****Draco POV****
Draco gazed around the Great Hall in sadness tinged with wonder. Because of the war they had fought during their last year at the school, all of the Seventh years that had made it through the war alive were permitted to come back for a final year. The gift of being able to round up their schooling and get on with their careers was huge for most of the now Eighth years.
The wonder was due to the fact that he himself had made it through alive. The sadness was due to the fact that not everyone had made it, to name a few, Lavender Brown did not live through the ravaging of the beastly werewolf, Fenrir Grayback. Fred Weasley had been killed by an explosion. Nymphodora Lupin, Rumus's wife had passed, leaving their little one Teddy, without a mother. Colin Creevey had been struck by a killing curse out on the grounds. Dobby, his fathers previous house elf, had been killed by his aunt Bellatrix, while he was saving Harry Potter, the Weasel, and Grang-... Hermione, and the rest of that lot. A burst of pain flared in his chest at the thought of his aunt, and a second, larger one at the thought of Harry. His aunt had been killed by the Weasels mother- Molly, was it?- and though it was the last thing ANYONE had expected to happen, Voldemort had prevailed. He-who-must-not-be-named was still at large, those left of the Order regrouping and mourning their dead. With the rest of the wizarding world too fearful of the Dark Lord and his minions to fight back, and the Order in shambles, his fellow witches and wizards either went subservient at His name or converted and became his followers. Though much had changed, it had been mere months since the death of the famed Chosen One, Harry Potter.
Disembarking from the train had been nostalgic for him. All other times he had left platform 9 3/4 his parents had been with him, but since the Dark Lord and his followers were still planning their next attack, he was stripped of the accompaniment of his parents. The staff of Hogwarts were given leeway and allowed to come back to work at the school only because they were thought to have been protecting Harry and not to be directly associated with the Order. Which come to think of it, was the only reason half of the staff were even alive still. He grimaced as thoughts of the war came flooding back to him. He wished dearly that things had gone another way, but things happen, and there is no way you can go back and fix them. He glanced down at his class schedule, noting that he had Defense, Advanced Flying, lunch, Transfiguration, and Potions, with Quidditch practice every other day.
He was shaken from his reverie by Blaise tapping his arm and saying something. "What?" He snapped. Blaise looked affronted, "Jeeze mate, calm down. You were just staring at Hermione, and she noticed." Draco glanced towards the Gryffindor table and sure enough, the girl in question was studying him carefully. He ran his hand through his hair nervously and turned away to talk to Blaise, trying to forget about her. Not really paying attention to what he was saying, he let his mind wander again and his gaze drifted back to Hermione. Only to find her still watching him. Still watching.
Why the hell is she staring at me? Do I have something on my face? Is there food in my teeth? Hermione was staring at him and it was quite unnerving. She held eye contact for a few more seconds, flushed lightly, and then glanced away. Draco could have sworn he saw something other than distaste flicker in her eyes before she looked away and struck up a conversation with Weasley, but it was there and gone so fast that there was no way of telling for sure. Still watching her, he wondered what all of what had just occurred between them was. Just then he heard Minerva McGonagall begin to speak. Pushing Hermione from his mind, he turned towards the front of the Great Hall and listened as their Headmistress welcomed them all back to another year at Hogwarts.
Hermione looked around the hall, saddened by the sight that confronted her. Out of the large group of students that had been at Harry's side only a small few remained. Of even the students who had sided with the Dark Lord, still only a few lived. Her best friend was dead, and her boyfriend had become her ex-boyfriend due to the stress of the war and his brother Freddie's death. Then, learning of Lavender Brown's death had been the clincher. There was no going back. Plus, she had seen from the way Ron had cradled Lavender's broken body and sobbed after the incident, that he had still been in love with her. So, to save him from the guilt of breaking it off himself, Hermione broke it off for him, saying he needed time to mourn and be with his family and that she understood. She regretted doing it, even though she knew it was the right thing to do. A part of her would always be Ron's, he was her first love after all. Luckily, he was able to come back again this year, he now sat to her right. But he wasn't the same. She looked to her right and bumped her shoulder gently into Ron's smiling faintly at him when he glanced up at her slowly. He twitched his mouth in what she thought was supposed to be a smile, and then looked back down at the table.
