A/N: Some parts of this chapter will be almost directly copied from Chapters 6 and 7of The Philosophers Stone. I do not claim to have written any of that and will keep it to a minimum.
For the purposes of this fanfiction, Harry and Draco's meeting in Madam Malkins has not occurred.
Chapter One
Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.
At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.
"-packed with Muggles, of course-"
Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him-and they had an owl.
Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.
"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.
"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mum, can't I go…"
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it – but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.
"Fred, you next." the plump woman said.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone – but how had he done it?
Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier and he was almost there -and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.
Harry, from a distance continued watching. He knew the right thing to do was head towards them and ask, yet simply couldn't bring himself to do it. What if they turned him away? Laughed at him? No, Harry would continue to watch from afar.
In his contemplations harry had missed the youngest brother making his way onto the platform, kicking himself, he stared ever more intently at the mother and the youngest daughter who wasn't old enough to go Hogwarts this year. He hoped they would follow the boys regardless.
Luckily for Harry, the mother held out her hand for the girl and started walking towards the barrier between the platforms nine and ten. They were now running towards the barrier and Harry was convinced they would collide in a painful and embarrassing manner, yet, just as Harry thought impact would occur they vanished, almost as though they had vanished through the barrier itself.
With a puff, Harry decided there was nothing else for it. He had to follow in their footsteps and run towards the barrier himself. He pushed his trolley towards the barrier until it faced it and he stared. It looked solid. He jolted himself away from thoughts about the solidity of the barrier and into action.
Step after step, he began to run right towards the barrier. He knew he would crash straight into it and then he'd be in trouble. He was now a foot away…unable to stop the trolley, Harry just closed his eyes, ready for the crash.
It never came, and he slowly came to a stop. Harry opened his eyes to see a scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform completely packed with people. A sign overhead read the words 'Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Harry had done it, with a smile he pushed on towards the train.
Paying little attention to the details of all that was around him, Harry just took notice of odd snippets of conversation and odd people and things scurrying around the platform. Enjoying the experience thoroughly, Harry continued down the platform in search of a seat.
Near the end of the platform, Harry found an empty compartment and quickly placed Hedwig in the compartment and began to attempt to get his trunk in as well, a task which he very much struggled to make any progress in. Until an older looking boy wearing a yellow and black scarf approached with a knowing smile on his face. Without a word he helped Harry get the trunk into the compartment.
"Won't be getting used to the weight of the trunk until fifth year I reckon mate, enjoy!" he said pleasantly with a wink and turned and left, looking around the platform. Harry assumed for other struggling kids like himself. Allowing himself a smile of his own, Harry collapsed into a seat in the compartment.
He'd done it, he'd made it. He was going to Hogwarts, going to join a world which he knew nothing of, but which he was certain was better than the world he was leaving behind. Closing his eyes he lent back into the seat and let his excited thoughts come and go. What would he learn? Who would he meet?
Harry had very little time with his thoughts before the compartment door was opened by a pale blonde boy.
"Hello," said the boy, "seats free?"
"Yeah," said Harry and nodded
Even before Harry had responded, the boy had made his way to the seat across from Harry and sat down.
"What's your name?" the boy asked
"Harry"
The boy made no indication that he'd received a satisfying answer, almost as though he was waiting for elaboration.
"Oh! Potter, my names Harry Potter."
The boys eyebrows rose but the name elicited nothing more than that.
"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. Nice to meet you." He said as he stuck out his hand
Harry gingerly shook Draco's hand.
"Now then, what house is it for you? I'm a Slytherin, there's no doubts about it, my family always have been and it's the best house, a proper house if you understand what I mean."
"I…I'm not sure"
"Well, yes, no one really knows until they get there. Imagine being in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor though. I don't know what I'd do. Probably leave."
"I'm not actually sure about the houses. What are they?" Harry asked tentatively
"The houses of Hogwarts! You don't know about the houses of Hogwarts?"
