For the end of summer, it was a rather chilly day, overcast, with a wind â“ might call it a stiff breeze, but really, a wind. He scanned the sky over his hut, the roof, and the nearby fence posts. No owls. Maybe they hadnât made up their minds yet. Maybe there was a discussion going on about who to give his job to. He had never before appreciated Severus Snape as much as he did at that moment. Might âev thought me a dumb one, but he kept me on regular. An I never guessed it.
There were a few things heâd been torturing himself with, this summer. Not having Hermione help him with his letter about why he wanted to stay at Hogwarts, for one thing. Not having realised that Harry was alive while he was carrying him. But thaâ canâ be bad, really, he was right. I never couldâve played dumb if I knew I were carrying a live Harry Potter, Iâda been that glad. Not having been, well, nicer to Snape all those years, not that he had any use for me, himself, and not that I can think of anything I coulda done fer him that I didnât, but still, I couldâve asked him if he wanted potions ingredients when I went round, instead of only just getting them when Dumbledore asked me. . . I wonder if he missed brewinâ potions that last year. Itâs that sad, really, no friends, Dumbledore gone, everyone blaminâ him, an all along, him plottinâ with Dumbledore to save us all⌠A cuppa, now an thenâŚ
Although any rational examination of the subject could yield nothing but the certainty that Snape had never missed being invited in by Hagrid for tea, and that he would never have come if he had been, this last itched at Hagrid the most. To think of the man that alone, and that misunderstood â“ it felt just a bit too familiar.
Right then, well, they hadnât fired him yet, as far as he knew â“ best get over to the greenhouses and see if Professor Sprout had that lavender ready for Professor McGonagall. He wondered, not idly, if they had had their letters yet, and were too kind to say.
Horace Slughorn sat at the desk in his room at the Leaky Cauldron and pondered what the coming year would bring. It was not going to be an easy one for his Slytherins and that was why he was going back. Everyone looks at me as a hero of the Battle of Hogwarts. If I canât help rebuild the house, no one can. It is funny that I now have the fame that I always tried to help others achieve. I never wanted this for myself, but now that I have it I have to use it.
Looking at his hands, he thought of what going back would mean. I could have a very pleasant retirement now, if I decided to choose that. I wish that I could. Iâm not the only Slytherin to pay the price of the war, and it would be very self-serving of me to not go back. Most would expect that of a Slytherin, but I owe it to Severus and Dumbledore to help bring Slytherin House back to a honorable name.
Sighing, Slughorn looked around the room that had been his home for the past few months. It would be nice being back at Hogwarts. At least there he had rooms that fit his personality. Many things would be different from all the other years of being a teacher, but if he abandoned his students now, there might never be a recovery for his house.
****
âI see that you received my message, Hagrid. Thank you, for coming so promptly. It seems everyone in the Wizarding World wants a finger in this pie, and the scheduling alone âŚâ
Minerva McGonagall was sitting at the Headmasterâs desk. The portraits of all three Headmasters under whom she had served hung behind her, the Sword of Gryffindor in its case beneath them, but other than that, the room looked remarkably as her office had when she was merely Head of Gryffindor House and Assistant Headmistress. The sword was a nice touch, but somehow he didnât focus on it as he sat nervously across from her, waiting for what he was certain was bad news.
âNow, as far as your assistantsâŚâ she said, crisply, looking down at her notes through the bottom of her glasses and seeming to compare two things.
âAssistants, Professor. Do yer mean Iâll have assistants to pack anââŚâ He was overcome with grief and hid his face in his large, ugly handkerchief.
Minerva looked up and raised her chin. âI know you are accustomed to living outside, Hagrid, but really, it will be much more convenient for the students to have you here in the castle at night. Are you quite certain you are feeling all right?â
It took a moment for that to sink in, and he raised his face just enough to look at her through one eye. âIn the Castle?â
âYes, certainly, in the Castle, Hagrid. Heads of House generally do reside in the Castle.â
âHeads of House?â
âYes, Heads of House. Didnât you read my letter carefully?â
âWell, when I sawâŚassistantsâŚI sorta knew, Professor, that the Ministry or the Board of Governors or ⌠someone had decided Iâd been here long enough. I shouldaâ asked Hermione to help me with my letter. Theyâda seen â“ butâ
He stared at her in obvious confusion, and from this angle, she could see that his eyes were rimmed in red. He figured she could, but really, what was the point in hiding it.
