Not Mine, belongs to erinpotter on HPFF
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After a dinner of roast chicken and potatoes, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny made their way to the Gryffindor common room for the party. When they got to the fat lady, they saw a sign beside her. It was a note scribbled in Dean’s messy writing. ‘Fourth year and below, please go through this door. Admittance to the common is not allowed until at least four o’clock this morning!’ and there was a big arrow pointing left. Harry looked, and sure enough, there was a small door. He assumed that it lead to the dorms.
They made their way to the common room, where there was very loud music playing. Seamus and Dean were jumping around like complete nutters. Someone told Harry that they were dancing. Neville was sitting in the corner, laughing with a fifth year. Harry went over and sat beside him.
‘Alright, Neville!’ he shouted over the music.
‘Hi Harry! Yeah I'm fine!’
‘Are you sure about tonight. Don’t feel as if you have to!’
‘I'm sure! Don’t worry! I want to see what it's like to be the Slytherin for a change! And I'll get to see what it's like to have people worship the ground I walk on!’
‘Are you sure, though?’
‘Positive! Now go away and don’t come back until ten o’clock!’
Harry made his way back to Ron, Hermione and Ginny who had perched themselves in their old favourite seats. They each had a butterbeer and Ginny was holding one for Harry.
‘Is he still up for tonight?’ Ginny asked, handing over the bottle.
‘Yeah! He seems really excited about it, actually.’ Harry replied, sitting down and taking a long drink of butterbeer.
‘Well, at least he won't have to pretend to any of the teachers. We don’t have classes anymore!’ Ron said, grinning from ear to ear.
‘Yes we do, Ron. We still have to be in class for the next three weeks.’ Hermione scowled.
‘Yeah, but we won't be doing anything. Just messing around, playing snap, you know. Like fifth year.’ Ron said knowingly.
‘Yeah, if you think so.’ Hermione muttered.
The party went on and with much arguing with Hermione and the threat of detentions for the last three weeks of school, Dean turned the music down. Everyone settled themselves around the fire and were all talking about what they wanted to do when they left.
‘Me and Lavender are opening our own beauty parlour!’ Parvati announced, like it was the best career you could have.
‘And you think that’s going to be successful?’ Hermione said, sceptically.
‘Well, look at Fred and George. They opened their own shop and are rolling in it now!’ Lavender said.
‘Yeah, but people are actually interested in their jokes and stuff.’ Ron said, holding back his laughter.
‘People will be interested in our stuff!’
‘Lavender, why did you stay on at school to get NEWTs, if all you are going to do is open a shop? You don’t need qualifications to be a beautician.’ Seamus said.
‘Yeah, but daddy said that if I stayed on, he’s buy me the premises and help us start up.’
‘I see.’ Dean said. ‘Well, I'm going to be a healer!’
‘Really?’
‘That’s great!’
‘I'd have never thought you’d be a healer!’
‘No, me either!’
‘It's really worthwhile!’
‘Yeah,’ Dean said, casually. ‘I just wanna help people.’ All the fifth and sixth year girls started swooning over him, saying how lovely he was.
‘I'm going to work for the ministry! I've got a training post in the minister’s office!’ Seamus said.
‘Wow, Seamus! Really? In the minister’s actual office?’
‘That’s really great for just stepping out of school.’
‘Well, you know.’ he said, with the same casual air Dean had. ‘They all say I've got great potential. And I could even be minister one day. You never know.’
And suddenly the entire girls’ attention was on Seamus.
‘What about you, Neville?’ Harry said, diverting the attention.
‘Oh, I'm coming back here.’
‘What do you mean?’ Hermione said.
‘Well, Professor Sprout says that she’ll be retiring in a few years and she’ll need someone to take over from her. She’s got permission from the headmaster to train me as a teacher.’
‘Well done, Neville! You’ll be absolutely wonderful at that!’ Ginny told him.
‘You’ll enjoy it as well, won't you?’ Ron said.
‘Yes, it's all I've ever wanted to be.’
None of the girls suddenly became besotted with Neville, but he was unaffected.
