Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction are not mine unless stated otherwise. Every effort is made to keep this fiction satisfactory; hence, the chapters published are subjected to minor changes without prior notice. I do NOT own the Harry Potter books and series. It is authored by JK Rowling and no other.

AN: The Second Wizarding War happened during the summer before 6th year. The Golden Trio returned as 6th years at Hogwarts, after a yearlong break. Despite of being 6th years, the trio was seventeen years old, while Ginny and Luna were sixteen and in their 5th years.

MY LADY ENCHANTRESS

Chapter One: Bloody Hell Indeed

oooooooo

The feud between the light and dark side had been long gone. The Order of the Phoenix was triumphant against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, as they battled in Hogwarts. Despite of the massive number of Death Eaters, Dumbledore and those who were loyal to the light side succeeded in defending their cause, and crippling the defense of the dark party. Unexpected, but not surprising, allies revealed their true allegiance in the battlefield.

Lucius Malfoy and some Death Eaters changed sides in between battles, as what he and some trusted members of the Order had planned a few months ago. Lucius and some Pureblood patriarchs, like Nott and Parkinson, where top secret double agents of the light side. Only Dumbledore, Lupin, Sirius Black, Snape, and McGonagall knew of their allegiance to the Order. They pledged their loyalty two years ago, after Voldemort summoned them to attack the people in the Quidditch World Cup.

Surprisingly, Draco Malfoy lead half of the Slytherins to join Dumbledore's Army at the beginning of their 6th year. They were vicious in fighting with their dark spells and hexes, which contributed greatly in protecting the younger students inside the castle.

The light side celebrated their triumph as Harry Potter, finally, defeated the darkest wizard alive. It took a year to reconstruct the villages and buildings that were destroyed during the aftermath of war. During the reformation of the wizarding world, the students of Hogwarts were given a one year break to recuperate from the stress and cruelty of war.

A year after the end of the second wizarding war, the students of Hogwarts School were invited to continue their education, and enroll on the year that they missed due to unfortunate circumstances.

oooooooo

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Great Hall

"...despite our loss, we were able to work harmoniously and established camaraderie among us. As this new era starts, I welcome you to a more inviolable and enriched Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" Professor Dumbledore's powerful voice echoed around the Great Hall, as he ended his welcoming speech with twinkling eyes.

Everyone applauded in the great hall, some with a smile or a grin on their faces, while others were beaming happily.

"It's about bloody time! I'm starving!" Ron said, happy that he could enjoy the feast in a minute.

"Don't be such a pig, Ronald. You ate an hour ago when we were inside the train," Hermione admonished, looking at him with disbelieving eyes.

"It was an hour ago, Mione," Ron slowly said, as if his best girl-friend said something stupid.

Harry raised his eyebrows as he listened to their conversation. "Ron, have you forgotten? Professor Dumbledore will have to reveal the Head Boy and Girl for this year, and the new Defense against the Dark Arts Professor. Aside from that, new rules and regulations might be announced before we can have the feast."

Ron sputtered, disbelief written on his face. One of the reasons why he was excited to attend Hogwarts was because of the scrumptious food served every meal. And to add on his excitement, special feasts, such as the welcoming feast, served more food than the normal everyday meal. Before he could open his mouth to voice out his displeasure, Dumbledore cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention.

"Now, my beloved students, I would like to introduce you to our new Head Boy and Head Girl. Please give a round of applause to this year's Head Boy, Adrian Pucey from House of Slytherin―" The Slytherins whooped and cheered as Adrian Pucey stood up and acknowledged everyone with a nod. His housemates patted his back and congratulated him, "―and this year's Head Girl, Cho Chang from House of Ravenclaw!" The Ravenclaws cheered loudly as Cho Chang stood up from her seat, beaming with pride.

"Blimey! Our Head Boy is a Slytherin. We're doomed!" Ron complained, almost to the point of whining.

"Don't be such a pessimist, Ron. The war had ended. The Slytherins accepted their mistake and learned their lesson," Ginny reprimanded her grumbling brother, who was still annoyed that the feast was delayed.

"Ha! They may not be so prejudice, but Gryffindors and Slytherins are still mortal rivals when it comes to House Cup and Quidditch," Ron grumbled.

As the cheers died down, Professor Dumbledore continued his announcement. "I am pleased to welcome again a former member of the Hogwarts Faculty and Staff. He is a former colleague of mine, and professor to our 4th to 7th Year students. He agreed to resume his old post as Defense against the Dark Arts Professor for this year. Let us welcome back―Professor Remus Lupin!" Lupin appeared behind the Hall Cabin and gave a friendly smile to his students, before sitting on his assigned seat.

