Author's notes: (PLEASE READ)
For any of you who are going to say, "Hey! This story already exists! You're plagiarizing!" Just stoofoo now. I wrote the other story that is also called, The Muggle World. I realized it was utter crap though and decided to rewrite it. Calm down. Anyway, this is just the prologue. I promise my other chapters will be much, much longer. I just wanted to get something out to you guys.
000
Harry scanned the hall for his friends from the doorway during lunch. Spotting Hermione and Ron at the assigned Gryffindor table, he slowly trekked over and sat in his normal seat.
"Did you hear about Castles' crazy assignment?" he asked them as he set his books down, his eye length hair slightly obstructing his vision. Both shook their heads. "I was walking in the halls and overheard some kids from the period before us. They were saying something along the lines of, 'Yeah, Professor Castles said he was going to send us to live with Muggles for six months. He's bloody mad I tell you.' Sounds nutty, huh?"
Hermione shook her head in disparagement. "Surely they aren't serious? Would Dumbledore even allow such an atrocious thing? Wizards who have grown up in a magical setting their entire lives would be completely lost and confused if sent to intermingle with Muggles, no matter the amount of teaching our professors give them."
"I dunno. You know his reputation. He's pretty loony up here," Harry created a rotating movement with his finger around the side of his head, mocking the Professor. "He'd definitely do something like that."
"Yeh," Ron offered. "Most definitely. Dad will bounce off the walls when he hears this one. You know how mad he is about Muggles. He's going to go off on his, "This is such a great learning experience! How I wish I could of done this as a child," tangent again. Ron sighed in frustration and annoyance and then began to hit his head lightly against the wood table. He'd probably have a nasty bruise later.
Harry grabbed a roll from the plate in front of him and hungrily bit in. While still chewing he said, "Well, I'm really not sure. I guess we'll just have to wait till next period to find out." He finally swallowed while Hermione shot him a disgusted look.
000
The trio gathered their things into their bags and slowly padded up the stairs to their next class, Muggles Studies. This particular class happened to be Professor Castles' class, the school's biggest loon (besides Trelawny of course.) Curiously, they poked their heads through the doorway to ensure that no obscure object was flying around the room and to make sure that the Professor hadn't gone completely mad and brought a dragon into the room, or something of that sort. This was common procedure.
"It looks relatively okay," said Ron. He slowly stepped inside and took his seat with Hermione and Harry right behind. As a few minutes passed the rest of the class filed in, following the same steps they had to ensure their mental and physical safety.
While the students had been coming in, the Professor had been staring off into space, however, when everyone was seated he suddenly snapped back and stood to stand in front of the class.
"OOOOKAAAYYYY, CLASS!" The gray haired man shouted, causing several to jump. "I have a treat for you today!" The class moaned in annoyance. A "treat" was usually some obscure assignment that the professor thought was actually fun, such as writing a 25 inch paper on the causes of Muggle War. Or there was that one time when he gave them only one night to research and write an entire 50-inch paper on How Muggles Differ from Wizards. The class didn't enjoy Castles' "treats."
"Today I'll be telling you about our Little Class Field Trip, you might call it. Now, most of you have been in Muggle Studies for at least two or three years, so therefore I think you're ready to experience the real thing. Dumbledore has already approved and I've checked with a majority of your parents, all of whom gave permission" The students' eyes went big. "Yes I talked to your parents behind your back. Now hush, let me finish."
"The assignment is merely that you're going to live among Muggles for the next six months." The class began whispering among their friends. "To pass? All you have to do is come back all in once piece and without having performed magic, at all, within the six months time. Sounds easy enough right?" The class was suddenly dead quiet. Most of these students had gone all their lives with magic. Not having it at all for six months was incomprehensible. "Any questions?" Immediately at least 20 hands rose. "Ah, yes, I figured it would be like this. Seamus?"
"Surely you aren't serious, Professor?" the sandy haired, brown eyed, Irish boy asked.
"Oh, but I am, young lad. Dead serious in fact. Lavender?"
"Are we all by ourselves? Do we have 'roommates?' Are we going to be living near anyone we know?" the girl inquired desperately.
"Ah, yes, I forgot to mention that little fact. You will be having roommates." The students brightened up a bit at this statement. "Of my choosing." They all then groaned. "However, you will not be near anyone else besides that particular living partner. You'll all be scattered across the different part of Britain. Next question, Hermione?"
She cleared her throat and pulled her bushy hair away from her face. "What about our other classes...?" Yes, always count on Hermione to think of academics first.
"You'll be having your class information and homework mailed to you daily. Draco?"
He scowled. "When are you going to assign our partners and when does this little "expedition" begin?" he asked with as little emotion as he could muster.
"At the end of class, and you'll be starting this "expedition" as you call it, next Monday, a week from now." The professor answered a few minor questions and finally moved on to the assigned roommates.
"Now, Dumbledore didn't really approve of co-ed dorm mates, so this will all be boy-boy, girl-girl. Some girls sighed, crushed. "Stop pouting. You shouldn't be thinking about those kind of things anyway." He slowly read down the list, some moaning, and some grinning broadly at their proposed dorm mates for the next six months.
"Hermione and Pansy,
Ron and Dean,
Seamus and Goyle,
Alysia and Katie,
Crabbe and Blaise,
Ginny and Lavander,
Neville and Michael,
and...oh, yes, Draco and Harry."
There was dead silence. A Malfoy and a Potter living under the same roof together for six months? They couldn't even last 30 minutes in one class together, let alone 6 months in the same house. Surely the professor was only joking. Harry raised his hand.
"Are you serious, Professor? I'm with Malfoy?" asked Harry with a worried look, his glasses askew. His hair was more messy than usual from running his hands through it nervously and he had a slight line between his eyebrows from frowning. He couldn't even imagine being stuck with Malfoy for so long.
"That is correct, Harry." The famous Harry Potter sighed and dropped his head in defeat. Hermione and Ron glanced at each other anxiously.
This wouldn't be good.