Smoke billowing from the Hogwarts Express shrouded the Hogsmeade Platform in a thin veil of white that swirled in the wake of students excited for the new school year. Up until a month ago, the debate of the school reopening was still up in the air but with the combined efforts of the teachers and all those who had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, the castle had been restored to its former glory. Rumor had it even those who defected from the Dark Lord's forces helped with rebuilding efforts.
Many of the students arriving were the usual returnees going into their next year or new first years who had received their Hogwarts letter. This year, however, would technically have an eighth year class for all those who dropped out due to either fighting in the war or those who went into hiding to avoid persecution by the then corrupt Ministry due to their blood status. One such eighth year was Hermione Granger.
Despite the pardon from Professor McGonagall to skip her final year due to her war efforts, Hermione elected to return and finish her Hogwarts career with Ginny, Luna, and Neville. Harry and Ron opted for Kingsley's offer to join the Auror Training Program. It briefly made her laugh when she wondered what a school year would be like without her two troublemakers. She loved her boys dearly but she would be lying if she wasn't looking forward to an easy and simple year.
Hitching her bag higher up her shoulder and dragging her trunk behind, Hermione hopped down onto the platform and followed the noisy crowd heading for the carriages. She could hear Hagrid at the other end calling the first years to the boats. She envied the newest arrivals; they had the best view of the castle upon arrival. When she arrived at the winding caravan of carriages she had to remind herself that they were never horseless in the first place but pulled by the thestrals she could sadly now see. The past year had been filled with so much loss.
A wizard from the village stepped up offering to help load her trunk when she saw another eighth year two carriages down. He was a few inches taller than she remembered but the pale skin and blonde hair were unmistakable. Draco Malfoy had returned to Hogwarts.
Malfoy must have sensed her eyes on him after a few seconds when he finally turned and looked directly back at her. Hermione gave him a tight smile. Malfoy returned with just a solemn nod and climbed into his carriage. She continued to stare in his general direction until someone called her attention, realizing she was the last to load up.
"Hermione, you coming?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah. Sorry, lost in thought," she replied, climbing up and sitting next to Luna.
"Must be strange for you coming back," Luna mused.
"Actually, this is the most normal I've felt in a while," she admitted.
"What's weird is being back without Harry and Ron," Ginny stated, before turning to Hermione. "Especially for you. You guys were inseparable for years."
Hermione nodded. "It is a big adjustment. I keep finding myself looking for them before I remember again." A rueful smile grew on her face. "Pray to Merlin this year is boring as hell."
Ginny threw her hands in the air. "Preach sister!"
"How are you taking it, Ginny?" Luna asked. "You just got Harry back after all."
Ginny nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders but anyone could see through her ruse. "It sucks but we both promised to write each other every couple of days or whenever he can whilst training."
"And Ron," Luna then turned to Hermione, "didn't you and him start seeing each other after the battle?"
Hermione scoffed and shook her head. "We tried for about three days before we both admitted it would never work out. We bicker way too much. I really just see him as I see Harry, another brother."
The trio continued to chat, catching up with one another until their carriage bumped to a halt at castle doors and they all shuffled out. Hermione gazed up at the magnificent school and sighed. Home, she thought fondly. She silently followed Ginny and Luna into the Great Hall, heading for the Gryffindor table while Luna headed off for her fellow Ravenclaws.
A low rumble of voices filled the hall as they waited for the first years to arrive for the Sorting Ceremony. Hermione scanned the tables, seeing a bunch of familiar faces spread throughout, along with some she didn't recognize. She turned toward Slytherin table to see Malfoy staring right back at her, his face still vacant as it had been on the platform. He sat alone at the end of his house's table closest to the teachers, twirling his wand in his fingers. They stared each other down until Ginny elbowed her side; McGonagall was standing at the podium about to address the Hall.
Their newly appointed Headmistress went over the rules regarding the Forbidden Forest and the Third Floor Corridor being off limits, paving the way for the Sorting Hat's song. The Sorting itself took only fifteen minutes to allot the first years into their new houses. The majority were split between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff along with a handful of new Ravenclaws; only four went to Slytherin. Once the last sorted Hufflepuff took their seat, McGonagall took center stage again.
"I know many of you are looking forward to our renown feast and I promise we will get to it soon. Now, I know some of you have returned to properly finish your Hogwarts career. Of those few, I imagine some of you might regard this year as a fresh, new start. A chance at redemption, if you will. These last few years have been a time of tremendous hardship and profound loss. In that regard, I offer any student a chance to start anew. If anyone wishes to be resorted into another house, whether for personal reasons or to be closer to the remaining loved ones you have, please stand."
