Author's Note- Yay! If you're reading this, it means you didn't abandon my story!(sorry, first fanfic, it's sort of exciting) Just a heads up about my chapters- some will be written like the first one. Others might just be one POV, or any number of POVs from 'Mione, Draco, Hannah, George, and Luna. With that said, here's Chapter 2!
Diclaimer-Not J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 2-The Unity Project
~O~
It was almost impossible to imagine that a horrific battle had happened in the very building Hermione just crossed over the threshold into. The ornate archways and brilliant corridors were completely restored, and looked even better. After all, Hermione reasoned, the Hogwarts castle was many of hundreds of years old and the new changes made it look even grander.
Eager to actually enjoy this first night back, Hermione searched the crowds for her favorite Weasley. A flash of brilliant red hair became visible through the students and the brown-haired bookworm sought after it calling, "Ginny!"
Eventually the youngest Weasley turned around and grinned, waving. Hermione and Ginny made their way to each other through the thickening crowd and headed to their spot at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.
Ginny, it seemed, was eager to talk to Hermione. This fact did not comfort her at all, for the only thing Ginny could possibly want to talk to her about that much was...
"How are you and Ron?", Ginny questioned, "I mean, I know you're sort of, well, yeah, but like, are you ok?"
Hermione groaned inwardly. This was not the conversation she wanted to have on the first day of her last year. But this was Ginny, and Ginny was persistent. It would be no use to put it off, and Hermione wouldn't have a moment's peace until she gave in.
"To be completely honest", she started, "I'm feeling horrible. I hate it when Ron and I fight and now we're not together and I doubt we'll ever even be able to talk again. But please, can we talk about this in, say, the common room some other time? I kind of want to enjoy this welcoming feast."
She was shot a sympathetic look from Ginny. "Ok." was the reply she got. The two turned to the front to listen to the sorting hat as a lean red-headed boy quietly slid into the seat next to Ginny.
~O~
George had waited until most of the students had trickled into the Great Hall before heading in and taking the spot on the left side on his little sister. He didn't do this in order to draw attention to him as he would have in the past. Now he did it in order to avoid the hustle and bustle of everyone else and they're less war-affected lives.
Professor-now Headmistress also- McGonagall began to lead the new firsties into the Great Hall. Their mostly amazed and somewhat-nervous faces were lost on George, for he just stared at the table, his light-less blue eyes boring holes into it as he traced a knot in its wood. Soon enough, the sorting hat was placed on its stool and started this year's song.
The eternal bond of friendship started this school years ago,
Four friends with different talents, though each had more to show.
For Gryffindor's not just brave at heart or reckless through and through,
They're also very -generous at what they'd do for you!
Hufflepuff, everyone believes, is for the soft and sweet.
Yet they stayed and helped in battle, loyal 'till the end-what a feat!
Ravenclaw has the reputation of being stuck-up and smart.
But they all have unbelievably big hearts.
Slytherins, I'm sure you all recall, are "evil, flesh and bone"
Yet look where their real loyalties lay, Hogwarts is their home.
You all have things in common, you're not different as can be,
and now the war is finished, so you've really got to see.
The struggle isn't over, though the battle has been won,
for you must learn to work together like the moon works with the sun.
The four founders stood together once, the time has come again,
for the houses to unite and greet each-other as old friends.
There's much more than spells to learn, so let these words sink in:
Come to treat each-other with respect.
Now let the feast begin!
On the outside, George kept his expressionless charade, but on the inside, his mind was reeling. What had the sorting hat meant? That he had to befriend Slytherins? Because frankly, that wasn't happening. It was their parents' cause that had killed his brother-his twin-his best friend.
And the darned old thing said that the four houses had to work together?...George could see many ways as to where this was going, and he didn't like any of them..
Suddenly, exuberant cheers burst out around him. Some little sandy-haired girl had just been sorted into Gryffindor. George didn't even notice that the sorting had started. He put on a small smile that hardly met his eyes and joined in, applauding every new Gryffindor. But his mind still strayed to the sorting hat's song...
~O~
The final first year(Yemmet, Devin) had finally been sorted(RAVENCLAW!) and the mouth-watering feast appeared on the wooden tables. Hermione, who was thinking about inter-house unity, only half-noticed what she was putting on her plate.
I mean, I'm all for unity, she thought, but those Slytherins? Imagine what would happen if I even tried to talk to them! The Hufflepuffs are rather nice, but I'm not sure about the Ravenclaws; they're all annoyed that I'm in Gryffindor and smarter than them...
~O~
Luna moved on to dessert, staying clear of the plum pudding(It's full of wrackspurts, don't want any of them in my head).
She turned around, feeling eyes on her. Over at the Gryffindor table, a reddening Neville ginned bashfully. Luna smiled at him and waved. She found it funny that while he was now a brave, war hero, he was still nervous around girls. It was rather cute, actually, according to the thought of Luna.
Headmistress McGonagall loudly cleared her throat. Only a few of the better students(Luna included) paid her any attention. Luna saw her raise her wand to her throat and mouth the word sonorous.
"May I please have your attention!", her now-charmed voice echoed around the hall, rendering everyone silent, "That's better." she un-charmed her voice.
"Now, I'm sure that most of you, being the curious and/or observant students you are, noticed a rather large new edition to our Hogwarts grounds. These are our white houses, the first and one of the biggest steps of our new inter-house unity program, The Unity Project."
~O~
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!, Hermione thought. I knew that's what all this had to mean! Oooh, I'm excited!
~O~
George looked up, not feeling the need to hide his look of surprise as nearly everyone in the hall besides Hermione wore the same expression as he. Even though he had an inkling that it would be bad, he now had a large weight in the pit of his stomach. This could only get worse.
"In order to make sure all of you had a suitable learning enviroment so soon after the battle of Hogwarts, there was simply not enough time to restore your dorms."
The weight grew heavier.
"Taking advantage of this otherwise unfortunate event, we decided to push The Unity Project to a new level. Since the dorms are yet to be restored, you will now be living with four other people from your year in the white houses spread out over the grounds. Yes, your year, not your house", she added, due to the revelations dawning on people's faces, "There will be at least one person from each Hogwarts house living with you. Each house has a common room and a specific room for each dorm-mate. There are lists outside of your old dormitories that will tell you the number of the house you will be staying in this year. That is all. Goodnight."
George could only think one thing-crap.
~O~
A/N-So, what did ya think? I hope my sorting hat song lived up to whatever expectations you may have had. Please remember to review!