âHagrid, I can assure you no one has decided any such thing. No one was even questioning any such thing. The only reason those letters were sent was because it seemed prudent, after the battle and all that ensued, to assume that some people might not be able to face Hogwarts again. Your rather. . . detailed letter impressed the Board of Governors. So, in fact, did the owl you found to deliver it. Although it was so heavy even that bird needed help through the window.â She eyed him sternly. âIn fact, I was most pointedly asked if I could promote you in some way. Not that that would have had any bearing on my decision if I had not already been wondering if you might take on another job for me. A job which I outlined in the letter which, it seems, you didnât bother to read, a practice which I caution you against in the future. I do expect our Heads of House to present a shining example to the rest of staff as well as the Wizarding World at large.â
âHeads of House? You wantâŚme, ter beâŚHead ofâ
âOf Gryffindor, of course, Hagrid. This is going to be a difficult year: a difficult year, and an important one. Things will not be the same as they were . . . â
âBefore Harry.â
âBefore Mr Potterâs tenure, then, and because they will not be what parents recall from their own days, Hagrid, they must especially not be in any way frightening or overwhelming for the students. Poppy will have an assistant â“ a healer from St. Mungoâs versed in Psychological Healing. There is no possible way that you can be replaced as grounds keeper, but I was hoping that I could make that up to you by having Grubbly-Plank teach some of your classes⌠otherwise it is all simply too much for one person. I thought perhaps the first, second and third years⌠although if youâ”â
âNo, thatâd be fine, fine, Professor. But what about opening the gate at night and such?â
âThere were, at one time, guard houses at the gate. Iâm having them rebuilt and manned by House Elves. They can come get you if you are needed. There has never been much late night traffic, has there?â
âNo, not reallyâŚâ Not before Harry came to Hogwarts and Voldemort got after him, murdering Unicorns, and. . .
âAnd if that does not work then we shall have to go on to change the plan. We cannot fail, Hagrid. The future of Hogwarts depends in some degree on what we are able to accomplish here this year. I do know that Hogwarts . . . â
âIs the greatest wizarding school in the world, anâ it always will be. You can count on me, professor.â He looked at her with large, clear eyes, eyes that were filling as he glanced up at the sleeping headmasters. âI was loyal to Dumbledore, an Iâll be loyal to you..â
She swallowed and looked out the window. âProfessor Dumbledore was an amazing man, and we shall not know the like of him again in our lifetimes, Hagrid. I know I cannot expect to be the headmaster he was. I shall have to forge on regardless, as my colleague Professor Snape did.â She took a strategic sip of tea, and seeing that Hagrid had none, summoned a large book from the table in the corner and transfigured it into a mug, adding tea from her pot and handing it to him. âWe all wishâŚHagridâŚhe hasnât spoken to any of us yet. But now that we know, we are all ashamed that we had little faith, although I must say in our defense it seems that that was crucial to the plan. StillâŚâ she lifted her cup âTo my immediate predecessor, to Severus Snape, the second Hogwarts Headmaster to die in the performance of his duties in living memory.â
He thought he might have heard her mutter, âLet us hope I do not make threeâ, but it was likely just a fancy of his stunned mind.
Slughorn studied the Headmistressâ door a moment before knocking. It was hard being back at the school for the first time since the battle. He was amazed at all the changes that had occurred in the castle and had taken a few wrong turns getting to the Headmistresses office. The Gargoyle at the base of the stairs was sitting straight again, and seemed back to his normal self. He had walked the halls with the other Professors, looking for wounded and saw it had been knocked over.
Taking a deep breath, Slughorn knocked.
âCome in,â came a brisk voice from behind the door. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall sat behind her desk. Slughorn thought he saw her brow furrowed in worry as he entered, but it was gone immediately.
Phineas Nigellus smiled when he saw who was entering. âSlughorn, it is great to see you back. Someone has to make sure Slytherin House doesnât get neglected.â
Minerva turned and frowned at Phineas. âI would never allow that to happen. I know you have many worries about that, but I assure you that intolerance against the Slytherins will not be acceptable behavior and will have its consequences.â She turned back to Horace and smiled. âWe were delighted to hear that you were willingly to come back this year. It will be a hard one for all of us, but Iâm afraid that Phineas has some backing to his fears. I intend to do my best to keep things running as smoothly as possible, but the older students from your house that have decided to return this year might find an unwelcome air from the other houses.â
âI expected as much, which is why I decided to return. I will do my best to bring to mind all the great Slytherinâs from the past including Phineas and Severus. I have been researching others from Slytherin House that brought honor to the house. I can speak about some of the students that were in my year here at Hogwarts who fought in the great war and even some high ranking people who fought at the Ministry to keep the Death Eaters out. Scrimgeour was a Slytherin, did you know that?â Slughorn asked.
Minerva smiled, âI think that might really help your cause. Iâm glad that you thought of it. I will help you get stories around about great Slytherins. Too many people think of it only as the house of Riddle and forget that it has existed as long as the school.â
Minerva updated Slughorn on the new parts of the castle and changes in school policy. A house elf entered when they were almost done, and she had to go off to take care of some matter in the kitchens. âI will see you shortly before term. If you need help with anything, let me know,â she said as she exited the office.
Slughorn studied the portrait of Snape behind her desk before standing and turning for the door.
âThey wonât make it easy for you, you know,â came a familiar sneer behind him.
Slughorn turned in shock and stared at Severus Snapeâs portrait again. âI never expected them to. There was too much harm done by the most notorious Slytherin ever to come to Hogwarts. At least Harry now talks about how brave you were. That might help my case.â
Though the sneering portrait met his eye, he didnât say another word. After realising he would get no more advice, Slughorn turned and left.
