Disclamer: I dont own any of this, cept the plot
Ok guys, heres the next chapter. I want to thank all of you who reveiwed! You guys are awesome!
sexieyessearching: Thanks for being my first reveiwer! I know that I needed to give a 'plausable' answer for Dumbledores return and I'm giving one in this chapter. I sort of took the idea from one the last few chapters in book six, the one with Fawks singing. JK sort of did a like whole chapter with him singing thoughout it, so I thought there must be a reason for it so i derived my explination from that. I wanted to give my story mistery so I thought I'd add the explination in later. Thanks so much for yor reveiw!
marajade64: Thanks for reveiwing, I cant wait to write more and get your reveiws!
K McNeely: Thanks babe for editing my story and reviewing! love ya lots!
AngelXOfXTheXNight: Thanks for the reveiw! The Blaise and Ginny part will come a bit later, but possibly in the next chapter or two I'll start it, I'm not to sure yet.
fourthiv: Thanks for saying that you'll probably enjoy my story, I hope you do. Keep reveiwing!
Keep reveiwing guys! and for all you who havn't reviewed , do so! i love getting them! ANd now back to the story
Chapter 2:And So It Begins
The Great Hall was decorated in the same way it was every year at the beginning feast. Candles floated about in mid air, the banners of the four houses hung over their respected tables waving slowly in the small breeze. The ceiling once again bewitched to look like the night sky... Hermione got a case of deja vu. Thats one of the first things she said as she had entered the Great Hall for the first time in her first year. It was raining that night had so the ceiling was covered in clouds, little droplets of water coming down and stoping just over her head. It was a cold night and she thanked Merlin that she didn't have to be the one taking the boats up to the castle. She flung her bushy hair to the other side of her face so it wasn't in her way. She saw a flash of white, blond hair to her right when lightning struck outside.
'Ugh, look at the git, looking at everyone with superiority and looking down upon all of them like their pieces of shit under his shoe. Dumbledore's off his rocker, letting him be Head Boy, let alone letting him come back at all. He may not have killed Dumbledore but he's the reason the events of last year happened at all. He should kissing our arses and being grateful for being alive instead of looking all smug.' she thought.
"Another year here at Hogwarts and I am pleased to still be the Head Master here. Now as always, the Forbidden Forest is of course out of bounds, detention or even death will come to those who do not heed my warning. Mr. Filtch has added ever more Weasleys Whizards Wheezes to the remaining list of items not allowed in Hogwarts. Should you be caught with these items more then once, I may be forced to hand you over to Mr. Filtch, and that I daresay is the worst possible punishment for any of you. It would be sad to see any of you having to hang by your feet in the dungeons." Dumbledore said, total sincerity on his face. The whole school gaped up at him with fright in their eyes. Dumbledore's mouth cracked into a smile and a gleam returned to his eyes. Filtch's eye grew wide and his mouth smiled an almost sadistic smile. A big, broad smile.
"Do not take me seriously tonight lady's and gentlemen, that was a little taste of an old mans humor. No I would never subject you to that, sorry Mr. Filtch." Filtch's smile turned into a very unhappy face. He thought Dumbledore was finally going to make his dream come true.
"Give a hand for our Head Boy and Girl for this year, Draco Malfoy..." the blond boy to Hermione's right stood up, earning him no applause, only scowls and some purely loathing faces, including those of Harry's and Ron's.
"... and Hermione Granger." she get to her feet. She could feel her face turning crimson and hot because of the thunder of applauses for her name. The whole of Gryffindor table were standing and Harry and Ron were beaming. She sat back down. Even when everything quieted down she still couldn't hear right, ringing still in her ears.
"If you have any concerns about anything and don't feel you would like to come to a teacher directly, you could talk to either of them and I'm sure they'd be quite pleased to help you. Now, as the second to seventh years have probably noticed, we have a new Potions Master this year as well as a new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. Replacing the old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be Professor Lupin. This will be his second year teaching here, however not his second in a row, good luck again this year Professor." Lupin stood up when his name was introduced.
Harry, myself, Ron, Ginny and the whole Gryffindore table burst out in roaring whoops and whistles, wildly clapping harder then the rest. Of course the Slytherins patted their palms lightly and pathetically. However there was a new voice applauding Lupins return from the Head table. It was Draco. Hermione heard his loud clapping from right beside her. She looked over at him bewildered that he was being as loud and as enthusiastic as the rest of them. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.
"I will now be teaching the Potions classes. I may not be as good as ex-Professor Snape was-" there was a grumble of an assortment of unpleasant names that rang about the crowd. "- but I am well experienced and trained to teach the subject. Now, before the feast begins I would now like to cure all of your young minds curiosity. " everyone had been wondering the same thing from the moment they saw him sitting on his chair during the sorting. Everyone inhaled deeply.
"I know that you all have been wondering how it was that I came 'back.' I myself would be just as curious. It in fact is quite easy to answer after figuring it out for myself. I'm sure that you are all aware, some more then others, that I owned a phoenix. His name was Fawkes and when it was his turn to 'die' he would burst into flame and be reborn from its ashes. This will regrettably be no more. When I left this world behind Fawkes drew me back. He gave up his immortality to give me one more chance at life. His song filled the air and day after day, slowly drew me back to this world until he could sing no longer. The next time it's his turn to die he will burn and be forever lost but never forgotten. I myself have never heard of a phoenix giving up it's mortality for a human in order to give life, but I guess theres a first time for everything. I hope you are now satisfied, for I can give you no more reason or explanation, for it is all I have as well. Now, without further ado, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore finished his speech and sat down, even when the food appeared, no one dug in right away, they just sort of sat there, taking it all in. Finally the murmuring began and people started filling their plates.