Everyone in the great hall cheered when they heard the news. The Gryffindors, and surprisingly the Slytherins, cheered the loudest. The younger years were thrilled to be taught by one of the popular heroes of the Second Wizarding War.

"Did you know about this, Harry?" Ron asked, still clapping enthusiastically.

"No. I'm surprised, too. He did not mention anything to me," Harry said, eyes wide as he looked at Professor Lupin, who grinned and winked at him from his seat.

"I know," Hermione said without looking up, as she buried her head on her new Hogwarts: A History.

Harry, who was sitting beside Hermione and opposite of Ron, frowned. "What! He told you? Why did he not tell me?"

"He wanted to surprise you. Who am I to spoil that?" Hermione said, looking at Harry innocently.

Harry shook his head at his best girl-friend's antics. He turned around and listened back to Dumbledore as he continued his reminder. "As usual, there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Forbidden Forest is forbidden. Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch Team should submit their names to their own Head of House. Now, without further ado, tuck in!" Dumbledore exclaimed, smiling broadly at them, while his arms were stretched wide open.

As soon as he ended his speech, different kinds of food appeared on each table.

"Thank Merlin! I thought I'll pass out in starvation," Ron said as he dived for a large Yorkshire pudding.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed with disgust on her face, "Slow down! Have you no manners?"

"Eh?" Ron replied, half-listening to his surroundings as he devours his food.

Hermione rolled her eyes and exchanged looks with Harry. "Urgh―never mind!"

Harry chuckled, while he observed his friends. He would never survive his seven years in wizarding world without them. They were his anchor to not succumb in anguish and despair. They were the best friends ever. He could not ask for more.

The boy-who-lived-again scanned the great hall for familiar faces. Most of the Gryffindors in his year came back to continue their schooling. Neville changed for the better. The clumsy and introverted, chubby Gryffindor grew up into a somewhat good-looking guy and leader-like figure. Lavender and Parvati were still boy-crazy and gossip queens. Dean and Seamus were still the easy-going duo of the lot.

A good number of Hufflepuffs came back and enrolled this year. Surprisingly, only half of the previous students from Ravenclaw were present. Some of them transferred to other wizarding schools by their parents' insistence, while some Ravenclaw students died or imprisoned in Azkaban for being Death Eaters.

Lastly, he looked over at the Slytherin table. Amazingly, his friends and some Slytherins developed civility for the past two years. They were not friends, but they can tolerate the presence of each other. They acknowledged one another when they meet in the streets. As much as possible, they avoided spewing insults and degrading words when they underwent arguments.

Harry was about to continue eating when he noticed Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott whispering to each other. Zabini and Nott looked amused at Malfoy, while he looked at them with annoyance. A minute after, he and the three Slytherins caught each other's eyes. The Chosen One raised an eyebrow, silently inquiring their problem. Nott looked at him innocently, while Zabini grinned, then shrugged. On the other hand, Malfoy replied with a raised eyebrow, and then shook his head once. The four of them continued eating, as if nothing happened.

ooo

At this moment, Draco Malfoy was pleased. For him, he had everything in this world. He had a loving family, who was finally free from the Dark Lord. He was one of the riches young men in both wizarding and muggle world. He had great and influential friends and trusted acquaintances. He was known as one of the young heroes in the Second War. He was intelligent and one of the best quidditch players in his age. And lastly, he was labeled as one of the most sought after young men in his generation. Women of all ages admire and flock around him, to the point of stalking him or throwing themselves at his feet. Aah! Life is bloody good!

"Hey! Is it me or the atmosphere is getting hotter due to some gorgeous ladies scattered around the Great Hall?" Blaise whispered jokingly, scanning the Hall with his piercing dark blue eyes.

"You saw it, too? Even Millicent is acceptable in the looks department. Almost all ladies from 5th to 7th year turned from nottie to hottie. The best part, those who were good-looking two years ago became sizzling hot beauties now. Talk about super transformation," Theo added, staring at some giggling Hufflepuffs, who were sitting across him.

Draco smirked at his best mates. "I bet those ladies that you call 'hottie' are horny daft bints who think they are Merlin's gift to men. Delusional if you ask me," he drawled after drinking his pumpkin juice.

"Not all of them are daft bints, Drake. Look at our Head Girl. Beauty and brains rolled into one. And there are Ginevra, Padma, Pansy, and Daphne to name a few," Theo pointed out to the Slytherin Prince.

