Memories - Dramione story

Chapter 4

Hermione's POV

The students from the 8th year were the last ones to come out of the train. Ginny has already come out a long time ago. We were already lucky enough that there was room for extra students in the Hogwarts express. The first wagons were probably filled to the maximum with students from the other years so that there could be some room for us. We had to wait for a very long time before being able to come out. I had the feeling that this was only the beginning of the repercussions of being extra students, and we were very probably the only students who would ever be able to come for an extra year at Hogwarts, knowing that the younger students that lived through the war would probably catch up on what they missed at the same time as they would learn all the school stuff that they originally would have had to learn this year. 

We were at the end of the huge bunch of 8th-year students who came out of the train. We couldn't see much in front of us and followed the movement to get to the castle. There was a little bit left to walk to get to the castle, but the students in front of us stopped right in their tracks, forcing us to stop too. Everyone around us looked confused, and no one could see anything of what was going on in front of the castle's entrance. All the students around us were 8th-year students from different houses. Then, the bunch of students went forward a little bit, before stopping, and starting to walk again. The students at the front of the bunch were probably entering the castle one group of students at a time. 

Soon enough, we were in front of the castle's entrance, where McGonagall stood. There were only 10 students left outside of the castle. «Sorry for making you wait so long,» the headmistress apologized. «Because of the unusual situation that we are in this year, special measures have been put in place,» she started. For long minutes, she explained what exactly these measures were. Because of the lack of place in the dormitories for extra students, new dormitories have been created for 8th-years. Also, a fifth table has been added to the Great Hall, which was also for the 8th-years. We were still divided into houses, but the 8th-years were a little bit like an extra house, which also meant that we would always be together to learn what we had to learn this year. She told us the password to our new common room, and, consequently, dorms before letting us enter the castle. 

As soon as we were far enough for her not to be able to hear us, Ron started complaining. «Can you imagine this? I'm not against sharing a common room and dormitories with Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, but SLYTHERINS?! We'll probably die on the first night we spend with them!» he said, panicked. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, which made me wonder when Harry has actually rolled his eyes in his life. In general, the scene seemed pretty amusing to me. 

When we entered the Great Hall, we immediately spotted our table. It was right in the middle, and we were the only 8th graders who weren't sitting yet. As we approached the table, I noticed that the students sat in groups according to their houses. The only places left were places for us near the Gryffindors and the other seven students that were with us when McGonagall talked to us. We sat next to Neville and Luna, who were right between the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws. 

As soon as Ron started eating, all traces of worry disappeared from his face. I started filling my plate with food, feeling sad that even though 8th graders had to share the same table, people still divided into houses. I felt like the beginning of the year might be complicated. I looked around me while I ate, confused by the very weird atmosphere. Some people from the other tables looked at us curiously, whilst others didn't seem to care. Suddenly, an owl entered the Great Hall, which was something very unusual, knowing that mail was usually delivered during breakfast. It headed towards our table, landing right in front of Draco Malfoy, who I could see from the place I was sitting at. Owls usually didn't deliver mail the first evening at Hogwarts... There was clearly something weird going on...

...

Draco's POV

The owl in front of me was my mom's. Although I already knew what was in the letter, I read it anyway, just in case. It was a letter from my mom (obviously, the owl was hers) saying that she donated the money and that I needed to prepare because the journals were probably going to go crazy and the impacts of the donation would soon be seen. By soon, she meant tomorrow morning. The only thing that slightly reassured me was the fact that she paid Rita Skeeter so that she would hold herself from writing another article about us. All she could bring us with her undesired articles was trouble. She also reminded me in the letter that Azkaban prisoners were allowed to write and receive letters since the rules in Azkaban have been made less strict. This meant that Father would probably know about this, and he wouldn't agree with the idea at all. I knew that Blaise was looking at me and I gave him the letter, knowing very well that this was what he wanted, without bothering to look at him. 

«I don't think that doing this is a good idea», he said after he read the letter.

«It's too late anyway. We already donated everything», I answered. I didn't really care about the negative consequences that could follow my actions. At least I would have tried. 

...

Harry's POV

Our new common room was in a newly made tower located close to the astronomy tower. Standing in front of the portrait that would grant us access to our common room and dormitory, I wondered what it would look like inside. It couldn't be of the colors of one of the houses, because students of all the houses would stay in this common room. On the portrait was a little boy sitting under a tree. He was dressed as a muggle child worker from the 19th century.

«Are we getting in already?» Ron asked, dragging me out of my thoughts, looking annoyed. 

 «Hum, yeah» I answered uncomfortably, feeling bad for forgetting about my friend who was waiting for me to say the password all that time. 

I pronounced the password (nutshell) and the little boy nodded, a joyful smile on his face, before letting us in. The ceiling of the common room was in the shape of a semi-sphere. It was covered with little shining stars that were linked with each other, forming constellations. In the highest point of the ceiling was drawn a crescent moon, which was shining brightly enough to light the entire room. There were several midnight blue velvet couches in front of the lit fireplace, all occupied by students of different houses. 

I knew that Hermione had left the Great Hall early and expected to see her somewhere here, but she wasn't there. She had acted in a rather weird way back at the Great Hall, which might be related to what she told us about Malfoy. Right across the room were two staircases, both going up, one going towards the left, the other one towards the right. Fortunately for me, there were signs on the walls near the stairs indicating the way to the boys' dorm and the way to the girls' dorm. Not having much to do in the common room, I headed towards the boys' dorm.

I entered the dorm and stopped right into my tracks when I saw several boys of different houses, including Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. I don't know how, but I somehow achieved in forgetting that I would need to share a dorm with boys from different houses. Ron, who was following me obediently all that time, tensed up by my side. I quickly greeted the boys that were looking at me as if we knew each other forever, trying not to attract too much attention. The rest of the evening was quite unpleasant. The atmosphere was tense, no one talked. I spent my time reading a book about quidditch.  I discovered soon enough that the Marauder's map didn't show the new dorms, but according to the fact that Hermione was nowhere on the map, she could only be in the girls' dorm. Not having much to do, I went to sleep, hoping that the rest of the year would be more interesting than this. 

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Author's note: Sorry for the boring chapter, the next one will probably be way more interesting.

Edit: I wrote this chapter yesterday but forgot to press the publish button someway, so I'll post two chapters today. Also, if you have trouble understanding what's going on with the 'donation' thing in the story, I will explain it more in depth in the next chapter.