****
âFirsâ years. Firsâ years over here!â
Hermione had never heard a more beautiful sound, and had to pull yet another clean handkerchief from out of her pocket. It was so familiar, so comforting to hear that deep voice, to know that the huge, kind caretaker was shepherding yet another class of Hogwarts students to the castle, soâŚ
âThere ye are, Hermione! An you too, Luna. Yer both a right treat!â
A large head of bushy hair, far greyer than she ever remembered it, leaned down as equally huge arms engulfed her in a strong, gentle hug. âNow no tears, Hermoine, theyâd a none of âem wanted it. Not yer first night as Head Girl!â
His voice was full of pride, and it occurred to Hermione all at once that it was pride for her, a Mudblood who had made good, who had done what Hagrid had been prevented from doing and succeeded at Hogwarts beyond anyoneâs wildest dreams. Another tear came to her eye and she wiped it up, ignoring that it had been there.
âNo, no tears, Hagrid,â she said, shakily, with a smile. âNo tears, because, after all, we won, didnât we? And Hogwarts is opening again, and all will be right again.â
âAny signs of Blithering Humdingers, Hagrid?â asked Luna, in her best fuzzy and far off voice. âOr Plimpies? Dad is very interested in Plimpies at the moment.â
Hagrid put a hand on her shoulder. âWell, I canât say as Iâve seen any, but never you mind. Iâm only in charge of the usual run of Magical Creatures, you know â“ I couldaâ missed one or two. Now you ladies go on up to the Castle.â He looked at them both carefully. âItâs not all fixed yet, but theyâve done a fair bit, and weâve found a whole lot of forgotten things â“ Hermione, youâll be updating Hogwarts, a History before you graduate, mark my words.
âWhat kind of forgotten things, Hagrid?â she asked, unable to keep the interest out of her voice.
âYouâll see,â he smiled. âItâs â“ youâll see.â
All the prefects and the Head Boy had made short work of getting the rest of the students into the Thestral-drawn carriages, and Neville joined them in theirs.
âNeville, have I told you already that they made the best possible choice for Head Boy?â Luna asked dreamily.
âYeah, you have, Luna, but thatâs all right. You can keep on telling me. Itâs not a universal opinion, which makes it even nicer to hear,â he said, smiling. He turned to Hermione with a bemused expression. âSome of the Slytherins are afraid of me, could you imagine?â
She looked at him and broke out in a fit of teary giggles. âWell, you have lopped the head off the most conspicuous Snake ever seen at Hogwarts, of course the little snakes are going to be nervous!â She held a shaking hand up to her face. âCan your Dad put that in the Quibbler, Luna? Iâm sure Nevilleâs gran would love to see it.â
Luna nodded absently while looking ahead to get a first glimpse of the castle gates. âIâm a special correspondent this year. I can write it myself. Heâs very interested in the Petrician PhragmentiasisâŚâ She petered off, and then spoke up again. âThat is, the stones of the Castle seem to be repairing themselves, although from the rumours, itâs not â“ OH!
Hogwarts, as glimpsed from the carriages, was no longer a late medieval confection. The towers were different in shape from each other. Some of them seemed lower than they had been, some higher. Two had tiny slit windows, one a window with a conspicuous triangle shaped stain below it. The two halves of the gate were not of the same period or construction, although the iron grating between them seemed to be as they recalled. A few small, dumpy buildings dotted the lawns, and when Hermione thought about it, she realised she had never actually walked through where any of those small buildings were.
âNot the way it looked before, Luna?â said a shocked Hermione.
âNot the way it looked in our time, Hermione. I think it is very much some of the ways it looked beforeâŚâ
âBefore we were born â“ before anyone we know was bornâŚâ there was awe in Hermioneâs voice. âLuna, if the rumours are correct â“ if the castle is doing magic on itself, doing it fast enough for us to see it, to see the changes day to dayâŚâ
Luna nodded, and Neville stared in openmouthed awe.
*****
Draco Malfoy waited until most of the train was empty before emerging from his car. He wasnât sure what to expect from this year or how he would be treated. It was now known that he had joined the ranks of the Death Eaters, but it was also known that it was his mother that allowed Harryâs ruse of death to get past the Dark Lord. Most even knew that his family didnât fight in the battle, but dodged errant spells while looking for each other. He did have to help students get into the carriages since he still held his capacity as prefect. His fear was that it would have little meaning to those that returned to Hogwarts this year. It was very evident that many families didnât have faith in the school to educate their children. The train had been only half full, and it hadnât taken much effort to get a car all to himself.
Keeping to himself seemed to be his way of dealing with his uncertainty. It was clear that Harry had put his good word in for the Malfoy family, but it was also clear that many people blamed the Malfoys for some of the atrocities committed during the war. The funny thing was that other then the Dark Lord taking over their estate, there was very little the Malfoys had accomplished. It was his Aunt Bellatrix that had been the mastermind behind many of the crimes against the Muggles.
Draco had gained some power under the Carrows, but because of how far his family had fallen in the Dark Lordâs favor, it was very little.
Sighing, Draco entered a carriage himself and wanted to scream in frustration as Pansy Parkinson pushed her way in behind him. âSmall group of students this year, huh?â she asked.
