A/N – Sorry you haven't heard anything from me in a while. Between having my GCSE's and my non-existent revising, I haven't had much time to update anything.

Thanks for any and all reviews you submitted for Bringing Up The Family. I'm glad you all approved of the last chapter of the story.

This story…is completely different to anything I've ever given you before. It still has Harry/Hermione in it (as if I'd write anything but that) but the new characters all represent me and my friends. I'm writing it for them, but I feel bad not giving you anything coz people have mailed me and asked about stories. So here's something. I've written a little more for The Thing About Love, but I probably won't update it soon. I've also decided (due to one of the reviews of messages I got) that I'd write a few spin off stories from Bringing Up The Family, so you can look out for those in the future.

Hope you like this.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the world of Harry Potter – much as I'd like to – it all belongs to JK Rowling.

Chapter One

Getting Rid of the Competition?

Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, has recently become known as The-Boy-Who-Triumphed, due to his success in the Final Battle against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, not two days ago. With the support of his friends, Harry Potter was able to overcome the power of The Dark Lord and vanquish him for good.

What this reporter asks himself – and the readers of this article – though, is

'Was this all a ploy to make Harry Potter himself the next Dark Lord?'

"This is a complete outrage," Hermione fumed, pausing in her reading of the front page article on the Daily Prophet and looking up at Harry. He shrugged and shoved a spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth.

"Nah, continue," Ron interrupted, leaning forward, eager to hear what else the reporter had to say. Hermione glared at him, but turned her attention back to the article anyway.

Details of the Battle are scarce due to the amount of information the Ministry of Magic are trying to keep secret and Harry Potters willingness to oblige, but we were able to deduct that Draco Malfoy, former school enemy of Harry Potter, turned against the Dark Lord and assisted in his downfall.

Is this new found friendship the start of something far more sinister –

"They make it sound as if I'm in love with the guy," Harry scoffed, screwing his face up in disgust at the very idea.

"Well, you know, the two of you would make a lovely couple," Ron teased, earning him a slap upside the head from Hermione and a glare from Harry.

- will the two bond –

"Bond?" Harry interrupted. "Does it actually say that word?" Without waiting for a reply, he snatched the newspaper from Hermione's hands and scanned the article.

"If you don't mind," Hermione said, taking it back. "I'd like to finish the article before morning class's start."

- and form the next generation of Darkness?

Only proving to support this theory, Harry Potter asked that Draco Malfoy not be sent to Azkaban despite the fact that he was proven to be a Death Eater.

The two Hogwarts students returned for their final term at school and are currently studying for their N.E.W.T's. The reporter asks though, is teaching these two students such things suitable considering recent circumstances?

As I'm sure many readers know, Harry Potter – against the rulings of the Ministry of Magic – set up his own Defence Against The Dark Arts class in his Fifth Year at Hogwarts –

"Would it kill them to mention us too?" Ron asked. "Or do they completely overlook the fact that Harry has two best friends?"

"They mentioned you," Hermione replied, smiling.

"No they never."

"They did," she insisted. "Right at the beginning."

"What? Let me see." Ron snatched the paper from her and scanned the first paragraph of the article. "Where?"

Hermione leaned over and pointed to a line near the top. "…with the support of his friends-"

"Well aren't you just hilarious?" Ron said, tossing the newspaper back at her.

"I like to think so," Hermione replied, smiling.

- and taught a number of students spells that the Ministry would have preferred they had not known.

Was this then, the beginning of the army the two will eventually build up?

"Malfoy wasn't even in it!" Harry objected, scowling.

"I'm not really sure they care. It's not as if the Daily Prophet ever prints the truth anyway," Hermione replied. "Now shush."

Rufus Scrigmour – current Minister for Magic – admitted yesterday to having his doubts about Harry Potter right from the start. In an interview with him yesterday we were told that Scrigmour would never have trusted Harry Potter and did his best to avoid him at all costs –

"Lying git!" Harry fumed. "He was all over me last year!" A few of the first year students looked shocked at his sudden outburst and hurriedly picked up their things and bolted out of the Great Hall. Hermione smiled sympathetically and looked back down at the article.

Our sources within the Ministry –

"They're going to have a field day over that one."

- tell us that Draco Malfoy was also involved in the death of former Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumledore. Was this then, another step in the duo's quest to overthrow the Wizarding World?

