A/N: Hey guys I'm back! Miss me? Anyway, I got some reviews last time and they made me real happy :D so I will thank you guys in a moment. I hope you guys like this chapter, the ending is kind of lame because I didn't know how to end it. So ENJOY and PLEASE REVIEW!
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Disclaimer : J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not me! Including the sorting hat's song!
One Unforgettable Year
Chapter 3: The Uniting of Houses.
Info you need to know: "Talking" Sorting Hat's Song. Thinking
~ The Great Hall, Hogwarts ~
When Hermione finally entered The Great Hall she looked around for her friends. Of course her eyes immediately flew to the Gryffindor table, her house and there she saw three worried faces looking at her. Ron, Harry and Ginny looked at Hermione worry evident in their eyes but when they saw she was unharmed and smiling at them relief took over and they smiled back. She sat down next to Ron, opposite Ginny and Harry.
Hermione knew that they were seconds away from asking whom she rode with to get to the school and she didn't particularly want them to know. She had rode with Malfoy and Blaise and Pansy three people her friends hated, they weren't going to take it too well. Thankfully before any of them could get a word in edge wise McGonagall arose from her seat in the staff table and got a stool and placed the sorting hat on it.
Some of the first years looked at the hat frowning, bewildered. The hat then formed a rip in it forming eyes and a mouth and then began to speak. Which spooked the first years but also mesmerized them as they listened to its song.
"In times of old, when I was new,
And Hogwarts barely started,
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted.
United by a common goal,
They had the self-same yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach"
The four good friends decided.
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided.
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there, so I can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry's purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name."
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light.
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning just like him.
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest
and taught them all she knew,
Thus, the houses and their founders
Maintained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
for several happy years,
but then discord crept among us
feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four
had once held up our school
now turned upon each other and
divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
must meet an early end.
what with duelling and with fighting
and the clash of friend on friend.
And at last there came a morning
when old Slytherin departed
and though the fighting then died out
he left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
were whittled down to three
have the Houses been united
as they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
and you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
because that is what I'm for.
But this year I'll go further,
listen closely to my song:
though condemned I am to split you
still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfil my duty
and must quarter every year
still I wonder whether sorting
may not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
the warning history shows,
for our Hogwarts is in danger
from external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you...
let the Sorting now begin."
When the sorting hat finished its song Hermione was surprised. The hat had sung pretty much what she had been thinking earlier. She had thought that maybe she and the others should befriend Malfoy, so that Slytherin and Gryffindor could unite and be friends. Gryffindor was already friends with the other two houses; it was only Slytherin which was disunited from the houses.
Hermione looked over to Draco; she wondered what he thought of the hats song. Was he thinking the same as her? Or did he not think anything at all of it? Draco felt someone's eyes on him and looked away from the new first year which was being sorted over to the direction of the Gryffindor table. He caught Hermione looking at him, he locked his eyes with her until a few seconds later she looked away. Embarrassed that she got caught. Draco smirked but didn't say anything to anyone. There wasn't any point.
Hermione then looked back up to where the students were getting sorted so she looked vaguely interested. Though her eyes skimmed past the students and behind them, she caught Dumbledore's eye this time. He was smiling and staring right at her, a twinkle in his eye. Then very subtly making it look as it hadn't happened (Hermione wasn't sure if it did it was that subtle) Dumbledore nodded at her. Hermione frowned at that, momentarily bewildered. Dumbledore, still smiling with a twinkle in his eye, then looked over to the Slytherin table then back to Hermione and nodded once again a bit more noticeable to Hermione this time. Then he looked away and just like that it was as if that never happened. Hermione still wasn't sure if it did.
Hermione looked back to the students getting sorted and clapped when Gryffindor clapped but she wasn't really paying attention. She was deep in thought now. Was Dumbledore hinting that he wanted her to unit Gryffindor and Slytherin? Or was he nodding and smiling at something completely different? Hermione wasn't sure. But if he did want her to unite them then she would do it. She liked that idea. Though she knew she couldn't do it alone.
She sighed quietly and thankfully no-one noticed. She wasn't sure how she could do this, especially seeing as she knew it would take a lot of convincing to make Harry and the others help her. Ginny would probably agree to it quicker, but she wasn't sure if the boys' would agree to it at all. They were stubborn as mules when it came to things like befriending the 'enemy'. But Hermione had to do it, if she understood Dumbledore's little message correctly then she had to do it. With a new found set of determination Hermione turned to her friends.
"I think Dumbledore wants us to befriend Slytherin." Hermione said softly and quietly, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She wasn't sure if she wanted them to hear her or not. Clearly they had, for they were staring at her like she had grown another head.
"What?" Harry asked, dumbfounded. Hermione took a deep breathe then held her head high, she wasn't going to back down no matter what. She was as stubborn as the boys. Even more so perhaps.
"Well it's obvious, isn't it? The hat is singing about unity. I looked over to Dumbledore and he was smiling and staring right at me and then he nodded. Then he looked over to the Slytherin's then back at me and nodded again. If I'm correct – which I usually am – then I think Dumbledore is insinuating that he wants me to untie Gryffindor and Slytherin. But I can't do it alone so I need you guys to help me out." Still they stared at her like she was crazy. She understood why, if Dumbledore asked her a few years ago she would think he was crazy.