Looking away from him at last she continued her survey of the hall of students when she noticed that one student in particular seemed to be doing the same thing. Draco. Since when has he stopped being Malfoy and become Draco, she thought to herself. Calling him Draco seemed intimate, compared to their past experiences.
She watched as Blaise Zabini tapped him on the arm and said something to him, curious of what was being said. All of a sudden, his gaze snapped up to meet with hers and he ran his hand through his hair. He hurriedly glanced away and resumed speaking with Zabini. Continuing to study him, she took in the fact that though he looked much older and weathered, he was quite handsome, even dashing. She looked at his body, noting how he had become muscled and toned through the years and wondered why she had never appreciated his beauty before. It's hard to appreciate someones total gorgeousness when they are constantly calling you "mudblood", she reminded herself. Letting her eyes rove back to his face, she realized he had seen her staring. She gazed across the hall into those grey orbs for a few more breif seconds and then, flushing bright pink, she turned away and began speaking to Ron. "So what are your classes for this year, Ron?" "I dunno, let me check," he replied, "Okay, so I have Defense Against the Dark Arts first, then I have a break, then lunch, then Transfiguration, and then Potions." Hermione broke into a smile, "Fantastic, so we have all classes but flying together..." She finished lamely. "I have Defense, then Advanced Flying, lunch, then Transfiguration, and Potions."
Just as she had finished, Hermione heard Headmistress McGonagall begin to speak, her voice amplified by the Sonorus charm so as to be heard throughout the Great Hall. "Hello again, students. We of the faculty are happy to invite you all back to another year at Hogwarts. We want to give our oldest students a warm welcome back. Due to the war at the end of last year, those of the seventh year classes did not get to finish out the classes needed to begin a career. Thus we have made an Eighth year class."
As the students murmered and shuffled about at the revelation, the great hall doors were thrown open with a boom. The groundskeeper, Hagrid, strode in with the first years followed by Professor Snape, Oliver Wood, and a figure under a dark travelling cloak. More shuffling and murmuring arose as most of the students followed the movements of the cloaked figure. Others watched as Hagrid led in the newest members of the school. The youngsters all looked around nervously as they followed the big man up to the long table at the head of the hall. Like every time before, there was a short stool with a battered old hat set upon it.
McGonagall rose again at the staff table. "Before we commence with the Sorting, I would like to introduce our faculty this year. Hagrid, and Professors Binns, Sprout, and Flitwick will all have Care of magical Creatures, History of magic, Herbology, and Charms, respectively and as normal." Each stood and bowed as their name and class was called, and then sat back down. "However, due to the..." here, the headmistress seemed to be searching for the right words, "lack of teachers willing to be here, we have had need of some new hires and shuffling of classes. Professor Slughorn will be your potions master this year, with Professor Snape as your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Both stood up at their seats and bowed before the students.
She continued with her speech stating each of the teachers and their class, and as she said each they did as the professors before had done. "Firenze will teach Astronomy, and Madam Hooch will do the first years Flying training. If you have anything that ails you or have questions regarding the library, see Madam Pomfrey for your illnesses, and Madam Pince for your books. And Argus Filch is back as Caretaker." There was much rustling at the changes in teachers and classes, but it was to be expected. The veteran students waited with bated breath to see what Oliver Wood was there for. As well as the hooded figure, who had still refrained from revealing themself. "Now students, we will be continuing the Quidditch matches. Oliver Wood, former Captain and Keeper for Gryffindor house, has come back as a coach, and despite his former alleigance to Gryffindor, will hold no favorites of houses." Everyone broke into loud cheers, they were all grateful to have something to be happy about, and something to take the edge off. No one noticed that after this revelation and in all the hubbub the hooded figure had taken their rode off and was waiting to the side. When everyone quieted down, the Headmistress continued as if she had never been interrupted. She glanced down to the end of the table where the now revealed guest was standing, "And as you can see we have a new teacher here. He will be teaching Advanced Flying." At this everyone looked down to the end of the table. Hermione looked over and saw who it was and nudged Ron, who shook himself out of his reverie and glanced up along with everyone else. His eyes got wide and his mouth dropped open. Finally his brain kicked in, trying to process who he was seeing as a teacher the school.
Heh, so who do you all think it is going to be? who do oyu think is the mystery teacher? give me your guesses on who it is and something you would like to be put into the story, the person who gets it right will have their idea incorporated :)
