Introduction

The war was finally over. The gloom that had reigned over England for a year settled. The order met after the funeral of the former Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Most of the DA joined the cause and the time for planning was of the essence. Some parents objected, for fear of their children getting hurt, or worse, killed. There were definitely surprises along the way. For example, Dumbledore never really left them alone; the portrait of him in his office always pointed the order in the right direction. Tonks and Kingsley went on a secret mission to save none other than Draco Malfoy. They had rescued him in order to save him a death from Voldemort's hands. Harry over came his hatred for Malfoy and realized that it wasn't his fault, nor Snape's, that Dumbledore had died. He also realized the Malfoy was suffering along with the rest of them and never hated Muggle-borns. Draco Malfoy was under his father's rule all this time and never knew just how to escape from it. Many lives were lost during the battle but great things came out of it as well. Neville Longbottom, severally cursed Bellatrix Lestrange during the battle, paying her back for the torment she placed on his parents. Hermione Granger proved that being a bookworm helped in her defensive skills against the Death Eaters and Ron proved that he was truly a master at Wizard's chess. Ron and Remus Lupin plotted battle attacks in order to surprise Voldemort's troops, since he had more supporters. The battle raged on with Voldemort's supporters now limited, some dead others in curiosity at the ministry.

A number of the order had ended up in Norway were they followed Voldemort to a small hidden cave in the snow covered hills. There Harry faced Voldemort for the final time. In the end Harry defeated The Dark Lord by using the expelliarmus charm when Voldemort shouted out the killing cruse. The Dark lord's spell backfired and hit him instead.

The banning of the misguided Dementors was set, because as it turns out they were in league with Voldemort. All Deatheaters were sentenced to the kiss and the wizarding world was beginning to thrive in a world of mixed heritages. Since Hogwarts and all other wizarding schools were closed due to obvious reasons, the ministry reinstated all schools to be reopened for the upcoming year. All students from the previous year were to go back to the year that they would have been in before the schools were closed. While all incoming first years were to attend a school to be opened only for first year students. Nothing came between reopening educational facilities in the Ministry's mind. The position of Hogwarts Headmistress was none-other-than Professor McGonagall. It was to be another year, however, in a different era. Of course change was bound to happen.

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A chestnut haired girl was struggling through the difficult busy crowd at King's Cross. Her new masked owl and Crookshanks were giving a few heads a turn. The girl took a sharp turn to the right when she spotted a familiar raven haired boy walking directly in front of her.

"Harry?" She whispered as if she couldn't believe the name coming out of her mouth. "Harry!" She rushed towards him, calling his name, mentally making sure she didn't crush into anyone. Finally the boy got a clue to the fact that his name was being shouted directly behind him. He jerked his body to face a surprisingly stunning girl, no woman, coming to a halt beside him.

"Harry, it's so good to see you!" A genuinely bright smile caressed her face. Her chocolate orbs warmed his heart, yet he couldn't place her.

"Um," He gave a slight nervous chuckle, "I'm sorry, this is really embarrassing, but…who are you?" She started at him in wonder.

'How does he not recognize me?' She thought. "It's me Harry. Hermione." Right as she stated her name Harry was mentally kicking his bloody mind to a pulp. This amazing girl in front of him was his best friend, sister, to him of seven years. The girl that he, Ginny, and Ron missed greatly while staying they stayed at the burrow. The girl that he wrote almost everyday to while he was sorting out his life. The girl who looked up apartments, but could never come with him to view them because her parents wanted to spend massive amounts of time with her. Although, they did have a good reason to, because they were afraid of her never coming to see them again since she wanted to live and work in the wizarding world. How could they think that she wouldn't come visit them, Harry would never know.

"Hermione, I feel like such a git right now. Well, give me a hug." He stood there with his arms open waiting for something to transpire.

"Oh Harry, I've missed you so much!" She leapt into his arms and both were laughing in joy. People were looking over at their display and making up their own scenarios for it. Both broke apart from one another and looked over each other, seeing how they've both grown in the matter of months they spent apart. Harry playing quidditch with Ron, when he wasn't organizing his life, had made him more built, yet still lean. He no longer possessed the scar that had burdened him since he was born. However, he would still be famous for all that took place.

Hermione on the other hand had finally managed to tame her hair (something which Harry would never achieve) The waves stopped a little past her shoulders, a medium straightener had done wonders to reduce the frizz, however the curls were still there. Puberty at caught up to her as well, in the fact that she finally had developed. She was a good size for her weight and hints of toned muscle were shown, yet not revealed.

