Rating: PG-13, there may be a chance later that a chapter could be rated R, but as of now I have no idea, but those chapters will have clear warnings for all of those who wouldn't like to read them.
Warnings: Slash. Language. Sexual themes.
Based on but not following the events of book 6. Canon to start.
---
The heavy door slammed behind Draco Malfoy as he stepped out into the hot heat of the summer in Knockturn Alley. The blonde let out a breath of unease and started away, still with the same unnerved feeling that someone was watching him. Just as he reached the corner the street, like he had done just before he had entered Borgan and Botts, he stopped in his tracks and glanced around. Someone was definitely watching him. But who?
All in all, Draco would have rather bolted from the place, pretending to be ignorant of the watchful eyes that followed, but what that would be, was cowardice. At the very least it was his responsibility to know who knew he had been here.
He gulped, though any visible signs of fear were masked from his stoic, determined face. He turned around and headed back just in time to see a witch with very frizzy hair enter the shop he had just left. Anger ran through him, and he immediately looked for the other two that couldn't have been far behind.
They were nowhere to be seen, though Draco knew this didn't mean that they weren't there. Yanking his wand easily from his robes pocket, he headed towards the door for a confrontation. No Mudblood or St. Potter and Weasel were going to ruin what he had to do. Then he stopped, a scene was not what he needed, it would only raise their suspicions if he lunged at her like that. He was a good deal away still and watched as Hermione was kicked out of the store, and Borgin turned the Closed sign over.
She disappeared into thin air and he could barely make out mumbled voices. Invisibility cloak? He stayed put until they were far out of sight, wanting to curse them all. But still, uneasiness ran through him.
What was going through his mind was fear. Fear of failure. For if he failed, he was going to die. And Draco wanted to live. Who would ever want to die, especially at the hands of a Death Eater or the Dark Lord?
He shook his head of these kinds of thoughts, but that didn't matter. They would continue to plague him until he had carried out his mission. The one in which he was determined to succeed, no matter what. He wasn't going to die. Potter and his friends weren't going to find him out. He'd make sure of it.
---
Hermione stepped off of the Hogwarts Express and was instantly buffeted by the wind. A storm was raging over the school grounds, with lightning splitting the sky every few seconds and rain being blown sideways across the ground. Pulling her cloak tighter, though it would hardly do her any good in this weather, she looked for Harry through the darkness and rain. She hadn't been comfortable leaving him alone on the train after he'd been so despondent throughout the summer, but she and Ron had Prefect duties and were not going to neglect them before the school year even began. Unlike some people…, she thought to herself with annoyance.
"Do you see him anywhere, Ron?" she asked, looking back at the tall redheaded boy who followed her off of the train.
"Huh?" Ron asked loudly, obviously barely able to hear over the wind. He stumbled a bit and Hermione sighed and went back to searching through the throng of people. "Where's Harry?" he shouted. Very few people were trickling out of the train now and there hadn't been a sight of the boy with black hair and glasses.
"No idea," she yelled back, struggling to be heard. "Let's go to the carriages and see if anyone noticed him leaving. We'll have a better chance of finding him inside the school, anyway." As she finished suggesting this plan, Hermione saw someone leave the next compartment with a smirk. She walked over to him through the mud, annoyance and a sense of duty taking precedence over the search for Harry for the moment. She glared at Draco Malfoy as she approached, shouting over the wind, "Where have you been?"
Draco looked annoyed and responded icily, "Not really any of your business, now is it, Granger?"
"Actually, it is, since you missed the first Prefect meeting and it means everyone else has to do more work to pick up your slack," she replied. "You were supposed to be in the front compartment so that you could get your assignment for patrolling this week and find out which group of Slytherin first years you'll be chaperoning to your common room -" Hermione's lecture was cut off as Ron realized who she had gone to talk to.
"Hermione, why are we talking to Malfoy?" Ron asked with a pained expression. "This prat isn't going to care that he did something wrong. Be better off if he doesn't do his job anyway, then we wouldn't have to see the git."
