The room was silent. If someone had stepped into the room with a blindfold on, they could have sworn they were in broom closet, in a house in the middle of nowhere, where the owner had died a month before on the couch in the living room-the only noise was a dull ticking of a clock in some other room. But that person would be wrong. The room, which was really the Gryffindor Common-room, was actually full of people.

Katie Bell, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny were sitting on the loveseat, in that order. Lavender and Parvati were sharing the overstuffed armchair near to the fire. Natalie McDonald, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, and Andrew Kirke were sitting on the sofa. Colin and Dennis Creevey were sharing an armchair near the stairs, and Jack Sloper and Neville were sitting in their own armchairs near them. Euan Abercrombie was sitting on the long tables that held snack food, next to the portrait hole, and Seamus was sitting near the fire. Dean was leaning against the large, T shaped coffee table in the center of the room. Suddenly, Euan, a second year (to the trio's sixth) looked up, and said quietly,

"They're coming in."

Harry looked at Ginny; a helpless, frustrated look was on her face. He patted her shoulder, and then put his hand down, just as the portrait door fully opened. Gryffindors stared silently at Slytherins, who looked extremely uncomfortable.

There were eight in all. Harry counted their feet as he stared at the ground around them interestedly. Looking up, he saw a crowd of faces. He reckoned there was one from each grade, plus one. He hoped it wasn't from their grade. Pansy Parkinson, he saw, was there, he saw. Looking from the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione's disgusted look. He felt sympathetic. But what grade had two? He could barely see the person in back, but when he saw a glimmer of pale blond hair behind the third year, Malcolm Braddock, he needed to see no more. And if he hadn't figured it out, Ron's quiet gasp would have told him. How could THEY be stuck with Malfoy AND Pansy? Life just wasn't fair. Adrian Pucey, the seventh year, seemed to have been elected leader.

"Erm... Y-you guys are supposed to show us to our- our rooms. P-please." About half of the Gryffindors smirked at this show of courtesy, and the other half kept their cold, blank expressions. They had decided that although they would all do as told, they would make the Slytherins as uncomfortable as humanly possible, for as long as humanly possible. After the teachers had backed off about fights and such, they had all decided that verbal insults would work just as well.

"Erm...so...if... ...Harry! You can take Draco up to his room, can't you? I mean, your in the same year, aren't you?" Harry began to stand up slowly.

"And-and, you're Lee Jordan, aren't you? You do the commentary for Q-Quiddich- yes, that's it. You can take Jordan Kimley to his room. He's in y-your year." The only people moving were Lee and Harry. The other Gryffindors would not move until they're name was called. This was extremely uncomfortable for Pucey, who was a total introvert and barely knew anyone. Slytherins who knew people from their grades eventually had to step in, and after a good 45 minutes, everyone was paired up with someone in their room. Malfoy hadn't said a word. The cold, cruel glare on his face was enough. Ginny was standing on Harry's other side, accompanied by Kelly Pierce, a girl who was very pretty, but obviously snooty about it- much so. Hermione was standing, still livid, right next to Pansy Parkinson. Ron was still sitting on the loveseat, staring blankly at Pucey.

"W-well, are all the S-Slytherin's paired up with s-someone from their Year? Ok- Ok, then, I guess we can get shown to our new h-home sweet home, eh? Hehhehheh..." Ron and Dean smirked, and Ginny snorted uncharacteristically, but Gryffindors moved slowly up the staircases, and to their rooms.

"Harry stepped inside the room, and to the left of the door, which was right next to Ron's bed. The room was indeed much larger, longer. Where there used to be a wall between the sixth year's rooms and the fifth year's rooms, there was more floor- about ten feet of it.

Malfoy stepped tentatively into the room, next to him. He then stepped up to the first bed on his right- Seamus's bed- and put his suitcase on it. He opened it (revealing black and green striped boxers) and went to open Seamus's wardrobe. Before he could turn the knob, Harry said quite clearly and coldly,

"That one's taken."

"Whatever, Potter." Malfoy picked up and flung his suitcase onto the bed next to it- Dean's. He reopened the suitcase again, and as he reached for the wardrobe knob, Harry repeated himself.

"That one's taken." Malfoy sighed, rolling his eyes, and moved to the bed next to the door- Ron's bed. Same thing.

'That ones taken." Malfoy's teeth and fists clenched. He took a deep breath, and walked past Harry's bed, to the end of the room, to the two beds that were nearest to the wall. It was a fifty-fifty chance that he would pick the empty bed, Harry reckoned. Malfoy picked Neville's bed, and slammed his suitcase on it. He opened it, and went for the wardrobe.

'That one's taken." Malfoy let out a small roar, and pushed the suitcase off the bed, to the one across from it.

Lee had finished showing Pucey his room, and was walking back downstairs. It was quite evident that he had seen the whole thing, however. He winked quickly at Harry, before disappearing down the stairs.

Harry watched Malfoy until he was all done, and then walked back down the stairs. He and Lee were the only ones who were back yet, and all the Slytherins were still upstairs. Ginny came down next

"Harry!" she whispered, "You left Malfoy all alone in there, with all your stuff?" Harry smirked.

"Oh- yes- you haven't gotten to that charm yet. The Agitatorious charm is made so that if a person that you choose touches or opens any of your things, they are put in a binding charm that won't wear off for twenty four hours." Ginny looked horrified for a second, then her face opened up into an evil grin.

"Sound great. Think Hermione would help me?"

"Yep, I reckon she will. You'd be quite surprised in the changes she's made to her personality in the last day.

Just then, Hermione came down the stairs, and Ginny quickly went over to her. She was smiling slightly. Looking up the stairs, Harry figured that the Slytherins wouldn't try coming to the common-room anytime soon.

"So- Ron," Harry said brightly, trying to push away the gloom that had slid into the room with the Slytherins," Seamus- Dean- What about that Gobstone tournament?"