Fighting Destiny

The Headmaster of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood before his body of students with open arms.

“Students of Hogwarts.”

Silence roamed over the students.

“I am more than pleased to announce a new competition that will be carried through the school for the rest of the year.”

Silence still took over the students who were now very curious to what the Headmaster was talking about.

“In out attempt to bring about skill, self-control, and most importantly school unity, we will be arranging for a selected amount of Hogwarts students to hold different living arrangements.”

The Headmaster could see Mr. Zabini and Mr. Weasley eying him intently but the Headmaster refused to falter under their glare.

“The competition is to test those who have been selected to share quarters with one another to actually deal with living with each other without giving way to rivalry thus, bringing together the three qualities mentioned. The sleeping quarters will be held in secrecy. To warn other students ahead of time please listen carefully. If you try to follow one or the other in order to find out where they are resting you will be caught. There are detectors and the charms are unbreakable. Class scheduals have been rearranged to suit the individuals. In other woryou you will eat, sleep, and breath with your room mate.

“Now, with that out of the way, Professor Snape, if you will please assist me in reading the names chosen for such an event. And to inform you all ahead of time, your belongings have already been brought to your new quarters and after your names have been called you will be given instructions on where to go. Thank you for your unwavering attention.”

Professor Snape stood up before the school and this was perhaps the most uncomfortable silence the school had to sit through.

“When I read your name you will stand up from your seat and you will enter through those,” he pointed to his left, “doors.”

Severus cleared his throat, “Seamus Finnigin and Vincent Crabbe. Dean Thomas and Gregory Goyle. Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson. Ronald Weasely and Blaise Zabini. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.” Severus continued to read the names of a few more pairings between the houses.

“That blasted idiot, putting you with Malfoy.” Muttered Ron in his clenched teeth.

Harry didn’t say anything; he was secretly jumping for joy. He had no idea what happened, but he sure was glad it was happening.

They had stepped through the door and saw professor McGonagall holding a stack of parchments in silence waiting for the rest of the names to be called.

“Now when I call on you, you and your room mate will come to me and you will read the parchment I have for you. After you read it, remember it, share the directions if you must with your roommate but do not forget it. Every step is important. At the end of the parchment you will see a word or phrase, that indeed is the password to your room.”

“Professor, what if we do not wish to go along with these arrangements?” Asked Ron

“Then, Mr. Weasley you might as well pack your bags and leave Hogwarts for you will be expelled.” Said the very stern voice of professor Snape who just entered the room.

“What gives you the right to expel us?” rebutted Blaise

“Why, I do.” Said the Headmaster entering the room smiling.

No one said anything after that and professor McGonagall proceeded with the parchments.

*~*

Harry and Draco were almost the last to have been called upon, which was a good thing because by that time Blaise and Ron were already forced out the door so there would be no way that they could have snuck a peek at Harry and Draco’s parchments.

The two love sick boys walked along the school in total silence. Didn’t say a word, didn’t touch, didn’t glance.

It wasn’t until they finally came face to face with the mirror they red red about in the parchment did a word even slip their mouths.

They saw their own reflections and suddenly their reflections had a life of their own.

“Password?” Said Draco’s reflection looking at the two.

“Oh, uh, right, ‘Let justice reign’.” Said Harry

His own reflection smiled at him, “Thank you, your belonging’s are within, the way this system works is not he same as the way portraits work. Only our reflection can get to your room. Not even if you bring someone in. It will not be allowed. You step through the mirror once it is reflection free, it does not open. You are able to see whatever is beyond the mirror, for example if someone is trying to get in you will be able to see who it is. They will not be able to get beyong the mirror even if they take it down, minus those who helped organize the competition of course.”

“And who are those people?” Asked Harry

“Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Ginny Weasely, and Hermione Granger.” Replied Draco’s reflection

Both the boy’s mouths fell open.

The mirror rippled and their reflections were gone leaving them looking into a mirror which did not hold their reflections.

After a while of gaping at the answer they had just received they stepped through the mirror and into their room. It was so elaborate that even Draco whistled to show he approved of the arrangements.

