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"I can't seriously believe that they would make us do this," I gasped out. I read the notice again just to make sure it wasn't some horrible apparition.
Buddy scheme:
In light of recent tensions between the houses that have extended to physical bullying it has been decided that each fifth year pupil will be given a first year to mentor and spend an hour a day with. You will remain in the great hall after dinner tonight so that you can become acquainted with your pupil. Do not forget.
Prof. McGonagall
I was in shock. I had never gone so far as to make first years suffer and I couldn't think of anyone who would. I was also gripped with anxiety. I had never had extended close contact with young children, I was an only child. What was I going to do, what if mine was a terror. There were some new additions to the house that I didn't want to eat with let alone mentor.
It was with those concerns playing through his head that Draco morosely whiled away the two hours between the end of lessons at four and dinner at six. Vince and Greg were absorbed in a game of snap, they didn't seem to realise that the goal was to avoid causing the pack to blow up, so every now and again Draco would lazily cast a jet of water to a singed patch of carpet and return to his essay. Finally he threw it down Greg was dancing round the low table trying to put out his sock. Realising that talking about his fears to those two was as good as talking to a brick wall He turned instead to the quiet and shy Blaise Zambini.
"What am I gonna do?" Draco moaned rubbing his eyes vigorously. "I don't have time to deal with first years."
"Well.......I don't think it will be that bad, there are house points in it for us" Blaise answered after a few moments consideration.
"What if I get him though? I'd go spare with stress" Draco jerked his chin towards the opposite end of the common room where a young boy was currently placing the body bind on an extremely surprised fourth year who had refused to move out of the comfy chair.
"Yeah well I am used to it, my little sister is a terror..... Ooof" Blaise was abruptly cut off as a shoe came flying straight at his face. He removed it gingerly and handed it back to the fourth year who came to grovel.
The bell clanged somewhere in the distance and Draco stretched out with a sigh. "Oh well eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" he said grinning lopsidedly and ducked as another shoe came whizzing towards the fifth years. The Slytherins drifted slowly up to the Great Hall. Draco brought up the rear and sealed the common room. "Prefects always have the hard jobs," he muttered. "I am going to starve if this carries on all year."
He was silent all the way through dinner and his friends became worried enough to enquire when he couldn't stomach the Belgian truffle. He'd normally have eaten three helpings of the stuff. "Not hungry" was his sullen reply. He scanned the hall dreamily; glancing over at the Gryffindors he was surprised to see Potter looking nervous to.
"Well this is an occasion he's just as nervous as I am" Draco thought as the rest of the school began to meander out leaving only the first and fifth years present. The four heads of house stood behind Dumbledore who rose to his feet once the hall became silent.
"It is well understood by all that Hogwarts has throughout it's history maintained a house system. This system was intended to give every student a sense of belonging in the school and to provide a basis for encouraging students to achieve."
Dumbledore paused staring at the crowd of students with piercing blue eyes.
"However, it has recently been brought to my attention that there are certain rivalries between houses that go beyond the friendly and into the realm of hatred. To discourage this tendency you will be paired with a student who is not of you own house so that ties will be made and trouble rooted out before it begins."
There was a general muttering at this. People didn't want to acknowledge that they were prejudiced against other houses but they all realised that the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor had gone to far and that Ravenclaw considered anyone else beneath them and had been known to sneer at Hufflepuffs whom they considered slow witted and a nuisance.
Dumbledore clapped his hands to regain their attention. "Please wait until your pairing is announced. After introductions you will proceed to the library where homework will be carried out."
"Terry Boot, you are to mentor Helena Revesby" Terry shrugged and went over to one side with the small girl who had stumbled clumsily out of line.
"Susan Bones, you are to mentor Peter Vardy"
"Seamus Finnegan, you are to mentor Celeste LeNoir"
Draco ceased paying serious attention after this. Everyone was slowly being paired off; and finally he was the only Slytherin left he looked at the remaining crowd of first years with growing apprehension.
"Please not Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw but please not Gryffindor, I'll do anything, well not anything but...."
"Draco Malfoy, you are to mentor Seraph Valrico"
Lost in his own thoughts Draco did not hear and had to be prodded by Dean Thomas before he woke up and walked briskly to meet this Seraph trying in vain to ignore the sniggers from the Gryffindors behind him.
He looked down at the small figure beside him. She had dark hair that framed her face and coal black eyes. She was quite pale and her hair only drew more attention to this.
"Hello. Mr Draco...Sir" she said in a timid whisper of a voice.
"Hello" sneered Draco, "Well introduce yourself, we don't have time to hang around."
"I...I'm Seraph, I'm a G...Gryffindor" She stammered staring wide eyed at the towering fifth year.
"Well you don't seem brave and true" he sniffed disdainfully. "Well come along, it's bad enough I'm stuck with a Gryffindor I don't want you to be lazy as well"
He turned and began walking swiftly in the direction of the library. Seraph had to almost run to keep up with him. She chattered along in spite of his attempts to ignore her and put her down.
"Well anyway I was really pleased when I got my letter, I'd only heard of witches in books before then and I...."
Draco coughed and pulled up short. "Do you mean to tell me that you parents were not wizards?"
"No" she said quietly her eyes going wide again at the look on Draco's face.
He sneered at her with a look of revulsion and muttered something that sounded like "Mudbloods." They reached the library and Draco pulled his chair as far away as he could. "Draco..." she ventured. "Don't speak to me unless there is a Balisk behind me" came the abrupt reply. Seraph turned back to her potions wondering what she had done wrong.
