Chapter Two: Eighth Year
Words: 1688
Author Notes: Thank you for all the lovely reviews. I'm sorry. The chapter is a bit a late. I found a beta and I adore her. Thanks for everything :) Enjoy!
As they entered the Great Hall, there was an extra table set up for the Eighth Year. The Great Hall was mostly the same as the previous but with the addition of the table, all the other tables had to be squished together and now it was far more crowded than usual.
"So, who is coming back for Eighth Year?" Harry sat in the empty space at the centre of the table with Ron while Hermione and Neville sat across from him.
"Hmm, let's see. There is Neville, you, Hermione and I. Well that's all I know for Gryffindor." Ron said, "and I'm hungry." He added
Hermione sighed. "Not many people actually, Hannah Abbot and Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff, Terry Boot and Michael Corner from Ravenclaw, and I'm not exactly sure about Slytherin, but I did not see any of them in the train. Maybe they were brought under the Ministry's supervision."
"Speaking of the devil."
Everyone's eyes slid to the Great Hall's entrance where Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were walking in. They came in side by side and sat at the far end of the table whispering furiously. Malfoy looked far better than the last time they saw him at his trial. His clothes were no longer expensive and high-tailored. Everyone could tell it by the look of his robe but he still made sure the sewing were neat. An Auror joined the feast and took a seat at the High Table.
"Care to explain why we didn't just throw him at Azkaban again?" Ron sneered.
"Ron, we already agreed on this." Hermione sent him an icy glare.
"Whatever, now I'm richer than he is and I'm going to make sure he never forgets that." Ron growled, a malicious grin marring his usually cheerful features.
Hermione sighed again.
After the usual welcoming speech, the welcoming feast begun. Harry had to admit that he missed Dumbledore's nonsensical ramblings during speech. He missed the death glares from Professor Snape. He missed the impartiality most of the teachers used to have. Now, the teachers as well as the students looked him as a royal all mighty one.
The students helped themselves to all the mouth-watering food the house elves prepared, especially Ron. The food was quite delicious, even Ron, Hermione and Neville, who were full with their lunch and Honeydukes sweets earlier, managed second helping of everything. Harry on the other hand, played with his food and was obviously lost to his own world.
Harry wondered if Dobby was still alive, would he be happy working at Hogwarts and serving him at the same time? The thought only brought him more pain; just thinking about Dobby's sacrifice made his heart ache. Of course, either way, Hermione would not have approved Dobby serving him. She and her obsession with S.P.E.W. Hermione would probably kill him if he told her what he was thinking right now, Harry mused.
Harry snapped back to reality as Headmistress McGonagall got up and started walking towards the Eighth year table. He glanced around, other younger students already filling out the Hall to their respective dorm. He wondered how long he had been daydreaming. During his scan of the Great Hall, Harry noticed something odd; Draco Malfoy was staring at him.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, trying to get all the Eighth Year's attention.
"As you all know, you are all here to finish your studies. I'm afraid you will not occupy your old dorms. No room left to fit all of you. So, we have already agreed that everyone will stay at the new tower for the Eighth Year. In other words, you will be living together…" The Headmistress added almost nervously.
"Bloody hell, we have to sleep in the same tower!? I'm not going to sleep with the snakes! I'd probably be safer in the Forbidden Forest!"
"Language Mr Weasley. I assure you, everyone will get to choose their own roommates except for Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Ms. Parkinson, and Ms. Abbot. Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger will get their own rooms where as Ms. Parkinson and Ms. Abbot will be required to share rooms since you both are the only girls left. Each room will consist of two students."
Pansy looked like she was going to object, but Professor McGonagall quickly added, "All of you can go now. Ms. Granger, please show all of your friends to the new dorms. Behave yourselves! I do not want to hear of trouble from any of you." Professor McGonagall, now quite finished with her tirade, gave the Eighth years a sharp nod and stalked back towards the high table.
As soon as Professor McGonagall was far enough for her not to hear anything from their position, Pansy got up and went to the trio. Draco trailed behind her, his usual Malfoy's stoic mask set in stone.
