ok. i feel really stupid because of the way i answered some of ur reviews. This isn't supposed to sound like an excuse...but i can't think of anyother way it would sound...so. all i can say is that i had just waken up and i was really shocked to see so many reviews! DISCLAIMER: i own nothing only the plot.

Chapter 2

"What are you doing here?" Ron snarls. The figure stops in the doorway, as if Ron's words have actually frozen him to that spot.

"Yes Malfoy?" Harry asks politely. Ron turns to stare at Harry as if he's never seen him before. Malfoy looks unperturbed, and gazes curiously at the blonde whose reading a magazine upside down.

"What magazine is that?" Malfoy asks the blonde. She gazes at Malfoy over the top of her magazine and says,

"It's the Quibbler." She says in a dreamy voice.

"Anything good in there?"

"There's an excellent article about Crumple-Horned Snorkack." Malfoy nods his head thoughtfully, looking deeply interested.

"Isn't there always?" Hermione whispers, barely loud enough to be heard.

"That's because daddy knows everyone wants to read as much about them as they can." The blonde says dreamily.

"Ok Luna." Hermione says, sounding like she's talking to a toddler. Malfoy shuffles his feet and every once in a while, he glances at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Erm…is there a particular reason why you're here, Malfoy?" Hermione asks tentatively, after a few moments of silence.

Malfoy clears his throat.

"Actually there is…"

"Then spit it out and leave us in peace!" Ron snaps.

"Ron!" Hermione gasps. "Treat others the way you want to be treated!"

"Yes mom." Ron grumbles, slouching in his seat. Hermione rolls her eyes and turns to face Malfoy.

"I am so sorry about that. I think he should know by now how to treat others." She smiles weakly at Malfoy, her smile not completely reaching her eyes. Malfoy shrugs and looks at Harry.

"I owe you my gratitude…I owe all THREE of you my gratitude." Malfoy pauses, takes a breath, and continues. "If it weren't for you three…I wouldn't be here…I wouldn't be alive." At the end of this sentence, his face is a ghostly white.

"I just wanted to let you know that…if there's anything you need…anything at all…I'd be honored to be at your service…"

At the end of Malfoy's speech, the compartment is filled with silence. Harry, Ron, and Hermione look at each other dumbfounded at what just happened. Ginny busies herself with her make-up bag, pretending she heard nothing of this conversation.

Luna is the first to break the silence.

"You're Draco Malfoy." She states.

"Erm…yes…do I know you?"

"No."

"Ok…" Malfoy turns back to the trio. "I'll just be in the compartment across the hall if…if you need me…" He backs away towards the compartment door. As he reaches the door, the door slides open and he bumps into a tall slender figure.

"What's going on in here?" A sharp voice demands.

"Nothing's happening professor McGonagall." Harry answers quickly.

"Mr. Malfoy what are you doing here?"

"I was just…"

"Leaving? I need to talk to these three…privately." She motions to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Catching the hint, Ginny stands and grabs Luna by the elbow and steers her out of the compartment; saying something about catching up with a few friends.

Malfoy follows them out of the compartment and Harry can see him enter his own compartment.

"You three will be joining the seventh years in their dormitories, being that this is your seventh year of education. I expect all of you to set a good example for the other students and your classmates."

She looks directly at Ron, who's shoving a thousand chocolate frogs into his mouth at once.

"You obviously know that Mr. Malfoy is with us this year…against my better judgment…but…"

"Professor?" Hermione interrupts. Prof. McGonagall stops talking and looks at Hermione, her mouth in a thin line.

"If allowing Malfoy into the school is against your better judgment…then why…"

"Allow him to come?" Prof. McGonagall suggests. Hermione nods her head.

"A certain someone insisted that he finishes his magical education." Prof. McGonagall purses her lips, and glances at Harry then back to Hermione. Ron, who missed the look Prof. McGonagall gave Harry, asks,

"Mr. Malfoy?"

"No Ron." Hermione sighs. "It was Harry wasn't it Professor?" Prof. McGonagall says nothing, but there was a small smile tugging at her mouth.

