Disclaimer: Just the plot.

I was actually going to get down to it and write the rest of the chapter today. BUT I've just finished reading Afterimage by Gravidy and im seriously… Touched? And traumatized? Okay. Traumatized.

So please excuse me while I reorientate myself back to the Harry, the Hermione, the Ron and the Draco Malfoy I've loved and characterized before. Shoot. Still cant get gravidy's depictions out. BOOOO.

Oh yes. Was asked if its DMHG or HHG…well I'll keep you in suspense! But it is pretty obvious. HAHA.

WHOO. And I've finally managed to put everything back together. And so, HERE YOU GO!

xxx

WE COLLIDE

#4: And It Begins

The trio made their way back to the Gryffindor common room at the end of the first day of school. Ron pranced ahead of Harry and Hermione, robes flying behind him.

"Yeah! I survived the first day of school!" and Ron barreled through groups of scared-looking first years and right through the fat lady portrait as Dean Thomas climbed out.

Harry and Hermione watched as Ron raced up towards the Boys' Dorm – to get out his Wizarding Chess Set, no doubt. Harry flung himself down on the comfiest couch and Hermione followed suit after putting her bookbag away properly.

"So, Mione. How were classes today?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Considering that I am the first Gryffindoy to lose points for our house because of a stupid little ferret during Potions and considering that my favourite person and I were paired up during Potions and we had such a wonderful fantastic time working together on the stupid blasted – "

"Whoa slow down. I just expected an OK! Or BAD! Not a full-blown run-on sentence complaint. That's so unlike you" Harry chuckled as Hermione stopped in mid-sentence, cheeks pink from her tirade.

"Ok, Hermione. Out with it. You're bothered."

"By what?" Hermione looked past Harry's face and focused on a spot near his ear.

"Please, I've been friends with you for the past six years… And you're a bad liar!"

"He said that too!"

"He?"

"Er…No one."

"Malfoy."

"What about him?"

"Hermione!" Harry clenched his jaw in frustration. "He's bothering you, isn't he?"

Hermione paused. Too long. She knew it. And Harry knew it too.

"… No."

"Right. I'll just keep going until you tell me."

"Fine." Hermione sighed. "He's weird." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Come on. What."

"Ok. Harry," Hermione took in a deep breath. "You know Malfoy…"

"GOODNESS GRACIOUS! You're in love with Malfoy?"

"What?" Hermione jumped up. "Ew! No!" By now, the whole Common Room was staring at Hermione. "What you looking at?" she snapped, and they all hurriedly turned back to their previous activities.

"Harry!"

"You were saying?" Harry looked at her innocently. She rolled her eyes now.

"Malfoy. What about him."

"Ok. You know Malfoy has always been… goading me about being a Mudblood and all?"

Harry sighed. "You bet I do remember."

"But he's stopped."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"See. It's so weird. The little fiasco on the Platform today?" Harry nodded.

"He called me a filthy muggleborn. Get it?" Harry raised his eyebrows again.

"Yes! A FILTHY MUGGLEBORN. Why not Mudblood? Why Muggleborn? It's so weird!"

Harry had gone quiet.

"And that's not all! Again in the hallway, he called me a MUGGLEBORN. Lowly, but not a mudblood." Hermione tugged at a stray curl that fell down her forehead.

"And the worst is that during Potions, when I told him off and said that he was a blood-prejudice, he got really mad."

"Now that is something. I thought he'd usually revel in it."

"Exactly, Harry."

"I guess it's not that worrying then, Hermione. Isn't this better? Maybe he's not going to the Dark side after all."

"Yes. But the change is so drastic it's absurd! And it's Malfoy, Harry. He's a prat!"

"One more to the Light side, prat or not, right?"

"You're making an assumption here, Harry"

"My assumptions are usually correct, Ms Granger. Do I need to give you any examples?"

"Okok. Let's head down to the kitchens for a drink of cocoa, shall we?"

"I'll get Ron." Harry raced up the Boys' staircase. He ran down a second later.

"He's flat out."

Hermione giggled. "So fast?"

"Yup. And in full attire."

Hermione snorted.

"I wonder if he'll change for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Knowing Ron, he won't."

The pair chuckled and headed off to the kitchens for a drink.

xxx

The next morning, Hermione awoke on the floor of the Gryffindor Common room, her hand still clenched around an empty mug. Nearby lay Harry, spread-eagled on the hearth next to a glowing fire.

"Harry? Wake up!"

"Huhh. Is it morning already?"

"Yes. Apparently we both fell asleep over our cocoa last night."

"Huhh. I want to sleep."

