40 chapter 8:The Year Starts
To my beloved Mother and Father
As you may have heard, I interacted with Heir Longbottom during the train ride. During our conversation, we sparred in a Muggle game called Risk in which the aim is conquest of pre-determined continents, the capture of a specific number of territories or the destruction of one of your adversaries. For a Muggle game, it was surprisingly quite interesting and Heir Longbottom was the eventual victor. As a result of my experience, I would recommend looking into a way of turning this game into something that we Purebloods would not mind being seen playing. It is a game which prizes forethought and observation but still has an element of chance in it. It also reinforced several lessons that I have learned, such as not concentrating overmuch on a single objective and thus leaving yourself open to a devastating flanking attack.
I have presented Professor Snape with the gift you sent and he has indicated that he will send his own thanks in a separate letter. When the Quidditch Team trials open, I will be applying for the position of Chaser. I am aware that being a Chaser is less important than being a Seeker, but at the training camp, I discovered that although I have the ability to be an excellent Chaser, I would be a mediocre Seeker at best. Given the abilities of the Seekers on the other teams, I would be doing Slytherin a disservice if I tried to attain that position. Although the potential for glory would be greater, so would the potential for loss of face should we lose a match.
As Father has instructed, I will keep watch for signs of anything strange (even by Hogwarts standards) and will keep you both appraised. On that subject, please find enclosed a list of the new students and the Houses they were Sorted into.
With all my love and respect, I am
Your beloved son
Draco Lucius Malfoy
Heir Malfoy
Draco folded the letter and sealed it into an envelope with a smirk before pocketing it.
He would detour via the Owlery to send it to his parents and then make his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.
It was good to be back at Hogwarts.
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"Shouldn't Hermione be here by now?" Harry mused as he looked again at the staircase leading to the girls bedrooms. "Normally she's here waiting for us."
"Perhaps she's still catching up with Su?" Neville offered, then he smiled as a familiar figure descended the stairs. "I think she's done. Good morning, Hermione."
"Harry, Neville." Hermione smiled back, then she stepped sideways to reveal the pair following her in a manner reminiscent of ducklings.
"Ginny, Luna, good morning." Harry offered and Luna beamed at him while Ginny blushed. Hermione looked at the red-faced girl and sighed.
"Ginny, I told you, he didn't do most of the things in those books." Hermione whispered quietly enough that had he been limited to merely-human senses, Harry would have missed it. "Take deep breaths and calm down."
Ginny nodded and Harry waved to the doorway. "I think I can hear breakfast calling us..."
"Cooooome aaaaand eeeeeeat meeeeee!" Neville stage-whispered, causing both the younger girls to giggle while Hermione gave Neville an exasperated look.
"…so I think heading to the Great Hall would be a good move." Harry finished, then he glanced round. "Any other first-years to go the Hall?"
"I'm waiting to escort them." One of the Prefects waved lazily from her chair. "You go ahead, I'll bring the rest of them."
"Thanks!" Harry replied, then he moved towards the door. "Okay, so there are several ways to get from here to the Great Hall, but I find that the quickest is to turn left, go up two flights of stairs and then turn round and go down them again."
"What?" Ginny exclaimed. "How does that even work?"
"The stairs lead to a different place going down than they do going up." Neville shrugged. "Since Hogwarts is steeped in magic, it does some odd things to the building. Such as the main entrance's corridor on the ceiling which is in the west wing."
"Coming back is slightly more complex, though." Harry admitted. "But I'll show you the easiest route to remember. It's not the quickest, but it takes less than five minutes."
"…oh." Ginny managed. "…thanks."
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"Wow." Ginny breathed as she looked up at the lightening clouds visible through the charmed ceiling. "I didn't really pay attention to this last night, but it's incredible!"
"You get used to it." Harry shrugged as he led the group to the Ravenclaw table and the couple of other students already sat there. "So, have you read ahead?"
"A couple of chapters for each subject." Ginny admitted while Luna simply nodded. "Once I know what lessons I have when, I'll know which ones to concentrate on first."
"…that's a very intelligent way of doing it." Hermione mused as she sat down, reaching for the pot of tea that appeared in front of her. "Anyone else want a cup?"
"Yes please!" Ginny and Luna chorused.
Hermione smiled as two more cups appeared on the table.
"May I have a cup too, please?"
"Professor!" Hermione squeaked, half-turning to see the diminutive teacher smiling up at her. "Of… of course! Milk? Sugar?"
"No thank you, but I would not say no to a bit of lemon." Flitwick replied as he climbed up onto the bench beside Hermione. "Harry, Neville. Good morning."
"Good morning, Professor." Neville greeted their Head of House as Harry tried to swallow the bite of bacon sandwich that he had taken just prior to Flitwick's appearance.
"I have your timetables here." Filius continued, placing an accordion folder on the table, causing Hermione to blink in surprise as she had been sure that Flitwick hadn't been carrying anything. Flitwick tapped the folder and five sheets of paper rose from it.
"Here we are!" He exclaimed, "First year… first year… and three second-year schedules."
Hermione eagerly took hers and sagged after glancing at it.
"No charms until fourth period tomorrow?" She sighed.
"Sorry." Flitwick laughed, then he glanced round at them. "You may have noticed that after tea on Friday, you're free. Since I have no lessons then either, I'll be happy to help you continue to learn more about dueling."
"Professor…" Ginny asked hesitantly. "Would it be possible for Luna and I to join in too?"