"And speaking of beauty and brains, we have our resident Gryffindor Golden Princess, Hermione Granger. Sometimes, I wonder if Potter and Weasley are just immune to their lovely best friend's allure, or they are just plain stupid for not noticing what is in front of them. Bloody idiots," Blaise Zabini, the Slytherin Italian Casanova, added in mock sympathy to the Gryffindor Duo.

While his two best mates were discussing who's hot and who's not, Draco subtly took his time eyeing the Gryffindor Golden Princess with cunningness inherent to all Slytherins. He was not blind. Oh, no, no, no! He was the Slytherin Prince and Sex God. As such, he knew what to look for when it comes to women. And Hermione Granger was definitely one hell of a fine specimen among the lot. Unfortunately, he had no plans on conquering the Princess of the Golden Trio. She might be beautiful, but she was untouchable.

Hmm...But what if―naah! Impossible. Very impossible.

Before Draco could finish his thought, Dumbledore cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention. He beamed at his students, eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention. As we all know, all Wizarding Worlds affected by the war are on their path to recovery and to a booming economy. To celebrate this success, Ministries of Magic all over the world decided to restore one tradition done every ten years. This momentous event will be the first largest celebration as we move forward to new wizarding era."

Whispers erupted from each table. Some were confused and clueless about the announcement, while others were speculating about it. Some had excitement written on their faces, while others looked worried, afraid that another problem would arise. Few of them had an inkling idea on what would this event be.

In the Gryffindor table, almost everyone simultaneously looked at Hermione with inquiry.

"What?" The Gryffindor Golden Princess snapped, looking at her housemates warily.

"Do you know anything about this, Mione?" asked the youngest female Weasley.

"About what?" Hermione asked.

Sigh. "About this momentous event slash big affair," Ginny clarified.

"I don't know. Do I look like the Ministry of Magic, Gin?" Hermione joked.

"Merlin's beard! Did Hermione Granger joked? Is Hermione Granger, resident bookworm and brightest witch of our age, clueless for the first time?" Harry joked, mischievousness on his emerald eyes.

"Hey! For your information, my dear Chosen One, it's not my first time to not know something. I like reading and collecting books, but I'm not a human library. I'm not perfect you know," Hermione said defensively.

"Bloody hell! I might have a chance in intellectual department if Mione vocally claimed that she is not perfect after all," Ron said exaggeratedly, with eyes wide as saucers, humor painted on his bright blue depths.

The Gryffindors around the Golden Trio chuckled at their antics. After the war, the trio became more relaxed and at ease. They were laughing most of the time, enjoying each other's presence, and traveling around the world. Hermione lessened her bookworm and know-it-all tendencies. But mind you, she was still the brightest witch of their age. Finally, Ron understood the importance of studying. He was not the honor-type lad in the lot, but he could pass an exam as high as Exceeds Expectations and as low as Acceptable. On the other hand, Harry cast off his hero-complex and self-sacrificing stunts, and opted to consult his close friends and family, before doing something reckless.

While some Gryffindors were chuckling, a shrill voice cut their merriment.

"Oh, Merlin! Oh, Merlin! Oh, Merlin!" Lavender repeated over and over again. She was on the verge of hyperventilation, fanning herself with excitement.

"What? What! WHAT?!" Parvati asked, trying to calm her hysterical best friend. This time, most of the Gryffindors were looking curiously at them.

"Oh, Merlin! Oh, Merlin! Is it this year? Oh, Merlin! I forgot all about it!" Lavender kept on saying.

A vein popped out on Ginny's forehead. "Lavender, blimey! Will you calm down and take a chill pill? You're causing a racket! Merlin's beard! You're embarrassing our house with your hysterics. Dramatic much?!"

"You're causing a racket, too, Ginevra," Hermione interrupted slyly.

"I'm not causing a racket, Mione. How can she hear me if I don't raise my voice a bit," Ginny replied. "―and stop calling me Ginevra!"

"Alright, you lot! Since everybody's calm, can we now ask Lavender what is she talking about?" Harry asked, the ever peacemaker. As Lavender opened her mouth to explain, Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke again.

"This momentous event is participated by all wizarding schools all over the world. This year marked its tenth anniversary, since it was founded ten decades ago. I am proud to say, Hogwarts School never missed in participating, since it was founded," Professor Dumbledore proudly announced.

Whispers were starting to get louder. Excitement and curiosity circled around the atmosphere.

Dumbledore continued, "To be included in this affair is a great honor. Opportunities will flood, not only on the participating party, but also to their Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore scanned the faces of his beloved students and announced, "My dear students! I am happy to announce that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will participate in one of the most prestigious events in history... the 10th Miss Enchantress International Pageant!"

