A boy with hair as white as the rooms of a hospital was making his way across the platform of 9 and 3/4, his father and mother following alongside him. The father had long icy blonde hair that was somehow a colder shade of blonde than the younger boy's. The mother on the other hand only had a simple streak of blonde while the rest of her hair was almost as black as the cloaks adorning their bodies.
Any passerby could take one look at the older pair and know that they were prideful, their chins high and their egos not far behind. Both adults walked confidently and never looked down, like their feet had memorized the steps to take to make it to the Hogwarts Express. Their child tried his best to follow along, his chest puffed out as he sauntered with his trolley, but something was off. His façade wasn't as strong as his parents'. There was still slivers of doubt and insecurity lurking behind his grey eyes that were laced with blue.
His whole life had been preparing him for the moment his Hogwarts letter was dropped on their dining room table. Now, as he walked past hundreds of other families he was beginning to feel his palms sweat from the pressure being placed on him. He had a family legacy to live up to. If he failed, the disappointment and shame would certainly crush him. That or his father, whichever came last.
A girl with frizzy brown hair and chopped bangs across her forehead had just ran through the barrier and was also walking across platform 9 and 3/4. Her parents, however, looked around in wonderment, the excitement flowing off of them in waves and telling those around them that they were not familiar with the world of magic.
They were muggles who happened to be the parents of a witch. Said witch was also looking around her in endearment and for the first time in her 11 years, she felt a sense of belonging. She had read countless books about the world she was entering but she still couldn't believe this was real, that this whole new world had existed her entire life and she'd only known of it for a short few months.
Professor McGonagall had been the one to give the young witch her Hogwarts letter and a list of supplies she had no idea where to find. They'd spent hours speaking with her parents together, the information she was receiving soaking into her brain. There's been a reason such strange things occurred around her, from objects moving and vanishing to the sparks created whenever she was scorching mad. Not only did she know the reason, she'd be learning how to control it.
Both sets of parents helped their children gather their belongings and pile them onto the train along with every other family. A bustle of ginger hair flew past the small girl's eyes before her father nudged her to gain her attention.
"Remember to write when you can," the man smiled down. This would be the first time he was going to be away from his daughter for more than a day or two but he knew despite his anxiety of not being able to reach her if she ever needed him, he would have to let her board the train and be off. He knew that he couldn't keep her from this part of herself, this whole new world that she was suddenly supposed to be a member of. It wasn't fair of him to hide her away in their every day world, not when he'd seen so many days where she had nothing but questions in her mind and an ache when other kids called her a freak. He knew she needed to go, to be with other children like her.
"I will, Dad," the smaller girl smiled, wrapping her arms as far around her father as she could. Her mother soon joined, their group hug nearly suffocating the brunette but she wasn't going to complain. She was more nervous than she let her parents see; she was venturing into a world unknown with no one familiar. It was terrifying and exciting and she was starting to second guess herself as she released the two people who had raised her all her life. She was being dramatic, knowing she'd see them for Christmas in a few short months but she couldn't help the tear that left her eye. She quickly wiped it away before turning to the train and stepping on, her hand gripping the handlebar for support. She needed answers, to learn this whole new side of her and find out how she could best help the world around her.
"Remember to write when you can," the woman with striking blonde and black hair knelt down and told her son. This would be the first time that the couple would be away from their son for more than a couple of weeks, leaving him to decide on his own who he should and shouldn't befriend. The petite woman could only hope, for her son's sake, that he would not become friends with the ghastly Weasley's. They were blood traitors, too curious about the muggle world when they should know that they are, or were, superior to non magic folks. She also hoped that he would not send letters telling of his friendship with a mudblood. The thought of her son, one who came from a line of pure blood wizards who carried their prejudice from one generation to the next, talking of how he got along with or even admired another person with such low status caused her heart beat to quicken with fright. She could only imagine the anger and loathing he'd receive from his father.
"I will, Mother," the boy nodded. Unlike the girl with muggle parents who showered her with love and encouragement, the young man standing before his mother had to resist the urge to wrap his arms around her, knowing displaying such affection showed weakness and would be embarrassing for the whole family. He was raised to become someone superior to his peers, raised to believe that his pureblood status meant everything and it was too valuable to be soiled by the likes of muggleborns and blood traitors.
