Chapter 2

Finally, the Hogwarts Express came to a grinding halt at the Hogwarts platform, and the students piled out onto the paving stones, yelling at their friends and creating a general racket.

The only person who was not in fact screaming at the top of their lungs was a certain Pandora Malfoy. She was in fact, quite calm and collected, having few friends, and they were already surrounding her. The hullabaloo did not phase her in the slightest, as the others thought it would, it merely seemed as if she found it all quite below her, and very boring.

"Pan, is anything wrong?" Harry asked, gently touching her elbow as he approached her from behind. "You seem… tired."

"No," she said with a faint smile. "I'm not. It's strange to be coming home, but it's not really my home anymore. It's my school now, and it's all very strange."

"Understandably," Hermione replied dryly. "Nothing is the same for us either."

Hagrid was standing at the water's edge, waving his arms and calling the first years.

"Pandora Malfoy, you'll be coming with us to," Hagrid said, beckoning with his shovel-like hands. She hurried over to Hagrid, smiling and laughing as always, her previous pensiveness forgotten completely.

"She's strange," Ron remarked with a slow shake of his head. "Mighty strange. I dunno what to think about her."

"Think of her as a friend," Harry said shortly, turning away. "And don't worry about how she's different. She'll fit right in."

Ron shook his head again. "I think this year-"

"Don't think," Hermione said smiling grimly. "Because if you think to much, it'll convince you to turn around and head right home."


The horseless carriages awaited them, silent and grim. Hermione knew that the thestrals stood impatiently beneath the harnesses, waiting for the motion to take them all up to the castle.

And suddenly, it began to rain furiously, the grey clouds letting water pour bucketfuls on them.

Hermione stood in the rain, watching the other students climb into their carriages, and soon she was the only one. She looked up at Hogwarts, the lights twinkling warmly, and she shivered slightly, a deep sense of foreboding settling over her like a damp blanket.

She threw open a coach door, and piled in, where Harry, Ron and the others were waiting for her.


The great gates of Hogwarts School stood imposingly, and as Draco stared out the window of his carriage, he swore he saw a gargoyle move and smile hideously at him. He quickly looked away, and when he had the courage to look again, it stood frozen and still, it's face contorted horrendously.

"What are you looking at?" Pansy inquired, stroking his arm.

"Gargoyles," he replied, looking back at her. "I didn't notice them before this year."

"They've always been there," Blaise muttered darkly, his dark eyes glowing feverishly in the darkness of the carriage. "Glowering at us all the time."

Draco grinned suddenly and too quickly, willing away the fear that had suddenly stolen his senses from him. The rain hit the windows like a battering ram, relentless and torrid.


Hermione stood in the front hallway, shaking the rain from her cloak, and followed the others into the Great Hallway. Hundreds of glowing candles floated in the air, warming her instantly.

"Will they ever get new ideas?" Parvati grumbled just ahead of her. "Every year, the same thing."

"I think it's pretty," Hermione said loyally, smiling up at the candles. "It's a good piece of magic, and it always impresses the first years so."

"I suppose," Parvati allowed, still frowning. "Still."

"Did you hear?" a sixth year said to her friend loudly. "There are four head boys and girls this year! Why do you think that is?"

Hermione wondered the same thing herself.

Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to see Luc standing beside her, his grey eyes vivid and intense.

"Hermione?" he said.

"Yes?" she replied, colder than she intended. "Can I help you?"

Luc seemed uncomfortable in the busy atmosphere, the hubbub scaring him. It struck Hermione how different he and his twin were. Pandora hadn't batted an eyelash in a crowd, but Luc seemed out of place, as if he was from the wrong century.

But his attention to her had not gone unnoticed. Several of the younger class girls were pointing and giggling, and it had not escaped Hermione's attention that Luc was very handsome.

"Can I speak with you?"

"Yes you probably can," she replied absentmindedly, "And you may speak with me."

He blushed furiously at his error, and drew her over into an alcove in the entrance hall.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm going here," Luc said, his hands winding around each other.

"You could say that," she replied.

"Well, my father decided that I should go to school for a year in England, to improve my English, and everything."

"Your English is fine," she said impatiently, eager to return to the Great Hall. "Now, why do you want to talk to me?"

Luc took a deep breath. "I wanted to apologize for my conduct over the summer."

Hermione snorted. "That's it?"

"No," Luc continued. "I may apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you-"

Hermione nearly whacked him. "Inconvenience?"

He plunged ahead, ignoring her outburst. "And I do not regret my actions, for they were well-intentioned, and I believe my beliefs about Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini still hold true."

Hermione was furious now. "Luc Boulanger, you stay away from me. I don't care how well intentioned you are, you're wrong about Draco and Blaise. You didn't 'inconvenience' me; Luc, you ruined my summer. I hope you're happy, but I really don't like you right now."

She stormed off, and hurried back into the Great Hall.

The students were erupting into applause, and Hermione realized in dismay that she had missed the hat's song. She grabbed an empty seat beside Harry, and watched as the sorting began.

"Abbott, Arnold," Professor McGonagall called from a long list of names, and Arnold was sent off to Hufflepuff with his sister.

And so on, until,

"Boulanger, Luc."

Luc stepped up to the stool, and had barely put the hat on, when it shouted out,

"SLYTHERIN!"

Hermione looked, stricken, over at the Slytherin table to see both Malfoy and Blaise with their mouths hanging open in shock. Luc seemed angry about the house's choice, and he stumbled over to the Slytherin table, his shoulders shaking with fury.

The sorting continued until it reached,

"Dumbledore, Pandora."

Hermione nearly fell out of her seat, but then realized that she could not assume her real last name.

The entire school was whispering in shock as the beautiful Pandora waltzed up to the stool and sat down. A few moments passed, and the hat shouted,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Draco looked over at Hermione, and watched his sister join her.

What was he going to do?


A/N: Okay, for those of you who are confused. This is the sequel to Prophecy, and Prophecy is finished. It's complete. I don't really like writing huge, hundred chapter long stories, so I decided to split the story up into three to four stories. So, in essence, Disfigurement, Prophecy, and Destruction are all the same story, just split up so it doesn't get too boring. Thanks to those who reviewed! Please leave another. :)