A/N: This is my first EVER Harry Potter fanfiction, usually I write Torchwood but hey I thought why not try my hand at this. Please be kind! And Most of all ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter my role model does though (good old JK virtual cookies for anyone who gets that reference)

Warning: This chapter has nothing to warn about but futures will involve Harry/Draco scenes and I tend to get graphic so if you don't like, don't read simple as that.

Second Chances

18-year-old harry potter was walking down the corridor on the Hogwarts express. He was going to be completing his seventh year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But before he could start that, he had to patrol the train, just one of the duties he had as Head boy. Harry groaned to himself when he noticed a disturbance in front of the last compartment at the very end of the train. Three sixth year Ravenclaws seemed to be getting very angry at said compartment. 'Damn it!' harry thought to himself he pulled out his want and picked up his pace.

"I can't believe you actually came." Said the tallest of the three. "Merlin, you and your families may have been cleared by the ministry but we're not fooled. We all know the truth."

"What may that be?" said a female voice form inside the compartment.

"You're all nothing but Death Eaters." Said another of the girls.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" said Harry looking between each of the girls.

"Nothing Harry." Said the tallest with all the Ravenclaw superiority she could muster.

"OK, alright, I'll ask again and this time you'll tell me. OK? Good. Now, what is going on here?"

"The smallest stepped forward and said; "we were just trying to figure out what made the Death Eaters come back this year, it's not like they're welcome here."

"Death Eaters?" Harry had a confused look on his face as he peered into the compartment; inside he saw Draco Malfoy his hand was itching closer and closer to his wand looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him. He was sitting with both Blaise Zabbini and Pansy Parkinson. He kept his confused face fixed as he turned back to the three girls. "I see no Death Eaters. What I do see is a very angry Draco Malfoy sitting with Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabbini."

"Harry!" said one of the girls. "Malfoy tried to KILL you his father almost did on more than one occasion! And let's not forget the fact that Parkinson actually stood up and tried to hand you over to you-know-who before the final battle!"

"Yeah they did you're completely right, they did that, and more." Harry said simply, his face was passive but furry was burning a furnace inside of him. "Now back to what I was saying; I see no Death Eaters. I do however see three Slytherins being harassed by three Ravenclaws, which I must say is a huge turn of the tables. Now, as Ravenclaws I am assuming you are fairly intelligent, you should really use that intelligence now and leave, because believe me you don't want to be on the receiving end of what ever hex Malfoy is thinking of using on you at this moment. And if you're not careful you'll end up on the tail end of one of mine!"

"But Harry…"

"Don't but Harry me. I'm Head boy now and it's my job to stop bullying from happening, which is exactly what's happening here. If I see it again I will take so many points you won't know what hit you!"

The Three Ravenclaws seemed to be weighing their options and with one last glare shot at the three Slytherins they were gone with their heads drawn together.

Harry merely rolled his eyes and turned towards the compartment again. "Are you guys alright?"

"Um… yeah… thanks Po… Harry." Said Pansy with a small smile, confusion written all over her features. "But why did you…?"

"Second chances."

"There you are Harry." Said a small red headed girl from behind Harry. "I've been looing everywhere for you. You coming back?"

"Yeah Ginny, I'm coming." Ginny took Harrys hand and with one last nod to the Slytherins, he let himself be dragged away.

"That was… weird." Said Draco, still looking at the door in confusion.

"Yeah." Blaise said slowly. "Was it just me or did Potter seem not particularly happy to see the female weasel?"

"Yeah and the way he was talking to the Ravenclaws, he was weird, kind of unnerving actually." Said Draco. "He was different, some what odd."

"He's been like that for awhile now apparently." Said Pansy, lying down on the seat she had to herself. "My uncle was telling mum the other day. He said that when Potter goes to the ministry he's all smiles, but the smiles don't meet his eyes. He said Potter's eyes look like a ghost's and that they are older than his face. But he also said that Potter's doing such a good job at hiding his true emotions that those closest to him wouldn't notice, that only those who aren't would."

"What the hell are you babbling on about?" said Draco

"Yeah, Pans' you're making no sense." Blaise said, sharing a confused glance with Draco.

"Yes I am Blaise. You see it's like… um… a painting. When you're up close you can see it, you can see all of the individual brush strokes that make up a masterpiece that those far away couldn't. But when you step back, you can appreciate it's true beauty and everything just seems to fall into place." Pansy said like it was completely obvious. "You see Potter's friends like; the weaselette, Granger and Weasley, they'll see a side to Potter that none other do. But they see too much of him to notice small details like ghost filled eyes."

"So it's kind of like at Christmas when I see my cousins, it's like they have downed a bottle of skello-grow since the last time I saw them. But their parents don't seem to notice as much. That's because they seem constantly but I never do, right?"

