Chapter Text
Draco strutted out of his compartment on the Hogwarts Express with the swagger everyone had come to expect for 5 years now. Dressed in fine black attire he was followed in quick succession by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, Draco's ever-following posse that would back him up at every instance in order to ally with the powerful Malfoy name. Besides their families blood beliefs, Draco wondered what was so Slytherin about his two friends. They had not displayed a bone of ambition or determination since the playdates his father and theirs had set up in his youth. Sure, it was the Malfoy tradition to associate with the powerful, but both Lucius and Draco had desires of their own whilst it often seemed to Draco that Crabbe and Goyle would follow him headfirst into the branches of the Whomping Willow if he ordered them so.
Draco's thoughts about his friends were brought to a pleasant stop when he saw none other than Saint Potter and his two friends. Very much aware of the Ministry and by extension the Daily Prophet's opinion on the claims that the Dark Lord had returned, he knew this would be a better time than any to get on Harry's nerves. Keeping his swagger with Crabbe and Goyle in tow behind him, Draco announced his presence by coughing and spoke his silver tongued words.
"I'm surprised the Ministry is still letting you walk around free, Potter." Draco spat with particular relish in uttering his name.
"Better enjoy it while you can, I expect there's a cell in Azkaban with your name on it!"
At this Harry lashed out at Draco to his surprise, wishing to give the git a good punch on the nose, but was held back by Ron who gave him a 'it's not worth it' look. Nevertheless, Harry was already sick of people thinking he was lying about the fate of Cedric and the return of Voldemort and took this anger out on his tormentor.
"Just stay away from me!" Harry shouted, there was too much on his mind and someone like Draco was not of any want now.
"Absolutely nuts." Draco muttered to Crabbe and Goyle as they walked away, much to their amusement causing the two boys to crease up in laughter at Harry's reaction to
the light teasing.
"Good one, Draco." Goyle harshly chuckled.
"Yeah, I really think Potter's starting to lose it now!" Crabbe blubbered amongst fits of giggles.
Draco smirked at his friend's compliments but he couldn't help but think his heart wasn't in that last joke. Normally he too would be in a fit of laughter at annoying his rival to such a degree and it occurred to him how Harry would have spent his summer. Despite claiming that he was 'nuts' Draco knew that Harry was true in his words. His father had boasted to him many times that he was the first to show up when the dark mark summoned the former Death Eaters to the graveyard that night. The ministry was effectively giving Voldemort time to prepare and Draco regarded Fudge as an utter buffoon the few times he had met him whilst accompanying his father on his many 'good will' trips to bolster the name of Malfoy. For now, Draco put these thoughts to the back of his mind as he made the journey up to the Great Hall.
Dumbledore, beaming with happiness at the start of a new term, rose to his stand to give the customary welcome message and start of term announcements after the Sorting Ceremony. Draco had noticed during the Sorting that there was an unfamiliar face sitting on the far right of the teachers table. Well, it wouldn't of been hard to notice her, she stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the hall in pink so obnoxiously bright Draco could scarcely look at her. Her permanently fixated Cheshire Cat grin throughout the whole Sorting only irritated Draco further. Dumbledore confirmed Draco's suspicions that this woman, Dolores Umbridge, was there as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Obviously after Professor Moody turned out to be Barty Crouch Jr the revolving door of DADA professors had to continue for another year and it seemed this lady was just another in the long line of them.
The Headmaster was in the middle of the same done over speech on what places in the castle not to trespass when this Umbridge woman interrupted Dumbledore with an irritatingly high pitched cough before slowly stepping up to the podium and launching into a tirade about the ministry's attitude to the DADA curriculum at Hogwarts. Whilst usually Draco would have found Dumbledore being interrupted like this amusing he couldn't help but view this woman with a similar or perhaps even worse dislike. Remembering how he had announced his presence to Potter and his pals in a similar manner just earlier, Draco felt a pang of guilt at the thought at behaving like this self-centered pink tart of a woman. Turning to his friends, Draco stated to them his thoughts on the matter at hand like he usually would do.
"I can't see myself liking Defence Against the Dark Arts any more now this Umbridge lady is teaching, this just shows how ridiculous this school is." Draco began
"I heard she's a Slytherin, though." Crabbe replied
"Well I think it's a good thing then," Blaise, who had been listening in on the conversation, announced "Two Slytherin professors at Hogwarts? When's the last time
that's happened, eh?"
"Yeah, now we'll have both Snape and Umbridge giving us easy points, we might finally take the House Cup from Gryffindor." Goyle announced, agreeing with Blaise for what Draco considered a rather childish reason.
"Well, regardless of whatever 'easy points' we may get from her, I think she's a bit of a tosser." Draco finished but he couldn't seem to sway his fellow 5th year Slytherins on this opinion. Indeed, it seemed most of his house were in disagreement with Draco over this issue and talked excitedly about getting back at their rival house this year.
Draco did have reason to smile however, he had been made a prefect for his house along with Pansy Parkinson. Pansy seemed intent on making life for the new first years hell and while the idea of it was amusing he was most focused on the ability to roam the school grounds more freely. It was a secret comfort of Draco to wander the grounds at night to clear his head in times where his mind becomes cluttered. Annoyingly however, he would often get stopped by uptight students who took their prefect position way too far for his liking but now, it seemed, the shoe was on the other foot.