Disclaimer: Not JKR.

A/N: So. Before you dive into this story, I have a warning and two explanations.

WARNING: This fic leans quite a bit on OCs that are students at Hogwarts in the year behind the Golden Trio. However, it is DH compliant and all canon pairings are intact aside from Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass.

Explanation One: This fic was a birthday present for my roommate, which explains the large number of OCs (there are several of them, seven-ish to be exact, but regular characters have good-sized roles too) and why I am writing a Harry Potter fic (I don't write Harry Potter fics, although I read them extensively).

Explanation Two: The idea for this fic came out of a post-canon thought which was: The Trio never finished school. Would they (at least Hermione) go back? This idea sparked this unorthodox fic, which centers around the, as I realized, "lost," seventh years, the group of students that were the year behind the Trio. Besides Ginny and Luna, there are literally no other female students mentioned that exist in that year. So based on the premise that each house has at least three females per year, my OCs merely fill in the gaps around Ginny and Luna. . .and so The Seventh Year was born.

I am so excited to begin this project, and happy reading!

The Seventh Year

Chapter 1

The Twins and the Gits

The halls of Hogwarts were quiet in the wee hours of the morning, moonlight drifting peacefully through the long, narrow windows to play on the flagstones below. The castle had been deftly patched up after the finality of the Second Wizarding War during the summer and had been patiently waiting for students to come back to its ageless corridors. Now, on the eve of September the first, it seemed as though the entire school was holding its breath in anticipation for the new, and probably strange, year.

There would be two seventh year classes; the sixth years from last year and any of the seventh years from the year previous who wished to actually graduate from their beloved almost alma mater. All that was truly known about the returning seventh years was that Harry Potter would not be back as a full time student. Although he had been awarded honorary graduate status, he would be coming back periodically to take special classes and participate in house activities. No one knew how often he would be at the school, only that the hero had retreated to (alternatively) the Burrow and 13 Grimmauld Place for some much needed rest. The other two-thirds of the Golden Trio were said to be returning.

And of course there would be the incoming seventh years—they included some very rambunctious individuals. It would be an interesting year.

An interesting year indeed.

-v-v-v-

"Who do you think will be back?" a girl with dark brown hair and eyes asked, grinning at a petite Asian girl who could not get her hair to lie flat.

The girl continued to struggle with her hair, so Ginny Weasley replied instead. "Well, I know Harry will be visiting as frequently as possible. He just isn't staying on full time."

"That's bloody brilliant," the first girl exclaimed, her eyes dancing. "I wish I could stay on half-board. Think about all the things we could get into if we only had to attend school partially, Marisa."

Her twin glanced up from an intricate manual entitled Alchemy, Chemistry, and Potion Making: A Study of the Advances in the 19th Century and beamed a sly grin. "Yeah, we could actually go to the Amazon instead of bringing it to Hogwarts."

The Asian girl turned pink and tittered nervously. "Amazon? Why are we talking about the Amazon?"

Luna Lovegood smiled dreamily. "You did look quite good with that boa constrictor as a belt, Natalie. It was quite interesting really, I don't know why you started shrieking when I complimented you on it."

Marisa and her twin Erin high-fived and collapsed into helpless laughter.

"You two could at least try to be nicer," Hermione told them, but a smile was tugging at her lips. "If you aren't careful, I'll have to take points."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever 'Mione," Erin brushed her half-hearted threat aside. "You being our guardian Prefect was the best thing that ever happened to us."

"Where's Ron, anyway?" the other Gryffindor girl in the compartment asked. Like the twins and Natalie, who was still fighting a losing battle with her hair, she was an incoming seventh year with Ginny and Luna.

Hermione calmly flicked a page in the book she was reading (The Heroes of the First Wizarding War). "I told him to go catch up with his mates."

"Nice. You show him who is boss, girl," her fellow housemate grinned.

"Don't be ridiculous, Sophie," the older girl replied crisply.

"We all know you two are an item now," Erin teased.

"Finally," Marisa added, turning back to her book.

Hermione was spared her retort when the door to the compartment banged open and the Boy-Who-Lived appeared in all his questionable glory—his robes were definitely muddy, but the grin on his face was undeniably genuine and carefree.