Blaise, Theodore, and Draco bumped fists with each other, thrilled about the upcoming event.

"Damn! Are we lucky or what? It gets even better and better," Blaise said with a gleam on his eyes, rubbing his palms together.

"Pageant + International Schools + Beautiful Interracial Ladies―what do we hormonal blokes get...?" Theo asked slyly, "Time of our life, mate!"

"I don't know the specifics of this event, but what I am sure of is something very good will happen this year. I'm sure of it," Draco smirked lasciviously.

Lavender, Parvati, and Romilda were squealing at Gryffindor table. They were creating a ruckus with their constant giggling and clapping. Gryffindor boys were whooping with excitement, lead by Dean and Seamus.

While Ginny, Neville, and Harry smiled at their housemates' foolishness, Hermione shook her head in exasperation, muttering about 'reading', 'productive', 'silly', and 'beauty pageant'. The other part of the Golden Trio and Gryffindor Weasley King, Ron Weasley, had 'confusion' and 'what-the-heck' flashing brightly on his forehead.

"So... what's it all about?" Ron asked, clueless as ever.

"Ron! A pageant. It is a beauty pageant!" Seamus exclaimed, looking at his red-headed housemate, waiting for him to understand the implications of the said event.

"So?" Ron asked, unable to grasp what was on their mind.

"Beauty pageant, Ron! Sexy ladies! Dressed-up and elegant beauties! Bikini clad hotties strutting around and posing for blokes to drool over! Ring any bells, Ronniekins?!" Seamus exclaimed in exasperation.

Ron looked at Seamus for a few seconds without moving, then his eyes widened like quaffles as he started coughing and choking on air. After his coughing feat, Ron exclaimed the only two words his brain could process.

"BLOODY HELL!"

Harry, Neville, Seamus, and Dean nodded their heads in agreement. "Bloody hell, indeed," the four Gryffindors said at the same time.

While the boys were exchanging ideas about the pageant, Ginny had a sly glint on her pretty face. "Hmm...Interesting. Honestly, I don't know much about Ms. Enchanted, but the big question is... Who will be selected to join the pageant?"

"I don't know much about it, too. Maybe, through volunteering or audition? Oh, well, I'm curious, but I will not waste my time researching about it," Hermione replied, as she turned the next page of her book.

"SILENCE!" Professor McGonagall shouted from the staff table as the noise kept on getting louder. All students quieted at once, facing their Headmaster, who was chuckling in amusement.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. As I was saying, Hogwarts School will participate in Miss Enchantress International approximately nine months from now. We will have four fascinating young ladies to participate in the competition. I forewarn you, a legal and step by step process stipulated by the International Ministries of Magic shall be followed in selecting these young ladies. Everything will be further explained tomorrow at 9 o'clock in the morning. May I request students from 5th to 7th year to stay here at the given time―" the lower years groaned in displeasure, "―I'm regretful that 1st to 4th years are not allowed to join tomorrow. Now, I will not hinder you from laying on your comfortable beds and warm pillows and spreads. Bed time! Chop! Chop!" Professor Dumbledore ended.

With the usual deafening scraping noise, the benches were moved back and the hundreds of students began to file out of the great hall toward their dormitories.

ooo

As Hermione and Ginny entered their dormitory, the Gryffindor Beauty whispered to the Gryffindor Golden Princess, "Oooh! I can't wait for tomorrow!"

Hermione shook her head in amusement. For her, whoever were chosen for the competition would be a 'big-international-celebrities' after this. Good thing she would never be selected. It would be impossible for her to be selected...or so she thought.

Talking about eating one's words, huh?

oooooooo

AN: Edited and Reposted! Former title: Miss Enchanted International. Please give your REVIEWS for this chapter, so that I will know if I have to continue updating this or not.

* Please continue reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated. I need your reviews for inspiration and for the will to continue this fiction with vigor. THANK YOU!
* I'll be giving exclusive update/spoilers about the next chapter for my reviewers.
* Tweet me at my Twitter: Peeboink if you have no FanFiction account and you need to ask me some questions. Visit my profile page

Notes:

* Gryffindor Golden Boy - my fictional title for Harry Potter
* Gryffindor Golden Princess - my fictional title for Hermione Granger
* Gryffindor Weasley King - my fictional title for Ron Weasley
* Gryffindor Beauty - my fictional title for Ginny Weasley
* Slytherin Prince - my fictional title for Draco Malfoy
* Slytherin Italian Casanova - my fictional title for Blaise Zabini

- boink! -

09 Oct 2012

ooo

NEXT CHAPTER: Chapter Two: Surprise Surprise