Dear Diary,

Today I made an enemy.

I met the most horrid, spoiled, greasy little boy I have ever had the displeasure to meet. This morning I was helping this other first year named Neville find his toad . On our hunt throughout the train we stumbled on a compartment full of rowdy first years. There was a blonde boy in the middle acting all smug with the rest of them treating him like royalty. They scared Neville, but this was the last hallway where he'd seen his toad. Their tough act didn't scare me though so I walked in to ask them if they had seen his toad. This greasy little blonde swine stood up and tried to intimidate me. I stood my ground but his cronies followed up behind him. I asked him politely if he had seen a toad in the hallway. He seemed intent on wasting my time which wasn't intolerable but once he began insulting me I walked out, I did not need to be treated like that for a simple question. The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful.I was so excited to be sorted into Gryffindor! I was secretly hoping for the more studious Ravenclaw but Gryffindor is by no means bad. I am very excited to start my classes tomorrow, I hope I haven't forgotten to bring anything!

Good night,

Hermione Granger.

September 1st , 1992

Today I made an enemy.

I cannot believe the audacity of these mudbloods! Talking to purebloods like we were commoners. My father Will hear about this. This puffy-haired little girl stormed into my cabin like she owned it and started questioning me on some toad. Like I would know anything about a toad. Idiots. Her and the snivelling lard ball cowering behind her. The rest of the students had the good sense of leaving me alone except for some friends of the family. There are two of them, Crabbe and Goyle, that I still can't tell apart but they're always together so it doesn't matter. I took care of her like the trash she was and went back to my very important conversation. I was of course sorted into the honorable house of Slytherin. Of course. There is no better place for a person of my caliber. I have asserted myself as the head of my year already, even if I was slighted by that girl and the Potter boy who I tried to be bring into my circle. They will pay when I am at the top of the school.

Draco Malfoy, Slytherin.

The carriage door swept open as Hermione strode into the room. Draco sneered as the newcomer stepped into his domain. Hermione crossed her arms and asked curtly

" Have any of you seen a toad around here? Neville here has one named Trevor and it has escaped. This was around the last place he saw him."

Draco's sneer curled into a smile as he slowly stood up followed by Crabbe and Goyle. They made a rather unimpressive triangle of preteens. Hermione stood there with her arms crossed as Neville tried to think small thoughts and avoid

detection.

"Why would we have seen a toad? We have more important things to do than look at our feet all day" Draco snorted, really noticing the mess of hair probably hiding a family of small animals.

" Oh really? Like what sharing your hair gel secrets." Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes and attempting to smooth her bushy curls.

" EXCUSE ME" Draco gasped and took a step toward her looking very indignant.

" Sorry would you like me to say it louder? Or are you just being obtuse?" Crabbe and Goyle looked over at Draco aghast waiting for him to retort.

" You slimy little peasant. My father will hear about this insult!" Draco's face started turning red with anger and embarrassment.

" I don't know who your father is and I don't particularly care. I asked you a simple question and you are just being rude." Hermione crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

" Well at least I don't look like a cat coughed something up on my head" All of Draco's friends clapped him on the shoulder for that amazing burn and he started smirking.

" Well at least my hair doesn't look like an albino turtle shell." Hermione retorted before turning on her heel.

"You filthy.."

*SLAM*

Hermione stormed off down the hall past Neville into the bathrooms, keeping her face down. Draco slumped back onto his train seat grumbling about mudbloods and the unpure filth they were letting into his precious Hogwarts. Crabbe and Goyle offered congratulations at his skill in besting the nasty little girl and Draco knew that in the eyes of his friends, he'd won that battle of wills. Right now, the opinion of his friends would have to do. He'd diminish her the next time they met, but for today, he would enjoy the adulation of his future housemates. Neither Draco nor Hermione could shake the feeling that this wasn't over yet.

As the train rolled into Hogsmeade neither of the two students had fully recovered from the encounter. Hermione almost got herded by the half giant onto the same boat as Draco. She made sure to look pointedly at him before moving to the boat furthest away from that one. She ended up next to a nervous looking redhead boy and a dark haired boy with round glasses that kept looking around shocked at the large buildings and bright lights in the distance. The redhead wouldn't stop talking. Apparently his name was Ron Weasley and he spent most of his time trying to talk to the ruffled looking boy who was apparently Harry Potter. Ron seemed more than impressed by Harry. Harry seemed overwhelmed by everything and it was clear that he hadn't grown up in the wizarding world either. Hermione was not impressed with either of them. She'd taken the time to learn as much as she could from wizarding books. She wasn't even convinced Harry could read, even if he'd bothered to try.

When Hermione sat down in the boat both of the boys looked up at her curiously. The first thing she noticed about the boy with black hair was that his glasses were broken and held together by flimsy tape. As an offer of goodwill for invading their boat she offered to fix them. He nodded vaguely so she pointed her wand at his face and clearly said "Oculus reparo" and then the tape snapped off and they were good as new. She smiled a little smugly being satisfied with her good work. The two looked stunned at her and she noticed the bold lightening scar on the face of the boy who's glasses she had fixed. Hermione connected the dots and couldn't help but blurt out " Oh my goodness! You're Harry Potter aren't you!". He responded meekly "Yeah I am.. I have to remember that spell you did.. Bloody useful". The red haired boy cut in and introduced himself as Ron through a mouthful of a mushed sandwich. The rest of the ride was filled with Hermione bombarding the two individuals with excited questions. Ron knew a lot about the wizarding world and the school because he was from a long line of alumni. Harry didn't seem to know much, but was interested in everything Ron had to share, which made Ron seem more mature and interesting.

Draco spent his boat ride recovering his ego and working on his other two kept trying to talk to him but he already knew how to ignore their nonsense from their time together as children. He shook out the girl from earlier and kept bragging about how he knew he was going to be in Slytherin and how much better it was than any of the other houses. Heaven forbid he be sorted into Gryffindor, his father would never stand for that. His father never really stood for anything Draco did. Maybe getting into Slytherin would be enough for him. Maybe crushing that annoying girl and the Potter boy his father told him to make friends with would finally earn his respect. He would MAKE them all give him the respect he deserved.

The first years huddled around the big stone steps that lead up to the small stool with an old wrinkled old hat on top next to the looming McGonagall. Everyone jumped when it started talking, except for Draco who hid it better and pretended to know it was coming. Hermione walked up slowly when her name was called and sat on her hands as the hat was placed on her head. She was willing the hat to say but then the hat shouted "Gryffindor!" Disgruntled, she walked down the steps to join her fellow housemates, looking back hoping that it would change its mind.

Before the hat even touched Draco's slick head it shouted out "Slytherin!" and he sauntered off to join his fellow superior students.