"Harry!" Ginny shrieked, jumping up to clobber her boyfriend.

The twins rolled their eyes. "Get a room," they chorused.

Hermione gave them an amused look. "What did I tell you two about being—hey!" She reached over and snatched Marisa's wand from her side where she had been turning it slowly and inconspicuously.

Natalie's hair immediately fell back into an orderly sheaf upon her head.

Erin began laughing hysterically and high-fived a manically grinning Marisa.

"Hey!" Natalie grinned triumphantly. "The flattening charm worked!"

The twins bent over in a fresh wave of giggles.

Harry swept in to wedge himself between Hermione and his girlfriend. He dropped an affectionate kiss on his best friend's forehead before asking, "Where's Ron?"

"Catching up with your mates," the twins told him.

"Hullo," he nodded to the two Ravenclaws and the others in the compartment. There was a general clamor of greetings for the bespectacled boy. "Luna! When will the Quibbler be running again?"

"Daddy is working on the next issue as we speak. There is going to be a full-color insert about nargles, isn't that lovely?"

Harry's eyebrow twitched. "I can't wait to read it," he told her blandly. "Alright there, Nat?"

"Just fine, Harry," she beamed, putting away her mirror and not seeming to notice that her hair had sprung up again. Marisa smirked and high-fived Erin again. "Mum's been healing nicely, thanks to you."

He blushed. "Right, don't mention it. . ."

"Gin didn't think you'd be back right away," Sophie told him. "What gives?"

"Change of plans. I should be around for at least a few weeks. Maybe just to keep the returning Slytherins in line. . ."

"Oh, they aren't all that bad," Erin murmured.

"Cat's alright," Marisa added, although it was obvious that she was biting her tongue about the rest of the Slytherin house.

"Which means she's awesome," Sophie told Harry. "And our friend Jin is pretty cool too. Maybe it's just us girls that can get along."

Hermione snorted. "Tell that to Parkinson."

"Parkinson's a girl?" Ginny quipped.

General laughter ensued, until Natalie shrieked, realizing her hair was standing on end. "Will you stop it?" Hermione hissed, this time grabbing at Erin's wand. Natalie's hair flattened before Hermione actually took her wand, and Erin quickly summoned Marisa's ash and dragon-heartstring combo back from the Gryffindor, who just let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'll come back for you later, Gin," Harry said, standing up to yawn and stretch. "I have to go find Ron. Lovely seeing you all."

"Bye, Harry!"

"Sweet Merlin, at least Romilda wasn't here to see him," Sophie muttered. "I feel like we're the only ones with our heads on straight."

"Only because he's dating Ginny," Erin grinned. "If he were single—"

"Oh, come off it, E," the red-head teased. "We all know you only go for blonde blokes."

"Speaking of which," Luna murmured, scratching the glass of the compartment thoughtful with the end of an oddly colored quill, "here comes one now."

Erin suddenly stiffened in her seat and traded an inexplicable look with Hermione. Sure enough, stalking regally down the hallway was the blond devil's spawn of Hogwarts: Draco Malfoy himself, closely followed by several other Slytherin cronies.

He wasn't wearing robes, but his expensive Armani suit was enough to turn heads. "I didn't think he was going to come back," Hermione whispered to the others.

"He doesn't have much to be ashamed of," Ginny hissed back. "His mum saved Harry, and he did sort of quit the whole Death Eater gig at the end there—"

"He was a Death Eater though!" Hermione told her, "I mean, I am all for the rehabilitation programs the Ministry are coming up with, but he—"

"—won't have changed," Sophie told her heatedly. "At least not outwardly, not at first."

"I suspect he's always been a mass of insecurities, and now he is finally free," Erin agreed.

"Oh hello, Blaise," Luna hummed.

The girls all looked up, a bit surprised, to see that Blaise and Draco had stopped and barged into their compartment to lean nonchalantly on the glass, sporting twin smirks.

"Loony," Blaise nodded, grinning. "How was summer?"