Hermione glanced down at her wristwatch, looked back up, then frantically looked at it again, "Oh! We should be on our way if we want to make it to school." She grabbed her trolley and Harry's arm with his other barley able to take a hold of his trolley in time.

"Only you would want to go back to school, 'Mione. But why the rush? We have like ten minutes left." Harry said glancing down at his own watch.

Hermione loosened her death grip in Harry. "Oh well, I'm just really excited to see everyone again. And ten minutes isn't that much time, if you really consider it. I mean, you are always bound to strike up a conversation with someone before boarding he train and then there's always slight fact that we always sit in the same compartment every year, and who…"

"Okay, okay I get it." Harry said quickly cutting in Hermione's rant. He was laughing as they both crossed the barrier onto platform nine and three quarters.

The train to Hogwart's looked majestic as it stood proudly for all eyes to see. Students made their way into the train or talked amongst their friends and saying farewell to their families.

"Harry!" They turned to see a tall red-headed boy bounding towards them. His filled green t-shirt showed muscles that had developed over the months, no doubt from quidditch.

"He looks as though he's a futball player,' Hermione silently snorted at the thought. The possibilities that Ron has even looked at a futball was bonkers to begin with. His slightly crooked smile allowed his pearly whites to shine down upon his friend. His eyes sparkling with mischief as he arrived before them.

"Hiya Harry! Oi, who's this lovely lass, eh?" Ron said grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, Ron." Hermione shook her head at his comment.

Ron kept his smile, yet narrowed his eyes while lowering his head to Harry's. Mind you that it wasn't by much since they were only two inches apart. "Who's that?" Whispering to Harry, which made Hermione skew her face up in confusion.

Harry looked as if Ron was mad, then remembering that he earlier asked the same thing smiled and turned to Ron, "That's Hermione you twat."

Ron's jaw dropped, not from Harry calling him a twat, but that the radiant girl before him happened to be their own 'Mione.

"Oh will you two get a move on, we still have to get to the compartment." Hermione exaggerated and dragged the two boys onto the train. They finally arrived to the compartment, which Ginny was saving, after Ron's quick stop at the trolley cart.

"I really don't understand why you couldn't just wait until the trolley came around." Hermione said as she sat down next to Ginny while Harry and Ron sat across them.

"What? I was hungry." Ron said, ravishing a chocolate frog afterwards.

The two girls made a face and even Harry gave him a look as he was consuming one of his many purchases. "Ron, you're always hungry and that," Ginny gestured to him, "is disgusting." Hermione and Harry laughed along with her as Ron grumbled and took a 'daintier' bite.

Ginny was far from the shy girl she once was. She cropped her hair, making her look like a fiery pixie. She had developed a figure, like Hermione, only it was more athletic since she played quidditch. She possessed this spirit which Hermione secretly envied. Ginny turned to face Hermione the sunlight from the window reflected off the top of her head making the appearance of a halo.

"Hermione, I've missed you so much!" She pulled her into a hug.

"I've missed you too Gin." Hermione said over Ginny's shoulder. The boys seemed to sense a very feminine conversation and decided to discuss what they knew best; quidditch.

"What was your summer like 'Mione? It wasn't the same without your visit to the burrow."

Hermione looked down. Ginny was right, it did feel different, but her parents were so enamored with their own fears that she would take off skipping and jumping into the wizarding world never looking back. 'Which is just ridiculous.'

"I know Gin. But my parents didn't want me to leave the muggle world for a second. It was utterly absurd. I mean, how they possibly think that I won't visit them?"

"I don't know 'Mione," Ginny pondered, "but some people do let their fears get the best of them."

The girls sat, only the background of Ron and Harry's conversation and the train spared them deathly silence.

'Am I that easy to read?" Hermione wondered.

"But anyways, in your letter you said you got to visit Australia?" Ginny said, breaking the mood earlier sensing that Hermione was becoming uncomfortable.

"Oh yes!" Hermione forgetting all about the earlier statement, "It was so exciting. I never realized how cute kangaroos were until I saw them up close."

"Wicked."

"What did you end up doing?" Ginny titled her head sideways in question. "I mean, either you were going to work with Fred and George or working with Charlie, and I was wondering where you ended up at."

"Well, as much as I love the twins I wanted to get out of the house. Ron ended up going with the troublesome duo and I got to got o Romania." Ginny chuckled, "Ron was so mad that I got to pick first."

