Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Please read and review love Hermione xxx
At night Harry sat up in bed beside Hermione thinking as she read Hogwarts a History at his side. She was engrossed in her book and not paying him much attention which for the moment he liked as it gave him ample opportunity to go through things in his head. There were certain things he was about to suggest and he only hoped she could understand why. Eventually deciding he was ready he turned to face her.
"Hermione we need to talk about some things I want to do before we go back to school tomorrow morning. Look to be honest with you last year was extremely rough there for me. No one actually asked me if I was the heir of Slytherin they just believed whatever they were being told by whoever it was that was telling them these things, the Hufflepuff's in particular and to be honest I can't get past it. I'm sorry but I just don't trust that house. I heard before that they are usually the house which stays neutral in things however because of who I am they didn't do that. That shouldn't matter or make them change but it does. Unless that house apologises to me as a whole I will never be able to forgive them. I hope you understand!" he said seriously as she put a bookmark in her book and placed it on her bedside locker before turning to him once more.
She took a sip from her glass of water and then responded. "Harry I am not oblivious to all that has gone on and although I can see why they thought like that given your initial defeat of Voldemort as a baby it did not give them a right to condemn you without facts. I mean take the Ravenclaw's. They listened to everything being said in relation to you but came to their own conclusions about you. Once they found out that you'd asked the snake to not attack Justin Finch-Fletchly and realised it hadn't most of them felt they couldn't dislike you. What the Hufflepuff's did is unforgivable and I think Professor Dumbledore should ask them to apologise to you although I know he probably won't!" she said sighing as she cuddled into his side.
"That's actually another thing we need to discuss. Professor Dumbledore. After what was written about him in the papers the other day I am not sure he'll even be at school when we return. At least I hope he won't. He insured I had a shit life and I don't want to see him again if I can help it" here he paused as he was very nervous that what he needed to say next would not be received well.
"Hermione please don't freak out but you should know that Draco Malfoy and I have spoken and agreed to try and be friends if we can. Ron was the reason we were not friends in the first place and I didn't like that because I pre-judged him when I shouldn't have. Because Ron said all people in Slytherin were evil I hated Malfoy when I met him and asked the hat not to put me there. It was going to but because of Ron's stupid words I was scared I'd turn evil if I ended up in that house. Draco assures me he hates Ron now and not you. Because I have asked him he has agreed to leave you alone because realistically you did nothing wrong to him which Ron cannot say. We are going to continue to feud whilst at school but outside school we'll try to be friends. We agreed that this way we might be able to find information which could be useful to either of us at school. I hope you don't mind" he said gulping nervously as she exhaled loudly.
"Apologise to me..." she said suddenly.
"What, I don't understand" he said confused.
"If he can apologise to me and promise not to treat me terribly and ignore me whilst we're at school I will be ok with it. He should tell his friends I'm so below him or something that he's not even going to bother with me any more. If he can do this for me I'll be ok with it. Otherwise I assure you I will not and I don't mind telling you that either. Either he apologises or you can both forget it. He was an ass to me and I won't be forgetting it either until he says sorry!" she suddenly snapped looking shocked to the core at what he'd even said. He thought he could see a slight feeling of betrayal in her eyes but she didn't say anything about it.
"Hermione I promise he won't hurt you because on my life and magic I'll never let him do it. I will get him to apologise in the morning as we're getting there early. I love you goodnight!" he said kissing her and pulling her into a spooning position as he drifted off to sleep barely hearing her I love you too response.
In the morning bright and early Dobby woke them with a prepared hot breakfast and a small basket of goods to take on the train with them. He had prepared tea, ham and cheese sandwiches, sour cream and onion crisps and finally some chocolate cauldrons. It would be perfect for them to eat on their journey to school.
They'd already secured their bags and on the advice of Griphook security trunks made by the goblins to look like they'd been normally crafted. If anyone who shouldn't enter his trunk aka anyone who wasn't Hermione did so their hair would turn blue and their face would turn green for a whole day. That would only happen the first time and would only come to someone if something was taken from the trunk. If something was put inside they would turn neon pink for six hours. On the second day of stealing from the trunk their arm would be instantly broken as stealing was no laughing matter. The colours were a warning which were designed to make someone think twice but the broken arm was a sincere and indeed painful warning. The last and final warning would break both arms and legs. If that didn't teach people a lesson he didn't know what would.
