Chapter one
"Home again," Harry breathed, a smile stretching his lips. Ron came to stand next to him, grinning as usual.
"What do you think, is someone going to try and kill us this year?"
"Ron!" scolded Hermione, "that really isn't a joking matter. Come on, let's get inside so we can sit at the far end of the table."
That got them moving. There would undoubtedly be first years who hadn't yet gotten the message that Harry was a person, not a superhero from a comic book. Therefore they always tried to sit at the far end of the table, far from the sorting hat.
The only disadvantage to that was that they'd be right next to the Slytherins.
"Hey Potter," sneered Draco Malfoy, who unfortunately was at the end of his table and so only two metres removed from them, "heard anything from you dog – uh, godfather – recently?" It wasn't a very creative insult, but as the object of his taunting was still grieving, that wasn't really necessary.
Hermione balled her fists under the table, wanting to punch the smirk right of the arrogant blond's face. As that would cause quite a scene, she settled instead for squeezing her best friend's hand.
Her other friend, however, was not as good at controlling himself and lurched forward, trying to do what she'd envisioned. Grabbing Ron's arm, she forcefully pulled him back.
"Don't draw attention to us!" she hissed. Harry would have enough admirers to deal with in their common room as it was. Reluctantly, Ron settled down.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Or, to most of you, welcome back. For first years: no one is allowed to go into the forbidden forest. You are also not allowed to use magic in the hallways. Those are the most important rules. Anyone who wishes to see the full list of thing you are not allowed to do: it is placed in Mr. Filch's office, where you can look it over anytime. Now," continued Dumbledore, "I'm sure a lot of you have heard of the incident at the Ministry of Magic right before summer break. I also suspect some of you are very eager to hear the details first-hand. I must insist, however, that you leave the young Mr. Potter and his friends alone, as I am quite certain they have more important things to do than recount those events. Homework, for example, which will be very special for some of our sixth years. This year, I am pleased to announce that nine of them have been chosen for a project called School of Life. Those students will find a message on their beds and an empty period in their timetables. Now, let the feast begin!"
"Did he really have to mention me?" groaned Harry.
"If it doesn't work, you always have your cloak," advised Ron.
"The hordes will trample him if he wears that in a crowded hallway," Hermione absently said. She was wondering what the School of Life could possibly be. And why only nine students would be allowed to attend. Ron smirked.
"Come on, Hermione! You're not going to find out until later, and you haven't eaten anything yet." With a start, she realised he was right. Just when she reached out for a piece of ham, everything disappeared.
"Already?" she said.
"Um, hate to break it to you, but you've been silent for more than forty minutes," Harry replied.
"Now she'll have more room for dessert," Ron butted in.
"Sure," the witch in question mumbled without actually scooping anything on her plate. Rolling his eyes, Harry grabbed a muffin and pushed it against her mouth. She seemed to awaken at that, grabbing it and staying alert until they were allowed to go back to their dormitories.
Opening the door of her dormitory, Hermione immediately noticed there was a letter with her timetable. Excited, she went downstairs: they had agreed to meet up there.
"Do you have a letter, Hermione?" asked Ron. The two boys where already seated on one of the couches, Harry warily scanning the room for any overenthusiastic fans.
"Relax, no one's going to bite you," she said. "And yes, I do. What about the two of you?"
"I don't," Ron replied. "Harry does though, right mate?"
"Yeah. I'm a bit worried though. The Triwizard Tournament was also a 'project'..."
"Only one way to find out," she said, and tore open the envelope.
Dear Miss Granger,
I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected for our new project. This project will include lessons about parenting and managing a household, as well as a lot of hands-on practice, and an experience you will never forget. Please do not unpack your belongings, or if you have, place them back in your trunk, as you will be relocated with the rest of your group tomorrow. During the course of the School of Life the three of you are going to live together in a small dorm.
The empty period in you timetable is reserved for practice or lessons. Tomorrow you will have to go to the empty classroom next to the great hall before breakfast. Everything is going to be explained then.
Goodnight,
Professor McGonagall
"Does that make any sense to you?" Hermione asked.
"No, and Harry and I won't be in the same dormitory anymore!"
"Sorry, Ron. I don't think we can skip this project. Hopefully we will be in the same group though, right?" Harry said, glancing at Hermione.
"I hope so, too. Who do you think would be the worst person the two of us could get paired up with?" she asked.
"Malfoy!" Harry and Ron chorused, to which she rolled her eyes. She should've known. Their arch-enemy since first year wasn't exactly well looked upon by any Gryffindor, but Harry harboured a special dislike for him, largely due to his father trying to kill Harry two years in a row. It was a good reason, but she was always sad to see anyone so...corrupted as Draco. He didn't choose to be born in a family like the Malfoys, and she had to keep reminding herself that he was evil with a capital E.
