Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine. None of the things Dumbledore says are mine, either- they came straight from the book.
Warnings: Slight Dumbledore and Gryffindor bashing.
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Draco smirked around at the Great Hall in general. He couldn't have felt much better if he had tried. He gazed up at the Slytherin House banners falling from the ceiling, and then around at his fellow housemates, who were all looking very pleased with themselves. This was the seventh year in a row that Slytherin had won the House Cup, and as a whole, they couldn't be happier. Draco had seen the huge hourglasses in the Entrance Hall. Slytherin was leading by a fairly large margin- Ravenclaw at least forty or fifty points behind. And then there was Gryffindor. Draco's smirk grew as he remembered the meager amount of rubies in their hourglass. He gave a contented sigh and looked over to the enormous serpent-emblazoned banner stretched out behind the Head Table. Even Snape looked vaguely pleased, in a slightly disturbing way. McGonagall, however, looked like she had just eaten something extremely sour.
Draco looked toward the door as he heard almost the entire Hall fall silent for a few moments and then erupt into petty gossip. Who he saw there made him roll his eyes disgustedly. Of course he just had to come in later than everyone else, to ensure that everyone could fawn over him properly. He turned back to Pansy, who was watching Potter walk over to the Gryffindor table. She frowned a bit and then looked Draco, her eyes perfectly conveying her disapproval of the Boy-Who-Lived. Draco smiled, and let his gaze sweep over the students. He was disgusted to see that people were actually standing in order to see the wretched boy better, and was relieved that none of them were his own housemates.
But even that small disturbance was not enough to bring his mood down much.
Dumbledore arrived only moments later, smiling serenely at the students. The hall fell silent, everyone watching the Headmaster.
"Another year gone! And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast." Draco's eyebrows rose slightly at his choice of words. They sounded exactly like the old coot's regular chatter- crazy. "What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts..."
Draco's slight smile grew a fraction wider. He was looking forward to the summer, his parents had promised him they were visiting France.
"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points," Draco's smile grew again. "Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin," Draco felt an impossibly wide grin break over his face, "four hundred and seventy-two."
The whole of Slytherin broke out into loud cheers. Draco picked up and banged his goblet on the table in pure happiness, his grin so wide he felt it would be stuck like that permanently. He finally set his goblet down and just took to cheering and clapping.
"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin." Draco beamed around at his fellow housemates, basking in the pure feeling of happiness he was experiencing.
And then he heard the next words Dumbledore said.
"However, recent events must be taken into account."
Draco's grin faltered slightly. He looked around and saw the rest of his house looking just as confused. He turned his attention back to the Headmaster.
"Ahem. I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes..."
No, Draco thought, a slight feeling of foreboding settling over him.
"First- to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
What? Draco's grin had vanished. Chess? He had heard the rumors about what had happened; everyone had. He just hoped that the old wizard wasn't doing what he thought he was... Deafening cheers broke out from the Gryffindors, and even a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were clapping. Draco heard the eldest Weasley yelling about his brother. After at least two straight minutes of the cheering, silence was restored. All attention, including Draco's, was focused on the Headmaster.
"Second- to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
A wave of nausea rolled over Draco. No, damn it, no! Draco added it up so far. Gryffindor was still behind a healthy amount, and there was no way-
"Third- to Mr. Harry Potter... for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."
Draco eyes went wide with loathing for both the old man and Potter. Somewhere down the table, someone slammed their fists down, rattling the cutlery and plates. They were tied. Tied! The other three houses were yelling and screaming so loudly that Draco could barely hear himself think. He glanced over at Pansy, only to see her bottom lip trembling, eyes wide and disbelieving. Draco watched Dumbledore raise a hand, still wearing that smile- that misleading smile that said everything was as it should be. But it wasn't. The room fell quieter and quieter, the cheering eventually trailing off into silence.
"There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."
If Draco had thought the noise was loud before, it was nothing compared to what it was now. He hadn't known anyone could be so plainly cruel, either. He was sure he looked like an idiot- his mouth hanging open slightly, eyes wide. He couldn't bring himself to care. He barely held tears in, shaking his head slowly from side to side slowly. The rest of his house looked about the same way. Some were glaring, some too shocked to do even that. He felt like the floor had fallen out from beneath his feet. Draco felt something tugging at his left side, and looked over. Pansy was in tears, burying her head in his robes to prevent being seen. He could here her wailing, "It's just not fair!" He agreed. How he could do that to them...
Dumbledore called over the applause and cheering, but the other houses didn't seem to care. "Which means we need a little change of decoration."
Draco watched as Dumbledore gave a single clap. The lush green Slytherin hangings Draco had been admiring not ten minutes ago disappeared, being replaced with a hideous, blinding, Gryffindor red. The giant snake that had been coiled above the Head Table so proudly was taken away, a huge lion in it's place. Draco stared at the beast that seemed to be taunting him and wished it would all go away- all of it.
Before that night, Draco had never really had any reason to dislike the headmaster apart from his father's influence. He know thought he had all the reason in the world to loathe him. And loathe him he did.
It should have been Slytherin's night for victory; a well deserved victory, pure and simple. Draco had planned to eat his food happily, savoring the feast that was sure to be delicious. He found it tasted vaguely of ashes, and he couldn't eat it. He had planned to go to sleep feeling arm and contented. He fell asleep feeling betrayed and frozen instead. He had planned to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. He woke feeling like he wanted to just curl up and sleep some more.
All in all, it was the worst he'd ever felt. And it was all Dumbledore's fault.
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I've always found this part disturbing.
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