Draco's mother sent sweets at breakfast the next morning. Daphne and Greg received similar foodstuffs and the first years quickly decided to pool their resources. A debate on rationing ensued, until Draco suddenly stood and yelled for all and sundry, "Look everyone! Potter's got himself a broomstick for breaking the rules!" And indeed the boy was hurrying away with a clearly broomstick shaped package in hand.
"How is that fair? I thought they were going to expel him! Madame Hooch said that we were not to-"
"Fairness is for the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Haven't you noticed Hermione?" Millie demanded.
"No! I'll see enough when I'm convinced that there is some semblance of order here! How have they not descended into anarchy?"
Theo cleared his throat awkwardly to join the arguing girls. "Dictatorship. The teachers here...ultimately, it's Dumbledore and his right hand McGonagall. "
"Yeah speaking of that...why haven't the teachers taken away Potter's gift? Even they can't go that far." Said Pansy matter-of-factly, spreading marmalade on her toast. Hermione stared at her friend for a moment, eyes growing wide. "No, no they could couldn't they?"
"What? I'm lost. "
"Who could have given him that?" She demanded. "He grew up with muggles who know nothing of this world. His clothes are shabby hand-me-downs that don't fit. There's no way that broom is a gift from them, and it's not a gift from his one and only friend Weasel because that family is as poor dirt."
Daphne frowned. "Are you saying McGonagall gave it to him? Or the school? Because that's..."
"That would make sense actually." Draco cut in, his mouth rather full of sausage. "She took him away yesterday, but we don't know where. And that woman's a fanatic when it comes to the House Cup and Quidditch. Couldn't look Snape in the eye for the last seven years we've won, according to father." He swallowed hurriedly, then gestured for Greg and Vince to follow him as he ran after Potter.
They didn't see Draco and co. until Defense Against the Dark Arts, as the boys came panting in the door late.
"He's the seeker for Gryffindor. "
"Mi-mister Mal-Malfoy, d-do please be qu-quiet. "
Hermione felt drawn between a mutinous anger, and guilt for being angry. In the end, even her guilt faded away leaving a growing dislike for the Potter boy.
By the end of the day, everyone knew that Potter was playing for Gryffindor. Inter-house relations rapidly began to break after . As Halloween came around, things had escalated to more than insults. Though it was near sacrilege to hex first years due to their inability to do anything, Hermione had to dodge flying curses more than once. Apparently Gryffindor wasn't the only house tired of Slytherin's seven year streak.
Halloween dawned, and excitement was high for the feast, despite house tensions. Whispers and taunts seemed to follow Hermione everywhere she went and by the end of Transfiguration, when Weasley loudly pondered the possibility of her having no friends, Hermione ran out to the lavatory and began to cry.
"Hermione? You can't listen to them. They're jerks, but really. Although, the boys got pretty mad and I saw Draco defending you pretty well out there." Millie's voice floated over the top of Hermione's stall, soft and quiet and pure sweetness.
"Yeah Hermione, you knew they're just doing form, it's what they've been taught. At least it's nothing personal. Besides, you know that Weasley is like a mountain troll: slow and stupid but somehow, still mean. " The small smile was evident in Daphne's voice. Hermione sniffled a little, then wiped herself off and took her forgotten school bag with a watery smile and quiet 'thanks'
In potions, Draco moved to sit next to her once they'd been released to find partners and commence brewing. He wanted to talk about the morning fiascos but wasn't quite sure how to bring it up. Fortunately Hermione seemed determined to say thank you to everyone who helped and brought it up first.
"I heard you stood up for me. Thank you."
"Of course. We Slytherins stick together. And why wouldn't I help a friend?" He nudged her playfully, then sobered. "Also...I'm sorry. About that first day, when I was rude about your blood status. Clearly it doesn't affect your ability. Negatively at least. Maybe you're so good because you're a Muggleborn." He added pensively.
Hermione smiled and quickly changed the topic, but the word 'friend' seemed to echo quite happily in her brain for an unusual amount of time afterwards.