Draco sneered at both of them in response. "Listen to your boyfriend and piss off, Granger. Why would I care if a Mudblood tells me I've been bad? Besides, shouldn't you and Weasel be off looking for our savior?" He turned away and walked toward the nearest carriage, pulling the door shut behind him.
Ron's ears were visibly bright red even in the storm, and he fumed, "Why do we let that bastard walk away? I swear I'm not going to put up with any more from him this year."
Hermione ignored Ron's usual reaction to an encounter with the Slytherin and looked around anxiously for Harry. Ron may not have noticed it, but something in the way Malfoy suggested that they should be looking for Harry had worried her. She started to suggest that they go back onto the train to look for him, but carriages began to leave and Professor Flitwick was practically wading through the mud as he ushered lingering students into the carriages.
"You two, into this carriage, quickly now," his voice squeaked over the wind as he reached them.
With a resigned sigh, Hermione nodded and led the way into the carriage, fighting the wind to open the door and watching it slam shut behind Ron as the Thestrals she knew were pulling them took off.
---
The sorting had commenced and now plates had filled with food. Ron was filling his plate of chicken and potato's as soon as it had appeared, the girl on his right, however, couldn't seem to sit still, craning her head over him and then the other way.
"Hermione, Harry's not in here, I'm sure he's just…" There was a moment's pause as he thought about where his best friend could possibly be. Why would Harry not gotten to the castle, unless something had happened?
"Ron, we need to go-" She stopped speaking midway and shouted, "Harry! There you are!"
Turning in the direction she was looking he spotted him; he wasn't wet nor looked harmed in any way, though he did look almost embarrassed.
"What happened, mate?" he asked as Harry sat across from them.
"Later," he said rather quickly. Hermione and him watched as he started piling food onto his plate as well.
"Are you okay, though?" Hermione finally asked.
With a nod Harry picked up his goblet and took a drink. "How was the sorting?"
"Funny." Ron broke into a laugh. "Some first year got off the stool with the hat on and tripped into the staff table. Sent Trelawny right into Snape!" he mused at the memory, chuckling some more.
Harry laughed and Hermione shook her head, muttering, "You two…"
The two boys shared a bemused glance and Ron changed the subject to something he knew she would like. Which of course he thought was very considerate given that she had just spent the last half hour worrying over Harry and ignoring him completely even after he had gotten trampled over by a bunch of Ravenclaw's when they had first gotten into the hall and he was pretty sure they had broken something. "Do you think Slughorn's class will be any good?"
The two had told him all about the party that they had gone to on the train and neither had seemed very thrilled about him at all.
Hermione looked upset and bit her lip, as if not wanting to doubt a Professor's teaching ability. "I'm not really sure. He seems…enthusiastic."
"Are you kidding, Hermione?" Harry asked disbelievingly. "The guy seems completely daft."
"That sucks," Ron said, taking a large bite of his chicken.
He gazed out, looking at all the first years that now littered the table, then up to the staff table. Dumbledore was chatting with McGonagall quite animatedly and next to her was a very fat man that he didn't recognize. It must have been Slughorn who was talking to Snape, who filled him with immediate loathing. Well, he was at least glad he wouldn't have to be taking his class this year.
He munched as he listened to conversations going on around him. Seamus was having a heated debate with Parvati and Lavender over the Tornados' recent defeat. Ginny and Hermione had picked up a conversation about a Witch Weekly writer, and Dean and Neville were talking about what they had done over the summer, which as it turned out, was basically nothing since the two of them had been so discouraged from leaving the house – like they all were – because it was unsafe.
Ron decided upon the most interesting of topics to jump into after Seamus said, "You two couldn't have liked them before they started winning, they had nothing going for them!"
"Who'd they lose against?" Ron asked as he lowered his chicken bone. "The Falmouth Falcons?"
"Mmhmm," Parvarti said unpleasantly.
"Who were you rooting for, Ron?" Lavender asked rather curious.
"Falcons," he said simply. "They bloody wailed on them, right?" he asked Seamus.