Just then, Hermione realized that the Common Room seemed deserted. And true enough, the clock on the wall was pointing to "Breakfast".

With a gasp, Hermione slapped Harry on his head and effectively woke him up.

"We're going to be late, you pig!" Hermione dashed up the Girls' Dorms staircase to get changed.

Harry yawned and just cast a cleaning spell over himself.

"I'm ready, Hermione!" he called up the staircase.

"What!" her voice rang down. "So fast?"

xxx

The Great Hall was filled with the usual noises of the students. Talking, eating, fighting, arguing, and even kissing. Above the din, Hermione was desperately attempting to read her copy of The Daily Prophet.

"Ron! Would you just please keep it down! I'm trying to listen to what Fudge is saying here!" Hermione watched the miniature Fudge gesticulate in the paper.

"Please, Mione. I bet he's saying the usual rubbish about Voldermort not existing or something like that."

"Ron!" she huffed.

But Ron was busy stuffing his face with food and attempting to carry on a conversation at the same time. About Quidditch, no doubt.

Hermione sighed and turned her attention back to the newspaper. However, just then there was a great clattering and everyone gasped as Dumbledore suddenly rose with a great immensity that sent his chair falling backwards, causing the sound. Harry had caught the look in Dumbledore's eye and he rose slowly, tightly grasping his wand. Hermione was shocked at the ugly glint that was foreign on the usually docile Professor's face. And Hermione realized.

The only other time Dumbledore had looked that ferocious was when he was battling Lord Voldermort in the Department of Mysteries a couple of years ago.

Hermione glanced her friends – those who had been with her in the DA and who had gone along that night. She and a few other Gryffindors rose alongside Harry, each gripping their wands tightly with anticipation. And from Dumbledore's face they knew.

And true enough.

The doors of the Great Hall burst open and for a moment, outside looked calm and the hallway empty. Then without warning, two figures clothed in dark robes appeared and more followed. And soon, a whole flock of them flooded through the doors, casting spells as they swooped in.

By now, most of the older students were on their feet and had their wands drawn. The teachers were making their way to the barricade of Death Eaters rushing in.

Hermione immediately took charge. She began to yell.

"First to third years head to the back of the Hall!" she began to push those sitting closest to her, and the rest followed suit. She then turned her attention to a Death Eater who was sending her a hex. Anticipation and adrenaline coursed through her veins.

"Stupefy!" she yelled and grinned in triumph as he fell to the ground. Ron had reached her side and they were both attempting to hex Death Eaters without hitting their friends.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione realized.

"Over there" Ron cocked his head towards the right and dodged a particularly nasty spell.

Hermione followed the angle of his head and gasped. Harry was fighting near the Slytherin table. And to her surprise, all of them were not fighting alongside the Death Eaters, but instead they were fighting alongside their Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw schoolmates. No doubt that most of their families were the aggressors, hidden under the identity-masking robes. However, their loyalty to their school and even to Dumbledore took over. Hermione felt guilty for stereotyping the Slytherins. She looked around and realized that all the students were fighting alongside each other, helping each other out of tough spots and shooting counter-curses where necessary – regardless of house. This attack was truly horrible business, but in a twisted sort of way, it was a good thing.

For one, it promoted inter-house unity. Hermione was sure that when all this was over – whether Hogwarts won or not, inter-house relationships would never be the same again. And Hermione was especially sure of this as she watched a certain blonde Slytherin ruthlessly unarm a Death Eater. Surely he would have to face heavy consequences later. After all his father was a well-known Death Eater, part of the inner circle. But for now, Draco Malfoy had disregarded all convention, and was defending Hogwarts with a passion.

Hermione felt a heart-warming emotion bubbling in her heart, and a lump formed in her throat. She was touched. But she kept her senses and emotions in check, and turned back to the fighting at hand.

Now was no time for all this emotional-uplifting stuff.

Now was the time to fight. Now was the time to defend. Now was the time to prove that Hogwarts was not to be messed with.

"Keep going, children!" Dumbledore's voice rang out in a low rumble. It inspired courage in their young hearts and they all fought harder and with more drive, determined to push to victory.

Now was the time to win.

Colored jets of light flew through the air, some missing targets, some hitting the objective. Cries, screams and shouts filled the air as children and adults alike on both sides, dueled with each other with such ferocity and passion. Everyone knew the consequences would be high. Many friends and hopes would be lost. But many more new ones would be made and found, sooner or later.

The second war had begun.

xxx

DONE!

Please R/R!

AAND

Thank you all of you who have reviewed so far. BUT I WANT MORE! MUAHAHA.