"If you mean here's a recipe, follow it and you dunderheads can't you do anything right, then yes."
"Okay, Susan this weekend I think we should organize a school wide study session for our year. The focus being study skills, potions and defense. We've gotten the first essays in Charms and Transfiguration both of which are all theory. But from what my roommates have done that I've seen essay writing isn't widely taught in the wizarding world."
"True. I lucked out Auntie sent me to a school in London rather than homeschool me as is typical. Hannah went there too because after her father died in the last war, her mum had to go to work. Auntie gave her the referral to Benton's. But we're the exception not the rule."
"So you're suggesting we ignore house lines, and have a first year study group." Hannah said.
"Can you think of a better way to break the house stereotypes before they've had a chance to set in?" Harry asked.
"How are we going to get people from all the houses?" Hannah asked.
"I'll write a notice and we can post it on all the house boards." Susan said.
"We'll post in Gryffindor, Draco can post in Slytherin, and you can in Hufflepuff. That just leaves Ravenclaw, and I bet if we ask Professor Flitwick he'd post it for us." Harry had felt there was a bit of a kindred spirit in the tiny Charms professor. "
"Hogwarts has house elves doesn't it?" Hannah said.
"I believe so." Susan said, most of her concentration on the notice she was writing.
"Well, I was thinking. Maybe we could get more people there if we offered some snacks."
"Great idea, Hannah." Harry paused for a moment thinking. He knew from Tom's memories the location of the kitchens and a perfect room for this. "after I talk with Draco I'll head down to the kitchens. So Sunday afternoon starting at one going until half past four for the study session. I know of a perfect room it's up on seventh opposite a tapestry of a wizard trying to teach trolls ballet. We should probably put something in to make it clear that house and blood prejudice needs to be checked at the door. It probably won't be very productive in terms of actual studying but it may be invaluable in terms of making ties between the houses."
"A study session for all the houses, good idea cousin." Draco's drawl came from behind them. Harry spun in his seat and saw Draco standing there with four other Slytherin students all of whom looked very undecided about being there. "Glad you think so." Harry waited impatiently for Draco to do the introductions knowing that was more proper than introducing himself, which was the American way of doing things.
"Blaise, Daphne, Tracey, Millicent, may I introduce my cousin Harry Potter. Harry this is Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bullstrode, Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass."
"Mr. Zabini, Miss Bullstrode, Miss Davis, Miss Greengrass."
"Mr. Potter." They intoned together after Harry had shaken or kissed their hands respectively.
Harry amused by the timing smiled as he said," Mr. Potter is too formal for me, raised abroad as I was. Please call me Harry." Then he waited patiently while Draco repeated the introductions for the rest of the group. Susan and Hannah already knew everyone but Millicent and Blaise.
Blaise had expected Draco to be exaggerating when he said his cousin would welcome them into the group. He had a cousin in fourth year who had been jumped by Gryffindors as Deatheater-wannabe-scum halfway through his first year merely for being in Slytherin. Never mind that their family was neutral in the last war. Slytherin house was a dangerous place these days. The general expectation of the other houses was if you were in Slytherin you were dark. Blaise knew it was his ambition to be the best Healer that had sorted him into the house of the snakes. He had all sorts of fears about this meeting with Potter since Draco had mentioned the possibility two days ago. If Potter, who had gotten rid of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, called you dark the odds of your survival among the other houses would be minimal. Since his return to Britain the speculation about him had been rampant in the papers. But since he was sorted into Gryffindor, the press had been exuberant in their hailing of him as a hero. A Gryffindor hero boded ill for the house of the snakes.
Draco swore his cousin wasn't like that, but Blaise was adopting a, 'we'll see' attitude. The last week had been rough on the Malfoy heir and the neutral Slytherins. Dark Slytherins had been swift to pressure the five young snakes to toe the House line. There had been threats placed in their papers telling them if they didn't agree they should say nothing or else. The dark Slytherins of their year had been swift to bully them. their belongings broken into, candy eaten, small damages made: dirt, small tears nothing irreparable but the clear implication that not following the party line would result in worse. For Draco it was worse, a picture of him and his parents had been ripped to shreds and stuck in an envelop marked traitor. He'd also had one dress robe torn to shreds, and he had been shoved as they walked through the halls. Being one of the smaller members of their year he was currently sporting some sizable bruises. Draco seemed convinced his cousin would do something.
Susan read through what she had written one more time then handed it to Neville to proof.
...
Want to read ahead. Then Join my Pa*treon for the mass release of 60+ chapters that has happened.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: p*atreon.com/Divine_Quill (Remove the *)
Join Right Now