Hermione had wanted different warnings on her trunk. The first warning was they would inflate to twice their size for the next two days. The second warning was the person would be transformed into a half troll half human and on the final time they would go into a coma for four days and once they wake up only be able to explain what they were doing before they woke up in hospital. Elsewhere the board of Governors had come bursting onto the school premises and headed straight for the headmasters office.
They burst in through his doors where he jumped.
"To what do I owe the pleasure ladies and gentlemen. To be honest I'm exhausted. I spent all night listening to howlers I couldn't disperse so as you can imagine I had to hear them all. I got one hour of sleep!" he said groggily as they looked disgusted at him.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore we here at the school feel that your competence at doing your job and or hiring and firing is way below standards we expect our chosen elected headmaster to perform. In light of this we have some changes to announce!" said Margaret Abbot before continuing.
"As of this moment there is to be no more Divination classes. Instead Professor Hannah Dendani a recent graduate from Beauxbatons will be teaching magical arts and music to the students. Professor Horace Slughorn will be taking over the post as Potions Professor and head of Slytherin house while Severus Snape attends a teacher training course to update himself and indeed his teaching methods. He is a current disgrace to his profession and until he remembers why he even started teaching in the first place he will remain in teacher training. He will get a taste of his own medicine too and he then will realise the error of his ways as no one can work in the way he teaches and it's high time he learned that lesson" she said disgusted with the man for the time being.
"This is a good choice indeed. Professor Slughorn is an excellent choice and I commend you on his selection although Professor Snape will be sorely missed by his house alas I am sure they will get over it eventually" Dumbledore responded solemnly.
"History will now be taught by Professor Mora McKinnon and Professor Cuthbert Binns has now been laid to rest god love him. There will be a new course called Magical Studies 101 and it will be compulsory for all muggleborn students to take in first year and will be an elective after that. This will be taught by Professor Charles Weasley as we feel he'd be great for the job given all he's been through and he could really teach people about how things work here. The final change is to muggle studies. We have sent Professor Charity Burbage on a sabbatical training course to update herself and once done she will return. In the meantime Professor Penelope Clearwater will teach that course and it will be compulsory for all half blood and pureblood students in first year and an elective after that. Also Professor Rolanda Hooch will be happy to hear that all the school brooms are now the latest cleansweep models and have been spelled for self cleaning and care so they can never harm anyone unlike those old death traps!" she said as he gasped at so many changes.
"Why was I not consulted on some of these things? The purebloods will not take kindly to having to take muggle studies and I will not be held responsible for what they do as a result of that ok. No one gets to come crying to me when there is rebellion about that choice because I told you so right now and you didn't want to hear it. As far as I knew we didn't have enough in the budget for the new brooms but then again I haven't exactly been checking it so that could be why I thought we didn't have enough for them too. Is there anything else I should know?" he asked feeling suddenly a lot older then he was.
"Yes indeed there is. Every staff member will have an increased salary of five hundred galleons a week so as to insure their best work is always put forth. Professor Filius Flitwick will still teach charms however he will be the new Deputy Headmaster of this fine school now and he is more then happy to do it. The classrooms have all been updated and he now has a platform in his classroom so he may walk the length and breadth of it whilst teaching his classes and seeing everyone at the same time. The new permanent DADA Professor will be Professor Remus Lupin as we find him to be most competent. We know about his condition and letters were sent out to parents about him missing his classes for a few days a month and all the responses have been great. In fact they thanked us for telling them plainly the situation as it was. Professor Minerva McGonagall will still teach Transfigurations and be the head of Gryffindor house however you sir have lost all our respect in every way you possibly could have. We only just saw the papers this morning and I am most disgusted with you!" she snapped slapping his face as tears fell from her eyes at how low he'd sunk and essentially betrayed them all.