"Exactly Draco, he's not as daft as he looks then. We never see Potter so we notice 'the ghosts' per say."

"So Pansy," said Blaise, leaning forward. "You seem to be the expert on all things Potter. Why do you think he's acting so strange all of a sudden?"

Pansy sat up and studied Blaise. "I don't know to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have a clue. By all rights he should hate us more than what he use to, I mean I practically offered him up as an entrée. Not only that but you-know-who's dead now so he should be deliriously happy. He get's to have something that's almost akin to a normal life, he'll never actually have one but its close enough."

"Well I'm not complaining." Said Blaise. "At least there's one person this year who won't be giving us shit the entire time. But that doesn't change the fact that he's acting weird and Potter being weird can't be a good thing."

"Yeah weird." Draco turned his attention to the scenery outside, the mystery of Harry Potter was playing deeply on his mind. He couldn't stop thinking that the murky waters that surrounded him would only get murkier.

MEANWHILE on the opposite end of the train Harry Potter was lost deep in thought staring out the window as the British countryside flew past him.

"Harry, Harry, Harry!"

Someone punched his knee. "OW! Fuck Ron, what the hell was that for?" he started rubbing his knew with the arm that wasn't wrapped around Ginny. For awhile he forgot he wasn't alone. In fact, the compartment was almost full with; Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Dean.

"Sorry Mate, but you were completely zoned out, we were calling you but well like I said, sorry. What's wrong?" Ron said looking at the floor.

"You mean apart from the fact that my knee is killing me?"

"You know what I mean."

"Nothing's wrong, I just didn't get enough sleep last night because of someone." Harry cast his gaze to Ginny who blushed brightly behind her book.

"Anyway." Said Ron

"You two are like rabbits." Said Dean

"Anyway!" Ron said a little louder.

"Like you can talk Dean." Harry cast a knowing look at him and Luna.

"OK stop now." Said Ron. "I don't want the visuals, especially my best mate and my sister."

"Oh Ron you're just jealous." Hermione said not looking up from her book.

"I'm quite happy being single Hermione." Ron and Hermione started dating after the war ended but it went down hill quickly, they were lucky to catch it and become friends again before it went messy. "Anyway what I was going to say to Harry, why did you stop the Ravenclaws hexing the lot of them?"

"Because Ron, Harry is Head Boy now, he can't stand by and watch as someone gets harassed and bullied." Said Hermione

"Not only that but…" Harry bit his lip he knew Ron wasn't going to like the next two words he was about to say. "Second chances."

"What? Harry, are you insane?" Ron was looking at Harry like the latter's brains had snuck out and flown out of the window. "Malfoy has had nothing but chances from you since you met him!"

"Ron what happened before the final battle doesn't count." Harry said simply.

Hermione looked up from her book for a moment and said; "Harry, did you find out why Pansy and Draco weren't at the prefects meeting earlier?" Hermione had been made Head Girl and she had point the fact out to Harry as soon as the meeting started.

"Nah, I didn't get the chance, but I'm really not overly worried about it. They did seem particularly surprised by the Ravenclaws actions. I might talk to them tomorrow if I get the chance, even if it's just to explain what they missed."

"Harry you do realise you're too noble for your own damn good." Said Ron

"You know, Ron has a point Harry." Said Dean, whose arms were full of Luna. "If anyone has a right to hold a grudge against them, it's definitely you."

"I think Harry's right." Said Neville

"Me too." Luna said dreamily.

"Thanks guys." Said Harry. "Look they may have been right little bastards before, but the war changed everyone. All of you know this."

"No matter what you say Harry," Ginny said snuggling closer. "Parkinson will always be a pig nosed dog."

"Yes dear." Harry went back to staring out of his window and let the conversation continue without him. He knew Ginny and Ron wouldn't change their views, so he just felt like being by himself. Lately he had wanted to spend more and more time by himself, but he didn't. He was expected to be around his friends constantly so he was.

Since Professor McGonagall became headmistress she had instigated some very significant changes, the first of which that was noticed by the students was that Hagrid no longer came to collect the first years. Instead the Head boy and girl would be escorting the over on the boats. So that meant that Harry and Hermione were standing in the rain truing to wrangle first years into the boats.

"Oi, look." Blaise nudged Draco and pointed towards Harry, as they made their way towards the carriages. "Potter looks pissed. The first years are really laying into him."

Blaise's statement couldn't have been anymore true. The first years seemed to be demanding autographs and tales of one of Harry's great adventures.

"You'd think he would love all of the attention but again he looks... I don't know... miserable." Said Draco.

"And for the first time since i've known her, Granger looks oblivious to it all." Said Pansy

They watched as Harry put his wand to his throat and made the volume of his voice triple. "All first years in the boats, NOW! And if one more person asks for an autograph they'll be dinner for the giant squid!"

