A/N: Thanks for your support and reviews. I was really unsure if I wanted to re-submit this, but your feedback keeps me going. Thank you! Enjoy. =)
"Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed." - Irene Peter
Chapter 5 - The Prefect Surprise
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly sat among extensive grounds with sloping lawns, flowerbeds and vegetable patches, the Forbidden Forest draping near the edges in dark shadows. Though Hermione couldn't see it, the amount of protection and enchantments seemed to ripple in an invisible current of waves. The castle was concealed from the main entrance, where the students shuffled in a messy line toward the gates.
"Heads an' Prefect's first…one at a time…one at a time!" barked a familiar wheezy voice. Argus Filch, the school caretaker. His patchy brown robes waved wildly as he gestured everyone forward with what looked like a hand-held sensor.
Hermione made her way toward the front of the line with Ron, apologizing over and over for cutting the students she passed. Ron didn't seem the slightest bit sorry. They stopped behind Ernie, and she did a quick glance around out of habit. One Prefect was missing: Malfoy. Before she could put more thought into the matter, Padma gave her a nudge from behind to move forward.
"Arms and legs out," Filch ordered.
"What's this rubbish?" asked Ron, spreading his arms and legs awkwardly as Filch ran his sensor over his body. Hermione held back a laugh; she traveled with her parents on more than one occasion by air, and couldn't imagine poor Ron going through the process.
"Rubbish?" Filch's voice cracked. "This…this here is a Secrecy Sensor! Stoppin' you lot from bringin' in the dark stuff, this is!"
"Right," said Ron. Seeming satisfied, Filch gestured for him to move and Hermione to step forward. She spread her arms and legs like Ron. The sensor brushed close to her thigh and Ron gave a little jolt.
"Oi! You watch where you put that thing!"
"Its fine, Ron," Hermione assured him, shaking her head. She was instantly cleared like Ron, and the two fell into step toward the large oak doors of Hogwarts. The path wound through heavy trees and looming shadow, the wind softy stirring the grass.
Hermione turned to Ron. "Should we wait for Harry?"
"Nah, he's probably with Neville or Luna."
Hermione sighed, contemplating further argument. She had not seen Harry off the train. Then again, she had not seen Neville or Luna, either.
As they entered the Great Hall, she couldn't help but smile. The four house tables were as inviting as ever. The ceiling was bewitched to resemble the night's sky; tonight, a clear midnight black with glistening stars shining brightly. Hundreds of candles floated in midair over the tables, the castle ghosts soaring throughout the hall. The Gryffindor House Ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, glided through the tables, allowing his head to hang off slightly in a semi gruesome manner
Hermione made her way over to the Gryffindor table with Ron, glancing around the hall at the familiar faces. Only she was having trouble finding a specific face. "Ron," she began, slightly worried, as she took a seat, "where's Harry? I don't see him anywhere…"
Ron lifted his head and searched the hall. "Should be round here, I reckon."
"Who are you looking for?" asked Ginny, taking a seat next to Hermione. "Harry?"
Hermione nodded impatiently.
"He was behind me on the train," said Ginny, puzzled. She was taller than Hermione, and was able to crane her neck and get a better view, searching through the hoard of students.
"Hmm…" Ron began, frowning, "you don't think—"
"Neville!" Hermione reached out a hand, grasping Neville by the robes. "Have you seen Harry?"
"Not since he left Slughorn's compartment with me and Ginny," said Neville, shrugging. "Why?"
Ron whipped around to face his sister. "You were invited, too?"
"You sound surprised," Ginny noted dryly.
Ron opened his mouth to speak but Hermione pointed to Professor McGonagall, and the hall had fallen silent. Their Transfiguration professor entered the hall, bustling frightened first years to the front of the room to be sorted.
The Sorting seemed to drag for ages. When the Sorting Hat finally announced the last first year, "Damon Hawthorne," to join Hufflepuff, Hermione could barely keep herself in her seat. She could not believe Harry was still missing, and furthermore, couldn't believe no one else seemed to notice. What if something happened to him?
Damon Hawthorne wasn't even seated at Hufflepuffs table when she half stood, ready to inform McGonagall of the problem, when Harry plunked down next to Ginny. A thousand emotions rushed to the surface but they were instantly washed away at the sight of him. Her mouth openly dropped. His face was bloody and slightly swollen, like he had just finished a nasty brawl.
"Harry!" Hermione yelled, though her voice was lost in the chatter of the Great Hall as the new first years were made at home. "What's wrong with your face?"
"Blimey…" Ron muttered, his eyes widening.
"What d'you mean?" Harry looked skeptical, like he was trying to avoid getting in trouble.
"You're covered in blood," Ginny breathed. She handed him a spoon. He flipped it and glanced at his own reflection.
