Bloom gets onto the train, after a heartfelt goodbye with Sirius - and they're early since Bloom figured she'd never get onto the train if they came 'on time' - and picks one of the first compartments before taking out her bag of stuff and going back to the chapter on Transmuting something from one form to another. The applications for this go beyond simple Transfiguration, they-

Bloom looks up when she hears footsteps enter the compartment, and sees Draco coming over to sit next to her. He sits down and nuzzles his face into her hair, saying "Three days before school started, and we got a letter with a Prefect's Badge saying I and Pansy Parkinson had been chosen as this year's Slytherin Prefects. I guess that cuts into our…study time together."

Bloom blushes - they both know neither of them would get much studying done, even if they actually had been trying to study - and says "Well, congrats on the honor. You earned it."

Draco snorts, and says "We figure it's a way to separate me from you, honestly. Dumbledore's sneaking way of trying to keep us apart."

Bloom hums, and says "It won't work. You have to Patrol the halls, and he practically told me himself that it was alright to sneak around the school at night as long as nobody sees me."

Draco blinks, then chuckles, and asks "Did he really?"

"No, not with any words. He did find me in front of the Mirror of Erised, though. And I'm thoroughly convinced he's the one that sent me the Cloak for that first Christmas in the place."

Draco nearly bursts out laughing, and says "Ron did say you and he did get awards at the end of our second year. After-"

"Breaking a dozen school rules at least…in the space of a few hours. Yep. What kinda message do you think that sends? 'Break the rules, and be rewarded' perhaps?"

Draco chuckles again, and says "Something like that. Any ideas on those 'tutoring sessions' we talked about?"

Bloom nods, and says "I won't hold everyone's hand, though. I'll demonstrate spells, Merlin-forbid I actually have to keep the peace because I will step in if things get out of hand and nobody in those things will be happy if it comes to that, and I'll help people perfect their wand movements and such. But I won't be like Crouch Jr. with his teaching style, and I won't do everything for everyone. I won't be Gilderoy Lockhart either, but still. Maybe if I wrote to Remus…"

Bloom shrugs, and adds "He and Sirius thought it was a good idea, especially since Fudge and the toad will hate it, but I don't know how to…well, to be frank, to teach everyone first through seventh year Defense."

Draco leans her head on his shoulder, and says "We'll work it out. I bet Hermione will have some idea."

"Some idea about what?"

Hermione and Ron sit down, and Bloom says "How to teach the entire student population how to defend themselves. How to make a decent Defense class for once. The only good one we really had was Remus - and nobody's going to let him teach students anymore because its now publicly known he's a Werewolf. Bloody prejudice."

Ron and Hermione take one look at the sight of Draco running his fingers through Bloom's hair - as she rests her head on his willing shoulder - and share delighted grins.

Bloom cracks one eye open, seeing Hermione and Ron practically plotting the wedding that'll eventually come out of the Betrothal Contract submitted to Gringotts, the Ministry records, and everywhere else Lucius and Sirius sent it, and murmurs "Will they just kiss already?" Draco manages to turn full-blown hysterical laughter into a hum, but only barely.

After some time spent talking, Hermione groans and says "We need to get going, Bloom. Prefect meeting, and all." Ron groans and says "Yeah, that. You'll-"

"I'll be fine, guys. Neville, Dean, and Seamus are on their way, and I've got my books to occupy me until then. Tell Luna I say I on the way to the meeting, please. And maybe point her my way, I've got a little something planned for Dumbledore during the school year."

Draco nods, then asks "Of what sort?"

"He's going to hate it. Wizards listen to the radio a lot, right?"

Ron nods, and says "All the time. Wizarding Wireless. It's usually always playing in pubs and such. Why?"

Bloom gets a grin that reminds Hermione of the Cheshire cat, and Draco of his father when he's got a plan to absolutely destroy someone. "Because, if it works the way I hope it will, the 'Girl-Who-Lived' will be no more. I'm hoping it'll give the Wizarding World a wake-up call - both about the little detail that they've been worshipping and relying on a child to save their sorry hides, and that their oh-so-wonderful 'leader of the Light' is a manipulative arse who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near children."

Draco chuckles, then says "We'll be back in about an hour."

Bloom smirks, and says "I'll try to contain myself until then. And stay sane."

Ron has to drag Draco away, even as Bloom's readjusting her position to lean into the wall and keep reading her book. Once they're walking down the corridor, Draco says "I'll keep Slytherin House in check. If Bloom's not exaggerating about this new professor - and I don't think she was, she looked far too serious to be - then it won't matter which House or year someone's in. They get on this woman's bad side, they'll…she actually didn't say what would happen, just got this look in her eyes that spelled a lot of pain."

Ron nods, and says "Okay. Who'll be the most trouble? I think McLaggen, in Gryffindor. He's got an attitude, to be honest. 'Mione?"

"Hm…Cho Chang, I think. She's the ringleader of the group that bullies Luna. As for Hufflepuff…I honestly can't think of anyone, but we also don't interact with them that much either."

