HSWW Part 2

Hogwarts Grand Hall

Draco, Pansy and Luna entered the Grand Hall. Draco looked around for Snape, but saw nothing. He sighed and sat down on the nearest bench, "Great. He's probably wandering around the school somewhere." He muttered

"Have no fear!" Luna suddenly shouted, "I shall find him!" She turned and ran towards the door. She ran out into the hallway and looked down each end and out the window. A few seconds later, she ran back inside, "Nope! Nobody there!"

Pansy sighed and patted Draco on the back, "Thank you Luna." She forced a smile and tried to hold back the laughter. She turned back to Draco, "We could always wait around for a little."

Draco stared at her in confusion, "Why are you being so nice?"

Snape, (walking with an air of someone who didn't quite know where they were going, but not really caring as to where they ended up), walked through the archway into the Grand Hall. He continued his brisk pace, until catching the odd congregation at one of the tables. He nearly halted his gait, as he stared at the mixture of Ravenclaws and Slytherins seemingly... cooresponding peacefully. How...intriguing. He thought, a soft scowl touching his face.

"Well excuse me for trying to help you!" Pansy snapped at Draco, none of them noticing Snape in the entrance.

"It wasn't an insult!" Draco yelled back, he pulled Pansy closer, "If this has to do with any sympathy about Bellatrix, you can stop right about now." He whispered, then realized that he probably didn't need to make the effort to hide it from Luna, who seemed a bit out of it already.

"Well rest assured, I don't really have much sympathy for you at the moment!" Pansy whispered back.

Professor Snape turned his cold black eyes to the continues bicker of his students, and with a surprassed sigh of annoyance he made his way towards them. "...Is there a problem? Miss Parkison? Mr. Malfoy?" He said softly, coldly. He didn't bother to address Luna for he had little confidence that she had even been listening.

Pansy gave Draco a "told you so" look and walked over to Snape, "Professor, we were actually looking for you." She said, pulling the newspaper out of her robes, "We read that the Ministry is forbidding any magic from anyone at Hogwarts, inside and outside of the school."

Snape looked to the paper with a withering stare and then turned his contemptuous glare to Pansy. "So it would seem." He said stiffly, his voice also hinting at a note of obvious sarcasm.

"I take it there's nothing that we can do about it?" Draco frowned.

"Perhaps...Perhaps not." Severus said airily, then frowning further he narrowed his eyes on the blond. "Why do you inquire?"

"Why me? I like magic!" Luna said, twirling herself around in the middle of the floor.

Draco shook his head and turned back to Snape, "I suppose Dumbledore already knows?"

"Yes, the Headmaster is well aware of the changes within his own school." Snape replied, sounding annoyed. "Though he isn't in the least bit happy. In fact, I believe he's confronting the Minister of Magic personally as we speak." He folded his arms against his chest and gave Luna half a glance before shaking his head slightly at the girl. "Though, the Ministry seems quite firm on their new... addition to the rules. I, however, have no intention of playing this little game with the Ministry."

"No of course not." Pansy muttered, "If you'll excuse us a minute." She said, dragging Draco by the collar to the nearest corner, "Look we need to do something about this and whether you like it or not, we need Potter and the other Gryffindors for help." She whispered. She looked back to see Snape shaking his head at Luna, who was still spinning in the aisle. She turned back to Draco. "I'm going back to get them. You and Luna stay here and we'll meet back here in a little while."

Draco sighed, "Well is anything I say going to stop you?"

Pansy laughed and patted Draco on the shoulder, "I'll be back soon." She gave a departing nod towards Snape and left to return to Hogsmeade.

Draco smiled a little as Pansy left. He glanced behind his shoulder at Luna spinning around in circles and rolled his eyes. "Great, I'll just stay here." He muttered after Pansy, "I don't mind staying with the nutjob."

After a few minutes, Luna stopped spinning and staggered toward Draco, "Woah, where did Pansy go?" She said a little dazed

"She'll be back." Draco said, still staring at the doorway, "Why don't you go back and spin some more."

"Oh." Luna said, suddenly distracted by the sun shining through one of the painted windows, "Alright." She mumbled and walked back towards the aisle and began spinning again.

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