This is where Lucius took her around the shoulders hugging and comforting her as she was visibly shaken up about all she'd had to say. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore as voted on unanimously by this Board of Governors you are hereby fired effective immediately and must vacate this premises in four hours time. Finding your replacement was not easy so this is what we have done. Professor Septima Vector will be the new headmistress of this school whilst Septima continues to teach Arithmancy in this fine school. As her schedule was the least busy she seemed the perfect candidate and although surprised at being chosen has taken to the role with vigour. Things are seriously about to change around here. You have not sullied this school too much thank goodness. Good day to you sir and time is ticking. If you are not removed from this premises in four hours time you will find yourself and all your stuff has been transported to your home and you will no longer be allowed to enter the school here!" said Lucius loving his moment to be smug.
They all filed out of the room throwing him dirty looks as he sat at the desk which had been his for many years but was no longer his and cursed aloud. Why had his life gone so wrong. First all the unnecessary howlers and now this. He didn't think he could take much more. How in the hell was he ever going to control Harry in the way he wanted to? Well he was banned from the school and not anywhere else. He would just get to him in Hogsmeade or something. There was always ways and means around things. Septima had been in her office when she'd been informed of her new job status and fainted. Once woken up she set about changing the rules. She added five new rules going as follows.
Any and all house points which are removed or given are to be done so in a fair and concise manner excluding favouritism of any kind.
Any student who uses the word Mudblood or any derogatory term on more then three occasions will find themselves expelled effective immediately without warning as we here at Hogwarts expect only the best.
Any detentions provided are to be of a safe nature and the forbidden forest is not allowed as a destination for a detention to take place.
From now on anyone caught in any way at all promoting this inter-house feud we seem to have developed over the years will face serious consequences. All houses are expected to get on and if you dislike someone from that house simply ignore them and move on about your day normally.
Self defence is acceptable only in situations where it can be proven that this course of action was necessary and then all suitable punishments will be handed out.
She then went to her new office which had just kicked Albus Dumbledore out and cleaned it magically. She had a silencing spell placed on all portraits so they could only be party to her conversations when she deemed it fit. Professors Weasley, Dendani, Clearwater, Lupin and Slughorn had arrived early to set up their rooms and Madam Hooch was thrilled with the new brooms. All of the staff was sad Albus had needed to be fired but soon understood why even if that was a hard pill to swallow. Those who had not seen the paper were shown the paper and then seriously understood all that had gone on and why.
Back at the platform Harry and Hermione stumbled out from the floo their luggage in tow to find Draco Malfoy had indeed arrived early. He walked over to them Hermione bristling at his close contact with them.
"Hello Harry it's good to see you again. I hope this summer was good to you. Dad tells me we now have a new headmistress although he wouldn't tell me who it was which was annoying. He did tell me I wouldn't know who it was and that I shouldn't try and guess as I'll get it wrong. He also told me we've got a whole load of new classrooms and some new classes which sounds exciting. Hermione I have never liked you but because I like Harry and wish to attempt to be his friend I will say I am sorry to you. I severely dislike Weasley and don't ask me to apologise to him as it will never happen and you can burn in hell if you think so. Look I'm sorry ok. I actually think you're really smart and good at most everything you do even if you're too overbearing for everyone most of the time. Loosen up a bit and things might get better for you ok?" he said as she glanced at him and then Harry.
"Does he know Harry?" she asked as she glanced at their hands with their now magically concealed wedding bands.
"Yes Hermione he does however he gave me a vow not to tell anyone about it which is why he is now speaking the way he is as he can't speak about it any other way!" he said as she smiled slightly.
"Draco the best option I would advise you to take is by telling people that I am so below you, you're not even going to bother dealing with me at all this year. That way you can ignore me and see me only at the summers when you visit our home should you choose to do so. I accept your apology. Thank you for doing that although you should have technically done it because you wanted to not because you'd loose Harry as a potential friend!" she lightly scolded.
"Look Hermione I've never needed to apologise for anything in my life and so I'm not used to it. Just know I'm truly sorry. Harry opened my eyes to a lot of things and let's just say I can never see anything the same ever again. Your suggestion is great and I'll definitely be doing it. See you during the holidays. Goodbye!" he said waving goodbye to them both and getting a seat in the Slytherin compartment while they sat in the usual compartment they always picked. It would be an interesting ride to school that's one sure thing.