Chapter 1 Rewrite April 17th 2013
In the corner of the Great Hall, a young blonde boy, is sitting at the Ravenclaw table alone. There are other students at the table, but he is sitting away alone, away from them. The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package. He used his wand to make it bigger. The boy is Timmy O'Toole, second year Ravenclaw.
Timmy turned away from all the people sitting in the Great Hall and started to open the package. It was a Christmas gift from someone. It had been at his place at the table. It was from Hogwarts or someone within Hogwarts. He opened it quickly and it reviled a game, a board game. Mysteries of Hogwarts. Timmy flipped it over to look at the back and began to read the instructions. It called for ten players. Timmy thought to himself "Where am I going to get ten people to play this game with me?" Timmy shoved the thought aside and continued reading the instructions. It said to take a paper and pick ten people that you want to play with. Timmy took one of his parchments and a quill and made a list. The list would include bitter rivals, bullies, and semi-friends. Timmy wrote down: Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Tracy Davis, Pansy Parkinson and Luna Lovegood. They were all supposed to be from other houses but Luna was friends with all of the Gryffindor's. She could try to convince them to play. Inside the box was a letter.
Dear Timmy,
I know you're alone on this holiday. I thought I would send this game to you, to make you smile. You are in control. You can only play after midnight on Christmas Eve. There will be consequences if you do not follow the rules of the game. Good Luck Son.
Timmy had no idea who it was from and he didn't really care. Timmy was excited because he had gotten a Christmas present this year. He was here on scholarship and couldn't afford presents. Just as Timmy was putting the present away, Harry Potter walked into the Great Hall. Right behind Harry, Ron and Hermione walk into the Great Hall holding hands. All three are wearing ugly red sweaters. Ron's looks the worst, because it clashes with his hair. Hermione slows down so that Ron has to let go of her hand. Hermione looked around the Great Hall and then sat down with Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor table. Timmy is listening to the teachers "They came back because Dumbledore said the Burrow wasn't safe anymore. Not after what happened at the wedding". Timmy smiled to himself "Maybe he could get the other kids to play Mysteries with him". Shortly after Harry, Ron and Hermione sit down, the doors to the Great Hall opened again.
Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini walk into the Great Hall. They walk over to their table and sit down. Not looking or speaking to anyone, they begin to eat breakfast. That was something that the Golden Trio hadn't expected. Their arch rivals appearing back at school early, while everyone else was away. Luna looked lonely sitting at the Ravenclaw table. The other students were ignoring her as always. Harry Potter looked up and rose to go to the Ravenclaw table. He sat down next to Luna and motioned for Hermione and Ron to join him. Both rose from their table and walked across the Great Hall. Just then, Neville walked into the Great Hall as well. Shortly following him, Pansy Parkinson and Tracy Davis walk in. All the players for his game were now in the school. On Christmas Eve, Timmy was going to ask them all to play the game. Just as Timmy was finishing his breakfast, Ginny Weasley walked into the Great Hall. She looked around, confused, then realizing her friends were sitting with Luna, made her way there as well.
Ginny, Luna, Neville, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat quietly at the Ravenclaw table. They were whispering about something, possibly why they were still all back to school early. Timmy was a bit nosey, so he slowly walked behind them. All he had heard was "Barty Crouch Sr. is really something. Making us leave home and come back here. I don't see Mum and Dad enough".
Timmy continued walking back to the Ravenclaw dormitory slowly. He didn't want to go back to the common room and be alone. He was waiting for Luna, so that he could ask her to convince them to play the game. Timmy goes into the common room and debates on opening the game. He knows he isn't supposed to until Christmas Eve, but he can't wait. He opens the lid again and begins to pull things out. He suddenly feels something give way and a loud hiss. Somewhere else in the castle, ten students have been sucked into a game called Mysteries of Hogwarts.
Albus Dumbledore had given the boy the game just for a bit of holiday fun. The game picked up the names and brought each player to the game. The game was about to begin. Albus must be careful and watch out for disappearances. At once, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zanbini, Ginny Weasley and Ronald, Luna Lovegood, Tracey Davis and Pansy Parkinson, and Neville Longbottom all felt a familiar pull behind their bellybuttons. They all look up and they are in the Room of Requirement, but cannot see the door to leave.