"Better than expected, thank you. Especially since father will be well enough to go hunting for Crumple-Horned Snorcacks again soon. How is your mother, is she out of St. Mungo's?"

"Beaver," Malfoy interrupted with a smirk.

"Ferret," Hermione acknowledged calmly, turning another page in her book with obvious indifference.

"The old bat is letting me keep my Head Boy status. Says it will be good for my character. Did you hear?"

"Now I have," she murmured.

"Thought she would've given you Head Girl."

"I told her I wouldn't do it," Hermione replied, still with almost goddess-like composure. "That she needed one of the regular seventh years."

Erin was hiding behind Marisa's book, and Marisa's arms were crossed, glaring at the gorgeous pair of Slytherins.

"Oh, then she must have picked you, Benz," Draco drawled, turning to stare at the twins.

"Get lost, ferret-face," Marisa growled.

"I meant the other one, the nicer one," Draco sneered.

"Don't have the foggiest idea of what you are going on about, Malfoy," Erin told him airily, but the book was still in front of her face.

"What are you doing in here, ink-arm?" Marisa shot at the other boy.

"Calm down, Benz-Deux," Blaise said lazily. "Tattoos aren't a crime."

"If they make you a brain-washed git, they are!" Sophie snapped, putting a hand on Marisa's shoulder.

"A stupid mark on my arm does not make me a git," Blaise shrugged lazily.

"A stupid mark on your face wouldn't make me a git either," Marisa jumped up, raising her fist.

"You think you could take me, princess?"

"Arsehole, how many times do I have to tell you? Black belt. Karate. I could kick your arse."

"And I've got your wand," Erin added, still not looking up from her sister's book but twirling said object nonchalantly around her fingers. She'd really only taken in to stop her sister from hurting Blaise. Again. Erin knew Marisa would at least feel sort of sorry about it later.

"So you're going to let your sister get away with everything? Nice," Malfoy purred, staring down at the Ravenclaw. "That gives me just as much leeway with my mates."

Zabini was backing out of the carriage. "This isn't over, Benz-Deux," he grinned wolfishly. "See you later, losers. Loony."

"Bye, Blaise!" Luna said brightly.

"That bloody sodding coward—"

Erin and Sophie caught Marisa and made her sit down. "I don't know what you're talking about," Erin told the Malfoy heir casually. "I've never let her get away with anything—not without my help. I don't intend to let that change. You watch your back, Malfoy."

He calmly took Blaise's wand from between her fingers and leaned in close to make his point, his expensive cologne distracting her for just a moment. "I'll wait until we're in our new living quarters—alone, Benz. Then we'll see if you can withstand me."

The door snapped shut and the only noise in the compartment was Hermione turning another page. Erin let out an explosive breath and threw Alchemy, Chemistry, and Potion Making: A Study of the Advances in the 19th Century at the window.

"Bloody hell!" Marisa yelped.

"Thanks a lot, Hermione," Erin slumped against the bench. "This is just bleeding brill. Now not only do I have to sort of behave, but I'm stuck with Malfoy."

"Don't you have a meeting you are supposed to be attending?" Hermione asked, a slight smile curving her lips.

"Not going," Erin groused.

"Half of us are prefects, we'll go with you," Sophie said encouragingly. "It won't be that bad."

"Why'd McGonagall pick you anyway?" Marisa smirked.

"Shut up," she mumbled. "I'm responsible. And I can actually speak with people, unlike you."

"I don't want to speak with people."

"Exactly. And I'm actually good at speaking with people, and getting them to listen. And with helping them."

Marisa snorted. Erin hit her. "You're alright," Marisa mumbled.

Hermione laughed. "We should go to that meeting now, Benz."

"Here's your book," Marisa said casually.

Hermione looked down at the book in her hands and glared, snatching back The Heroes of the First Wizarding War. "I was wondering why I was suddenly reading about the secret torrid affair of Dumbledore and Grindlewalt!"

Erin high-fived Marisa. Again. Practically nothing was going to change this year.

A/N: I will be updating every Wednesday and Saturday, and it is already written so this promise will be kept. Most of the chapters will be shorter than this one, but worthwhile XD. Thanks for reading!