Er… ah… I don't really have an excuse. Sure, my keyboard died on me… but that was April. Sure, I had my exams, but they finished in June. Sure, I got a job, but it's only two days a week, and there's over a months gap between the 17th of June and the 29th of July. Rest assured I am… extremely apologetic. Well, I got my exam results earlier this week. It's just gone Saturday, and I've got work later. Anyway, this story. Well, I will be taking into account quite a bit of the fifth book, how much, I do not yet know. I'm gonna go with Ron and Hermione are prefects (y'know, at the rate JKR is going, Ron's gonna get that dream he saw in the Mirror of Erised. Prefect, on the Quidditch team…) but I dunno. Dolores Umbridge? She's scary. I'll replace her with…!

The first day of term began much as it had for the past four years, with breakfast in the Great Hall, the ceiling void of anything save a few wispy clouds amidst the pale blue sky.

What with yesterday being slightly convoluted, Harry hadn't taken the time to notice some things, but having had a nice long sleep in familiar, safe surroundings, and having re-gathered his bearings without those snappy teenage hormones messing him up anymore then they had in the summer, he noticed at least two things strange about the head table. Firstly, there was no Hagrid, and though he knew Dumbledore had sent him on a sort of mission, it didn't ease his worries one bit. Second, he saw someone he didn't know at all, and though sure her name had to have been mentioned at last night's assembly, it slipped his mind. She must be the new teacher.

Sitting at the, what now could be called cursed, position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, was a kindly looking woman, who due to the periodic slight widening of her eyes as she talked amicably to Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had an almost naïve look about her.

But then again, the first Defence teacher he'd ever had, acted nervous and stuttered half the time, but he had Voldemort sticking out the back of his head. That definitely taught him the lesson that everything you see can't be trusted.

His thoughts were interrupted as Hermione handed him the new timetable, Ron already moaning about it.

"Bloody hell, we've got to spend the better part of the day with Slytherins!"

And right he was. Double Care of Magical Creatures followed by double Potions, finishing up with a Defence lesson.

"This has GOT to be the worst Monday ever! We're cursed, aren't we?"

"Stop complaining Ron! We have to set a good example for the other students."

"Forget them, they probably have awful Mondays too." He replied, shifting the remains of his food round the plate. If he hadn't been finishing off his third plate's worth of breakfast, it would've been rather piteous. However, his attitude wouldn't remain like that for long.

-scene change-

With Hagrid still supposedly on his mission, Professor Grubby-Plank was filling his place for the time being, and while her lessons were generally safer, it just wasn't the same without the gentle half-giant. Some things, however, never change, one of them being the constant insult matches between Slytherin and Griffindor pupils. It was barely 15 minutes into the lesson – they were studying Bowtrickles, odd, bark-like pixies with sharp teeth and claws, that lived in the best tree's for wand-making – when Malfoy and his cronies walked up to 'have a nice chat' with them. But, he didn't even get a chance.

Just as Malfoy was about to open his mouth, there was a loud yip of excitement followed by an even louder thud, and Malfoy's frustrated reprimands ("get OFF me, you maniac!") and it took a while for those events to sink in and fit properly.

The boy who had joined them on the train had tackled Malfoy to the ground, and was apparently… hugging him?

"Draco! It's so good to see you again! I didn't know we had lessons together! It's a shame we're not in the same hall, isn't it? Thank you soooo much for having me stay in the summer! Can we do it again at Christmas? Oh, and how are you?"

It seemed that as soon as Malfoy heard him speak, he froze, instead taking a much milder approach.

"Could you get off me… please?"

As though realising where hey were, the lithe blond practically leapt up, pulling Malfoy with him, and dusting him off, still grinning.

"We should catch up. Will you tell me all about Hogwarts? There's so much I want to know!"

"Er…" Malfoy began nervously, "I should be getting back to work…" with that, the Slytherin with a superiority complex got as far away from them as possible, his lackeys not far behind.

The Griffindor blond popped himself on the floor next to the Awesome Threesome and smiled benignly at them.

"He wont bother you for now…" he said quietly, carefully picking up one of the wood pixies. "He wont try anything, because retaining good relations with my family is more important for the moment, to him." He stared at the Bowtrickle in fascination. It stared back.

"You stayed with Malfoy? Over the summer? Who in there right mind would do that?"

The ground suddenly became very interesting for him to look at, and his let the little pixie free, and Ron earned a thwap from Hermione.

"I had nowhere else to go…"

-scene change-

The four 'intrepid' investigators chatted idly on their way to Potions.

"Who teaches this class now?" WuFei asked in interest.

"Ah… you remember the last time we were here? Remember Severus?"

"Oh no… not him!" Duo squawked nervously. "He'll blow our cover for sure!"

"No…" Hiiro cut in, "If he asks we'll just say that we're our sons or something stupid like that."

"It'd be kinda hard for us to be sons when only one of us is on the straight and narrow, y'know!"

"Fine. Distant cousins."

"Oh, great, he'll soooo believe that…"

"What does it matter? All we have to do is just be good in class. That means not doing anything stupid, Maxwell!"

"Uh… define stupid, Wu-bear…"

"How about opening your mouth?"

-scene end-

Sorry it's so short… I wanted to get any humorous thoughts out in the open… I need to dream up some angst. I got an A in Maths! I got an A in Maths! I can do 6-form Maths now! I can't be sad… anyway, if you have any suggestions as to the route I should be taking, please make them! I'm at m9_minako9@hotmail.com