Disclaimer: see prologue
Guide: "Talk", Thoughts, ~letters and other written stuff~, -o-o-o- break for easier reading
Rating: M for sexual themes and language, slash in later chapters
Warning 1: Major cliffhanger ahead but the next chapter will (hopefully) be out in a week's time, so please forgive me for ending this chapter where it ends I just couldn't resist the temptation.
Warning 2: Like in chapter two some people might consider the description of Ron's character in this chapter as Ron bashing, even if in my opinion he is simply his usual self, especially if you take his behaviour in fourth year into account.
Warning 3: Longest chapter so far, it is twice as long as the previous ones. But since I promised that this chapter would take place at Hogwarts, I was unable to split it up.
Betas: jointheclub and Makoto Sagara
Update of beta-ed version: 9th August
AN: Thank you all for your input concerning with whom I should pair up Hermione. The resulting pairing was very unambiguous, and will be revealed in this chapter.
Over 50 people have signed up for the story alert, Thank you ^_^
Also, I hoped you all had a happy Easter holiday ^_^
-~-~- Altair -~-~-
-~-~-by Still waters are deep-~-~-
-~-~- chapter 5 – the Altair partners -~-~-
Monday, 1st September 1997, On the Hogwarts Express
I can't believe that this is one of the last times I will be riding the Hogwarts Express, Harry reminiscently thought, while he sat inside his compartment, looking out of the window at the passing landscape and waiting for his two friends to return from the Prefect meeting they had gone to half an hour ago.
The two of them should be back any minute. Ah, here they are, Harry thought, redirecting his gaze from the window to the door when he heard the compartment door being opened.
"So, how was the Prefect meeting, Head Girl?" Harry asked with a smile when the two of them entered the compartment.
"Great," she exclaimed, sitting down on the bench across from Harry.
"Great? They appointed Draco-bloody-Malfoy as the Head Boy! Couldn't they have given the position to someone more deserving, like Anthony Goldstein?" Ron complained, settling down next to Harry.
"Stop it already, Ron. Malfoy truly deserves this, especially with everything he did last year," Hermione scolded him.
"That is exactly my point! That son of a Death Eater* is the reason that You-Know-Who and his followers invaded Hogwarts near the end of last year."
"Ron," Harry began calmly turning his body towards his friend, "you know as well as we all do that he only did that because he was following Dumbledore's plan so that Voldemort and his Death Eaters could be led into a trap. Without him, we would never have been able to defeat Voldemort so quickly and with a minimum number of casualties."
"As if; the ferret only did this to save his own skin because Snape had found out that he planned to let them in and was afraid that they would send him to Azkaban because of it."
"Now, you are being delusional," Hermione said and started to correct him. "Professor Snape only suggested to Malfoy that the option to ask for help from the light side was always open to him and that Headmaster Dumbledore would not be prejudiced if he decided to turn to him for help. Professor Snape did not know what Draco's exact task from Voldemort was before Malfoy turned to Dumbledore for help.
"We are all lucky that Malfoy could not stand to endanger all of the innocent students, regardless that the life of his own family was at risk if he should fail his assigned task. Had he not decided to turn to the light side in the end, Hogwarts very well could have fallen into Voldemort's hands, instead of Voldemort being the one that fell that night. Since no one would have known that he was repairing the Vanishing Cabinet inside the Room of Requirement. And considering that he was able to repair it on his own, without any outside help, it only shows how intelligent he is.
"We all owe him for making it possible to end the war before it really could have started with our side having the advantage during the one big deciding fight and be thankful that he sacrificed his family's well-being to ensure that the students would not be in danger.
"So whatever silly feud your families have, you should let it rest." With that Hermione finished her defence of Draco Malfoy.
"She is right, Ron. Stop being immature and grow up," Harry aided Hermione.
"Silly feud?!" Ron squealed standing up from his seat. "Have you already forgotten what his family did? His Death Eater father gave Ginny the cursed diary in her first year. And where did it lead to? You, Hermione, together with three others, getting stunned by a Basilisk, Ginny nearly dead, and Hogwarts was nearly closed. Silly feud indeed," Ron huffed, crossing his arms and letting himself fall back again into his seat, looking pointedly at his shoes; very obviously not wanting to meet Hermione's or Harry's eyes.
"Ron, do you blame Ginny for what happened with the Chamber?" Harry asked his friend gingerly.
