Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of its' characters, names, or settings.

Chapter 10- The Heads' Quarter

Thanks for the reviews. . .

nay, gazy. And…

GEmory: Thanks a lot for ALL of your reviews! I swear, you give me like the best and longest reviews, which make me feel guilty if I don't end up updating for a day.

Angelic-Winkles: I seriously love your pen name. Where'd you even think of it up? And please don't worry. . . I will be updating a lot.

Chach-A-Lot: I swear, this has GOT to be a coincidence, cuz you are like one of favorite authors. Thanks a lot buddy. But I dunno why that "confused girl" got offended so badly. Maybe he/she just must've had some bad experiences with poodles before. I'll keep updating, as long as you continue with all of your wicked ass stories!


"Attention please! Attention please!" Professor Dumbledore's loud voice boomed across the Great Hall, silencing everyone as they looked up at him and gave him all of their attention. "Before you all go off to your dormitories, I would like to meet with all of the prefects and the two heads right now."

Loud noise erupted after this short speech; everybody started talking as they got up from their house tables after getting dismissed to their dormitories. A couple of people from each of the four houses however, stayed behind for their prefect/head's meeting with Dumbledore.

"See you later 'Mione!" called Luna and Neville, as they walked out of the Great Hall together.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, and you guys can visit me in my dormitory anytime you want!" Hermione called back to them.

'It's going to be very hard to avoid Ron and Padma, since they are prefects and will have to also stay in the Heads' Quarter. But, you're going to have to act like they're not even there,' Hermione reminded herself, as she got up from the Gryffindor table to make her way across the hall to the head table, where Dumbledore stood waiting for all the heads and prefects. 'Remember. . . Ron doesn't exist anymore. Ron doesn't exist anymore. You are doing fine without the both of them, and just look at how many new friends you are making.'

As Hermione finished with this last thought, she found herself standing in front of where Professor Dumbledore was standing. All of the prefects were already gathered there, including Head Boy, Draco Malfoy. They circled around Dumbledore, waiting for him to speak. Looking around, she noticed that apart from Ron and Padma, there were others standing with her: there was Pansy Parkinson, the Slytherin prefect, Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott, who were both the prefects for Hufflepuff, and Anthony Goldstein, who with Padma, were the prefects for Ravenclaw.

"Oh great!" Hermione grumbled to herself, as she felt nauseous at the sight of Ron and Padma holding hands to her right. "Maybe I shouldn't even look at them at all while I'm here in Hogwarts."

"I am glad to see you all here," Dumbledore spoke, as he looked down at them in a gentle manner, with his glittering blue eyes. "I'd like to first congratulate you for being exceptional students here at Hogwarts, and special congratulations to our new Head Boy and Head Girl."

When everyone clapped, Hermione felt her face grow hot, as she couldn't help beaming.. Draco, however, just nodded his head with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I hope you will all do an outstanding job this year in representing our school," he continued on. "You will all have to work hard together on your duties and in organizing clubs, activities, and events. Is there any questions before I show you where you will be staying for the rest of the year?"

When nobody answered, he said, "Well then, let's go," before leading them out of the Great Hall through the now empty corridors.

By now, everyone was already in their dormitories. The sounds of the group's footsteps and voices echoed along the empty halls. Professor Dumbledore walked ahead of the pack, as he led them through many different staircases and passages. Following him close behind, were Padma, Ron, Hannah, and Ernie, all in a heated discussion over who would win the Quidditch Cup this year. Behind him, Pansy and Draco walked together hand in hand as they quietly talked among themselves. At the back of the group, Hermione was absorbed in a deep conversation with Ravenclaw prefect, Anthony Goldstein, who was now quite eager to speak with her.

"I've heard so much about you and your really high grades," Anthony was telling her. "Except for last year when we were in the DA together, I never did get around to introducing myself to you."

"Why not?" asked Hermione.

Anthony remained silent for a moment, as if he were thinking about a good reply, before finally answering, "Well. . . I guess it must've been the two guys you always hung out with. . . Harry Potter and that loud mouthed red-head."