‘What about you, Harry?’ Seamus asked. ‘Got any plans?’
‘I was thinking of applying to the ministry to train to be an auror.’
Every single girl in the room (except Hermione) looked lustfully at Harry, they all fancied him, and now the added thought of him becoming a dark wizard catcher, gave him an air of danger.
‘You’ve definitely got the body for it.’ a cheeky sixth year said. ‘You’re VERY fit.’
‘Oy, hands off Isobel!’ Ginny said, with a warning look.
Everyone laughed.
‘I'm going to be an auror too!’ Ron said. ‘If I can, that is.’
Some of the girls moved their attention to Ron, but most kept their eyes glued on Harry.
‘And so are Hermione and Ginny,’ Ron continued. ‘We all wanna be out there, catching the dickheads that start the wars in our community.’
Isobel looked at Ron. ‘Yeah, you’re quite fit, too.’
Hermione muttered something under her breath and Isobel suddenly started sprouted lots of hairy warts all over her face. She ran off to her dorm screaming.
Everyone started at Hermione, looking shocked.
‘What? They’ll be gone in an hour!’
Everyone laughed.
Pretty soon it was half nine, and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny said goodbye to everyone, claiming that they would be back later. Neville climbed out of the portrait hole after them.
‘Ready, Neville?’ Harry said.
‘As I’ll ever be.’
They made their way to their tower first, to get a quill and some parchment to write the list of people on. Harry also had to take his invisibility cloak. Neville was mesmerised by the grandness of the tower. He was quickly snooping through all the files, looking at his own small file. It mainly consisted of notes about his uselessness in potions class, and his wonderfulness in Herbology, but there was also a small note about the department of mysteries and how well he had handled the situation.
Soon, they were on their way to the room of requirement. Harry paced the wall and thought, ‘I need a place where we can perform a spell, the place where Malfoy is.’
The door appeared and they all stepped in. Malfoy was already there. He greeted them.
‘Hi Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny. Hello Neville. Look, it's really cool of you to do this for us. Thanks.’
Neville almost whimpered, but managed to stand up straight and shake Malfoy’s outstretched hand. ‘No problem. I'd do anything for my friends, especially Harry.’
‘Okay, Draco.’ Hermione said with a slight shake in her voice. It was the first time she had ever been civil to Malfoy. ‘You need to take Neville and show him where Slytherin common room. And which is your dorm. Remember to wear the invisibility cloak, Neville. And then, Neville, you must give Draco the cloak and show him your common room and dorm. We’ll stay here and make up the list of people.’
Draco and Neville nodded as Harry chucked them the invisibility cloak. Neville put it on and they left.
Hermione sat down at a table and put the quill to the parchment.
‘Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape.’
‘Is there anyone else who needs to be on this list?’ she asked.
Harry looked. ‘Nope. I don’t think so.’
‘Yeah, put Luna’s name on it.’ Ginny said.
‘Oh yeah.’ Hermione said, and wrote down. ‘Luna Lovegood.’
About half an hour later, Draco and Neville returned. Hermione showed them the list and asked if there was anyone else they wanted on it. They both said no.
Hermione rolled up the parchment and gave it to Malfoy. She made them stand back to back and got out her wand. She waved it around for a few minutes, muttering something that sounded like Latin, and then, after about five minutes of her walking around them, Neville and Draco rose into the air together. There was a bluish light around them and a silver band started to form around them. Then, they started to descend and they landed softly on the floor.
‘I don’t feel any different.’ Draco said.
‘You don’t look any different.’ Ron told him.
‘You won't look any different to us and you won't feel any different. We can only hope that the spell worked. Neville. You go out and go into the Slytherin common room. If they all attack you, then come up and tell us.’ Hermione said, as everyone laughed.
‘Is that it, though? The map still says Neville is Neville and Draco is Draco.’ Harry said.
‘It would! Look, the only thing we can do is go out and wait till someone recognises Draco and Neville! If they don’t, then the spell didn’t work.’
‘What map?’ Draco and Neville said in unison.
‘Oh, nothing.’ Harry said. ‘Shall we go?’