Alright I want a lil bit of feedback I need to know if ppl want this continuing. Come on you know that the review box is calling to you. :)
"I can't seriously believe that they would make us do this," I gasped out. I read the notice again just to make sure it wasn't some horrible apparition.
Buddy scheme:
In light of recent tensions between the houses that have extended to physical bullying it has been decided that each fifth year pupil will be given a first year to mentor and spend an hour a day with. You will remain in the great hall after dinner tonight so that you can become acquainted with your pupil. Do not forget.
Prof. McGonagall
I was in shock. I had never gone so far as to make first years suffer and I couldn't think of anyone who would. I was also gripped with anxiety. I had never had extended close contact with young children, I was an only child. What was I going to do, what if mine was a terror. There were some new additions to the house that I didn't want to eat with let alone mentor.
It was with those concerns playing through his head that Draco morosely whiled away the two hours between the end of lessons at four and dinner at six. Vince and Greg were absorbed in a game of snap, they didn't seem to realise that the goal was to avoid causing the pack to blow up, so every now and again Draco would lazily cast a jet of water to a singed patch of carpet and return to his essay. Finally he threw it down Greg was dancing round the low table trying to put out his sock. Realising that talking about his fears to those two was as good as talking to a brick wall He turned instead to the quiet and shy Blaise Zambini.
"What am I gonna do?" Draco moaned rubbing his eyes vigorously. "I don't have time to deal with first years."
"Well.......I don't think it will be that bad, there are house points in it for us" Blaise answered after a few moments consideration.
"What if I get him though? I'd go spare with stress" Draco jerked his chin towards the opposite end of the common room where a young boy was currently placing the body bind on an extremely surprised fourth year who had refused to move out of the comfy chair.
"Yeah well I am used to it, my little sister is a terror..... Ooof" Blaise was abruptly cut off as a shoe came flying straight at his face. He removed it gingerly and handed it back to the fourth year who came to grovel.
The bell clanged somewhere in the distance and Draco stretched out with a sigh. "Oh well eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" he said grinning lopsidedly and ducked as another shoe came whizzing towards the fifth years. The Slytherins drifted slowly up to the Great Hall. Draco brought up the rear and sealed the common room. "Prefects always have the hard jobs," he muttered. "I am going to starve if this carries on all year."
He was silent all the way through dinner and his friends became worried enough to enquire when he couldn't stomach the Belgian truffle. He'd normally have eaten three helpings of the stuff. "Not hungry" was his sullen reply. He scanned the hall dreamily; glancing over at the Gryffindors he was surprised to see Potter looking nervous to.
"Well this is an occasion he's just as nervous as I am" Draco thought as the rest of the school began to meander out leaving only the first and fifth years present. The four heads of house stood behind Dumbledore who rose to his feet once the hall became silent.
"It is well understood by all that Hogwarts has throughout it's history maintained a house system. This system was intended to give every student a sense of belonging in the school and to provide a basis for encouraging students to achieve."
Dumbledore paused staring at the crowd of students with piercing blue eyes.
"However, it has recently been brought to my attention that there are certain rivalries between houses that go beyond the friendly and into the realm of hatred. To discourage this tendency you will be paired with a student who is not of you own house so that ties will be made and trouble rooted out before it begins."
There was a general muttering at this. People didn't want to acknowledge that they were prejudiced against other houses but they all realised that the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor had gone to far and that Ravenclaw considered anyone else beneath them and had been known to sneer at Hufflepuffs whom they considered slow witted and a nuisance.
Dumbledore clapped his hands to regain their attention. "Please wait until your pairing is announced. After introductions you will proceed to the library where homework will be carried out."
"Terry Boot, you are to mentor Helena Revesby" Terry shrugged and went over to one side with the small girl who had stumbled clumsily out of line.
"Susan Bones, you are to mentor Peter Vardy"
"Seamus Finnegan, you are to mentor Celeste LeNoir"
Draco ceased paying serious attention after this. Everyone was slowly being paired off; and finally he was the only Slytherin left he looked at the remaining crowd of first years with growing apprehension.
"Please not Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw but please not Gryffindor, I'll do anything, well not anything but...."
"Draco Malfoy, you are to mentor Seraph Valrico"
Lost in his own thoughts Draco did not hear and had to be prodded by Dean Thomas before he woke up and walked briskly to meet this Seraph trying in vain to ignore the sniggers from the Gryffindors behind him.
He looked down at the small figure beside him. She had dark hair that framed her face and coal black eyes. She was quite pale and her hair only drew more attention to this.
"Hello. Mr Draco...Sir" she said in a timid whisper of a voice.
"Hello" sneered Draco, "Well introduce yourself, we don't have time to hang around."
"I...I'm Seraph, I'm a G...Gryffindor" She stammered staring wide eyed at the towering fifth year.
"Well you don't seem brave and true" he sniffed disdainfully. "Well come along, it's bad enough I'm stuck with a Gryffindor I don't want you to be lazy as well"
He turned and began walking swiftly in the direction of the library. Seraph had to almost run to keep up with him. She chattered along in spite of his attempts to ignore her and put her down.
"Well anyway I was really pleased when I got my letter, I'd only heard of witches in books before then and I...."
Draco coughed and pulled up short. "Do you mean to tell me that you parents were not wizards?"
"No" she said quietly her eyes going wide again at the look on Draco's face.
He sneered at her with a look of revulsion and muttered something that sounded like "Mudbloods." They reached the library and Draco pulled his chair as far away as he could. "Draco..." she ventured. "Don't speak to me unless there is a Balisk behind me" came the abrupt reply. Seraph turned back to her potions wondering what she had done wrong.
Alright I want a lil bit of feedback I need to know if ppl want this continuing. Come on you know that the review box is calling to you. :)