"Yeah, completely butchered 'em."
"It was ridiculous," Parvarti commented with a sigh.
Lavender nodded, her eyes still on Ron. He turned to her and asked, "You wanted the Tornados?"
"I did, but the Falcons definitely deserved to win."
"Of course they did! You just bet on the Tornados because you can't think and judge a team for yourself," Seamus said passionately before Ron could say anything. "You have to have everyone else think for you before you come up with an opinion."
"Wow, Seamus," Dean said, joining in. "That was a bit much."
"You're such an asshole," Parvarti snapped to the Irish boy.
Seamus sank back sulkily, having just gotten into talking about it and not realizing he was insulting two very attractive girls. Though Ron couldn't blame him, he too got caught up and said stupid things, especially concerning Quidditch.
"Sorry," he mumbled, and went back to his plate.
Ron gave him a slap on the back and laughed. "Tough break, mate."
"Tell me about it," he replied under his breath.
"So, Ron," Lavender was speaking to him again. "Are you taking Advanced Charms this year?"
"Uh, yeah," he said, feeling his ears go a little red.
"Oh good, maybe we'll be able to help each other out then?"
"Oh, uh, sure," he said, taken aback. He smiled a little despite himself, glad that someone for once was showing him attention.
"I'm sure you won't need too much help," Hermione said, Ron surprised that she was joining in. "You did really excellent on last year's."
"That was only because you helped me, Hermione," Ron admitted, looking at her.
"I didn't do so well on my Charm's exam," Neville chimed in, which somehow broke a lot of tension that Ron hadn't realized was there.
"Me either," Dean admitted. "Those tests were hell."
"Really?" Ginny entered "Are they really as bad as they say they are?"
There was a chorus of "Yes's" from everyone except Hermione, who gave a pointed, "No," and then shook her head at everyone else.
"Hermione, you get everything," Ron said dismissively.
Hermione quickly looked to her plate and went a little red, Ron assumed because she was annoyed at this statement, since everyone always said it.
"Yeah, you can't really say anything," Parvarti concurred.
"You'll be fine though," Dean said to Ginny a smile lit up on his face.
Ron glanced between them and clenched his teeth, his thoughts instinctively going to, 'Stop looking at my sister like that.'
Quite suddenly the table cleared of dinner, and desert appeared, puddings and cakes, pies and lots of pastry's Ron didn't know the names of.
"Oh!" Lavender squealed in delight at the sight of a chocolate cake, and her and Parvarti quickly got onto the subject of something they had baked over the summer.
Dean however, was still eyeing his sister, and so he cleared his throat. "So, Dean, how was your summer?"
Instantly the boy looked away and to him. "Oh, alright. Yours?"
Ron didn't bother to answer, and instead grabbed the nearest slice of apple pie.
"Harry," his sister spoke. "You're so quiet.
Realizing it was so, Ron nodded, "Yeah, you have been. What's up, mate?"
Harry seemed to be shaken out of his thoughts and just realized people were there. "Nothing. I'm just a bit exhausted." He gave an obviously fake yawn, at which Hermione and Ron shared a knowing glance, but left it alone, knowing he'd tell them later.
"Why were you so late coming to dinner?" Dean asked Harry.
Ron rolled his eyes unseen by Dean, glad at least he knew that his sister was far more interested in Harry than any other guy.
"Got held up," Harry replied shortly.
Ginny eyed him suspiciously then gave questioning looks to him and Hermione. Ron just shrugged in reply.
They fell mostly silent afterwards and ate food in peace. When the food had cleared once again they all looked over to the staff table as Dumbledore rose to his feet to make an announcement.
"Before you all head off to bed, I have a few words. First, we have a recent addition to our staff, Professor Horace Slughorn, who has accepted to take up the position of Potion's master this year."
The hall filled with murmurs. "Potions?" Ron asked.
"But, didn't you say, Harry?" Hermione was looking at him expectantly. The red head also realized that Harry had said Dumbledore had told him Slughorn was taking up the DADA position.
"Well…I guess he never really did say," he replied after much thought.
