A/N It's been a while, hasn't it? Meh. Hope you enjoy. Don't even ask about the rhino.
The hippogriff landed on the ground heavily, bringing up a cloud of dust from the path. Very slowly, Malfoy got off and smoothed his hair, waiting for the world to stop spinning before his eyes.
"I hate hippogriffs." he said, brushing feathers off his robes.
Buckbeak let out a squawk of annoyance and Ginny giggled, ruffling his feathers one more times before sending him off to Hagrid's hut.
"Bye, Beaky!" she called after him, climbing the steps towards the light of the Great Hall. Malfoy blinked twice, checking the world was standing still again, and followed her.
o0o
Everyone was already settled by the time they got to the Great Hall, and the low murmur of chatter hit them before they even entered the room. Taking a deep breath, Malfoy opened the door. A thousand faces turned to him, burning into his own. Malfoy bit his lip. Trying to act like normal, Ginny walked steadily to the Gryffindor table without a backward glance at Malfoy, standing alone in the middle of a sea of people. The entire hall fell completely silent. Wishing he was anywhere else but there, Malfoy began to walk stiffly towards the staff table, carefully ignoring the stares of the students.
"Traitor!" yelled someone, their voice ringing out in the silence.
"Voldemort lover!" came the voice of someone else.
"Coward!"
"Spy!"
"Death-eater!"
The tirade continued as he inched along the hall. Horrified, Draco felt tears spring to the corners of his eyes. He blinked them back furiously, focusing on the empty chair at the staff table and ignoring the catcalls and booing from those around chair got closer. A chant had started up.
MALFOY OUT! MALFOY OUT!
He reached the end of the aisle and walked along the staff table.
MALFOY OUT! MALFOY OUT!
Turned the corner and made his way along to his chair.
MALFOY OUT! MALFOY OUT!
Sat down and faced the hoardes of people dead set against him
.
OUT! OUT! OUT!
McGonagall stood up and tried to speak.
OUT! OUT! OUT!
Malfoy watched, steadfast, his heart hammering.
OUT! OUT! OUT!
McGonagall raised her wand and a roaring, ethereal rhinocerous shot out, swooping low over the tables and heading out of the door.
The chant faded to silence.
"Now!" she said, her face beetroot red with anger, "I hope you are finished! And I never, ever want to see such despicable behaviour from students of Hogwarts School! And mark this!" she continued, banging her hand against the table, "Should any one of you show such a vile, rowdy and unneccessary show of hate towards a member of my faculty again, you will be on the first train home, and I will NOT be merciful!"
She paused, and the whole school watched her, not daring to comment.
"Thankyou," she said finally, "it's a shame we had to start the year in such a manner. Now if you will kindly permit me, there are a few things I have to say before we go on with the sorting."
Malfoy breathed a juddery sigh of relief that his walk of shame was over, trying to set his heart back to normal.
McGonagall began to talk to the students about the coming year, and gradually Malfoy felt their hysteria absorb back into them. Satisfied the immediate danger was over, Malfoy let his mind wander...over anything. Teaching plans, old Charms stuff he'd relearnt over the summer, the ride on Buckbeak...
He was brought back by a delicate tap on the elbow by Professor Flitwick.
"Professor Malfoy, Professor McGonagall just invited you to explain your post here, if you would like."
Malfoy looked up and saw the Hogwarts students watching him expectantly, clearly hoping for an epic fail.
Malfoy gulped and stood up.
"Uh...hi," he said, testing the water, "I'm Malfoy...um, Professor Malfoy." he let out a nervous giggle. Nobody laughed. Malfoy winced.
"Okay. So...I'm teaching Charms this year, and yeah, I like Charms. I was good at Charms at school which, for those of you who weren't already aware, was only last year. But lets face it, I'm not really here for Charms. Well, I am. As a Charms teacher. But...well last year, we all know a lot of things went on. And I'm not ashamed to tell you, I was on the wrong side of these things. I sided with Voldemort, because my family sided with Voldemort, and I liked the idea of the power it might have given me, and I was, at the bottom of everything, an idiot. But after the battle, I sat there, only alive because my mother betrayed Voldemort, and...well basically, I felt like a piece of shit...poo, I felt like a piece of poo. I was a piece of...poo. And I don't deserve any chances you might see fit to give me, I deserve to be cast away, bound up in chains and left to rot, and yet. Here I am. For god knows what reason, I got a second chance and I do not intend to waste it. You've made it clear to me that you won't make it easy, and that's good. I'm going to prove to you that I've changed, and I want to start making amends."
Suddenly drained, Malfoy finished off.
"So that's me. I look forward to teaching you."
He sat down, watching the students warily. No-one clapped, but no-one was booing either, which Malfoy took as a good sign.
The sorting passed quickly, a row of midgets being moved down the aisle mechanically, hufflepuff, gryffindor, ravenclaw, hufflepuff, slytherin, and then the food appeared on the table.
Malfoy helped himself to potatoes with the feeling that, whilst he wasn't accepted yet, and there was undoubtedly hardship to come, there was still hope that he wouldn't fail.
A/N You like? I like. Malfoy' s speech doesn't make alot of sense, but it's late and I feel like I oughtta post something.