"What do you think? Of course, I am not blaming her for anything"
"Then, why do you still blame them?" Harry asked, still being cautious so as to not set off Ron. "You were there when the Order explained Mr. Malfoy's situation. He is as innocent as Ginny is in that aspect."
"Lucius Malfoy, innocent?" Ron asked unbelievingly.
"Yes, innocent. He could not help what that damn diary did as much as Ginny could have helped it. Both of them were controlled through the Horcrux inside the diary. He was compelled by it to give the diary to a female*, pureblooded Hogwarts student, who preferably was just starting Hogwarts to ensure that she would not have any Occlumency shields to protect herself from its influence.
"But unlike with Ginny, the Horcrux made sure that Lucius Malfoy would not have any memory of the diary left, so that he would not have been able to prevent any of the events at Hogwarts from happening."
"Because the oh-so-great Lucius Malfoy doesn't know how to perform Occlumency himself," Ron said sarcastically.
"He doesn't. That was why Bellatrix was the one who had to teach Draco how to perform Occlumency," Harry said, having heard that piece of information while overhearing a talk between Snape and Dumbledore.
"Hmpf," was Ron's only answer.
After a moment of silence, Ron, with his childish grudge, tried again to show the Malfoys in a bad light.
"And how, Harry, do you explain his attendance during You-Know-Who's resurrection at the end of our fourth year and his presence in the Department of Mysteries in fifth year?" Ron asked victoriously.
Hermione took over answering from Harry: "The Imperius Curse. During his trial after the first war, he already proclaimed that Voldemort had held him under the Imperius Curse because he had wanted to use the Malfoys' political influence, social standing, money as well as their special prowess in Sexual Magic.
"The spell was lifted when Voldemort lost his physical body when he tried to kill Harry all those years ago. But when he had gotten his body back he immediately put Lucius Malfoy back under the Imperius through the Dark Mark, which Mr. Malfoy wasn't able to get rid of during the years of Voldemort's absence."
Not wanting to give up just yet, Ron went on: "Didn't you just say a minute ago that the Malfoys have a special prowess for Sexual Magic?" he asked, saying the words Malfoys and Sexual Magic with clear disdain in his voice. "Why could he not simply perform one of those stupid Rituals and be done with it?"
"Because this kind of magic isn't as easy as you make it out to be," Hermione exclaimed, her patience nearly run out by now. "So, if you have quite finished coming up with silly accusations, I would be thankful if you could stop talking about the Malfoys as they were Voldemort himself, because they aren't and never would have been on his side if they could have helped it. So, talk about something else."
"Silly accusations? Are you all blinded by their acting? The Malfoys are dark, always were, always will be. I wouldn't be surprised if they are secretly working on bringing Voldemort back again," Ron said, not being able to let the matter rest.
"Stop it already, Ron; neither of the Malfoys have done anything to deserve those accusations. Especially Draco, I do not know what we would have done if he hadn't decided to risk his own life and the life of his family to help us lure Voldemort into the trap. But, most likely, we would not be sitting here riding the Hogwarts Express to start our last year," Harry said having had enough of Ron's ever present grudge against the Malfoys.
Especially since the rest of the Weasleys have been able to acknowledge that neither of the two male Malfoys were to be blamed for what Voldemort forced them to do. Molly was especially grateful to the Malfoys since Lucius had saved Bill from being turned into a werewolf by Greyback after Voldemort was defeated and the Imperius was lifted from the Malfoy Lord, who saw Bill being attacked.
"You two have gone nuts, defending the Malfoys of all people? Can't you see that they are twisted and rotten? I am fed up. I'm leaving," Ron announced as he stood, having had enough of his two friends defending the Malfoys, who were still the enemies in his eyes.
At that moment, the compartment door was opened by non-other than Draco Malfoy or as Ron thought, the devil himself.
"Granger, do you have a moment?" he asked Hermione from the compartment entrance.
"Sure. Come on in and sit down," she invited him.
"Thank you," he said, letting a steaming Ron out of the compartment first before entering it himself together with Blaise Zabini, the seventh-year Slytherin prefect. Draco sat down next to Hermione, while Blaise took the seat Ron had just vacated next to Harry.
While Draco was asking Hermione some questions concerning Head Boy/Girl business, Blaise told Harry: "I have to say that those clothes look good on you, Potter. I hope that this will be a permanent change."
"Thanks, and it is. The girls, meaning Hermione, Ginny and Luna, took me clothes shopping at the beginning of last month."
