Potter for President! And Draco as Vice...

***

It was the beginning of his seventh year at Hogwarts, and Draco couldn't help but feel glad that he would soon be getting out. Too many rules, too many teachers, too much Potter. He yearned to join the ranks of real men, like his father, free to be as evil as they pleased. He would be free to wreak havoc in the Muggle world and run amok within the blind Ministry. Free to whip out his wand and shove it up Potter's stupid, annoying, little-

"Malfoy! Are you even listening to me?"

"What? Oh yeah... right. Go on if you must," drawled Draco in an irritated tone, taken back to reality by the indignant voice of Hermione Granger.

"As I was saying, as the top student of Slytherin you are guaranteed a spot in the upcoming election-"

"Election for what?"

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "You haven't heard a word I've been saying to you, have you!"

"Well, though I tried as hard as I could, I couldn't block out every word you said... Didn't you mention something about Potter running headfirst into a pole?"

"No, I said that Harry is also running in the election, as Gryffindor's Head Boy, and that he currently holds the first spot in the poll," corrected Hermione, with repressed irritation.

"Same difference. So what's this whole election thing you keep going on about? And why is it so important that you feel inclined to make me late for lunch?" Draco glanced around the corridor, which had rapidly emptied at the conclusion of Potions as students hurried to the Great Hall to eat.

"If you could actually pay attention for two seconds, you would know!" Hermione looked as if she were ready to begin pulling out her hair, and Draco couldn't suppress a slight snigger at the sight of her obvious frustration. "Anyways, this year there is going to be a new position at Hogwarts - a student president. Professor Dumbledore feels that a single student leader for the school, elected by the students themselves, will help unite the separate houses. This is in contrast to the appointed leaders, such as Head Boy and Girl, which sometimes only cause further division between the houses. Of course, current House leaders will retain their positions, but-"

"Time, Granger. I haven't got all day you know. Get to the part where it involves me."

"So there's going to be an election," Hermione continued through clenched teeth, "and you can run for the position if you want. Harry, Justin, Mandy, Terry, and I have been nominated so far as potential candidates."

"No Slytherins yet, I see. I suppose you want me to enter this pitiful election then? It all seems very Muggle-like, if you ask me," said Draco in a bored voice. He looked down at his robes and flicked a large piece of lint off one of the sleeves. To his amusement, the lint landed and stuck in a lock of Hermione's bushy hair.

"I don't care whether you enter or not," said Hermione coldly, "but I was obligated to inform you. Personally, I think that your entering the race would only give more fodder to Harry's campaign. Wouldn't make much of a difference in any case though, we all know Harry will be elected."

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Well, Harry's everything that you're not. He's fair, sensitive, and can act like a man. Students look up to that sort of person."

Draco was taken aback. He tried to argue, but all that came out were small, spluttering noises. "Fine then, I shall enter the election to prove you wrong. I daresay that my campaign posters may be an unfair advantage though. After all, who in their right minds would vote for a scar-faced midget in glasses once they have laid eyes on me?"

Hermione let out a snort of laughter, which she quickly turned into a cough. "So you're in then?"

Draco nodded, then dismissed Hermione with a wave of his hand as he began walking away.

"Hey! Where are you going? I'm not finished!" Hermione called after him.

"I've got manly things to do in a sensitive way," Draco replied over his shoulder, and continued walking away.

He heard her mumble something about an "arrogant git" as he climbed the stairs towards the Great Hall, but his thoughts were already focused elsewhere.

He was thinking what it would be like to publicly defeat Potter in the election, once and for all proving that Potter was a worthless prat. He imagined seeing Harry's look of humiliation and disappointment, and his own feeling of absolute power and control. Draco was in the midst of imagining Harry tripping over his robes while he descended the podium when his stomach gave a painful rumble, reminding him that he had not yet eaten. He quickened his pace towards the chatter and noise ahead, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

***

At the conclusion of lunch Draco glanced around the Great Hall, his gray eyes flicking over the various students as they made for the doors. He was searching for one person in particular, and it wasn't long before he spotted the familiar head of untidy black hair. Draco watched as Harry, Ron, and Hermione exited together through the double doors of the Great Hall, then quickly moved to follow them.

He spotted them again once outside the Great Hall, walking down the corridor and talking animatedly amongst themselves. Draco watched as Hermione waved goodbye and took off through the adjacent corridor, leaving Harry and Ron standing outside an open classroom door.

Draco left his spot and walked boldly through the remaining crowd of students toward Harry and Ron.

"Potter!" Draco called. Harry and Ron both turned around. "So the war is on then," he said as he approached them.

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" said Harry irritably.

"The election, you prat. As I'm sure you already know, I am running against you."

"Like you have a chance," put in Ron, eyeing Draco contemptuously.

"Ah yes, Weasley. Potter's faithful sidekick. Before I forget, I happened to pass by your sister on the way over here. She was talking to one of your Gryffindor mates, asking if he knew where you were. Anyway, I may have accidentally mentioned in passing that you had been drowned by the Giant Squid. Consequently, there is now a search going on for your body at the bottom of the lake." Draco gave a dramatic sigh and shook his head. "I suppose that is what happens when one wishes out loud."

Ron glared at Draco with disdain and annoyance. "Harry, I'll see you at Quidditch practice then. I have to go make myself un-dead, thanks to this git," he said, jerking his thumb towards Malfoy.

"Wouldn't that make you a zombie?" Draco questioned politely.