"I'm going to bed," announced Harry. "See you tomorrow at breakfast?"
"Of course. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight!"
TUESDAY
Hermione entered the normally empty classroom next to the Great Hall. Inside were Zabini and Malfoy, the two obnoxious Slytherins, Theodore Nott, also a Slytherin but more of a loner, Neville, who she waved at, and Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw who had been in the DA. Just as she and Harry sat down, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott joined the group. Both were ex-members of the DA. In fact, everyone except for the Slytherins was.
Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick soon appeared at the front of the class.
"Now," began McGonagall, "you will first be divided into groups of three. Then, you will all drink a de-aging potion. This will turn one of you into a five-year-old. The other two will turn into children two and four weeks later, so you'll only have one child at a time. The remaining students of your group will be the parents.
You are not allowed to have anyone babysit your charge, unless you ask one of us for permission beforehand. The goal is to teach you all a little about parenting. Why the nine of you were chosen, we will announce after this project is over. In the lessons here, we will help you with any questions as well as teach you how to discipline a child and so on.
You will live, as previously stated, in small dorms. To get there, you simply say 'Directus Dormis' and your wand will guide you. Your charges are not allowed to practice magic, nor are they allowed possession of their wands. Professor Snape will now list the groups."
"Right. Before I begin," Snape warned, "I want everyone to know that these groups were handpicked by us and will under no circumstances be changed. Also, a secondary goal here is to promote interhouse friendships. Therefore, at least two houses will be present in each group."
At that, Harry and Hermione exchanged a worried look. It seemed they wouldn't be paired up with Neville.
"Okay, so the first group is Terry Boot, Susan Bones and Theodore Nott." The three students rose and were each handed a potion.
"Second group consists of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy." Numbly, they got up and accepted their potions, ignoring the death glare Malfoy was shooting them.
"And the third group would be Blaise Zabini, Hannah Abbott and Neville Longbottom."
They, too, were given the potions.
"Now, if you'd please drink these?" Professor Sprout asked.
Tossing one last dirty stare their way, Malfoy drank it. So did Harry and Hermione, but nothing happened at all.
"Now, this may take a while to kick in. Please go directly to your dorms once one of you is a child. Clothes should shrink along with the person, just like those in your trunk. The best of luck."
With those parting words, Professor Sprout and the other teachers exited the room.
Just moments later, Hermione heard a small voice to her right ask:
"Where am I?"
Turning around, she saw an adorable Draco Malfoy. Crouching down, she softly murmured:
"You're at Hogwarts, Draco. Dumbledore contacted you parents, and they said you could go. Think of it as a holiday."
"They really said I could go?" the child quietly asked.
"They sure did. I'm Harry, and this is Hermione," her best friend said, also crouching down. Looking scared all of a sudden, Draco backed off, his lower lip wobbling.
"Hey, what's wrong? We're going to care for you as long as you're here." she soothingly said.
"But that's Harry Potter! My parents told me he's bad." Sharing a concerned look with the person in question, Hermione shushed:
"He's not bad. He's my best friend, and he defeated the bad wizard five times now. It's thanks to him that a lot of people aren't dead."
"Really?" asked Draco. "I'm safe?" Feeling her heart squeeze, she picked the child up and hugged him.
"Yes, you are. We won't let anyone hurt you." Reaching for her wand, Hermione found she now had two: hers, and Draco's. Securely storing the latter away, she said:
"Directus Dormis." and a small arrow appeared. Falling into pace next to her, Harry told the boy in her arms:
"We're going to our rooms now, and we will have breakfast there. Okay?" Draco stayed silent and just hugged her tighter. He didn't seem very comfortable around Harry at all.
"There we are," she said as the arrow stopped in front of a portrait picturing a teenage girl underneath an apple tree.
"Hello. As you are Hermione, Harry and Draco, you need to choose a password," the girl said.
"Jar of honey," answered Harry. The portrait swung open.
The living room was clean and tasteful, but nothing really stood out. A large couch, a desk-like table with chairs and some shelves were present, all in very neutral colours. She saw three doors, one of which she assumed led to a bathroom. But why did they only have two bedrooms for three persons? Shoving those worries aside, she opened the door closest to her and saw a small bed and a trunk. Very basic and clean. She liked it.
"This is your room, Draco," she said. Nodding, the child hid a little deeper in her arms. Frowning, she opened the second door. It was a simple bathroom, but did have a bath. The last door revealed a rather large double bed with two trunks, one of which she recognised as hers. Harry raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged. They couldn't very well discuss their sleeping arrangements with Draco present.
Walking back to the living room, Hermione noticed there was breakfast on the table. Putting Draco down in the chair next to her, she began eating. No one said anything, but when she looked to their charge, he was not eating.
"Draco," she gently said, "are you not hungry?"