"Do I see no one besides Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy who are able to brew this correctly? If you insolent idiots were not able to do this simple task, the rest of your potions career will be ridiculously difficult. Perhaps I might add that if some of you spent less time talking and more time thinking, this would not be near so disastrous. " said Snape, sweeping about the dungeon.
"Maybe if he brewed a proper hair potion, his hair wouldn't be so disastrous." Weasley whispered to Potter, though the Slytherins who were seated nearby could all hear him.
Apparently, so could Snape.
"Detention, Weasley, and ten points from Gryffindor."
When Snape was gone, Draco leaned over.
"Maybe if Weasel-bee learned that McGonagall wasn't here to protect him, he could keep his blood traitor mouth shut. " The Slytherin first years entirely expected Weasley to yell back. Or Potter. Maybe even Longbottom, he was a puppy follower of Potter wasn't he? They didn't expect one of the Indian twins, Patil, to speak up.
"Malfoy you shut your over privileged mouth before I hex you behind Snape's back!"
"Please. You couldn't even do red sparks in charms this morning. Not to mention, those robes look rather tight around the middle. You might want to learn an enlarging charm before the hexes. And tell your twin the same, I'm sure she's got as many problems as you. "
Patil looked stunned. She turned back to her friends, but they were audited clearly looking anywhere but at their friend. She ran off crying as soon as potions ended.
"You'd think Professor Quirrell would know his subject better, honestly." Hermione sat flipping through her DADA textbook in the common room. It wasn't terribly impressive.
"He does actually. But since meeting a vampire in Albania, he's been dreadfully scared. Father says he used to be brilliant." Draco was flopped on a chair next to her, practicing a charm with Theo.
"Used to be? Draco he still is. Mother 'highly suggested'," Pansy made air quotes, "that we be kind to him."
"Well in that case, you might want to put the book down and do the homework."
"Relax Daph. I can ask Hermione to help me later. "
Theo snickered.
"And by help, you mean copy her essay. "
"Precisely."
"I would not allow it." Hermione stated primly. .
"Yes well...if you were Potter's best friend, McGonagall would turn a blind eye. Snape will for us anyways and Quirrell quivers at his own shadow, so there's no harm in handing it over."
"Draco that's not funny in the slightest. I refuse. There most certainly is harm and it happens to be Pansy not learning the fundamental basics and consequently not being able to grasp the higher magics!"
Blaise coughed and Theo suddenly seemed occupied with shuffling his feet. Nobody would make eye contact.
"Oh what is it?" Hermione snapped. "Another pure blood society thing I just don't understand?"
Pansy jerked her head up.
"Yes. I don't need to learn NEWT level magics. That's what my husband is expected to do. Now granted-"
"Your husband?!" Demanded Hermione. "You're eleven! Why on earth are you thinking about marriage? And besides, that's completely barbaric!"
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Because things work differently here. If you had bothered to listen to Pansy, she was about to say that technically, a woman doesn't have to learn NEWT level magics because while everyone knows the men work and provide, the women are supposed to maintain the image of decorum. It's a privilege to not have to work, to have elves to do magic for you."
Theo nodded his assent. "True but also because in times of war, the wives and mothers are always underestimated. They're typically the ones with the largest repertoire of hexes and curses and spells for just about any occasion. BUT-" he added hastily as Hermione began to protest again. "-the point is that the higher up women keep their magical prowess (or lack thereof) a complete secret. Pansy could take advantage of that and undereducate herself if she wanted, and because she will marry well, nobody will know."
"It's desirable for a woman to be well versed in the subtler weapons for her family so the husband can take the obvious and appear to be the only threat." Said Blaise to sum everything up.
" I can vouch for that." Draco said seriously. "Mother's no simpering idiot. Father goes to her for nearly everything, and I'm doomed when they work together."
"Draco! That's no way to speak about your parents." Draco merely shrugged at Hermione's reprimand.
"Don't forget the importance of bloodlines and alliances." Said Millie softly. Hermione jumped. Since when had Millie been there?