Draco shrugs, and says "Pansy's the one that usually stirred up trouble with Bloom, but now that Bloom's Sirius' Ward she'll likely stay polite."

At Hermione and Ron's glances, he says "The Blacks were extremely powerful in Pureblood society. Nobody crossed them - the ones that did didn't live to tell about it, not for very long at least. Nobody with half a brain would dare even lay a finger on Bloom - Sirius was acquitted of mass murder, but he still fought in a war and was incarcerated in Azkaban for twelve years. Which can't have been good for his state of mind - hence, why he was in St. Mungo's. At least, that's Dumbledore's official story that he's never wavering from."

Hermione nods, and says "I don't doubt at least some of that factored into it. The Dementors nearly had some Firsties sobbing in hysterics from a brush with one. Honestly, why we weren't taught how to defend ourselves from those things is beyond me."

Luna walks straight into them with a dreamy smile, and greets them. Neville scowls, right along with Dean and Seamus, and says "We weren't taught what to do because Dumbledore didn't think it was important, that's why. Where's Bloom?" They point the way, and Neville leans over to Draco and quietly says "Hurt her, and I swear I'll Hex you to the Dark Ages and back. Prefect, Malfoy, and anything else you are or not." Draco nods at the uncharacteristic seriousness of Neville's expression, and then Dean and Seamus both shake his hand before they leave to keep Bloom company.

Draco asks "Alright, what was that about? You two didn't-"

Ron chuckles, and asks "Tell anyone? No. You weren't exactly subtle about having a crush on Bloom, though. Aside from taking every chance you got to rile her up, you stared constantly. And you nearly got eviscerated by Buckbeak - which, I would assume, falls into the category of 'stupid stunts done to impress a girl.' People noticed. As to Neville…they understand one another. Both lost their parents in the war and such. Plus, Bloom helped Neville with his spellwork in year one, remember?"

Draco nods, and says "I thought she did…"

Ron grins, and says "He's a tiny bit protective of her. He's like a brother to her - along with most of my family."

Draco asks "Most? Wait, Ginny."

Ron grimaces, and says "Good point, that. But...I was actually talking about Percy. He's always been a bit stuck-up - was thrilled to bits to get Prefect in our First Year, but his snobbishness got to a whole new level when he made Head Boy in our third. He started working at the Ministry afterwards…and now he's working for Fudge. He's come down on their side, in this whole mess. Wrote home asking if we had any idea where Bloom might be, since Fudge was so worried about finding her - to make himself look good, in all likelihood - but nothing else. There was a row, he left and hasn't come back, etc."

Ron grimaces, and Draco says "There's one rotten member in every family. Mine's Aunt Bella. Absolutely mental, apparently. My parents say she isn't…well, all there, really. Working for Tom has its drawbacks, and she was subjected to them just like everyone else. Some mission went wrong, and he punished her severely. Afterwards…" Draco grimaces, and makes a swirling motion with one finger pointed at his head.

Hermione grimaces, and says "The Cruciatus Curse can damage your nerves with enough exposure - your mind, to. It's a wonder they aren't all completely insane, honestly."

They get into the meeting, which seems to take forever to all of them. A bunch of rules they'll have to follow, being told they need to set a good example, etc.

When they make their way back to the Compartment, they hear Neville's voice asking "-actually managed the-"

"Keep it down, Nev! It's supposed to be a secret for now. Sirius registered us privately, without tipping off Fudge, once we got their letters."

Seamus says "Bloody brilliant! What can you-"

Ron opens the Compartment door, and sees Luna, Bloom, Neville, Dean, and Seamus sitting in various spots. Bloom just waves her wand, enlarging the Compartment so there's room for everyone to sit comfortably. Which makes everyone stare at her in shock except for Ron, Hermione, and Draco.

Eventually, Pansy hoarsely asks "You can do wordless magic? That easily? The box wasn't just a fluke or something?"

"Since I was six, Pansy Parkinson. Long story short, I'm too stubborn to die and my magic is too stubborn to stay dormant when I need it. Any other questions?"

Theodore Nott nods, and says "Yeah…can you teach us all Defense? We've seen you buried in books all these years, after all. Skip tutoring us and just teach us?"

Bloom shrugs, and says "We'll see how it goes. Word of warning, don't get a detention with this woman. From the dreams I've been getting, she's sadistic. Like, Filch-sadistic."

Everyone shudders at that - Filch was banned from supervising detentions for a reason.

AN: Hey, everyone! I know, I'm cutting it close on the 'once a week' schedule - in my defense, finals and projects are coming up. I'm SO CLOSE to being done for summer break! Another week or so, a few tests, and I'm DONE! Then, I swear, I can go on a writing explosion that'll blow everyone's minds. Maybe get Bloom to Magix before summer's out - I've got that worked out, I just have to get the details in between ironed out. Anyway, enjoy! I've got to keep working on a final reflection paper for one of my classes! See you all next week, and stay safe and healthy!