At this statement Ron's hearing perked up. "You're bloody right that I was mad. You knew, knew, how much I wanted to work with dragons!"

"And you knew that I wanted to see some form of males other than my brothers!" Ginny shot back. Hermione noticed that Harry's eye twitched at her reason for going. "Plus, actually working with dragons was really fun. Charlie that I had a natural knack for it," Ginny boasted holding her head up proudly.

"Yeah, well that should have been me." Ron said darkly lowering himself in his seat.

"Oh come on Ron." Harry said rolling his eyes. "You told me how much you loved testing and invention new materials for them. Don't tell me you forgotten that?"

"Shv' it Harry." The three laughed, gaining a small tugging on Ron's lips. Though he wouldn't give in to the tempting smile, his eyes, however, betrayed him.

Like a ton of bricks, Hermione had a realization that she had forgotten completely about. Until this moment, of course.

"Oh my goodness! I completely for got to tell you guys," They looked up from Ron to Hermione's bewildered face, "I made Head Girl!"

They all rolled their eyes and laughed.

"What?" Hermione demanded to know. 'I don't think I've sprang a second head, but it still could be a possibility.'

"Oh come on, we all knew that you would get it." Harry said.

"You did?" Hermione said genuinely surprised.

"Hermione you wouldn't have any homework to do for a whole week if you didn't know us." Ron said smiling.

"Well, Ron perhaps I will let you learn on your won. We all know where that would get you." Hermione said pointedly.

"I must congratulate you. You defiantly deserved it; doing your own work, plus these two bozos'." Ginny smiled while the boys pouted.

"So do either of you have any news of the sort?" Hermione looked at Harry and Ron. But all she got out of them were confused looks. "Well, aren't either of you Head Boy?" From their faces Hermione already knew both of their answers.

"Nope not here. Harry?" Ron looked to him in a very Hermione manner.

"Not me, sorry 'Mione." Harry gave her a small smile.

"Well I didn't except it to be Ron." Hermione quickly added, "No offense Ron. But, Harry, I would have thought you of all people…"

"Maybe some people think that Harry should get a break from attention. He always has hated it, and with saving the world we know, maybe he doesn't want to call more attention to himself." Ron said with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Harry thinks that people should stop talking about his own opinions when he is sitting right here." Both turned to stare at Harry. Ginny just sat there with an amused look on her face, watching the scene unfold before her. "But Ron is right, saying all that. It will be nice to focus on important things…"

Before Harry could say what this particular important thing was Hermione answered for him, "Homework, Harry? I never thought I would actually hear that. I for one I'm very proud by this…"

"No! Quidditch!" Hermione's eyes widened and she slammed her palm against her forehead. Harry, Ron, and Ginny automatically went into a full-blown discussion of what tactics they could use for this upcoming season. While Hermione went into deep thought.

"I still want to know though," Hermione stated more to herself then anyone in the room.

"Know what Granger? That you still cannot understand why I'll always be better than you?" Hermione recognized the voice immediately. Looking up she saw that she was right, none other then Draco Malfoy was standing in the doorway of the compartment. Even though he had helped them during the war old habits died hard. He had accepted all things muggle, including muggle-borns, but he was still an egotistical prat. He was standing in the door frame tall and proud (he was only an inch taller then Harry). His blonde bangs hung loosely in his face. Gel no longer held it in place perfectly. His pale skin looked as though it had never been kissed by the sun and his gray eyes were distant, closing barriers from his inner thoughts.

"I guarantee you Malfoy that we won't ever be on the same level as each other." She shot him a glare.

"You got that right. I'll always be on top." Draco's lips curled into his infamous smirk.

"You couldn't compete with me Malfoy. I'll always beat you at everything." After a pause Hermione continued, "And before you go and count flying, it's not considered an educational purpose, so there."

"Oh, that gets me right here." Draco held up his right arm and tapped his chest where his heart would be, sarcasm written in his tone. "But you made your mistake already. You said and I quote "everything."" I count flying as something, therefore, it's almost everything Granger. Even though I still think you're rather wrong."

By now the others had stopped their own conversation to watch the exchange between the now Head Girl, princess of Gryffindor and the King of Slytherin. Ginny was thoroughly entertained, Harry was indifferent, and Ron's emotions were hidden well behind a cool front.

