It was the first day of my seventh year. The sorting ceremony was finally over and I was finally in my bed. A tap at the window earned a groan from me and I forced myself out of bed. A small barn owl flew to my desk and dropped a letter, then left.
Dear Mister Draco Malfoy,
The Headmaster wishes to see you immediately in the History of Magic classroom. You are exempt from curfew for this purpose.
The note was short but that didn't make me any less irritated by it. I put my school robes over my black and gray sweat pants and plain white t-shirt. It was the middle of the night; I was certainly not about to get back into my proper uniform. From the dungeons I had a good ten minute walk ahead of me to dwell on my thoughts. I did a mental run-through of all my years in these halls.
Year one- boy who lived denied me a hand shake.
I'll never admit it out loud but I was honestly just impressed by the kid. I really just wanted him to be my friend and shake my damn hand. I know I come off abrasive and my upbringing is a sorry excuse now because I know better, but at the time I didn't understand what I did wrong. Hell, at the time, I thought Potter was the prick! I wish that had been the most significant thing to happen that year. Unfortunately the end of that year was my first glimpse at a very tiring and sad future.
Year two- a giant demon-snake from the chamber of secrets was set loose on the school and started petrifying muggle-borns.
That was also the first year I got the shit beat out of me by my father. He was pissed because Potter tricked him into freeing our house elf. I was a little upset by that as well. Dobby was my favorite. I don't normally have 'favorites' but Dobby would always sneak away when no one was paying him any attention and play games with me before I started at Hogwarts. He was my only companion for years. It was after that beating that I simultaneously started turning from my father's teachings and really hating Potter for earning me that beating.
Year three- Got slapped. By a girl. None other than know-it-all Granger no less. I also managed to get a marvelous mythical creature executed, so... score for the mega-idiot. But then the hippogriff escaped which earned me another beating. Also, a deranged murderer escaped Azkaban which really put father in a bad mood. I didn't know why at the time, I thought he would be thrilled to have a death eater back in the ranks, so I asked him about it, earning me another beating. Father was nice enough, however, to explain why he was so pissed. Apparently Black was a murderer but not the 'good' kind, as he put it. Apparently Black killed a death eater; a rat by the sounds of it. The snitch of the underground. By the end of that year, though Pettigrew returned, very not-dead, to the death eaters. It was then that they started really getting their shit together and reforming the ranks. I never told anyone that Black was innocent. I didn't have proof and I didn't want to get beaten again.
Year four- A death eater disguised as an auror (brave move) tricked a magical goblet into making Potter a champion in the tri-wizard tournament. He tied for the cup with Cedric Diggory, and instead of celebrating a shared victory, Voldemort returned to life, Diggory was murdered and Potter suffered emotional trauma the likes of which this world has never seen. Father was so pleased, he didn't even beat me that year.
Year five- Awful things happened.
Year six-more awful things happened.
War is coming. My generation is being manipulated and forced to choose sides, then is being persecuted for the side they chose. What a nightmare.
I arrived at the classroom, extremely tired, irritated, and just plain depressed. I didn't even have the energy to be even more irritated by the fact that the room was full of other students who had just seen me in my night clothes. They all had matching raised eyebrows.
I found myself sitting in a room in the middle of the night on my first day of term surrounded by the people who most annoyed me in the world due to a mysterious note from old man Off-Hisrocker. Looking around the room, I saw the oddest assortment of students. Blaize and Pansy were on either side of me for which I was grateful. Behind me were, Seamus the accidental explosives expert, Neville the hopeless clutz, and Fred and George the ginge wonder twins. On the other side of the room were the Patil twins, Loony Lovegood, She-Weazel, and wouldn't you know it; Harry Potter and Know it all Granger. With a second look around, it was the Patil twins that hit me as stranger than anything. Everyone else in the room seemed to specialize in one thing or other except those girls. All they did was gossip. About nothing. All day.
"Well isn't this odd. None of us have anything in common, not even classes. I wonder what Dumbledore wants with us all." Granger smirked.
"That's not entirely true, Hermione," Potter answered. "There is one thing. I bet this has something to do with the war efforts."
Pansy rolled her eyes and Blaise snorted. "Not likely, Potter." I said. "What would that crazy old man want with three perfectly respectable slytherines and two chatter boxes." I nodded to the Patil twins.
"Oi! Don't talk about Dumbledore like that!" Seamus defended.
"No, Seamus, he's right. Malfoy is absolutely right." Potter said.
I turned slowly in my chair to get a proper look at Potter as gasps echoed in the room from everyone except Granger. "You agree with Potter, Granger?" She raised an eyebrow at me but gave no answer.
Potter spoke again. "It's true, Malfoy, that I have not been afforded all that you were when I was growing up, but I'm no fool. I know when I'm being manipulated. Do you, Draco?"
I narrowed my eyes at him and stood up slowly. "I feel like I'm being manipulated now. What are you getting at, Potter?" I asked, my anger rising.
"Let me ask you something, Draco. In a perfect world, what would the Malfoy name mean?"
I scoffed. "Power, influence, wealth, pretty much everything it is now. We take no orders, have the respect and favor of others, the world at our feet; everyone loving us." I shrugged.
