[IC] Genkai & Kyrianei | Enchanted & Charming

[Genkai]

The words “eternal glory” kept echoing in Draco Malfoy’s mind as he stared at the glowing cornflower blue object. The term began a week ago and everyone was still adjusting to the accommodations made for both new schools who now called Hogwarts their temporary home. The blond haired Slytherin was sitting in the Great Hall where not too many others were fluttering around. Since it was a Saturday, most were outside or killing time elsewhere while trying to enjoy the easiest part of the term. His work had already been done and for now, that left him with plenty of time to think. Crabbe and Goyle were off doing something that for the love of god, Draco couldn’t bother to recall.

When Draco first got his letter four years ago, his father was hardly surprised, nor pleased. It was expected and Draco knew that his time spent at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had to be more than expected. He needed to carve his own path and make his own name for himself. And when word reached him that Harry Potter would be in his same year, Draco had to pounce on the opportunity to befriend the legendary Boy Who Lived. Much to his disgust and slight shame, Draco was refused in lieu of a Weasley. It was outrageous and appalling. It took the boy several weeks to accept Potter’s logic.And even now, it still baffled him when he saw the Golden Trio romp around the school.

Having struggled to find his proper place as he envisioned, Draco Malfoy felt like his chances were slipping between his fingers. He and his father barely spoke and when he was at school, the only joy he found was teasing Potter and his rubbish mates. Now that he was about halfway through his education, he felt as though his time had been wasted so far. What could he do to stand out? He was on the Quidditch team but that wasn’t making much of a difference. Eyeing the glowing treasure, it slowly dawned on him that the solution was staring at him right in the face. Of course! How could he be so daft? Draco grabbed his messenger bag and fished out a scrap of parchment.

It made sense in his mind.

Now whether or not it would work or go unnoticed were other matters that didn’t concern him.

If he entered the Tri-Wizard Tournament and won, then his father would finally have recognize his worth as a son and as an heir. And of course everyone at school would also have to commend him for his bravery, skill and promise as a wizard. As he wrote down his name and folded it once, he took another look around. No one seemed to be around and he thought, foolishly upon future contemplation, his attempt would prove not only successful but also vallant. He stepped forward and looked at the area where he knew the Headmaster had made his own enchantment to ensure no one underage would be able to submit their own name. He reached over and felt a cold thin hand tighten around his wrist.

“Mister Malfoy, I am shocked and bewildered by your act of stupidity.” A long drawl reached his ears and he knew it was his Head of House, Professor Snape. A moment of red sheepishness cross his cheeks before he turned around and wrenched his hand free of Snape’s grasp. “I expected something from Potter but not you.” His dark eyes narrowed. Draco could detect hints of annoyance as well as disappointment in the Potions Master’s voice despite the monotone sound filling his ears. The greasy haired teacher and Draco had developed a charming rapport over the years and Draco was a bit troubled by the teacher’s lecture. Usually Draco could get away with most things.

And there wasn’t anyone around either.

Draco was confused and the man took the opportunity to snatch the now crumpled up paper from Draco’s fist. Snape was dealing with enough stress this year with new students and handling the returning of the Dark Lord, he didn’t need to add Draco the list of things to juggle. “I do not have the time nor patience for this.” He said as he released Draco and began to walk off. Draco grabbed his things and tagged behind the man, both their dark robes billowing behind them. Once out and in the main foyer of the castle, Snape began to consider what punishment would suit Draco’s insolence. His eyes settled upon Luna Lovegood who was a quirky sort of Ravenclaw who didn’t fit in very well.

She reminded him of his own youth.

Snape shook his head and turned to Draco. “If I recall, a few days ago, Miss Luna Lovegood was given the chance to start a Hogwarts Newsletter to cover the Tournament and to keep all three schools informed of events. It seems like a fitting place for you to go.” He concluded abruptly and walked over to the girl who was scribbling something down by the door of the Great Hall. “Miss Lovegood...Mister Malfoy is interested in not only joining, but contributing to your Newsletter.” He said. “I trust you will find a suitable place for him as he has a very...keen interest in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. If you have any problems with him, notify me at once please.” He said and then wandered off.

