With every step through King's Cross Station toward Platform 9 ¾, Hermione’s annoyance with Ron was mounting. Unfortunately for Hermione, her cat, Crookshanks, had taken to tormenting Ron’s rat, Scabbers, and after ranting for the better part of an hour, Ron couldn’t get it through his thick skull that it was the nature of cats to chase rats. There was no reasoning with him, and Hermione wouldn’t apologize. Hermione decided that she didn’t have time to ponder her sometimes-conflicting thoughts regarding Ron Weasley. She’d focus on her studies, and more importantly, on keeping Harry alive.