Draco just grunted in reply. It was clear that Pansy was going to pretend that Slytherin hadnât fallen to the least favored house at Hogwarts. âWhat are you doing back this year? My father thought me coming back was a great way to show we were following the new Ministry and helping Hogwarts recover after the war.â
Pansy frowned. âMom thought I had nothing better to do, and since the Ministry wasnât recognizing most of our classes last year, she insists I get to take my NEWTS.â
âIt will be odd having classes with the students that were a year behind us through all our schooling. I guess they are hoping some students did learn something other then the Unforgivable Curses last year. Professor Snape made sure most the classes were above NEWT levels for us, so I donât see why they wouldnât just let us take them. This year will be such a bore.â Draco turned his back to Pansy and hoped sheâd leave him alone.
âI think it is a waste of time too, but at least it should mean less studying then normal, since weâve already done most of the classes.â Pansy smiled. âMaybe we can focus on other things. . .â
âDonât count on it Parkinson. Iâm keeping to myself this year and focusing on my classes. It doesnât matter that Iâve done most of it before.â Draco thought for a moment and then continued, âI will bet that the curriculum is different then normal this year. Havenât you looked around the grounds? This isnât the Hogwarts we knew. I think everyone will have to learn their way around as if they were a first year. The battle damaged too much of the castle for it to be the same.â
Pansy looked out of the carriage for a while, as if seeing things for the first time. âThere are a few new buildings that seem to have come from nowhere, but I donât see how that will affect things.â
âJust wait and see; we will be put to new tasks because of how Hogwarts is now.â Draco refused to say another word the rest of the way to the castle.
****
I am the Hat of Hogwarts and I sing of what I know
How valiant lives were lost here in a fight not long ago.
How every house has lost some,
How not one house is whole,
I know because I saw it and I sing because I know.
Gryffindorâs brave students,
Hufflepuffs loyal then,
Ravenclaws with brains a thawed
And Slytherinâs trusty man
We buried them outside here and the ground still shows the rents.
Each did their part for Hogwarts
As each of you must do,
And now I have to sort you so
My singing time is through.
Though sorting may not make me glad,.I know itâs time to start.
âOdd songâ Dean said, clapping.
âYeah, well, it was set on fire, after all. It may still be recovering,â Neville answered, with a shiver which everyone understood.
âI donât knowâŚâ said Hermione, thoughtfully. âThe hat has called for unity before. Maybe it is saying we are witches and wizards first, and house members second.â
âI canât believe thereâs a single person at the Slytherin tableâ said Lavender. âThe nerve of them.â
Hermione raised a hand. âNo one feels it more than the Weasleys, losing Fred, and Mr Weasley spoke very specifically to me before I left this morning. He said we all have to heal, and that means over looking things. Apparently, itâs not that different from being married.â
âWith all due respect, Hermione, if I ever have a wife who puts a hat on my head and lights it on fire, I suspect that may be the end for us,â Neville noted, dryly.
âAbsolutely, and I wouldnât stand for that either â“ but the point is, Voldemort is dead. Everyone has answered for what they did in one way or another. Crabbe is dead. Goyle wasnât let back. Why donât we look at them as people? We donât really know most of them at all. The few bad apples really seemed to season the whole bunch for us.â
âMalfoy is still here,â Dean noted.
âYes, he is. Would you want to be him? Would you?â
âWhy not?â Seamus asked âHeâs still got money, heâs still a Malfoy, heâs. . .â
âHeâs not Tom Riddle, and on his worst day, he never will be. If you need more convincing, see me in the Common Room.â
âNo thanks, Hermione. I wonât go around wearing an âI love Slytherinâ badge no matter how you hound me. I will keep my mouth shut for a week or two and see how it goes.â
âRight, and the first years, everyone? Weâre drawing names.â
âWeâre what?â
At that moment, the sorting itself began.
âAaswell, Hellebore,â McGonagall called out.
A tiny red headed girl stood up to the stool, which she was just large enough to mount, and the sorting Hat enveloped her head.
The House tables were half empty. The crowd of students waiting to be sorted could not have counted more than two dozen. If this was a new beginning, it didnât seem like an auspicious one.
Until the Hat called out âGryffindorâ and a hush fell on the Slytherins. They looked at Gryffindor, and then, a small Slytherin boy Hermione didnât know started clapping and calling out, âGood for you, Hell! Youâve always been the braver of us two!â
Slowly, the rest of the Slytherins joined in, although it didnât surprise anyone at the Gryffindor table that Malfoy didnât seem terribly enthusiastic, and that Pansy never did join in.
Borden, Elphias, Dunner, Michael and Gotherd, Dora were sorted â“ Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Ravenclaw. Then a tall, serious boy stood up and made his way to the front of the room.
âHe looks familiar. Whoâs that?â asked Lavender.
âHeâsâŚHeâs⌠He looks like Aberforth and Dumbledore, doesnât he?
