dragons_can_learn | A dubious reunion

A dubious reunion

Draco was a Malfoy, and one of the lessons he'd learned was to never tell anyone anything. Not even Hermione although he told her more than he told most people, and although Hermione knew his basic goals and plans she didn't know all the plans he had in store. And McGonnagal was unaware that Hermione was even involved.

"You ready, Hermione?" It was amazing how good she looked in his robes and he glanced appreciatively at her as he took the handful of flue powder. "Hogwarts Reception Room." One squeeze of her ass before he stepped into the flames.

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Draco had something approaching a plan but was as much on a raid as anything. Ideal would be a copy of Hogwarts: A History, but he was looking for the earliest books he could get his hands on - and history books pre-Binns. But most of all he was very carefully moving the scrolls to try to find anything written at the time of the founding. Carefully so as not to damage anything.

"Do you think some of these books should go to the library?"

"If they are in good condition, I think they should." Hermione flipped through another book, setting in back in the pile of not-necessary.

"Hogwarts wants us to learn from our past. All of us. Students and teachers alike."

Draco nodded. "And some should go in the restricted section or just be copied. I've some very old and fragile books here. But have you found something directly useful?"

"A few books that had some past traditions, that I thought would be nice to have returned. And a few books that detailed different Headmaster rules on the point system."

"It would be good to ensure that the House points were used effectively..."

Hermione paused for a moment. "What did you think of Minerva's idea of not using the Sorting ceremony in the first year?"

Draco nodded. "Anything interesting in the points system? And it depends how the hat actually works. Whether the house system has always been flawed or whether it's that there's been a broken house. You?"

"Well, this one book has a nice list of what students could earn or lose points for. I think if it was posted in a common place, everyone would know. And it would prevent teachers from randomly awarding points, or taking away points, just because of their mood. There is also a nice little write-up about how for anything above 20 points, it needs more than one teacher to agree to." Hermione held out the book in question. It looked older than some of the others in her pile.

"Perhaps we should do some diagnostic tests on the hat. Make sure that it is not corrupted or flawed. I know that the hat takes into account what the student wants for themselves... I was almost a hatstall myself." Hermione taps her foot for a moment. "But I sort of agree that at age 11, no student truly knows who they want to be."

"I think that the first years should have common classes. Perhaps classes to learn about the different houses? Give them a chance to make friends, who are friends no matter how they get sorted later."

"Clear rules are always good. Even if brats like me can work out where they can be exploited. And you really should have been a hatstall with Slytherin involved."

Draco shrugged, reaching for another really old scroll. "Do students know better at twelve than eleven. Or do they simply have more opportunity to have had bad experiences with people?"

Suddenly he dropped it, shaking his hand. "Trapped!"

"The hat debated over Slytherin briefly, before going into both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor." Hermione shrugged slightly.

"Well that is why I think that there should be required classes, such as a proper Muggle and Magic Education class, so students get a chance to see both sides of the world. And a class on the different houses. And a class on the different traditions."

She blinked when he dropped the book. "You okay?"

Draco nodded. "It's a very old trap and most of the magic's weakened. But it makes me wonder why there's a trap spell on a copy of Hogwarts accounts from 1088." He frowned. "For that matter Hogwarts accounts fro 1088 is even more boring than I thought looking at that scroll."

He blinked. "Or it would be if I didn't know who Hogwarts Accountant was in 1088."

"Are you sure the information on the page is not an illusion? Preventing you from seeing what is actually there?"

"No." Draco was of course uncertain. "But if it's more interesting than the actual workings of Hogwarts a thousand years ago I'll be impressed. You want to have a look?"

"Not unless you think it has some merit to our search."

"I think it doesn't fit." Draco shrugged. "Which means it's possibly a clue and the thing we want. Or possibly something else entirely, but I'm not prepared to give up the chance it would be a clue. Especially as I don't think anyone else would find what it's meant to be interesting."

"If it is something that doesn't fit, than it being a clue makes sense. Let's take it with us."

"Were there any other books that you felt would be important to take?"

"Plenty I want to come back to or move to Hogwarts' Library. But none that stood out as being useful right now." Which was what he'd expected; he'd given Hermione the obviously useful place to look. "What did you find?"

"Plenty myself. Some that should be moved to Hogwarts' Library. Others that I think we should look over..."

Draco arched one eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Well, until we know if we can open the Headmaster door, I don't want to worry too much about the books that I think we should look over. They have good reference to someone who can make changes..."

"And are not helpful to those who can only make suggestions..."

"I've more than a few of those." Draco shrugged. "I meant anything useful for the headmaster door." He picked up the scroll. "And if not do we want to try to decode this or go straight to try the door?"

"Everything that mentions the headmaster door states that it will only open, if Hogwarts itself is satisfied that the person chosen for headmaster will be a strong influence on the future of the school."

"And I think that book won't be decoded until we get into the headmaster quarters."

Draco shrugged. "Just because you roll the dice doesn't mean you shouldn't try to weight them first. But we might as well see if we can find the door. Think it's worth trying a spell or two to help?"

"We will run into having different solutions to the same problem. I don't mind you not liking mine. And you are free to do whatever research you feel is necessary."

Draco shrugged. "Let's use your way first." If it worked it worked and if it didn't there were still other options.

Hermione frowns. "Don't be like that."

Ron and Harry always treated her like that. Like she didn't think their opinions were important. And it hurt to think Draco was treating her the same way.

"Like what?" Draco was genuinely confused, not understanding the dynamic.

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