Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 2 Retype: Questionings Part 1

Time slowed, reality bent on and on the gamers went. Nothing's logical anymore. Time was six times slower, Draco was the center piece of a game, Hermione's brain stopped functioning, Slytherins were wearing red, and it was all too much. But then again… it WAS an unusual day with an unusual tradition taking place. No worries.

McGonagall gazed wearily at her list of students who played the game. All the other years were done except for 6th year. Their game was postponed until further notice. They were last because Hermione's brain was still malfunctioning. Luckily, it started running exactly one second after the 7th years were done playing. Theunhappy couple was Cho Chang and some unfortunate Slytherin guy. It was a sight really. The poor bloke tried to whack Cho with a broom stick after he found out it was her. But Cho, being a Ravenclaw, cursed him straight to the Hospital Wing.

The second someone detected Hermione's signs of life, she was seated to a chair along with the two other excited girls. Draco Malfoy was summoned from the room he was locked and blindfolded in. Severus Snape hastily dragged Draco by his shoulders out of the room. He could've levitated him, but the idea hadn't crossed his greasy little mind. While Snape was grudgingly dragging him, Draco was preoccupied with his own thoughts.

'I can't wait to get on that chair! I was born for girls to fight over! And yes, yes, the whole beating Potter and Death Eater thing… too.' Draco thought. 'I wonder who the girls were. They'd better be worth my time. I do not deserve hideous girls. Wait… what if they chose Pansy for the contestants? What IF I choose Pansy? That thought can scar me forever. No one deserves the faith of getting handcuffed to her! Except Potter and Weasley of course… oh well.'

Great Hall

Everyone was assembled in the Great Hall waiting for Draco Malfoy to arrive. Parvati Patil and Pansy Parkinson were jittery like they drank three gallons of coffee... which they did. Hermione Granger on the other hand couldn't care less. She slouched on her furry armchair andcrossed her arms in front of her.

'Wait a minute… no one should play this idiotic game when they don't feel like playing. In fact! No one should play this game at all! I'll put this game to a stop and save all those other people who shall play this, years from now! We should be studying, not wasting our time sitting here listening to love-sick girls chant some guy's name!

"I AM—"

"Say another word and I'll fail you." McGonagall muttered from behind her.

"Mmm…" Hermione finished, bitterly.

After the dreadful waiting, Draco popped his head out of the door. The students erupted and the vibrations they caused could've triggered an ungodly earthquake. Hermione glowered at everyone. The students chanted Draco's name. Their voices soon merged into one, loud and indestructible sound. The chanting of his name made Draco feel cherished. Like he said, "Appreciated… as always." He can be very vain when he wants to. This is one of those times.

The headmaster hushed the student body with one wave of his old wrinkled hands. "I'm delighted to have everyone here to watch the last game for our tradition." He said. "I hope you enjoy it. Let it begin."

McGonagall placed the hair falling on her face behind her ears and read the first question from her long, brown, cracked parchment. "For the first question, 'What do you think of Draco Malfoy?' Write your responses on the board provided, please." The three girls looked on their parchments and jotted down quick answers.

Time passed.

"Okay. I shall now read the answers," said the headmistress. "From L. A., (Letter A (Pansy Parkinson)) 'I KNOW Draco is really, really, really, really, hot and really, really, really, cute and, and…'" McGonagall glanced at Pansy as if to say, 'What in the world…' The girl shrugged her shoulders. "'And really, really—' what the…okay. I'll stop now.

"From L. B. (Letter B (Parvati Patil)), 'I think Draco is the finest guy I've ever had the pleasure of meeting in my whole life. I just wish he'd notice and go out with me because I'm sure I deserve him and he deserves me.'"

The student body went "Aww," but Draco crinkled his face. It sounded a tad bit disgusting… Those words coming from an adult like McGonagall? Directed to him? The word 'pedophile' came to his mind… but it wasn't from her anyway so whatever.

"The last response, L. C. (Letter C (Hermione Granger)), 'Malfoy's brain, which functions unusually slower than most students, is a raisin which will probably shrivel and disintegrate soon enough along with his homosexual self... I've always wondered what strangling his neck feels like. I'm quite sure it would be pleasurable to do that.'"

Draco muttered a string of very rude words under his breath.

"Mr. Malfoy, please speak up a little," McGonagall requested, assuming Draco was muttering his answers.

"Mr. Malfoy, time to vote. Which girl would it be?" Dumbledore asked. Malfoy thought for a while.

'Girl A talks too much…way too much,' he thought, 'Girl B, hmmm, she's okay I guess. But Girl C, Merlin's beard, she's ready to amputate my head… and my body only deserves this perfect head. I guess Girl B is the person who'll suit me for now.'

"Girl B," Draco muttered easing, glad he's done with the first round.

Pansy was downright disheartened. Tears slowly forming in her eyes were more than enough to alter her reputation from 'Stupid, Infuriating, Fool' to plain old 'Stupid Fool.'

Hermione's feeling about her loss was quite the opposite from Pansy's. Her grin was far too big for her face. If she could come up with answers like that throughout the game and not waver with using bone crushing –verbal- insults, this game would be in the bag… for her.

Parvati was posing for the camera. She's flashing her 'I Won a Million Bucks' smile while proudly waving at the sleeping crowd.

