Chapter 13: Outcast

Disclaimer: They're mine! All mine! My own, my precioussss… Ahem. Apologies for the Gollum moment, and as soon as I have my Inner-Gollum under control, I shall declare that in fact, I don't own my preciouses; they are JK Rowlings's preciouses…

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A/N: First off, IMPORTANT! Some people have left reviews asking to take various things from this story. Here's the ruling: You may take quotes for your profile, to go in your story, etc, but you must give credit to myself and this story (like I do in the quotes I put at the start of each chapter, for example) Obviously if you're using it in a fanfic, it would rather spoil the flow if you put the credit in mid-story, so put the credit in your A/N. You don't have to tell me if you're borrowing a quote, as long as you give credit, but I'd like to know. I might even go and read it.

However, if you want to borrow a piece of the plot, an original character, etc, please e-mail me and ask me first! My email is in my profile. I'm very likely to give the go-ahead (the only thing I can think of that I wouldn't allow people to use is the concept of Fallens and half-Fallens, unless they were writing a sidestory to Fallen) as long as credit was given, so please ask me first!

That out of the way: this chapter has been Hell, seriously. It takes the prize for 'latest finish' being about 9pm on the day in question, and actual update within half an hour of midnight. As such, it's only had one betaing, so if you spot any errors do point them out! The reasons for it being Hell were: the finishing of a short original on Sunday and the subsequent massive stress of showing my parents/teacher (the story will be up for you lot to read soon), a dance competition on Tuesday (if I ever hear Toxic again I will murder Britney), breaking up on Wednesday, having to sleep in till midday on Thursday (first day of the holidays tradition) and a nasty fall down the stairs that has left my back in considerable pain.

In spite of all that, I like this chapter muchly. It's the Return to Hogwarts! And the Sorting Hat song (which most people wanted, so I wrote one. And people who worried the chapter would end up shorter than usual: it's actually a page over average without the song) Celebrate! Plus, it has the introduction of four original characters who all have their part to play in the plot. You don't get to see too much of them yet, but they're there. It's one of the things I love about Fallen, as its book length, I get to bring in and really develop some originals, as well as tinkering with the old favourites. Some of the things I have planned for some of the oldies… Ah, but you'll have to wait and see, won't you?

I have rambled enough, for now. Oh, no wait, one more thing to say. All of the people Sorted are real people: mostly my betas (with the exception of Joshua, who was there for the sheer joy of making him a Slytherin). The only beta not there is my Xi, because I don't know her real name. The choice of houses was, in most cases, random.

And now I really have rambled enough! Enjoy!

~*~

To be alone is to be different, to be different is to be alone

Suzanne Gordon, Lonely in America, 1976

~*~

'Mum! Not now, my friends are watching… are you trying to embarrass me?'

'Did you have a good summer? We went to Spain, it was boiling hot! And there was this really cute Muggle boy… come on, I'll tell you all about it!'

'Now, don't forget to write every week, and do your homework, and for goodness' sake please don't do anything involving Dungbombs again…'

Hermione stumbled through the barrier onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters, a vivid, noisy scene appearing before her. Parents said their goodbyes, first years looked around nervously and clung to their trunks, and old friends whooped and shouted as they met up again.

She wheeled her trolley over to where Ron and Harry were waiting for her, leaning on their cases and chattering cheerfully. Behind her, Ginny pushed through the barrier.

'Ginny!' someone screamed, running up and hugging the redhead. 'How are you? Oh, you simply must come and meet my sister, she's starting Hogwarts this year and she's really nervous, come on, you'll love her…'

Ginny allowed herself to be dragged off, calling an, 'I'll see you on the train!' to the others. No sooner had she gone then Lavender and Parvati turned up, grinning.

'Hermione!' Lavender beamed. 'How are you? You look pale, you haven't been ill, have you?'

Hermione glanced down at her hands, realising that they did seem rather white. 'No, I've just been inside most of the summer.'

'How could you stand it?' Parvati asked. 'It's been boiling!'

Lavender didn't allow her time to answer. 'So, is it true?' she asked, eyes shining.

Hermione, however, was lost. 'Is what true?' she asked, puzzled.

'The rumour!' Lavender replied. 'About Draco Malfoy? Staying at the Order?'

'What? Oh, that. Yes, he was…'

Lavender and Parvati let out identical little gasps. 'Oh, now you're talking serious news.' Parvati said incredulously. 'The Draco Malfoy? Staying at the actual Order of the Phoenix? Hermione, you are sitting down right here and you are telling us absolutely everything you know about this.'