"Well looks like a certain The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Get-Special-Privileges gets a private room." Pansy quipped loftily.
"Sod off Death Eater." Ron spat.
Pansy made a face at Ron which was responded by him blowing a raspberry. Draco on the other hand, was avoiding any eye contact. He refused to look at Harry yet he still hadn't given up his 'Slytherin Ice Prince' act. How strange, Harry thought. Malfoy hadn't said a word, let alone his usual snarky comment.
"Stop it. You are acting like a child!" Hermione interjected.
"Am not!" Ron protested, pouting at the irritated brunette.
"Just ignore her, Ron. Let's go."
"All Eight Years! Follow me!" Hermione bellowed, Head Girl's mode, on.
They walked in awkward silence with Hermione at the lead, to a tower situated at the north of the castle, near the Divination Tower.
As they entered the common room, Ron broke the silence with a shout, "Neville, you're my roommate!"
Neville jumped, giving Ron a rueful glare in the process, though he was more than a little happy to accept the offer. He knew Ron well; they used to share the same dormitory.
The common room was vastly different from Gryffindor common room. There was a black leather couch and two comfortable looking armchairs by the fireplace. A large window overlooked the school ground and a huge table sat in the middle of the room, housing enough chairs for all of them to sit in. Harry guessed it meant as a place for study the opposite of the doorway were two staircases. The left one led to the dorm rooms whereas the right one lead to the pool-like tub.
"I'm going to bed." Harry muttered and started towards the stairs. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, tracking his every movement, but he really did not care.
"It's still early you twat, come play some chess!" Ron grabbed the back of Harry's shirt and pulled him towards the chess table that he discovered at the corner of the common room.
"I'm tired Ron, maybe next time." Harry jerked out of Ron's grasp and ran up the stairs into the main dorm hall, slamming the door behind him. He could hear still Ron shouting for him but he chose to ignore it. Now he was in a hallway with four doors ahead him. He pursed his lips, trying to guess which one was his.
Malfoy walked in not long after that. He seemed quite startled to see Harry still there. They stared at each other for a few seconds until Malfoy finally broke the silence. He cleared his throat, as if about to say something, but Hermione burst through the door right then.
"Harry, your room is at upstairs!" She cried. As a completely awkward silence was her only response, she looked around and asked, "Am I interrupting something?"
"No." They said in unison.
Hermione looked from Malfoy to Harry, shrugged, and started walking away. Harry gave Malfoy a curt nod, and proceeded to follow Hermione.
At the centre of the hallways, there was another staircase. Before he ascended the stairs, he glanced back to see Malfoy still standing there, staring at him. The stairs led to two rooms, Hermione's at the right and Harry's on the left.
"Thanks, Hermione." He muttered.
"Welcome, just call me if you need anything." Hermione gave him small lopsided smile and walked away.
At the centre of his room, was a four-poster bed surrounded by scarlet curtains and his trunk at the foot it. At one corner of the room, there was table with a bookshelf beside it. Another door was situated near the bookshelf, which lead to bathroom. An armchair sat near the window at the right side of the room. A fireplace with a couch in front it was at the left side of the room. Harry thought it was perfect; a room of his own.
He changed to his pyjamas, put his glasses at the nightstand, and climbed the bed. Harry sighed and tried to get comfortable, he could hear the opening and closing of the other rooms beneath him, indicating that the rest of the eighth years were also getting ready to sleep.
He stared outside the window, wondering if he really meant it when he said he didn't want to be an Auror. No doubt Kingsley would make him as the Head of Auror as soon as he finished Auror training simply because he was "The Chosen One". Harry wanted to be judged for his skills, for his character, for who he was, not by a stupid label he was branded with because of his parent's deaths. He wanted to be Harry, just Harry, not the Boy-Who-Lived
After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, Harry finally fell into a light slumber.
tbc~
A/N: Edited version! yay! Please review! Any comments or suggestions are welcome. xx