Draco let out a breath that he had been holding close to his chest. He was not at all pleased with the outcome of his actions. He hadn’t expected Professor Snape to discipline him, let alone in such a troublesome manner. Though Luna was a weird girl who most people taunted, Draco had yet to find a real reason to dislike her, as opposed to Potter and his friends. Still, he wasn’t thrilled to be working with her but he had a feeling if he didn’t comply, Snape would surely write to his parents who would likely balk at his feeble attempt to enter the dangerous but honorable tournament. “What do I need to do?” He finally huffed, trying not sound as ill as he felt at the moment. He hoped he could do some funny advice column under some anonymous name or perhaps cover and interview those involved with the tournament.

No matter what he did, he was smart enough to know that he needed to be approachable and not as sour as he felt like acting. Draco knew his attitude needed to in check or he would feel even more miserable in a week’s time. Being put on a newsletter wasn’t the way he wanted to make his name but he supposed, or rather conceded that it was better than nothing or being stuck in detention. The more he thought about it, the more unsure he was that his writing skills would be very exceptional but he knew he had to make it work somehow. He considered whether or not to tell the blond witch that this was against his will but figured she might already know or not care. Either way, Draco had to keep his wits about him.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Harry were situated in the library. As expected, her homework was already done and she ensured Harry and Ron had theirs done as well. Hermione had looked back fondly at her three years at Hogwarts but considered that maybe this fourth year might be less hectic and emotional. But with the reveal of the tournament, the brown haired bookworm wasn’t sure how smoothly their year may go. Of course she was hopeful that with the age restriction, no one they knew would get roped into the high risk situation. And maybe that meant they could focus on their studies. That was of course was something she was hoping for but she was sure Harry and Ron would much rather focus on Quidditch or chess.

Their red headed companion was off with his sister, likely outside enjoying the last few rays of sun before the autumn chill settled in for the long months ahead. Hermione heard about Luna Lovegood’s interest in starting a newsletter and of course she jumped at the chance to help the quirky younger student. Hermione enjoyed helping people and while she only saw Luna as an acquaintance, she was sure that they’d be good friends in quick time. Her summer spent back home had been very productive. She got to spend time with her parents as well as continue to study for school as it got closer and closer.

The girl got up from her seat and began to pace through the narrow rows of books. She slowed down when she arrived at the window and looked out over the grassy hillside which fed down into the lake. She saw many students were mingling and playing around. Though her third year at the school had been hectic, it had been her own choice. But now she was beginning to consider that such a life wasn’t one she ought to be living. Hermione glanced over her shoulder at Harry. She knew things weren’t getting easier for his life at home but she hoped with him aware of Sirius, that he might be able find some solace there. She knew he was living with his awful blood relatives and had only met them once when she paid Harry a visit between their second and third year over the summer.

While she considered it being safer for him to be with blood, she had seen the bond form between him and Sirius and she sincerely hoped that Harry would be able to feel more safe and accepted with someone such as Sirius but his life was up in the air, so to speak. Hermione was sure that someday soon, the two would be able to find comfort in one another and make their future much brighter. For now, they were back at school and so far, things were looking to be an exciting but not too eventful year where the tree of them were concerned. Hermione found her mind wander as she watched Ron and his siblings joke around while she and harry were inside. Of course they wanted to be there. She had mentioned the project to Ron a few days ago and he scoffed at the notion of doing extra work that didn't matter to anyone. While the newsletter would be revolutionary she also tried to assure him that it would impress future employers.

That of course didn't interest him either so she dropped the topic.

Much to her delight though, Harry seemed interested enough to tag along. She strode back over to the small circular table they were at and took her seat beside him. Lunch had ended about an hour and a half ago but everyone had been granted free time for the rest of the day so the new students could acquaint themselves with the complex layout of the castle and its grounds. "Thanks for tagging along." She told Harry, smiling as she looked down as the massive red leather bound book between them. As soon as the girl found out about the event, she did as much reading as she could. From her understanding it began in 1294 but then ceased in 1792 but now it was being revitalized. It worried her considering the risks didn't outweigh the rewards, at least from her perspective. "Hogwarts has had 63 victors." She commented as she was trying to recall what she had read about over the past few days, her fingers drumming against the cover lightly.

