'Hagrid!' The golden trio (plus Ginny) shouted from across the platform, seeing the gentle half giant sauntering up to them.

After a long, tiring train journey to Hogwarts, the young adults had changed into their robes and impatiently waited for their last year to commence, mentioning that seeing Hagrid was one of the things they couldn't wait to do.

Harry ran over and threw himself into the arms of his old professor.

'Hagrid! How have you been?!' Harry asked loudly, looking around to see if the others had caught up.

'Not too bad 'ere Harry. Looking after the grounds of course, tending to the many creatures.' He nodded, looking at each of the beaming students. 'Hermione, Ron, Ginny!

My how you've all grown over the summer'

Hagrid motioned his head over to the carriages, insisting that they walk and talk.

Carefully walking around the now visible thestrals, they hopped into the nearest one and immediately started laughing and joking around. Each of them had a chance to talk briefly about their summer until they arrived at the front gates.

'See you Hagrid, we'll either visit later or tomorrow!' Ron smiled.

Hagrid laughed, 'Don't worry yourselves too much, make sure you get t'your classes first'.

The four of them nodded, climbed out of the carriage and briskly walked into the looming castle that awaited their arrival.

—

Hermione was the first out of the four to enter the great hall. She stood in the middle and surveyed her surroundings. So many memories, good and bad, waltzed round her head. The feeling of nausea constantly rising and falling in her gut. She swallowed, feeling like she was gasping for air as her breath quickened.

'Hermione...'

Her head whipped round to see the other three had caught up with her. She wiped a fallen tear from her cheek and smiled weakly. Ginny stepped forward and gave her shoulder a squeeze as if to say that she understood.

'I know.' Harry said 'I know-

All of a sudden his right half was shoved forward as Draco elbowed him out of the way.

'HEY!' Ron exclaimed angrily, his hands balled into fists.

'Look, if your boyfriend insists on taking up the whole space, then I'm going to move him' Draco sneered.

Harry's eyes narrowed, 'Why are you even back here Malfoy? How can you even show your face?'

Draco gulped, lost for words.

'We're just trying to get on with our lives, okay?' Pansy said quietly, coming up behind them. She looked over at Draco and pleaded with her eyes.

Draco cleared his throat, 'Yeah...what she said.'

Hermione stared at him.

'And what are you looking at?' He questioned in disgust.

Hermione scoffed, 'You.'

'What for?!'

'To see any signs that you'll drop dead.'

The Gryffindors and Pansy all stifled a laugh as Draco turned bright red in anger.

'I think it's time we left before Malfoy pops himself' Ginny laughed, ushering the other three to the Gryffindor table. Laughs echoed around Draco's head as the four of them took their seats.

Pansy scanned his face, 'You know you're not going to get anywhere with them with an attitude like that.'

Draco sighed and pushed his blonde hair out of his face, 'I know! They're just so fucking hard to talk to. How do you approach someone you fought on the opposite side to and try to be civil? Hey, my dad and his friends tried to murder you, what's up?'

Pansy laughed as headmistress McGonagall took her place at the podium and cleared her throat.

'Let's just get through this and the sorting ceremony and we'll talk strategies okay?'

Draco nodded and followed Pansy to take their places at the Slytherin table.

—

After the cheers from the sorting ceremony had settled down, a silence fell as McGonagall stepped back up to the podium.

'I'd like to welcome everyone back to Hogwarts'. She smiled and looked around the room.

'It's so lovely to see new faces and old.' She nodded towards both the Gryffindors and Slytherins.

'I have made a vow as headmistress to put the past behind us. We have come back fiercer and stronger as ever and we will succeed with whatever life throws at us next.'

She motioned towards another professor, who started handing out pieces of parchment.

'Your timetables have been carefully constructed to allow you all some down time every so often. This will allow you to work on any extra curriculars you may want to divulge yourselves in. Clubs have to be approved by both me and Professor Flitwick before recruiting members.'

She smiled again.

'Thank you all for choosing to return this year after all that has happened. And thank you to the professors who have also decided to return.'

She turned around and started clapping towards the teachers, allowing all the students to join her. After a few minutes she turned around and waved her hands, signifying for silence.

'Your prefects will now take you to your new dormitories. Please make sure to use the buddy system at all times and never venture out to the outer grounds late at night.

Thank you everyone.'

There was a stir as the Wizarding pupils started to gather their things and stand up.

Professor Flitwick hurried over to the headmistress and whispered in her ear, handing her a piece of parchment.

'Oh yes, before you go!' McGonagall announced, 'The following pupils must stay behind and accompany me to my office'

A sea of whispers rose from among the students.

McGonagall cleared her throat.

