Muggle Year
by Virgi Ca
Chapter 4: Hogwarts' Surprise
A/N: Truth about Draco Malfoy revealed! Chapter dedicated to my friend Alodia, who is also a Harry Potter fan. Well, I told Chung Chung about it, but he doesn't really like mushy, so, well, it doesn't mean that it has anything mushy right now......
The normal version without any weird signs (if any) and pictures drawn:
http://muggleyear.wildimagination.net/index
'Hey Draco, where'd Pansy go?' Crabbe asked, munching on a chocolate frog.
'Find Blaise.' Draco replied shortly, sitting down by the window.
'Hey Draco, what did you do in the summer, hadn't heard from you at all.' Goyle commented.
Draco snorted in disgust and turned his attention to the scenary outside. What would these morons know about me? He admitted that he didn't have any true friends, much to his unwillingness, he knew that he would never have friends like Harry Potter. Pot-head with his loyal sidekick Ronniekeins Weasel. He thought mentally, smirking, and also that mudblood Granger.
He had lied to everyone at school that he was going home for vacation, but the fact was he stayed with Severus Snape over the holidays. Over the past year, his father, Lucius Malfoy had become insane with dark arts and always claimed that the Dark Lord would come and rise again. No matter how much Draco Malfoy wanted to deny, he was the son of a Death Eater and he had the same fate as his father, bestowed upon him when he was born. He had had the Dark Mark on him ever since, but it started to show only last year, before his fifth year ended. He had been having a fight with Ron Weasley and was so furious when he said he was a death eater, and that was when the mark started to show itself and he fainted right in the middle of the corridor.
From that moment on, he knew that he couldn't go back home, or he'd be forced to leave school, leave the safety of Hogwarts and join the Dark forces that his father had been building. He had immediately showed Dumbledore the mark and requested to stay at Hogwarts, but he wasn't sure, and finally he decided to let Snape be his guardian for the summer, he was most grateful. His father had done nothing but torture him ever since the Quidditch World Cup and Triwizard Tournament ended, and he had dreaded the summers. He didn't know what his mother was like now, probably brainwashed by Lucius Malfoy already.
Not that Snape's house was really that good to live in. Draco thought. Snapes house, to his expect, was like a laboratory, but even more complex than the one at Hogwarts. It was filled with bottles and cauldrons from all shapes and sizes and ingredients you could never imagine. Snape had instantly treated him like a slave and told him to clean up the place, which he messed every hour or so. But in between, he had learnt the years worth of Potions and even more, despite the fact that he had to mop the floors, wash the bottles and pick up feathers and frog heads with bare hands.
Well at least I've done something constructive in my sixteen years of life. Draco thought sarcastically. He had to go to Knockturn Alley constantly to buy weird ingredients for Snape, like spider legs and pig nails. He dug into his robes and took out something.
'Hey cool!' Goyle commented.
It was the Hand of Glory he had bought from Borgins and Burkes. Draco remembered the time when he had told his father he wanted it before his second year started. His father had deliberately used his request to taunt his results and compare him with the mudblood. He remembered later on when Lucius Malfoy picked up a fight with Arthur Weasley and his father accidentally threw the diary into Virginia Weasley's old transfiguration book, which was the key to opening the Chamber of Secrets.
Virginia Weasley? Draco looked up, remembering something. It's that brat I saw at Borgins and Burkes, wasn't it? Yes, with the hair and all, it was definitely a Weasley, and same one Pansy bumped into just now. He smirked as he recalled the time when the little weasel spoke back to him when he sneered at Potter being the famous one who lived. Pot-head's girlfriend.
'Yo Draco, you okay?' Crabbe waved his hand in front of Draco's face.
'Bug off.' Draco snapped, swatting his hand away. Crabbe shrugged and turned his attention to his chocolate again.
'Draco, we're almost there.' Pansy's voice said from the door. The girl closed it behind her and sat beside Draco.
'Hmm…' Draco acknowledged absently.
'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time, please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.'
The train slowly stopped and pulled in front of the Hogwarts station platform.
'Let's go.' Draco stood up and slid open the door. Without waiting for the others, he walked down the isle quickly and stepped out of the train, nearly suffocating from all the people cramming in the train.
'Draco,' Pansy panted, 'don't walk so fast.' Blaise Zabini waved at her and Pansy walked away.
Draco started to follow her when three people cut across him when stepping out of the train. It was Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The trio. Draco thought, rolling his eyes mentally.
'What's so funny Malfoy?' Ron spat, glaring at him.
Draco shrugged, 'Everything about you, Pot-head and mudblood.'
