"What do you think this is about?" Hermione Granger whispered to her best friend, Harry Potter.
"Don't know," Harry whispered back. "But I don't think anyone knows."
Hermione nodded. "Who's that?"
"Probably some new teacher," Ron Weasley said, swinging his long legs over the bench.
"Does this mean we have a new class?" Hermione said excitedly, looking at the brunette woman standing with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"I hope not," Ron said quietly to Harry as Professor Dumbledore called for attention.
"Good morning fifth years," Dumbledore smiled. "We will be announcing a new class at Hogwarts, led by Professor Starr. The class will give you a basic introduction to what's happening in the world," Dumbledore said, pronouncing certain words as if they were dirt.
"Hello everyone!" Professor Starr smiled brightly. "We're going to start off by playing a little game."
She watched as whispers shot across the hall.
"Tomorrow, everyone is to wear a black shirt and a house tie that is not their house's," Professor Starr announced. "You will then get further details."
Lavender Brown squealed. "Which shirt should I wear?" she asked her best friend Parvati Patil.
Parvati shrugged, getting up to switch ties with her twin sister Padma.
Lavender pouted. "Hey, Fay!"
"The one with the ruffles," Fay Dunbar responded immediately, already knowing Lavender's question.
Hermione got up and started walking back to Gryffindor, Ron and Harry following her.
"What's that?" Harry asked a few minutes later.
Ron and Hermione stopped and listened.
"...filthy mudblood...expelliarmus..."
"It sounds like someone's in trouble!" Hermione hissed, immediately changing directions to follow the voice.
"...don't belong at Hogwarts...flipendo..."
"Faster!"
The trio rounded a corner and saw Cho Chang with her wand trained on a sniveling first year.
"Miss Chang," Hermione said icily. "What is going on here?"
Cho's eyes widened. "Nothing," she stammered.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked the first year, who nodded tearfully.
"Twenty points from Ravenclaw, and a weeks detention with Filch," Hermione said furiously. "No, make that two weeks!"
"Now, Ms. Granger," the voice of Albus Dumbledore cut in, "I'm sure there is no need for that," he continued, stepping out of the shadows. "Ms. Chang has learnt her lesson, and after all, it was just two students simply playing around."
"But if she doesn't learn her lesson, she will believe that bullying is okay, and keep doing it!" Hermione said angrily.
"Ms. Granger, might I remind you have perfect badges can badges be removed?" Dumbledore said smoothly.
Hermione stared, open mouthed, at the Headmaster, before turning around and stomping away. Harry chanced one last look at the smirking headmaster before he turned and ran after Hermione.
"It's ridiculous," Hermione fumed. "He allows people like Malfoy to bully younger students, and does nothing about it!"
"Mione, calm down," Ron rolled his eyes.
"Don't...call...me...Mione..." Hermione ground out before disappearing up the steps.
"Mental, that one is," Ron shook his head.
Harry nodded to appease Ron, but privately felt quite different.
"Nice shirt!"
"Where'd you get that one?"
"Hufflepuff? Really?"
"Don't talk, Gryffindor."
Laughs and giggles filled the Great Hall as the fifth years entered, everyone comparing t-shirts and ties.
The Slytherin fifth years all wore Ravenclaw ties, while the Gryffindors sported either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff ones. Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws wore ties from all four houses, and even Professor Dumbledore wore a Gryffindor tie.
"Good afternoon," Professor Starr greeted them. "I see everyone has done as expected."
Giggles went around as friends craned their heads to look at other people's outfits.
"Today, you'll be split up in two teams," Professor Starr continued, ignoring the interruption. "One team will be under the guidance of Professor Umbridge, and the other under the guidance of Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher for those of you who don't take Arithmancy."
"I'm not taking orders from a mudblood," Draco Malfoy whispered to Pansy Parkinson, who nodded in agreement.
"Mr. Malfoy, stand up," Professor Starr said clearly.
Shrugging, the pale blonde stood up.