"Well I might not be able to beat you at flying, but Harry's got that covered." Draco scowled at Hermione. Harry felt like he was being thrown into the middle of something that he wanted no part of and Ron let out a breath of laughter, then quickly closed his mouth when Draco shot a glare towards him. Draco ignored a retort about Harry's flying abilities by biting his tongue. He made a promise to himself to be civil to the boy-who-saved-his-arse during the war. Instead he turned back to the Gryffindor princess who was currently giving his manliness a run for his money.

"So what doesn't the know-it-all, know?" Draco leaned back against the doorframe, folding his arms across his stomach.

"Well for you information, not that any of this concerns you in the least. But I was, still am, trying to figure out who is Head Boy." Hermione thought that he had a look of confusion plastered on his face and so she went on, "Since I am this year's Head Girl." Hermione sat proudly in her seat a smug look present on her face. 'I just bested him,' she thought happily, 'Now his ego will be shot.'

"I'm surprised you don't know that by now, Granger." Draco said with a stone face and voice void of any emotion.

"Well," Hermione shifted in her seat, "It wasn't written in the letter I received and I assumed it was Harry."

"Which she was completely was wrong about," Harry jumped in to say.

"Which is a first for her," Ron stated. Hermione slowly was turning to face Ron. Ginny sensing a fight breaking out, which would end up with Ron receiving a bloody nose, quickly intervened.

"Yes, it's the first, and only time that will ever happen again."

"Thank you Ginny." The fiery red-head gave a nervous smile in return, praying that no one would end up seeing Madame Pomfrey.

"Whoever said that you were the brightest witch of the time, has got to be bonkers."

"Why is that Malfoy?" He moved his arms wrapped around himself and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I hate to see how this year is going to turn out with you being Head Girl and all. I mean, if you can't even simply figure out who the Head Boy is, how is anything going to ever get done at his school?" He smirked, his eyes never leaving hers. She was responding to the challenge when her eyes caught his toned chest. Her eyes started to roam over his body, 'I guess quidditch isn't so bad after all.' She tensed at this thought, 'No, no, bad Hermione. This is Malfoy, Malfoy ,not any normal boy. But Malfoy!' Draco laughed out loud, as he was standing up.

"See something you like Granger?"

"No, but I'll tell you what would," Before Draco could say anything Hermione went on, "whipping that smirk off with my fist." She stood boldly, even though she only came up to somewhere around his 'lean toned figure.' She blanched at her thought. 'He is Malfoy for Heaven's sake!' Yet her thoughts never gave her away, as her eyes only focused on his.

"Now, now…we wouldn't want the Head Girl to get points taken from her, or worse expelled." With that Draco turned to nod at the other three and walked, supposedly, to his own compartment.

"That was sure fun to watch," Ginny said smiling at Hermione when she sat down.

"I know he ended up on our side, but bloody hell does he grid my nerves."

"You should have socked him one Mione. Never liked that prat for an instant." Ron said.

"Don't you people remember that he helped us during the war?" Ginny looked at Hermione and Ron.

"Doesn't mean I still have to like him," Ron muttered. Ginny then turned to look at Harry.

"Oh, no," Harry put his hands up in defense, "I am not saying a word." They went back to talking about what the school year could possibly hold. However, Harry's thoughts traveled back to the night where he saw the death of Malfoy's father.

A number of them traveled, to seek out Voldemort, to the top of Norway. They trudged through the thick coating of snow-covered hill sides; keep a low profile so they wouldn't attract attention. This means that they traveled mainly by night, only casting lumos in absolutely necessary moments. Skipping meals happened so often that when the war was over, they were bound to be able to see their bones against their flesh. On this particular night a blizzard was on the horizon. They had finally penetrated Voldemort's concealment charm placed on the dingy cave.

It was odd to think that the most powerful and influential purebloods in Voldemort's ranks were reduced to hiding with their precious Dark Lord in a damp cave far from prying eyes. Tonks offered to venture to the entrance by some trees, since she can change her form willingly. Tonks made her hair blonde and to her shoulders, her skin pale and her eyes a light blue. Hoping that if anyone did see her they would think that she was a stranded native and not someone from the order. She conjured a warm muggle jacket, jumper, jeans, and snow boots. The others were hidden in the forest that was on the border of were the barrier used to be.

Before anyone realized Draco had taken off after Tonks at full speed. Remus spotted what had caused Malfoy to act as such, Lucius Malfoy was slithering up behind Tonks, who had her back turned. She was using her hand to block the fierce wind that was whipping at her. Lucius was holding out his one prepared to attack. The others, finally grasping the situation, made their way towards the site, trying not to give themselves away to the senior Malfoy. Harry wondered along with Remus how Draco had noticed Lucius. 'How does this weather not affect him?' Harry thought, but thanking whatever it was for making it so. Just as Lucius was about to mutter a spell, Draco leaped on Tonks throwing her and himself down on the wet ground. The spell, thankfully, missed them both.

