Starts With a Spin

Chapter 1

Hey guys! This story might look familiar to some of you, so a few quick notes:

1) I apologize if you were in the middle of reading this on wattpad before and it suddenly disappeared on you, or if you had already read it and left a comment or just generally enjoyed reading the running commentary left by others. I'm sorry all that is gone now. Unfortunately, however, SWAS was uploaded here without my knowledge and I'm not okay with someone else posting my work on their own account.  But since it seemed to have a lot of views I figured I'd go ahead and post it again for anyone who preferred reading it here.

2) This was written in 2004/2005. Fifteen years ago, my friends! Which means it's somewhat dated. Also I was like 18 years old when I wrote it and the 6th and 7th HP books didn't even exist when I was first posting this. Just some things to keep in mind!

3) You can also read this on AO3 along with some of my other old HP stuff if you feel like it.

Anyway, thanks for checking this out!  Super explicit content ahead including teenage shenanigans and a ridiculous amount of people watching said shenanigans happen.  Why?  Because there was a war going on or something and the kids needed a break so WHY NOT.  Enjoy!

~ Maxine

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Harry wasn't exactly sure how it had started. Well, scratch that, he knew how it had started, he just wasn't sure why it had continued or what had possessed his classmates to allow it to continue.

Sixth year for Harry had started out slowly, and progressed even slower. Everyone was nervous and tense due to the war that grew inevitably closer. Voldemort hadn't surfaced since the incident before summer holidays, not even within Harry's dreams or through his scar. And somewhat unexpectedly, none of the captured Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban.

Harry himself had been understandably moody since returning to Hogwarts. Sirius' death had hit him hard, even if he'd only known him for a few years. He'd been the closest parental figure Harry'd ever had. The only other wizard he could put in that position would be Dumbledore, and the betrayed feeling he'd had after parting with him the year before hardly helped with Harry's feelings of loss.

It had actually been Hermione's idea to throw the combined House party. After Gryffindor had beaten Ravenclaw in Quidditch, with Harry reappointed as Seeker, the party they'd had in Gryffindor had left everybody considerably relaxed and cheerful. So Hermione reasoned that a big sixth year party would help everyone relax.

What had started out as an everyone's-invited-but-really-only-Gryffindor-Ravenclaw-and-Hufflepuff party was soon crashed by the Slytherins. No one said anything outright, if only because it was supposed to be a combined House party, but the distaste was evident enough.

Malfoy, leading the rest of his House, only answered this with a smirk.

* * *

Draco had felt the effects of the events before summer as strongly as everyone else, if not more so. His entire world had nearly been pulled from beneath his feet. For the first time in his life the Malfoy name was openly scorned, and it was the longest amount of time he'd been away from his father while actually being home. His feelings towards the whole Light and Dark issue hadn't changed much. He still despised muggle-borns, and he wasn't about to welcome them with open arms, but at the same time he was currently harboring bitter animosities toward Voldemort with a passion only rivaled by his feelings for Potter, because the git hadn't done anything about his father being in prison. Draco had expected a breakout attempt at the least two weeks into summer, and when it hadn't come, nor showed any signs of coming, he'd been left shocked, hurt, and confused.