Avada Kedavra

"Oh my God!" Hermione exclaimed. "Harry! Ron! Come look at this!"

"What is it Mione?" Ron inquired

Hermione was reading the Daily Prophet that had just arrived at the Burrow. There was a picture of Draco Malfoy on the cover. The picture had its hands covering its face, but there was no mistaking that head of bleach blond hair. The headline above the picture read "Murder at the Malfoy Manor".

"Oh please tell me it was Draco." Ron sneered.

"Ron! Don't say things like that!" Hermione shrieked.

"What does the article say, Hermione?" Harry asked

"It says that Lucius and Narcissia were murdered while they were asleep in their bed, using the Avada Curse. They don't know who did it and have no leads." Hermione explained

"What about baby Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"It says that he was unharmed and that he didn't hear anything. He woke up the next morning to find both of his parents dead. It also says that since he is already 17 he will inherit the manor and all of his parents wealth."

"Lucky git." Ron mumbled under his breath, Hermione gasped as she had still heard him.

"Do you think he'll be back at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked.

"I don't know...I mean he has too finish up doesn't he?" Hermione asked.

"Well duh, but if I were him, I'd take the money and run, look at Fred and George, they didn't finish and they are doing great!" Ron pointed out.

"I think he'll be there. Besides that big Manor had got to be depressing especially since he found his parents dead there, if I were him I would want to go back to Hogwarts." Harry responded. He was feeling something closely resembling pity for Malfoy, if anyone knew what it was like to lose their parents it was him, but a least he hadn't found them. Harry didn't understand why he was feeling the way he was but he knew that for some unknown reason he was not harboring as many ill feelings toward Draco Malfoy as he once had.

Harry looked back at the paper with contemplative look gracing his strong features. Would he come back to Hogwarts and if he did would he be the same old Malfoy, or would this change him somehow? There were a lot of questions that Harry needed answered, and in two days time he would have those answers. It was the last weekend before school and Harry was, of course, at the Burrow. He had been there for the last two weeks of holidays, Hermione had arrived half-way through their last week. They had spent the last few days just spending time with one another, the trio back together at last. They knew that this was their last year, the last chance to just be together and have no real worries. After this year everything was going to change. There was the coming war, and afterwards their lives would be waiting, that is if Harry was successful. Everyone was counting on him, and he was relieved to have one more year before he had to take on that world of responsibility. He knew that he would have his two best mates there behind him the whole way, and that gave him courage.

The next day Arthur and Molly would be taking them and Ron's little sister Ginny into Diagon Alley for their school supplies. They would need all their new books and Harry had grown out of his school robes. He would go to Gingotts bank for some money for the year, and then they would all have lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. Afterwards they would refresh their potion supplies and get some owl treats for Hedwig and Pig. Harry and Ron would run of to the quality quidditch supply store and ogle everything they could not buy, while the girls and Mrs. Weasley went for ice-cream. At the end of the day they would return to the Burrow and have a fantastic supper, as Mrs. Weasley was the best cook any of them knew. The three would stay up most of the night talking until Mr. Weasley threatened them and told them to go to sleep. Sunday would be spent in a whirlwind of quidditch, packing, eating(mostly on Ron's part) and basically just preparing for the end of summer and the start of their seventh and final year at Hogwarts.

Before they knew it they found themselves rushing through to platform 9 ¾ and barely making the train. They all gave Mrs. Weasley a quick hug before jumping on the train and finding an empty compartment, at the very back of the train they found one with only one passenger, Neville Longbottom. The three shuffled into the compartment and got themselves situated. After just one restful moment Hermione jumped up and told the other two that she needed to go to the prefects compartment to meet the head boy.

"Do you know who the head boy is this year?" Harry asked.

"No, but I am going to go find out, wish me luck!" Hermione said as she raced from the compartment.

"Luck..." Harry mumbled at her retreating back.

Hermione wandered her way through the long scarlet train and finally found herself in front of the door to the prefects compartment, she knew that there was a smaller sub-compartment inside that was for the Heads only, she figured she would find the new Head Boy in there. Hermione took a moment to collect herself and take a deep breath, she was a little nervous about who the Head boy was seeing as she would be spending her year in the same dormitory, she knew that it couldn't be a Gryffindor but she hoped that it was someone she got along with. Taking one last deep breath she slide the door open and walked in. The prefects were all milling around inside waiting to be told what to do.

"Hello everyone, I'm Hermione Granger the new Head Girl." She received a couple of nods and some hello's from the people she knew better. "I am going to go and have a word with the Head boy and I would like you all to start patrolling the corridors. Try to keep everyone under control, I will be out of patrol in a moment. Thanks guys."

Hermione watched as all of the prefects shuffled out of the room and into the halls for their patrol duty, she knew that every single one of them would rather be just sitting with their friends enjoying their last breath of freedom before the new school year began, but they were prefects and they had their duties. Sighing she closed the door and walked over to the Head chambers, she had no idea who to expect in there, as long as it wasn't a slytherin she would be fine. She took one more deep breath and pushed open the door, she took one step into the room and came face to face with none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Oh shit!" Hermione gasped upon seeing the blond boy.

Draco looked up at her coldly, "Language Granger." He said in an icy deliberate tone.