"With Luna, you mean Lovegood, yes?" he asked, surprised. After Harry's confirming nod, he continued. "I wouldn't have thought the she had any fashion sense, considering what she wears herself."
"She only picked out the accessories. The majority of the clothes were chosen by the other two." Harry looked over at Hermione while he said this. Seeing Draco sitting next to her, he remembered that Draco had actually picked out part of his new wardrobe too. Embarrassed, he turned a bit red.
"A shame that we won't be sharing a room this year," Blaise said, finding Harry's red tinted cheeks cute, wondering why Harry had blushed in the first place.
"How do you know that we won't be sharing a room? It won't be announced until later tonight who our roommate will be," Harry asked him obliviously.
Having finished their conversation, both Hermione and Draco wanted to know the answer to that question too, even if they already had a good idea of how Blaise knew this.
"Because I know for a fact that I will be sharing a room with someone of the female gender," Blaise said with a smile.
Realization dawned on Harry. Natch, he must know this from the titles of his Altair books. That means he is taking some of the Altair electives too. I wonder if Malfoy is also taking some of those Altair courses. Considering what Hermione said earlier to Ron about the Malfoys having a prowess for Sexual magic, it would be surprising if he wasn't taking any Altair electives. But then, you never know if there is a compatible partner for him in our year.
Draco smirked and Hermione smiled while saying: "Maybe we will end up together instead."
So, Granger is taking some Sexual Magic classes, Draco thought. I wonder if Potter has followed her example. He really looks hot without his glasses and with his new fitting clothes. And since this change will be permanent, thanks to his new wardrobe, I would like him to be my partner. Out of all the other guys in my year, he really is the best looking one. And since Blaise obviously is out of the question, there isn't really anyone else I would like to be paired with.
"Maybe," Blaise answered Hermione with a smile.
"Or you could end up with Potter," Draco said jokingly to Hermione, hoping to find out if Harry had signed up for any Altair electives too.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but that won't be happening," Hermione answered him.
"And why is that?" Draco asked her interested.
"Because, as well as Blaise knows that he will be paired with a girl, I know that I will be sharing a room with a boy," Harry answered the question in Hermione's stead. "So, maybe the two of us will end up together instead?" Harry asked Draco with a challenging look.
"It could happen," was Draco's simple answer that was paired with a mischievous smirk. Privately, he was happy to know that Potter had decided to register for the Altair electives, and, therefore, he had the chance to be paired with Potter since both of them had a male partner.
This answers whether he did get a partner or not. And his partner is male too. Maybe we really will be paired for the Altair classes, and he is a lot better than Goyle, Harry thought.
"Poor Parkinson, she must be devastated to not being able to share a room with you this year, considering how close the two of you were at the beginning of last year," Harry said teasingly, remembering how he had witnessed Draco's head lying in Pansy's lap during the train ride last year.
"I'm not. For all I care about that bitch, she can be paired with Mrs Norris," Draco stated, still remembering how Pansy had cheered on Voldemort and his followers during the Battle of Hogwarts not so long ago.
"What a shame, I have heard that she only applied to the Altair electives in the hope to be paired with you. But you never know who your partner will turn out to be," Blaise commented. "By the way, since we are already discussing Altair partners, does anyone know how the pairings are assigned?" Blaise asked, hoping that the Head Girl might know the answer to the question.
"If I am not mistaken, the people who have signed up for any of the Altair electives are paired through a device that is a mix of the Goblet of Fire and the Sorting Hat. They seem to enter a copy of your Altair sign-up form into the device, which later spits out the compatible pairings. If there isn't a compatible partner, then your name simply won't be spit out at all. The rest of the students, regardless of having signed up for Altair classes or not, are paired in regard to their chosen subjects," Hermione said, answering Blaise's question.
"Interesting," both Draco and Blaise answered.
"As much as I find our talk entertaining, I think it is time that we move on. We still have our patrol rounds to finish. If you'll excuse us," Draco said, looking at the time.
"Well then, we will see you later in the Altair common room," Blaise said, following Draco out of the compartment.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-Altair-a life changing event-~-~-~-~-~-~-
After the Welcoming Feast was over, all of the seventh-year students went quickly to their dorms to enter the Altair common room. They were all eager to find out with whom they would be sharing a room for the next year, or who their Altair partner turned out to be, hoping that he or she would be someone they do not mind to have sexual interactions with. When the last of the seventh-year students arrived in the new common room, the teachers' door opened and the Heads of each House together with the Headmaster, walked into the room.
