Right In Front Of Me

*Chapter One*

The News

Hermione sat there with the heat of her hot mug warming her up in her dormitory, deep in thought she didn't see Lavender come in and jump on her bed. Just an hour ago or so she was sitting next to her two best friends; Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Bursting out in laughter every time Ron kept telling funny memories while they vacationed at the Burrow.

The Great Hall was filled with excited chatter from Wizards and Witches of Hogwarts, Harry was telling his adventures in Hogwarts in the last five years. Hermione couldn't hold back her smile; it was amazing to be back at her school, her home. She looked up at the faces of her dear friends, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Harry, Ron and so on; they all had a smile glued on to their tired faces.

Normally the train to Hogwarts didn't take to long to get to the school but this time every felt the hours tick by, keeping themselves occupied so they didn't feel bored. By the end of the trip everyone was exhausted, even Malfoy didn't throw a witty remark at Harry, Hermione, Ron or anyone for that fact.

The Great Hall began to get crowed by the students, they sat down and started to tell their friends of their amazing summer, by the time Dumbledore came to the front every one was in the hall their eyes focused to the 'Greatest Sorcerer in the World'. New students that laid eyes on him whispered to their house saying things as,

"-I saw him on the Chocolate Frog Card."

"-I can't believe I get to see him!"

But for some it wasn't like this, in the Slytherin house girls and boys murmured to each other.

"-If you ask me he's a poor excuse for a Wizard."

"-The Champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles."

"-Greatest Sorcerer I think not!"

Dumbledore looked at all the student and gave everybody a warm and welcoming smile. Hermione looked at him; she felt that wherever Dumbledore was no evil could come to any of them. Dumbledore looked back at McGonagall; the conversation they were having before the students arrived came flooding back to him.

He sat at his mahogany desk, his bird Fawkes the Phoenix moving his head side to side to search for any uninvited guest. Dumbledore looked through the window of his room; the sky was starting to turn to a dull grey, the clouds gathering together, the trees swaying with the wind that was whistling through the air. A faint knocking at the door disturbed him; he shook his head and concentrated what was happening around him.

"Come in." He said loudly, as his desk was far away from the door.

An absolutely worried Minerva entered the room and walked up to Dumbledore.

"How may I help you my dearest Minerva?" Asked Dumbledore, he got up and poured a drink for her and handed it to her.

She held the glass, "I came to ask you to change your mind Albus." She took a sip out of her drink and continued. "It is impossible for what you want Albus."

"Minerva you are missing the idea this will help them unite."

"Albus I have never gone against your decisions but this is absolutely-" She was interrupted by an outburst from,

"Ah Severus, what brings you here?" Dumbledore asked as he got up to pour another drink for his other guest.

"I thought it was a sick joke going on between the professors." Said Snape in his cold irritating voice.

"I see you are here for the same reason has Minerva then? I shall tell you why I have made this decision, but right after another drink perhaps?"

"I am sorry Professor Dumbledore but I must refuse as I have got to get back to my Potion Classroom." Snape said, he turned on his heels and began to walk to the door but turned back around to hear what Dumbledore was saying.

"I shall explain in the Great Hall and hopefully that will answer any of your questions otherwise I must be off." He said bye to Professor McGonagall and nodded his head at Snape and left.

The whole crowd hushed as Dumbledore cleared his throat, thousands of eyes laid on him ready to hear this year speech, to hear anything on You-Know-Who or to hear if any competition was to be held at Hogwarts.

"I would like to welcome you to other year at Hogwarts and to new students that have joined us at this school. I hope you have all had a spectacular holiday as there had been disturbing news over the Wizardry World but not to worry I assure you that if you stick to the rule and don't go off wondering." He shot a glance at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "You will all be safe and sound this year, a few notices from myself and professors. Until further notice students will not be allowed to wonder outside after 7." There were many groans coming from seventh year students.