"Bugger off, Malfoy!" answered Ron irritably, and marched out into the corridor, leaving Harry and Draco alone.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't make much of a difference in his case. He'd just be moving from one brainless clan to another," said Draco simply with a smirk. "I don't see how he ever got to be Quidditch captain. I mean, buying his way up would have been the sensible conclusion, but he obviously couldn't have afforded to do anything of the kind. Perhaps a good dose of blackmail..."

"Malfoy, shut up," interrupted Harry coolly. "You know as well as I do that Ron is a great Quidditch player, and that is why he was made the captain."

"And how long did it take for you to convince yourself of that? I heard that you had quite a little temper tantrum when it was announced that Weasley would be captain of the Gryffindor team. It was common knowledge among the Slytherins that you tore up his robes, burned all his school books, sacrificed his owl to the monkey gods, then snapped his broomstick in half," said Draco with a sinister smile.

"That's not true!" cried Harry indignantly. "Ron's my friend. Besides, I got over my temper problem after fifth year. You're the one who's standing there thinking you're so great with that little arrogant smirk of yours, when you're really nothing more than a pale, pointy-faced, lying coward."

"Ooh, I'm really scared now, Potter," drawled Draco. He pushed Harry into the empty classroom behind them, which had a large open space in the center, the desks pushed to the sides. Though student magic had been forbidden in the corridors, the classrooms had not been charmed to alert Filch if magic was used inside. Draco knew this. "Now, back to the election-"

"Do you actually think that you might win the election? Besides, you and I aren't the only candidates, you know. I think Hermione and Terry have a great chance at the presidency as well. Everything's always a continuous battle with you, isn't it? Sometimes I can't figure who's thicker - you or Goyle."

Harry turned to leave, but Draco could not just let him walk away after insulting him. "Tarantellegra!" Draco yelled, aiming his wand at Harry's retreating back. Fast as Harry's reflexes were, he only had enough time to whip around in surprise. The spell hit him hard in the chest and his legs immediately began to jerk uncontrollably in the all-too-familiar frenzied tap dance.

"That's your best is it? A second year could have done this spell!" shouted Harry, though he was struggling as it was just to remain upright.

"Actually, no, it's not my best. But I thought it would be rather funny to watch..." Draco trailed off as he doubled up in laughter.

"Oh we'll see what's funny! Discodello!"

Draco was hit by the spell and ceased laughing immediately. His legs assumed stance with one foot pointed out, his right hand at his hip, while his left hand began to alternate pointing towards the ceiling and down at his right hip. Harry let out a bark of laughter, his legs still dancing uncontrollably, but Draco was furious.

"Disco?! I can't believe you did that, you arse!" Draco looked down at himself in horror. At least, he figured, he wasn't wearing a pair of white polyester bell bottoms. He tried to point his wand at Harry, but found it hard to take aim as his wand moved up and down with his pointing hand. Not to mention the fact that Harry was now zooming wildly around the room, being jerked suddenly in different directions by his jinxed legs.

Finally, Draco was able to get a clear shot of Harry. "Balletsorcia!"

Harry's legs immediately stopped twitching, and instead began to sashay gracefully across the floor, his arms flowing elegantly as he moved.

Draco and Harry were both in the midst of these forced dances when Hermione and Ginny walked through the door. Both girls stopped immediately at the sight, twin looks of surprise jumping onto their faces.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled, looking back at her over his shoulder, "Perform the counter-jinx! I can't stop!"

Hermione and Ginny immediately burst into laughter once they realized what was going on. Hermione struggled to say the counter-jinx in between laughs, but a fresh fit of giggles prevented her from completing the spell.

"Granger! As future student president, I order you to lift the jinx!" demanded Draco. Harry had commenced in doing a series of spins in circles around Draco, who was now rooted to the spot performing the Hustle.

"Maybe I should leave you two like that," said Hermione, catching her breath and grinning widely, "It might teach you a lesson for using spells against each other in school." Ginny was still laughing hysterically at her side, tears streaming down her face.

"Hermione, please!" pleaded Harry, who had just gone into a graceful (yet very painful) leap.

"Oh, all right. But I want both of you to promise that there will be no more of this senseless dueling," stated Hermione superiorly.

"Or at least," Ginny giggled, "duel like men! I mean, this is really rather pathetic!"

Neither Harry or Draco were in a place to argue. After hearing them agree to her demand, Hermione flicked her wand quickly, muttered something under her breath, and both came to rest.

Harry's face was flushed with exhaustion and embarrassment, but Draco's was white with anger. "Disco?!" Draco shouted once again at Harry. And without so much as a backwards glance at Harry or a thank you to Hermione, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

"Disco," Draco muttered to himself as he climbed down the steps towards the Slytherin dungeons. "Potter will pay for that. I will make him beg for mercy!" Draco stopped at the bottom of the stairs. An idea had struck him. A perfect idea - a brilliant idea! Draco sniggered to himself as he hurried up to the stone wall that led to the Slytherin common room. He mumbled the password, walked through the opening, then went straight down into his own dormitory, where a fire was already crackling heartily in the grate. "Not only will this destroy Potter, but it will ensure my victory over him in the election!" Draco exclaimed excitedly, as he tossed a handful of Floo Powder into the flames. He leaned his head in and firmly said, "Malfoy Manor!"

Draco's head whirled past various grates in a blur of motion, all the while surrounded by the familiar emerald flames. Just when he was beginning to feel slightly sick, the spinning suddenly stopped. Draco opened his eyes and found himself looking right into another pair of cold gray eyes, much like his own.

"Father," Draco began importantly, hiding his surprise at coming face to face with him so suddenly, "I would like to request something from the Dark Lord."

***