Chapter III

The First Measure

Draco almost laughed out loud when he heard what instruments they would be playing. He remembered his father teaching him the tricks to playing the niopa when he was little. But even then, his father was commanding and strict. He would not tolerate little Draco's whining after hours upon hours of practising one particular piece that he still, to this day, had not mastered. He had felt like a failure that day. Almost laughed. Almost.

"Eighth years, up here please." McGonagall called while the younger students followed their prefects to their dorms after the feast. Draco walked up alone.

"Professor Darnell will escort you to your dorms and give you your password." she said, dismissing them. The attention turned over to the new DADA teacher. He clapped his hands.

"Well, if you'll follow me then." he said, with a faint but recognizable German lilt. The students followed him to the staircase. Draco saw many of his old "friends" from seventh year, but he didn't dare approach them out of fear of being rejected, shunned, and humiliated on his first day of eighth year.

"We're here!" Darnell announced cheerfully when they reached a statue in the third-floor corridor after a brief walk. The statue was an old and weathered depiction of a warrior with cobwebs stretching between its shield and double-edged sword. Some students whispered their uncertainty as to how this statue could be the entrance to their common room and dorms. Then the professor winked as to say watch this. He walked up to the statue.

"Tumtriddle." he whispered in the statue's ear. Then the statue sprang into motion, startling some students. Draco smiled at their amazement. He had lived in the wizarding world all his life and he never stopped learning new things about magic. The statue slammed the butt of it's sword into the wall behind it. The wall slid open with a loud grinding noise that was made louder by the silently stupefied and wonder-struck students. The sliding wall revealed a warmly lit common room that was colored with every house color. With deep green furniture on a blended blue and white carpet accessorised with white pillows patterned with yellow and red flowers. There were banners hanging across the room for every house and 4 different doorways leading to 4 different staircases. 2 of which were going downstairs and the other 2, upstairs. Professor Darnell turned to face the students.

"The first doorway on the left leads to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw boys' dorms. The second doorway on the left leads to the Slytherin and Hufflepuff boys' dorms." Draco groaned. He glanced over at where Neville Longbottom was standing with Hannah Abbott and her boyfriend, Ernie MacMillan. I have to share a dorm with Hufflepuffs? He thought. This year could not possibly get any worse. Then he spotted the Muggle-born Hermione Granger standing nearby with Parvati Patil and Loony Lovegood. I was wrong. He said in his mind. It got worse. Before the voice in his head could jinx anything else,he turned his attention back to the professor just as he finished directing the girls to their dorms.

"And for those of you who did not hear, the password is "Tumtriddle". A teacher will be around shortly to Sort you into your instrument groups. Goodnight!" he left the common room. At least half of the students left the room left to explore the dorms, Hermione included. This left Draco and some Ravenclaws debating how to properly turn a dog into a bar stool. Draco went to explore the room's small selection of books and, choosing one, sat down in front of the fire to read. He already knew that it was going to be a long year.