"The Goblet seems to select the very best candidate deemed worthy and suitable for competition." She continued. "They are bound by a magical contract to stand alone without help and claim victory...the number of deaths is pretty high because of this...it's no wonder it was discontinued for so long." She said gravely and looked to Harry. "I am sure whoever represents Hogwarts will be alright though." She tried to assure him. While none of their friends were in the upper tier of the school, she knew she would love to find a way to cheer and participate in the historic event. "I hope this year can be quiet for us...we have O.W.Ls to look forward to and in a way, we're already half way through our education. I can't hardly believe it..." Her voice trailed off. "I remember meeting you and Ron on the train." She smiled, leaning back in her chair. "That feels like so long ago, doesn't it...?"

[Kyrianei]

With a spring in each of her steps after a hearty lunch, her blonde hair bobbing up and down with each hop and skip she made, Luna Lovegood held several pieces of parchment and leather-bound books to her chest. The parchment was for, of course, writing down notes on what to cover on the newsletter, whilst the books were to provide some interesting reading material on the previous Tri-Wizard Tournament Trials. The third year student was most keen to start writing for the newsletter, and had been doing her own little research into the subject of the competition, haven taken several books out of the library to make sure she was fully prepped for the meeting. Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw, had made it a point to tell her that at least one Fourth Year, Hermione Granger, would be assisting in writing for the columns which only just made the younger student gleeful - She didn't know someone else was just as interested in this year's grand event like she was. Especially the trials. Luna couldn't wait to see what manner of magical creatures there would be. Perhaps Nargels? Or Crumple-Horned Snorkacks? She hadn't seen one of those before! Off in her own world as she dreamed of how such a beast as elusive as the Snorkack might look, she heard a few students clad in the green of Slytherin call after her.

"Loony Lovegood!" "Loony!" "Your father's a Lunatic, Loony!"

Luna clicked her tongue, her eyes losing their innocent gleam for a second as her thoughts were cut off by the same old insults. Oh how she wished the Slytherin's were creative enough to come up with some new material. It had gotten dull to be called Loony Lovegood everyday for the past two years, and it would seem the third year was of no exception. Continuing on, she pushed open the large doors and made her way out, her curious eyes falling to both a student and a teacher, the teacher clad in black, as well as the student whose robes were trimmed with green. Her eyes moved on upwards to see the blonde hair. Oh, so that must be Draco Malfoy. Her father had mentioned once or twice about Lucius, and how that 'snake of a man' had made many problems for The Quibbler. But she hadn't really met the Malfoy's only son, or even seen him much for that matter. Taking a thoughtful pause, she stopped and went to write something down. Inspiration! Apart from talking to those of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, she could inquire as to what each house thought of the Tournament! It would also be quite enlightening to see who was rooting for whom within the houses, and to see who would become the champion...

Would they be from her own house Ravenclaw? Highly unlikely, they were more cut of the academic cloth, but there was still a possibility. After all, they had a Quidditch team like any other house, and they were just as strong as any other team. Perhaps Hufflepuff. They could use the glory, unlike houses like Gryffindor or Slytherin, who practically made a rivalry that affected both her own house and the Hufflepuffs, as they were often in the limelight. But only time would tell. Luna was just the sort to ponder on the unknown, and make a wild guess as she was doing at this moment in time. She lifted her head up, giving an almost distant look as her grey eyes met with first Professor Snape, focusing when he called her name and gestured to Draco. Her gaze fell down to the blonde student whose cheeks were still tinged red from embarrassment. Whatever he had done, it obvious that the Head of Slytherin had caught him in the act of causing trouble. However, her lips twitched and curved into a gentle smile as the Potions Professor explained that the Slytherin Student was to contribute to the newsletter alongside her. With a sweep of his robes, the teacher draped in black turned on his heel and departed into the dungeons nearby, leaving the Fourth Year with the younger student.