“Damn, this is a hell of a nice place.” Commented Draco

“It’s nice isn’t it?” Replied Harry

“So where are our rooms?” Asked Draco

“I’m guessing the one up the stairs to our left is your room, it has light green everywhere. And the opposite side would be my room, it has red everywhere.” Replied Harry

They both silently made their way up the separating stairs admiring all the statues along the way.

*~*

After a while they both left their rooms and got together at the fireplace, which was under the Griffindor’s room. It was a big common area, and quite bright due to the size of the actual fireplace.

They realized that when they were hungry, they didn’t need to leave their room to get food. They had a little kitchen area under the Slytherin’s room, which held their own personal house elf. In the middle of the entire place, under the staircase held a library, which was quite extensive. They also had a third bathroom, apart from their own separate bathrooms connected to their own rooms, downstairs so they wouldn’t have to run up and down the stairs if they really had to go.

The two boys were sitting across from one another sipping hot chocolate with their legs crossed under them on two separate couches.

“So, what do you think the four are up to?” Asked Harry

“What makes you think their up to something?” Asked Draco in return

“Come on, when in the world has Snape gotten together with Hermione to form a plan?”

“True,” Said the Slytherin who looked upward to ponder the new information.

“Oh, and it’s a bit strange isn’t it? That Hermione is part of this competition thing as well but she helped plan it.” Added Harry

“Maybe it was to throw people off, to let them think that she had no part in this arrangement. And perhaps none of the other competitor’s security told them that little bit of information.”

They both sat in silence again. Trying to piece everything together.

“What I want to know is, how Ginny got involved with all of this.” Said Draco

Harry shrugged, “Oh, the other day she spoke to me privately about something. It was weird, I didn’t understand what she was talking about.”

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Well, what did she say?”

“She said that she doesn’t like when things are forced and she promised to fix things.”

They both sat in silence once again.

“Harry, look, I’m sorry, we can’t be together.”

“I understand that we can’t be together.”

“Oh and why can’t you be with me Harry?”

“Why can’t you be with me?”

Draco gave an ‘I asked you first’ expression.

“Fine, Ron said I owe it to him to stay with him. He found out. He saw us under the tree.”

Draco raised his eyebrow, “Hum, interesting.”

“What’s interesting?”

“Well, don’t you think it’s a bit weird?”

“Why?”

“Because that’s the reason I can’t be with you either.”

“Uh, I know that already Draco. Ron doesn’t want us together, are you okay?”

“No, Harry, I meant that Blaise said the same thing.”

“REALLY?”

“Yeah. You don’t think that it’s a bit odd of them?”

“Well, maybe, I guess so.”

“Then they are now paired up together.”

“Yeah, but Draco, if your thinking that they might have something going, I don’t think so. I mean why would they go through so much trouble when they can just be together?”

“No, Harry, that’s not what I meant, I mean that this competition might be a whole big thing to get US together.”

“Why? How in the world would Dumbledore, Snape, Hemione, or Ginny know about us?”

Draco was silent and pondering once again. The Griffindor was right, how would those four have known anything about them?

Suddenly two parchments appeared before the two.

They both took it and read it at the same time. It was their schedule for the rest of the year.

“Draco, you took Arithmancy?”

“Yeah, Harry, you took Defense?”

“Yeah. Hey, they took out History and Divination!”

“That’s good, I’m glad, I didn’t like those classes. You got into NEWT Divination?”

Harry blushed, “Yeah, I was lucky to get really good on my NEWTS with Trelawny. So I just took it to take up space on my timetable.”

“Well, now you have Arithmancy.”

“But I haven’t even taken the OWL for it.”

“I guess that’s why we’re supposed to help each other. I can help you with Arithmancy and you can help me with Defense.”

“I thought you would be good in Defense.”

“Naw, I’m good with Dark Arts but not Defense, and my father wouldn’t let me take the class anyway, he said it was a waste of time since I was destined to become a Death Eater anyway.”

“But now Voldemort’s gone though.”

“I know, but I wasn’t ever any good at it except with that ugly witch in our fifth year as the professor and she only gave me high marks because she knew my father so I was just going to forget about it, although I did enjoy the class, I was just never any good at the subject.”

“Oh, well you can start all over again.”

“Yeah, just like how you’re going to be starting Arithmancy from scratch.”

They both looked over their schedules in silence until they finally decided that it was time to get some rest.