Harry just looked down
"Why not?" asked Draco, almost warily
"Urm…I only found out about all this a month ago."
"Like a muggleborn! Why's that? You're no muggleborn." He said almost distastefully
"Well, I grew up with my aunt and uncle," said Harry, "they're not magical, and they didn't tell me I was."
"That's rotten! Me and my family have never liked muggles, barbaric people really. So you know nothing about Hogwarts or the wizarding world?"
Harry merely shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, it's not your fault you had rotten luck, I'll fill you in. Won't be done in the space of this train journey mind you, It'll take time for you to learn the proper ways of the wizarding world. But then again, what are friends for?"
Friends! Draco had called him a friend, looking up with a smile, Harry nodded
"I'd like that."
"Alright, where should we start? Hogwarts, I think. There are four houses, they each take certain kinds of student, depending on their personality and how they are as people. There's Gryffindor," Draco paused here to make a sound imitating that of someone throwing up, "that's the worst of the lot, a bunch of idiots who'd run into a fight with a dragon if they thought they'd look brave. Sometimes it's best to be smart about it and run to fight another day, or be cunning and win another way. That's the Slytherin way of doing things, cunning and intelligent, ambitious too."
"Yeah, running is definitely sometimes the best thing to do."
"Yeah, you know! Gryffindors would call it cowardly, but I'd rather be cowardly than dead, personally." He said laughing, "And of course, there's Hufflepuff, bunch of babies, the lot of them, hardworking, friendly and kind. Boring people really. Only reason they're not the worst house is that Gryffindor got that title first."
Harry frowned slightly.
"Being nice isn't a bad thing really is it?" Harry said, adding the question on the end to avoid offending his newfound friend
"Well of course not, but where are you ever going to get life if you're just nice. Got to have a backbone. Stand up for yourself. Anyhow, then there's Ravenclaw, they're the swots, the lot of them. Ravenclaws second best, it's a respectable house, shares a lot in common with Slytherin but they lack the ambition. Not a bad house in terms of morals either if you get what I mean."
"Not too sure actually…sorry."
"Oh, my bad Harry, you've not grown up in this world. You see, essentially some wizards are better than others Harry. Specifically, wizards who are born of wizards, like you and me. We know the culture of our world, our ideals and all that comes with being a wizard. Something which those who come from families of just muggles lack."
Harry was instantly disheartened at Draco's speech (which sounded almost memorised). Draco caught onto this almost instantly.
"Of course it is different with you Harry, it's not your fault you grew up with Muggles. I'll show you how everything works, won't let my friend fall behind because of something that's not his fault!"
Harry beamed again, was this what having a friend was like? Someone who would help you out when you needed it?
"Thank you Draco."
"Don't mention it."
"…but…urm" Harry began hesitantly
"Yes?"
"Well surely if I can learn, so can everyone else, the muggleborns I mean?"
Draco seemed stumped for a moment, as though he'd never encountered such a question
"Well, my father hasn't explained it all to me yet. It comes down to blood as well I believe. Anyhow, not everyone agrees with it, but it is true. You'll see, Slytherin has won the house cup for the past 6 years, the reason for that is very clear I think, it comes down to us being accepting of the correct ways…at least…that's what my father says, and he, he knows what he's talking about." Said Draco, with some semblance of doubt towards the end
To Harry, what Draco was saying sounded elitist, but he avoided questioning it further, not wanting to risk a friendship he'd just made,
"What was it like with the Muggles, Harry?"
"Terrible, they were terrible, my aunt, uncle and cousin were at least. Most others are actually nice."
"You see Harry, that's muggles for you." Said Draco ignoring the statement about some Muggles being nice.
"They're not all bad Draco." Said Harry with a smile
"You'll see in time Harry, it'll come with time."
Harry just shook his head, prompting Draco to laugh out loud.
"What's funny?"
"You'll be my pet project, converting you."
"Into what?"