"Draco is it? Or do you prefer Malfoy? You can call me Luna or Miss Lovegood, it's all the same to me," She finally spoke, her tone being just as soft spoken as her innocent demeanor. She gave another smile before gesturing him to follow her up the stairs. "What do you need to do...? Well, there's at least one of student who wishes to contribute to the newsletter. She's from Gryffindor. Her name is Hermione Granger, or at least, that's what Professor Flitwick has told me. She's only doing it voluntarily though, same as me," The blonde began to ascend the staircase, considering her next words. She decided against bringing up the obvious rivalry between the Lions and Snakes - It would just add some fuel to the fire, but better to at least inform Draco of who will be there. "As for what you'll be doing, I think you can assist me in the first article, which will be to interview the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I'd like to hear their honest opinions on the trials, as well as who they think will become their champion," She then paused, writing that down and sighing somewhat. Her quill had barely ink left on the tip, so she resigned to stopping with her notes for now. Placing the quill and rest of her belongings in her own messenger bag, she flattened the contents down before shutting the cover over, and looked to Draco as they stood still, waiting for the now moving staircase to return back on the right track.

"I think it would also be a good idea to see who is the favourite to become champion in each house... I mean I'm sure there has to be several fifth years or higher who want to join from each house," Luna added, before she started walking again - The stairs had finally stopped at their right destination, so it was best to keep on moving. "What about Slytherin? Would you say there's anyone from Slytherin who you know whose willing to join the tournament?" She asked, out of curiosity. "Either way, it's definitely a priority of mine to see what students of the different houses think of the Tournament and the trials. Oh, and later on when the trials actually start up, we'll be able to interview the selected Champions and see just what they think they'll be facing later on," Luna smiled, and waited for Draco to catch up to her, before she pushed open the library door for them both.

Harry said nothing, being sat in the next to Hermione where he gazed almost half longingly out of the window. This summer at the Dursley's was almost worse what with knowing he had family capable of looking after him in the magical world, someone who didn't treat him like a slave labourer, and even though he had spent the last half of his summer at the Weasley's home, The Burrow, there was still a sense of longing for spending time with his friends. He continued to watch both the twin brother's seemed to be teasing their younger brother, whilst Ginny looked on, laughing at the trio of red heads enjoying themselves. Watching them, Harry found himself smiling, but a part of him on the inside may of been slightly bitter within. Or better yet, bittersweet. He knew, that the Weasley's had welcomed him with open arms and hearts, even more so when Molly Weasley had heard of the events of his second year when he rescued Ginny from the Basilisk. Every year in Summer, he never heard the end of it.

"Oh, you saved our poor Ginny! How can we ever thank you?"

"Harry, dear, if we can ever do anything for you, let us know!"

However, the thought of a doting mother didn't make him cringe the way it did to his best friend, in fact, he perhaps slightly envied the relationship the Weasley's had within their family. They were a large family, no doubt about it, but there was no denying that there was plenty of love and warmth from every single one of them, enough to spare for people outside of the Weasley name. He gave one last glance out the window, before Hermione's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at his other best friend - One of the smartest students in the whole of his year, brewing Polyjuice Potion before they even reached their Third Year, and even finding the ways and means to attend more than one class at the same time during the whole of last year. Truly, she was a shining academic, and sometimes Harry wondered why someone like Hermione wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw. Of course, he knew better than to question the Sorting Hat, even if he himself had begged the enchanted hat to not place him in Slytherin. He tapped his own fingers on the desk, taking a second glance at the stack of parchment. Hermione had a knack for making him do his homework, whether he wanted to or not.

"Yeah...It's no problem," He answered, looking to the girl sat in the chair next to him. Harry listened to her as she read out facts about the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and smiled somewhat as she went onto to state facts about the previous Tournaments. "So...The other schools...They are Durmstrang and....Beauxbatons," He raised an eyebrow, hoping he got both school names right. If not, he was going to look like a bit of a fool otherwise. "Durmstrang are from the Northern Regions of Scandinavia, whilst Beauxbatons is situated in France...Am I right?" He asked, checking the text book in front of him. After a quick flick through the first pages on Wizarding Schools Throughout the Ages, he got an answer and smiled to himself. At least this studying of sorts was actually sticking with him. He took a moment to read through another section in the leather-bound book that Hermione had pushed between them, reading the passage that she had found interesting enough to share with him. He nodded in response, before continuing to read. He himself found that he was enjoying the idea of just being able to relax this year and watch the tournament. For this year, he was content with just being with his friends and studying for his O.W.Ls next year.

