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Fragments of Life by Lady Arabella Malfoy

"" Speaking

'' Thinking

Chapter One: Announcements and Thoughts

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts!" greeted Dumbledore with the special twinkle in his eyes. "I hope you all had an extraordinary summer vacation." People in the Great Hall were buzzing and whispering about their journeys and new friends they met during summer. "About which you can talk later, because I need to make several very important announcements."

At this all heads turned to the Headmaster. It was not a secret that the War with Voldemort had begun and its outcome would influence the existence of the wizarding world as a whole. Parents of many present students were Aurors and they saw the horrors of war with their very eyes. Everyone understood that this was not the war only between Death Eaters and the Ministry of Magic, but between good and evil, that's why every drop of help counts. "Firstly, I would like to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher – Professor Macbeth Halflife!"

The door behind the staff table opened and into the hall entered a tall, well-built woman. She had shoulder-length raven black hair and deep blue eyes, with which she scanned the faces of the students as if wanting to penetrate into the deepest places of their souls. Her lips were thin and colourless and the only remarkable thing on her pale face were her eyes, which attracted you with their mystery; but beware, you could easily drown in them.

She wore a plain black robe, but it fitted her perfectly, showing only as much as she wanted, leaving some space for the fantasy. After looking at the students, she returned to the staff table, eyeing every professor, because she arrived only a few minutes ago and had not had the opportunity to see them. The conclusion of her observation was the following: everyone was rather pleasant and she would probably get along well with everybody, except the man with greasy hair; he was definitely a hard nut, but certainly familiar. Unfortunately, she did not remember, where she saw him. Then she thought that it was not time for reminiscences right now and quietly sat near Dumbledore.

"I also want to speak about some precautions, which were taken because of the current situation in the wizarding world," continued Dumbledore. But this time, no moans of dissatisfaction were heard. "Forbidden Forest is off-limits like always and no walking on the grounds alone is allowed. You must each have a companion with you all the time. Hogsmeade weekends will be once a month, but Quiddich training graphic will remain. Now for some good news. Nowadays you need powerful spells to protect yourselves form any kind of danger, you will learn them on the classes of professor Halflife, but I thought that it will be interesting to have a Magic Talent Show, where you can amaze and entertain us with advanced magic, and I mean very advanced. The contest will be held somewhere in May, so you have plenty of time to prepare. Now let's busy some other senses apart from our ears. Let the feast begin!"

The food appeared on the tables, and everybody began to fill up their plates, discussing the information they had heard. Everyone had his own opinion, but we are interested only in the thoughts of our main characters.

The Dream Team were sitting in the middle of the Gryffindor table. 'My God, last year, and I will be free, do whatever I want,' thought Ron Weasley, famous for his laziness towards everything not connected with Quiddich. 'I am sure, with Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the loose we will sure have a great adventure this year.'

'The last and the most important year. I am so happy, I have made it. I am a Head Girl.' I am sure you already know, whose thoughts are these; Hermione Granger, of course! 'I must pass the N.E.W.Ts perfectly, if I want to have a career. I am going to tell Ron and Harry to begin preparing right away or they will fail without even starting. They must be already thinking about new pranks they will play this year, what a shame. When will they understand, that they aren't children anymore? Now the war is coming, and I am absolutely sure that You-Know-Who is planning an attack on Hogwarts. We must work hard to preserve the unity of the school, then we will have a chance to face Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and win.'

Now we should travel to the most troubled mind. The mind of the Boy-Who-Lived. Just a boy, who carried on his shoulders the heaviness of fighting with the evil each year of his schooling. What will he face this year? Let's find the answer in the trace of his thoughts.

'I am glad that I am here again. Hogwarts is like a second home to me or more likely the only home I have. Here are Ron and Hermione, who will always support me in my job to save the world…again. Merlin, I am so tired already from this danger on my hills. But I am not alone, they are the most important thing in my life. Hermione will give me wise pieces of advice and Ron will retell a joke to take dark thoughts out of my mind and show the bright side of the ordeal. This year Voldemort has gained strength and more followers. It cannot last any longer, the more it lasts, the more victims will suffer, and I don't want any of it. This year I face him and challenge him to a duel, but I need to prepare, maybe even ask for some help from Dumbledore. I am sure he knows that this is my destiny and I cannot avoid it. Let's just hope, that in the right time and place I will be ready to deliver our world form this mad Lord.'

Not very optimistic, hah? But who can be optimistic in a time like this, when every day you scan the newspaper to see if your family or friends were hurt or even killed in another attack with the Dark Mark high above them. But there were such people who understood the circumstances in which the war put them, but still tried not to fall into despair and misery. They thought that laughter and smiles could help to solve many serious problems in no time.

"Common, tell me about your summer! And I want details! Not something like "I was there and then I was there." With this phrase the conversation between Ginny Weasley and her friend Della Chatter began.

"Ok, ok," Della put up her hands in surrender. "I was with my parents on the Hawaii islands."