âHardwerd, Alfredâ The hat sat on the boyâs head only covering part of his face. There was what seemed like a bit of a conversation, and then the Hat called out, âSlytherin.â
There was clapping from Slytherin, entirely expected. Then, Dennis Creavey stood up, and started clapping. Hermione jumped up and started pulling other Gryffindors to their feet, whispering, âClap, you fools, they clapped for us.â
Slytherin just stood there, amazed, as the Gryffindors rolled into cheering for their house like they rolled into everything - enthusiastically. Clapping was not enough. Calling out âYou guys got a good one!â and âGo for it Alfred! Youâre bound to be a success!â alternated with drumming tables with cups and a little spontaneous victory dance by Seamus.
At the eveningâs end, the twenty three students had sorted out as evenly as one could expect twenty three to sort into four. Ravenclaw was one short and untroubled by this.
Draco sat down at the Slytherin table and wanted to sink into the floor boards. It seemed that everyone at the other three tables kept taking sneaky glances at the few returning Slytherin students. What do they want? Us to disappear?
Pansy sat down at the opposite end of the table and pretended he didnât exist. She was mad because of how he had treated her. Draco didnât mind. He found himself sitting beside a red-headed second year. He thought he remembered the boy from the previous year, but tried hard to suppress the memory.
It was his plan to pretend the previous year had never happened, as best he could. It was hard to do considering his two companions from all his years at Hogwarts were absent. Goyle was under investigation by the Ministry and Crabbe would never walk anywhere again. It was funny how being without them didnât really upset Draco. He realised that they had never been his friends. Both of them had thought he could bring them power and popularity. That was the only reason they had been his goons.
Starting over was going to be hard. Draco looked around the Great Hall and knew it was going to be hard for the entire school. His gaze wondered to the table at the front of the hall. He was surprised to find Slughorn looking directly at him and he nodded when Slughorn gave a small wave.
As the sorting began, the boy beside him applauded as his sister was sorted into Gryffindor. Draco joined in the applause so he didnât bring more attention to himself. When the sorting finished, he was surprised to find the four new students sitting near him. Maybe he could move his focus to helping these new students break from the reputation that Tom Riddle had given his house. The hard part would be figuring out just how to do that.
****
Slughorn hadnât ridden the Hogwarts Express to the school like he normally did. The Slugclub was going to have a different purpose this year. It was his goal to help the students move forward into the world and not judge others by the houses they were in. His first move was to pull Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Ernie Macmillian, Zacharius Smith, Terry Boot, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Aaswell, and Hellebore Aaswell together to try to plan who else could help him. It was the best way he could see to heal the school and the future of the wizarding community. He picked the Aaswells because they seemed to understand that Gryfindor and Slytherin could get along. The others were leaders of their houses, and students he thought would be willing to help. He was also clever enough to watch and wait for a week before putting his plan into action.
Hermione looked with some amusement at the note which appeared by her plate. It looked familiar.
âYou got one too, Hermione?â Neville asked, holding his with a questioning look on his face. âAnd you too, Ginny?â
Ginny nodded and took an appraising glance at the teachers table, where Slughorn was sitting looking a tiny bit less â“ well, less. âHeâs lost a bit of weight, I see. I wonder if anything else has changed.â She stared down at the envelope.
âWell, there is no way to find out whatâs in here but to open it. She threw a dubious glance at the head table and slipped her finger under the wax seal to open the envelope and pull out the short note. âThatâs odd. Itâs written in rather ordinary language for Slughorn. A simple, ââMiss Granger, would you do me the kindness of attending a meeting of a vastly different Slug Club this evening. Iâve heard something about pulling names and I believe we can work together.â Look at yours, Ginny â“ see if itâs the same.â
Ginny pulled her note out and glanced at it quickly. âNo, not at all. âMiss Weasley, Would you be so kind as to attend a little meeting I am having this evening in my office. Your ability to sway your fellow students will be sorely needed to restore Hogwarts. I am hoping we can work together towards what must be our common goal.ââ
Looking up at Neville, her hand fell to the scared old wooden table. He shrugged and opened his, which was strikingly formal.
âDear Mr. Longbottom,
I hardly dare approach you after your heroic actions at the Battle of Hogwarts, but it is indeed those very actions themselves which make it imperative that you continue as a leader among our students. If you would care to attend a meeting tonight in my office, to which I have also invited your housemates Miss Granger and Miss Weasley. I beg you to please put aside any past actions of mine which may have seemed at the time to be less than appreciative of your abilities. You cannot possibly know how I regret them and how fervently I hope that you will be a greater wizard than I am, and overlook them. In any case,
I remain your humble servant,
Horace Slughorn.â
âLays it on a bit thick, doesnât he?â concluded Neville. âStill, if heâs willing to do things like the interhouse hosting Hermioneâs got in mind, Iâm for it. Gran says Slytherin wasnât evil when she was in school â“ snotty, yes, and very uppity, but not evil. So there ought to be a chance. I mean, if theyâre ambitious, they might just as well be ambitious to do good things, right?â While he did not look entirely convinced, he still looked up at the head table, caught Slughornâs eye, and nodded.
The professor let out a breath, as if heâd been holding it, and looked long at Hermione and Ginny. Eventually, Hermione nodded, and Ginny dipped her chin a fraction of an inch. Slughorn turned his face to the Ravenclaw table, where Luna was waving at him, and Hermione, with a smile on her face, ducked her head and began to eat.
