I'm torn between Hermione/Draco and Astroia/Draco pairing. I always wanted to write a Draco/Astroia story to see how it would turn out. But then Hermione got thrown in my train of thought, I guess because of her sympathy and stuff for House elves kept floating around in my head. Let's see how this turns out.

Don't forget to check out the prequel The Hufflepuff. It's a one shot.

I hope you enjoy it.

"You'll pay for this Malfoy!" Voldemort vowed as he aimed his wand at Draco and muttered a curse.

Lucius Malfoy stared in horror as he watched the curse hit his son's chest and the light in Draco's grey eyes faded as he fell to the ground. Draco lay lifeless and stiff. Lucius ran to see to his son, but as soon as he touched Draco's arm, he was replaced by a pile of grey ashes...

What happened? Draco thought as he placed his hands over his head to stop it from spinning. As his vision cleared, Draco found himself surrounded by darkness and then, all of a sudden, he was blinded by a bright stream of light. Draco covered his face with his hands to shield his sensitive eyes.

"Work!" Draco heard a squeaky voice say before closing what Draco thought were the curtains.

"Wha?" Draco asked, but his only answer was the noisy sound of the crowd from outside.

After his eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting, Draco observed his surroundings once more. It didn't take him to long to realize that he was inside a wooden box.

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! Kelp! Kelp!" He screamed.

A House elf slid open one of the walls of the box and asked, "What wrong?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Draco told himself it was only a dream. He pinched his arm to wake himself up, only he didn't wake up - and his arms weren't his arm! The arm was thin, very thin like-like a House elf's! He gazed down at the rest of his body to find his legs were thin and pale, much like his arms, and he was wearing a tea towel. Thinking he was still dreaming, Draco pinched himself even harder, feeling the bones underneath his skin. "NA! NA!" he heard himself groaned from the pain. Wake up! Wake up! "Wak sup! Wak sup!" he told himself. Upon hearing the odd sound, Draco stopped talking and blinked. "Wha?" he listened to himself as he spoke, what's wrong with his voice? Draco turned to the House elf. Is this a dream? "Zeam?" he asked the House elf.

The House elf didn't say a word and merely stared at Draco in wonder with its large, round eyes. "You sick?" It finally asked him.

Is this a dream?"Zeam?" Draco asked it once more.

"You sick?" It repeated.

Draco shook his head, not listening to the House elf, trying to at least recall what had happened. I was in Hogwarts - running - was running - find mother and father - and then and then - father! I saw father! And then - Curse! I hit was by a curse! and then - and then...Draco stared at the House elf in horror as he realized what had happened.

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Draco screamed as he pushed the House elf out of his way and frantically ran in circles. He'd been transformed into a House elf!

The other House elves stopped what they were doing to look and see what the commotion was. Draco continued to run about until he hit a wall and was knocked unconscious. The House elves stared at the fallen elf for a moment before returning to their daily chores. The House elf, who went to check on him moments ago, walked to where Draco was and dragged him back into his box. Hours later, Draco awoke once more to find himself inside the wooden box.

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" He screamed as he remembered what had happened and what he was. He began punching and hitting his way out of the box with his new tiny limbs. Stumbling on to the floor, he scrambled to find his way out of the dimly lighted room. "KELP! KELP!" He screamed, until he ran into another solid object, only this time he didn't faint. Draco shook his head and looked up to see what he had run into. They were a pair of shapely legs in white stockings.

"Are you all right?" The witch asked the frighten creature as she picked it up. "Poor thing." she said, stroking its large head as it trembled in her arms.

"Ma, Fa." It said, tears flooding its eyes.

"What's the matter?" the witch asked it, feeling her heart ache by the sight of its enormous, liquid gray eyes.

"Astoria, there you are!" The witch turned her head toward the direction of the person who had called her.

Draco went stiffed as soon as he heard the familiar name being said. Astoria? Draco thought, slowly he looked up and took a good look at the witch. Blonde hair, She had changed over the years, but he'd recognize that face anywhere.

Astoria Greengrass. So that was the evil Hufflepuff's name.

"RA - KKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"he screamed in horror and struggled to escape from her hold.

"What are you doing? And what's wrong with that thing?"

"It ran into my leg and fell. Must've spooked it." Astoria said, trying to stop the House elf from screaming and thrashing in her arms.

"KELP! KELP!" Draco shouted.

"Just leave it there - on the floor, someone well see to it."

"Daphne, we can't just leave it here."

"Then what do you suppose we do?"

"Take him to the hospital wing."

"Why?"

"He's hurt."

"It doesn't look hurt to me."

"It might be internal."

"Why Astoria, I didn't know you were studying to be a Healer."

"Healer? That does sound like a good career. I might keep that in mind, since you already took my first career of choice."

"And what would that be?"

"A spoiled witch, who does nothing but spend what's left of father's money."

"How dare you say that to me!"

"Why are you so upset? I was merely stating a fact. We both know that is your choice of a career."

"I...I suppose..."

"Being rich is not a sin. We were born to live in a life of leisure because of our great grandparent's skill in acquiring wealth. Therefore, Daphne, you shouldnotbe upset when someone calls you spoiled, since it is a compliment - a praise to our highly skilled and ambitious, Slytherin forefathers."

Draco stared up at the witch, his mouth agape in the same manner as Daphne. After hearing that - that moving? speech, Draco was certain that this witch, holding him, was indeed Astoria Greengrass. Leave it to the evil brat to insult her sister and then lead her to believe it was a compliment. She hasn't changed the lease bit - still a cheeky brat!

"You are so right!" Daphne said to her sister.

Draco turned to Daphne and rolled his eyes. Did Daphne get dumber over the years? Because it seem Astoria got smarter.

Astoria noticed that the House elf was all right and placed it back on the floor. "Be careful next time, little guy." she said, patting his head before she left with her sister.

Draco stared at the witches as they stride away and fell on to the floor in a faint.

"Oh! You poor thing!" Hermione gasped as she picked up the small House elf and carried it to the hospital wing.

After she explained to the school nurse that she had found the little elf unconscious on the floor, Hermione left for her head girl meeting, with promises of returning.

Draco groaned as he opened his eyes and observed his surroundings. I'm in the hospital wing! It was all a dream - I'm not a House elf! Draco breathed a sigh of relief.

"Madam how is..." Since Hermione didn't know the House elf's name, she didn't know what to call it or what his or her gender is for a matter of fact.

"He," Madam Pomfrey informed her, "is all right. He only has some minor trauma from when he fall and hit his head."

Hermione smiled and pulled the curtain back so she could see him. "Hey there." she greeted him.

What's Granger doing here?