Hermione, like many others around her, spun around in her seat to see if anyone would take McGonagall up on her offer. The word redemption heavily suggested the Slytherins and the stigma that followed them like a dark cloud. Sure enough, three snakes stood and made for the three legged stool. Each one sat with the hat on their head before all of them were sorted into Ravenclaw. McGonagall gave a small smile and went to collect the Hat when a voice rang out. "Wait!"
Draco Malfoy stood up from Slytherin table, making his way over to McGonagall.
"Are you certain, Mr. Malfoy?"
Malfoy only nodded. He took a seat on the stool, staring straight ahead as the Hat was placed on his blond head. The Hat deliberated for a full two minutes, the holds that formed its eyes shifting back and forth as he mentally conversed with Malfoy. Finally, the Hat came to a decision.
"GYFFINDOR."
The entire Hall went dead silent.
Hermione's jaw fell in complete shock before she remembered her manners. She watched in complete disbelief as the emerald and silver serpent adorning his robes morphed into the crimson and gold rampant lion. He nodded at the headmistress and sat at the end of his new house's table, keeping his distance and his head low.
McGonagall took the Sorting Hat away and the tables filled with food, a low murmur filling the hall again as everyone loaded their plates.
"Bloody hell," Ginny whistled as she stabbed at her chicken. "Malfoy's now a Gryffindor."
"Apparently," Hermione said, looking down the table at the newest Lion.
The former Slytherin showed little interest in his dinner, merely pushing the contents of his plate around with his fork as his fingers drummed the table with his free hand. Hermione studied him a few seconds before Malfoy looked up, as if he could sense her eyes on him. He gazed back at her for a spell, the corner of his mouth twitching in a miniscule smile, and went back to ignoring his dinner again.
Malfoy smiled at me, Hermione thought. Draco Malfoy just smiled at her. A muggleborn. He must really be trying to turn his life around. According to all the papers she had read over the summer, the Malfoy family had essentially dissolved over a short time. Bellatrix had been defeated in battle and his father was currently awaiting his sentence of the Dementor's Kiss in Azkaban. After intense interrogation via Veritiserum, the surrender of her wand for inspection, and her memories reviewed through a Ministry pensieve, the Malfoy matriarch was found not guilty by the Wizengamot of any crime. Her testimony provided evidence of a mother only doing what she had to in order to keep her only child alive, who was under constant threat of death by Voldemort. Draco himself had provided the same cooperation at the trials and was cleared of all charges. While not found guilty, they did not get off scott-free however; Narcissa was confined to house arrest monitored by Ministry elves and Draco was given three years probation.
In her heart, Hermione had the gut feeling that Draco could be a decent person had he not been raised under Lucius's pureblood supremacy. Now seemed to be his second chance at a better life.
The feast carried on for an hour before McGonagall whisked them off to their houses for bed. Hermione and Ginny waved goodnight to Luna across the sea of students, making their way up the criss-crossing stairs to the seventh floor. After the long journey and filled stomachs, everyone retired to the dormitories. Hermione bade Ginny goodnight, watching her younger friend head upstairs when a voice called her name.
"Granger."
She turned to see Draco standing by the fireplace, his hands deep in his trouser pockets.
"Draco?" she asked hesitantly.
"I know it's late and I'm the last person you want to talk to," he began, "but could I speak to you for a minute?"
Not trusting her voice, she only nodded.
He heaved a deep, clearing his throat. "My goal this year was to fix everything in my life, despited how ruined it is. That's why I asked to be resorted into Gryffindor; I wanted the chance to start over and right all of my fuck ups. Mainly starting with you."
"Me?"
Malfoy nodded "I want to apologize for every horrible thing I've ever said or did to you over the years. You never deserved any of it. There's no excuse for it, not even saying it's how I was raised. I know right from wrong, but I was too arrogant to pull my head out of my ass." He paused for a second, looking down at the floor. "And what my aunt did?" He finally looked back up at her. "Granger, I am so sorry for what she did to you. I should have stopped her and I did nothing but stand there like a coward."
Hermione subconsciously wrung her hands at the mention of Bellatrix. For a brief second, she was back on the floor of Malfoy Manor, her nerve endings feeling as if they were being dipped in acid under the Cruciatus Curse; the sharp sting of that silver knife digging into her flesh. She still struggled with the nightmares created by that woman. She shook her head, reminding herself the madwoman was dead and to remain logical.
"What she did wasn't your fault," she began. "But I do accept your apology, Draco. Thank you."
Malfoy looked like he wanted to say more before he merely nodded. "Night, Granger." He turned on his heel and headed up the boys staircase before she could respond.
Hermione stood in utter bewilderment for the umpteenth time that night. A seemingly human Malfoy sorted into Gryffindor and an apology all within a few hours. It was already shaping up into another interesting year.