As if she was reading his mind, Hermione made a comment on how she too, hoped that their fourth year could be less eventful than their First, Second and Third years. He nodded in agreement once more, mumbling a quiet yeah as he looked down and away. Even if it had been three years, the time had flown by so quickly, that by the time it came round to getting back on the Hogwarts Express, he was never ready to leave to return back to his normal life with his Aunt and Uncle. As Hermione mentioned that it was a long time a go, he smiled, looking to her.

"Yeah. It feels like it were only yesterday that you walked in the carriage me and Ron were sitting in, looking for Neville's Toad..But it really was a long time ago, if you think about it... Four years is a long time. But here's to hoping for an uneventful year," He added, giving a nod before he tilted his head. "So...Shouldn't this Luna Lovegood be here soon? And she's in Ravenclaw?" He questioned, before pausing, trying to recall if he'd met her. Briefly, he remembered Ginny introducing a girl in charcoal black robes with a blue hem, the blonde having a day-dreamer's aura about her. Eventually, he stopped talking, and looked up as he saw the library door open. Yes, that was Luna walking in, but why was she with Malfoy, of all people?

"Is...Is Malfoy going to be helping with the newsletter?" Harry asked, his voice hushed. The dotty Ravenclaw student and the Slytherin were only at the door and of course, no where near their table yet, but he still would rather they both not hear his question towards Hermione.

[Genkai]

He found that Miss Lovegood was too formal, even for him. While Draco had been raised with proper manners and had been taught to reciprocate it as such to those who showed him the same gesture, it didn’t feel right to address the girl as such. Perhaps if she was closer to his age or older, he may feel more compelled to give her a more formal greeting. For now he had to settle for the very informal use of her first name as if they were friends. There was the unspoken option of calling her ‘Lovegood’ but he decided against it. While he was thinking about the delicates addressing one another, he failed to realize she had also inquired as to what to call him. “Draco is fine.” He quickly brushed off her question, wishing to just carry on. He didn’t want to be in the situation but he would rather they get moving and do whatever it was needed to be done, the more awkwardness, the more things would be prolonged.

Then he was prompted to follow her, which he did. As they walked, he caught up to her stride rather easily so it didn’t look as though he was suddenly taking orders from someone else, especially from a girl no less. He glanced to her and couldn’t stiffen the small groan he made when he heard that Miss Know-it-all Granger had volunteered to help. That was no surprise but it still added salt to the wounds. If he stood back and considered his relationship with Granger, Potter and the daft other one, Draco knew things could have been mended but what was done was done. He had called Granger some horrible things and why? He couldn’t really say but he knew that working with the girl would be very difficult and he wondered if Snape was doing this to test him, rather than torture him.

Luna was quiet for a few moments and the blond male watched her, almost daring her to mention the bad blood between the two Houses. She may be younger than him, but she was surely no fool. Luna ended up proving to be less foolish than he thought as she carried on and explained what his first assignment would be. It sounded boring at first but as he listened, he became more interested. He stopped when she did so she could continue scribbling something down though he found it a bit troublesome for her to be writing and walking and talking all at the same time. He would have snapped at her unless they didn’t have to wait for the damned staircases to move back to their proper places. In the moment of silence, he began to consider once again, why he was placed where he was.

Could his placement be some sort of test, rather than punishment?

While she and Harry sat together and hashed out the details of everything, Harry tried to remember what he had read in regards to the schools. “Yes!” She smiled, rather impressed that Harry was taking some interest in the event which was about to begin. He checked his answer to be sure and she spent some time looking over notes and possible ideas she had to help Luna with the paper. Harry spent some time reading and she was happy to leave him be, as she knew the feeling of being absorbed in one’s reading material. It was a comforting place to be and it felt rather addicting in her mind. As they considered the past they shared together, Harry brought up the query of Luna Lovegood. While Hermione hadn’t been properly introduced to the younger student, she had heard things from other friends.

