Chapter 4 - Rooms
Chapter 4
The Sorting was like always, a whole horde of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, a few Gryffindors, and even less Slytherins. It seems that most first years took a page out of Potter’s book, asking the hat “Anywhere but Slytherin”, as the other three quarters of the school regarded slytherins, even first years who never had anything to do with war, with disgust and contempt.
Headmistress McGonagall asked the Prefects to show the younger students to the dorms, asking the ‘eighth years’ to remain behind.
“Due to the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in, your original common cannot compensate for this group. Thus, in the spirit of inter-house unity”, (at this the Gryffindors and Slytherins scowl at each other), “the west tower has been renovated. You are provided with an extra-large common room, with individual rooms for two students. As you are of age, and deserve privacy. Your roommates have been assigned, and there will be no changes. Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson, Padma Patil and Hanna Abbot, Neville Longbottom and Blaise Zabini, Ron Weasley and Theodore Nott, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, Cedric Diggory and Gregory Goyle, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie McMillian.”
Most of the students burst into outrage, albeit Seamus and Dean seemed more than happy to be rooming. Seeing this, McGonagall lectured “These pairings have been made in the light of inter-house unity, I wish to see you guys setting an example for younger students. You are dismissed. Good night, all.”
On the way to the wings, Ron spluttered with indignation “Harry, Hermione, Neville, Dean, Seamus and I have been through enough with the war, must you force us to suffer through those, those, evil, sick, selfish…”
Pansy, Blaise, Theo and Draco began talking at once. Soon enough all three houses were throwing insults at the Slytherins, who had given up, proud heads for once staring at the ground as they were forced to relive their past mistakes. “Enough” a voice roared.
All noise stopped abruptly, turning to face Harry Potter. “Honestly,” he continued, on a roll now, “Voldemort conquered through division. If we continue to treat each other like this, Voldemort has won! Don’t you see? We must defy the hatred and prejudice Voldemort inflicted upon us. All of us. In order to completely defeat Voldemort, we must defeat more than Voldemort, we have to rise and come together despite the barriers that evil git put between us.”
The group was stunned silent. Nobody expected the Saviour to feel sympathetic towards the sneaking Slytherins. Neville piped up, “If Harry is willing to forgive Parkinson for trying to hand him over, Malfoy and Goyle for taking the Mark, Zabini and Nott taking inaction and saving their own skins, then we all have it in us to be a bigger person, to see past the past.”
The group muttered in agreement, two Gryffindor heroes of war, willing to forgive, certainly convinced them to at least attempt to do so, all except Ron and Cedric. Hermione beamed at Harry, while Ron swore angrily, stalking off to his and Theo’s shared room. Cedric, however, walked up to Harry. “Harry, if you are going to forgive those traitors, fine, I can’t stop you. But if Malfoy even looks at you the wrong way, we’re through.”