She frowned. 'I don't…'

'Oh, come on Hermione!' Lavender pleaded. 'Everyone's been talking about it for ages! When he first vanished, everyone thought he'd been kidnapped or something, but this is so much more interesting now that he actually chose to run away. And to the Order!'

Parvati nodded solemnly. 'The Slytherins – you know, the bad Slytherins – have sworn to severe all ties with him if he really has changed sides. You know, stop talking to him, stop being friends with him or anything like that.'

'Has he changed sides?' Lavender asked enthusiastically. 'And why?'

She couldn't answer without telling them about half-Fallens, and she couldn't do that. 'I think he's changed sides,' she said carefully. 'At least, I don't think he's on their side anymore. I'm not sure if he's on ours, he could just be neutral.'

Lavender and Parvati shared a glance. 'Neutral, that's an angle I hadn't considered…' Lavender said slowly. 'What do you think the Slytherins will say to that?'

'They'll either try to convert him back or turn their backs on him like they're planning to.' Parvati said thoughtfully. 'They might allow the other neutrally-inclined Slytherins to socialise with him though…'

'Allow them?' Hermione frowned. 'You mean, they'd stop them speaking to him if he were on our side? That's…' She struggled for a word. 'Impossible, you can't just stop someone from having any friends…'

'You can if you're a Slytherin.' Parvati said darkly. 'You just say, 'Don't be friends with Malfoy or we'll curse you so badly you'll be in the Hospital Wing for years.'

'But that's… wrong!' Hermione protested.

'Slytherins work differently.' Lavender shrugged. 'Anyway, back to Malfoy, is he really as horrible as he acts?'

Again, Hermione had to consider how much of the truth to tell. 'No.' she said at last. 'I didn't speak to him much. He was… mean, but I think he was just being defensive…'

'So he has the possibility of being nice?' Lavender asked. 'Oooh, this is amazing…'

'Did you see him naked?' asked Parvati. Hermione spluttered.

'Did I what?'

'Oh, come on. Living in the same house, it's a perfectly reasonable question.' Lavender asked with a slightly evil smile. 'And you may not be interested in boys, but we are.'

Hermione composed herself. 'No, I did not see him naked.' Parvati's face fell a little.

'Oh well…'

Feeling slightly guilty, Hermione added, 'I did see him topless though. Twice.'

The two girls grinned widely, and began begging for details. By the time Hermione had listed everything she could remember minus the wings – she hadn't really been paying much attention either time – it was time to get on the train.

Ginny turned up from nowhere, chattering about the first years, and Harry and Ron broke off their conversation with Seamus to drag their trunks into the nearest compartment. A hectic five minutes later – people shouting, saying their goodbyes, rushing to get onto the train – they were pulling out of the platform, waving to the parents left behind on the platform until they were out of sight.

As soon as the Platform vanished behind them, Hermione turned round with a satisfied sigh, already looking forward to the new term. 'We'd better go to the Prefects compartment for the meeting.' she said to Ron and Ginny, with a worried glance at Harry, wishing they didn't have to leave him alone. 'Do you mind, Harry…?'

'What?' he asked, glancing around. He was sitting on the seat, staring behind them out of the window, and obviously not paying attention. 'Oh, right. You go ahead, I'll be okay…'

Hermione frowned, noting the strangely distant look in her friend's eyes, but didn't comment. Harry had been getting better, but he kept sliding back, getting lost in memories and thoughts.

'We won't be too long.' Ron said, pinning his new badge on with a glance at Hermione and his sister, as if to say, 'What can we do?'

They shuffled out of the compartment gloomily, and began to make their way to the end of the train. Ginny, walking in the middle, sighed. 'I wish there were some spell to make him feel better. I hate seeing people depressed.'

'There's Cheering Charms.' Ron pointed out.

'They aren't permanent; they only last for an hour or so. I mean something… long term.' She frowned. 'There isn't anything, is there, Hermione?'

Hermione shook her head. 'Muggles have drugs to stop depression, but they have side effects. Besides, they're more for people with chemical imbalances…'

They reached the Prefect's compartment, and entered to find that almost everyone was already there – four prefects each from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, the final Gryffindor prefect, who Ginny greeted cheerfully, and Draco, sitting alone in a corner. Hermione noted that he'd pinned himself in between the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, leaving no seats on either side of him, and the three seats for the remaining Slytherin Prefects were some way away from him. Then again, that made sense, if the Slytherins had abandoned him…

Feeling sorry for Draco, she tried to catch his eye, but he was staring moodily at the tabletop. Sighing, she sat down beside Ginny and looked over to the head of the table, where the Head Girl and Boy were sitting, talking quietly. Hermione knew them both from last year's Prefect meetings.

