For as furious and frustrated the entire school was when they heard that they would have to room with Slytherins, they were as happy and upbeat now as they would be if all the teachers decided to get rid of homework. Just walking down the hall, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindors looked as though Christmas had come early. The cause of all this, was probably because all the Slytherin students had finally seemed to notice that they had no friends.

"Well," Harry heard Justin Finch-Fletchley say in the hall, the day after the room assignments, "Well, WE got MILLICENT BULSTRODE!!" Millicent, who had been standing about ten feet away, with Blaise Zabini, smirked. She obviously thought they were having a we-got-the-hottest-Slytherin contest, and it was evident she though Finch-Fletchley would win.

"Oh yea?" Seamus had answered, "Well we got MALFOY!"

"Do you really?" Justin had sighed, "Well I guess you win the prize then." Millicent looked totally confused. Justin turned to Ernie McMillan, who had just walked up.

"Hey Ernie, we didn't win the prize. Finnegan is rooming with Malfoy. Poor bloke..." Ernie had winced and patted Harry on the shoulder as he walked by. Harry watched Millicent get the point of the "prize" (worst Slytherin prize, duhr!) and push by Ernie and Justin angrily. The four of them smirked.

It was now very common (and quite satisfying) to hear screams from Slytherins who had found rodents and insects of all sizes and shapes in their beds. Yesterday, Malfoy got a centipede the size of a toothbrush, and Pansy's shriek gave the Fat Lady a migraine, when she found a tarantula living between her sheets. That evening, Adrian Pucey came flying out of the bathroom and into the common room with only a towel on, and all the Gryffindors were rather surprised (but not entirely concerned) to see Adrian turn into what looked like a huge, smelly, puffy wooden statue that had to be carried down to Madame Pomfrey by Malfoy and a smirking Dean Thomas. On examining the shower stall, Gryffindors realized, to their amazement, that it was oozing bubotuber pus. After that, no Slytherin dared take a shower for the rest of the evening.

After cold stares and odd silences forced all the Slytherins to retire to bed, Harry sat down next to Hermione, and whispered in her ear,

"Nice job on Pucey." Hermione gasped and looked at Harry.

"How did you know?"

"Well I knew you had an... interesting experience with bubotuber pus. In fourth year. And no one else could cast that kind of spell." Harry looked at her admiringly. Hermione smiled evilly.

"Ah, yes. Very observant. Don't tell."

"Don't worry." Harry smiled brightly, and then yawned. Well, Ron, Neville, what do you say? Shall we retire to our beds before Mr. Malfoy retires to his?" Neville smirked uncharacteristically and Ron smiled sweetly (which was also quite uncharacteristic).

"Oh yes we should, dear Harry! We wouldn't want to miss giving Mr. Malfoy a goodnight!" Ron said, and they smirked. Dean and Seamus followed them curiously up the stairs.

Hermione smiled at Ginny, who was sitting across the room, as they heard a scream erupt from somewhere up in the boy's dormitories.

The only time where Slytherins were able to get back at Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws, was at dinner. Slytherins talked joyously, and shot as many nasty little insults at Harry and everyone else as they could possibly afford to. On Thursday night though, the minister had had just about enough.

On Thursday night at dinner, Just as Malfoy had finished calling Hermione a snooty little mudblood ("Sit down Ron! It's just a name!"), the minister got out his slick little whistle, and blew it much louder than the time before.

"Excuse me, Professor Dumbledore, but in the days that I've been here, I've had just about enough." He turned to the students.

"It is embarrassing to the entire wizarding community to have this constant battle going on. Sitting here watching Slytherins make nasty comments about other students is completely barbaric, and I will not stand for it anymore. It seems to me, that the Slytherins were a lot less cocky when they were in between different houses. So, I would like a Slytherin between every three members at each table." With a flick of his wand, the table in front of the Slytherins vanished, and the other three tables vanished. New seats were popping up all over the place, between every few people.

Harry, who was sitting next to Ginny and Ron, was suddenly sitting next to Malfoy on his left side, where Ron had been sitting one second before. Ron was now in between and Malfoy. Ginny, who was on Harry's right side, had been sitting next to Lavender. Now, Adrian was sitting where Lavender had been sitting, and Lavender was one seat over.

Ginny gave Harry an exasperated look.

"This is getting less and less fun." Ginny sighed, and agreed. Suddenly, Malfoy spoke up, from the other side of Harry.

"D'you think this is fun for me, Potter? At least you're not separated from the only kind of people you've ever grown up with." Ginny looked at Harry, and raised her eyes. Harry gave her a surprised look. He turned to Malfoy, trying to think of what to say.

"Well- I...I'm sorry. I couldn't wait to get away from the people I've known since childhood. That wasn't a day at the beach either, Malfoy. But hey, you wouldn't know that. You've been too busy making fun of me about it." Harry looked at Ginny, and she nodded in agreement. Malfoy's face looked sour, and he scowled at his dinner plate.

Everyone finished dinner quickly that night, not talking to ones seatmates much had given everyone a whole lot more time to eat.

"Well, Malfoy," Harry said, as everyone entered the portrait, "you and all your dear little friends should get some sleep, so you can work hard to try and look sad tomorrow. Big day, Goyle's funereal!" Malfoy glared at Harry, and Pansy spat in Harry's direction.

"There now, that's not very ladylike!" Parvati said to Pansy. "Oopsie! I forgot..." Pansy glared at Parvati, and stalked up the stairs. Harry smiled at Parvati, impressed. Parvati blushed, and walked away, muttering something about detention.

"Well, mate, have we made enough fun of Slytherins today?" Ron asked inquisitively, while counting on his fingers. "Ah, yes, I believe we have. We can go to bed now then. I'm beat."

'What about your potions essay?! You have potions tomorrow, and ill be a hippogriffs bottom before you use my essay." Hermione intervened tartly.

"I already did it."

"...you did?"

Ron nodded. Hermione looked something that was a cross between shocked and impressed.

"Erm... well... Good job... shall I look it over for you?"

Ron shrugged.

"If you want to."

Hermione nodded briskly. "I may as well- I never get to sleep before ten forty-five anyway. Give it here. You too Harry."

They handed over their essays, and went up to bed.

"Well, she never ceases to amaze me..." muttered Ron. "If I had asked her to look it over, she would have killed me. But now she's ASKING for something to do?"

"She probably finished all the homework she's been given," supplied Harry. Ron shrugged, and the two retired to bed.