"Oh, that's something really interesting."

"And it was. I met a boy there. And he was…he was…great, just great!"

"When I say details, I mean details."

"Ah, he was so handsome and romantic, a real gentlemen. We spent all our time on the beach splashing around and, as you can understand, kissing. It was wonderful, like I was in the utter universe where there was only he and I."

"Did you love him?" Ginny was really interested this time.

"Why in the past tense! I still love him. He lives in Italy. We promised each other to owl every week and maybe even more often."

"I am really happy for you." Of course Ginny was happy for her friend, but also she was a little jealous. Like an every normal almost seventeen-year-old teenager she wanted to be loved and cared for. To walk in the moonlight, listen to the poetry about her unique beauty and just find pleasure in simple holding of hands. Or in other words, she wanted to have a boyfriend. A real one.

She had all rights to have a boyfriend, because she was really pretty. Her waist-length red hair was wavy and curled on the ends. Red hair – the trademark of the Weasleys, but hers was special, not like any of her brother's. Maybe it was the colour, which was not plain red, but had some golden sparks in it. She still had her freckles, but they faded a little, so they were only on her nose and a little bit on her cheeks, but still they complemented her and were part of her. Ginny didn't pay a lot of attention to her appearance and didn't use makeup, that's why her beauty was pure and natural. Ginny had a lot of chances to have a decent boyfriend, and she dated three or four boys, but she needed a real feeling, something completely different from just walking near the lake and snogging. But who doesn't?

A quiet drone rose from the Gryffindor table. People talked about their summer and everything children like to chat about, but no such luck on the Slytherin table. It was already common opinion that Slytherins were the concentration of dark powers, Death Eaters in-training and any evil stuff imaginable.

Prince of the Slytherin, that's what Draco Malfoy was called, the most mean and arrogant of all Slytherins. His housemates admired him for his power and money. These two things were the key to the life of the great. The dream of most seventh-years was to be chosen in the ranks of Voldemort; to serve him and receive "their precious" – power to rule the world. No one could say if this dream haunted Malfoy's mind, because he was secretive and distinct from everybody.

Everybody thought that he would be a heartbreaker, but no one was sure about that either, because he had about eight dates a month and each one was with a different girl, as if he didn't want anybody very close to him, to know him, to learn his secrets. But he still managed to find a new candidate for the next date, because half of the girl's population of Hogwarts were drooling over him, and nobody can blame them. He was really handsome. His long silver-blond hair hung in locks on his forehead, hiding his grey eyes, which were like steel shields to all his emotions and thoughts. Every bit of him: his face features, gait, clothes, cried "aristocrat". Young students knew that it's better not to mess up with him.

Now he had his trademark smirk, while watching the hall. 'What did Dumbldork came up this year? A Magic Talent Show! That's ridiculous! I will be surprised if someone manages to make the Dark Mark hang above the Professors. This will be very advanced. This fool doesn't understand that Voldemort will strike sooner or later and no stone will be left from this school. But he did make those precautions, it means, he suspects something. Maybe there is something up. I need to know about it in more details or father won't be satisfied.'

No more students so far. We can break some rules and go into the heads of some professors; in my fic everything is possible.

All professors had troubled expressions, yesterday they talked about plans of increasing the amount of guarding spells on the castle and within it. It was a long night, but still there were questions which needed answers, but nobody had them. The Order worked more then hard to gather information about planned attacks, but all was in vain. A few times Snape was at the edge of an explosion, but somehow, and only he knows how, he came out alive and with useful information. And as I mentioned Snape, I think it will be interesting to pry into his mind.

'What was he thinking? The war is going on! And he asks this girl to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts! This subject is the most important one, and he thinks that she can teach these stupid children to attack and defend themselves from all that awaits them behind this doors. She looks so weak and helpless, but I can feel power in her and there is also intelligence in her eyes, but she has her secrets, that I am sure about. Surprisingly she seems to be familiar, but where could I have seen such a woman? I've already forgotten when I've seen a woman except professors here; it was alo-o-o-ng time ago.'

In the middle of the table sat, as always, the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He was not only the greatest wizard of the times or the only man Voldemort fears, but also the symbol of good, strong spirit and wisdom. Yes, he was all these, but he was also human, with his own fears and doubts. 'Another year, another battle, but this one will be final. I need to unite the students against dark forces, not only Voldemort, but also anger, hate, misjudgement and indifference. I hope that Harry will find strength to fulfil his destiny. But still, he needs some help. I will discuss with him some advanced defence training, this will be very useful. The House rivalry is on its pick. Who could have thought that peaceful houses like Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw could hate Slytherins so much, I don't even say about Gryffindor. This has gone too far. Certainly, everybody must choose sides, but we need to defend our school, not to break it from inside.'

With this last thought Dumbledore sighed and poked a potato on his plate with a fork. His eyes had lost their twinkle, and it seemed to have happened more and more often recently.