The Head Girl was Lynne Attwater, a Hufflepuff with a very round face, mousy-brown hair, and calm light brown eyes. She'd always been the peacemaker, Hermione recalled, very balanced and fair. The kind of person who, in a debate over the murdering of Muggles, would listen to what the Order had to say and then go, 'Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. Now, would you like to give your opinion, Voldemort?'

The Head Boy seemed to have been chosen for contrast: Edan Rossi, a Ravenclaw with energetic brown eyes and a shock of messy blonde hair. Rather fiery, Hermione recalled, very impulsive and often opinionated – but creative and imaginative to balance it. One of his fellow Ravenclaws had once described him as having 'a mind like a barrel of angry pixies on a sugar high', a rather apt description in Hermione's opinion.

They'd make an interesting pair, Hermione thought as the final three Slytherin Prefects filed in and the meeting began. Quite a contrast, but combined together – if they worked well – they should be a very dynamic pair.

Lynne stood up to address them all. 'Firstly,' she began in her sensible, measured voice, 'I'd like to welcome all the new Prefects, and of course, the old ones.'

A general muted cheer was raised at this from the general direction of the Hufflepuffs; Lynne smiled and carried on. 'As I'm sure you all know, the responsibilities of a Prefect are many and varied. It is our job to help and protect our fellow students of all houses, ages and… backgrounds,' she added carefully, and Hermione looked up sharply.

So Lynne sensed the growing anti-Muggleborn sentiment too, did she? Hermione glanced around to see if the other Prefects had noticed anything. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs hadn't - neither had Ron - but Ginny caught her eye with a significant look. Draco's eyebrow was raised, and the other Slytherins were exchanging dark glances.

Hermione drew her attention back to Lynne, who was just finishing what she was saying. '… and I sincerely hope you all use your Prefect responsibilities and privileges maturely and wisely. I'm sure you will. Edan, would you like to speak…?'

He shook his head. 'Just get to the administrative parts. Shall I handle them?' he said, and without even waiting for her answer he got to his feet. 'Okay, we need to designate rotas for nighttime patrols. There are eighteen of us, and we need two people on every night, so that means we all have to patrol once every nine nights. Now, last year we set it so that it was always the same two people patrolling, but I think we should change that so you're always patrolling with a different person. What I suggest…'

The meeting went on, with rotas sorted, duties assigned, and all the other administrative things necessary. Finally, the meeting ended, and Hermione hurried to her feet, worrying that Harry had been left alone too long.

As it turned out, he was with Neville, talking about the NEWTs. Hermione joined in with enthusiasm, but Ron and Ginny got bored with discussion of schoolwork and changed the topic to their predictable favourite, Quidditch. Hermione would have changed the topic right back again, but Quidditch seemed to cheer Harry up, so she let it be.

'I'm going to go check everyone's behaving,' she announced, when she couldn't stand the Quidditch talk any longer. 'I won't be long, just a few minutes…'

The boys and Ginny nodded their goodbye, too interested in their discussion to drag themselves away from it. With a small smile, she shook her head and turned to leave. How they could go on about a game so much was beyond her…Well, boys would be boys. Though Ginny had no excuse, unless you counted that the Weasleys were all Quidditch lovers as far as she knew…

She checked all the compartments, looking in to make sure that everyone was okay. In one, she broke up a fight between two third-years and told them off firmly, in another, she found a little first-year who was on the verge of tears because she was away from home for the first time ever and was worried she wouldn't make any friends. Hermione reassured the girl, then took her to one of the other compartments and found some first years for her to meet.

She'd almost finished the entire train when she came across Draco's carriage. She knew it was his, because he was talking to someone and she could hear his voice from outside. She had her hand on the doorknob, automatically going to check that everyone in there was alright, when his tone made her stop.

'I said already, Blaise, I'm not talking about this.'

'Why not?' came Blaise's bitter voice. 'You haven't got anything else to lose. You aren't one of us any more. You turned sides. You've already lost everything you could have lost, Malfoy, so why don't you sit down and tell me exactly what moment of… of insanity persuaded you to turn your back on everything you ever were?'

There was silence, and Hermione bit her lip. Should she go in, break this up? No. Draco could take care of himself, and besides, if she stopped this now it would only take place later on, in the Slytherin common room, where Draco wouldn't have a sympathiser with her ear to the door.

