I observed the rest of the welcome feast with a frozen stare from the Professor's high table at the front of the room. In fact, I was not just sitting in a teacher's seat, but his seat. I was seated in the Headmaster's chair. The other professors snuck peaks at me throughout the dinner, but I pretended not to notice. The stares from my fellow students were the worst. Fear was the most common reaction after Snape had said that I was appointed this position from the Minister of Magic, of whom was very obviously under my father's control.

Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws looked at me with equal disdain and wariness. My Gryffindors, my friends; most would not even spare me a glance, and those who did looked on with fury and betrayal. The Slytherins' reaction frightened me the most. They stared with respect, and a slight smirk that they usually reserved for Snape. As if I was on their side! I shuddered and pushed my food around without eating.

The little girl whose hand I was holding was named Alexandra Forth and was sorted into Ravenclaw. She sat next to Luna who welcomed her with a smile. I hoped she would be alright. I prayed she wasn't a muggleborn. Laying my head in my hands, I realized I would have to be the one to report the muggleborns to my father. I wouldn't do it. I couldn't.

I jumped at the sudden hand on my shoulder. Professor McGonagall gestured for me to come closer. I leaned in and she whispered, "The Headmaster...excuse me, Headmistress, is required to make a speech to close the welcome feast." My face must have betrayed my panic because her stern eyes softened slightly. "Just do your best."

Before I could even form a sentence in my mind of what to say, she clinked her knife against her goblet, immediately quieting the Great Hall. With all eyes on me, I cleared my throat and stood with shaking legs. I walked to the gold podium that I would never be worthy of standing at. Placing my hands on the stand, I looked out at the faces before me, and blinked as a camera went off near the Gryffindor table.

"Welcome." I said, twisting my fingers almost painfully, trying to ignore the overwhelming weight in my gut. I took a deep breath and thought about what Dumbledore would've wanted me to say. With that in mind, I continued. "These are difficult times. But you have the power to change it. You are the future. Friendship, hope, and love are the most powerful weapons you have. Don't lose them."

I turned to sit back down, but then thought of one more thing I needed to say. "Before you are dismissed to your dorms, let's please...join hands." The students looked skeptical and confused, but took one another's hands regardless. "Let's have a moment of silence for Albus Dumbledore." I closed my eyes and revealed in the silence that followed. "For all of those whose lives have been lost because of these dark times." The Hall was silent.

For my mother, I added silently. I opened my eyes after a moment and saw most of the students still lost in thought. "Thank you." I turned around and McGonagall gestured for me to let them go. "You're dismissed."

The students rose with a clamor and filed out of the hall, following prefects to their respective dormitories. Instinctively, I took a few steps to follow the masses, but then remembered that I wasn't a student anymore. Before I could look too helpless in front of the Death Eater teachers, McGonagall gripped my elbow tightly and began leading me out of the Great Hall and into the hallway. When the noise of the students was behind us, she released me.

"I know you, Ms Jamess-" She cleared her throat and adjusted her black robes. "Ms Riddle. And I know there is no malice in your heart, so I cannot rightly blame you for what has transpired here, but I will not, under any circumstances, accept you as Headmistress. Is that clear?"

I nodded, trying not to be offended, even though I knew she was being perfectly reasonable.

"Why me?" I whispered, glancing down the hallway to make sure we were still alone. "I don't understand!"

She looked at me sternly. "We both know why." She was obviously referring to my father, but I shook my head.

"Yes, I know, but why me? Why not a Death Eater? Why not Snape?"

She crossed her arms and looked off in thought. She had aged recently, I noticed. A side effect of the war.

At last she spoke. "My guess is that he trusts you more to take the position. Also, he most likely believes you will be easier to influence because of your age...not to mention your family connection. It makes sense he'd want his own blood in a position of power."

I cast my gaze downward, ashamed. Maybe Harry was right. Maybe I should've gone with them.

"Why would you come back?" She asked suddenly, leaning toward me with some strong emotion. "Why aren't you with...your friends?"