'Harry Potter,
Hermione Granger,
Ronald Weasley,
Luna Lovegood,
Neville Longbottom,
Pansy Parkinson,
Theodore Nott,
Blaise Zabini,
and Draco Malfoy.'

She peered over her glasses, scanning the room for the students she had just named.

'Thank you everyone, you may go now.' She announced to the rest of the room.

A flood of footsteps echoed throughout the great hall as the many students hurried to leave, chatting and gossiping about the group of young wizards that had been called forward.

The older group waited around as the younger students disappeared, Ginny giving Harry a quick peck on the cheek before leaving with the rest of them. They looked around at each other, worried about what was to come.

McGonagall stepped down from the podium and motioned them all to follow her, leaving through the large doors of the great hall with a flourish.

'Professor, what is this about?' Harry asked, struggling to keep up with his speedy teacher.

'Now now, Potter, have some patience.' She said without turning her head.

Arriving at her office, she whispered a password out of earshot from the group and entered, allowing them all to follow her through.

Draco was the last person in, looking around at the office in front of him. The professor had taken over Dumbldore's old office and he couldn't help thinking what a magnificent job she had done decorating. Bookcases upon bookcases littered the walls, as books floated off a pile and sorted themselves into their rightful places. Potions glittering as they slowly rotated in a large glass cabinet, and parchments with spells, grades, and teaching plans covered the floor. She had kept the exposed brick in the ceiling that the old headmaster had had before, and he thought it complimented the rest of the room so well.

'So what are we doing here?' Theo asked, snapping Draco out of his trance.

'Well, Mr Nott, I have some unfortunate news.'

Draco snorted and he felt all 9 other pairs of eyes look at him.

'Sorry..' He stifled a laugh, 'I can just feel Potter's eyes gleaming from here.'

He looked over at the Gryffindors and noticed Hermione rolling her eyes.

'Yes, thank you for your input, Mr Malfoy. But the news isn't that bad. Unfortunately...' McGonogall stopped as she sat down. 'Since you are returning students, we do not have enough room to accommodate you all as you should have finished last year.'

She looked at each student as looks of worry and uncertainty graced their faces.

Luna raised her hand, 'does this mean we'll be sent home?'

McGonagall shook her head. 'Absolutely not, we will not be denying students of their education, Miss Lovegood.'

'So what's going to happen to us, Professor?' Neville asked.

Hermione looked at him. He had become so much more confident since the war, not just in personality but in nature. He stood up straighter, talked louder and asked more questions. She smiled to herself, she was so pleased with how far he had come.

Professor McGonogall stood up, placed her hands on her desk and leant forward.

'We have arranged for the nine of you to share a private dormitory.'

The headmistress held her hand up as the students protested, arguing with each other and pleading with the Professor.

'I do not want to hear it!' McGonagall announced. 'Keeping the nine of you together is the safest option and makes the most sense. All of you have chosen to come back to retake the year, you have all been through a lot in the past year together and the seventh year dorms are already full of returning students. Consider this as an opportunity for all of you to get to re-know each other.' She smiled and clapped her hands together.

Everybody groaned and glared at each other, knowing that they had no choice in the matter.

'So, since this is an option we haven't chosen for ourselves, where is this dorm you have oh so carefully picked out for us?' Blaise asked, rolling his eyes and folding his arms.

'Well, Mr Zabini.' The headmistress answered, narrowing her eyes, 'if you'd hold onto your sarcasm, I'll tell you. Opposite of the Astronomy Tower, you will find a painting of a little blue boy. The password is Brackium Emendo. The sleeping arrangements are completely up to all of you, and please do NOT take up the whole evening deciding.'

She glared at each and every student in front of her before sighing and rubbing her forehead, then waved the group off.

'I assume you would all like to freshen up before curfew. Your things have already been taken into the dormitory for you. Please do not make me regret allowing you to retake your final year.' The professor said sternly, shooing them out of her office.

The students shuffled out of the room, closing the door behind them, all of them breathing heavily in worry.

They stood in silence in the hallway.

'So,' Theo cleared his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets and lightly kicking the floor.

'Well I'm shattered,' Draco fake yawned and put an arm around Hermione. 'So how about you and me go to our dorm.' He winked at her as she gagged and threw his arm off of her.

'If you think I'm doing anything with you but share the air you breath then you are severely mistaken, Malfoy.' Hermione blew her fringe out of her face and stomped away, with the rest of the Gryffindors and the single Ravenclaw trailing behind her.

Ron stood his ground, balling his hands into fists but Harry pulled him away before he could launch himself at the blonde.

'You're dead, Malfoy.' Ron threatened, forcefully being led away by his best friend.

'Well,' Draco said, smiling at his friends. 'This should be fucking hilarious!'

He grinned, shoved his hands in his pockets and followed his future roommates.