Blaise sighed, a delicate, female sigh. 'You had everything, Draco,' she said in a low voice. 'Everything. You had privileges, changes, opportunities many of us would have given anything for, just because of your birth, handed to you on a silver platter! Do you know what I'd have given to be born a Malfoy?'

'A lot.' Draco's voice was blank.

'Any of us would have,' she continued bitterly. 'Power, money, fame… what more could anyone want?'

Draco was silent.

'Why did you throw all that away?' Blaise asked quietly. 'Why? When you had everything, why did you turn your back on it? Why?'

There was a long pause. 'I can't tell you,' he said eventually, and Hermione knew why not – because the reason was that, when his human side took over, he couldn't stay with his father any longer, unless he was found out.

Blaise seemed furious. 'Why not?' she demanded.

'Because I can't.' Draco replied evenly. 'Something happened that meant I couldn't stay with my father, and the Order was the only place I could find sanctuary.'

'Your father would take you back, no matter what, if you still wanted to serve the Dark Lord.' Blaise pointed out, speaking quickly. 'And the Slytherins would forgive you…'

'Not with what's happened to me.' Draco said firmly, calmly. 'He won't take me back now, and I can't undo it.'

Blaise was silent. 'You were the nearest thing I had to a friend, Draco.' She said eventually. 'My closest ally, and then you turned your back on… on everything! You're an outcast now, you know that. I can't be allies with you any more.'

'If you were really a friend, you'd care more about me than about power struggles and outcasts and sides,' Draco said smoothly. There was a short silence, a dark silence, and then came a ringing slap, and Hermione only just had time to move out of the way of the door before Blaise stormed out, eyes blazing.

Tentatively, Hermione peered in. Draco stood facing away from her, but she could see the place where his cheek was turning red from Blaise's slap. Before she could stop herself, she spoke.

'Are… are you okay?'

Draco turned sharply, suddenly furious. 'Were you spying on me?' he demanded.

'I didn't mean…'

 The look on his face cut her off. 'Get out, Granger,' he hissed. When she hesitated, he took a menacing step towards her, and the threat was enough that she closed the door quickly.

Hermione bit her lip as she made her way back to her own compartment. Every time she turned around, it seemed, Draco's problems were increasing. She wished, futilely, that he'd had a better introduction to the world of emotions. People around him who cared about him, for a start.

She wished she could do more to help.

~*~

The Great Hall sparkled with candles as they filed their way in, laughing and shouting, to take their familiar places at the familiar tables. The room smelt clean, and the floors shone, but the atmosphere was still tinged with the memory of a thousand years of school lunches, of feasts, of Halloweens and Christmases.

'Is that the new Defence professor?' Ron asked, nodding towards the staff table. A young-looking man was engaged in earnest conversation with Professor Sprout, gesturing with his hands as he spoke.

'Must be, we aren't due any new Professors this year except for Defence.' Ginny replied. 'I'd rather have had a woman though, we've only had Umbridge and she was a real bi… er, cow.' She concluded after realising that Ron was there. Thankfully, he appeared not to have noticed.

'I hope this one's decent.' Harry remarked. 'We have an awful history with Defence teachers, the only decent one was Lupin…'

'Moody was okay, apart from the fact that he was a Death Eater in disguise.' Hermione remarked. 'The real Mad Eye would have been great…'

Their conversation was cut off at that moment by Professor McGonagall ushering in the nervous-looking first years, who stared openly at the Great Hall in amazement. 'Look at the ceiling!' one of them whispered, and Hermione remembered another girl, back in first year, saying that as they crossed the Great Hall. It's enchanted to look like the sky outside, I read about it in 'Hogwarts, A History.'

The first-years clustered at the front of the hall, gazing up at the Sorting Hat where it sat upon its stool. The Hall fell quiet, in expectation of the song.

The Hat opened the rip at its brim that served it for a mouth and began to sing.

As the first years stand before me

Innocent and wonder-filled,

My job is to divide them

Thus my purpose is fulfilled.

I'll settle down upon your head

And look into your mind,

Your thoughts and wishes, hopes and dreams,

And characters to find.

The Founders taught me, long ago,

The methods I should use,

To put you in your proper place,

To help me pick and choose.

Good Ravenclaw, she said to me,

To pick only the wise,

Intelligence was prized the most,

In Ravenclaw's eyes.

Bold Gryffindor then asked for me,

To choose the brave of heart,

For he believed that courage strong,

Must play the greatest part.

Kind Hufflepuff next asked that I,

Give her the firm and true,

Those who worked hard to earn their worth,

Though anyone would do.

