Draco and Astoria

Chapter 3: The Potions Class

When I woke up the next morning, I nearly forgot where I was for a moment. Then I remembered, I was at Hogwarts, where I'd always wanted to be!

I jumped out of my four-poster bed, and looked around my dormitory for the first time. The sheets and covers were a deep forest green, as were the curtains surrounding our beds. The pillows were furnished with silver lace edges, and tiny streaks of silver ran smoothly in between the grooves of the four carved bedposts.

The rest of my dorm-mates, including Moira, were still fast asleep. I checked my watch. It was a little early, but there would be less people at breakfast at this time, so I proceeded.

I found my trunk and small suitcase stacked neatly by the foot of my bed, and I dug out my school robes. A pack of owl treats fell out of my trunk as I was pulling out my socks, and I remembered that mother was going to send whatever I left at home to me today.

I grabbed a handful of treats and shoved them in my pants pocket as I retrieved my wand from under my pillow and headed down to the Great Hall.

As I crossed the common room, I admired the round greenish lanterns dangling from chains in the corners of the room. A pile of tinders were smoldering in the fireplace under an elaborately carved mantelpiece.

A handful of carved chairs surrounded it, and I sat down in one, and found it abnormally comfortable.

As I left the warm remains of the fire, I studied the rough stone walls and ceiling. The large windows set into the walls were glowing green, making it obvious that our common room was built underneath the lake. I thought I saw something like a girl gliding in the water as the stone door rolled aside, but I didn't think much about it.

As I climbed the steps from the dungeon, I emerged from the darkness into a hallway a little to the side of the entrance to the Great Hall.

There weren't many students there at this time in the morning, but the tables were heavily laden with bacon and eggs, toast, ham and sausages, tarts, croissants, cereals, and jugs of milk and pumpkin juice.

I sat down near the end of the table, and filled my plate with bacon. I'd just picked up my fork to eat, when Daphne and her group of friends entered the Great Hall. Malfoy was walking right in the middle of the group, with Parkinson hanging off his arm and laughing at every word he said. I gave a silent prayer that the group would stray far away from my end of the table.

No such luck. Malfoy sat himself a few seats down, and the places in between us were filled by my sister and that annoying Parkinson.

Daphne whispered to me, "There's some interesting bit of news going around. You might wanna listen to what Draco says carefully!" What was so interesting? Maybe it's about that thing on the Hogwarts Express yesterday! Malfoy's father works in the Ministry, he could know something we don't.

Malfoy settled down comfortably, and heaped loads of food onto his plate, seeming to enjoy the attention. He finally spoke up with a mocking look of worry.

"I heard Potter passed out on the train! He was so scared of the Dementors! I hope he's alright," Malfoy said, faking a sniffle.

The Slytherins gathered around us laughed, except for me. I was just annoyed that people were disrupting my quiet breakfast. No one noticed my silence amidst the attention Malfoy was getting.

"Oh, save me, someone!" he said shrilly as he fainted dramatically. The Slytherins laughed loudly, and I noticed the boy, Potter, walking past us.

His muggle-born friend, Grangy, I think her name was, whispered something in his ear while pointedly not looking at our table.