this story is set after the second wizarding war. please let me know what you think.
There was a feeling of relief in the air once the war was finished. Once Voldemort was destroyed the wizarding world could live in peace once more. Kingsley shacklebolt had been instated as the new minister of magic. Almost all the death eaters had been rounded up and been put in Azkaban awaiting trial. It had been a busy few months for harry, ron and hermione seeing as they had to give testimonies at the trials.
Hogwarts had been repaired and Professor McGonagall had taken over as the headmistress. All the seventh years were required to go to Hogwarts for a redo year as most of them had been on the run.
Hermione had been delighted to receive a letter saying she had been picked to be head girl. Hermione had been staying with the Weasleys as well as harry since she had no other place to go. Time flew by at the Weasleys and soon it was time to board the Hogwarts express on platform nine and three quarters. Hermione lugged her trunk to the heads compartment.
hermione was interested to see who the head boy would be. She opened the door and almost dropped her cat, crookshanks, in shock. Draco Malfoy was sitting there, reading some sort of letter. He looked up and didn't seem surprised to see her. "I knew you would be head girl" draco said. That took hermione by surprise. Draco Malfoy, the slytherin king, was being nice to her, the one he had tormented so much in their youth.
"Let me help with that trunk." draco offered, once again taking her surprise. She let him take her trunk and stow it away before sliding into the seat opposite him wordlessly. "Why are you being nice to me, malfoy?" she asked, confused. Draco sighed. "Ever since you helped me at her trial, thank you for getting me out of Azkaban by the way, I decided I had to be better and try not to be enemies with you and everyone else, granger." He explained. Hermione was in a state of shock. Had she heard that correctly? Draco wanted to be nice?
Just then draco interrupted her thoughts. "All the slytherins want to do better. We all made a pact to try and do good." He informed. At this hermione's mouth dropped open. Draco changing for the better was one thing but all of Slytherin? Hermiome gave it a few moments thought before shrugging it off. If they had really changed for the better, then she would find out soon enough.
hermione turned her gaze to the window and was met by the sight of greenery speeding by. With every second hermione felt more and more restless. In an hour she would be home. Hogwarts was the place she belonged. No matter what had happened there she would always think of it as her second home. Hermione turned to draco. Seeing as there was still and hour she decided to engage in conversation.
"How was your summer?" hermione asked. "It was fine. my mother asked me to relay her thanks for getting me out of Azkaban. My dad will be in Azkaban for 10 years, so I am all my mom has." He replied. Hermione felt terrible. "In fact, she asked me to give you this." Draco said as he had just remembered. He handed her a package. Curiosity got the best of her as she pulled the wrapping away. Hermione gasped. It was a gold chain with her name on it. Upon closer inspection hermione saw that her name was lined in diamonds.
"I can't except it." Hermione said. "Why not? My mom had it made especially for you." Draco asked, puzzled. "It must have cost a fortune. Beside why would she give something like that to a filthy mudblood like me?" at hermione's words draco took a sharp intake of air. "don't call yourself a mudblood. You are smart, beautiful, brave and worthy of magic so don't you dare refer to yourself as a mudblood." Draco said fiercly. He then blushed profusely when he realized that he had called her beautiful.
Hermione was just shocked. Shocked that draco was standing up for her. Shocked that his mother had given her something so special. Shocked that draco thought that she was smart and beautiful and brave. "Will you help me put it on?" hermione asked quietly. Draco nodded mutely. He moved to the seat next to her. Hermione gave him the necklace before turning away, moving her hair out of the way. He placed the necklace on her neck. When his fingers brushed against her, hermione shivered. The second draco moved his hand away she felt his absence.
Draco moved back to his seat, and they sat in comfortable silence. Hermione was lost in her thoughts. Mere moments later she was brought back to earth when draco spoke. "We should change into our robes" he advised. Hermione grabbed her stuff and went to the bathroom to change. When she returned Malfoy wasn't there. Hermione thought that he must have gone to change. This gave her time to think over what had happened once more.
hermione had opened her compartment door and stood in the hallway, needing more space to breath. Suddenly the train jolted to a stop. Hermione tripped and closed her eyes, bracing herself for impact but opened her eyes once it never came. She blushed furiously when she realized that malfoy had caught her and that she was now in his arms. "Granger." He said. "Malfoy. Thank you." She thanked him before extracting herself from his arms. She quickly grabbed hurried off the train before anything else happened.