"Huh," he murmured, "so I am…"
"Hey Ron!" a voice suddenly called. Hermione turned to see Lavender Brown, a fellow sixth year Gryffindor. Her round face was flushed with color, her brown eyes large-like orbs of wonder. She turned to giggle at Parvati Patil, hiding her face behind a tightly woven braid.
Hermione ignored their annoying behavior. "Here," she said to Harry, raising her wand, "let me fix that….tergeo!" The blood disappeared at once, but the dirt and worry was still etched on his face like a permanent mask.
"Thanks, Hermione."
"No problem."
"You missed a spot," said Ginny. She took a napkin and dabbed a tiny trickle of blood from Harry's chin.
Though the gesture was nothing but friendly, Hermione felt the need to look away, as though the moment was far too private for her to be staring. She made sure to hide her smile, however.
Ron seemed to miss the moment, his attention still caught on Lavender and Parvati. When he turned back around, Ginny dropped her hand. His face was a little flushed as he gaped at Harry, eyes widening in sudden acknowledgement.
"Where were you?" he demanded. "Hermione was about to send the Order for you."
Harry hesitated, looking around the table at all of the curious faces. Hermione didn't realize, but everyone was staring at them.
"Tell you later," said Harry.
Before Hermione, or Ron for the matter, could argue, Albus Dumbledore rose from his thrown from the center of the staff table. The room fell silent at once. Dumbledore looked the picturesque image of a wizard: Long, silvery hair fell down his back, a pointed beard hanging nearly as long. Navy blue robes embroidered with silver stars, with a matching hat. Sparkling blue eyes that seemed to pierce anything they penetrated, lighting up the hall. His half mood spectacles were perched on his crooked nose, and his smile was welcoming and warm.
"Good evening to you all!" Dumbledore exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear and extending his arms out in such to hug the whole room. When he did so, Hermione noticed his hand. It was withered, dark and blackened, and seemed to look dead. Apparently she was not the only one to notice, however, as quiet chatter broke out over the hall. Dumbledore didn't miss it and quickly pulled his sleeve over his hand as he spoke,
"No worries, a mere accident. I am quite pleased to see both new and familiar faces. I have a few start-of-term announcements, but they can wait until after the feast. Now, tuck in!"
Immediately, food filled the four house tables. Hermione looked around to see her favorites: mashed potatoes, fried chicken, roast pork, green beans with ham, assorted rolls and biscuits, and a wonderful smelling kidney pie. Ron had already begun stuffing his face when he spoke,
"Knowwhat? Dis food weally iz wunderfl."
Hermione and Ginny stared at Ron with a look of repulsion.
"Ronald, you are truly the most disgusting pig I have ever seen."
"Fanks 'ermione." Ron flashed a smile filled with mashed potatoes.
Hermione scowled and began eating her dinner with a little less appetite. If she didn't personally know Mrs. Weasley, she'd guess Ron was starved at home. Digging into kidney pie, she glanced at the Slytherin Table, wondering if Malfoy finally showed his face. He wasn't hard to find; that blonde hair was hard to miss. He wasn't eating; in fact, he seemed to be telling a joke or story, a group of Slytherins huddled around him. Suddenly he lifted a hand and punched—no, pretended to punch—Goyle in the face.
Everyone who was listening burst into laughter. Pansy's snort of a laugh broke through most of the laughter, along with Crabbe and Goyle's thundering gorilla chuckles. They were really a group of well practiced circus animals at peak season.
Hermione started to look away, when Crabbe suddenly pointed at her. No, not her. They pointed at Harry. Wait…why were they pointed? Crabbe covered his nose and did a very horrible impersonation of whimpering. Hermione's eyes widened and she turned away.
"Heard you met the new teacher Harry," said Seamus Finnigan, a sandy haired boy with an Irish accent in their year.
"Yeah, what's he like?" Dean asked, with little enthusiasm. His sulky voice made little sense. Hermione briefly wondered if he and Ginny had a row, which explained why he wasn't sitting with her now.
"Er…seems alright, I s'pose. Can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?" Harry grinned.
The chatter throughout the rest of dinner at Gryffindor Table included a rather harsh dissing display on Professor Umbridge, and very accurate imitations of the Centaurs taking her away into the Forbidden Forest. Hermione had no chance to speak to Harry quietly about his bloody nose and she soon forgot about it.
After the last of the chocolate puddings and cakes were engorged, Dumbledore stood up and the room fell silent once more. He was the only wizard, Hermione thought, that could silence hundreds of students without speaking a word. Maybe Snape, perhaps.
"I have a few start-of-term notices before I send you off to your cozy rooms," he said. "First years please bear in mind that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds. I do say that your punishment is far less severe than what you might encounter in the forest itself. For those interested in playing Quidditch for their house, kindly submit your name to your team captain. As a reminder, the Hufflepuff Captain is Miss Violet Diggory."