They left the room of requirement and wished Neville luck as he made his way to the Slytherin common room. Draco was feeling rather awkward, as were Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
‘Look, I'm sorry for the past seven years of being a dickhead.’ he said, when they reached the end of the corridor. ‘You might not believe that I'm not a crazy death eating lunatic, but could you give me a chance?’
‘Yes, of course, Draco’ Hermione said, touching his arm.
‘Yeah, mate. We’re sure you’re not evil. Well, to be honest, we aren’t. But Harry is so, we’re willing.’
‘Yep, just don’t fuck us about, alright.’ Ginny said. Draco looked scared at her use of bad language, until she smiled at him.
‘Yes, okay. I won't fuck you about!’ he laughed, and turned the completely the wrong way. Everyone laughed.
‘We’re going this way, mate.’ Ron said, between giggles.
‘Oh, I see. Where are we going?’
‘Well, we’re heading off to our tower first, and then we’re gonna go to a party!’ Harry told him.
Oh, a party! Where at?’
‘Gryffindor common room. No one throws a party like the Gryffindors, trust me.’ Ginny said.
‘How do you know, don’t listen to her.’ Hermione said.
‘I've been to a party in both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, actually! And they didn’t compare to Gryffindors whatsoever!’ she said, sticking her tongue out at Hermione.
They went into their tower and Draco was just as impressed as Neville had been. He looked around at the files and at the books in the book shelf. Harry went and left his cloak and map in his room and they left to go to the party.
They went in again and Harry knew from Dean and Seamus’ faces that they knew that this Neville was Draco. Harry beckoned them over to the corner.
‘Look, he’s going to be sleeping in your dorm and stuff so please, just be normal, okay? I'll let him know that you know who he is. Just give him a chance, he’s a nice guy. And Seamus, make this the best party ever! We need to let the Slytherins know that WE know how to party!’
Seamus and Dean grinned and ran off to sort out the music.
Draco looked around the common room, taking in everything. It was all so…red! He felt as though he wanted to stay here forever. It was very warm and cosy. The Slytherin common room was cold, with lots of green and black leather sofas. The fire was never lit and the floors were covered in tiles. In here, there were carpets and rugs and the massive fire that never went out. Some people were looking at him. He forgot that he was supposed to be Neville and be used to these surroundings.
‘Oy, Neville!’ Draco didn’t turn around.
‘Neville! Hello? Anyone in there?’
Hermione poked him in the side. ‘Neville! That fifth year is calling you! His name is Peter. You get on very well with him! Go over there!’
Draco made his way to Peter and greeted him.
‘Hi Peter! What's up?’
‘I was just wondering about tomorrow. You know, we were going to go and sort out the mimbulus mimbletonia you planted last year?’
‘Oh, right! I'm actually not able to go, but I've asked a friend of mine, Draco Malfoy to do it for me. Why do you look so frightened?’
‘You mean THE Draco Malfoy?’
‘Yeah, how many others do you know?’
‘You’re friends with him?’
‘Yes.’
‘He’s evil, you know! He’s a Slytherin as well! In fact he’s-’
‘He’s THE Slytherin, yes I know. But he is a nice guy, really. Quite like me. Just go and meet him.’
‘I think I'll pass, actually.’ Peter said, and edged away from the table.
Draco made his way back to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
‘I'm like the devil in here, aren’t I?’ he said to Ron.
‘Why?’ Ron replied, stuffing his face with cake.
‘That guy over there. I mention the name Draco Malfoy to him; he shits himself and runs away.’
‘Well, yeah mate. I mean, Slytherins and Gryffindor are arch enemies. Everyone’s got this idea in their head that you are the chief Slytherin, and well that more or less makes you the devil.’
‘Hmmm. I suppose it's like Harry. In Slytherin, we’ve got a dartboard with his face on it.’
‘Yeah, we’ve got one of you in the boys’ bathroom. I expect the girls have one of Pansy.’
Draco laughed. He looked quite different to Ron. Every other time he had saw Draco Malfoy laughing; it was a sneering, evil laughing. Tonight, it was a genuine laugh.