Chapter 1
The look Harry Potter sent to Draco Malfoy, his enemy, expressed everything he was feeling inside, towards the pale light blond boy.
Ever since first year, both of them had declared war to the other, increasing the tradition that brought Slytherin and Gryffindor apart. Harry, brave, courageous, chilvaric and bold, was a loyal leader of Gryffindor, while Draco, sly, ambitious, cunning and determined, represented with pride Slytherin. Although both were quite different, the similarities they shared brought them further, making it hard for both of them to ever feel anything better than hatred towards each other.
Draco sent him a sarcastic smile and both of them quickly looked away. He knew why Slytherin's table was the furthest from the Gryffindor's, and he always thought it was a very good thing. Slytherins didn't get along well with any other houses, and it started because of Salazar Slytherin and his convictions about pure blood. Draco had been taught to respect and encourage these thoughts, and was only friend with people from his house, which didn't really bother him. Actually, most of his friends were exactly the same. Only his best friend seemed to share some special bonds with students from different houses, which annoyed Draco most of the time. But for the sake of their friendship, he tried to respect it, although he didn't really approve.
After all, that's what are friends for, and she was his oldest and best friend. He couldn't just break it all of for this silly thing, right?
---
Luna Lovegood, a ravenclaw, who was sometimes seen as a crazy lunatic, nodded as she read over the words she had written.
"This article will help a lot of people in the future." she told herself outloud, with a light and melodic voice.
Olivia Cooper took a glance over Luna's shoulder, noticing the title of her article, "Everything you need to know about Nargles." and rolled her eyes. If anything, Luna was weird, even she couldn't deny it, but for some reason, Livia liked her... to some extent, that is. Being a Slytherin didn't give Livia the 'right' to befriend some people, but from time to time, she liked to break that rule. For a slytherin, she was actually really open-minded, and tried to see the good things in people, something most of her slytherin friends couldn't seem to understand.
Livia had fallen for Luna, because in a certain way, she reminded her of herself. They were both different, and weren't just what people expected them to be.
Sure, Luna could seem crazy the first time you talk to her, and Livia even overheard students wonder as to why she had been put in ravenclaw, but when you knew her, you discovered how smart the girl could be, and it had impressed Livia to the highest level.
Livia had fought to start a newspaper for Hogwarts, and althought it came out only once a month, she loved working at it. She had 'hired' students from the four houses, pretexting to her slytherin friends that McGonagall had forced her, but to be honest, the variety of intelligence and knowledge it brought to the newspaper she had called Hogwarts' Magical News professionalism.
"Miss Cooper!"
Livia recognized professor McGonagall's voice and turned around quickly. The tall and slim woman stood in front of her, and Livia smiled at the class she always seem to have.
"This is an article I would like you to post in your next edition."
Livia licked her lips, but restrained herself from cussing ; all the pages were already filled, and it would make things harder for her, as she was the editor.
McGonagall handed her a piece of parchment and Livia grabbed it, ready to work on it as she read a title completly different than the other she had just read, but way more interesting.
"What is it?" Julie Parker, a gryffindor, asked as she passed next to Livia.
"It's an announcement, for a competition." Livia simply answered, her eyes still stuck on the paper she had in hands.
Julie put herself next to her to get a better view and took a big breath.
"A competition between houses?" she said, surprised, before her facial expression turned into a grimace. "It means fights and drama." she whined.
Livia took a big breath.
"It means more than that. It means war." she said, shaking her head. "And I'm not sure I like it."
---
"Are they crazy?" Andie said, sitting at the Hufflepuff's table along with a bunch of her friends.
Her sudden anger at the news she was reading made her talk louder than she wanted to, and all her friends stopped their conversation to look at her. She didn't care and simply let herself fall hard on the back of her chair, crossing her arms.
"Probably." Cedric said, putting some more food in his plate. "It can't bring anything good."
Unlike Andie, he was calm, knowing there was nothing he could do about it. He had always been someone very laid-back, who didn't really stress over little things, but he liked challenges, and although he knew this competition could become a huge mess, he was very daring, and liked to win. Most hufflepuff seemed offended, but Cedric only shrugged. It was going to happen, and he'll do everything he can for his house to win.
"There's already so much competition between the houses, why making it worse?" Andie let out to anyone who'd hear.
A bunch of approval answers could be heard and Andie shook her head, reading over and over the large black letters. It couldn't be possible. All the time she had spent at Hogwarts trying - and succeeding- to befriend student from other houses were going down the drain, and she couldn't do anything to protest. Or could she?