"Can we no longer say his name now?"

She glanced over her shoulder. "I wouldn't recommend it."

I nodded. "He has his mission, and I have mine. Being here is the best thing I can do to help. Though, I didn't expect all this to happen," I said, exasperated. "Now I'm worried I made a mistake. I can't be Headmistress! I can't replace Dumbledore!"

She placed her hands on my shoulders, an affectionate gesture that I was not expecting. "You're a Gryffindor, Riddle. Be brave."

I set my jaw and nodded again.

With a ghost of a smile, she said, "Now, let me show you to your office."

...

There were forms upon forms upon forms for me to sign. The first time I put down my signature, I took my time, making sure it was perfect and grimacing at the title that was printed underneath it. "Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" But after a dozen forms I lost the need for perfection and simply scribbled something reminiscent of my name.

I was signing Ministry orders to find the children who had not come to school. The minister, under the Imperius curse, had decreed that every magical child must attend Hogwarts, and if they did not, the Ministry had a right to search for them. I signed them blindly, trying not to pay attention to the names at the top of the children who would now be hunted for.

Despite the fact that I had no choice but to sign them, when I saw the student was a mudblood, I nonchalantly slid the form into the trashcan, which I had charmed to burn anything upon contact. Perhaps the Ministry would forget about them.

I paused and inhaled sharply when I reached Draco's name. Whether I signed it or not, I knew he would be hunted for. Both our father's were on his trail, mine to avenge wrong doing, and his to clear the Malfoy name of disrespect. Luckily, I suspected his mother was playing a large role in keeping him safe, hidden from the Death Eaters.

Knowing that he would not be forgotten about, I signed my name at the bottom, praying that his mother took proper precautions.

Draco's Perspective

I crumpled the front page furiously, hurling it into the fireplace. I watched the edges burn and eventually reach her face, her expressionless face which had haunted my dreams every night since I saw her last. Headmistress! How could she be so stupid as to go back? How could she not foresee that she was walking into a slave's life? Idiot!

Pacing across the small foyer, I ran my hands through my hair over and over again, attempting to calm down. The only reason I had agreed to hide away in this bloody house was because I had assumed Grace would be hidden as well, not have her face plastered all over the Daily Prophet! Not to mention the article revealed her identity. God, Grace why were you so stupid.

I blamed Potter and Weasel. They were supposed to look out for her over the summer; if I didn't believe they would, I would have never let her out of my sight. How could they let her go back? Curse them all-All of them, idiots!

"Oh, Grace," I sighed, collapsing on the leather couch. "I leave you alone for two minutes and it's all gone to hell. Honestly, what did you expect would happen?" Then I groaned, hating that all these months alone had caused me to pick up the habit of talking to myself.

Angrily, and realizing that no one was around to comment on my strange behavior, I continued my conversation. "Well, Grace, it's your fault I'm talking to myself anyway, isn't it? You forced me into this hole of a house all alone to hide from your father! Funny, how it's not my own father this time."

"Now that's not fair, you know Grace was only trying to protect you,"

"Well of course, but if I had never bloody loved her in the first place, I wouldn't need any protecting!"

"You're quite right there. But on the other hand, what was your life before you loved her? Can you even remember it?"

I threw my hands up in frustration and disgust, "No! Obviously, I can't bloody remember it! And now I'm a freak like Potter who talks to himself."

"At least Potter had Grace all summer, that's more than you can say, isn't it?"

"Shut up!" Breathing heavily, I rubbed my eyes and held my head. I was losing it, and I knew it. How did it come to me relishing in the few minutes once a month my mother would visit me? Any human contact at all was a blessing in itself. I had forgotten what it was like to be held. To be kissed. Thus Grace tormented me in my dreams, every night I saw her face, heard her voice, felt her touch.

"You let her do this to you. You should hate her."

"I know," I said to no one but myself. "I know I should."

...

Hello friends! Ugh I'm sorry for slow updates, school is ruining my life once again.

But please please review!