******
Slughorn was relieved to get confirmation that the Gryffindors were willing to meet with him. His Slug Club this year was going to be devoted to healing, and not just be people who he thought could do him favours in the future. The Battle of Hogwarts had changed him more then he thought possible, and he knew it was a lasting change. Many people would have thought he was at an age past being able to change, but he now knew one sometimes had to take sides.
He had finally decided to side with Dumbledoreâs people and what he knew what right instead of just staying on the sidelines. Because of that choice he had to do what was right now and help the students get on with life and not make bad choices just because of where a fellow student had been sorted.
The Aaswells had been the first to nod approval to him. The Hufflepuffs were next. He had been holding his breath to see what Hermione, Neville, and Ginny would decide. When they had nodded their approval, he had felt a great burden lift from his shoulders. The only student who refused to catch his eye was Draco, and he was part of the key to Slughornâs plan.
Slughorn decided to do more then send the letter to Draco and wait. He finished eating and walked down the Hall to where Draco sat by himself. âMay I have a word with you, Mr Malfoy?â
Draco sighed and looked up. He had obviously finished eating and didnât look like he wanted to talk, but he nodded anyway.
âI would really appreciate if you would come to my meeting. There is a great riff in the houses, and my goal is to fix it. Slytherin is the one most misunderstood, and I think you could help me bring it back into favor. Our house hasnât always had a bad name, and by choosing not to help fight, it has alienated the rest of the school. We have to fix this and prove that we are not a bad lot. Please just show up. I need you.â Slughorn found he was holding his breath again, waiting for Dracoâs answer.
Draco stared into his cup of Pumpkin Juice for a moment, but the looked up. âI understand what you are trying to do, but Iâm not sure Iâm the correct person to be bringing a good name back to Slytherin. Too many people know what my family did to support the Dark Lord.â
Slughorn could see the pain that filled the boy in front of him. âThat is the exact reason I think you are the right person for the job. Your family didnât fight in the battle. That is common knowledge, and proves that they had changed. If a family that had been so entwined in the Death Eaters could change, then if proves there is hope. Your mother is the reason Harry was able to trick the others, and why we won. Even Harry gives her that credit. Please join me; there is no one else who can rally Slytherin House as you can.â
Draco looked Slughorn in the eye for a moment, as if measuring his words. âI will come, but I canât promise anything.â
Patting Draco on the shoulder, Slughorn stood up smiling. âThat is all Iâm asking for now.â
As Slughorn exited the Great Hall, a large shadow blocked his way. He looked up to see Hagrid standing there with concern on his face.
âYe gave out notes to some of me students, Professor. Iâd like ter know what they were about, anâ why ye couldnâ go through me.â
Horace Slughorn was not a man people normally stopped by standing in front of, but Hagrid was, of course, the exception. Horace was not particularly comfortable looking up into the eyes of his former student, his sometime drinking buddy. âNo need to beâŚâ he started off genially, but then, he breathed deeply and shook his head. âHagrid. Yes. Head of Gryffindor. I hadnât forgotten. Iâm rather in the habit of having these little parties andâŚâ
âAnâ yeâll clear anything yer invitinâ my Gryffindors to through me, or yeâll have me to deal with.â
âThereâs an invitation for you as well. I left it at your hut. Didnât you get it?â
âNo, Iâm livinâ inside now. Iâll jest go check that out, thank you very much,â Hagrid said, clearly suspicious that Slughorn was covering for himself.
âIâll go along with you. My first class isnât until second period today. Iâll tell you, along the way, we can walkâŚâ
âWell, fast then. Iâve got a first period class meself.â
Slughorn walked beside the half giant and found it very interesting that he was happy to be working with Hagrid on such an important subject. Hopefully together they could work on the rifts in the school Houses. âIâm no longer working on keeping myself comfortable. Now I hope to help all the students at Hogwarts to pull together and realise it will take every one of them time to heal what Voldemort has done to our world.â
Both Hagrid and Horace shuddered at the name, but Horace had come to the realisation that calling him You-know-who only extended the fear and pain caused by him. The name held no power now that he was dead, and sticking to the nickname proved power that no longer existed.
ââOw do you plan on gettinâ âem to work together? No offense, but most of the students think all Slytherins are bad news.â Hagrid had a look of worry on his face. âAfter what has just happened I âave to fight the same feelings.â
âIâm hoping that getting them together to talk and brainstorm they will find the answer to that problem. Only by working together can they learn to work together. Theodore and Hellebore Aaswell donât seem to mind being in opposing houses, and seem to have put all the stigma between Gryffindor and Slytherin aside. From what I can tell from talking to Theodore last night, they have always been close, and Iâm hoping the two of them will help heal some of the pain there.â Slughorn looked up to meet Hagridâs eyes. âMinerva knows what Iâm trying to do, and she doesnât have any better idea to help. The riff as it stands could separate these students for the rest of their lives. It is now or never to help them.â
Hagrid opened the door to his house and peered inside. Some of his stuff was still here, since he would be living here during breaks. He used the cabin to meet with Grawp and give Fang some room to run while he taught classes. Most of his classes still met out here too, so it wasnât out of use. âMy class should be here soon. Iâll try to help you as much as possible.â Picking up the promised letter, Hagrid turned back to Slughorn. âI understand whaâ youâre doinâ. Iâm not sure it will work though.â
âWe have to try. I donât want my Slytherins to walk in suspicion for life, just because of the house they were sorted into. The younger students donât even have a clue as to why the other students avoid them. Iâll see you this evening at the meeting.â Slughorn headed back towards the school.
