Chapter 8: The Feast
They took their normal seats at the Gryffindor table upon entering the Great Hall. They talked aimlessly for a while. Then the Great Hall doors flew open as the new transfer students and first years entered led by Professor McGonagall.
They made their way to the stool that sat in front of the staff table. Harry easily spotted Raven among the group. In fact, all the males in the room seem to easily spot Raven. She was the object of every male's gaze in the room.
McGonagall, upon reaching the stool and sorting hat, turned to everyone in the room. "The sorting will begin momentarily but first, the transfer students will be sorted by their year. We will start with 7th years. Belacour, Mytera."
Everyone watched as a blonde girl walked up and sat on the stool. She was sorted into Hufflepuff. Then Derum, Sixon was sorted into Slytherin. Framim, Diera was sorted into Ravenclaw.
Then, "Kerouf, Raven." Harry watched as raven made her way up to the stool and sat down. The Slytherin table was particularly watching for they hoped she was sorted into their house. Raven smiled mischievously as McGonagall place the hat on her head.
The room was silent as the hat seemed to debate which house to place her in. Harry watched as her features stilled and then transform to anger. She seemed to be arguing, using her mind, with the hat that seemed to be arguing back. Harry remember arguing with the hat too, for a place in Gryffindor.
Then, after a long time, the hat shouted "Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor table erupted into applause. Raven slowly raised off the stool. She sent a menacing smile at the Slytherin table. Then, she slowly walked over to where Harry and them were sitting. She smirked as she sat down beside Harry, happy with herself.
Hermione saw the menacing smile Raven had sent the Slytherin table. There was something about that girl that worried her. She just couldn't put her finger on it though. For now, she would watch her closely.
She had to find out more about her though. She knew she went to Durm…wait… Durmstrang! Viktor! She could write Viktor and inquire about Raven. Hopefully he would know something about her.
She glanced over at Harry and Raven. She knew then by the look on her best friend's face that she couldn't tell him of her suspicion. He wouldn't believe her. He was totally besotted with the girl.
No, she decided, she would wait. She would find out more about this girl and then decide the best course of action. She focused her attention back on Dumbledore.
"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said when the sorting was over. "I am glad to see you all here again. Now, as you all know, circumstances has brought to us foreign students. I would like you to welcome them and help them," he paused as people applauded. "More rules have been installed to protect you, our students. As you all should know, the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden. Everyone is to be in their dormitories before curfew. Staff members will be on patrol and anyone caught will be punished. Hogsmeade trips will be supervised and limited. All the other school rules can be found posted on Mr. Filch's door. Saying that, let the feast begin!" He stretched out his arms as food filled the long tables.
Harry looked at Raven and found her frowning. "What's wrong?"
She turned to look at him. "I have never had so strict of rules to follow before."
"Not even at Durmstrang?" Harry asked confused.
"Are you kidding!" Raven gave a sarcastic laughing. "They didn't care what we did! They wanted us to be bad. They wanted us to serve the Dark Lord. They practically made us into rule breakers. Rules? At Durmstrang? That's laughable!"
Harry stared at her, puzzled. He just couldn't figure her out. She came from the one school that spit out bad wizards every day yet she seemed….good. But there was something about her that had him on his guard.
But then he would look at her and all doubts disappeared. She was a beauty. She had him entranced from the first time he saw her on the platform. He didn't think he stood a chance then but now….well who knows.
Dumbledore stood when the feast was over. "It is time to retire. But first I would like to see the new Head Boy and Head Girl." He beckoned them and Hermione and Draco Malfoy stood. They walked slowly to the front and only when they reached him did he talk again. "Good night to you all."
Dumbledore waited until half the students filed out of the Great Hall before turning to them. He looked at their faces and knew they were not going to be happy. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger. I have been doing a lot of thinking. We need to present a united front this year. The students need to be reassured they are safe here and that our main concern is their safety. In saying that, I have made a few changes dealing with Heads."
Both students looked at him skeptically. They were afraid of these "changes" he spoke of.
"Don't look so afraid," Dumbledore chuckled. "All I'm talking about is sleeping arrangements."
"Sleeping arrangements, sir?" Hermione said in a voice not her own.
"Yes Miss Granger, sleeping arrangements. You will be sharing a dorm. Come with me now and I will show you."
He turned and started off. Hermione and Draco had no choice but to follow him. He led them to a portrait of an English gentleman on the third floor.
"This is the entrance to your dorm. Choose a password and tell Lord Donovan. Good night to you both."
Dumbledore walked away from them. Hermione was shocked. Draco was seething. They turned to glare at each other.
"So what's it going to be Granger?" Draco bit out.
Hermione, however, held back her anger and said with little patience. "Look Malfoy, we're stuck in this situation. If we fight all the time it's only going to be worse."
A strange gleam came in Draco's eyes. "So truce?"
Hermione looked at him suspiciously. "Yeah, truce. So what's our password going to be?"
Draco seemed to ponder it. Then he turned to her with a smile. "Why don't we make it what Dumbledore wanted us to be? United Front?"
"Agreed."
A/N: I am sooooo sorry it took so long to update. I tried to post 2 chapters to ask for forgiveness. Does it help? Thank you for reading and PLEASE review!
