My summaries always suck. Let me give you the setting. Hermione is the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwart's. Directly after graduating, she took up an apprenticeship with Professor McGonagall so she could retire. Harry, Ron, and Draco went into auror training with Mad Eye Moody in an attempt to defeat the Dark Lord. This story takes place 3 years after our Trio and Draco have graduated from Hogwart's.
Chapter One
"The Good Fight"
"Absolutely not!" shrieked Hermione at the cowering figures of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. "How can you even suggest that I set foot in the same house as that git?! Let alone sit down at the same table as him. Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"
Harry and Ron had expected Hermione to be a little upset at the news of the new dinner party plans for New Year's Eve, but they hadn't expected an all out war.
"Mione, if Harry and I can work with him and even be his friend, what makes you so sure that he's not an okay guy now? He's on our side!"
"What makes me so sure?!" she shrieked, "I'll tell you what makes me so sure. Do you remember the conniving Malfoy I remember? I guess you forget ferret face's cutting remarks towards a certain best friend of yours for 7 LONG years. I can't believe you Ron! You used to loathe him! He called me a mudblood any chance he got! Now you want me to be civil to him because you say he's 'changed'? I find it hard to believe that Malfoy has made a complete turn around in just 3 years."
"Listen Herm, it's not like we want you and Draco to be best friends. Ron and I just want him to spend some time away from the Manor. Since his father and mother died, I think he's gotten lonely. I'd rather have him surrounded by friends than stuck in a dark room with a house elf all night while he brings in the New Year."
"Well isn't that considerate of you Potter," Hermione spat, "or should I say Pothead? That is what he used call you, right?" Hermione added condescendingly. "I didn't realize his happiness was more important than mine."
Harry and Ron both sighed in frustration.
Finally, Harry spoke up. "You know that your happiness is more important than his, but it's only one night. You don't even have to talk to him if you don't want to."
Harry and Ron both looked at her with pleading eyes begging her to at least show up at the small gathering.
Giving up, Hermione looked at her 2 best friends and nodded her head and let her shoulders sag.
"You mean you'll come then?" Ron looked at her hopefully.
"Yes, but I'm not sitting anywhere near him and I refuse to talk to him," she finished with force.
"That's fine," Harry and Ron chimed in together.
"So it's settled then?" Harry asked.
"Yes, yes. I'll be at your house at 7 o'clock. Do you need me to bring anything?"
"Just your smile!" quipped Ron.
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Harry and Ron left Hermione's transfiguration classroom at Hogwart's and thanked her again for changing her mind. When they got far enough away, they both let out a sigh of relief.
"She really is mental that one," Ron said as he thought back to their early years at Hogwart's of Witchcraft and Wizardry when he had uttered the almost same exact phrase.
Harry must have been reminiscing too. "Not much has changed...except for Draco that is." His last sentence brought Harry back to the present.
"You know," started Ron, "I still can't figure out when Malfoy became Draco."
They both seemed to ponder this and then it hit them.
Draco Malfoy was always destined to become a Death Eater, a damn good one at that. He never questioned his father Lucius's judgment or morals when he was younger. He taunted those who weren't of pureblood families. He was the "Slytherin prince". Then something happened in his 7th year. No one knew exactly what, but Malfoy's whole outlook on life changed. Instead of lusting for power, he longed to destroy those you let the search for power consume them, mainly Lord Voldemort and his followers. Instead of receiving the Dark Mark, Draco pledged his allegiance to Dumbledore and the Light side. Draco was of course cut off from his family and destined to a life of poverty; or so he thought. Voldemort found out about Draco's lost allegiance to the Dark side and immediately executed Lucius and Narcissa for their incompetence. How could one of his most loyal and powerful followers not control at 18-year-old boy? It just didn't seem possible. Draco's parents never had a chance to change their will, so Draco inherited the Malfoy fortune and the Manor as well. These things all seemed trivial to him. He would rather defeat 'he-who-must-not-be-named' than own all the galleons and sickles in the world. Draco became an auror at the Ministry with Harry and Ron as soon as they graduated from Hogwart's. They didn't become friends at first because 7 years of snide remarks isn't easily forgotten. Eventually, they eased into their friendship when Draco earned their trust and reassured Harry and Ron that he really had changed.
Harry and Ron were brought back to reality by someone clearing their throat.
"Oh, Hello Professor Dumbledore!" Harry and Ron exclaimed in unison.
"Hello Harry, Ron. Please, call me Albus. You've been out of school for quite some time now, and we are more like equals." There was a twinkle in his eye has he said equals, and Harry and Ron knew what he was referring to. Harry, Ron, and even Hermione had been working closely with the Order of the Phoenix since their 5th year at Hogwart's and Dumbledore had given them more than their fair share of difficult tasks to perform. Their magical powers had grown so much that these days, Voldemort should fear coming up against Harry and Ron almost as much and Dumbledore.
"I believe," began Dumbledore, "that I have some very disturbing news. Please, follow me and we'll discuss it."
A feeling of apprehension made Harry and Ron hesitate before following Dumbledore into his all-too-familiar office...
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A/N: This is my first fanfic. Hope you guys enjoyed. Sorry for the cliffhanger already. I don't even know where this story is going to go. Let me know what you think! Read and Review!!!