"But that's not true, is it?" Granger asked and I glared at her.
"She's right, Draco." Potter said. All eyes were on him as he stood to face me.
"Pardon?" I said dangerously.
"The Malfoy name is not respected, it's feared. And the Malfoys do take orders, don't they? All the Malfoys do. Your father takes orders from a lunatic and you take orders from your father. The Malfoys are not loved, not even by the ones they serve and most certainly not by those that serve them. And the absolute shit of it all is that it is going to shape your future for you. A future where eventually none of those people will even exist and you will be taking orders from dead men who stole away your childhood. And you are powerless against it." I stared at him wide-eyed and unwillingly soaking in every word he spoke and was horrified by the truth of them. "But you're not powerless, are you, Draco?" He asked.
"So, what, Potter? You recruiting for the old man now? Don't you think this is all a stretch?" Blaize asked.
Potter smiled. "Like I said, Blaize, I know when I'm being manipulated. Dumbledore is not forth-coming with his intentions. He isn't just fighting against a dark lord. He's pulling strings and putting pawns into place for something else. Voldemort isn't the problem. He's only an obstacle to Dumbledore."
Everyone started looking around and whispering in a panic.
"Don't you think, Draco, that this world should belong to those who are actually going to be around after this war? Dont you think we ought to control our own lives? Prepare for our own futures? Blaize, what future do you want?" Potter asked. All eyes turned to Blaize.
"Honestly?"
"Honestly. It's your future, why shouldn't you want something to come of it?" Potter asked him.
"I just want a family." I rolled my eyes as the Patil twins went all wide-eyed and 'awed'. Potter smiled.
"A family that answers to no one. A free family. A family where my children can be themselves. I don't want my kids to be intimidated, pushed around. Just a quiet, comfortable life." Blaize admitted.
"That's never going to happen, Blaize." Pansy chimed in. "It's a cute thought but honestly, none of us has a chance at being anything other than what we are. Our parents' children." She said bitterly.
"That doesn't have to define us." She-Weasel said. "And it shouldn't. I don't even know your parents names or who they are, Pansy, so to me from now on, you're just Pansy Parkinson. Make that whatever kind of person you want, but your parents are nothing to me."
Pansy looked at me, confused and slightly frightened. "Is she allowed to do that? Like..hit a reset button and all of a sudden she's nice to me?"
"Honestly, Pansy, this is...new to me." Blaize whispered. "I'm not sure there are rules for this."
"Sorry, Harry," Longbottom started. "I don't mean to question, but why are you doing this? They hate us. Why bother?"
Potter smiled. "Yes, Potter, we're all dying to know. What are you doing?" I said.
"You were right about one thing, Draco. Your name does grant you influence. It's what you're good at. Neville, you are brilliant with herbology. Seamus, you are brilliant at blowing things up, Fred and George are brilliant at distractions and inventions. Luna can see what others can't, or won't. Blaize, you are incredibly diplomatic and Pansy, you are very good at hiding things, don't think I haven't noticed, and Hermione, well no explanation needed. And it's like you said, Draco. The Patil twins are very very good at gossip; hearing it, spreading it, creating it, controlling it. Ginny is fast and furious and deadly-" Blaize laughed at this point. "Would you go against her?!" Blaize looked down at his shoes and everyone else laughed.
"What about your side-kick, weasel? Where does he fit in?" I asked.
"He doesn't" Potter said. "Don't misunderstand, he is a dear friend. But he's emotional, illogical and easily threatened. I want a better future for him too and if that's to happen he can't have any part of it. He's always tripping over his own mouth. No one can deny that."
"What exactly is it that you're suggesting, Potter?" I asked. "I mean, none of us have any power, not real power. It's like you said. We're all just pawns." I said, disgusted by the truth of it.
"All we need is a little power, Draco. Just a little." Potter responded. Just then, the door opened and we all sat back in our seats. Old man headmaster came strolling in like it wasn't the middle of the night, smiling at us. I hated that old man.
"Good night, all! I'm happy to see you got my message! Before we get started, our Heads will come up and say a few words. Harry, Hermione, you have the floor."
Potter and Granger stood in front of the headmaster with mischievious smiles. I looked over at Blaize and Pansy and they looked back at me.
"First of all, I'd like to admit that it was actually Hermione and I that invited you here. Now, I'll ask you all a question." Potter started. "Did you know we as Head Boy and Head Girl, get to choose our own prefects for the entire school?" His smile widened as he looked at the three of us in particular.
Granger spoke next. "We chose you all because you are from different years, you have different talents and you all take pride in your work. It is after all, only a little power-" She said pointedly as everyone looked around at each other.
"But it is a great responsibility." Potter finished. "We'll ask you to raise your hand, if you'd be willing to take that power into your own hands."
Lovegood's hand was the first up, followed by all of the Gryffindors. Everyone looked to us, the three slytherines and Blaize and Pansy looked to me to lead them. I thought for a second about what Potter was offering us. Control. A way to take our futures back into our own hands. 'All we need is a little power.' And here, Potter and Granger were handing it to us on a silver platter right under Dumbledore's nose. I raised my hand, and Pansy and Blaize immediately followed suit.