"Mr. Longbottom, you too."
Neville nervously stood up.
"You two will be the leader of our two teams, Mr. Malfoy with Professor Umbridge, Mr. Longbottom with Professor Vector," she said pleasantly. "The teams will compete against each other in a series of challenges, both academic and athletic.
"Mr. Malfoy, please pick 17 people," Professor Starr continued. "They will be your 'team'."
Malfoy scanned the first years. "Millicent, Crabbe, Tracey, Goyle, Daphne, Nott, Pansy, Zabini, Macmillan, Boot, Li, Hopkins, Turpin, Goldstein, MacDougal, Corner, and...Granger," he finished, a smirk on his face.
Hermione gasped in shock. She had to follow Malfoy!?
"Then I guess I get everyone else?" Neville asked shyly.
Professor Starr nodded. "It will be up to you do decide what happens. You can make rules all you want, and your teammates have to listen. You also have the power to cut and to admit people to your group."
Malfoy's eyes gleamed at this. "From now on, all muggle clothing is banned. Everyone must wear a green armband at all times. The color red is banned for anything other than school robes."
Hermione looked shocked. "Well what am I supposed to wear?" she demanded.
"Mr. Malfoy, are you sure you want to do this?" Professor Starr asked. "It's a bit extreme."
Malfoy nodded. "Oh, and all muggle school supplies are banned as well. And Pansy is my second-in-command."
Pansy stood up. "Ooh! Daphne, Tracy, and Millie are my court, everyone else must bow or curtsy to me or Draco every time they see one of us! And Draco, you get Blaise and Theo then."
Malfoy grimaced. "Whatever you say, Pansy," he said finally.
"Well, my group will go outside tomorrow and help the bunnies," Neville announced. "Their home was blown away, so we can help rebuild it."
"Excellent, Mr. Longbottom!" Professor Starr beamed. "Well, continue on them, we will meet in place of your history class in two days time. And yes, this will be your new history class."
"Hey, Granger!" Hermione heard the next day.
"Yes, your highness?" she said sarcastically, sweeping into an exaggerated curtsy.
Pansy preened, her silver tiara lying uptop her head. "Draco said to tell you that we're meeting tonight down in the dungeons," she informed the Gryffindor.
"I'll be there," Hermione replied, mentally rolling her eyes.
"Good, everyone's here," Malfoy said when Hermione walked through the door of one of the abandoned classrooms in the dungeons. "Let's get this over quickly - older members will be joining us, I'm throwing a party for everyone this Sunday. A list will be posted tomorrow, if you're on it, you're in. If you're not, you're out. Any name suggestion?"
"Ooh! Ooh!"
Malfoy sighed. "Yes Pansy?"
"The Royals! 'Cause if you're not royal, you're a nobody!" Pansy beamed.
"Great," Malfoy said, waving his wand. Immediately, the arm bands changed. Draco and Pansy had golden crowns, their 'court' had silver ones, and everyone else's was in bronze. "Now go."
He stalked out of the room, pausing only to remind them to follow the rules he had instituted earlier.
Hermione got up the next morning, stopped, and looked through her clothes. Great. She had no wizarding clothes other than her school robes. She quickly got dressed in her button-down top and pleated school skirt, noting that she had no shoes, none at all.
"Lavender, can I borrow a pair of shoes?"
"Sure," the pretty girl answered, handing Hermione a pair of shoes from Madam Malkin's.
Hermione put them on before walking downstairs.
"Adorable bunnies," she heard Harry tell Ginny, who giggled.
"Oh, Granger!" Malfoy called out the minute his intended target entered the Great Hall.
"What do you want, your royal meanness," Hermione said sarcastically, mock-bowing.
Malfoy scowled at her. "Just wanted to let you know that I'll be expecting you Sunday night."
Hermione rolled her eyes as he walked away, before going over to check the list for herself. All the Slytherin fifth years had unsurprisingly gotten through the first cut, as well as a couple ravenclaws and hufflepuffs. Older slytherins were added as well, including the entire Slytherin Quidditch team.
