Ending The Sacred Twenty-Eight (Dramione)

Flashback to How It All Began

FLASHBACK

Potions Class

September 1998

Contrary to what many had thought, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was fully repaired in time to reopen four months after a battle had destroyed nearly half of its buildings and grounds.

And contrary to what the school’s Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, feared, all surviving students returned to continue their education and the number of first-years was as high as ever.

The 7th-year students who had abandoned school or were unable to sit their N.E.W.T.s the previous year were named 8th-years and given a separate Common Room with individual dormitories to help them escape unwanted attention and questions from their peers who hadn’t fought in the war.

Other changes were made throughout the school; in its curriculum, Muggle Studies had become a compulsory subject for all the first three years.

Also, the Slytherin students who had returned had to take that class as part of their agreement with the Ministry.

No teenagers had been sent to Azkaban without a trial, and their trials were the ones who caught the most attention in the public’s eyes.

But out of all the trials, no other caused the commotion that the Malfoys’ did.

All three family members were cleared of their involvement in the war.

Why? How?

Two-thirds of the Golden Trio spoke on their behalf.

Harry Potter told the Wizengamot and the whole magical community how Narcissa Malfoy had saved him and how without her help he would’ve been killed before having a chance to kill Voldemort.

And Hermione Granger told them how Draco had refused to identify them when they had been captured. And also how disturbed he was during his sixth year – bringing forth that he had always been one of the best students in their year. “Only second to me.” Were her words and that had been the first time he had smiled in a long time.

The Gryffindor Princess had defended the fallen Slytherin Prince; either the nightmare was truly over or Draco had gone insane while Voldemort lived at his house.

Lucky for him it was the first option.

But a lot of people didn’t agree to the absolution of the Malfoys, feeling affronted by the full pardon they had been granted.

But that was how Draco returned to Hogwarts one last time.

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The new promotion of House-Unity was great – for the first years.

For those who had already been there, it meant 1) to depend of their classmates change of heart or 2) suffering for being “wannabe death eaters”.

For reason #2, Draco, Pansy, Blaise and Theo sat in the back of the Potions class, pondering how Slughorn's new rule would pay out for them; the Potions professor had ordered that no one could partner with someone from their own House in his class.

“Fuck.” Cursed Theo. “Down the drain went my plans to let you give me good marks this year, Drake.”

“Don’t call me that.” Draco growled.

“This stupid inter-House cooperation bullshit!” complained Pansy. “Now I get it why many of us willingly dropped out of Potions, they must have learned old Sluggy was going to do this shit.”

“You need the Potions N.E.W.T.s to work with cosmetics, Pans.” Blaise reminded her.

She just glared at him, mad he had reminded her she had to suffer through that to be able to work her dreamjob.