"Draco, you filthy disinherited child, what brings you here?" Lucius spat.

"What do you think? Trying to stop this madness! Look what you've reduced to yourself to, father." Draco's gaze met similar ones to his own, both admitting heat from their anger.

"And look what you've reduced yourself to. Helping half-bloods and protecting mudbloods." He spat out the words as if they were acid burning on his tongue.

"At least they're sane. Is power really worth all of this? There will be no one else left, who wants to have power with no with to rule over?" Lucius stumbled over this question, for he never thought to think of that. However, his stone interior and exterior were back in place. He picked up Draco by the collar of his coat, ignoring Tonks's protesting screams. He kicked the wand that she was producing from her pocket and it slid a few feet from her lying form.

"You will know what it feels like to die knowing that you have tainted our family's name!" He forcefully shoved his wand into Draco's neck.

"At least I'll know that I was the one to help put sense back into this family's line." Draco said coolly, his tone void of any anger. Knowing that this would upset him even more then if there was hate behind the words. He was ready to die; it was worth it in the end.

"You leave me no choice. Avad-"

"Avada Kadavra!" Lucius's grip on Draco fell limp and both fell to the blanketed ground.

Draco sat up in shock as he saw his father sprawled motionless on the ground. His long hair surrounded his defined face, not one strand out of place. The only thing out of perfection was his right arm was bent lifeless holding his wand. "Almost perfect' Draco whispered, not to be heard by the raging wind. Yet this imperfect man, with all his character flaws was still the man he once called father. He slowly dragged his knees through the gripping snow, pulling his own body up to his.

"Damn you," Draco whispered to his corpse, "If you hadn't been so blind maybe we could have lived like a normal, no a real, family. Maybe I wouldn't have grown up so conflicted. Blood isn't everything." Snowflakes fell onto his pale eyelashes as water swelled up in vision.

"Draco-"

"No, it's alright." He looked back at his father, "You did him a favor." He blinked and what you could have called tears vanished, no longer in sight. Both heard shouting and some screams from inside the cave. Realization hit them both that the others had already went on ahead, this thought pulled them from the stench of death.

"Ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be." With that they both took off ready to fight for a cause, which would set the next course for history. The only other person to witness the sight was Harry. He had gone over to see if Tonks needed help, surprised to discover that she had already left to go fight with the rest. He knew that it was wrong to watch the exchange between father and son, and Lupin as well. Yet, he gained respect for his fellow fighter and classmate. As soon as the two had entered the cove, Harry readied himself and moved with determination, to end this wasteland once and for all, no matter what.

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Harry returned from his thoughts, gloom clouded his usually bright eyes, since the war had ended. It would pass, but it would always linger at the back of his mind.

"It seems to me, Hermione, that Malfoy knows something about the Head Boy in question." Ginny said clutching her sides.

"Urgh, are we bloody on this topic again? I thought we passed it! Right, Harry?" Ron said throwing his arms into the air.

"Uh, right," Harry said with uncertainty. 'How long have I've been away this time?' Harry would surprise himself sometimes when his mind would venture into vivid displays of horror.

"How could Malfoy of all people be able to digest Head Boy material?" Hermione said waiting to hear what logical reason Ginny could come up with.

"Maybe he's a poof." Ron looked as if he had just answered the million-dollar question correctly on a muggle network show.

"Don't be a git Ron." Harry said sully. Just because Malfoy and he had many disagreements didn't mean that he wanted to disrespect the guy.

"Your time of the month, too Harry? I think that you and Ginny should stop hanging out as much as you do." Ron gave the lop-sided grin that you just couldn't get mad at, even if he was being somewhat of a prat. Ginny playfully punched him on his arm and Ron then proceeded to fall back dramatically making them all go into a fit of laughter.

"What I was going to say 'Mione, was that he just sounded to confident not to know," she turned from Hermione and went back to the surrounding laughter. "Okay you two, we all need to get our robes on we're almost there!" They all started to put their robes on and then for the second time that day Hermione felt as if a ton of bricks hit her. 'No, no. He couldn't possibly…no, no. He can't. I won't let him. Oh, bloody hell.' The train whistled to a stop, Hermione's mind still spinning, while getting off to grab a carriage. This would be her home for the next year with no idea of what was in store.

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