She scanned the crowd hoping to find ginny,harry and ron. She could see hagrid with his lantern gathering first years. She had been so distracted that she did not realize she had run into someone. "granger" pansy Parkinson said. "Parkinson." Hermion said from the ground. She had been knocked over at the collision. Instead of teasing hermione she offered her hand to her. Hermione took it in shock. Pansy pulled her up before asking, "are you ok?" hermione was stunned. "I'm fine" she answered. If she was surprised it was nothing compared to her shock at pansy's next statement. "I know we haven't been on best terms, but I thought we could try to be friends." Pansy asked.
Hermione thought about it for a split second. Pansy was trying to be friendly and so she would try to be nice too. "sure" hermione answered. "Care to ride to the castle with me?" pansy asked. "Why not?" hermione said. And so, the two of them were making small talk as the carriage pulled them to the castle. As much as hermione hated to admit it she and pansy had a lot in common. They were walking into the great hall when ginny beckoned to hermione. "hermione! Over here!" ginny yelled. Hermione and pansy said a quick goodbye before she sat next to ginny.
"Who is the head boy?" ginny asked curiously. "Malfoy" hermione replied. Ginny could tell that hermione didn't want to talk about it, so she hastily changed the subject. Harry and ron were sitting opposite to them and joined in the conversation. Soon headmistress McGonagall got all the students attention.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts! The sorting ceremony will now commence!" she announced. The sorting hat was soon brought out and the first-year students walked in. hermione couldn't help but smile at the wonder on their faces. The sorting hat sang its song, and the students were being sorted. As the sorting went on hermione's smile was replaced with a look of disgust. The students who were sorted into slytherin were greeted by boos from the other houses. Anger filled hermione. How dare they?! She could see the slytherin first years close to crying and the rest of slytherin where upset, to put it mildly. She could tell that all the teachers were disgusted and angry about it too, but no matter how much they told the students to stop they wouldn't.
all too soon it was time for hermione's speech. "Students, our head girl, hermione granger will be saying a few words now." Mcgonagall announced. And now hermione had the stage.
"Students of Hogwarts, I am your head girl for this year. I had planned this speech to highlight all the wonderful things that would be happening this year. But I am afraid that what I have just witnessed is more important. During the sorting you all booed for the new Slytherins. In doing this you have made all these students question whether they even belong here. This undermines the entire point of Hogwarts. Ever since the war things have been shaky for the slytherins, but they are all trying to change their ways. You all should be ashamed. It as Dumbledore said, 'we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided'. I understand that you find it hard to trust slytherin but not all of them are bad. In fact, one of the bravest people I have ever known is a slytherin. Without him we would have lost the war. If the first year slytherins could come up here please."
Hermione waited for the slytherins to come on stage before continuing. She now spoke directly to them.
"Do not listen to what anyone says. Slytherin is a worthy house and is equal to others, if not better. You all should be proud of yourself and your house. If you would like, there are two of my close friends in slytherin that can show you the ropes and help you all."
At hermione's words all five new slytherins seem to brighten. She noticed that one of them, a girl, had tears on her face. She kneeled down infront of her wiped the tears off before asking pansy and draco to come up. They both looked shocked but came up to the stage.
"This is draco Malfoy and pansy Parkinson. Would you mind helping them?" hermione asked.
They both nodded before leading the first years to the slytherin table, consoling them. Hermione then turned to the crowd.
"I am appalled at the behavior. This should not happen again. A few months ago, I would not trust Malfoy or Parkinson as far as I could throw them but now, we are friends. If you cannot trust a slytherin who has changed their ways or accept them for who they are then you are no better, then them." Hermione finished up.
She caught draco's eyes in the crowd. He looked grateful. She then turned to mcgonagall to find her wiping tears. "Miss granger is absolutely right. Now let the feast begin." Mcgonagall announced as hermione made her way to the Gryffindor table. Everyone who she knew (ginny, luna, harry, etc.) were looking at here with shock and admiration. They, of course, hadn't done anything bad towards slytherin but were feeling bad for all those that had. Hermione had certainly put them in her place.
Hermione had turned to the feast but heard her voice. "Miss granger, if you could come to my office" it was mcgonagall. Hermione looked worried. "you'll be fine." Ginny consoled. Hermmione got up and left with mcgonagall. She could only hope she wasn't in trouble.