"A Dark Wizard!" Shouted Draco as he lifted his hood and covered his face
Harry laughed a bit
"A Dark Wizard? Why would you want that?"
"Well, Slytherin has a certain reputation for being the dark house, and producing dark wizards."
"Like Voldemort?" Said Harry with a sombre tone
Draco stiffened slightly, clearly finding the situation awkward
"Yes, Harry, he came from Slytherin. Don't say his name Harry."
"I'm not afraid of it Draco." Said Harry with a resolve he didn't know he had
"He – no matter what you think of him – was one of the most powerful wizards in British history Harry. It demands some respect."
"Respect! He was a murderer!"
Draco looked down at his feet, for the first time, looking truly uncomfortable.
The compartment door was then opened as a smiling woman with a huge trolley packed with sweets leaned in.
"Anything off the trolley dears?"
Harry instantly jumped up, as did Draco, both seemingly happy to forget the conversation they'd just had.
Harry, ready for mars bars and milky ways, a rare pleasure for him in the past, was surprised to find not mars bars, but Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes and Liquorice Wands. Harry's curiosity coupled with his newfound wealth got the better of him and before he could stop himself, he'd asked for a bit of everything.
"Hungry?" said Draco with a smile
"Curious." Responded Harry with a smile
The pile of sweets filled the table by the time the lady had given him everything he'd asked for and made her way onwards.
"Come on Draco." Said Harry, happy to be able to share something for the first time in his life
"I couldn't. Let me pay half."
"It's only fair, you teach me about Hogwarts and everything else, and you get half of what I've just bought."
"Don't need to ask me twice." he said as he grabbed all the Liquorice Wands.
"That's all of them!"
"It's only fair." Mimicked Draco, prompting Harry to grab a Cauldron Cake and chuck it straight at Draco's head.
"You know Harry, Slytherin's don't get into fights they won't win." He said laughing
"Who said I'm a Slytherin? And who said I won't win?"
Harry then grabbed another sweet and chucked it, prompting Draco to do so too as they fell into a food fight, albeit all the food was wrapped up and didn't make a mess.
Minutes later, Draco was cowering under the compartment table.
"Alright! Alright!"
Harry punched the air as a celebration of victory, receiving a Pumpkin Pasty for his showing off
"Slytherin…remember?" said Draco, "Alright, now then, lets talk about Quidditch, the greatest sport there has ever been!"
And so, Draco drilled into Harry the rules and intricacies of Quidditch, until Harry was able to recite the relevant rules back to him, at which stage Draco began to bemoan the rule against first years joining house Quidditch teams, which Draco was convinced he would've been able to get into.
He didn't stop moaning until a short, slightly round boy opened the compartment door, looking visibly distraught.
"Have you seen a toad, I've lost mine." he said quietly
"No. We haven't" said Draco
"His names Trevor."
"Funnily enough, I still haven't seen him." Drawled Draco sarcastically
The boy turned promptly and almost ran away, prompting Draco into laughter.
"That's cruel Draco."
"Harmless fun at the expense of a Hufflepuff Harry, you can't blame me!"
"Perhaps I'll convert you Draco."
"To what? A pussy!?" he said which sent him into further laughter
Harry too fell into laughter, though not at Draco's treatment of the boy he told himself. He didn't want to become a Dudley.
"So, Draco do you have any other friends in our year?"
"Friends? I've got a pair of buffoons who I'm lucky to have avoided thus far. But otherwise, not really, I know a lot of people through family. Other than Theodore Nott, he's good. I reckon you'll like him."
"If he's anything like you, then I think not."
"You think you're funny do you? Don't think I won't get those two buffoons I mentioned on you. They have their uses."
"Anyway Harry, the trains beginning to slow, get your robe on. It's nearly time!"
The two boys rushed, getting their robes on as an announcement was made by a voice echoing through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Harry instantly felt goose bumps creeping up his arm, and Draco although he seemed to be attempting to hide it, looked visibly nervous.
"Nervous Draco?" joked Harry
"You're shaking mate, don't talk to me about nervous."