All that was on his mind was the thought of letting his father down. His father, who from day one yelled and beat their values into the young boy until he began to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors. No, he didn't believe anything his father did but he would forever be more afraid of his father than he would of any ridicule he received from his peers.
While his mother also disapproved of his curiosity for muggle things, she didn't force him into submission. She knew that she'd never understand her son's wild curiosity for a world he had no business being a part of but after watching through the crack of a doorway how his eyes lit up and scanned endlessly at the pages of a worn muggle book, she couldn't stand taking away that joy. She'd helped him hide countless amounts of literature in the last two years after he'd promised he'd never profess his love for the world beneath them. He'd stay in the mold he'd been given, taking the family name that felt more like a curse than a blessing as he'd gotten older.
"Remember who you are, son," his father spoke before simply shaking hands with his boy, a boy who would look so much like his mother had it not been for the blonde locks and ice blue eyes.
Love was something the older man had long pushed aside; no one reached the levels of success that he had while feeling emotions like love, guilt, or regret. He simply did what he had to do in order to survive, even if that meant showing only harshness and cold shoulders to his own flesh and blood. It was the only way to ensure that when the time came, his son would be able to step up and continue on their legacy.
With a final wave to his parents, he went to look for an empty compartment while watching as all the other kids waited by the windows for their final waves to their parents in envy. Because of this, it was easy to find a small room that was empty, something he'd grown familiar with as an only child who wasn't allowed to express his inner emotions. From beneath the robes he wore, he pulled out his worn copy of Romeo and Juliet, the tale of forbidden love and struggle entrancing the young boy for the millionth time since he was gifted the book by his mother.
An hour or two passed by before the compartment door was flung open, startling him and the girl who now stood in the frame of the door. Her brown eyes widened at the sight of him, his eyes no doubt mirroring her surprise.
"I'm sorry, I thought no one was in this compartment," she explained, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment at her brash entrance.
Upon realizing that he was just staring at her, he cleared his throat before replying, "It's alright, just gave me a fright is all."
"Well, have you happened to see a toad around? A boy named Neville seemed to have lost his and has been going mad trying to find it," the bushy haired stranger got straight to the point, making it her mission to help Neville search. He'd been very upset when he'd found out Trevor had hopped off somewhere since it was one of the only pets he could afford to bring to Hogwarts.
"A toad?" he questioned. The poor bloke must have come from a family who couldn't afford much; toads were pets that cost almost as little as a rat. For a moment he felt sympathy, knowing not everyone could afford things his family could.
"Yes, a toad. Have you seen one or not?" she questioned again, becoming a bit impatient with the boy sitting by himself before actually taking in the fact that he was sat alone. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she thought about asking him to help her search, or better yet to come sit with her and the group of other students she befriended while on the train.
The boy shook his head, not trusting his mouth anymore at the realization that he probably shouldn't be making friends with students who couldn't afford real pets for school. His family had so much money from generations and generations before him that he'd never had to worry about money or struggles other families had gone through. His family could always afford the best and settled for nothing less of it. While it was nice, it also caused problems with past friendships because he'd accidentally flaunt or brag of his possessions and unknowingly push away anyone that he wanted to impress.
"Well, I can't help but notice that you're sitting by yourself and was thinking you could come join a group of us that are a few compartments down," the girl offered. As soon as she smiled at him all warnings his father gave him and all advice his mother had quickly ran by him at the train station went straight out the window as he smiled back. Her teeth were a little bit big for her petite face but it felt comforting, inviting even.
"I'd love to," he grinned, standing from his seat and folding the page corner down before closing the book completely, causing the girl to scrunch her nose and look at him as if he'd physically wounded her.
"What?"
"Do you not have a bookmark?" she asked him, appalled at his carelessness for the book in his hands.
"A what?"
"It's something you place inside the book to hold your page for you instead of bending the page the way you have and ruining it," she explained, pulling one out of the pocket of her own robes and handing it over to the boy. She hesitated slightly, realizing it was her favorite bookmark before releasing it and watched as he gently set it into the space between the pages.