***
Draco Malfoy tried to sneak a look into the room Slughorn had told him to come to without being seen. Too many people knew his background and Draco was skittish about coming here. Granger, Weasley, and Longbottom were talking at one end of the room. The young Aaswells were laughing at some joke told by another young student Draco didnât know. Boot, MacMillian and Smith were listening to something Granger was saying.
âAre you coming to the meeting?â asked a voice from behind him. Draco turned to see Luna Lovegood and a slightly younger student coming up behind him. It had been the other girl that had talked to him. She had light brown hair and clear blue eyes.
Draco nodded with some hesitation. âWe should head in together. I think that Professor Slughorn has brought us together to solve the problem of interhouse tension.â
Luna Lovegood smiled dreamily and nodded. She then drifted over towards the Gryffindors in the corner.
âYou donât seem to know me, Iâm Astoria Greengrass,â the girl introduced herself and held out her hand.
Draco paused, and then shook her hand. âDraco Malfoy,â he said.
Astoria laughed with a clear, joyful sound. âI know who you are. I think everyone in the school knows that! Iâm glad you came. I only see one Slytherin here other then you, and as the most misunderstood house, Slytherin really needs to be represented.â
Draco didnât know what to that, so he didnât say anything at all. Astoria looked a bit like Daphne Greengrass who was a Slytherin. If he remembered correctly, she had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Daphne had been upset when her sister had been sorted outside of Slytherin, but that is all he remembered.
Maybe this meeting wasnât going to be a total waste after all -- at least one person seemed happy that he was there.
Hagrid bustled in then, calling out, âHope nobody waited fer me. Iâve got some rock cakes, hot from the oven, here, let me put them on the table.
By a quick twitch of his wand, Horace kept the table Hagrid placed them on from toppling when the larger man bumped into it, and Draco bit back his knee-jerk reaction of OAF! All at once it popped into his head, for no particular reason, that his father had never brought a plate of cakes into a room with his own hands, and Hagrid âŚTaking a new, an entirely new look at the Half-giant, Draco realised that Hagrid wanted to please. He wanted the students to enjoy this party, and heâd brought along something heâd made himself. What had always struck him as âservant stuffâ took on a slightly different meaning. . . Maybe it was different when you decided to do it on your own.
The other students had clustered around the tables, starting to load plates with goodies of various kinds, when Astoria edged up next to him again and motioned for him to lean down a bit so she could whisper in his ear. âLuna says that Hermione warned her that Hagridâs rock cakes are full of good intentions â“ and possibly some real rocks. She suggests taking one, then sticking it in your robe pocket when no oneâs looking, and lose it outside later.â
He turned his head to look at Astoria, surprised. âThanks. Iâll do that.â Looking up, he saw Hermione and Luna standing next to each other, and nodded to them.
âThis is outrageous! Foreigners and MUDBLOODS in our common room? Gryffindors big brothering and big sistering our first and second years? Iâm writing mother â“ this place has finally gone to the dogs.â Pansy was storming around the Slytherin common room having a very loud fit â“ the kind he supposed her mother had in front of the children and the House Elves. He waited until she ran out of breath, and weighed in.
âTheyâre all British, Parkinson, and yes, Muggleborns as well. And donât forget that each house is having an open house common room once a month, so weâll get to see all of theirs. And as for big brothering the Gryffindors, you ought to know that half of life is who you know, and you never know who will be worth knowing. Potter is doing all right for himself at the moment. Weasley is too. Never would have thought that. Anyone with any ambition can see opportunity here.â
He lifted his wand and used it to stick up the paper chain decoration Aaswell and his sister had spent hours on in the Great Hall over the last few days. It had a link for every student in Hogwarts, all on the same plain white paper, and every link had a name. It looked plain, and he tried splashing a little silver over it, in sparkles. That looked better, but No reason to make the others mad this early in the game. He sprinkled some bronze, gold and a tiny bit of black in too. It was still an eyesore, but not quite as glaring. Parkinson had tanked up on oxygen and was setting forth again.
âWell, why you had to volunteer us to be first Iâll never know. This wonât last through Halloween, and we might have gotten out of doing it at all ifâŚâ
âParkinson, Slytherin has the most to gain and the least to lose. Much as it may stick in our craws, this is all being done for us So if you are smart, youâll shut your mouth and make nice at the party, or âŚâ
âOr what Malfoy? Or what? Your father is not on the board of governors, your father has isolated himself at home and mopes around the house all day. Just what do you think youâll do if I donât cooperate?â She was in a fighting mood, and suddenly, he was very tired, and very much his fatherâs son.