Dumbledore had finally gotten the hall to quiet down and they all looked back up at him. "Severus Snape has also graciously offered to take the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
There was another rush of whispers and not so quiet outcries.
"What?! No!" Harry groaned.
"That git can't teach!" Ron groaned back.
Hermione stayed quiet, observing Dumbledore carefully.
The headmaster waited for silence again and then continued. "I need all 6th and 7th years to adjourn to the first empty classroom on the first floor after we finish here. Prefects and Head Boy and Girl, your jobs tonight will be handed over to the Ghosts of your houses. And I believe that's all for tonight. Let us all sing the school song before we depart to our slumber."
And with that, Dumbledore counted down and they all sang, the tone horribly off, but enjoying themselves just the same. Though the three kept sending glances to each other and Dumbledore, wondering what it was that he wanted to speak to them about.
---
Harry entered the classroom with Ron and Hermione, as well as countless other students. Used mainly for O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams, this was the largest classroom in the school, and was filled with enough desks for several hundred students. Professor McGonagall was already at the head of the room, giving instructions repeatedly as more and more people piled into the room.
"6th years on the left side of the room, 7th years on the right!" she shouted to be heard over the chaos of after-dinner conversations.
Walking over to three open desks to their left, Harry asked Ron and Hermione, "Any idea what all of this is for?" The summons to this room after dinner was a welcome distraction from his embarrassment over what had delayed him on the train, and Harry wanted to involve his closest friends in a conversation before they could start asking about it again.
"Dunno," replied Ron, glancing around the room. "They've never had an announcement like that at dinner before…have they?" he looked at Hermione.
"Honestly, you haven't paid enough attention over the last five years to know whether they've called all of the 6th and 7th year students somewhere after the banquet before?" Hermione sighed. "This is the first time they've done it while we've been here, and I haven't heard of it ever being done before. Hogwarts, A History claims to cover every tradition at the school, so I can't imagine this not being mentioned if it had been done before."
Harry looked at her in bemusement. She referenced the history book on several occasions each year, and it seemed like this was going to be no exception. His thoughts turned to the future, as they so often had since the end of the last school year. Forcing his thoughts away from those events and onto thoughts that he somehow found more pleasant, he suggested, "Maybe it has something to do with Voldemort." He rolled his eyes in frustration as Ron jumped and Hermione cringed.
"Maybe," Ron said doubtfully, "But wouldn't they be a little more selective about it than all 6th and 7th years? They could've at least told the Slytherins to stay out..." he trailed off with a glare at the nearest green tie he could see.
"Ron, they're not all evil. Weren't you listening last year when Dumbledore said that we need inter-house unity?" Hermione admonished, then turned to Harry. "You might be right, Harry, Dumbledore did seem to like the idea of the DA last year. Maybe he wants to do that on a bigger scale."
Harry was paying little attention to their comments, instead glaring at the back of Draco Malfoy's blonde head with hatred. In case the end of the train ride to Hogwarts had slipped his mind, he now had a smirking, drawling reminder only two rows ahead of him.
Ron's concerned voice broke through his thoughts as he said, "Harry? You okay, mate?"
Even as his face reddened slightly, he turned to Ron with an almost real smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Ron seemed satisfied and turned away, but unfortunately Hermione was much more observant. "Harry, what's wrong? What happened on the train ride? You've been acting strange since you got to dinner."
"Nothing's wrong. I'll tell you later," he muttered, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't want to look at her or Ron, and looking at Malfoy only made him more embarrassed and angry.
McGonagall came to Harry's rescue, calling for their attention from the front. "The Headmaster will be here momentarily to explain the purpose of this meeting, and you will then be divided up according to your year and your choices during last year's career advice session."
Murmurs began throughout the room as soon as she finished speaking. Harry was left with no more an idea of what the meeting would be about than he had before McGonagall had started speaking, and it seemed as though the rest of the room agreed. He glanced at Hermione questioningly to see if she'd noticed something everyone else had missed, but she shook her head. Harry sighed and looked back to the front of the room, determinedly keeping his gaze far away from Malfoy. The quiet chatter went on for several more minutes, then Harry spotted Dumbledore enter through a side door near the front of the classroom. He paused for a moment to speak with McGonagall, then stepped forward and gestured for silence.