Dumbledore skipped any unnecessary speeches, since he had already greeted them with the rest of the school during the Welcoming Feast, and came right to business. "Welcome back to the seventh-year common room. Since I believe that all of you are rather tired from the long travel and the rich feast, I do not want to hold you up any longer than necessary. So, lets start announcing the rooming arrangements right away so that you all finally can go to bed. Professor Snape, if you would please announce the pairings and their assigned rooms."
"Since most of you dunderheads most likely have forgotten over the holidays what was said at the end of last year, I find it necessary to remind you that the assigned pairings are final and won't be changed, no matter how much you complain about it." Here, he looked especially at Pansy Parkinson before his gaze shifted over to Draco and Harry, who coincidentally were standing near each other.
At that time, the students thought he was looking in the direction of Malfoy and Potter because both of them had a history of being spoiled brats in his eyes. It was founded on the fact that in the past Draco Malfoy had been known to treathen to tell his father about things so that he could get his way and because Snape had always thought that Potter always got special treatment.
Blaise, who was one of the few who had noticed Snape looking at Pansy first, thought that Snape most likely did realise that Pansy wouldn't be happy with her assigned partner since it would not be her beloved Draco Malfoy. But Snape also looking at Draco and Potter would mean that he believes that those two will not be happy with their partner either. I hope for the two of them that they didn't end up with Goyle and Crabbe.
The real reason why Professor Snape had been looking at the two of them was something else though.
"Also, keep in mind that the room number doesn't give away if the inhabitants have signed up for Altair electives or not, since the pairs receive randomly one of the thirty-nine available rooms." Here, Professor Snape looked at Ron because the story of how he badmouthed the Altair electives at the end of last year had reached his ears. "Contrary to what some of you seem to believe, a low room number does not mean that the pair sharing the room has registered for Altair electives."
"I wonder why some believe this?" Harry asked Hermione in a whisper.
"The rumour is most likely based on the famous Room Zero. In 'Hogwarts: A History – adult version' a whole paragraph is dedicated to it. Only rarely is the room assigned to anyone, and if it is, then it is certain that the pair sharing this room is highly compatible and therefore powerful in the art of sexual magic and obviously have applied for Altair electives. It is designed especially for the needs of such a powerful pairing. The last time someone lived in this room was over one hundred fifty years ago. But to answer your question, since only people who take Altair courses get assigned to Room Zero, some believe that all the lower numbered rooms are reserved for those who take Altair electives, which isn't the truth at all. But, still, Professor Snape's previous comment isn't quite correct, since every room, except Room Zero, doesn't give away if the pair living in it is taking Altair courses."
"Now, if Miss Granger is quite finish quoting 'Hogwarts: A History', I would like to start announcing the rooming arrangements for this year," Professor Snape said in a snappish tone towards Hermione. "The partners are assigned as followed..." he began while unrolling a parchment similar to the one Professors McGonagall used during the Sorting ceremony. The room grew silence at once, all eager to hear the first pair.
-o-o-o-
It seemed like he was being very kind today because the first pair to be announced was: "Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, Room Twenty-Two."
It was obvious from the relieved sighs some of the others let out that those were the students who have signed up for an Altair course and had found out through their book titles that their partner was male. They were all happy to know that they would not have to perform sexual magic of any kind with one of the two most unattractive boys of their year.
Thank Merlin that neither of them will be my partner. But I don't think that they have signed up for any of the Altair electives in the first place, Draco thought. But from the sigh which escaped from Potter and Granger, they share my sentiment.
So, Draco and Potter won't be paired with either Crabbe or Goyle. That doesn't explain why Snape was looking at them before, Blaise wondered.
-o-o-o-
"Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, Room Eight."
"I knew it," both of them said at the same time, hugging each other.
Knowing those two, I wouldn't be surprised if they signed up for Sexual Divination, and judging by their reaction I think they actually did. Harry, Hermione, Blaise and Draco all thought the same thing when that pairing was announced.
-o-o-o-
"Michael Corner and Stephen Cornfoot, Room Fifteen."
The two friends from Ravenclaw only smiled at each other when their names were announced.
"See? What did I say, no one did sign up for any of the Altair electives or they would not all have been paired according to their gender," an oblivious Ron said after the third same sex couple was announced, not knowing that the last two pairs had actually signed up for some of the Altair electives.
