*Hermione created a group chat*

8th years!!

Hermione: morning!!

Daphne: heeeyyy

Neville: hi!!

Pansy: you guys ready to scare some teachers 😎

Harry: CANTT WAIITTT, hermy ron and i are on our way to hogsmeade now

Hermione: Harry, really

Harry: what?

Draco: HERMY??

Harry: oh

Harry: oops

Pansy: LMAOOO im calling you hermy forever OH MY GOD

Pansy: ANYWAY draco blaise and i are in zonkos so when u guys get here well go to honeydukes

Hermione: ok!!

Ron: i think i see you guys??

Blaise: where?????

Harry: well are you all huddled together outside dervish and banges?

Draco: uhhh yes

Hermione: then yes we see you

Pansy: OMGG HII

Pansy had strayed away from the group of Slytherins to run over and greet the Gryffindors walking towards them, much to the anxiety of some fourth year Ravenclaws standing nearby who thought they were about to witness a Slytherin and Gryffindor duel. However, when Pansy Parkinson was seen hugging Hermione, Ron and Harry hello, any groups of students nearby shared sceptical and confused looks, wondering where on earth this new mindset had come from. Pansy, the well known for being mean or horrible to anyone who wasn't a Slytherin, was laughing and greeting hello to the golden trio, the Gryffindors of whom she hated the most. 

8th years!!

Daphne: Tracey, Millie, and I all see you guys hugging in the middle of the path LMAO LOOK AT THAT GROUP OF 4TH YEARS???

Draco: HELPPP THEY LOOK TERRIFIED

Tracey: LMAOOO 

Parvati: omg don't move!! Padma, Terry, Hannah, Susan and I just made it to the edge of Hogsmeade and I'm fairly sure I saw Seamus, Dean and Neville close behind!! We'll be at Honeydukes in a min

Hermione: okk, don't worry we'll stay hereee

As if the sight couldn't become any stranger for the now rather large crowd of hufflepuffs and ravenclaws, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode and Tracey Davis, three well known Slytherins who, like Pansy, also hated Gryffindors were now standing and saying hello to the gryffindors. Everybody had wide smiles on their faces, which they certainly wouldn't have if they were about to be attacked, or about to send a jelly legs jinx shooting someone's way quicker than you could blink. Gasps could be heard as whispering spread through the groups of 4th and 5th years when suddenly Draco Malfoy, renowned former death eater and Gryffindor hater, Harry Potter hater, was walking with Blaise Zabini from where they were just stood with Pansy to the growing group in the middle of the Hogsmeade High Street. They didn't look angry either, in fact they had smiles on their faces, slightly tinged with nervousness, and silence rang through the street as Draco stood eye level in front of Harry Potter. Even the eighth years surrounding them looked on with eagerness at what was about to happen. Then, a hand was held out from Draco's cloak. The boys smirked at each other, shaking hands before laughing with the rest of the group at the sudden tension that had just arose.

That afternoon seemed to get weirder and weirder, as eventually there was a group of 17 eighth years, from each house, all laughing and talking and having a great time with each other as they were deep in conversation while walking down the high street, stopping in any shops needed when somebody was to shout and say they wanted to go in. When 3pm had arrived, the usual busiest time of Hogsmeade, rumours and whispers were floating around in the air, and the street was even busier than usual as word had gotten round and people wanted to see. Groups of 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th years from all different houses were gaping at the huge group, who pretended to be oblivious to the stares and the talk. Of course, they knew everything that was happening and why, but found it incredibly hilarious to see everyone look on in shock.

The highlight of the afternoon, however, was when the group walked past the teachers. Professor Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn and Sprout were all out in Hogsmeade together, presumably watching over the unusually large group of students while having fun themselves. As the group of eighth years was too large to be spread out across the high street, the first thing you would be able to see if you were walking towards them would be Hermione Granger, in deep conversation with Pansy Parkinson and Harry Potter debating merlin knows what with Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Ron Weasley. The first to see them coming was Professor McGonagall, who had immediately stopped talking from the strange sight she seemed to see ahead of her.