Growing up as a muggle, Hermione did feel out of place and she knew how hard it was to fit in. She never felt truly accepted until she stepped into the warm foyer of Hogwarts with all the other First Years. She wanted to help Luna if she could but she also wanted to help shed light on the history and positives of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. She was sure some competition would breew between the three schools but she wanted to help ensure that no one lost sight of the end result and that was coming together as a magical community to celebrate their progress and togetherness. Did she wish there was another way to do so that didn’t endanger people? Of course but she couldn’t really help it from her position. Perhaps in time, she might get a chance to write an editorial opinion piece about other options to strengthen ties other than through the use of risky endeavors but for now she knew they hard to start off small.

“Pardon?” Hermione looked to Harry, not sure what he meant. She looked to where Luna and Draco had entered. “Oh...I...I don’t know.” She frowned. “Professor McGonagall never mentioned him.” She frowned, getting a rather disturbed tornado of feelings in the pit of her stomach. The history with her and Draco was not a very favorable one and she was even reconsidering her involvement in the newsletter. Of course she didn’t want to just abandon Luna either. Hermione glanced back to Harry, her expression pained. Hermione knew the right thing was to give the newsletter a go and give Draco the benefit of the doubt but she didn’t feel happy about the sudden addition of the boy who tormented her and her friends for no good reason. “If you want to leave, I understand.” She placed a hand on his arm.

When he caught up with Lunba, he followed her into the library and found some relief that it wasn’t too crowded but that was to be expected. His eyes settled on the pair of Gryffindors not too far away. He hadn’t expected to see Potter which was unsettling. Hermione Granger, he could manage but Potter? That arrogant saint? He wasn’t sure and cast a look at Luna before the gap between the pairs began to close. When they finally arrived, Hermione got to her feet and held out her hand to Luna. “Pleasure to meet you, I’m Hermione Granger.” She smiled.

Draco glanced to the ladies and then back to Harry, not sure what to say except, “Potter.” He greeted stiffly.

Hermione glanced to Draco and felt the tension increase dramatically. In order to try and keep everyone civil, she gestured to the two chairs. “Let’s sit down and just talk about the newsletter. Or whatever.” She said nervously, trying to stay more positive while avoiding the pitfalls of the past. Draco was a mean person but maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

[Kyrianei]

Luna approached the table, or rather glided over to it with whimsical hops and skips, taking Hermione by the hand and gently shaking it with a dreamy smile upon her face, her eyes glancing between the three other students. The tension in the air from both Gryffindor students spotting the blonde Slytherin, was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. It would be up to her to break the atmosphere then and try to warm both houses up to each other then - There would be little point to this newsletter if neither party could get along during the process. It would just end in shambles and then she might as well just get along with the paper by herself, and a part of her didn't want that. The Quirky Ravenclaw was often alone and even most of her fellow housemates would avoid her like she were a Death Eater, so long as they weren't noted as a friend of hers so that they could be lumped together with Loony Lovegood and her Lunatic Father. It never bothered her of course - Sticks and stones may break her bones and all that jazz, so the solitude was something she was used to. But just once, it would be nice to have friends.

"...Malfoy," Harry nodded, giving an equally stiff and reserved greeting as the Slytherin. As Hermione had told him to leave, he knew doing so would just appear cowardly, and besides, he wasn't going to just leave Hermione alone with this snake of a man. He shook his head, though he didn't give a reason, knowing that the intelligent witch would figure it out on her own without him bringing up that they were talking about Draco behind his back whilst being sat right in front of the blonde male. That would not be an smart move on their part. Choosing not to converse with the Slytherin Student, Harry turned to Luna and smiled, raising his own hand out to the Ravenclaw and shaking her hand. "I'm Harry Potter. Nice to meet you, Luna," He introduced himself, giving her a small smile as she shook back, though he had to note how vacant her expression was, as if she wasn't exactly thinking about their meeting but something else entirely.

"Hello, Harry, Hermione. It's very nice to meet you both," Luna finally spoke, smiling at them both with hope that she could drive away the strained atmosphere between the Lions and the Snake. She gestured for Draco to take the seat across from Hermione whilst she sat across from the Boy who Lived. She didn't know it, but her decision was right - Making sure that the two rivals were not sitting across from each other was a blessing in disguise for both Harry and Draco. As she dug around in her messenger bag, eventually pulling out her notes on the newsletter, she looked over them. Several messy notes, completely unorganised and scribbled in rushed handwriting from her noting down ideas as she walked around the castle. Clearing her throat, Luna ran her index finger down the page before she found the right set of notes, tapping the parchment as she felt her fingertip brushing over the indent where she ran out of ink.