Hermione laughed at this, and as he looked into her brown eyes, he continued on, "They were always with you, and you always with them. I couldn't really find a proper time for me to speak to you, even though I found you to be a very interesting person."

"Thanks," Hermione replied blushing. Was this guy hitting on her? She giggled to herself as she thought, 'Anthony is so eager to talk to me, and I barely even know him. In fact, if he wasn't a prefect, I would never have known that he belonged to Hogwarts.'

'But, is this what everyone else thinks too? Was is it really because of Ron and Harry that very few people spoke to me in the past? Oh my gosh! That's so funny!' she thought, as realization hit her. 'All this time, popular-hungry Ron and Harry always thought that it was because of me that they didn't have such good reputations. But, it's always been the other way around!'

Anthony, glancing curiously sideways to Hermione, asked, "How come you don't hang out with either of them anymore? I didn't see you guys together on the train, nor did I see you guys sitting together at the feast."

Lowering her voice so neither Ron or Padma could hear, Hermione replied, "Oh, well. . . I've been having some disputes with them that I'd rather not talk about. But, it's much better this way, with me not with them anymore."

"Yah," he agreed. "I can definitely see that. You are WAY too good for them."

Hermione, now blushing again, changed the subject.

"So, are you and Padma close? I mean. . . since you are both the Ravenclaw perfects."

Anthony, who Hermione noticed hesitate before answering, "Not really. . . no. I just don't like her as a person, and I've never understood how anyone could. All she cares about is popularity, and she will seriously do ANYTHING to get it. She probably only looks for people to hang out with that will give her the popularity she wants for that time being."

"Oh," came Hermione's short response.

'That's probably what she's doing right now,' she thought. 'She's probably just using Harry and Ron because, well. . . for Harry's fame. I shouldn't worry about it too much because from now on, I don't care. I'll just let them figure this out by themselves. It'll let them think twice before even thinking about dumping their old friend.'

By now, Professor Dumbledore had stopped the group at the end of the second floor, in front of a map.

"As you can see," Dumbledore said when everyone had gathered around him. "I've stopped you in front of this map of Argyllshire."

'Hey,' Hermione thought, as she started to remember something. 'Isn't this the exact same map that the Fat Lady escaped to in our third year? She was so scared and devastated that we had to have a search for her, and that was all because Sirius broke into the castle.'

At the sudden thought of Sirius, Hermione felt as if she had a snitch lodged in her throat. She could feel pain and sadness well up inside of her. Her soft eyes grew wet and damp with tears.

''Mione, get over yourself,' she ordered herself, as she shook away the feeling of grief for Sirius that briefly took over her.

"Since the East Tower has never been put to use, we thought it could be used for a place for the prefects and heads to stay in. After all, you have all worked hard to earn your privileges," Professor Dumbledore's voice broke in through Hermione's thoughts. "This map is the only entrance that you can use to enter the East Tower. The password is Cottage Cheese."

As he said this, the map tore down the middle and opened up like a door, revealing a narrow and steep stone staircase that led upwards.

The prefects and the heads followed Dumbledore up the short staircase. After stepping off the top stair, the space opened up around them, for they had reached the large circular landing.

Looking back down at the stairs that fell below the landing floor, Hermione observed, 'It kinda looks like a pit.' Looking back up, she was taken by surprise at the beauty of the Heads' Quarter.

"Wow!" she heard Ernie gasp from behind her.

They all stared up at wonder at the glass dome that roofed itself over the two-floor Heads' Quarter. Not the entire roof was glass, for in the middle of the dome, a large circle of marble was built into it, and at the center of this circle, a large glass chandelier hung from it. The glass that surrounded the marble captured the night sky outside.

Two grand staircases built against the far wall led up to the first floor, where there were only three doors built into the circular wall. Two of the doors that were on either side of the middle one had brass nameplates built into them. Wooden banisters circled around the first floor, allowing for one to stand and look down to the second floor.