"Sorry, I just...you're the new Head Boy?" Hermione asked in an exasperated tone.

"It seems so." Draco said in a whisper. He turned away from her and looked back out the window, he was no longer the snide, evil git he use to be, instead he was cold and withdrawn, every word and every action carefully measured. He was closed off, like he did not want anyone to know who he was, or that he was hurting.

"We...uh...we have to go patrol the corridors." Hermione mumbled.

Draco did not look at her, he simply kept staring out the window, the same cold detached look on his face. He was not interested in doing his so called duty, he was going to go through the motions, and leave Hogwarts at the end of the year as one of the best in his class, but he had no desire to talk or associate with anyone. He was torn up and broken on the inside, a shadow of his former self but on the outside a perfectly stony facade. The only person he had ever been close to, the only person he had ever loved had been ripped from him, his mother was gone. He could care less about his father, he hated his father, but his mother was someone different. She was not the person she pretended to be while in the company of Lucius. She was caring and loving and wanted so desperately to be a good mother. Draco hated himself for never telling her that she was, for never telling her that he loved her. A single hot salty tear ran down his pale cheek, he brushed it away quickly and turned to see if Hermione had seen anything, but she had gone while he was immersed in his thoughts. Turning back to the window he seemed to lose himself again. Before he knew it the sun and set and the train was pulling into Hogsmeade station. He got up and dressed into his school robes quickly, and went to find the Heads carriage.

"Harry! Ron! Wait up!" Hermione yelled.

"Where have you been? Did you have to patrol the corridors the whole time?"

"Yes..." Hermione began, she was out of breath from having run over to meet them. "You will never guess who the Head Boy is this year..."

"Who?" Ron asked.

"Malfoy." Hermione spit out the name like it was something awful.

"Ah, Mione I am so sorry!" Ron told her.

"Hermione, maybe you should try to talk to him, I mean he just lost his parents, he probably needs someone in his corner." Harry ventured receiving stunned looks from Hermione and Ron.

"What!! He has been a right foul git for the past six years, and you want me to befriend him because he lost his parents? Well its not going to happen!" Hermione said fuming slightly.

"Think about it Hermione, you have to share a room with him for the whole year...you will probably have to get along, otherwise your year will really suck." Harry reasoned.

Ron had watched the exchange between his friends with a wide-eyed, open-mouthed look of bewilderment etched across his face. "Are you mad?" He asked Harry.

"No, I just know what he must be going through is all..." Harry began.

"Well I don't, all I know is that he is the enemy and you can't expect me to befriend him!" Hermione said before she stalked away in a fury.

Harry gave Ron a pleading look and headed to the thestral drawn carriages that would take them up the school. Ron and Harry were both starving and were quite looking forward to the warm castle and the magnificent feast. Hermione climbed up the ladder and entered the Head carriage, she sat down in the seat across from Malfoy and pointedly looked out the window. She was still upset that Harry could think that Malfoy would be anything but the evil little cockroach he always was.

The ride up to the castle was tense and silent between the two enemies, both were looking out the window doing everything they could to not look at one another. When the carriage finally came to a stop Hermione jumped up and practically threw herself out the door. Draco waited a few moments to make sure she had gone before getting up and making the lonely walk into the Great Hall.

"Welcome everyone to another year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry!" Professor Dumbledore greeted them. "With out further ado, dig in!"

The golden plates that lined the five table in the Great hall suddenly filled with food. Ron practically started to drool as he filled his plate. Hermione however was not interested in food, she was still mad at Harry, even though by now she could see his wisdom, but more than anything she was nervous about sharing a dormitory with Malfoy. The feast went way to quickly for Hermione's liking and before she realized it Dumbledore had gotten up to make his real speech.

"I hope you are all well fed and happy, I just have a few start of term announcements, as always the forest is forbidden to anyone who does not wish to meet a painful and untimely death.(This received nervous chuckles from the first year students, but upon seeing the looks on the older students faces the quickly stopped and got wide-eyed expressions on their faces) I would also like to introduce you all to the new Head boy and girl. Hermione Granger from Gryffindor and Draco Malfoy from Slytherin." This was met with simultaneous cheers and boos. Hermione stood and gave everyone a little wave whereas Draco kept his seat and his icy expression. "We have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, this is Professor O'Malley." A small rather young looking which stood up to wave to the students, she was so small in fact that the trio had failed to spot her before Dumbledore pointed her out.

"Maybe she'll work out better than the last six." Ron mumbled under his breath and received a shush from Hermione.

"Well that is all for tonight, please get with your prefects for the new passwords and have a good night."

"Well I am off." Hermione said as she ran off to lead the first years to the dormitories.

Harry and Ron got up and dragged themselves up to the Gryffindor tower, they were tired and full and very ready for bed. When they finally did manage to get up to their dormitory they fell into bed and were practically asleep by the time they hit their pillows.

Hermione made sure that all of the prefects were leading the new students to the dormitories, she went on rounds and finally made it back to her own dormitory at a quarter till midnight. Draco had forgone his duties once again and had simply gone straight to the Heads dorms and gone to bed where he had nightmares of finding his mother dead in her bed. Hermione, vowing that she would try to talk to Draco the next day got into bed and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.