*~*

“Dammit! How in the world did YOUR ugly boyfriend get this all to work out his way?” Said Blaise as soon as he entered their room with Ron.

“MY boyfriend? How did your ferret face boyfriend get MY boyfriend into this mess?” Accused Ron

“Draco had nothing to do with this!”

“Well neither did Harry!”

They both looked around at their new living arrangements. It was a simple room. Nothing really elaborate, just like any other dorm room except smaller, much smaller. It was also much darker with a little fire going at the side.

“Ugh, first I have to stick with YOU now I have to live in this shit hole.” Complained Blaise

“What? You think I’m happy about this? Your not exactly the best company.”

“Shut up and sleep you idiot git.”

“Ugh, I don’t know how I’m going to stand the entire fucking rest of the year with you.”

“Well ditto that!”

“And it’s so cold here. Where are we?”

“We’re probably somewhere under the dungeon. Remember that long flight of stairs we had to go down?”

“Damn, how are we supposed to get anywhere with those blasted stairs?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Asked Blaise

Suddenly their schedule’s appeared in front of them and they took them in hand.

“Blasted bloody idiots!” bellowed Ron

“What is it now?”

“We have Divination!”

“So?”

“Divination is way up in the attic! How in the world are we supposed to get up THERE?”

“You walk idiot! Just take the schedule and shut up.”

“No, I’m going to talk to McGonagall about this!”

“You do that then! I’m taking a shower then going to bed.”

“No, I want to shower first!”

“Well your going to have to wait because we only have one bathroom.”

*~*

Professor Snape and Ginny were sitting in the Headmaster’s office with the parchment with the names on it in front of them spread along the desk.

“How long do you give the first pair?” Asked Ginny examining the parchment

“I say half an hour.” Replied Snape

“Really? You have that much faith in my brother do you?” Asked Ginny

Just as she said this the parchment grew in letters. Beside the names ‘Ronald Weasley and Blaise Zabini’ it said ‘lost- 5 minutes and 36 seconds’.

Ginny smiled up at Snape who scowled back at the girl.

Dumbledore chuckled at the sight. “You two. It’s not a wonder, have you seen the living conditions you set up for those two? I knew I should have been in charge of their room with Ms. Granger. Leave it to two vengeful people with magic to ruin someone’s term.”

Snape’s scowled turned into a smile and Ginny smiled widerat tat the Headmaster standing above the two of them.

*~*

“So, you found a way for us to be together have you?” Asked Pansy

“Well, it’s not exactly like that.” Said Hermione smiling at her love.

“I knew I got a smart one when I fell in love with you.”

Hermione smiled at walked up to kiss her lovely Slytherin.

The two had started dating at the beginning of the year in secret. At first Hermione was still too much into Ginny but then she gave up on Ginny since Ginny still loved Harry so much and she wouldn’t know how to explain it to Ron either.

Hermione liked girls for a long while. She thought she liked Ron but that was an experiment that went totally wrong. After she saw Ron at the Yule Ball in her fourth year she decided she was going to be turned off boys forever.

“Mmm… Hermione, I love you.”

“I love you too Pansy.”

Their space was not bad. Much better than Ron and Blaise’s room but not as elaborate and highly secure as Harry and Draco’s room.

They had two separate rooms and two separate bathrooms. They had a fireplace that was moderately sized and a small kitchen with a personal house elf. Hermione didn’t have room to make a library but this competition was for Harry and Draco. Not her and Pansy.

Their schedule’s appeared in front of them a moment later.

They both reached for it but Hermione leaned in to kiss Pansy again.

“Hermione, don’t you want to look at our schedule? “La “Later, I want to ravish you first.”

“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day our school know-it-all wanted to snog before school stuff.”

“Shush and kiss me!”

“MMm… will do.”

After they snogged for a while Hermione finally pulsed away smiling at her Slytherin and took the schedule.

“My time table hasn’t changed.”

“Mine has. Well, not much, they just added Arithmancy and took away my Divination.”

“You took Divination?”

“Yeah, I know you don’t like Trelawny but whatever.”

“I can help you with Arithmancy you know.”

“Good thing cuz I’d probably fail without you.”

“Okay, let’s go to sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Good night love!”

“Good night.”


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Hum, the sleeping arrangements say quite a bit don\'t they?