"Perhaps I could do a dueling club…" Flitwick mused, then he grinned. "Yes! There's an old dueling hall that has gone unused for over a decade. That would be perfect! All I need to do is get it back into shape again."
"Can I help?" Harry asked, having managed to swallow his mouthful, then he saw the looks the others were giving him. " Sorry, I mis-spoke. Can we help?"
"That would be wonderful!" Flitwick enthused. "I have a few other things to do first, but if we meet outside our tower at ten?"
"Sounds like a plan." Neville spoke for all of them and Flitwick grinned again at them before sliding off the bench and scuttling off, the folder levitating along behind him and his cup of tea held firmly in his hands.
"Well, my dear brother, that sounded interesting." A new voice spoke from behind Ginny.
"Indeed it did, my wonderful twin."
"Why, the things we hear as we move to congratulate a fellow prankster."
"Of course, my brother. The first Weasley in generations to not be a Lion."
"How do you think our mother will react? You know how she is about tradition."
Oh, I think she'll be quite happy, brother mine. After all, she's not a Snake like some people we could name."
"But I think we've got distracted. A dueling club, you say? Sounds like it could be fun."
"Indeed! Why, I feel that we ought to help out as well, you know. Show some willing."
"Us being helpful? Why brother, what a prank! The teachers'll freak out trying to discover what we've been up to!"
"Indeed! A prank without pranking. Magnificent!"
"Stop trying to embarrass me, you idiots." Ginny sighed from where she had buried her face into her folded arms.
"Try?"
"I think we succeeded!"
Ginny lifted her head off the table and turned to glower at the Weasley Twins. Unaffected by her glare, the duo simply smiled angelically at her.
"The halos are a bit much." Ginny finally stated, trying hard not to laugh.
"I think they make quite a statement about our innocence and pure hearts." One of the twins noted, adjusting his halo so that it tilted rakishly.
"Your hearts are pure something, alright." Hermione retorted before she could stop herself and one of the twins mimed being shot in the heart.
"And the bookworm strikes like a Demiguise from the shadows, all the more impressive for being totally unexpected!" the other twin laughed, causing Hermione to roll her eyes and turn back to her breakfast, then Grace swooped in from above, another owl supported carefully in her talons.
"Hermes!" Ginny half-shouted as she reached up and, with incredible accuracy, Grace deposited the bedraggled, elderly owl in Ginny's hands before looping round and landing on Harry's shoulder, accepting the rasher of bacon he held up for her with a dignity befitting an empress.
"It's from mum…" Ginny breathed as she carefully untied the letter from the prone owl's leg. "I… I don't know if I can read it…"
"I will!" Luna chirped and Ginny stared at her empty hands in surprise, then over to Luna who was unfolding the parchment. "She starts off saying To My Darling Ginevra. I think that's a good sign, don't you?"
"Why not save the commentary until afterwards?" Hermione suggested and Luna looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay. To My Darling Genevra.
"Your Father and myself are both amazed at news that you have been Sorted into Ravenclaw. Not only have you been the first female Weasley born to the family in four generations, thus breaking one tradition, but you have shown that you are eager to forge your own path as well.
"While I do admit to a bit of disappointment that you didn't choose to enter the House of Lions, becoming a member of the House of Ravens is not something to be sneezed at. If you have the chance, please pass my greetings to Professor Flitwick, the only man who ever managed to disarm me during dueling practice. He taught me a great deal during my years there and I believe that you will learn much from him as well.
"While you are at Hogwarts, listen to Hermione. While I haven't actually met her in person, the letters that she wrote to you and Luna show that she is a good person. It is my hope that she will aid you while you are there.
"And above all, remember that you're a Weasley. Stand tall and proud and let no-one push you down.
"With all of my love,
"Molly."
"Thanks, mum." Ginny whispered, wiping tears from her eyes, then she let out a yelp as Fred and George pulled her off the bench and into a big hug.
"You see, little sister? Nothing to be concerned about!"
"Houses don't matter as long as you're a Weasley!"
"Gerroff!" Ginny managed to squirm out of their hug, leaving them hugging each other for a moment before they leapt apart, frantically brushing themselves off.
"Suddenly, I am very glad I let the Hat talk me into being a Ravenclaw instead of insisting on Gryffindor." Hermione sighed, only to find the twins staring intently at her.
"The Hat offered you a choice?"
"Then you must be really brave!"
"As brave as she is intelligent!"
"And beautiful, we cannot forget that!"
"Fred, George…" Ginny growled as Hermione blushed. "That's enough."
"Oh? Or what?"
Ginny pulled out her wand and waved it menacingly. "Or I show you a little curse that Bill taught me last time he was home."
The twins stiffened, then started backing away from her, bowing as they did so.
"Oh, far be it for us to risk angering you, sis."
"Especially if Bill taught you a curse."
"He knows some really nasty ones, you know."
"Comes of being a curse-break-aaah! Run!"
Ginny chased her brothers out of the Great Hall as the other students who had managed to get to breakfast early laughed at the sight.
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For those who are interested, here's Ravenclaw's Yr2 lesson schedule
Mon – (Free) / Potions (Lunch) Transfiguration / History (Dinner) Herbology
Tue – Transfiguration / (Free) (Lunch) Defense / Herbology (Dinner) Charms
Wed – Charms / History (Lunch) Double Potions
Thu – Herbology / Defense (Lunch) (Free) / Charms
Fri – Defense / (Free) (Lunch) History / (Free) (Dinner) / Astronomy (11 :00 – 12:30)
