Disclaimer: I must own up to the fact that though I am the puppeteer here, the puppets are not mine. Sure as the strings that make them dance, all these wonderful character whom I have not changed, merely reflected ted through my interpretations are not mine. GLORY TO JKR!
1. September the First
I faced the other side.
The great bustle that occured every hear on platform nine 3/4 failed to amuse me this time. I did not watch with a smirk as Longbottom forgot one of his daily necessities nor did I particularly enjoy the sight of watching Luna Lovegood mutter odd things much to the confusion of everyone. I did not try to look over the parents checking off the last things nor did i try to grab attention by complaining about insignificant things.
I simply faced the other side.
I tried my best to ignore the last minute calls of parents to their wards reminding them to write letters, for it seemed to send little stabs through me with my father in Azkaban and my mother under house arrest and no one to see me off.
It was not however until the train's high pitched whistle that I relaxed.
"Goodbye Harry! Goodbye Ron!" two feminine voices yelled from outside the compartment. Oh no, I thought, I am in no mood for this, and just then the compartment door rattled and a red head poked in,
"It's only Malfoy here, Hermione, Malfoy are those seats taken?"
"No, " I said politely enough and the three of them lumbered in. As they settled down putting up their trunks I noted who they were. Having been most prominent members of the erstwhile Dumbledore's Army their faces were well known.
Neville Longbottom round faced and forgetful was now as tall as me. It wasn't difficult to recognise the Weasely Princess, with her flaming red hair and freckles but she had grown up with superb looks, beautiful I suppose, but she still did have an inexplicable childish aura about her. And the third was of course the most significant part of the golden trio, Hermione Granger. She had already pulled out a book and was leafing through it, her brown bushy hair browner and bushier was pulled in a hasty bun, possibly an attempt to tame it. A fringe curled over her forehead that she kept pushing back. But otherwise with her frown and all she was just the same
"Great day today huh Malfoy? " Ginny Weasely asked in what I felt was a pathetic attempt to start a polite conversation.
"Indeed, Miss Weasely, " I said in an attempt to ease the uncomfortable silence that contrasted the usual Hogwarts cheer, that even I used to feel and which she had noticed of course. And it was a great day with skies clear outside as grassy green fields rolled by.
"I didn't know that you were coming back to the seventh year, " Ginny Weasely said.
"Of course I had to come back. My mother was bent on me finishing my education," I said and her eyes twinkled as if her mother thought the same. Oh I thought she would be fun to hang around with.
"I am going to find the old lady and buy some stuff. Anyone need anything?" Neville asked.
"A chocolate frog please, Neville, " Granger said turning a page. And we chimed in our requests too putting some silver in Neville's hand.
"So, Malfoy, I heard you were offered to be Head Boy, where is your badge?" Ginny Weasely inquired.
Ah.
I didn't know that others knew.
"I declined the offer,"
"Oh, why?"
"Didn't want many responsibilities, I-I am bad at leading others and I thought I should like some quiet time,"
That was not the entire truth for I felt that after the blunders I had committed, people would have trust issues with me.
Of course I would not tell them that.
"Hermione was offered too. She has however refused, owing to, " Here, Ginny Weasely winked at me, showing that spark of fun I had seen in her, "subjects she had elected to take, "
I felt a smile tug my lips.
And it amazed my companion who clasped her heart and gasped,
"Malfoy is smiling, bring out the umbrellas! He is blinding me!"
I snorted at that which caused Granger to look up, "Don't you dare flirt with my best friend. I hope you are not ignorant of her boyfriend's fury."
"I am not flirting with Ginny Weasley, Granger." I sighed exasperated, "I am merely getting better acquainted,"
"Yes, Hermione, you should get better acquainted too. After all, I suspect he is not as bad as he was, " she looked at me and something that I am not sure of passed her eyes. But I merely nodded,
"Maybe, I'll get better with Gryffindors restoring my humour," i said.
"I got the treats, " Neville Longbottom sang bursting in his hands laden with sweets. And we partook in the cheering that even Granger had no heart to put a stop to.
"Do you still collect these?" I asked waving a chocolate frog card at Neville Longbottom who shook his hand. But Ginny Weasely saw something in it as she grabbed the card off my grasp and gasped,
"Oh look! It is Harry!"
We all leaned in to have a look. Sure as the sky was blue, Potter winked back waving his hand at us before he danced off the frame.
"Great Godric!" Neville Longbottom exclaimed and he read over what was written.
Harry Potter, an accomplished wizard, best known for defeating He Who Must Not Be Named
"Sweet Salazar! Now Potter has his own chocolate frog card!" I exclaimed. Would his popularity ever end? Ginny Weasley quickly opened the three other chocolate frogs tossing a chocolate in her mouth and shoving the others in the others'. They merely munched on curious. We rounded up a card of Hermione Granger and two of some insignificant witch I didn't care to know about.
