Changed (Drarry)

Chapter 1

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna sat together in a compartment.

Luna, Neville and Ginny told about the Hogwarts from last year, while Pigwigeon was being hunted down by Crookshanks, and Trevor was eating out of Luna's hand, something Neville assured her was very unusual for the toad.

They had only been there a few minutes when they heard a knock on the door of their compartment. A trembling hand pushed it open, and Malfoy poked his head in.

Almost instinctively Harry reached for his wand, and next to him, he noticed Ron do the same.

'Hey,' Malfoy said softly, 'Can I, eh, you know? Every compartment is either full or contains people who try to hex me as soon as I knock.'

'We're full.' Ron said rather brusquely, 'Keep on searching Malfoy.'

Hermione, however, kicked his leg, 'That should be no problem.' She flicked her wand, causing Malfoy's case to store itself and a seventh seat to appear. 'I can't say I expected you to go back.'

Malfoy tried to smile, 'Thanks, Granger.'

Harry was quite shocked to see Malfoy thank Hermione, and one look at her face showed she was at least as surprised.

'Didn't any of your friends come with you?' Luna asked Malfoy, with what appeared to be honest interest.

Malfoy shrugged, 'I don't really speak to them anymore.'

Luna nodded, reached inside her pocket and gave him what seemed to be a Chocolate Frog. When Malfoy opened it, however, a plumpy, winged, unicornlike creature came out, affectionately nibbling Malfoy's finger.

'It's a Chocolate Snorlack, daddy makes them.'

Draco looked confused but ate the creature nonetheless. Luna seemed to be very pleased with this.

The rest of the journey Malfoy stayed with them, and where Hermione, Luna, Ginny and Neville clearly did their best to be nice to him, Harry and Ron both gave him angry glares.

When they got off the train, the usual carriages were not waiting for them.

Instead, a purple fog appeared to form a road, floating half a meter above the ground.

Hagrid also wasn't there, this time Gawp was staring at them.

'What happened to the Thestreals?' Harry asked Ginny. 'Voldemort didn't like them,' she whispered, 'he killed a few, the others flew away.'

Harry followed Ginny when she walked into the fog and somehow climbed on it. When Harry tried it, he came to the conclusion the fog was one of the new magical performances of Hogwarts.

When everyone had mounted the purple fog, it led them towards the castle. That had also changed, a new tower rose up to the sky.

At least, Harry thought it was a tower. Because as they approached the castle, he saw that the 'tower' was floating over the castle, with no connection to it whatsoever. Gasps around him told Harry he wasn't the only one surprised by this development, but an even bigger change still had to come.

When the students entered the Great Hall, the house tables were gone. Instead, ten smaller tables filled the room, all of them filled with students of all the houses.

Harry sat down at the same table as Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny, Neville and, to his disgust, Malfoy. Luckily, he remained quiet and sat as far away from Harry as he possibly could.

When everyone had found a place to sit, Gawp and Hagrid led the first years in. In front of the teacher's table, the usual chair and Sorting hat stood.

McGonagall began to read the names of Hogwarts' newest students, and when the first girl was sorted into Hufflepuff, not only the students of her new house clapped, but also several students from other houses, an effect that grew stronger every time.

The first years sat down between the older students at different tables, and Harry remembered one of the speeches from Dumbledore.

'We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.'

Harry had the feeling this was what Dumbledore had meant, a place where nothing, not house, not blood, not magical abilities mattered.

When the last first year had found their place, McGonagall flicked her wand and removed the chair.

'Welcome,' she said, 'new students, and welcome to our old friends. I am afraid that I can't tell everything there is to be said in the words Dumbledore could, but I can tell you this.

Hogwarts has been gone for a year, it has been gone since Dumbledore fell off the highest tower in this castle, for a purpose we now know. Tonight, we will bring the school back again. And therefore, I ask you to do it in the way we always have.

I ask you to do it together.'

'Hear hear!' a voice shouted, and the entire hall echoed it.

The plates filled themselves with food, and within a few seconds, everyone had filled their goblets with pumpkin juice and their plate with the specialities of the house-elves of Hogwarts.

When the forks had been licked clean, McGonagall stood up again.

'This year, we have three new professors joining us. First of all, for Care of Magical Creatures, our own Rubeus Hagrid will be joined by Gawp.' Hagrid and his brother stood up, and Harry, Ron and Hermione cheered loudly.

'For Defence Against the Dark Arts, we will have professor Snow, and his assistant, miss Chang.

The Forbidden Forest is still not allowed, this is a warning for first years and a reminder for a certain group of students who should know by now.'

'We know,' Ron shouted, 'but we don't really mind!'

A ripple of laughter went through the hall, and even McGonagall chuckled.

'You have probably noticed the floating tower. It shall be used as a shared common room, accessible through the common rooms of all the houses.

And finally; every Friday we shall have an extra class, given by an outsider, from special tricks for flying to how to bewitch snowballs.'

She smiled, 'Merlin help us.

Now, you all have school tomorrow, so please follow your prefects to your dorms.'