"Don't be silly Hermione. Why would HARRY insist that Malfoy finishes his education? It had to by his father." Hermione rolls her eyes at Harry.

"My instinct is telling me not to let Mr. Malfoy return, since he was a death eater."

"Precisely Professor McGonagall…he WAS a death eater. But I know for a fact that he was against the idea for most of the time."

Prof. McGonagall purses her lips, and draws herself up to her full height.

"I realize that you want to see the good in Mr. Malfoy over power his bad Potter…but surely you can't…"

"I CAN Professor." Harry says through clenched teeth. Prof. McGonagall sighs.

"Ok Potter. I'm going to let things unfold. Only because Professor Dumbledore would have let Mr. Malfoy have a second chance…"

"Thank-you professor."

"But!" Prof. McGonagall exclaims. "I will have him watched. Someone will be watching everything, and I MEAN everything, he does." Ron's face pales.

"Even when he's in the loo?" Prof. McGonagall stares at Ron over her spectacles. She turns her attention back to Harry.

"I will watch him Professor. After all, he wouldn't be here if I hadn't of insisted on it."

"It WAS you?!" Ron exclaims. Hermione sighs and puts her head in hands. Ron gaps at Harry, his eyes wide and unbelieving.

"I suppose you could watch him. You will have to watch his every move though."

"We'll help him Professor." Hermione says, sitting up straight. Prof. McGonagall nods her agreement.

Prof. McGonagall turns to walk out of the compartment. She slides the compartment's door open and steps outside, into the hallway.

Prof. McGonagall turns and looks in the compartment.

"If I notice that you aren't keeping a close enough eye on him…I will assign someone else to watch him." She turns on her heel and walks briskly down the hallway and out of sight.

"Why?" Ron asks.

"What?" Harry asks, annoyed.

"Why did you insist Malfoy comes back?" Harry opens his mouth to answer, but Hermione beats him.

"Malfoy isn't the evil twerp he was Ron. He's changed."

"Yeah? Well…a snowy owl doesn't change its spots." Hermione elbows Ron hard in the side, causing him to cry out in pain.

"What was that for?" Ron demands. Hermione motions to Harry, who's staring solemnly out the window. "Oh…sorry Harry…I forgot about…"

"That's ok Ron. It was almost two years ago…I should be over it by now."

"If you say so…"

"What was that all about?" Ginny asks, slamming the door open. "Whoops. I forgot how easy it is to open those doors…"

"What was what about?" questions Hermione.

"McGonagall. What was she talking about…" she takes a breath and forces a stern look to cross onto her face. "If I notice that you aren't keeping a close enough eye on him…I will assign someone else to watch him." Ginny says, in a very good likeliness of Prof. McGonagall.

"Oh…that…" Hermione says.

"Yes that."

"McGonagall was only referring to us watching over Malfoy."

"Why would you have to watch Malfoy?"

"Because Harry said he would, and I said that Ron and I would help." Ginny mouths the word 'oh'.

"So…where's Luna?" Hermione asks.

"She's hanging out with some Ravenclaw friends."

"She has friends in Ravenclaw?" Ron blurts out. Hermione smacks him on the side of the head. "What was THAT for?!"

"For being a prat."

"I was no being a prat."

"Even if you weren't you still deserved it!"

"No I wouldn't of!"

Harry and Ginny roll their eyes. They have grown accustomed to Ron and Hermione's fights.

"So Ginny…how was your summer." Harry asks, rising his voice to be heard over Hermione and Ron.

"Really good…because you were there…" Harry can feel heat rising to his face and looks away.

Outside the compartment, a trolley stops. A plump witch stands behind it, wearing a pleasant smile.

"Anything off the trolley dears?"

"Oh Boy!" Ron exclaims, leaping off his seat and hurries over to the trolley. Hermione slouches back into her seat, fuming from her fight with Ron.

Please Review. I promise i won't answer until i'm fully awake. i mean how stupid can i get? how close can you get to Malfoy? Parkinson? his father? i dunno. lol. i've just read the last two sentences over and it makes no sence but i'm too lazy too erase it...

p.s. i ended it here cause i coudn't find a place to end it...