And surprisingly, she was there, Hermione Granger was the last name printed.
"Hey, Hopkins!" Draco Malfoy called out to the boy.
"Hello, Draco," Wayne Hopkins said happily, falling into step with the popular boy.
"So, are you coming on Sunday?" Malfoy asked, but received no answer. "Hopkins?"
He stopped and turned to look behind him. "Hey, you, Corner - where's Hopkins?"
Michael Corner turned to Malfoy. "He has some trouble walking fast," Michael explained. "He had some sort of surgery when he was younger, and so his left leg hurts some days, especially when it's a rainy day."
Malfoy peered outside at the pouring rain. "Oh.
"Tell me about Sue Li," he said abruptly.
"Well," Michael said slowly, "She's from China, she's in Ravenclaw..."
"Blood status?"
"Her parents are both muggleborn," Michael replied.
"You want me to do what?" Pansy Parkinson said, shocked.
Draco sighed. "Uninvite the people on this list," he said patiently, dangling a list in front of her face.
"But they were already invited!" Pansy protested.
"So? Can you do it, or do I need to ask someone else to do it?"
Pansy swallowed. She knew she wasn't exactly the prettiest girl in school. Most, if not all, of her popularity was due to her being Draco's second-in-command.
"Consider it done," she said finally.
Hermione Granger stormed out of the Transfiguration classroom, furiously crushing her latest homework. She threw the wad of paper across the room, where it uncrumpled, the P on it in view.
Can't read this also showed, as well as the many dots and splotches all over the essay.
"I hate quills," Hermione muttered. "But no! I can't use my pens because of Malfoy!"
As she stomped down the hall, Hermione heard a sob coming from the nearby girls bathroom.
"Sue? What's wrong?" Hermione asked, seeing the Chinese witch in tears.
"Pansy just uninvited me to the party on Sunday!" Sue sobbed, sitting, crying on the floor. As Hermione knelt down to comfort the Ravenclaw witch, Lisa Turpin ran in.
"Were you uninvited too?" Hermione asked, seeing her tear-stricken face. Lisa nodded, then sunk to the floor to sit sadly with other two girls.
"That's it!" Hermione declares. "I've put up with not being able to wear my clothes and use my school supplies, but this is enough! I will not have my friends be in tears!"
"Well, what are you going to do?" Lisa asked.
"We're going to hold our own party!" Hermione said determinedly.
"But weren't you invited to Malfoy's party?" Sue asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I'd rather hang out with you then Malfoy," she said.
"Hey Draco, great party!" Pansy smiled Sunday night.
"Thanks," Draco smirked. "Hey, can you help by passing out the pastries?"
"Um, sure," Pansy said, biting her lip. "Though I did want to know if you wanted to dance-" she began, but Draco had turned away.
"Why of course!" she heard a minute later, before Draco appeared on the dance floor with the prettiest girl in her year, Daphne Greengrass.
Pansy sighed, before picking up a tray.
"Great party!" another voice said that night.
"Thanks, Anthony!" Hermione Granger said, picking up another slice of pizza. She had asked the house elves for some classic muggle food and so far it was well received.
"So why was everyone not invited to Malfoy's party?" Wayne Hopkins asked.
Anthony Goldstein leaned forwards. "I'm jewish," he offered. "I can't eat the same foods that he does."
Hermione nodded, pushing the bag of kosher food towards him.
"I'm Chinese," Sue said.
"I'm a muggleborn," Lisa put in. "But Hermione was invited."
"I'd rather spend time with you, though," Hermione blushed.
The next day, Hermione strutted towards the Charms classroom, dressed in her muggle jean jacket.
"Muggle clothes..."
"Malfoy...no..."
"...trouble..."
Hermione confidently walked through the halls, knowing she caught the eye of Draco Malfoy.