"I know you're all very curious by now exactly why it is that you have been called here, and I can see from your faces that some of you are nervous." Locking eyes with different people around the room, one of which Harry was sure had to be Neville, he continued, "Let me assure you, this meeting is not about anything dangerous. There will be other times for discussing Voldemort and how we will prepare every student here to fight or flee as their hearts see fit.
"It is my hope that you will take this at least as seriously as you would anything to do with the war. Any training you receive regarding Voldemort and others who wish to bring death to our doorstep will be important, but what we discuss tonight is in preparation for life. There will of course be training for the former, and," he paused for a moment, looking around the room.
"I suppose it's only fair that you be the first students to know, since we're keeping you so busy on your first night back. I've no doubt that many of you have heard of an underground Defense Against the Dark Arts group known as Dumbledore's Army in which a few students, whose names will not be mentioned, began teaching students what they could not learn in normal classes last year. I am pleased to inform all of you that that will change."
Many students looked concerned or upset, and Harry, Ron and Hermione cast worried glances at each other. They had planned on starting the DA again, and had not expected Dumbledore's opposition. With a small smile, the Headmaster continued, "This year, Dumbledore's Army will be completely sanctioned, and I will be present to assist in teaching on occasion." Harry's mouth fell open, and he stared at Dumbledore in amazement. After a few seconds of shock, during which the rest of the room had a similar reaction, many of the students began to cheer. Harry grinned broadly at his closest friends, his embarrassment and the summer's misery forgotten. Hermione was practically jumping up and down in her seat at the thought of being taught by Dumbledore, and for once Harry couldn't blame her for being excited about a lesson. After several minutes the crowd quieted, waiting for the rest of the explanation.
"While the students leading the organization last year did so admirably, the size of the DA, as it was and will be known by its members, will be much larger this year and require more assistance. Certain professors possessing firsthand experience dealing with Voldemort and his followers will prepare lessons to give you on practical defense, and other lessons will be spent practicing spells and counter-spells while the teachers move among you, lending aid where needed.
"But, all of that is still some time away, and now that I have completely distracted all of you by mentioning it, back to the topic at hand. Training you for battle is not enough," Dumbledore's voice became stern, "The school would have done all of you the gravest injustice and sent out into the world a generation of witches and wizards whose final years of education were focused solely on conflict. That is something Hogwarts will not stand for. There is so much to life beyond the coming battles, and it is equally important that you be prepared to live your lives as it is to know how to defend them."
His tone softening again and his eyes twinkling with a hidden smile, he said, "I believe this is enough suspense for you for one evening. For those of you familiar with the Muggle way of life, think of it as an internship or community service. Throughout the school year, you will be scheduling times to participate in an area of study related to your chosen career through which you will help a community. That community will not be Hogwarts. Some of you have spent 5 years here already, others, 6. Many of you have seen little outside of the school and your own community at home.
"Therefore, each student will be working with a team in a community that none of the members of that team have any experience with. Some of these projects will require you to interact constantly with people unlike any you have encountered, and others will require you to strain your wits and abilities in order to come up with solutions. You will receive more details in small groups where all of your questions will be answered."
Harry noticed McGonagall's gaze directed towards them and thought for a moment that she was looking at him. Then he realized that it was Hermione she was looking at so intently, as if admonishing her to pay very close attention to the next part of the speech. "You will be given the chance to speak with someone about changing your career path, both before and after completing the requirements you have signed up for, should any of you wish to deviate from your decision last year."
Chatter erupted instantly, the majority of the students assuming the speech was over. Hundreds of students were discussing each of the topics that had been brought up, from the new and improved DA to what they wanted to do with their lives to which career would have the most exciting destinations for community service.