"Also Filch had demanded that no more jokes or pranks from your trip to Hogsmeade and there will be a list outside of his office that will show what he will not allowed. 'The library is a not a hangout for students but a place to come and study' Ms Price has said to help reduce noise from the library. And the last notice I need to give may not be what some off you have expected but because of last year's third year's Slytherins set off a prank from Hogsmeade in the common room which resulted to the room to be destroyed therefore Slytherins and Gryffindors will share the Gryffindors' common room until we have finished rebuilding the Slytherins' common room.

"And most of you may be thinking why the Gryffindors' common room this is because through the years Slytherins and Gryffindors have somehow have started a rivalry between each other which is unnecessary and hopefully sharing a room will help you come to terms with each other, I know it will not happen overnight but perhaps getting on friendly speaking terms may unite the two houses. And finally let the feast begin!" Dumbledore got hundreds glares from the Slytherin table as for the Gryffindors it was all complaints and groans.

"Slytherins! Officially Dumbledore as gone bonkers. Why couldn't he have just let them all live in the potions classroom I'm sure they would enjoy that and so would we!" Exclaimed a pissed of Ron, by the look of it he had gone the color of his hair.

"I am sure that Dumbledore is only doing this to unite the two houses. I mean he wants us to get along with them as the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs are." Said Hermione, even though she goes against Dumbledore, he always had a reason for his orders.

"I guess Hermione is right Ron. But still they will just taint our whole common room." Said Harry who had got a tissue to wipe of the gravy that had dropped from his spoon by a nudge from Ginny.

"Taint?" a wide-eyed redhead exclaimed.

"Err- yeah Uncle Vernon said it a lot at the start of summer something about politics I think." Answered Harry.

"But still I don't want to be anywhere near ferret and his brainless friends who by the-" Ron had been cut off by Blaise Zabini.

"You better watch your mouth weasel or else?"

"Yeah don't you dare speak a word about Draco before you make his name sound like an insult yeah!" Said a quite stupid, annoying Pansy who was so pleased with herself for throwing an insult at one of Harry's friend.

"Well done Pansy what an amazing insult, it hurting me so badly I might go and cry!" Sarcastically Ron said, but Pansy had missed the sarcasm.

"C'mon Ron let's go." Harry said while standing up. "You coming Hermione or you still going to eat with Ginny?"

"Yeah see you Ginny later." She said while getting her legs out from under the bench.

Pansy and Blaise looked shocked that Hermione didn't say anything back to them, normally she would always involve herself into these insults fight between them. The trio had left and made their way back to the seventh floor into their use-to-be-Slytherin-free zone common room.

Hermione with the flick of her wand made the hot mug disappear she honestly didn't want to stay up here any longer as Lavender had called her friends who were talking about boys and about future boys they would love to date: she had no interest and left.

She made her way down the girl's dormitory stairs, when Hermione first entered the common room it was twice the size it was before simply because they had an extra house with them, one side was strictly Slytherins with green painted walls and silver and green curtains, two large green couches in the middle, a table and a fireplace which was near the piano that had pictures of famous wizards and by no doubt they had put the Slytherins' badge up on the wall. The Gryffindors' area was exactly the same as it had been throughout the year but this time it was more spacious. The dormitories they had to share, like before one side Slytherin and the other Gryffindor somehow Dumbledore must have used a charm to make the rooms much larger for all of them to share it.

She came down the stairs crossed the Slytherin area and flopped down on the red couch that was positioned right in front of the fireplace which was helpful during cold weather like this. Hermione glanced around suddenly she realised that she was the only Gryffindor here, the rest where Slytherins looking her with pure hatred, she lowered herself completely down the couch but didn't help at all. As some fifth year had shouted out the oh so famous insult to muggle-borns.

"MUDBLOOD!" He shouted and soon the whole side broke into laughter pointing at her and their eyebrows frowning at her if she looked up at them.

