"I'm in control, oh don't you worry about that," Ron says to him solemnly.
Hermione looks back at them.
"Some sort of secret you guys want to tell me?" She asks them, raising both her eyebrows.
"No, nothing," Harry says quickly, as Ron nods vigorously.
Hermione shrugs, and continues to walk with Ginny until they find a seat in the great hall.
"Good Evening Students!" Dumbledore bellows, as the whole hall erupts with claps.
"Mighty fine response from all of you this year! All you first year students curious and excited, and all the other years waiting with anticipation to know what happens next? I'm happy to answer all your questions after the grand feast!
But before that, as all of you already know, the first years will be sorted into their respective houses,"
Dumbledore grandly says, as he holds the famous sorting hat in his hand, who smiles menacingly at the first year students who are gathered at the front of the hall.
Hermione's stomach churns. This had been one of the scariest moments of being a witch in Hogwarts when Hermione entered her first year.
The Sorting Ceremony.
She now observes the timid first years, some shivering under their robes, some looking quite confident. She had gone through all these emotions, and feels a rush of thrill inside for these young kiddies!
The Sorting Ceremony begins. Each kid is called one by one, as The Hat is placed on top of them. The terror in their eyes is real when it's placed on top of their heads, as it shouts out the house name.
Sighs of relief and some sighs of disappointment fill the hall, and the sorting ceremony is over in the blink of an eye. The feast begins, to everyone's surprise. First years gasp and Marvel at the delicious food that pops out of nowhere and onto their table!
On the other side of the hall, is Draco Malfoy, looking at all the happy first years. He sighs deeply, starting to dig in.
Then suddenly, a first year student comes running towards him, in his direction.
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"Hi! I saw you from down there. Your white hair really stands out! I'm Ruby, Ruby Miracle. I'm in Slytherin, so please help me out!" She says cheerfully to Malfoy.
"Huh? Well, aren't you a bit too cheerful to be in Slytherin? Should've placed you in Hufflepuff for being so naive, coming to me like that." Draco sniggers.
But this little fiery spirit doesn't give up.
"Oh don't be like that, I'm sure we'll get along well together. I've heard about you, y'know? You're pretty famous among my own family. Pureblood. Probably the Slytherin Heir-"
"Calm yourselves down and stop spewing nonsense. First of all, I'm not your friend for you to be talking so casually to me." Draco says, annoyed.
"I'm determined to become your friend Draco Malfoy." Ruby says, persisting.
Draco sighs, almost giving in.
"Well then, scooch over Crabbe. Let's give Little Miracle a place beside us," Draco says, patting an empty place beside him.
Ruby grins and eagerly sits beside Draco.
Draco ever so slightly smiles at her, but doesn't let it show.
He's somehow fond of the idea of a cute little first year friend following him around.
It cheers him up a little, and serves as a distraction from his real hurt feelings.
He slowly steals a glance at Hermione, who's laughing at something one of the stupid Weasley twins says.
Huh? Weasley twin and Hermione?
Why does this make Draco's blood boil?
Ruby sees Draco clench his fists. She reaches out to ease them out.
She then follows Draco's vision to see where he's looking at.
"That girl. She's known to be smart isn't she? Well? You like her?" Ruby says.
"What? How can you be so absurd? That's rubbish." Draco retorts, red in the face.
"Okay okay, just thinking out loud. There isn't a need to snap," Ruby says.
But deep down, Ruby knows, that Draco is hurt by the scene that is playing out right in front of him. A flirtatious, yet intimate scene.
She somehow realises that Hermione might have been a good friend of Draco before.
Ruby Miracle smirks to herself, ready to play cupid.
Afterall, uniting people is one of her strong suits.
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