"You'll have to forgive me for the short notice, but Draco here is last minute volunteer. Professor Snape was very insistent, and he caught me as I was on my way up to the library to tell me," She explained, gesturing to the Malfoy's only son before continuing. "I don't want to bring any previous hardships into this, so it'd be nice if we could all be civil and friendly when we meet up to discuss the newsletter," She added, giving a cheery smile as she placed one hand on the desk, the other holding her parchment in front of her as she scanned her notes before speaking. "So for the first newsletter, I think it would be a very good idea to write several articles about the history of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. We can talk about several of the trials, some of the more controversial ones, the dangers and some of the more notorious winners from all of the schools. But I'd really like it if we could make a page about what the schools think of the tournament itself, whether they are worried or scared by the notion of the event, or even excited to see the upcoming trials,"

"Well...I like that idea. But we'd need to find a way to split three schools between two pairs," Harry pointed out. He wasn't going to negotiate on this point, but the Gryffindor was only doing this to gain a better understanding of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, as he was still quiet new to the Wizarding World. So if he had to go away and interview complete strangers, he would prefer to do it with his best friend, the one who had suggested he get involved with the Tournament's Newsletter, Hermione Granger. A part of him was glad that Ron wasn't here after all - Their red-haired companion would be kicking off at the thought of having to work and be civil with Draco Malfoy, of all people. Harry could even already hear his friend calling Draco a slimy git and how they should just stop participating in the newsletter all together. But why give the Slytherin the satisfaction of sending two Gryffindors running.

"I've thought about that. Since we're all more acquainted with one house than the other, I think it would be best if we split the interviewing between our groups. Draco and I shall see to interviewing the students of Ravenclaw and Slytherin, as we're both from those houses respectively. We'd communicate better with them as we've been with them for a longer while. I see no rivalry between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, and they have a better track record with being more friendly and open towards everyone and anyone. I believe if you were to approach them and speak to some of them about their thoughts, they would have no problem talking with you and obviously you can talk with your own housemates about their feelings on the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Maybe even ask about who they think would be the champion for our school..." She gave a quick breakdown of an easy way to approach the task of interviewing other houses between them, sticking to an easy to follow plan. If Harry looked taken aback, it was because she gave the impression of being a more...unique person, for lack of a better term.

"What about Beauxbatons and Durmstrang?" He questioned, remembering the other schools. It would be foolish of them to begin writing a newsletter article about the student opinions on the event without including the two visiting schools. But even Harry didn't have a plan to approach the other schools. Beauxbatons had given off an air of wealthy, upper-class witches and wizards, all of whom were aristocrats or at least thought they were above the students of Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Durmstrang had been cold and unapproachable, both male and female students alike marching in with stoic expressions, each of them with a gaze hardened from the freezing cold land that they called their home. Harry recalled reading somewhere that Durmstrang's institute was fully pure blood, never accepting of those who were muggle born or even half-muggle born. For both him and Hermione, approaching Beauxbatons or Durmstrang would be difficult.

"Well, out of the two, I would say that Durmstrang is harder to approach than those of Beauxbatons. If I recall, the representatives of Durmstrang sat with at the Slytherin table when they arrived, so perhaps Draco and I should interview them. The students of Beauxbatons are not as snooty as you believe them to be, Harry. They are quite refined is all, and maybe a little intelligent from what I gathered when they sat at Ravenclaw's table. They won't push you away just because you're younger," She reassured with a smile. "If you're all happy with that arrangement or have any suggestions about any other articles, please speak up. I want to make this newsletter as impressive as possible," She then placed the piece of parchment down and looked between the three, waiting for their response. Whilst Harry merely nodded, happy with the plan to interview Beauxbatons, Hufflepuff and his own house, Gryffindor, he waited to see if Hermione would bring up her suggestions. Giving her a gentle nudge with his elbow to encourage his female friend to speak up, he fell silent.