Ron clutched his fist and was about to lung at him again for calling Hermione a mudblood when another flash of red appeared behind Ron.
'No fighting.'
Ron turned and glared at her, 'Ginny, you have no idea – '
'I do have an idea what you're so mad about,' Virginia Weasley said flatly, glancing at Draco before looking back at her brother, 'but I will not allow my brother to go to the medical wing again.'
'Listen to your brat sister Weasel, she doesn't want you at the medical wing.' Draco sneered in a mocking tone.
'You leave my sister out of this.' Ron seethed.
'Make me.' Draco spat.
'Stop it right now.' Hermione said quietly.
'Hermione – ' Harry started.
'Listen to her, the three of you will get into less trouble if you do.' Virginia said. With that she turned on her heel and followed the small crowd that was moving up the great castle.
'Fine, but if you call her mudblood again, you'll pay.' Ron threatened, walking away quickly.
But Draco didn't pay attention to his last sentence, instead, he was looking at the magnificent red hair that was flowing down Virginia Weasley's back with narrow eyes.
Beautiful hair, too bad it's red. He thought.
_____________________________________________________________________________
'HUFFLEPUFF!'
'GRYFFINDOR!'
'SLYTHERIN!'
'RAVENCLAW!'
Virginia stared at the gold plate as the sorting ceremony continued. It was actually quite interesting if you had an idea who the people were, but Virginia was never interested in the new students, she'd get to know their names eventually, she didn't bother to right now.
Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment and retreated to her seat on the platform. Professor Dumbledore stood up and everyone in the hall stopped talking while the headmaster looked around with his twinkling eyes. 'I am sorry to announce that our Care of Magical Creatures teacher Rebeus Hagrid will not be able to teach at Hogwarts for a year, due to special arrangements outside the school.'
The students started to mumur. 'No wonder I didn't see Hagrid lead the first years.' Virginia heard Harry mutter to Ron and Hermione.
'And so,' Dumbledore continued, 'we will be having a substitute, which is one of our old students.' Dumbledore turned around as the door opened. Virginia gasped and Ron's mouth dropped open.
'Charlie Weasley, former student and Quidditch captain of Gryffindor, will be our substitute teacher for Care of Magical Creatures. He has kindly retreated from his work at Romania as a Dragon Slayer.'
The students clapped wildly and Charlie smiled warmly at the students, sitting down onto his seat beside Professor McGonagall.
'I can't believe it, and all this time Charlie knew!' Ron fumed, 'he could have at least told us!'
'Charlie's going to be at Hogwarts?' Virginia whispered, still not quite believing it.
'Well, at least I'm going to ace the subject.' Ron shrugged.
'Ron!' Hermione gasped, glaring at him. Harry smirked and turned his attention back to Dumbledore.
'And I am also grateful that Professor Lupin has rejoined our working staff as the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher.' There was another round of applause, Professor Lupin was the best teacher they had had, according to Harry at least. If it weren't for Mad-Eye Moody being a fake, it would really hard to choose. Professor Snape glared at Lupin, clearing unwelcoming his return.
'And another announcement is, we are going to have a special sorting ceremony tomorrow night, and will be welcoming a new group of staff.' Dumbledore said, the students quieted again.
'Sorting?' Harry looked at the other Gryffindors.
'Yes, there will be special arrangements this year, and I hope that students will be punctual tomorrow at dinner because the sorting will take quite some time.' Dumbledore continued. 'And now, let us feast!' with a wave of his wand, the four long tables were filled with food.
'Charlie!' Virginia cried, running into her brother's arms. Charlie laughed and lifted her from the ground.
'You should have told us you were coming to Hogwarts!' Ron said, crossing his arms.
'Wanted it to be a surprise, I forced Mom to keep her mouth shut.' Charlie grinned, putting Virginia down.
'Do you know why Hagrid's not here this year?' Harry asked worriedly.
Charlie shrugged, 'no idea, but he's out of England now, probably in Bulgaria or France.' Hermione, Ron and Harry managed a three-way glance.
'What about Lesley? Where is she now?' Virginia demanded. Charlie just grinned and sat down at the Gryffindor table, and was immediately attacked with questions about Quidditch.
'Something's going on.' Virginia heard Hermione whisper to Ron. Ron nodded and helped himself with potatoes.
Virginia tuned the conversation out. After the long meal and the Hogwarts song, Dumbledore made his final announcements and they retreated back to their towers, with Hermione leading the first years as prefect.
At least it won't be that lonely this year, with Charlie around. Virginia thought, a small smile on her lips.
End of Chapter 4
A/N: Be kind and review! Email me at slayershilarious@yahoo.com if you got any questions!
