Come Together KeeperPawsOffMe Chapter 6
The next morning at breakfast the sounds of franticly fluttering wings were suddenly heard over sounds of children talking and the clicking of utensils as people ate. Every head in the Great Hall turned upward to see if one of the airborne delivery birds was for them. All but one head, Draco Malfoy kept his head down and he hoped against hope that there would be no mail for him today. A shadow came across his plate and Draco sighed. He looked up into the amber eyes of his father's personal delivery owl. "Why; good morning Articus," He said trying to appear unaffected by the appearance of the owl. "Thank you, have a piece of bacon and tell father I will reply to his post at my first convenice." The large owl took the offered bacon and headed out of the Great Hall. Draco sighed and stuffed the letter into his satchel. No use in ruining his first day of classes by reading the letter. Draco rose from his place at the Slytherin table and headed toward his first class.
Mean while at the Gryffindor table Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George and Neville were all happily joking and laughing. Ron on the other hand was not as jovial as he was shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming rate. "Ron you are just disgusting. I know Mum taught you better then that." said Ginny kicking her brother's shin. "Mum would be disgusted in you."
"But dis ith tho goob." said Ron with his mouth full of scrambled eggs.
"We've got seven more years with this food Ronniekins", said George
"So don't show off all your bad manners at once OK?" finished Fred.
"Oh come on guys" said Neville "we have herbology first off." The grin on his brother's face made Harry smile too there was only one thing in this world that Neville liked better then Hermione and it was plants. "OK big brother," said Harry grinning at Neville "not all of us have the same love of dirt and plants but we will all go early so you can look around and drool on the plants." Harry grabbed his bookbag and Ginny's through his arm around Neville's shoulder and started for the door.
"I don't understand why you all are so excited we are just sooooo ahead of the rest of these kids it's gonna be sooooo boring." said Ginny following behind the boys. Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled Ron up from the table by his collar and followed the rest of them.
As soon as Neville turned the corner of the castle he broke out into a run and ran right into the greenhouse the first years were to have class in, Neville walked around the greenhouse just looking. Harry could hear Aunt Alice saying as she always did when the boys went anywhere
"Put your hands in your pockets, boys, and don't touch anything." Harry laughed because that was exactly what Neville was doing. "Well at least one of us listened and learned." He muttered to himself.
Professor Sprout bustled into the greenhouse just moments after Neville, Harry and their friends walked in.
"Why hello there, I'm Prof Sprout. Welcome to Greenhouse 6 and you all are?"
Neville stood up and smiled, "I'm Neville Longbottom this is my brother Harry Potter, and our friends, Ginny, Fred George and Ron Weasley and this is Hermione Granger."
"Well, yes nice to meet you all. Please until you have had a few classes do not wander around in here unattended there are some dangerous plants in here even in the first yr green house. Now your house will be sitting over here so please grab a seat and try to stay put."
"Yes Professor." said Neville and Hermione scurrying to find a table close to the front so they didn't miss anything. Ginny just rolled her eyes and her shoulders and stormed off after her friends. Harry swore he heard her say told ya so as she pushed past him. Harry looked at the remaining Weasleys and followed behind. None of them seemed to understand Ginny's problem with being at Hogwarts.
The rest of the day was quiet. Neville, Harry and the rest had transfigurations and then charms to round out the day. All three of the professors were happily surprised at the ability of all of the kids.
Harry, Neville, Hermione, Fred and George after completing the in class work helped the other students while Ginny wrote out her homework to be handed in before the end of class. Ron dug a book out of his bag and sat and read, Ginny handed her essay in to the charms professor on her way out the door but was called back.
"Ms Weasley isn't it?" asked the petite professor, Ginny nodded." Are you sure you wish to hand this in now? Don't you want to look this over and hand it in with the class later in the week?"
"Professor, no disrespect," Ginny started "but I was floating feathers since I was 6. Because we have had private lessons since we were small I'm sure I could test out in OWLS and maybe even NEWTS right now. I'm sorry if I'm coming across as stuck up or snobby but don't the professor read the transcripts of the students? I know that our teachers sent all our transcripts to the Headmaster. I just feel that first year classes are a waste of time either the time now or all the years we spent learning before we got here. Yes Professor I believe I can hand in my essay right now."
"Ms Weasley Would you and your friends come to my office tomorrow on your free period. I will test you all to see where you all sit concerning charms and I will speak with the other professors to see if they would be willing to test you also. Now if I have my information correct Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks have been your tutors; am I correct?"
Ginny nodded. She was grinning for the first time since entering Hogwarts. "Very well go catch up with your friends and let them know I will see you all tomorrow."
Ginny gave the professor a huge grin "Yes sir, thank you!"
Ginny skipped up to her friends and explained what the professor had suggested. Everyone was pleased with the idea but none so much as Ginny.
Draco Malfoy was not having a good day at all. He knew that the letter from his father could not be good. A chatty letter from home would have been from is Mum. His dad usually just ignored him unless something was wrong or his father needed him to do something.
Not wanting to become upset in either his house common room or in his bedroom Draco wandered off by himself after dinner to read the letter from his father.
Draco found an old unused room just off the third floor corridor. He knew it was unused because of all the dust on the floor and the desks. Draco sent the dust flying away from him and off the professor's desk as he sat at the unknown professor's old chair. He briefly wondered what class had been taught here and what the professor had been like. Draco would love to become a professor one day if not at Hogwarts at another school somewhere in Europe but his father had already set his life's path in order and he was expected to follow it.
Draco opened the letter and began to read. Just from the heavy pressure from the quill Draco could tell his father was not happy.
Draco,
It has come to my attention that you were unable to convince Harry Potter to join Slytherin House.
This, son, was your first assignment, a simple assignment actually and you have failed.
As you know Malfoy's do not fail. Your mother has spoken to me on your behalf and has convinced me that this time and this time only I will be lenient on you but as you know someone must be punished for your failure. Do not expect any motherly letters from Narcissa in the next week or two. She has taken to her bed as she is not herself at this time.
Remember, son, failure is not acceptable as a Malfoy and barely acceptable to the Blacks.
Your father,
Lucius
Draco felt the tears begin to fall down his cheeks. His mother had taken his punishment for him. As Draco became older his father's punishments had become more severe. When his mother had spoke up on his behalf she had been informed that Draco would learn to take the punishments that The Dark Lord doled out so that he was ready when he returned. Narcissa had cried and Lucius said if she kept fussing and making his son into a whimp then she would take his punishment as well but hers would be twice as bad. Draco knew his mother was in a bad condition if she was going to be in bed for at least a week.
Draco did not hear the door open or the older man shuffle into the room. Draco did nearly jump off the chair when he heard "Are you OK boy?"
No one caught a Malfoy crying. Draco knew his father had spies in the castle and he knew that his father would hear about this.