How dumb can he be? Draco asked himself, who was still standing with Blaise near the Golden Trio. Hasn't he even read the letter McGonagall sent everyone during the summer? It clearly said that same sex pairings are possible if you decide to take up Altair courses. And even if they have not signed up for Altair electives, they would be paired according to the NEWTs classes they have in common, not according to their gender or House affiliation.
Hermione and Harry shared a look which clearly said: "Let him stay left in the dark. It will be better for us in the end."
-o-o-o-
"Morag MacDougal and Zacharias Smith, Room Six."
-o-o-o-
"Neville Longbottom and Ronald Weasley; Room Sixteen."
"See, Ron, everything turned out well. You were worrying to much over this," Hermione told him, glad that he now wouldn't be able to complain about having to share living space with a, as he said, 'Merlin forbid, Slytherin'.
"Thank Merlin," Ron said, relieved.
Yeah, thank Merlin that I won't have to hear you complain about your room mate for the rest of the year, both Harry and Hermione thought.
-o-o-o-
"Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini, Room Three."
"Now, what did I tell you on the train?" Hermione said to Blaise in a joking voice.
"That you are an annoying know-it-all?" Blaise joked back, giving her a wink.
"No, Hermione, you can't be paired with a slimy Slytherin!" Ron said, infuriated. "And stop flirting with him!" A moment later, after Ron realised what his last comment implied, he added in an angry voice: "Hermione, don't tell you broke your promise and signed up for Altair classes behind my back. How could you do this to me?"
When Hermione did not deny his accusation, Ron turned to Harry in the hope that his best friend would help him in chastising Hermione. To his horror, Harry did not look affronted or even surprised about Hermione's new roommate, which made Ron even angrier.
"You knew that she had applied, didn't you?"
An uninterested "And?" was Harry's answer. He did not know why Ron was angry about this, especially, since as far as he knew, Sexual Magic was rather honoured in Wizarding society.
"And? Don't you realise that those electives are all twisted and rotten, just like the Malfoys?"
"Mr. Weasley that will be twenty points from Gryffindor for insulting a fellow student unreasonably, and do shut up," Snape said harshly to stop Ron's complaints. He was more than irritated with Ron's constant badmouthing of such an honoured branch of magic.
-o-o-o-
"Mandy Brocklehurst and Dean Thomas, Room Thirty-four."
-o-o-o-
"Ernie Macmillan and Pansy Parkinson, Room Twenty-one."
"A Hufflepuff!" Pansy screamed, appalled.
Her friend Tracey tried to calm her down with: "Come on, Pansy, at least he is a pureblood."
"But he is a Hufflepuff, and I was sure that I would be paired with Draco!" she said, sending a hopeful look in said person's direction. Draco only gave her a disgusted look in return.
"Miss Parkinson, you very well know that these combinations are final. So, stop complaining so that I can finish announcing the remaining partners," Snape said harshly, still irritated from Ron's earlier outburst.
Just as I thought. Pansy isn't happy at all with her partner, Draco, Blaise and Harry were thinking. Severus Snape was having similar thoughts, only he used 'Miss Parkinson' instead of 'Pansy'.
-o-o-o-
"Millicent Bulstrode and Tracey Davis, Room Eighteen."
… (other nameless pairings) …
-o-o-o-
"Seamus Finnegan and Anthony Goldstein, Room Twenty-five."
This means my partner will be Potter/Malfoy, both Harry and Draco thought after everyone but they had been assigned a roommate. Professor Snape confirmed it moments later.
"And at last, Room Zero will be shared by Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter."
-~-~-~-~-~-~-Altair-a life changing event-~-~-~-~-~-~-
son of a Death Eater: Ron's way of saying "Son of a bitch"
female: because the entrance is inside a girls' bathroom, a female would be the least suspicious to enter the girls' toilet.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-Altair-a life changing event-~-~-~-~-~-~-
AN_2: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it was always clear that I would end one of the chapters with this announcement. As I said before, the next chapter should be up within a week's time, two at the most. Also, I didn't include every student there is at Hogwarts, but simply picked out some names from the list published under (1) to fill the gaps to not let it seem too short. Also, I hope that I have formatted the partner-assigning part of the chapter so that you could read it without too much trouble.
Next: Everyone's reaction to the announcement, especially Harry's and Draco's and what the mysterious Room Zero looks like.
(1) " wiki/ Category:Sorted_in_1991"