"Last Night At Hogwarts"

-THEIR SEVENTH YEAR AT HOGWARTS FLEW BY. On the last night at Hogwarts, the Slytherins were planning to throw a party. However, they realized that leaving Hogwarts wasn't really something to be celebrated. In fact, they dreaded it.

   They were growing up. And they were scared of it. Rightfully so.

   So, instead, they decided to have a sleepover in the Slytherin common room. Only the seventh-years.

   The Slytherin common room was dimly lit, with green and silver banners hanging around the walls. A group of seventh-year Slytherins were seated in a circle on the floor, surrounded by snacks and drinks. The seventh-year Slytherins were: Adhara, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode, Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass, and finally, Tracey Davis.

   Crabbe and Goyle were busy munching on two plates of cake they had gotten from the kitchens earlier.

   The others, however, were focused on the game of truth or dare they were playing.

   Draco, with a grin, said, "Let's start this game. Who wants to go first?"

   "She should." Pansy pointed to a quiet Tracey Davis.

   Tracey raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Fine by me. Bring it on, Malfoy." She turned to Draco.

   Draco's grin widened. "Truth or dare, Davis?"

   Tracey didn't even think twice as she replied, "Dare."

   Blaise leaned in with a mischievous look on his face. "I dare you to sneak into the Gryffindor common room and bring back something from there," he said.

   Draco whistled. Adhara's brows raised. They shared a look, thinking the same thing: Blaise's dare was very daring.

   Tracey, with a shrug, stood up. "You're on. I'll be back sooner than you think," she said with a laugh, walking out of the common room alone.

   "While she's off on her daring mission," joined in Theo, sipping on the juice in his hand, "who's next?"

   "Draco is," said Millicent. Draco shrugged, unbothered. "Truth or dare, Malfoy?"

   "Truth."

   The girl thought for a second. Then, she asked, "What's one thing you secretly admire about Gryffindors?"

   It was a good question. Known for their rivalry with Gryffindors, Slytherins hated them.

   However, Draco was literally in love with a Gryffindor. Adhara knew Draco had many things to admire.

   Draco's brows furrowed in thought. "Their bravery," he finally replied, not saying anything else as he looked at Daphne. "You're up, Greengrass. Truth or dare?"

   "Dare."

   "I dare you to sing the Hogwarts anthem at the top of your lungs," said Pansy with a grin.

   Daphne let out a laugh and stood up, going over to the couch. She stepped on the couch and said, "Fine, but don't blame me for my poor singing skills." Then, she cleared her throat, opened her mouth, and started singing the anthem.

   The Slytherins on the floor let out laughs and whistles, cheering for the girl with the bad singing voice. Even Crabbe and Goyle stopped eating for a moment and joined in on the cheering.

   When Daphne was done, she grinned and sat back down on the floor with the others.

   Their attention was caught when the common room door opened. Tracey Davis came inside, a Gryffindor scarf hung around her neck.

   Adhara's brows raised. "Impressive," she finally said something, the thing everyone was thinking.

   Tracey said, "Mission accomplished. Who's next?"

   "Adhara is," said Blaise, only smiling cheekily when Adhara glared at him. "Truth or dare, Ara?"

   "Truth," replied Adhara finally.

   Blaise seemed to have an amazing question judging by the way his eyes lit up. "Do you like Potter more as your brother, or Draco?"

   Draco's head snapped to Adhara, raising an eyebrow at her silence.

   She scoffed, as if the answer was obvious. "Draco, of course." She replied, not noticing his smile at her reply. "Harry isn't my brother. My father is just his godfather. Besides, I hated him for more than a decade before meeting him."

   "Fair enough," said Blaise with a shrug.

   "I've got a truth for everyone here to answer," said Millicent, looking at her fellow housemates. "If you could change something about Hogwarts, what would it be?"

   All of them became quiet, thinking about their answers. Hogwarts was their home. If something even small changed, it would change their entire experience. But it wasn't very hard to think of what they would want to change.

   Draco started by saying, "I'd change the way we Slytherins are perceived by the other houses. It's frustrating that we're always judged just because of what our families have done in the past or the simple fact that we're sorted into this house. We have just as much potential and capability as everyone else, and I wish they could see that."

   They all nodded in agreement with similar looks on their faces. In their entire experience of being at Hogwarts, not one of them hadn't been judged.

   "I would get rid of the House point system," said Pansy as her turn came. "It seems so unfair how points can be taken for the smallest things. It's not really motivating when you're constantly worried about losing points."

   Adhara nodded at that. She agreed.

   "I'd make the curriculum more practical," said Blaise. "Some of the classes we have are interesting, but there are so many we wouldn't need in the real world. More focus on practical skills would be better."

   Theo nodded and slapped Blaise's back playfully. "That's for sure," he agreed, then said his answer, "I'd improve the facilities and resources available at Hogwarts. There's so much we could do better with better equipment. Quidditch, for example. The brooms we started with before we could buy our own weren't exactly great."

   Then, it was Daphne's turn. "I would change the way the Sorting system works, I think. Sometimes I think it would be better if students were sorted based on their strengths and interests rather than just their traits. It might lead to a more balanced environment."

   "Yes, but imagine all the disappointed parents that want their children to become Slytherins," Adhara pointed out, earning nods from everyone else. Daphne merely shrugged, since it did make sense. Most purebloods put a lot of pressure on their children to become Slytherins, even shaping them as a child to become more ambitious and cunning.

   They looked at Millicent, whose turn it was. "I'd change the way the professors handle discipline. It's always so harsh and public. I think it would have more effect and lead to better results if it were done in private."

   Her answer was something they all agreed with.

   They all turned to Adhara finally, who seemed to debate on something. She finally opened her mouth and said, "I'd change the way the school handles family legacies and expectations. Being from an adoptive family of Slytherins, while having a father from Gryffindor, I sometimes saw myself debating on which side I'm more like. For example, after doing some brave things, I thought maybe the Sorting Hat placed me somewhere wrong, and having a biological father in Gryffindor added to that. I wish Hogwarts and the people here reminded the students that they are always where they belong and their families do not change who they are, you know?"

   They all nodded understandingly. It made sense. They all agreed.

   Hours later, after many snacks had been eaten and many stories had been shared, the Slytherins had fallen asleep on the common room floor, all not caring about the hard floor. The thing they cared about, however, was what was to come.

   Where they would end up, and with whom. What they would do, and when.