Sly Slytherin was last to pick,

He told me his intent:

To have the cunning and the shrewd

And ones of pure descent.

Now Slytherin believed that none

Of Muggle birth should be,

Taught in the school of Hogwarts,

For he thought them unworthy,

While now we know that Muggleborns,

Are just as good as those,

Whose families are magical,

As reason plainly shows.

And yet some of us still believe,

As Slytherin once said,

That those of Muggle blood are not

As good as wizard-bred.

And these would seek to harm those,

Sat among us, in our midst,

Who are born of Muggle parents

And their hate we must resist.

Oh, never hate and never harm,

The Muggleborns you know,

For we must stand united,

Against our common foe.

And now my song is at an end,

The Sorting shall commence,

Remember what I've said to you,

In all the seasons hence.

Whispers broke out around the Hall as the song came to an end, and Hermione and her friends shared significant looks. It seemed the Sorting Hat, too, was picking up on the media's prejudice. At least the warning would get people thinking, though it probably wouldn't be enough, not on its own…

Professor McGonagall cut off any further speculation by standing up and beginning to read out the names. 'Amin, Khadijah!'

After a few seconds, the hat shouted, 'Hufflepuff!' and the girl scampered off to her table. 'Baker, Hannah!' became the first Ravenclaw, and after that Hermione's interests began to wander, only directed back to the Sorting when 'Khanijau, Simrun!' and 'Lane, Louise!' became Gryffindors.

'Meyer, Ellen!' was called next, and Hermione tried to drag her attention back to the proceedings. A dishwater-blonde girl approached the hat, and sat down with the Hat upon her head. There was a very long pause, at least half a minute.

'SLYTHERIN!' shouted the hat, and instantly there was mutterings at the Slytherin table, followed by outright shouts, only silenced by the glare of the teachers. Ellen joined the table, but the few who did break into applause, as was customary for new first-years, fell quickly into silence under the disapproving looks of their peers.

Hermione leant over to whisper to Ron. 'What's up with her? The Slytherins are acting like they want to leap on her and hex her to death.'

'I think I know why.' Ginny cut in quietly, looking slightly pale. 'Meyers isn't a Pureblood surname, and I don't recall anyone with that surname in the wizarding world… I think she's a Muggleborn.'

'You mean the Slytherins are being so mean to her just because she's …?' Hermione asked incredulously. 'But not all of them are prejudiced, why aren't some of them accepting her?'

'The powerful ones probably won't let them. Some of them clapped, remember, but the others stopped them… Oh, that poor girl,' Ginny whispered as 'Pearce, Lucy!' became a Hufflepuff. 'They'll murder her in there, she won't have a chance…'

'The Hat must have done it to try and get the Slytherins less prejudiced,' Ron joined in. 'Oh, the bloody idiot!'

Hermione glanced over at the Slytherin table, where, 'Pilkington, Joshua!' had just taken a seat some way away from Ellen. The girl was sitting alone, frowning, and seemed to be watching the others thoughtfully. She didn't seem afraid, though she must know she wasn't accepted…

Her attention was drawn back to the proceedings as 'Slater, Sophie!' joined the Gryffindor table, and she tried to focus on the Sorting, but her attention kept wandering back to the poor Ellen. It was only recaptured again when Dumbledore stood up and began his speech.

'It is a delight and a pleasure,' he said, 'to welcome you all back to Hogwarts, and to welcome the first-years.' Hermione could have sworn he glanced towards the Slytherin table. 'It is also a delight to welcome our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Delaney.'

The man they'd seen earlier grinned at them all, and was greeted by general applause.

Dumbledore carried on with all the usual warnings against using magic in the corridors, staying away form the Forbidden Forest and not angering Filch, then bid them all a good year, and let them eat.

Hermione's eyes kept wandering over to the Slytherin table. There were two isolated patches amid the sea of people, one occupied by Draco, the other by Ellen. She frowned. There were altogether too many people to worry about.

~*~

A/N: Did you like it, my preciouses? Review! There's lots of interesting bits coming up soon, obviously, with lots of developments being made and suchlike. I can promise there will be more of poor Ellen (you don't know it yet, but she prefers Ella) and Professor Erebus Delaney (Erebus being his first name). Also more Harry. I spend a long time picking names for my original characters, they all have hints and occasionally red herrings in their meanings, for anyone with the time to go find them.

You may not have the time to mess about with name sites, but you DO have the time for a review! Think of how long I've spent writing this, and then think of how long it takes to write a review. A tiny amount of time in comparison. Show the writer some love, people!