New Beginnings

Part 5

Draco was back on the Quidditch pitch as Slytherin's Seeker. Finally. This time, instead of letting his father offer any bribes, he'd earned his position, fair and square.

The catch? He wouldn't get any recognition for it. Using Polyjuice Potion, Draco became Emmett Falcon, a Slytherin fifth-year that Percy Weasley selected. Most Slytherins weren't exactly trustworthy, but Emmett's record was clean. They'd both talked it over. Emmett had wanted to try out, anyhow, which solidified Draco's false identity. Nobody else knew about their secret except for the professors- and Hermione Granger. She provided them with two special medallions as their line of communication. A novel invention left over from Dumbledore's Army. While Draco-as-Emmett ventured outside, Emmett-as-Draco had to sit inside McGonagall's office. Their switch-up hadn't encountered any problems so far.

Today's game: Slytherin versus Ravenclaw. Draco kept his eyes moving, watching for the elusive Snitch. He found it odd maneuvering Emmett's Nimbus 2000. Didn't those broomsticks go out of style years ago?

He heard a loud smack off to his right side.

Daniel Parkinson, a Slytherin Beater, raced ahead with his club. "Oi!" he yelled to Draco. "Watch them Bludgers, would you? Were you even looking? "

"Yes!" Draco replied. He'd die before he took criticism from Pansy's younger brother, even if he was team captain.

Moments later, cheers erupted from the audience.

"Aaaand Joanne Henderson catches the Snitch for Ravenclaw!" The commentator exclaimed. "Ravenclawwwwwww wins!"

Ravenclaws jumped and whooped, flapping banners proudly.

What? How did I miss it? Draco thought. Down below, Joanne held the Snitch between her fingers. She raised it high as her teammates rushed to embrace her. Draco knew Joanne from his Transfiguration class; she was incredibly tall, with platinum-blonde hair. She also had Muggle parents.

But Draco had forgotten to care about bloodlines. You didn't choose your family, just like you didn't choose whether or not you possessed magic. What really mattered was how you treated others.
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Slytherins received Emmett harshly when dinnertime came around. Between his height (there was dwarf blood in his family, so he said) and baby-smooth complexion, he could still blend in with first-years. He frowned at Draco, idly stirring a bowl of chicken dumpling soup.

"Fantastic. Everybody hates me for losing the game."

"They'll get over it," Draco assured him.

"Easy for you to say," Emmett retorted. "My mum and dad were Quidditch legends back in their school days. I've got a lot to live up to."

"Wonder how that would feel... so much pressure."

"Oh, lay the guilt on me, why don't you?" Emmett mumbled.

Draco only chuckled. "I'm joking, Falcon. What I'm trying to say is, I get it. Wanting to please your parents. And you'll have more chances to do that. So lighten up. Things could be worse."

"Right you are," Emmett agreed, no doubt thinking of last year's battle. His older brother, Seth, had laid down his life that fateful night.

At the next table, Ravenclaws celebrated their victory. Draco thought it only fair to congratulate Joanne on her winning catch; so once he finished eating, he wandered over to her.

"Nice job today, Henderson," Draco said.

"Oh. Thanks, Malfoy."

"Not bad for a Mud- I mean, a Muggle-born."

"Aw, listen to that," Daniel Parkinson teased from his seat. "Malfoy's going soft. Your Death Eater friends would be ashamed..."

"Do yourself a favor, Parkinson: shut up."

"But this girl doesn't have magical parents. Wouldn't you rather punish her with the Cruciatus Curse?"

Draco felt rage simmering inside him.

"Shut your face and LISTEN!" he bellowed. "DON'T. Talk to me. About what I did with them! You haven't got the slightest CLUE what it's like! If you were in my place, if people you cared about were being threatened, I bet you'd use the Cruciatus Curse, too! I know you'd do it for Pansy. And it's not as easy to use as you might think!"

Thoroughly frustrated, he left the Great Hall without listening to Daniel's reply. Footsteps echoed behind him.

"Hey, Draco Malfoy!" a girl's voice called out.

It was a Ravenclaw that Draco had never met. She must've learned his name from other students. Her petite appearance and brunette hair reminded him of somebody... but who?

"What?" he snapped.

"I'm sorry he was so harsh," she told him. "If it helps any, you don't seem all that bad to me."

"Thank you... um..."

"Astoria Greengrass," she replied. "Maybe you know my sister, Daphne? You're in- I mean, you were in the same year. Same house. I'm just two years below her."

That's why she looked familiar, Draco thought. "Oh yeah. Daphne. I remember her blabbering on about you, especially when you were sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Yeah. My whole family's been in Slytherin, and I expected I'd wind up there, but, hey, what can you do? The Hat's got a mind of its own."

"Funny thing, the Sorting Hat," he agreed.

Astoria clicked her shoes together, almost bashfully. "Well, see you later."

"See you later."

In spite of what Draco had done under Lord Voldemort's command, this random girl believed in him? Odd, but comforting. And she was rather pretty...

Maybe he could still be a teenager after all.