However things were different now. They were older, more mature. Voldemort was still alive and lurking somewhere and if they wanted to survive and defeat him then they needed to stick together. They were stronger together. It made perfect sense to want to unite. It was only people's pride and egos that were getting in the way. Hermione looked at Ginny and gave her the 'puppy dog' look. Ginny sighed and Hermione started her convincing.
"Come on, Gin. You know it's a good idea. If Dumbledore thinks it's wise then it's wise. Besides I'm sick and tired of out petty feud with the Slytherin's, aren't you? Besides what's so bad about trying to be friends with the Slytherin's?" Hermione said reasonably. Ginny looked at her and then at the boys' they were shaking their heads at the idea and Hermione was giving her puppy dog eyes again. Ginny sighed and muttered incoherently under her breathe.
"I can't believe I'm saying this – well I sort of can – but Hermione's right. If Dumbledore thinks it's a good idea then it's a brilliant idea. I'm also sick of the stupid fighting and taunting, it's pointless. The only reason you guys don't want to befriend Slytherin is because of Malfoy, sure he called you names and was mean to you in the past but life moves on. You have to get over it, so why not sooner rather than later?" Ginny said, Hermione beamed and hugged her best girlfriend the best she could over the table. Ginny smiled back but then looked hesitantly at her boyfriend and brother. Ready for the explosion that was surely to erupt.
Ginny looked at Harry pleadingly and Hermione did to. Ginny then bent down to whisper something into Harry's ear. His eyes widened and he gulped, Hermione had seen that reaction before. Mainly from Ron when she did something similar when she was in a playful mood. Ginny was promising something that only she could give. Harry sighed and swore under his breathe but loud enough for them to hear.
"Fine, I'll help but don't expect me to do to much." Ginny and Hermione squealed, delighted and Ginny gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. Harry smiled at Ginny, pleased he had made her happy. Then he turned to Hermione, serious once again. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do? What you want to do?" Hermione smiled and nodded enthusiastically.
"I'm positive. I want Hogwarts to be united not just a place where when your put in a house you only have friends in that house. I want us to be friends with Slytherin, they'll learn we're human beings just like them. But I can't do it alone so I'm really thankful that your being so mature and good about this and leaving your personal feelings behind and helping me. Thank you, Harry. You too, Gin." They smiled and nodded at her. Truthfully the only real reason they were doing this was to see her happy. They hadn't seen her this happy in years.
Suddenly a bang was heard and every head in the hall turned to their direction (the sorting had been done and the food had been served) food forgotten. Everyone looked at Ron whom had slammed his hands in the table. Causing Hermione, Ginny and Harry to jump back slightly, startled. He wasn't looking at any of them, instead his head was hung down and his eyes were boring into the table as if it had slapped him hard in the chest.
"I'm I the only sane one here?" Ron said quietly, but angrily. He then looked up and at Hermione, his eyes filled with fury. "You want us to befriend the dick who has tormented us for the past seven years? Want us to forget every bad thing he did or said just like that? They might be able to do it but I can't. Your nuts if you think you can ask me something like that and I'll do it straight way. Hell your all nuts for even agreeing to it." he said angrily and threw his hands up in the air.
"Ron, your being ridiculous –" None of them had noticed that the students had stopped eating and were hanging onto every word they were saying. Ron glared at Hermione and she was surprised she had never seen so much anger before in his eyes. It hurt that it was directed at her.
"No you are." He interrupted childishly but he was annoyed, he got off and started to storm away. Hermione stood up and walked after him and put her hand on his arm.
"Ron-" Hermione started but once again he interrupted her.
"Piss off, Hermione." He said bitterly and yanked his arm out of her hand. He stormed off again and she didn't follow him. Instead she stood there, everyone watching her but she was watching her boyfriend walk away from her. She didn't realise it would hurt this much. To see him walk away. Snickers from the bitchy girls (mainly in Slytherin) erupted and Hermione hung her head down. She shielded her eyes with her hair. So they couldn't see her cry.
All of a sudden Hermione felt a hand softly grab her wrist and pull her away and out of the hall. Away from the snickers from the mean girls. Hermione didn't bother to look who it was. Right now she wasn't really bothered. But she was at the same time. She was curious. She halted her tears and looked up. Draco Malfoy was staring down at her. Concern barely evident in his eyes. Even though you could hardly tell it was there the concern broke Hermione. She had finally snapped.
Crying hard she fell forwards onto Draco's chest. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed her heart out onto his solid chest. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her waist and with the free arm stroked her hair soothingly. Hermione was only vaguely aware that she was crying on her so-called enemy and he was comforting her. As she continued to cry somewhere in the back of her mind was a certain thought: Maybe, just maybe, I can unite Gryffindor and Slytherin.
A/N: so that's chapter 3, sorry if there are any mistakes, I can't go through it right now because I need to get to sleep but I'll check it over tomorrow. So hope you enjoyed, please review and tell me what you thought of it. Thanks :D
Until next time – Tilda