"Happy?" the boy sassed and she nodded, ignoring his look of annoyance with her before turning and walking to her compartment with him in tow. Before they entered, she stopped abruptly and turned to him.
"I never got your name," her eyes widened before she held out her hand. "My name is Hermione Granger."
"I'm Malfoy," he responds, taking her hand in his. "Draco Malfoy."
Hermione looked from side to side as students piled off the train, the older students heading towards the carriages that were charmed to pull themselves as a literal giant of a man called all first years to the boats. Harry Potter, the boy who lived who she had met before Draco while on the search for Neville's toad, stalked right up to the tall bearded man and they chatted for a few seconds.
Come to find out, the man's name was Hagrid and he was the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. He explained that they were going to travel by boat across the Black Lake to the castle and before Hermione could believe it, she was floating across the water in an enchanted boat along with Neville, Pansy, Draco, and Seamus.
The five of them, along with Dean who was situated into another boat much to Seamus's protests, had had a blast in the compartment on the train. Seamus and Dean explained how to play Exploding Snap, which Dean had just taught Seamus not too long before Hermione brought Draco to the compartment. Draco, seeing the game of cards lit up and cheerily joined in and ended up beating the others countless times.
After they all became bored of the game, the ones who hadn't changed into their robes went to do so and left Draco and Hermione alone in the compartment. They decided to play Wizard's Chess which was a game Hermione quickly decided wasn't her cup of tea due to the barbaric nature of the game.
"Are you nervous about the sorting?" she asked her friends.
"What sortin'?" Seamus was confused, his mother never mentioning anything about a sorting amongst all her excitement of him finally getting his letter of acceptance to Hogwarts.
"I read in Hogwarts: A History that first years have to go through a sorting to decide which houses you're going to be in. You could be sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin," Hermione shuddered at the last house, causing Draco and Pansy to give her a confused look.
"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Draco seemed offended and he was slightly taken aback at Hermione's reaction to the house he'd been hoping to be sorted into. Everyone in his family had proudly flaunted their green and silver attire, the snake on all their broaches only further adding to the pride his relatives all held for being sorted into Slytherin.
"From what I've read, a lot of witches and wizards have gone bad that were in Slytherin. I just don't think it's a house I would want to be associated with if I'm being completely honest. Besides," she rambled on, "I also read that the common room is near the dungeons."
"My family has been in the Slytherin house for generations," Pansy commented, "and I happen to believe that they're pretty great."
"My family as well," Draco added, though he didn't have as much confidence as Pansy had when she'd let the words fall from her lips.
"I didn't mean to offend you guys, I just don't think it's a house I would want to-"
"Associate with," Draco finished for her. "You're basically saying that if we get sorted into Slytherin, you wouldn't want to talk with us."
"That's not it at all!" Hermione was flustered at how her words were being turned against her. She hadn't meant that she didn't want to still hang around with Draco and Pansy, who quickly became friends with her and each other on the train ride, but that she didn't want to be involved with anyone that could turn out bad like many wizards and witches before them had. She wasn't here to become anything but her best self and wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of her doing so in this world like so many had back home.
"My mum was in Gryffindor," Seamus blurted, hoping to relieve some of the tension in the boat. "She said most of the people sorted into Gryffindor are brave at heart, have strength they might not even know of."
"My mom and Dad were both in Gryffindor as well, but my Gran was in Hufflepuff, " Neville continued. "They're some of the bravest people I know, went against You Know Who in the last wizarding war."
"That's awfully courageous," Hermione acknowledged. Silence then fell over the group as the boats pulled up to the shore, all students clambering out and walking behind Hagrid to the inside of the castle.
The castle itself was massive, the architecture making Hermione fight back a gasp as she stood before it. The windows were lit up, the sky just beginning to fall into darkness and giving the school a dreamy luminescence. It was like something out of a fiction book and for a moment she couldn't believe that any of this was actually real. She even pinched herself just to be sure she wasn't dreaming.
They climbed what seemed to be never ending amounts of stairs before finally halting outside of the door which Hermione guessed would lead to the Great Hall.