There was a respectable amount of applauding throughout the hall. Violet was most known as Cedric's cousin, but she also happened to be quite popular with the boys with her sleek blonde hair and tiny, perfect body.
"The Gryffindor Captain is Mr. Harry Potter,"—a loud bellow erupted from the Gryffindor Table— "the Ravenclaw Captain is Mr. Eddie Carmichael,"—a smaller applause—"and the Slytherin Captain is Mr. Draco Malfoy."
Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes at the empathic cheering from the Slytherin table. She glanced at Malfoy, expecting to see that irritating look of triumph, but was surprised to see he didn't look smug at all. In fact, he looked bored. He was just laughing awhile ago, she thought, unable to identify the strange change in demeanor.
"Also Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you that any joke product, especially those from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, is strictly prohibited," said Dumbledore. "Now, I'd like you to all join me in welcoming our newest teacher, Professor Horace Slughorn." A man stood, his belly catching the edge of the table.
Hermione had not seen the new professor when she entered the hall, being too concerned with finding Harry. As she looked at him now, she noticed he did resemble a walrus. Slughorn was a plump man, his buttons from his green velvety robes straining against the fabric. He reminded Hermione of a much younger Father Christmas with dull golden hair and mustache, instead of the traditional white. Slughorn waved at the students with a rosy-cheeked expression and then sat back down, chuckling to himself at the applause of the room.
Dumbledore smiled. "Professor Slughorn will kindly return as the Potions Master."
There was silence, and then everyone in the hall broke out into chatter and murmurs, bending their heads toward one another. Hermione and Ron both looked at Harry, astonished.
"Potions? Harry, you said Defense Against the Dark Arts…" Hermione gave him a pointed look, but he looked a bit too confused to respond properly. Didn't he say Defense Against the Dark Arts? She thought he did…
Dumbledore cleared his throat once, and then announced over the murmuring crowd, "Meanwhile, Professor Snape will take over the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Harry shouted out something, but it was drowned in the chatter of the hall. Snape, teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts? That meant Slughorn was teaching Potions. In curious disbelief, Hermione swung her head in the direction of the jeering Slytherin table. To her surprise, the only person who didn't seem thrilled by this announcement was Malfoy. If anything, he looked sulky. Snape, to Hermione's knowledge, had always been Malfoy's favorite professor.
Dumbledore had to clear his throat a little louder than before, causing the buzz of conversation to die down. When he finally had their attention, his expression turned very grave as he spoke,
"As you know, Lord Voldemort is at large."
The silence that followed was thick and foreboding. The atmosphere in the hall had changed drastically, leaving no sound except the heavy breathing of students. Hermione found she was along the majority, holding her own breath as Dumbledore continued,
"His followers, known as Death Eaters, are also causing havoc and mayhem. I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to remain safe in these troubled and tragic times. Our castle is protected in newer and stronger ways than before, but as the Muggles say: you can only lead a horse to water. I therefore implore you to cooperate with our new security restrictions, and should you find anything suspicious within or outside the castle walls, to report to a member of staff immediately. Though our war has just begun, the sooner we stand together, the sooner it will end. We are only as divided as we let ourselves be." Dumbledore scanned every house table, pausing a few seconds onto each, his gaze penetrating. "It was the wish of our founders to have four houses. It is with time these houses have stripped away from one another, rather than uniting as one. It has been suggested by the school board to rid Hogwarts of the four houses, instead only have one."
Dumbledore held up a hand to silence the protests.
"But I have imposed a new idea instead," he went on. "Under the Prefects and Head Boy and Girl, we can work to unite the houses. Without unity in here, we stand no chance at all out there. The corridor that contains the entrance to the Head Boy and Girl dormitory will not only serve their dormitories, but to the Sixth Year Prefects as well."
Hermione sucked in a breath. Did this mean she had to live with Ron?
"To help better unify our houses," Dumbledore went on, "Prefect's, you will share a dormitory with another house."
Immediately, the students began stirring in their seats, giggling and chattering. Hermione glanced nervously at Ron. He looked a bit green and sickly. Share a dormitory with only one person? And from another house? Hermione hoped it was Padma or Hannah. The idea of living with Pansy Parkinson was appalling.
"I do believe this change is for the best," said Dumbledore, smiling. "In dark and difficult times, it all comes down to which side to fight for. I hope, with all my heart, we will all stand on the same side."
