The students gathered in the Great Hall for the welcoming feast as they did every year; The Slytherins at the far table, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws in the centre, and Gryffindor on the other side of the hall than the Slytherins, for great reason; the Slytherins and Gryffindors didn't get on too well together. For as long as time could remember the house of the snake and the house of the lion were complete and total opposites of each other, and because of that they couldn't seem to agree with each other. It was widely known across the country that if you had gone to Hogwarts and you were placed in Slytherin, you wouldn't dare to be friends with a Gryffindor, and vise versa. It just wasn't meant to be.

It was at the Gryffindor table that we find our Golden Trio that night, sitting with their fellow sixth years, talking animatedly about their summers as they waited for the sorting, and therefore the feast, to begin.

It didn't take long for Hagrid to open the doors to the Great Hall and escort the nervous looking first years in. As they filed up to the front of the hall, Hermione Granger sat up straight, her prefects badge pinned to her chest gleaming in the candle lights, and watched the sorting begin.

Changes to become a new

But only for a few of you

A different fate, a different place

Each of you, a different case

You will be tested that is true

In the house of the blue

Will you change and become so bold

In the house of scarlet and gold

Maybe meet a nice young fella

In the badgers house of yellow

Watch you don't turn so mean

In the house of the green

So come one and come all

Listen to the Sorting Hats call

My message is loud and clear

There's nothing for you to fear

If we can all unite

We can win the coming fight

It's up to you to do the deed

Planting deep in you the seed

Hermione didn't have time to contemplate the song as applause broke out and McGonagall stepped forwards. "Apple, May," McGonagall called and a small girl with short brown hair stepped forwards, visibly shaking.

"Poor thing," Hermione mumbled.

"What?" Ronald Weasley asked, blinking a few times to come out his daze.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, "the poor girl is frightened. She must be a muggle born, otherwise you'd think she'd have the slightest idea about the sorting. It's not scary at all."

"Speak for yourself Hermione," Ron said, "Remember our sorting? I was terrified! Fred and George had told me it was some hard, complicated test I had to take!"

"Well of course they did, Ronald, they would say anything to frighten you!"

"Are you telling me you weren't the slightest bit worried Hermione?" Harry Potter asked, sliding his rounded glasses up his nose.

Hermione stuck her nose in the air, "of course I wasn't! I was excited! I had never known magic existed and to be a part of it all was like a dream come true! Why would I have been scared?"

Harry and Ron exchanged looks and eyes rolls as they turned back to the sorting. Already half the children had been placed into a house. It didn't take long for the other half to finish before McGonagall cleared up the stool and the hat and Dumbledore stood.

"Tuck in, boys and girls," he said with a smile and, raising both his hands, the tables were covered in food.

"So I was thinking Ron," Hermione said as she filled her plate up, "Last year we were so disorganized when it came to our prefect duties, I was thinking we should devise a schedule and make a plan, that way it doesn't interfere with our school work. NEWTs are next year and I don't want to fall behind because of a round we had to reschedule due to the fact that you couldn't make it because of Quidditch."

Ron, mouth full with food, mumbled something Hermione couldn't understand, spraying food all over the table.

"Disgusting Ronald," Hermione said, waving her wand and clearing the mess away. "Anyways, I was thinking that Harry and I could go over the Quidditch pitch bookings and figure out times that won't interfere with our Prefect duties, that way you can't use Qudditch as an excuse for not making rounds."

Ron rolled his eyes and stuffed more food in his mouth.

"Perfect," Hermione said taking that as Ron's way of agreeing to her idea. The food on the table was switched out for pudding, Ron groaning as his hands dropped from reaching for a fifth chicken leg. A smile formed on his face, though, as he spotted his favourite desserts.

Finding herself full Hermione pushed her plate away and let her eyes sweep the Great Hall, taking in the different houses. At the next table over she spotted Luna Lovegood sitting at the Ravenclaw table. The table beside that she saw her fellow classmate, and prefect Hannah Abbott, sitting with the Hufflepuffs. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the furthest table. The Slytherins were sitting there, acting rambunctious, and throwing food at each other. She glanced at the head table to see Snape scowling at them but not bothering to take any house points away for their behaviour. With a shake of her head she turned away and waited for the feast to end.

When Dumbledore finally rose, the pudding vanished from the tables, leaving nothing but the oak they were made of, and the Hall quieted.

"Now that we've all had our fill I have a few announcements to make. As always, the forbidden forest is out of bounds to all students unless accompanied by a teacher. Mr. Filch has a list of banned objects tapped to his office door. There is no duelling or magic to be used in the corridors. Professor Slughorn will be our new potions professor while Professor Snape will take the role of Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Loud noises of protest was heard from three of the four tables; the only table showing support and appreciation was, typically, the Slytherin table, whom which Snape was head of. Hermione exchanged surprised looks with Harry and Ron before turning back to their headmaster.

"I have one last announcement to make. This year, I have spoken with the school's board, and they've agreed that in order to help the students accept house unity and build the connections that will be vital in the coming war, we will be doing a sort of house swap. One prefect from each house, two females and two males, have been chosen to study and live in a different house this year."

Murmurs broke out among the children in the school. Some looked intrigued, some worried, others frightened, namely the prefects of the school. Hermione and Ron stared at each other, eyes wide, wondering which one of them had been chosen for the swap.

"Please step forwards Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff," the petite brunette stood up, hands shaking slightly and eyes as round as Galleons. She walked to the front of the hall and stood looking up at Professor Dumbledore. "Padma Patil of Ravenclaw." The beautiful raven haired girl stood and walked up, smiling nervously at Hannah. "The two of you will be swapping houses for the year. You will continue to take the classes you have signed up for, but you will be taking it with your new house." The girls nodded and exchanged glances before heading to their new tables. The school watched as Hannah sat on the edge of her seat, looking at the others in the Ravenclaw table, and smiling weakly. Padma sat at the Huggelpuff table, smiling warmly at those around her as they greeted her with smiles.

"Draco Malfoy," Dumbledore now said and the hall went silent as all eyes went to the blonde at the Slytherin table. He looked at the old professor, a bored expression on his face.

"Yes?" he drawled.

There was a twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes as he smiled at the boy, "please come forwards."

He stood and strutted towards the front to the hall, smirking as he went.

"You will be switching houses with Ronald Weasley."