Suddenly the students notice who is in the room with them and they all pulling their wands, pointing them at each other. Hermione does what she does best and tries to defuse the situation. Ginny, Pansy, Tracy and Neville all look in the six doors that appeared when they landed in the room. The students ran quickly around the room trying each and every door. Once they relaxed that they could not escape, they all gathered at the center of the room. Suddenly the Room of Requirement provided some couches. Each person sat down on a couch, careful not the touch the person next to them. Hermione cleared her throat and began to read the Rules aloud. Hermione and Harry had found a game, a box, and a set of instructions.
Hermione cleared her throat again and waited until everyone else shut up. She held up the instructions so that everyone could read them for themselves. They each looked at the Rules and then at each other. Hermione spoke again "This is a magical game, the only way out is to play. Here's what we need to do. We need to write everyone's name down on a piece of paper. Once we have done that we could wait and it will tell us who our partner for playing this damn game is."
Hermione wrote her name on a piece of paper and handed it to the person next to her, which happened to be Harry. Harry wrote his name down and then sent it around the room. They wrote all their names, once they set it down. The names began to move, they rotated and twisted unto they were next to their match. Hermione's name now had Draco Malfoy behind it. Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood, Ronald Weasley and Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom and Tracy Davis and lastly, Ginny Weasley and Blaise Zanbini.
There was general outrage with the game's pick of their partners. Harry didn't mind being partnered with Luna, but he could see why Hermione wouldn't want to be with Malfoy. They looked around at each other, feeling the situation at. They had been picked for this game by a fellow classmate, but they were soul mates. They just didn't know it yet. The game said "you were to spend the rest of your life with your partner. Hermione couldn't really see herself with Malfoy for the rest of her life. This game was a game of Life and Death. They looked at one another with disgust; this person had to help you win the game of your life. Apparently, once you are partnered with someone, it is for life. They will be your soul mate. Draco Malfoy, sitting next Hermione Granger. Even after this game, this person was your true mate, no one else could compare.
Everyone took a deep breath and moved to the couch that their partner was sitting on. Hermione stood and walked over to Draco. It was like the Walk of Shame. Forevermore, this was her soul mate. What in the world was she going to do? He hated Muggleborns and she was Muggleborn Extranarire. Hermione sat down next to Draco, but furthest to the other side of the couch. Draco took a second to look over his Soul Mate. She was nothing like he had expected. Draco sighed and listened to Potty read the rest of the Rules.
Timmy sat in Ravenclaw Common Room with the mirror that had come with the game. Timmy watched from the mirror as everyone went to their partner for the game. He knew with great responsibility came great knowledge. He had an advantage that no one else had; he knew who the Trio would end up with as their life partners. Timmy sat quietly listening to them read the Rules and starts the Game.
Harry smiled at Luna; he couldn't see her being with him for the rest of his life. He thought she was pretty in an interesting way. She was not the jewel he wished he had captured. He was stuck with Crazy Luna Lovegood. Harry could feel his stomach reacting and turned away from Luna. Harry didn't know how to fix this but there must be a way to change the rules. Each student noticed a card with their name sitting on the table next to the box. Harry picked up his card and turned away from Luna. Harry's card was yellow, Luna's was yellow. Each person leaned over to take their card. Each person matched their partners. They looked around the room and noticed above each door, there was a colored sign. Harry and Luna's were yellow, so the yellow room was theirs. Hermione turned to Draco and grimaced. She was stuck with him for the rest of her life, starting now. His rude comments, his dark looks. Hermione knew that this game could not last. Hermione read her card and felt her insides drop. This was one of the things she wanted, a lifelong dream. One of her deepest secrets. Draco had the same look on his face and they not only had to tell one another, but had to do so in front of the group. Everyone was going to hear.
Hermione chose to go first and read her card,' Go to the Library of Congress and find her favorite book from when she was a child". She wanted to read it one last time; she couldn't find the copy that her parents had left her. She was going to have to go to this place with Draco Malfoy. They were going to the United States. Hermione stood and walked to the red room. Draco followed her to the Red Room. Everyone else follows and goes to their Rooms.