"Welcome students!" An older woman stood in front of all the new first years, a small smile gracing her lips before being replaced by a stern look. "I am Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly but before you are seated you must be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, eat with your house, and share the common room-"
"Trevor!" Neville yelled from beside Hermione, pushing his way to grab the toad that sat at the top stair, right at the feet of the Professor. When he saw his frog, he couldn't contain his joy. Neville has spent his train ride sulking and belittling himself over loosing the beloved pet so finding him brought a great deal of relief.
Once he secured his pet, he realized the commotion he caused and looked up nervously at McGonagall before hastily walking back to his place beside Hermione.
"Now, the four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor." she continued on, leaving all of them for a moment before taking the wandering eyes of the first years through the Great Hall.
It was beautiful, lined with four tables with house flags hanging high above each table. Slytherins were on the far left, adorned in green and silver flags and each student wearing a matching colored crest along with it. Then the Gryffindor table, lined with red and orange, the crest shining among the students proudly. After that came Ravenclaw, blue, and Hufflepuff, yellow. Each house, though different, had their members proudly displaying their crests.
Hermione's eyes wandered across the tables and saw so many faces of interest, all of them probably wondering which students would be joining them tonight and which will have to become 'rivals' in the journey to win the House Cup.
At the very front of the room sat a stool and an old worn hat. This is what every first year had anxiously awaited since they'd learned of the blood that ran through their veins. It was finally time to see how they'd mold into their best selves and which house would be able to best assist them in doing so.
"Now," Professor McGonagall started, picking up a piece of parchment and the hat, "when I call your name, you will come forward and you will be sorted into your houses."
The room grew quiet as the first name was called, everyone seeming to hold their breath as the professor shouted.
"Hannah Abbott!"
A nervous looking girl walked forward, plopping onto the stool as stiffly as Draco had ever seen and the hat was gently placed onto her head.
"AH!" the hat exclaimed, startling all except Hermione who seemed to know the hat was going to do that. Draco was wondering if there was anything else she knew about Hogwarts.
"Did you know the ceiling is enchanted to look like the night sky?" she whispered to him as soon as the thought popped into his head. He looked up to see floating candles and a starry sky and after looking closer, saw the real ceiling of the Great Hall. He couldn't help but be impressed by her knowledge of the school they'd both begin to call their second home.
"Now I do," he whispered back, a soft smile appearing on both of their faces before their gazes are broken by the Sorting Hat.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted, and before everyone's eyes the blank crest on Hannah's robes turned into the yellow crest of her house and she joined the table of cheering students. As another student was called up, Draco turned to Hermione and grasped her hand.
"Promise that even if we get sorted into different houses that we will still be friends?" After only knowing her a few short hours, Draco knew that he and Hermione would become great friends. Their minds were similar when it came to intelligence and interests and he knew without a doubt that he'd be sorted into a house full of blood prejudice and ignorance. He needed a friend on the outside who would be able to keep him true to himself and not allow him to slip into the desolate and cold world of his housemates.
Hermione smiled at him as she heard his name called before giving him a nod and reassuring squeeze. "I promise."
Draco gave his own nod back before nervously making his way up to the stool and waiting for the hat that decided his fate to be placed on his head. Before it even touched a single strand of hair on his head, the hat had already made its decision.
"SLYTHERIN!" he smirked down at Harry Potter and Weasley, the boys who he ran into on his trip to Diagon Alley that had rejected him. As the table of green cheered for the blonde boy, it was cut short by the calling of Hermione's name. Draco could feel his palms sweating as he sat beside Pansy, who had also been sorted into Slytherin. At least I have one friend here, he thought.
"Right," the hat started to mumble as it was placed onto the bushy mane of hair. "Right, hmmmm, okay." It grew silent in the hall.
"GRYFFINDOR!" A deafening applause rang through the Hall as the Gryffindor table exploded into cheer. Hermione smiled before joining her house, looking across the way to find Draco already looking at her. She sent him a smile as her own way of saying that even though their houses were pretty strong rivals, sworn enemies now that she thought about it, she had no intentions of going back on her promise to him. As Draco sent his own smile back, he confirmed that he had no intentions of breaking their promise, either.