Author's Note: So I was listening to "Judas" by Lady Gaga about seventy times today, and it infused me with creative juices. Eat the fruits thereof. Longest chapter ever, btw.
Ginny's seventh year at Hogwarts so far was going just like she had expected. The lower years asked rude and prodding questions of her. Her year behaved likewise. It was a miserable chore to sit in class and try to concentrate on the coursework. Her classmates stared and gossiped amongst themselves in her ear shot, even if they didn't have the kindest sentiments to share. Ginny was feeling more and more like a sideshow freak. She had expected this kind of treatment, but she didn't expect how much it stung.
Another unexpected thing was the new faculty. They were as bad as the students. Their attitudes towards her ranged from the patronizing to the reverent. Most of the more experienced faculty, however, treated her with equality. It was a kind gesture, but did little to improve her situation. Most, however, was not all.
Ginny sat down in the old, drafty dungeon where Hogwarts students used to take Potions under the teaching of Severus Snape. Since he had died, Horace Slughorn had resumed his old post. Ginny wondered how it would be now that the Potions Master she was used to was gone.
Slughorn strode into the dark room, beaming. "Hello and welcome to the last year of Potions, dear students!" he said enthusiastically. Slughorn was a bit of a narcissist, and came off as a smidgen insincere. "Before me, I have two of the houses that I think have been affected most by this recent war. Firstly, I'd like to address my own house, Slytherin. I only wish to express my deepest condolences to all of you. I know that many of you have lost those very dear to you, maybe even your own parents. I knew many of them and I'm grieving along with you"
Ginny felt a splash of steaming anger hit her. Slytherin was a house of undeniable villainy. Why was he lauding these dead killers?
"I'd very much like to congratulate our Gryffyndor friends, on the flip side. Some of you helped bring down a truly monstrous regime." He continued with a small smile.
Ginny's rage intensified after hearing him deliver these seemingly contradictory statements. He can't support Slytherin if he was against Voldemort! She thought in indignation. She glanced over at the side of the dungeon the opposing house had claimed. There were many genuinely broken looking faces. Slytherin had lost its bite, somewhat. Many of its students were in mourning for a deceased friend or family member. Ginny couldn't help but think it's what they deserved.
"We've got one of those helpers in here with us now!" Slughorn grinned as he approached Ginny. "My, my, my! To have fought against Voldemort!" He looked down on her with love and approval. The Slytherins gazed on her with a look of murderous blood thirst.
"Maybe more amazing yet," Slughorn began again with a mischievous grin, "Is to be in an affair with Harry Potter." Ginny was speechless.
"You know, I find it most interesting that you bear an uncanny resemblance to his mother Lily. Maybe that's where the attraction lies, eh?" He gave her a nasty wink. The Slytherins were doubled over in peals of laughter.
Ginny took off from her desk and ran as quickly as she could out of the dungeon, the sounds of the Slytherins' schadenfreude roaring behind her. She didn't want to go to the stupid reunion. But she had no other choice. There was the chance that Harry might be there, and he was the only one who could make her feel better….
Outside castle walls, a quiet storm was brewing in Malfoy manor. A foreign owl had unexpectedly swooped in nearby a window, and was fervently clawing at it and screeching. Draco opened the window curiously. The owl deposited a letter at Draco's feet. It bore the familiar Hogwarts letterhead on the envelope. It was addressed to "Mr. Draco Malfoy". He opened the letter.
Dear Draco,
How are you? I was just recently talking to your father about you. I know you and your family are going through a rough time, but I had the most marvelous idea! How would you like to attend a little Hogwarts reunion? I know your fellow Slytherins would appreciate it greatly. It's going to be held in the Great Hall on Friday at 6:30 PM. Hope to see you there!
Your Friend,
Horace Slughorn
Draco was happy for the opportunity to get out of the house, as Narcissa was keeping a rather tight leash on him. He was happy to get to see his friends.
Above all, he was happy to see the bastards that had put him in this position.
He'd had a miserable several months. Every day was another worry. How were the Malfoys going to maintain their money? Were any of the numerous death threats actually going to be carried out? There was no good news anymore. He thought of Dumbledore's Army drunkenly bumbling around like the merry idiots they were, bragging about their conquests. He entertained deliciously evil thoughts. He was going to ruin this for them. He was going to find Potter and tell him exactly what an egotistical ass he was. He was going to regale him with all the stories he had heard about his little blood-traitor girlfriend taking two cocks in the same hole in the Gryffyndor common room.
This was the first glimmer of joy he had in a very long while, and he was going to make it extravagant. He had shed many tears during many sleepless nights. They needed to cry now.
Draco filled his mind with fantasy. How could he inflict the most chaos? I could punch Potter in the face, he thought. But it wouldn't leave a big enough mark on everyone.
Mark.
Draco hastily rolled up his sleeve to reveal his Dark Mark, a symbol of more prosperous days. He ran his fingers over the contours of the image. Just because the Dark Lord was dead didn't mean the spell wouldn't work.
One little spell was all it would take to set off a chain of events.