Granger in the card looked up and first thing she did was narrow her eyes and frown before she tottered off. Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley burst into fits of laughter as the real Granger rolled her eyes and muttered something about getting back at someone who sounded like Rita Skeeter.
"I wonder if Ron has his chocolate frog card too. " Ginny Weasley said.
"You could owl him, " I suggested.
"I don't have an owl , "
"I could lend you mine, he is new mind you, " I said bringing down the small cage.
The owl was a tawny one. Quite common except for a splash of white on one of its wings.
"He looks splendid! What is his name?" Ginny Weasley asked.
"I call him Luck, " I said not meeting their eyes. Ginny Weasley coughed and borrowed parchment and quill from Granger and she wrote a note and as she secured it to my owl, I opened the window and she let it free. He flapped his wings and was soon a speck in the sky.
"That was nice of you Malfoy,"
"Oh, don't mention it, "
And I felt somewhat strange.
Almost serene.
"You have changed, " Granger said frowning and that I thought was the most civil thing she spoke to me in a long time.
As soon as the train stopped, I began feeling apprehensive, even nervous. An uneasy thought nagged my mind. What if they left me? What if they were ashamed of being seen with me? It was quite strange that Draco Malfoy would feel nervous or be so scared of being lonely.
However as the chariots approached, (I watched with horror at the silent creatures. Thestrals, Hagrid had called them) I was saved from the situation getting awkward as Ginny Weasley called out to me,
"Malfoy, Hermione! "
Neville Longbottom waved at me and I rushed towards them as the large mass of students rushed through resulting in me colliding with someone,
"You, ferret! " Granger squeaked.
"I am sorry okay?" I yelled back. She gave me a very mean look before she grabbed my wrist and led toward the desired chariot.
"Thank you, " as I said after we were snugly settled in the chariot.
Granger merely snorted. And we all fell silent. I think we all felt nervous, at being able to see Hogwarts. I believe all of us had some scary memories of the place, Neville Longbottom's potions horrors, Ginny Weasley's horrendous experience at the Chamber of Secrets and Hermione Granger's petrified nightmare. Not to mention my very twisted encounter at the Astronomy Tower or my experience as a ferret. But then we were all returning weren't we? There must have been good memories of the place too. I couldn't speak of others but though I claimed to have despised the place, I had rather come to love it, and I was very ashamed of loving it in regards to the values my father had fed me with.
As the castle drew nearer, I fell in love with its beauty all over again. It's beautiful tall towers were draped gloriously in moonlight and the windows tall and wide, only some visible, were aglow with warm light. I remembered the Slytherin Common Room under the lake in its green glow and cool splendour. It felt good indeed to leave my lopsided world behind.
"It is beautiful isn't it? Gran says she loves this place as much as she had when she was a kid, " Neville Longbottom said wistfully as the gates drew open and the wheels rolled in.
"I think we all do love this place," Hermione Granger said softly. The Great Hall's ceiling showed the brilliant moon outside hiding all the stars. The four tables grand as usual were leisurely being filled with students. I turned to my companions,
"Ah, well, I reckon, I should go and, and, " I cleared my throat awkwardly. Neville Longbottom chuckled patting my shoulder,
"Of course, Malfoy, we won't shame you in front of your friends,"
"T-That's not what I meant, "
"Oh come on, Malfoy, we are still friends all right," Hermione Granger said rolling ber eyes with a good natured smile.
"Thank you, " I heard myself say.
As soon as the Sorting Ceremony was over, where I noticed, there was a very low turnout, Professor McGongall took to the centre. She was now, I had learnt the Headmistress, much to father's deep resentment whose opinion I did not care about anymore.
She looked older and yet her silver hair was tight in a bun and her strict demeanour hadn't left her.
"I am glad, to have you all back, safe and sound, " she said. I turned to see all the Slytherins slightly hang their heads in shame. Though I had been there with all wrong purposes, the empty Slytherin table had stunned me. And I felt heat rush to my cheeks.
She continued,
"You will however see that the Astronomy Tower is under lockdown and some specific Rooms," I thought for a moment she glanced at me, "are under renovation. And due to the Dark Lord's excursions, we are forced to rebuild seven Magical Schools through out the world and since every school which is in proper liveable condition has been asked to play host,"
"Does that mean-" a voice from the Gryffindor table asked raising a hand. I caught a glance at her bushy hair and felt the insane urge to chuckle. I however, stared at my shoes waiting for it to pass as Professor McGongall said, rather sternly,
"We play host to The Indian Institute of Magical Sciences and Crafts, "
Author's note: Please do not kill me! I am an Indian and my most biggest peeve with the series is JKR not mentioning anything about an Indian School. I thought you guys should get a flavour of my country since I also feel, it expands the limits of my imagination. Please do review and be harsh just not outright impolite. Thank you, if you have read this far and want to continue...
