Chapter 1: The Information
Draco Malfoy was in the Great Hall surrounded by his fellow 7th year Slytherins: Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. They had all returned to Hogwarts to repeat their final year. Draco looked over at the Gryffindor table out of habit, and saw that the 'Golden Trio' had returned as well. Draco cursed under his breath. Draco only returned to recover some of the respect the Malfoy family had lost during the second war- what with his father being sentenced to life in Azkaban. He had hoped to enjoy a Gryffindor free year, but no. Sadly, life wasn't that kind.
To his left, he could hear that Pansy and Blaise were flirting with each other quietly. They were in an open relationship- well, if you could call it that.
Crabbe and Goyle were staring gormlessly at some scared looked 5th years at the other end of the table. Draco smirked. Those poor 5th years. His daydreams were interrupted briefly as Dumbledore stood up. He smiled at everyone warmly including the Slytherins. How does he not hold a grudge against the Slytherin house? We didn't stay and help fight the Death Eater's last year; we didn't help to rebuild Hogwarts. How could we? Our parents were on the dark side, we would have been if we fought with the light. We may be ambitious, and cunning, but we are also mostly wimps. I can admit that without feeling embarrassed, hell, I'm talking to myself! It's not like anyone can hear me.
Instead of listening to the headmaster, he decided to return to his daydream. He was at his manor house in the south of France. Enjoying the elf made wine and reading history books of the greatest French wizards. It was a well kept secret. That Draco Malfoy actually enjoyed reading. Yes, he was the cleverest wizard in Slytherin but he was second in the whole year. That...muggleborn. Hermione Granger. She had beaten him in every subject since the first year. He hated it. A muggleborn was better than him. Draco Malfoy!
This year, he was determined to beat her. That would give him immense satisfaction. He didn't think of her as a mudblood anymore, the whole pureblood business had become a silent taboo. To be honest, he only called her that to please his father, and keep up appearances. No-one knew what Draco was really like.
He was so deep in his imaginative world that he didn't hear what Dumbledore said. He didn't notice that the feast had begun. He was abruptly kicked out of his dream by Blaise.
"Helloooo? Draco, earth to Draco. What in Merlin were you thinking of?" Blaise asked him loudly.
"What?" Draco replied absentmindedly, "Oh...just thinking about things. Can't believe it's another year with those ghastly Gryffindors.
Blaise Zabini grinned at him. "I know. Why do we always have our lessons with them? At least if we were with the Ravenclaws, we wouldn't have to do any work. They'd do it for us."
"But so does Granger..."
"Fair point. Do you think she is going to beat you again this year?"
"Shut up, Blaise. Go snog Pansy," Draco grimaced. Yes, he didn't really like how Blaise and Pansy made out in public, but it was better than hearing Blaise talk about Granger...
"Fine then, now you've given me permission," Blaise smirked, and turned his attention back to Pansy.
Draco smiled weakly back. He didn't want anyone to know what he was secretly thinking. It wouldn't be proper for a Malfoy to be glad that Dumbledore was still alive. It wasn't right for the son of a devoted Death Eater to be glad that He Who Must Not Be Named was dead.
Hermione, as usual, listened intently to Dumbledore's speech. She heard the request for all 6th and 7th years to stay behind. Ginny should have been a seventh year, but because the last school year wasn't exactly a usual Hogwarts year, they decided that everyone would repeat that year, and there would be a large first year instead.