"Pansy," a furious Malfoy said. "After classes, get Theo, Macmillan, and...Daphne and meet me by the potions classroom."
"What are we going to do?" Pansy squeaked, terrified by his glare.
Draco turned to her. "We're going to teach Hermione Granger a lesson."
During her lunch break, Pansy hurried towards the library, hoping to find out what the point of this stupid game was.
"Muggle history..." she muttered, having figured out that Professor Starr was there to teach them muggle subjects. "American Civil War, World War I, Holocaust..."
Pansy flipped another page in her book. "The Holocaust - a man named Adolph Hitler gathered followers and eventually took over Germany. He hated Jews and killed them in multiple ways - killing over six million of them. People listened to his every command. Anyone who didn't or was 'different' he 'got rid of' in ways that untraceable."
Lost in her thoughts, Pansy quietly put her book back and absentmindedly wandered the halls of Hogwarts.
"Oh good, Pansy," Draco greeted her, along with the others she was told to gather. Each person had their wand in their head.
The five found Hermione Granger walking alone in the corridor.
"Get her!" Draco sneered.
"Anteoculatia!" Theo cast, causing antlers to sprout from Hermione's head.
"Titlando!" Macmillan said, causing Hermione to fall to the ground, laughing.
"Flipendo!" Daphne forcibly pushed the girl back.
"What's going on here?!" a voice cried.
"Let's go," Draco said. "I think she learnt her lesson for ignoring my orders and for being a filthy mudblood."
Pansy took one last look at Hermione sobbing on the floor before leaving with her so-called friends.
"Professor Starr! Professor Starr!" Pansy cried, running along the corridor.
"Yes, Ms. Parkinson?" Professor Starr replied serenely, stepping out of the shadows.
Pansy burst into tears and fell to the floor. "I made a mistake!" she sobbed. "I-I was just like Hitler!"
Professor Starr smiled gently. "Well, now you know what the game was about. Perhaps you could give a little presentation on it?"
The next morning, in History of Magic, Professor Starr stood in the front of the class.
"Ms. Parkinson, if you will?"
Pansy swallowed as she stood up, her knees shaking.
She took a deep breath, noting the surprised look on Draco's face. "Yesterday," she began, "Draco and I tried to curse Hermione Granger. We were with a group of students, and we hexed Hermione because she wasn't listening to Draco's rules."
"Hey!" Draco stopped her to protest. "That's not true!"
"Yes it is," Pansy corrected. "Draco had made up a set of unfair rules, and only Hermione tried to rebel against them."
Pansy looked around the room. "I then realized just what Professor Starr's game was about. The Holocaust."
Shocked whispers and gasps echoed around the room.
"For those of you who don't know what the Holocaust is," Pansy continued. "A man named Adolph Hitler and his soldiers tortured and killed over six million Jews because of their heritage. Every word he said was considered done, and nobody even thought of disobeying him. If the Jews fought back, they were immediately killed. Anyone who opposed him was killed. And no one noticed."
Pansy paused to take in her classmates reactions. The muggleborns were all nodding, and the purebloods had looks of disgust on their faces.
"Well, this happened. It happened once with Hitler, and it happened with me," Pansy explained. "Everyone followed Draco's instructions perfectly. No one went against him. Well, except for Hermione. And even then, he tried to get rid of her."
Hermione nodded.
"I owe an apology to everyone I hurt following Draco's instructions, and especially to Hermione," Pansy said, looking the girl in the eye. "I had no right to do what I did, and I am really sorry."
"Thank you Ms. Parkinson," Professor Starr took over. "Mr. Malfoy, I will be flooing your parents about your behavior."
"Hey!" Draco protested. "I was just following your instructions."
"You took them way to far," she reminded him. "And obviously they were easy to follow, Mr. Longbottom did excellently."
Draco pouted and sat back down.
"And so, in conclusion, history repeats itself. It happened once, it can happen again, and it will happen again at some point. Our only hope is to stop it before it gets too far. Class dismissed."