"Well, I think it's perfectly ridiculous and it's no wonder all you lot are horribly angry the entire time. And anyways, it's almost time for the feast." Said Hermione, turning away to gather her things. Like any twelve year old, she found the serious topic of marriage to be shudder-inducing and rather revolving to think about.
At the feast, ghosts wandered throughout the Hall, more often than not wandering through people too. There was just as much food as the welcome feast, and the boys immediately tried to stuff themselves. Daphne and Pansy on the other hand, tried to seem elegant like their mothers and ate little. Hermione and Millie ate what they wanted, which wasn't extreme. All around there was cheerful exclamations.
"Oh look! Enchanted truffles! Quinzy, our house elf cook you know, tried to make some but she didn't have the hang of the magic yet because we got the Greengrass' house elf to instruct her on it. Guess he didn't do so well"
"Oh I remember that." Said Daphne thoughtfully. "Father asked our house elf to make them the next time she had the spare time and when my birthday came around she made the most delicious batch ever."
"What do the truffles do exactly?" Hermione felt little apprehensive about them, especially since All Hallows' Eve meant pranks and practical jokes and spooks.
"Well," Draco tried to explain, but it was a little hard to understand from the food in his mouth.
"Depends on who makes them. Usually, they're enchanted so that whoever eats it tastes their favourite flavour. That's what we do at higher society gatherings. "
"Yeah well, with kids and jokesters, it can do all sorts of strange things, the least of which is turning into your least favourite flavours. They're kind of like Bertie Botts actually. "
Hermione stared at the truffle in her hand. "Well then. Do go on and try it. I'm a little afraid to myself."
Before Draco could eat it, Professor Quirrell ran screaming into the Great Hall.
"TROLLLLLLL! In the DUNGEONSSSSS! Thought you ought to know."
With that, he fainted.
Mass panic ensued. Several second year even started sprinting for the doors, until Dumbledore calmly amplified his voice to ask for silence.
"Prefects, please take your house members to your common rooms and stay there. Teachers, with me."
Flint ran up to Snape before he swept off. When he came back, even the older students flocked to him.
"Obviously we can't go in the dungeons, so Slytherin house is going to the Transfigurations classroom on the sixth floor. Everyone, follow me. "
"Hermione, don't look now, but isn't Potter distinctly walking away from his house, with Weasley?"
"I can hardly tell you if Potter is leaving without looking can I?" At that, she discreetly turned in time to see the two Gryffindors slip down the stairs to the dungeons.
"They'll be killed! Where are they going?!" She hissed. Draco didn't look concerned. If anything, he was rather gleeful.
"Doesn't matter to us. It just means the teachers' favourites will be gone and we can get down to real house competition. "
"You know," Hermione murmured,"The Patil girl missed classes after potions. Rumour said she stayed in the dungeon bathroom crying. I'll bet you ten quid, oh no it's muggle money. Anyways, bet you galleons to sickles she's in the bathroom and they're trying to rescue her from the troll. "
"Would they be that stupid?" Draco asked rhetorically, gazing into the distance as if it held deep answers.
"If you two are talking about Gryffindors, then yes they are stupid enough to go down and try to rescue a girl from the troll plagued lavatories. "
Theo and Daphne were standing across from them in the transfiguration classroom, grinning.
"Well, we've got to do something!"Hermione was beginning to panic.
"Yeah, like what? Besides, the teachers are down there. We're fine, they'll be fine, it's all alright. Gryffindorks may not think about these things, but that Patil girl only had to last about ten minutes while waiting for the teachers. And trust me, it isn't hard. Mountain trolls are dumber than rocks and pretty slow. "
They were interrupted by Flint, who announced that the troll was vanquished and they could finish the feast in the common room and then 'go to bed'.
But after such an evening, Hermione didn't feel much like finishing the feast, and secluded herself in the dorm to sleep.
A/N: this chapter is now revised and updated, after a ridiculously long day. I hated the original version of this.