Desolation Row | A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 3

I filed into the Great Hall, following Blaise, and looked up to the ceiling. For six years the ceiling of the Great Hall had amazed me, the way in which it imitated the night's sky outside was fascinating to me.
Everyone around me was talking as we sat down at the Slytherin table and I scanned the crowd still entering for any sign of Draco, however it was to no avail. Once everyone was sat down, Professor McGonagall led in a trail of first-years and I tried to smile politely at them, however, being sat at the Slytherin table had its disadvantages; clearly these first-years thought we were all Death Eaters. I flinched at my thoughts as my mind became occupied with Draco again - where was he? As the Sorting Hat sang, my mind wandered and I went through many scenarios of where he could be, each as ludicrous as the last. There was a spare seat between me and Pansy for when he came back, if he came back. I hadn't even noticed that the Hat had stopped singing until a first-year was sorted into Slytherin and my table erupted with roaring applause.
By the end of the sorting, we had gained a few new Slytherins and they were sitting a few seats down from us; Goyle was cracking his knuckles menacingly at them from my left. I put my arm on his.
"L-leave them-them a-alon-ne G-Greg." I said sweetly and his hands fell to his sides (to the relief of more than one first-year).
After his usual speech, Dumbledore clapped his hands before sitting back down and all of a sudden the tables before us filled with all kinds of different foods. It was an unspoken rule of the Slytherin table that you waited for Crabbe and Goyle to finish getting their food before you got yours. Often, first-years learnt this the hard way and forgetful second-years were reminded in much the same manner. While I waited for Crabbe and Goyle to get their food, my head turned to face the doors to the Great Hall, once again wondering where Draco was but then, the doors creaked open. Everyone fell silent as a pale, blond Slytherin in a black suit walked through the entry-way.
"What do you think you're looking at?" Draco spat and everyone hastily went back their food.
He came to sit between me and Pansy but didn't talk to either of us, he didn't even return the small smile I offered him. I reached over to touch his arm but he flinched and pulled it towards him without a word. Pansy smirked at this and she ran her hand over Draco's shoulders, expecting him to let her. Instead, he threw her arm off with a grunt.
"Don't touch me." All of the emotion had left his voice again and his expression was vacant.
My appetite faltered due to Draco's quietude and for the rest of the feast I ate sparsely. Draco, however, ate nothing.
Just as the main meals disappeared and were replaced with puddings, the doors to the Great Hall opened again and in came Harry Potter. He had dried blood all over his face and was moving hurriedly towards the Gryffindor table. I stared after him and them turned back to see Draco talking animatedly about how he had broken the 'Chosen One's' nose. Usually I would have made fun of him but this time I was not impressed and tried to make sure Draco noticed. First of all, he knew how I felt about him getting into fights and secondly, if he was so willing to gloat about his violent acts then why, at least, wouldn't he talk to me too. It was almost like I wasn't there. It was just like he had been back on the train. I sighed and looked down at my lap, now my appetite was completely gone and I was disinterested in pudding. Suddenly, the tureens disappeared and Dumbledore stood up.
"The very best of evenings to you!" He spread his arms wide as he spoke and I noticed that his right hand was blackened and dead-looking and I allowed a small gasp; so did everyone else.
Dumbledore smiled at the whispers flowing around the room like electricity and simply pulled the sleeve of his robe down over his hand in a dismissive manner.
"Nothing to worry about." he spoke as though it didn't bother him at all. "Now, to our new students, welcome; to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you..."
A fight had broken out between Goyle and Blaise and they were angrily whispering at each other.
"G-guys!" I whispered. "Sh-shut up!"
"-and Mr Filch, our caretaker has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."
I heard Crabbe snort from across the table; he hated the Weasleys.
"Those wishing to play for their house Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise. We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year." Slughorn stood up. "Professor Slughorn is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old position as Potions Master."
"Potions?" hissed Pansy. "So that means-"
"Professor Snape, meanwhile, will be taking over the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"No!" yelled Harry Potter loudly but his cry was quickly drowned out by the tumultuous applause that echoed from the Slytherin table.
Snape did not stand up but waved a lazy hand in acknowledgement of our applause and I could see a look of triumph on his face. Dumbledore cleared his throat in an attempt to quiet the din and regain attention and it worked for the majority but Draco had decided he couldn't be bothered anymore and was making his fork hover with his wand, the look on his face showing that it was a hard graft that required a lot of concentration. This was odd; I knew Draco didn't have a problem with charms which meant he was focusing on something else.
"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining strength."
I dropped a discrete glance at Draco and noticed that he was paying even more attention to his fork.
"I cannot emphasise strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways , but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you find them - in particular, the rule that you are not allowed to be out of bed after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and each other's safety." Everyone was silent as Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over us all. "But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say goodnight. Pip pip!"
Hundreds of students pushed back their benches and the Hall was suddenly filled with a horrendous scraping the noise and the noise of hundreds of footsteps as people rushed to their dorms.
When we reached the common room, everyone was filing in through the open door (this year's password was 'Pureblood' again to make it easy enough for the first-years to remember).
My feet dragged as I pushed the door to the sixth-year girls' dorm open and moved to my bed. Pansy was watching me from the other side of the room as I changed into my pyjamas and flopped onto my bed, moving Buchanan from my pillow so that I didn't lie on him, falling asleep almost straight away and pushing any thoughts of Draco to the back of my mind.