Any muggle-born who was called that word would have burst in to tears but to Hermione it didn't really affect her as it used to when a certain prat had said it to her when she started Hogwarts. The Slytherins were expecting Hermione to say something back but nothing came out of her mouth or theirs. Their eyes came of Hermione and had their eyes to their lord; Draco Malfoy. Who had just entered with Pansy holding tight on to his upper left arm, Hermione swore she saw Malfoy's face flicker to pain when she tightened her grasp around him. A third year came to him and bowed his head to him. It seemed that everyone forgot the presence of the mudblood who was not so far away from them. Draco's eye had caught Hermione sitting in front of the fireplace.

"Mudblood." He drawled. Hermione would give anything to slap him again like she had done before she was dragged out of her wish when she heard Pansy start laughing, if you called that a laugh some of the students had to put their fingers in their ears to prevent themselves from get nauseas then eventually passing out.

Hermione was about to throw one of her 'ferret' insults but didn't have the chance because of in burst by her friends, Harry and Ron who had disappeared when they escorted Hermione to the common room.

"Oh good you're here!" Said Harry who had his hands on his knee, panting trying to regain his breathes so he could explain the state they were in.

"We got chases by something near Hagrid's hut. Did you know he wasn't at the feast? So me and Ron went to go and see him to see how he was." Harry explained.

"So did you see whatever you were chased by?" Hermione worriedly asked, she knew that whenever she came to Hogwarts there wasn't a mystery they couldn't solve it seemed that trouble somehow came to them and they did everything to solve it.

"Jeez Hermione we were chased! We weren't going to turn back to see the stupid thing that had made us run around Hogwarts!" Ron had exclaimed his face was pale and had pink blotches on his cheeks and forehead, his hair seemed like it was sweaty as it stuck to his forehead. As for Harry his hair was sweaty and unlike Ron his face was still the color as it always was but had fear written on his face.

"Calm down Ron!" Said Hermione who waved her hand around the air like some mad lunatics. "I just thought you might have saw a bit of the thing. You didn't have to go bonkers."

"Aww well isn't this a sweet picture, scarface and weasel were chased and they went to go and tell their friend the mudblood." Said a very amused Draco.

"Sod off Malfoy." Angrily said Ron.

"Coming to defend your mudblood weasel." The Slytherins started to break into laughter. "I wonder what happened to that giant? Probably found out what he really is and as finally come to sense and crying over what he is."

"SHUT UP MALFOY!" Screamed Harry who in one quick motion pulled out his wand from his robes.

"Or what Potter you going to curse me?" He sarcastically remarked he put his hands up in front of his face to act like he was surrendering. "You going to send me to the same place your mudblood mother and father are?"

"SHUT UP!" Harry screamed again and this time everyone started to pay attention to what was happening at this moment.

"Get lost Malfoy! You're not wanted here." Ron said through his gritted teeth, trying to defend his best friend.

"Shut it weasel must I remind you what your family are to the wizardry world?" Draco threatened; Ron had his fist clenched by his side. "They are blood traitors!"

Harry and Hermione had to pull back Ron from jumping and punching the life out of Draco.

"Ron calm down!" Hermione said while tightening her grip on him.

"Why should I? He doesn't know what he's talking about!" Replied Ron who now was trying to free himself from Harry's and Hermione's grasp.

"Honestly, it's our first day back and you're already fighting?" Spoke Hermione.

"He has got a point Hermione; Malfoy shouldn't speak about stuff he has no clue about." Harry said defending Ron like always.

"I see that but violence shouldn't be solving this, Ron listen to me, I'm sure your mom doesn't want an owl home on the first day of school."

Ron relaxed a bit, the memory of his mom sending him a note in second year in front of everyone screaming about the car, he didn't want to go through that again.

"Fine!" He spat and tugged himself out of their hold and left the common room.

"I'm gonna go and check on him." Harry said and sprinted out of the common room.

Great she was back where she started from, one Gryffindor and a whole bunch of Slytherins. Hermione knew the only safe area was the dormitory, but if she wanted to get there she would have to pass all of them.