It is a widely known fact that the only person You-Know-Who feared was Albus Dumbledore. Working with this information, did Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter decide that it was necessary to dispose of their Professor – one of the most Powerful Wizards of our time - so that he could not stop them in the future?

Hermione looked up at Harry, knowing that he would be uncomfortable talking about Dumbledore and was unsurprised to see him glaring into his bowl.

The two successfully managed to pull off their plan, at the same time making it look as if it was all a plot thought up by You-Know-Who himself –

"They all know it was Voldemort who came up with that plan," Hermione scoffed.

"They'll still have some massive article about it tomorrow," Harry replied. "About how I turned up in the middle of the night with a barely conscious Dumbledore-"

"Harry," Hermione warned. "Don't start blaming yourself again. Neither of you knew that would happen." He looked at her for a moment before nodding and looking back down at the table.

Hogwarts School – now run by Minerva McGonagall – is no longer considered the safest place in the UK due to the wards that fell down when Albus Dumbledore died.

In conclusion to this article, us here at the Daily Prophet ask you if it is wise to let Harry Potter remain at Hogwarts, where he will surely learn everything he needs to know about the Dark Arts and become powerful enough to take over the Wizarding World.

"Where do they come up with this rubbish?" Hermione asked, flicking through the next couple of pages, looking for anything interesting.

"They clearly have nothing better to do," Harry replied, finishing the last of his cereal and pushing the bowl into the middle of the table.

"Well maybe they should actually start reporting real news-"

"They do. About five pages in after all the crap about me," Harry said, smirking. Hermione snorted behind the newspaper and folded it back so that she could read an article easier.

"What's that?" Harry asked, grabbing the paper and laying it on the table in front of him.

"What?" Hermione leaned over the table to get a better look at the article and blushed when she saw it. "How in Merlin's name did they get that picture?"

"'Hermione Granger – trying to decide between the two future candidates for Dark Lord?'" Harry read. The picture on the right of the article showed her hugging Harry, moments after the two had been discharged from St. Mungos, while the picture on the left showed her shaking hands with Draco Malfoy.

"Only the Daily Prophet could have turned that picture of you and Malfoy into something more than platonic," Harry said, scowling at the paper. Ron snorted a laugh and Hermione turned round to glare at him.

"You won't be laughing when you read that article about you and Malfoy deciding to give a romantic relationship a go," she stated. Ron's eyes practically bulged out of his head and he yanked the paper away from his two friends, flicking through to find the article in question. Hermione rolled her eyes and picked up her bag, motioning for Harry to come too.

"We'll see you in class, Ron," she said, patting his shoulder. He replied with an almost inaudible 'whatever' and it wasn't until they were well out of hearing range that Harry turned to Hermione.

"I didn't see an article about Ron and Malfoy."

"That's because there wasn't one," Hermione replied, smirking. Harry looked at her in amazement for a moment, seconds before he burst out laughing.

----

Draco Malfoy trudged through the halls of Hogwarts solemnly. He'd deliberately missed breakfast to avoid the glares sent his way, not only from the Gryffindors – but from most of the Slytherins too. From their point of view, turning on the Dark Lord was a foolish thing to do.

It wasn't that he'd suddenly decided to go over to the good side because he'd had a change of heart and wanted to rid the world of evil. No. It was more that he'd used his brain and come to the conclusion that there was no way the Dark Lord could beat Harry Potter. What would have been foolish would be staying on the loosing side – when they are so clearly going to loose – and spend the rest of his miserable life in Azkaban. So, playing Potter for the sucker he was, all he had to do was save his pathetic mudblood best friend from a stray killing curse and he'd pretty much won over his trust. Of course, to keep the part up and avoid a sentence in Azkaban – which Harry had kindly ordered him not to be given – he had to pretend that they were 'getting along'. Despite the sudden urges he had to thump the lot of them sometimes, it wasn't all that difficult. It wasn't as if he had to stay there all his life – as soon as he graduated he could sell his father's mansion and move to the other side of the planet.

Turning the corner to his class, Draco instantly wished Potter had been there to provide him with some sort of backup.

"Alright, traitor?" Blaise Zambini sneered. "How's your father doing in Azkaban?"

Draco shrugged, "Dead hopefully. How about yours? Heard he was scheduled for the kiss."

"He is not!" Zambini argued, though his face paled considerably. Draco grinned and joined the back of the line. Blaise had always been close to his father and jibes about him was a sure fire way to piss the Slytherin off. He was just about to retort when Harry and Hermione came into view and his mouth shut with a resounding snap.