[Genkai]

Though Hermione had heard bits about Luna Lovegood, she really wasn't sure what she ought to expect.

Hermione liked to reckon she wasn't very judgmental or fell into pitfalls of gossip. Even so, she found herself very impressed with the thought Luna had put into the newsletter. Considering her classmates weren't very studious, she had nearly assumed that she would be shouldering the bulk of the newsletter. She had thought perhaps Luna had suggested it on a whim but that wasn't the case at all. Luna had a considerable amount of effort into the newsletter and Hermione was beside herself with excitement. It was unlike anyone she knew, to tackle a new project with so much gusto and vigor. So the more Luna explained her thought processes, the more Hermione was nodding with interest and encouragement, as well as mutual understanding and agreement.

Harry and Luna began an exchange which had also surprised Hermione. She didn't think Harry would have gotten so engrossed in the idea of simple interviewing. While they exchanged thoughts as well as ideas, Hermione had begun to make mental notes as to what she felt she could add to the conversation though it was a while before she was able to get a word in edgewise. To provide comfort, though not much, it seemed Malfoy was also feeling a bit left out but he appeared to not have as much valued input as the others. Hermione just listened intently and when Harry nudged her, she looked to him. "Oh...yes, right." Hermione glanced down and collected herself and looked back to the others who were waiting for her own additional input.

"I think we should also focus on aesthetics too." Since Luna had covered the direction and tone for the first edition of the newsletter, Hermione decided to weigh her ideas and fill in the gaps. "Since you have the content squared away," She began to explain. "and since we want to educate and reach out to as many students as possible, regardless of their school, we need to ensure the newsletter is eye catching and appealing." She said. "I can read up on what colors stand out and have the most positive influence on people. I know colors may sway people, depending on their House or school but since want to be inclusive to everyone, as opposed to exclusive, we should make a note to not favor one color scheme over another, for example." Hermione said. "Layout is also important and while I think interviews and history will be useful, we should also have other areas of interest to attract as many readers as possible."

Draco was an observer.

He watched as Potter and Luna spoke about the intricacies the paper. He wasn't paying much attention. He was doing his best not to give Granger and Potter looks of annoyance and aggravation.which took up a good deal of his focus. He was still torn between being positive and negative in regards to his new circumstances. This would surely test him in ways he hadn't yet imagined or comprehended. If Potter was going to involve himself in the paper, he knew he needed to brace himself for some arguments but he also considered this may be some sort of way to give himself more value, more merit when it came to having an advantage when it came to dealing with his father.

The details of what went on behind closed doors were slowly being revealed to Draco and he was sure his father was expecting his son to not only participate but also prove his own worth beyond the recognition of a last name. Draco was determined to reclaim the attention he knew he could earn and he had to put some faith in the ridiculous notion of a Hogwarts newsletter. It was somewhere to start, even if it meant pushing himself far beyond his comfort zone. "What about a name?" Draco found himself speaking up when Hermione had stopped adding her thoughts into the matter. "Hogwarts Newsletter doesn't really strike excitement." He pointed out as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his robe. "Have you thought about anything more...appealing?" He swiveled to Luna. "If you haven't, we could try to come up with some."

If his name was going to be attached to the letter, he wanted to make sure it wasn't done poorly. "Granger has a point though, the layout needs to help push content forward." He said. "You've clearly put some consideration into everything and I'm fine with whatever you want to do." He didn't really have any thoughts as it was, this was something that was just thrust upon him. At least the others had a bit more time to think about it. Draco felt a bit out of the loop but he refused to drag the group down, as he also refused to not contribute. His family was not one who freeloaded or tagged along with others. The Malfoy name was known to be strong, a family that paved a road and made sure it was a very striking road at that. The blond wanted to make his own mark and maybe the newsletter would help him gain his own recognition.

Hermione glanced to Draco, he had given her credit which was the most impressive thing she heard him say in quite some time. And she now had to also concede that he had a point as well. He caught her eyeing him and he gave her a look which caused her to look off, back to Luna. "I think we're making wonderful progress brainstorming." Hermione smiled slightly. "I'm looking forward to what we can create."

"How soon are you hoping to get this into peoples hands?" Draco asked Luna, a deadline was surely the first thing they should have brought up.