Eight doors were built into the circular wall of the second floor landing. Only five of the eight had brass nameplates on them; the other three were the bathrooms. A large circle coffee table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by many comfortable-looking couches and chairs. The floor was carpeted in red, with a rich, thick rug.

"Here, you will find everything you need," Dumbledore told the students, who were still gaping at the large, grand room. "For you prefects, your rooms and bathrooms are on this bottom floor. The Head Boy and Head Girl, however, get the whole top floor. Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, the middle door up there is the bathroom for the two of you. Now everyone, your names are etched into the brass plates on your bedroom door, and remember, the password is Cottage Cheese. You should all get some rest, for tomorrow is a school day. You will find all of your belongings and luggage already in your bedrooms. Goodnight!"

And with that said, Dumbledore turned on his heel and walked down the stone steps to the map door below. This left all of the students slowly making their way across the common room to their marked bedrooms.

"Goodnight 'Mione!" Anthony called.

"Goodnight," Hermione replied.

As she made her way to the staircases on the far wall, she had caught sight of Draco and Pansy kissing goodnight, before breaking apart. As Draco climbed the stairs, Hermione followed closely behind. However, when he headed for the left door, she headed for the opposite direction to the right. But when she stopped in front of the door, she stopped.

'Draco Malfoy- Head Boy,' it said on the brass plate.

"Oops," Hermione muttered. "Wrong door."

Turning around, she bumped straight into Draco, who was about to make his way into his proper bedroom. Hermione's heart skipped a beat, as she felt his warm firm hands reach out to steady her by grabbing onto her below her shoulders. He was a couple of inches taller than her, and Hermione could tell that he was well built. She had a very sudden urge to wrap her arms around him, but she controlled herself.

Hermione looked up into his face, but Draco avoided her eyes as he let go and muttered, "Watch where you're going, Granger."

As Draco walked into his bedroom and shut his door without a backward glance, she could feel her face burn. Shaking her head, Hermione thought, 'Well. . . that was definitely strange. I can't believe he didn't insult me. I wonder what this sudden change is, and why he's so different now. He won't even look at me, and it kind of makes me think that he's somewhat too embarrassed or ashamed to.'

Hermione walked over to the left door that read, 'Hermione Granger- Head Girl.' Opening the door, all thoughts of Draco Malfoy dissolved as she walked into the gigantic bedroom.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed happily. "I cannot believe that this is where I get to stay for the rest of the year! This is so awesome!"

In the middle of the room, a king-sized bed sat leaning against the wall. To the right of the bed, a double glass door opened up to a large balcony, and on the right wall, there was a large bureau and bookshelf. On the left wall, double doors opened up to a large walk-in closet. Beside the closet, a small worktable and chair sat on top of a soft red and purple rug.

But the part that pleased Hermione the most, was the large window and window seat that was built on the left side of the king-sized bed.

'This is like the one I have at home,' she thought, as she sat down on the window seat and looked out into the landscape stretched below her. Hermione felt a sudden pang of homesickness, as she thought of her home, her parents and her dear friend Sharon.

'I already miss them, and the school year hasn't even started,' she sighed, as she felt Crookshanks jump onto her lap. 'I'll write to them tomorrow morning, and I'll tell them all about today.'

Feeling slightly better, Hermione jumped down from the window seat, and she walked over to her trunk. After opening up the lid, she whipped out her wand and waved it, causing all of her belongings to fly out and unpack themselves. Looking around, she nodded in satisfaction as she saw all of her books arranged neatly on the bookshelf, and all of her clothes hanging nicely in the closet, or folded neatly in her bureau.

'I better get some rest,' she thought, as she let out a huge yawn.

In no time at all, she was snuggling deep inside her comfortable bed. She slowly felt herself growing drowsy, but right before she closed her heavy eyelids, she thought to herself with a smile on her face, 'I can't believe it was in the summer that I was so worried about this year. This year is going to be so great without Harry and Ron, and I definitely have enough new friends to make up for them.'