"For this round, the point goes to Girl B," Dumbledore announced. A large pointy stick, which is supposed to represent the number one, materialized on top of Parvati's head. Parvati goggled at it for a moment before shifting her attention back to the game.

"Next question," Professor McGonagall continued, "'If you get a change to kiss Draco Malfoy, where would it be?' Well, you have 30 seconds to come up with answers that have to be PG rated… or lower."

Tink… Tonk… Tunk… Bing! Time's up.

"Girl A, 'First, I would kiss him on the lips, then I would start to go lower until I reach his… (LEGAL RATING EXCEEDED) Keep it clean, will ya?" McGonagall said, looking disgusted, "Let's move on."

"Girl B, 'I would kiss him on the cheeks.' Aww, how cute. Ehem."

Girl C, 'I'd rather kiss the prince who turned into a toad. Well, not really. But they're about equal.' Burn."

McGonagall coughed, "Uh, yes. You can vote now."

For the second time that day, Malfoy thought for a while, 'Girl A is perverted, she oddly reminds me of Parkinson…scary. -Shiver- Her answers leave me disgruntled.

How about Girl B? Girl B sounds desperate for me though… sad really. She's gentle and all, but it's just not my type. I'm not into ladies who throw themselves at me… not that it doesn't flatter me, but whatever. Like.

Ah, the last person. She sounds like an old lady. My aunt. Wow. I guess she's into the oldies with the courting, meeting the parents, approval and all. Well, teens today are all about going out and self-importance. I guess I'm not good enough for her. Wait a flipping minute. What the heck? Me? Not good enough? I'll show her...'

"I pick Girl C," Draco said heatedly. He's determined to choose her in the end and prove to her that SHE is not good enough for HIM. Talk about haughtiness on both sides.

For the second time that day, Pansy was unhappy. Right now, she's about as pathetic as she could get. Bundled up in her chair, arms around the knees that were touching her face, she was making herself as small as possible. By now, her reputation was plain old 'Stupid.' Pity. She's the only person who hasn't received a point.

Parvati wasn't threatened. It was an accident. She's prettier than Hermione. Draco didn't mean to choose her instead of herself. After all, B and C were close letters. Rewinding that over and over her head, Parvati tried to hide her pain. She looked at Hermione at happily.

Hermione was mad. No, Hermione was furious. Outraged. INSULTED. How dare he? What the hell has this world come to! Here she was, trying her best to give answers that'll turn off one egotistical man, and he STILL chooses her? Her mission: No holding back. Murderous answers all the way.

"Third question," McGonagall read, "'What would you do if you won the contest?' You have 30 seconds starting now."

- - - - - Switch Scene To Harry And Ron In The Background- - - - -

"Harry, what if Hermione wins this game?" Ron asked, apprehensively.

"I don't know. I haven't planned that far. I guess Hermione would go crazy. Or Malfoy. Or none of them… they'll exchange spells and blow up the school until someone gives in… or drops dead," Harry replied uncertainly.

"Oh, Harry! Hold me!" Ron exclaimed clinging to Harry's arm. Harry gave RonTHE look and pried his arm out of his grasp while slowly backing away.

- - - - - Back To The Game - - - - -

"Thirty seconds are up," McGonagall said, "Girl A; please raise your parchment… Girl A, time's up. Excuse me!"

Pansy looked up and mouthed the words, 'I'm not done.' No way is she losing the third round. She was going to make this answer absolutely perfect. McGonagall zapped the parchment out of Pansy's grasp with a yelp from the girl. She straightened it and started reading.

"Ehem… 'If I win the contest, I'd take him to a tower in the castle and we'll both jump out of it, with brooms of course, and fly for a couple of hours. We'd swoop down into people's dormitoriesand scare them. Our prime target would be the Gryffindors. We'd throw rocks at them until we get tired or a teacher comes to stop us. Then, we'd enter the Slytherin Common room hand in hand and have a nice dinner,'" the answer ended there. For the very first time, Pansy's answer relaxed Draco. Good times.

"Girl B, 'I don't know… I guess whatever he wants, but I'd prefer to shop and gossip with my other friends.'" Even the answer was pretty boring to McGonagall. Shame, shame.

"Girl C, 'I'd spend the afternoon forcing him to watch a hologram of him burning to death. Probably make him a poisoned dinner like Snow White… except I'll lock him up in a coffin and bury him. The beach is also a good. I can bury him in the sand 'till he has to breathe and inhalemicroscopic particlesand he dies. Yeah. That'll be nice.'"

McGonagall glanced at Hermione. She couldn't believe these answers were coming from her student… her TOP student. Ah, what does she expect? They'll die down eventually.

"Vote."

'I never thought I'd ever think this but A's answer sounds pretty fun… making fun of the Gryffindors, having dinner. Ah, I guess she's Slytherin. Finally, the genes in her body kicked in. Girl B lacks imagination. Lots of it. It's a disappointment. Girl C is still ready to mutilate me. Damn, how much does she hate me? Where did I go wrong! Oh well… Wait a second. NOBODY hates me or any other good looking Malfoy that much. It's either the earlier generations of my family were blind for not seeing this, OR she's playing hard to get. I can't believe I hadn't thought of this sooner! I'll pick A for now. Hehe…'

"I pick Girl A."

Finally, Pansy won the lottery. Woohoo! A point finally appeared on top of her head.

First Sentence– It was a quote from one of Stephen King's books… someone said. I tweaked a word though.