Without changing expression or tone of voice, he told her, succinctly, âWhat will I do? Why, Iâll call in the loans my father made to your mother, and tell your mother about your fatherâs visits to my fatherâs apartment in Muggle London, where your dad entertains whatever Muggle mistress heâs got at the moment. Oh, and one or two of those have disappearedâŚwe could look into that, or we could have the Muggle âplease menâ do it. Iâm fairly certain those Muggleborns you donât want in here could tell me how to make an anonymous tip to their law enforcement.
He watched her face crumple, before she screwed it up to start screaming that he was lying, and he raised his wand. âIf you donât want to be mute for the evening, put a sock in it, Parkinson. If I were you Iâd confront both parents privately, just to see how they reacted, before I started arguing with a man who just might be able to do what heâs threatening to do. Or have you lost all your Slytherin guile somewhere?â
Spluttering, she reined in her temper, and told him, sweetly, through clenched jaws, âIt will be rather crowded in here with the whole school coming down, wonât it? I think I had better go rest in my room. More space for everyone.â She turned on her heel and flounced off, and Draco bit back a smile. There were purebloods in other houses. It didnât seem like he was limited to Slytherin anymore, not when the argument could logically be made that an interhouse marriage might help the familyâs crumbling social position. There was suddenly an upside to the evening to come which he had not anticipated.
**
âHermione?â the young girl standing next to her, Astoria, seemed to want to ask a question privately, from the look on her face, and Hermione edged over closer. She was no fool â“ she had casually kept her back to the wall so far this evening. It was hard to stand in the Slytherin Common room and pretend it was normal.
âHi, Astoria, are you enjoying the party?â Hermione asked.
âYeah, it is very interesting seeing the Slytherinâs Common room. It is a bit drab though.â Astoria paused and swallowed hard. âI was wondering if you could tell me why Draco Malfoy seems isolated and hated by all the Muggleborns. I knew you were one, so I thought you could tell me. I have also noticed he has been ignored by almost everyone since the war last year.â
Hermione looked shocked for a moment. That was the last thing she thought Astoria would be asking about. âWell, the Malfoyâs have always believed in the purity of blood. Draco is notorious for calling Muggleborns Mudbloods. You had to have heard him. . . but then you are in a different house so you might have never noticed. As to how others avoid him since the war, it is known that he had been a Death Eater and served Voldemort during the war. The other Slytherins do seem to think he sold out by not fighting in the final battle, while the other students know that he didnât fight for us, even if he didnât fight against us.â
Astoria seemed to take in Hermioneâs words. âThanks Hermione. Iâll talk to you later. I appreciate you answering my questions so honestly.â
Hermione was going to say No problem but Astoria had already wondered away with a look much like Luna often had on her face.
Draco watched as most of the students seemed to be having fun. He was glad that the darkness of the Slytherin dungeons didnât seem to take the fun out of the party. Slughorn had pulled lots of strings to have top notch food and drink at this first of four planned parties. The decorations had really brightened the common room and gave it a festive atmosphere that Draco had never seen there before. A live band played on a makeshift stage on one side of the room.
The shadows felt safe to him. Here he could observe, but go unnoticed. It was weird to think of it, but he wanted everything to go as Slughorn had planned. Some of the other houses seemed to be chatting to his fellow Slytherins and asking them about some of the paintings and sculptures around the room. It was a start to heal the wounds of the school.
A warm hand touch his shoulder, and he turned, startled towards Astoria Greengrass. Obviously he hadnât gone totally unnoticed.
âDraco,â Astoria said with hesitation, âI was wondering if I could talk to you a moment.â
Draco wondered what this could be about. Smiling, he said, âYou already are.â
âI guess I am,â Astoria grinned back. âI know that there is a lot of friction between you and the rest of the school. Your family was cleared of all charges due to your mother helping Harry. I always see you alone and you look sad. I was thinking and it occurred to me that if you showed that you had changed and were less against Muggleborns then people might more readily accept you. Maybe you could ask Hermione Granger to dance.â
Draco was stunned that anyone had even noticed how alone he had been. The only people that had talked to him were Pansy and others who wanted something from him. Astoria Greengrass was a very interesting person. Maybe he would have to get to know her better. He could be nice to Muggleborns, but would still have to marry a pureblood. His father wouldnât accept anything else.
Grinning now, Draco nodded to Astoria and crossed the room to where a startled Hermione Granger watched cautiously as he approached. A fast song started and Draco offered his hand. âMay I have this dance?â
Hermione stood there speechless for a moment, but then took his offered hand and entered the dance floor.
****
Slughorn watched as everyone seemed to have a great time. It was now getting time for the party to wind down. The band would play only a few more songs. A gasp was audible above the loud music of the band. Everyone in the room looked on in amazement as Draco Malfoy pulled Hermione Granger out onto the dance floor.
Hagrid walked up and patted Horaceâs shoulder hard, almost knocking him to the floor. âLook at thaâ. . . never woulda âmagined Malfoy and âermione being civil to each other, let alone dancing together.â
âNeither would I! Maybe there is hope for the school to pull back together after all,â Horace said with a laugh.
Hogwarts, Reunited by ProfPosky, Cheshlin
Story Notes:
Thanks to Harry4lif for her amazing last-minute beta work! Any mistakes you see are strictly our own!