The Scheme

Disclaimer: Umm… second verse…same as the first.

~

Harry was humming, and ignoring the silent glares streaking through his compartment. Ron and, Hermione were still fighting, though in a smaller degree ,as not to get Harry messed up in it again (Ron was getting tired of making tea whenever the subject came up. Further more Harry had given up on the subject a day after he actually was clued in on some of what was happening..

"Harry, could you please desist?" Hermione was already getting a headache.

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"ANYTHING ELSE!"

" Shouldn't you be in the prefect's compartment anyways?" Harry asked this only to annoy her, he knew that Hermione only came to this compartment to get away from Malfoy.

"Anything off the cart?" This was a savior to Harry, who leaped at the cart just before Hermione leaped at his throat.

"Do you have to ask?" Harry commented as he handed the cart women a couple galleons in exchange for it least half the cart.

"I seriously don't know why I do any more, Dears." She shut the door behind her to leave all three of them with (what seemed like) a ton of candy.

"God, I missed this." Ron laughed.

~

"I'M HOME!" Ron and Harry screamed at the top of their lungs, achieving strange looks from nearly everyone in range.

"Who are you two?" Asked Hermione, who was obviously pretending not to know them, unfortunately for her everyone knew her too well to not see through her bad acting.

"Auw, c'mon Herms…" Ron laughed his way into pretty nearly being slapped in the face. "You know you love us." Harry laughed too, Hermione gave in and, laughed along, Ron was thankful he didn't have a hand impression in his face. Hermione was thankful she hadn't killed them both for laughing.

"Let's get our seats." Harry smiled, while ignoring the glare Malfoy was passing him.

"Nothing will ever change, will it?" Hermione forced a laugh when she saw the leer Malfoy was aiming at the three of them.

All in all Draco had had the worst summer of his life. He spent the long summer days hidden in the deeps of his lonely mansion. His father and mother both gone at work a good seventy five percent of the time. Worst of which, his mother had died, and his father was forced to move, to a much smaller mansion now that they weren't achieving as great of an income. And, great now he was back at Hogwarts were he will have to be forced to put up with Potter, his perfect mudblood friend Hermione, and his idiotic peasant friend Ron.

And, now that his Mother wasn't here to get his father to ease up on him, Malfoy would be expected to achieve the best marks, and win every Quidditch game. Oh yes, now I get to never sleep. Draco thought too himself, motioning for Crabbe and, Goyle to follow him to their seats.

"Hell, maybe I can smuggle sweets from the kitchen now that my Mother won't be able to send me any." Draco sighed, he had tried to explain his situation to Crabbe and, Goyle several times by owl post. However they were much too thick to get it, and just sat there looking quite clueless. I need smarter friends. Draco thought to himself, in a sort of trance.

With a simple wave of the hand Dumbledore silenced the whole of the hall, though much of the Slytherin table ignored all he said anyways.

"Okay, I'll call your name, put the hat on. It will pick your house." McGonagall summed, looking at the frightened first years before her.

"Were too used to this." Ron sighed, as they cheered 'Alicia Briggs' onto the Gryffindor table. "And, good god…I'm hungry." Harry nodded.

"You just finished pigging out on all the sweets Harry bought." Hermione sighed back, as her eyes followed 'Denis Dunbar' to the Slytherin table.

"Hermione!" Ron whined. "Harry and I are growing boys!" Hermione tore her head away from 'Shina Florence' who was stumbling too the Ravenclaw table, and surveyed Harry (at 6 '1) and, Ron (at 6 '10).

"Don't have much growing left do you?" Hermione laughed.

"You never know." Ron laughed. Harry was attempting not to see that Hermione had obviously forgotten about Ron and, Her not being on good terms. Malfoy was still attempting to leer at them, but his efforts went unnoticed.

A good fifteen minutes later with ten new member at their table, Dumbledore came to the podium. "Alright, now I don't want to ignore your eating rights so we'll just have a few nonsense words before you eat." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled as he smiled. "Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense." Dumbledore sat then among laughter, and cheering.

"FOOD!" Ron laughed, and jumped in. Among a sarcastic looking Hermione.

~

In the Gryffindor common room, the three friends slept well. While a first year girl sat up deep into the night, looking into the fire with solemn eyes.

In the Slytherin common Draco sat bolt up right, thinking about life deep into the night, and plotting ways of telling his father why he hasn't been receiving perfect grades. A great year this will be, but not for him.

A/N: Hope you all don't see how I'm gonna twist this story. And, please R/R because, you all need to warn me of my mistakes, so I don't make them again. My main goal in this fic, however, is not to twist the characters personalities too much. This first chapter I have privately entitled 'Feather in the Flame' for reasons you will soon know. And, YES I will tell you all eventually how Draco's Mum died, it's QUITE important to the story.