knocking him out. 

Once as this occurs, Hagrid comes running towards the man telling the trio not to get any closer. He then picks up the man and takes him towards the castle as everyone wonders what just happened.