WHISPERS OF REDEMPTION | D.M.

01 head boy

01 | head boy

Hogwarts is the same yet completely different.

Students aboard the Hogwarts Express were quiet, anxious, and almost frightened to return. After the defeat of Voldemort, none really knew what to expect and how things would unfold. Most of the students returned for their dreadful final year. Another year of studies that was supposed to be over already if it wasn't for Lord Voldemort and his pathetic plan.

Amongst them is Draco Malfoy.

The boy, who's despised by many in his year, but he was given a chance at redemption. A chance to complete his studies and then move onto the real world.

Draco sits with his friends Theo, Blaise, and Pansy towards the end of the train, away from prying eyes and ears. He felt as if the three Slytherin's were all he had left. Most of the students considered him a traitor for his attempted murder of Dumbledore and that it was him who let the Death Eaters inside to wreak havoc on the school.

"Who would've thought that we have to spend another year here?" Pansy groans, once the silence got too much for her to handle.

Three pairs of eyes met her gaze, followed by a small chuckle from Blaise.

"Think of it this way, at least Draco is named Head Boy by some miracle so I'm sure our good friend here—" he pats Draco on the shoulder, "—will let us get away with at least some mischief."

A small smile creeps onto Malfoy's face. "What makes you think I won't make your year a living hell instead? Detentions every week? No Quidditch?"

"As if you'd do that to your only friends," Theo snorts. "Besides, I'm sure the Slytherin Head Girl will keep you in check and won't let you punish us for no reason. Who is she by the way?"

"McGonagall wouldn't say," Draco mutters. "She told me that she hadn't picked the Head Girl yet, that she still has a few people to consider. Whatever that means."

Pansy squeals, "Imagine if it were me. Draco, you and I would be amazing together."

Blaise raises his eyebrow, "Pansy as the Head Girl? That I'd like to see."

"Hey!" The raven-haired girl whines. "I'll have you know that I've got decent marks in all of my classes, which means I'd be perfect."

"Yeah, but are you 2nd best like Draco?" Theo snorts. "Head Girl has to be someone bright enough to understand when students do something wrong."

Draco chuckles at his friends' comment. Pansy being Head Girl would surely make things easier for him. Since he has no idea who even the candidates are, he's afraid that he's going to be stuck with someone who hates his guts.

He can't even imagine what it would be like to share a living space with someone who despises him, to see her day and night and worry about potentially being hexed or something crazier.

That's why he's hoping for someone who's nice enough to look past his wrongdoings and someone who can see that he's worthy of being here again and most importantly, that he won't repeat his past mistakes.

———

Many students gasp at the carriages, the unfamiliar sight of thestreals almost scaring them. During the Battle, almost every student witnessed a death, and the hidden animals were now visible for everyone.

The familiar halls of Hogwarts have portraits of students, who died during the Battle, on them. Draco notices a few familiar faces – Fred Weasley, Lavender Brown – and in the pit of his stomach, he feels guilty. Like it was him who murdered them. But in a way, he did. After all, he's the one who let Death Eaters into the school.