"Severus, please tell me I am hallucinating." The thin woman had caught the attention of the other professors, who turned and followed her gaze with the same shock she had. Professor Snape could not answer the womans question, as he was looking on with a mix of disgust, disapprovement and surprise. 

"Oh dear Minnie, I think we're all seeing the same thing right now." Sprout whispered slightly from the other side of McGonagall, who was staring at her hufflepuffs Hannah and Susan who were mid conversation with Slytherins Daphne and Tracey, along with ravenclaws Terry and Padma, and Gryffindors Seamus and Dean. To top the madness, at the back of the group was Parvati, Neville and Millicent Bulstrode.

"Forget killing you-know-who, this is the height of those kids successes!" McGonagall exaggerated slightly, watching the smirking group who knew full well the teachers were staring as they walked past. Snape could've sworn he saw Draco wink at him cheekily. 

8th years!!

17:40

Parvati: OH MY GOD?? THAT WAS AMAZING

Pansy: FRRR OMG

Draco: HELPP when we got back to school and everyone just like bombarded us with questions AHAH

Harry: LMAOO THE WAY U JUST RAN AWAY FROM THEM TO THE 8TH YEAR COMMON ROOM

Draco: they were first years shh

Padma: dont blame u tbh

Blaise: first years are scary

Harry: theyre so small

Hannah: ^^

Daphne: ^^

Draco: plsss ok ok whens everyone going down to dinner for phase 2 of scaring people???

Harry: what about 6?? we still have 10 ish minutes soo

Susan: heyyy guys soo i cant go to dinnerr!! kinda going on a date ok byeee

Hannah: SUSAN BONEES?? GET BACK HERE TELL ME WHO UR GOING OUT W??

Susan: nope 

Draco: omg the susan bones going on a date

Pansy: finally

Susan: rude

Susan: ok cya later

Hannah: TELL ME EVERYTHING LATER OK

Millie: 6 is fine with me, neville and parvati!

Padma: ARE YOU GUYS STILL ARGUING ABOUT WHETHER NEVILLE OR NARCISSA HELPED SAVE THE WIZARDING WORLD THE MOST??

Millie: YUPPP

Parvati: HAJFDGFSHDEJ

Draco: MY MUM??? WHAT DID S H E EVEN DO??

Harry: ohh yeah shes a hero

Harry: did she never tell you

Draco: NO??

Harry: basically she lied to moldy voldy and told him i was dead when i actually wasnt so yeah she basically saved everyone

Draco: AND SHE NEVER WANTED TO TELL ME THIS??

Harry: LMAOOO

Millie: yesss but Parvati thinks Neville did betterr

Harry: honestly it was equal

Harry: nobody helped more than the other they were both saviours

Neville: not as much as u tho harry

Harry: well

Hermione: harry

Harry: i am the bi who lived twice 😎

Ron: god

Draco: OKK everyone come out ur dorms and come to the common room so we can make sure we all get a space together at the 8th yr table!!

Once all 16 students had once again gathered, they made their way from the tower down the many moving, spiralling, marble staircases to the Great Hall. When Harry and Draco joint pushed open the large oak doors, it seemed as if everybody went silent. The eighth years just ignored it as if it were normal, and made their way to the 5th table that had been added that year specifically for them.

Millie sat on the end, opposite Neville and next to Parvati. Parvati, next to Padma who was surrounded next to and opposite by Hannah, Terry, Seamus, Dean, Tracey and Daphne, and they seemed to have picked up where they left off in Hogsmeade. Next to Daphne sat Pansy, who was laughing with Hermione. Opposite them, was Harry and Draco who were arguing playfully. Blaise and Ron sat opposite each other having a well structured debate about the best Quidditch team. 

Each of them subtly glanced up at the teachers table once they had sat down, where Professor Dumbledore was somewhat speechless at the sight, whipping his head back to Professor McGonagall who just smirked and sat back with her arms crossed, saying what looked like to be "I told you so" 

This was just the start of the trio of teachers plan to test the limits of this mysterious new friend group.