A New Beginning

Chapter 2

Lucius Malfoy smirked, then placed his hand on Draco's head. "Draco, haven't I told you time and again not to insult our..." he looked at Harry, "... shining savior? Really, I am so, so sorry, Mr. Potter. Come Draco." He started walking toward his own compartment.

"Yeah, Potter. This year won't be as fun as last year- and if you're not careful, you or one of your little friends might end up as the next Diggory." He smirked again, then walked off.

Ginny stepped into the hall, just in time to see Draco step into his compartment. Her eyes went wide with anger. "Why didn't you tell me Malfoy was here?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know," said Hermione. "And neither would Ron. Don't tell him. Draco's being an idjit again."

"Yes, I suppose." She stepped back into her compartment and slammed the door. Ron came out of the washroom, his robes now streaked with watery soot. "Did I miss anything?"

Hermione stepped back into the cabin, dragging Harry along.

"What? What did I say?"

* * *

"Idiot," Draco muttered to Crabbe and Goyle as he sat in the boys' compartment. After thoroughly flogging him for being so careless as to threaten Harry Potter in public, his father had thrown him out of the cabin so he could take a short nap before they arrived at Hogwarts.

Goyle had just loosed a Cocolate Frog through the cabin and was now trying oafishly to get it back before Crabbe figured out he had stolen it from him.

Draco tenderly fingered one of the bruises that wasn't visible. His father always was very careful not to have visible bruises on him. He wasn't that dumb.

"Potter and his Mudblood friends," he said out loud. Crabbe nodded, a frog's leg dangling from his mouth. Goyle had the frog's head. Why should Potter, who was both unworthy and of little breeding, receive at least normal friends while he received mindless slaves?

Oh, well. It wouldn't matter by this time next year. That made him smile. His father's plans for Hogwarts were indeed formidable. Yes, Potter and all his freaky little friends will get what's coming to them.

Draco saw Crabbe and Goyle reaching for snacks off his towering pile. He started to pull out his wand and afflict them with the new curse he had just learned in Knockturn Alley from two crazed looking hags, but then stopped himself.

He handed each of them a third's share of the pile. He was feeling generous today. He would have to work on that.

It wouldn't be permissable when the Malfoys and Lord Voldemort ruled the world.

* * *

Hermione sat, looking silently out the window as the Hogwarts express climbed up a mountain, then miraculously spun over a hairpin turn. The castle stood looming in the distance, a million lights seeming to shine from a million rooms.

She thought again about what had happened last year- S.P.E.W., the end of term tests, and realizing that Professor Moody was really Barty Crouch. She could understand why Dumbledore had to hire Malfoy- not only was there a shortage of teachers, but over the past couple of months the Malfoys had used Fudge's agitation with Dumbledore to gain ground with Cornelius Fudge. Now Mr. Malfoy was practically the right hand man of the Ministry of Magic. And, if the reports were true and Voldemort was really coming back...

She wouldn't think about that now. Now was time for getting robes on and finding Harry and Ron, who had suddenly run off. She only hoped they wouldn't get themselves into trouble.

Right after they had gotten out of Hogwarts for the summer, she had dragged her parents into Diagon Alley and bought three books on defensive attacks. If the rumors were true, and there was no choice but to fight, then she would do it.

She knew if the Malfoys had their chance, she would be one of the first killed.

After Harry, of course.