Hermione held her breath as the room tensed. She ran through the possibilities in her head. Okay, I have to live with either: Hannah, Padma, Pansy, Anthony, Ernie, or Malfoy. Most likely, it will be one of the girls. Co-ed dorms were only for the Head Boy and Girl, right? Right. Okay, Hannah or Padma would be fine. Padma is a Ravenclaw so she probably puts her studies first. Yes, Padma would be great. And Hannah has always been nice. Malfoy's not even an option…not going to happen. Anthony…well…I don't really know him. Ernie is a bit pompous but again, much better than Pansy….that cow. Still, she's better than Malfoy. Anyone but Draco Malfoy, she thought over and over in her head. Anyone but Draco Malfoy.
"I would first like to congratulate our new Head Boy and Girl. Katie Bell from Gryffindor and Eddie Carmichael from Ravenclaw," said Dumbledore, smiling as the room erupted in applause. "They will, of course, be sharing a dormitory. In another dormitory will be Padma Patil from Ravenclaw, with Ronald Weasley from Gryffindor."
Ron's face flushed a deep shade of scarlet as he glanced nervously at Padma, who returned a shaky smile. They had barely spoken to one another since the Yule Ball in their fourth year.
Shoot, Hermione thought, a little panicked, Padma is out.
"Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff will join Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin." Ernie nodded mechanically. Pansy wore a look of horror as she grabbed Malfoy by the arm, her eyes glittering in desperation. "Hermione Granger from Gryffindor…," PLEASE not Malfoy! Please, please say Hannah or even Anthony…, "will join Draco Malfoy from Slytherin."
Hermione stood up without realizing what she was doing. Her jaw dropped. Everyone seemed to stir in their seats by this announcement. Perhaps, because it was a common fact that Malfoy hated Mudbloods, or maybe it was the fact that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were the last two people ever to be suspected of having to get along and live in the same dormitory. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin, stationed in the same dormitory was asking for trouble…especially a certain Gryffindor and Slytherin with their given past.
Hermione continued to stand, horror struck with her mouth still hanging open, gaping at Dumbledore. She turned to look at Harry and Ron, who both seemed to have the look of being struck on the head with a hammer. Ginny also stared at her, expression blank, eyes unfocused. Everyone seemed to be at a loss for words.
Not Draco Malfoy…He's joking…
Hermione repeated the words in her head, hoping by doing so they would not be true. She was completely stunned into shock by this announcement. This was her year of preparing for N.E.W.T.S., and possibly expanding S.P.E.W. a bit further, not to mention the upcoming war between good and evil. No, she would not have this. This could be fixed…it would be fixed.
Still standing, she turned slowly to the Slytherin table. She wasn't sure what she expected, only that it wasn't this. His face was whiter than a sheet, the liquid silver of his eyes frozen as he stared at nothing in particular. Hermione could hear the Slytherins laughing and booing even from the distance. Dumbledore continued as if there were no interruption.
"And this leaves Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff to join Anthony Goldstein from Ravenclaw. You will all meet with Professor McGonagall after we are dismissed and follow her to your new home. I trust our Prefects to set a good example to our younger students. Please keep your hearts and minds open through these troubled, troubled times." Dumbledore smiled a very old and sad smile. "Good night to you all."
Hermione was vaguely aware of the various students patting her on the shoulder out of support and was brought out of her trance by Harry, who was shaking her. She wasn't sure how long that had been going on.
"Hermione, HERMIONE!" Harry roared over the crowd. "You have to go up there. Look, this is perfect. Listen quickly I haven't much time. I overheard Malfoy on the train telling his Slytherin cronies he wasn't coming back next year because of a mission. That's why I had a bloody nose, I was listening, and he found me."
"Malfoy did that to you?" Hermione heard herself ask.
"That's not the point," Harry said quickly. "Now you can spy on him and figure it out what he's up to. Can you do that? Do you hear what I'm saying, Hermione?"
Hermione nodded profusely, still feeling a little numb. "Spy…right…mission…got it." When she turned to face Harry, he wore a tired, sorrowful expression. Ron on the other hand looked livid, though she wasn't entirely sure why.
She said goodbye to Harry vaguely and made her way toward the staff table with Ron, each step agonizingly painful. She had to live with Malfoy; Draco…Pureblood…Slytherin…Malfoy; the Mudblood Hater and epitome of evil and ridicule. Hermione couldn't help noticing the apologetic looks on her fellow Prefect's faces when she arrived at the staff table. Well, all except Pansy, who threw daggers from her eyes; and Malfoy, who looked expressionless and seemed to be carved out of stone.
A/N: When I started writing this two years ago, I didn't realize it was a cliche to pair Draco and Hermione together; mostly done in many seventh year stories. I hope you can look past that here. =) The whole 'dorming together' bit isn't the main plot behind this story, I promise. It's really a small element. To my old readers, you might find it funny that I sincerely debated putting Hermione with Pansy instead, but that would create a lot of complications down the road so I just kept Draco instead.
Thanks for reading! I look forward to hearing from you all. =)