"No I'm not."
Draco merely laughed and stood up as the train had drawn to a halt. The two boys quickly made their way to the door, to find a mass of students, all shoving their way to the front in an attempt to get out, onto a tiny platform where a familiar voice boomed: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"
Never stopping calling out for the first years, Hagrid began to lead the group towards a steep narrow path, which they followed.
"Ye'll get yer first sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
And it was beautiful, Harry couldn't help but oooh with the crowd, for which he got a playful punch from Draco and a roll of the eyes.
"Hufflepuff for you it seems," he whispered, which Harry punched him back for
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was Hogwarts. A vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore, Harry and Draco were followed into their boat by the boy missing his toad, who introduced himself as Neville Longbottom. Another boy was also in the boat, but he avoided introductions completely, his interest lying only in the castle, something which Harry fully understood.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then – FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
The weaved and wound their way through a tunnel, having to all duck at one stage, until they drew up on some sort of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.
As a group, they then clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Hagrid then raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times onto the castle door.
This was it, thought Harry, as the door swung open revealing a tall black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide, opening up to an entrance hall which could've fit the whole of the Dursleys' house – with the garden – in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. And with a deep breath in and out, Harry too followed, into a small and empty chamber off the hall, from which the sound of hundreds of voices from already-arrived students could be heard.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will 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 the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room."
McGonagall then began to detail the houses and the house points system, but Harry only vaguely listened as the magnitude of the situation he was in had hit him. This was not merely a new part of his life, it was a complete and radical new beginning. In that moment, Harry began to lose excitement and truly fear what was coming.
Harry was mildly aware of her leaving and conversations breaking out around him, but made no attempt to join or listen to any of them. That is until the ghosts came.
Slightly transparent, and pearly white, they glided in and upon noticing the first years, began to speak over one another about the houses and their delight to meet the 'new first years'.
McGonagall soon arrived and ushered the ghosts away and before Harry knew it, she had led him and all the other first years into the Great Hall.
The astonishing room was lit by thousands of candles hanging in the air over four long tables where the rest of the students were sitting. At the top of the hall was another long table at which the teachers sat.
McGonagall led them to stand in front of the teachers facing the four tables of students, and dotted amongst them, various ghosts.
Harry looked up admiring the ceiling, hearing someone whisper about how it was bewitched to look like the sky outside. He didn't therefore notice McGonagall place a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On the stool she placed a pointed Wizard's hat, an especially tatty one at that.
Harry's attention was only brought to it and away from the ceiling when it broke out in song:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," said professor McGonagall "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-face girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of the line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause –
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
And so, the hat progressed through Susan Bones, Terry Boot until it came to Draco's which Harry paid attention to. He swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once, the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Malfoy went to the Slytherin table, taking a seat next to two large boys who Harry assumed were the two buffoons he had spoke of. Draco looked at Harry and rolled his eyes, visibly pleading for Harry to join him at the table.
"Potter, Harry!" he heard called out, before the hall instantly broke out into whispers.
Harry, very nervously, made his way towards the hat and the last thing he saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people trying to get a good look at him.
"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, along with a thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting…So, where shall I put you?"
Harry stayed silent.
"Where should I put you? You're quite brave, loyal, but…Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that. The right house for you. Have fun Harry Potter, you have a difficult path to tread ahead of you, Slytherin house has needed one like you for a long time, so…better be…SLYTHERIN!"
Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Slytherin table, not noticing that the hall had gone silent, he took a seat next to Draco, and began to process what had just occurred. Totally oblivious to the two pairs of eyes which studied him more intently than any other in the hall (of which there were many), the eyes of Albus Dumbledore and of Severus Snape.
A/N: Thanks for reading, and again I apologise for how much came as almost a direct copy from Chapters 6 and 7 of the Philosophers stone. I do think that there will be no more heavy similarities to the original text after this Chapter as I begin to stray fully from Canon.