"I am," he answered, "but no one said I could start eating." Concerned, she said:
"You never have to wait here, okay? If it's mealtime, you can just start." Keeping his head down, the child nodded and, with perfect table manners, began eating. Hermione wondered what kind of parents he must have had to be so subdued. It really wasn't normal for a child.
After breakfast, the three of them headed to their first class.
"Brr...was it this cold last year?" Harry complained. Hermione snickered.
"Yes, it was. You say that every year!"
"That's because every year I hope those bloody lessons will disappear."
"Harry!" she indignantly said, turning toward him. "Watch your language, for one, and also, it's really important that we learn how to brew potions, anti-venom for example!"
"Okay, okay! I'm just saying, for some reason I seem to attract bad grades here."
"I'd agree that Snape is a tiny bit prejudiced, but still."
"A tiny bit?! Come on, Hermione!"
"Snape? Do you mean Sev?" the child in her arms piped up.
"Uh, yes. He teaches potions at Hogwarts, that's where we're going," she cautiously said.
"Yay! Do I get to see him?"
"Of course, Draco," Harry joined in, reaching out to ruffle the child's hair.
"No!" he cried out, tightening his grip on Hermione.
"Hey, shh. No one's going to hurt you. Not me, not Harry," she comforted him, rocking her arms back and forth.
"B-but everyone always hurts me!" the child protested. Stepping into a deserted part of the corridor, she let him down, crouching in front of him. Harry stood back.
"Draco, who hurts you?" she gently asked.
"D-daddy. And mommy. But it's just because I'm naughty! If I behave they won't, I know it!" he defended, tears rolling down his face. Gathering him up in her arms, Hermione forcefully said:
"It's never your fault. Parents are not supposed to hurt their children, no matter what. What your parents do to you is not normal, and it has to stop." The younger version of her enemy started sobbing, clutching at her robes.
"Do you have any marks? Bruises or so?" Harry asked as softly as he could.
"Y-yes. On my wrists, and my back," he sobbed.
"Harry, why don't you go get Snape. I'll stay here with Draco." Scratching his head, her best friend walked off, obviously wondering how he was going to lure Snape away from his class.
Snape was explaining how his class better not add the frog-eyes before the cockroaches, or the cauldron would explode, when a rather flustered-looking Potter came in.
"Uh, Professor?" he said. "Could I speak to you in private?" Raising his eyebrows, Snape gestured for the boy to go into his potion ingredients storage.
"What is it?" he curtly asked.
"It's about Draco. He's in no state to go anywhere, and we suspect", the boy swallowed, "we suspect he's got some marks on him from his parents. He told Hermione so."
"Take Mr. Malfoy to my office. I'll be there soon," the teacher said, cursing himself to hell and back for not noticing.
In the hallway, Hermione saw Harry approaching. She got up, Draco still cradled in her arms, and worriedly asked:
"Well?"
"He told us to go to his office." Silently they did.
"Professor?" Harry asked, knocking on the door.
"Come in," Snape said, opening the door. "Now, what happened to Mr. Malfoy?" Hearing his name, the child looked up.
Walking to the other end of the room so he wouldn't hear, Harry spoke:
"We haven't actually seen them, but he told us he has marks on his wrists and back, and each time I move too close to him, he gets very scared. He also said it's his fault, that he isn't good enough and so on."
"Draco," Snape said, moving closer to him, "can I see those bruises?" Sobbing harder, the child pulled his sleeves up. Everyone in the room pulled in a harsh breath. A large hand-like mark curled around his wrist. Snape nodded. To Harry and Hermione he said:
"I'll report this to the headmaster. Draco," the child looked up at him, "you are perfectly safe here. No one will hit you, okay?" Sniffling, he gave a teary nod up at his guardians.
"I'm sorry for crying." Tightening her arms around him, Hermione whispered:
"You never have to apologize for crying, Draco."
"She's right," Harry said, moving closer and tentatively laying a hand on his head, "we sometimes cry too."
"When was the last time you cried, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked in a scathing tone. Although Hermione levelled a death glare at the callous professor, Harry calmly answered:
"When my godfather died, Sir. He was the only family I had who did not make me live in a cupboard and didn't treat me like a house-elf." The answer was perfectly polite, but Snape still flinched.
"Right. Now, class is almost over, so I suggest you go to the next one."
Turning their backs on him, Harry and Hermione walked out, an unnoticed tear sliding down Harry's cheek.
A/N:
Hi guys! The original idea of a Parenting Class belongs to IcyPanther. You should go read her fic Parenting Class, because it's amazing.
I just wanted to say that I've got a pile of pre-written chapters, so for the next eight or so I won't be able to use suggestions/tips. If you've got any for later on in the story, go right ahead! I'd love to hear what you think.
Please leave a comment if you've read this, it's really motivating.