Harry Potter and the Year of Surprises by erinpotter

Into College

‘Do you all know each other?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Goodness me! I don’t think that has ever happened before. Certainly not in my time! And I've been here a while!’

What are you talking about?’ Draco asked.

‘Not many people are aware of quite how hard it is to become an auror. We only admit five people every year, and for you all to know each other, well, it's rare.’

‘Only five people? Every year? That’s not a lot.’ Ginny said.

‘I know. So, who are you?’

‘I'm Hermione Granger, and this is…’

‘I'm sure the rest of these people can speak for themselves, can they?’

‘Yes, they can…’ Hermione trailed off. 

‘Well, I'm Harry Potter.’ Harry said, immediately not liking Kathy for being rude to Hermione.

'I've been expecting you, wasn’t sure what year you were in, though.’

‘I'm Ginny Weasley.’ 

‘I'm Ron Weasley.’ 

‘Do we have a set of twins? Ah, how nice!’

‘No, actually we’re not.’ Ginny said in disgust.

‘Then how can you be in the same year?’

‘Ginny got moved up a year because she’s really smart.’ Ron said, proudly.

‘Ooh, nice. And who’s this lovely blonde fellow?’

‘Draco Malfoy.’

‘Nothing to the Malfoy’s of Malfoy Mansion, I presume.’

‘The very same.’

‘What? Who admitted you!?’

‘We aren’t all the same, Miss LaTeirri. I want nothing to do with the dark arts.’

‘I shall have to keep an eye on you, young man. Now, here!’ she threw a piece of paper at them. ‘Find your own way to your rooms. I cannot be bothered.’

Harry snatched the map off the table and stormed out of the office, extremely annoyed at the rudeness of the woman who was to be their mentor for the next four years. 

Harry looked at the map and saw a few lines, but no distinguishing things that he could look out for. He tried to apparate, but realised that he didn’t know where he was going. Harry threw the map at Hermione who couldn’t decipher it either.

‘Give it here, Hermione.’ Draco said. He looked at it for a while then said, ‘We’re going that way.’

‘How do you know?’ Harry said.

‘I did a course in orienteering a few summers ago. I can read maps pretty well.’

‘Oh cool. This way, then?’

‘Yeah.’ Draco led them the whole way to their rooms. There were two rooms. One on either side of the corridor. One had three name plaques on it, the other had two. One was for the boys and the other was for the girls. 

‘Shit. We’re in separate rooms.’ Ginny said, squeezing Harry’s hand.

‘I bet it was that woman. She’s a right bitch!’

‘Look, Harry. Just go into your room and have a look about. It's not like we won't ever see each other. I'm just across the corridor. I'll see you in a bit.’

Harry followed Ron and Draco into their room and Ginny followed Hermione into theirs. Harry walked in, expecting to find three beds and a bathroom, and perhaps a common room, but he was badly mistaken. The first room he walked into was a kitchen. There was a cooker, cupboards, saucepans and everything else a kitchen has (except food). Then there was a sitting room, quite like their common room back at Hogwarts, a bathroom and a bedroom each. It like an apartment. 

‘This is really cool!’ Ron said. ‘Only there’s a slight problem.’

‘What? There are no problems! This place is quality!’ Harry said.

‘Well, the kitchen may suggest that we have to cook for ourselves. I’ve never cooked much more than a slice of toast!’ he wailed.

‘How do you cook toast?’ Draco asked.

‘Have you ever cooked? Anything? Ever?’ Harry asked Draco.

‘Well, there was this one time where I…actually, no. I haven’t.’

‘Holy God! Never? I've been cooking since I was about five! I used to have to cook most of my meals!’

‘That’s horrible.’ Ron said.

‘It's slave labour!’ 

‘It's not though. Well, it is when you’re five, but people our age should be able to cook. I bet the girls can.’

Just then Hermione came bursting through the door. ‘Oh my God! Have you seen the kitchen? It means we have to cook ourselves! I'm going to die of starvation!’

‘Or not...’ Harry muttered.