"You might be right about only us being able to see the changes in Potter, Pansy." Said Draco. "now one else3 seems to have noticed that he just threatened to murder all of the first year. I don't know how I feel about having an insight into Potter, I may not want to spend this year ripping out his throat but god, I don't want to get close. That's too weird."

"You know, if Potter keeps going like this," said Pansy. "He is going to have one serious mental break down."

Twenty minutes after they sat down in the great hall Harry Potter and Hermione Granger walked in, very wet, followed by a procession of equally wet first years. In fact they look less like they arrived on boats and more like they same across the black lake. Once they arrived at the front of the hall, harry shook out his mane, wetting professor McGonagall in the process.

"Oh I'm so sorry ma'am." Harry said, trying to fight off the sudden desire to burst out laughing.

"Yes, well, take a seat Mister Potter."

"Hold on," said Pansy. "Didn't we wait in a chamber to the side of the hall? These guys came straight in from the boats."

"Apparently, McGonagall's made some changes." Said Draco

"Well if either of you actually went to the prefects meeting on the train you would know." Blaise said with a smug smile

After the sorting and the feast was over Professor McGonagall stood up. "Welcome everyone both new and old. This is an important year for Hogwarts. This year marks the first year of a new world, a world that began after a great war. The final battle of this war was fought in this very hall.

"This year will show changes to this schools regime. The most notable change will be inter-house relations. Something we all learnt in the war is the importance of unity, even if unity starts as; simply school houses learning to get along and co-exist. I have already been informed of ill feelings between certain houses; I am putting an end to this now! This is a new era for both Hogwarts and the greater wizarding world.

"Now I have been asked to remind to older students and inform the new ones that there is a ban on products from Zonko's and Weasley Wizard Wheezes, a full list of these items can be found in your common rooms. Now all except seventh years may leave. Goodnight. Seventh years to the front please."

Once the rest of the school had left, the seventh years walk to the front and propped them selves on tables and chairs or even on the floor and waited for Professor McGonagall to start talking.

"Now as you know, this is the smallest seventh year class we have had in many years. This is due to thee fact that most didn't want to return back but some were killed in the final battle, I know you will sorely miss them." Professor McGonagall took a minute to let people process and regain composure as some were reduced to tears. "As I mentioned in my speech I am promoting inter-house unity, I am not naive enough to think this will happen over night, I am going to need your help/ you are the leaders of this school and I would like you all to lead by example.

"To help with this, a room has been made for you and solely for you; it has been made into a sort of common room, a seventh year's common room. You can go there to chat or study or do what ever it is you do whilst you are in your own common rooms. I want you to show the younger students how to interact properly with each other.

"Some of you may be wondering why you have to still do all of your NEWT work even though you were here for most of last year. Last year you learnt nothing about what you need to know, which is why everyone is repeating the year they did last year.

"So I am going to leave you now so that you can discuss all of this further amongst yourselves. Harry and Hermione know the whereabouts and the password for the common room. I suggest you all go to bed soon, classes begin tomorrow." With that McGonagall left the great hall.

"So where is it?" said one of the only two Hufflepuffs to Harry and Hermione.

"It's on the third floor, behind the portrait of a bald wizard holding an hour glass." Said Hermione

"And the password?" said Dean

Harry smiled as if laughing at his own private joke. "It's sherbet-lemon."

"So does this mean we're all going to have to get along now?" said the only girl of the only three Ravenclaws.

"I really can't see why not." Said Harry

After Harry's statement there was protesting moans and grunts from most, others just shot the Slytherins fugitive glances.

Harry put his elbows on his knees and tried to compose himself. "That is enough." He said in a deadly whisper. "I'm going to tell you all something I told some others this afternoon. 'The war changed everyone'; no one in this room is an exception to that. I have come into this year with one motto; 'second chances'." Harry glared at everyone. "I for one think it's a fantastic idea, and I will be taking full advantage of the common room."

"Harry you can't actually forgive them?" said Ron

"Can't I? I'm not going to sit here and explain myself to you when I did that on the train today. Now if you don't mind I'm going to bed." Harry got up and walked out of the hall. He was about to walk up the stairs in the entrance hall when he heard;

"Potter!"

He turned to see Draco Malfoy jogging towards him. When he caught up he held out his hand and said; "Truce?"

Harry took it in his and said; "Truce."

Everyone that was in the great hall were now staring at the two shocked. Here were two formally worst enemy's calling a truce in the middle of a stair case, something's were even too weird for Hogwarts to comprehend. Harry merely glared at everyone else and made his way up the stairs.

So what do you think? This is actually the longest chapter I have written (on fanfiction anyway) Please let me know what you think! Please Review!