"Malfoy," Harry greeted. Draco nodded his head in return and leaned against the wall, looking at the two of them.

"Where's Weasel?"

"Trying to find a non-existent article in The Daily Prophet about you two snogging in a broom closet," Hermione replied. Draco smirked.

"You two are such lying gits!" Ron fumed, turning the corner behind them and tossing the Newspaper at Harry, only making the other two members of the Trio laugh.

"Read the paper, Malfoy?" Harry asked, handing it over to the Slytherin who took it and scanned the article they had read a few minutes ago. His face screwed up in disgust and he threw it back.

"That's not all. Apparently, Hermione's trying to decide whether she should date you or me-"

"You're welcome to her," Draco scoffed. Hermione rolled her eyes and took the paper, slapping both of the boys on the arm with it.

"I don't intend to date either of you." Harry opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as the Defence teacher came into view at the end of the corridor. They weren't sure whether the curse that had been placed on the position had been broken when Voldemort was killed, but nothing had arisen yet to give the teacher a cause to leave – Harry was glad.

While Remus Lupin had been forced to leave and had no intention what-so-ever of coming back any time in the near future – it hadn't stopped his new fiancé from applying for the position. Nymphadora Tonks was admittedly rather clumsy, but she had proved a worthy candidate for the job. While it had started out as a way to get more Aurors into Hogwarts, she'd begun to enjoy herself and fully intended to continue to work there next term.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologised, hurriedly opening the door and ushering the class inside. "I was rather busy and completely lost track of time." She smiled at the Trio as they passed and Harry took in her somewhat dishevelled appearance and rosy cheeks and had an inkling as to what she had been doing. The Trio took up their seats at the back of the class, while Draco Malfoy sat on the row next to them, leaving enough space to show that he was sitting on his own.

The class passed relatively slowly due to the fact the only thing they were doing was going over things that they had already learnt in preparation for their exams. Ron fell asleep a few minutes in and Harry had to keep slapping him to stop his snoring. The only way he could wake him up at the end of the class was to push him off his seat all together. Even Malfoy had laughed at the sight.

----

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully, and it wasn't until dinner that something interesting – if rather unexpected happened.

The Hall had instantly fallen silent when McGonagall rose from her seat and all eyes turned to her, wondering what she had to say.

"Although not all of you may be aware of it, it was not only the UK that was affected by Voldemort. Death Eaters that he had positioned in other countries did all they could to avenge his Death when word got to them.

"One unfortunate case was that of a school in Australia. Few students survived and due to the small numbers, they have been sent to England, to Hogwarts, to finish off their schooling-"

Her voice was drowned out at this point as everyone began to talk excitedly.

"Quiet, please, quiet!" The talk in the Hall slowly died down and all eyes turned once again to look at the Headmistress, who by this time had picked up the Sorting Hat from the table behind her. On cue, the double doors to the hall opened and every single head turned to the trail of students that followed Filch through it.

Harry counted no more than ninety in total, which was a small number considering the size the school must have been. The majority of the students looked years five through seven and the younger students looked nervous as hell. Harry didn't blame them. He'd felt the same when he'd had to walk up to the front of the Hall to be sorted.

"When I call your names, I want you to step forward so I can place the Sorting Hat on your head." Pulling her list out of one of many pockets on her robe she read out the first name. "Yvette Summers." A nervous looking third year student stepped forward and let McGonagall place the hat on her head. Harry, who was sitting at the very front of the table with Hermione and Ron, could hear some of the other students whispering to each other – mostly about the fact that they could see Harry Potter – and he suddenly wished he'd sat further up the table.

"Hufflepuff!" The house cheered half-heartedly as the girl wandered over to their table. "Aeryn Bays." A seventh year girl stepped forward and McGonagall set the hat on her head.

"Gryffindor!" There was a collective cheer from the Gryffindors – probably more happy at the fact they got a new student before Slytherin. In fact, Slytherin didn't get anyone until at least the twentieth person, right after another seventh year student – Ailish Tully – was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Siobhan Roche!"

Draco Malfoy was the first to perk up when he saw the new girl. His eyes followed from her spot in front of the stairs to standing right in front of McGonagall and he grinned when – as soon as it touched her head – the Sorting Hat shouted out 'Slytherin'. The rest of the table cheered, but he sat still not once taking his eyes off her. It wasn't until she sat in front of him that he spoke.

"Draco Malfoy." She looked at the hand he'd extended and reached up to take it.