"One last thing before we split up," Dumbledore's voice boomed out over the crowd, silencing them instantly. "Houses will play no part in this; in all likelihood, you will be working mostly with people from a different House. As I said last year and the Sorting Hat repeated at dinner, we must now unite against the threat posed by Voldemort. He will seize any difference between us and try to force us apart because he knows we can be destroyed that way. The only way to stand firm against those attacks is to accept the differences between us and know that we have far more significant things in common.
"But there is more to unity than standing together through a trial such as this. When the danger has passed, we cannot return to the old prejudice based on the House a, may it forgive me, rather ancient hat has decided that each person belongs in. There are no straight divides among you; within each Slytherin, there is a little Hufflepuff, a little Gryffindor, and a little Ravenclaw. Within each Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor, it is the same. You all possess the traits for each house in varying degrees. No one house is better than any other. Traditions at the school have kept you in tight competition during your time here, and I fear the effects it may have later. Will you spend the rest of your lives hating one another because it is expected of you? Or will you step beyond this and stretch your hand to take one that you never expected to find reaching out for yours?"
Harry listened intently throughout Dumbledore's speech; he usually ignored them and got the short version from Hermione later on, but once Voldemort was mentioned, his attention was riveted. Harry was not surprised by the Headmaster's call for unity; his speech the previous year had followed the same idea, and the Sorting Hat had told Harry himself on two occasions that he would make a fine Slytherin. What shocked him was the fact that Dumbledore would introduce an idea like this while a war was beginning throughout the magical community. His happiness at the idea of an expanded DA evaporated quickly when he realized the amount of time this new project would take away from preparing for the fight.
Looking over at his two friends, Harry saw the reactions he expected. Hermione seemed enthralled by every word of the speech, and Harry had a feeling that she was still ecstatic over the idea of being taught by Dumbledore. Ron had an annoyed look on his face, and Harry knew the other boy did not want the additional work that the project entailed. Glancing around them, it looked as though every other person in the room was having at least one of their reactions, if not a combination.
Harry opened his mouth to tell Ron and Hermione that he thought it was a mistake to start preparing people for a life that many of them would never get a chance to lead, but McGonagall was already calling out instructions for how they would break apart, and Hermione shushed him.
"6th years come to the front of the classroom, 7th years move towards the back! Everyone who selected a Ministry-related job, move to the left side of the room. Those who chose a career in which they would be self-employed, move to the right. Others, move to the center of the room. If there is any confusion regarding which category you belong in, use your own judgment and choose whichever fits best."
The room erupted into complete chaos as students moved to find their places, most seeming curious about where they could be travelling even if they were apprehensive about the concept as a whole. Harry and Ron attempted to move to the left-front side of the room and quickly lost track of Hermione as she made her way to the center. After a moment, the two found themselves pushed to the very front of their group.
More professors had entered the room now, and they were all approaching different sections. Firenze and a female teacher Harry did not recognize were the first to make their way to the 6th years who would be self-employed, Sprout and McGonagall approached the enormous group in the center, and Flitwick moved to the front of Harry's group. Harry looked around to see who would be joining him, hoping it was Dumbledore, but the Headmaster seemed to have vanished. The crowd behind Harry parted, and he felt a thick, heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Harry, my boy!" Slughorn exclaimed. "Interested in a job at the Ministry, then?"
"Erm, yeah, as an auror," Harry replied uncomfortably. From what Harry had seen of the new Potions Master during their encounter over the summer, he expected actual answers when he asked questions; or at least, he expected them from the celebrities and students from influential families that were his obvious favorites.
"Splendid! John Dawlish was a student of mine long before he became one of the Aurors closest to the Minister himself. I'm sure he'd love a visit from me, during which I could just happen to mention that the famous Harry Potter, who is no doubt an extraordinary student, was interested in joining his office." Slughorn beamed at Harry and clapped his shoulder once more before taking his position next to Flitwick.
Harry was unsure what he had just been signed up for, but was unable to spend much time thinking about it as he, Ron, and over a dozen other 6th years were swept out of the room by Slughorn and led to a much smaller classroom.