RAVENCLAW!

26. Ravenclaw Reunion

During the train ride everything was perfect. Just as it should be. Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, Blaise; and Draco in their center of attention. Nothing to remind him that he wasn't a Slytherin as he was supposed to be. Up until the feast it was like Potter didn't even exist. But as he sat among all those Ravenclaws he became incredibly aware of his absence. His friends weren't around and the Ravenclaws ignored him – not that that wasn't exactly what he wanted, mind you. He just felt his mask slipping away a bit and usually he just had to glare at Potter and let the hatred inside him boil and it was easily back on again. Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath! It had to be like this. He was out of danger.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Draco jumped and almost fell out of his seat. Lost in his thoughts he hadn't realized that the sorting had started.

During the following 10 minutes he scowled at everyone sorted into Slytherin – seriously, if people like that got in there, why didn't he? - and rolled his eyes at everyone who ended up in any other house. That was up until a little girl, with long, dirty blonde hair, who had just
been sorted into Ravenclaw sat down right next to him. The girl was wearing radishes as earrings and a flower necklace. Well, they didn't lool like flowers usually looked like but he couldn't figure what else they were supposed to be. Her big eyes wandered over every inch of the great hall, taking in all of it, and inevitably landed on Draco, making her soft smile grow wider and her eyes shine
brighter.

"Hello, you! I'm Luna!", she said dreamily.

Sw- NO!

Annoying!

Weird!

Loony! Yeah, loony!

"Find someone else to annoy, Loony!"

Draco glared down at her, waiting for her smile to falter and for her to run off, crying or something. But she didn't. Instead she
started to giggle. Can you believe that?!

"You're so funny!"

Unbelievable! He kept staring at her, mouth agape. But Loony didn't seem to mind all that much. Not having received any reply, she just went back to watching all the people at the different house tables, swinging her legs happily. When Draco realized he'd been staring for more than a minute, he shook his head and opted for paying attention to the ceremony instead. It was almost over and soon the last girl was to be called up.

"Weasley, Ginny!"

A girl with red hair (surprise) and a robe that had seen better days (another surprise) put on the hat and it didn't take long for it to shout,
"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Well, who would've guessed that," Draco
murmured to himself, deadpan.

"I don't know. Who?"

It was the little girl to his left.

"Ugh, bugger off!"

Loony did look a bit taken aback but it didn't give him the expected satisfaction.

"That's not a nice thing to say. You should be nicer to people!"

All of a sudden the light in her eyes returned.

"Maybe I can teach you!"

Draco snorted at that and cringed immediately after. Malfoys didn't snort! He didn't have much time to be thrown off though, because in that moment the delicious feast appeared on the platters. Draco realized he was practically starving and immediately tucked in. In an elegant way of course. Not like the Weasel with no manners at all. Talking of the Weasel; he too was nowhere to be seen. Only four redheads were stuffing themselves with food at the Gryffindor table. His gaze fell on the brunette girl next to them. Granger looked lost and restless and she was nervously fumbling with her red and gold tie.

Well, obviously! Her two best friends are missing without a trace!

It was hard to convince himself that the voice in his head was not one of sympathy and after a few more minutes he gave up and just decided to put his brain on off-mode again. When he came back it was because Loony was scrambling off her seat next to him.

"See you tomorrow. Then I can start teaching you being nice. Sleep well. Oh and watch out for Nargles!"

Caught off guard and confused by the last comment he actually wished her a "good night," and before he was able to take it back he received a blasting grin in return that made him want to smile as well. Then her blonde head disappeared in the mass of other students and Draco bit his cheek to gain control over his facial expressions again. Getting up and out of the great hall he thought about sneaking off to Nowhere for a quick chat but not only was he sure that his next chat with Nobody would hardly be anywhere close to quick but he also had a gut feeling that he really ought to get to his dorm.

And somehow he wasn't all that surprised when he arrived there and found none other than Harry Potter sitting on the exact same bed he'd had occupied throughout the previous year. Channeling all the annoyance and hatred he had in him he scoffed and said,
"There you are, Scarface. And I've had all my hopes up that you couldn't make it this year."

"Nice to see you, too, Malfoy!"

But the reply was already muffled by the bathroom door. With a sigh, Draco started to get ready for bed. Dobby was a dead elf!

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Harry was so glad that they hadn't been expelled that he didn't take their punishment too bad. Just detention. And they had missed the sorting and weren't allowed to go up to the feast. But nothing could get Harry's spirits down. He'd already seen himself locked up in his bedroom at the Dursley's again or disqualified for the Quidditch tryouts. In his opinion they had gotten away pretty well off. And thanks to his own argument that the school-year hadn't even started at the time, there weren't even any house points taken. Although Dumbledore's disappointed expression had really stung. At that moment Harry decided he would be the perfect student this year and stay out of any kind of trouble. He didn't want to see that look ever again. Naturally, he'd been the first one to be up in the Ravenclaw tower and therefore was to solve the riddle on his own. He struggled for a second but soon he came up with something and was let inside the walls of heaven on earth.

What else would you call this place, really?

The stunning view of the grounds lying still beneath the covers of the night. The sky outside matching the painting on the dome shaped ceiling. Bright stars all over. And the cozy little fire. And the bookshelves. And the calm that was radiating off the colours that could be seen anywhere. Blue and bronze. Only then Harry realized how much he had really missed this place. Taking a final glance at the Rowena statue, he turned towards the staircases. He was home. Enjoying every step he slowly made his way up to their dormitory which was now bearing the number 2 instead of the 1 that had sat there just a few months prior.

With a smile on his lips Harry entered and found everything in its place. His luggage was sitting next to his old bed. Hedwig's cage was empty. No wonder. She had been even more pissed off after their crash with the tree. Harry made a mental note to make it up to her the next day, right after he'd visited Hagrid. With a yawn he pulled his pajamas from his case and went to the bathroom to get ready for the night. Ten minutes later he finally sat down on his four poster when Draco stood in the doorway of their dorm. The following conversation was way too short and too similar to exchanges they'd had in the past that Harry didn't even bother interpreting Draco's mood swings. Right then he was way too tired for this bullshit.