Draco and Hermione both continued to look at Dumbledore, not in a confused and blown away way, but in a curious and a how-much-is-he-really-not-telling-us kind of way.
Draco started filling his plate with food finally, while Hermione looked out longingly out at Gryffindor table. Ron was of course stuffing his face, not even bothering to really put anything onto his plate, just grabbing things right out of their bowls, two at a time. His hair was longer, not quite as long as his brother Bills, but about the length as the twins was at his age. His face was still slightly pale and filled with freckles from the sun. Harry, sitting beside Ron was talking away to Ginny. Ginny and Harry had still remained really close, despite their decision to break up. Harry's hair had grown out as well and finally curled a bit. He reminded Hermione so much of Sirius that her heart almost gave out.
"Protesting again for SPEW are we Granger or have you just decided that it was best that you rid the world of your dirty blood and starve yourself to death? I must say, it's a good idea, but don't you think you should take a faster route?" Draco had noticed she hadn't touched any food for a long time, he decided it provided him with the perfect opportunity to get at her.
"No Malfoy, I'm sorry I'm not trying to do anything you said, but wow, I cant believe how much you look like an ugly white ferret tonight, it's really not very good appearance on you." she said and his face turned to utmost surprise and then a scowl. She'd just won the conversation. One point to Gryffindor.
Hermione grabbed a drumstick and bit into it. She started shoveling potatoes and anything in her reach onto her plate, she'd just realized how hungry she was.
Harry looked up at the Head table. Hermione was smirking evilly while talking to Draco. Draco looked surprised and then scowled his famous scowl. Well done Hermione, he thought. Harry looked at Draco and felt an anger rise up in him that he'd only felt towards certain people. Snape, Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
How could Dumbledore let that ...Git... back into the school, not only was he endangering himself, but also the students and everyone around him. e knew that Dumbledore thought he could see the light in everyone, but there was no light in Draco, it was been squashed out of him at birth by his father and he didn't even think there ever had been any light in the boy at all. He'd be watching Draco's every move, especially since he was going to be around Hermione more, there was no way he was going to let him hurt her.
'I should have just left and stayed somewhere else with Ron and Hermione and Ginny and searched for the horuxes myself... Dumbledores endangered everything.'
Ginny was watching Harry silently. She'd been talking to him but trailed off as she noticed he wasn't paying attention but staring at Malfoy. This was going to be an interesting year she thought.
When the feast was over McGonagal waved Hermione and Draco over to her. Draco stood up and walked over to her, Hermione walked up and stood in front of him, but to his side.
'She thinks shes just oh so superior, shes in for a rude awakening this year. I don't care what Dumbledore says, if I don't get the respect I deserve from her, shes not going to get mine.' he thought to himself. He gave her a disgusted look from behind and stepped up to her side.
"I'm to take you two to your rooms. This is mostly for Miss Grangers benefit Mr. Malfoy, but you both may ask questions and I will answer as best I can. Come along." she started walking towards the main doors in the Great Hall. The other students hadn't been dismissed yet so they were able to beat the rush.
They walked down one hall and down a next, through many more halls and steps to come to a part of the castle Hermione hadn't noticed was there, all that time she was at Hogwarts, thinking she knew all about it. She was surprised she didn't notice it on the map in Hogwarts - A History, and asked McGonagal about it.
"You've never noticed this part before because it's only seen by people who know it's there. In this case you are the new owners of this wing and so you can see it. I trust that you two can remain civilized and not rack havock on the wing. You have your own bath like the prefects as well as a tub and shower that splits between your rooms. The door to the bath is there-" she pointed to a portrait of 'mother nature.' "- And the door to your common room and bed rooms here." she pointed then to a portrait of which Hermione knew to be the first Head Boy and Head Girl of Hogwarts. The portraits were smiling and were holding hands. The real life old Head Boy and Girl were now married and their portraits showed them as they were.
"Your password is 'peace' and classes start at eight o-clock tomorrow. You will be getting both your time tables for classes and your Head's rounds. Goodnight Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger. Do try to be nice to each other this year, your 18 now, behave like it." and with that she stalked away down their corridor.
The two said the password to the smiling boy and girl and walked into their common room and looked about. Draco had already been in there so he just took a gander and stalked up the stairs leading to his room. Hermione's eyes were all over the room. There was a marble fireplace on the wall in front of her. the room was lit up and as she slowly walked to the staircase the lights dimmed. There were two sofas, both facing the fireplace. Chairs were set in different places around the room, as well as desks.
"So what did you blackmail Dumbledore with so he had to let you back in? There must've been something or hes gone mad." Hermione said to Draco as she was walking up the steps. He turned around to look at her.
"He must be mad then, don't presume Granger. You may know lots of things, but you and being presumable are not a good pair. Go to bed Granger, it's none of your business." Draco said this almost sadly. He turned away from her with that and opened his door and closed it, leaving a dumbfounded Hermione. He laid down on his bed and listened to the rain patting against his window and the lightning and thunder outside as he slowly fell asleep.
All Hermione could think about was his sad eyes.