Chapter One— The Hogwarts Express
"Look, another Weasley," the slender boy with slicked back blond hair and pale silver eyes smirked.
Harry, his messy, rumpled black hair falling in his deep emerald eyes, glanced up at the boy who had spoken, then looked back to the redhead that stood by his side. "Potter, I can show you the right sort to associate with around here," the silver-eyed boy told Harry. Draco extended his hand, waiting expectantly for Harry to shake it.
"Don't pay attention to him, he's just a bloody git," Ron, running his hands through his unattractive orange hair, advised Harry, scowling at Draco angrily. Harry looked from Draco to Ron, then back to Draco again. Finally, Harry made a desicion.
"Draco, I gladly accept," Harry announced with a slow grin, shaking Draco's hand. "Can I come to your compartment?"
Ron stared at Harry with a sad look in his eyes, watching Harry leave with Draco. Seconds later, a girl with curly, light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes and a chubby boy with wide eyes walked in.
"Hi!" the girl exclaimed in a loud, friendly voice. "I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Neville, Neville Longbottom. It's a pleasure to meet you... I just love meeting new friends!! And this is such an exciting day and all, and I'm so excited—"
"Yeah, that's nice," Ron interrupted rudely, but invited her and the chubby boy to sit with him.
"Have you met Harry Potter yet? I can't wait to meet him!" Hermione gushed excitedly.
"He's not nearly as great as everyone says, in my opinion he's just a prat," Ron told her, frowning slightly. "He's already mixed in with the Malfoy gang... I wouldn't be surprised if he makes it into Slytherin."
"But... he's the Boy who Lived!!" Hermione shrieked, suddenly panicky. "He has to be in Gryffindor!!"
"I'm not so sure..." Ron sighed.
Meanwhile, Draco and Harry were chatting.
"So Slytherin is the best house?" Harry asked Draco curiously. "I mean, Ron said that Gryffindor was the best... I don't understand."
"Weasely is the good kind, you know?" Draco smirked.
"Well, I've heard that the best go into Gryffindor... Dumbledore did, after all."
"Dumbledore is a Mudblood-loving fool... he's the worst Headmaster that this school has ever had!!"
"Oh... but what's a Mudblood?" Harry asked uncertainly. From the way Draco had put it, it had sounded like an insult.
"Why, a Mudblood is a Wizard or Witch born of Muggle parents... they're ruining the Magical world!!"
"But how can that be... Hermione said she was a Muggle born, but she did a really advanced spell to fix my glasses!! How can people like her be ruining the Magical world?!"
"I... I don't really know," Draco admitted, and for the first time his voice lacked in confidence. "But... Father told me they were, and Father is always right."
Harry frowned. "Always? How can someone always be right?"
Draco smirked. "Clearly, you haven't met my Father."
Soon enough, the train came to a halt and the students walked out. Hagrid, grinning widely, waved at Harry.
"You know that... animal?" Draco asked sharply.
"Wh— oh. Er, actually, not really... I suppose he's just being friendly, and waving to the students and all," Harry quickly lied, though he was unsure quite why he was. For some reason, he wanted this silver-eyed boy to be his friend.
"Oh, alright then," Draco shrugged, dropping the subject. The students separated into groups of threes and got into small boats. Draco and Harry grouped with a very pretty girl. The girl had short layered dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
"I'm Pansy, Pansy Parkinson," the girl introduced herself to Draco with a flirtatious smile.
"Hey, I'm Draco... Draco Malfoy," Draco gave Pansy his best Malfoy - charm smile. Harry rolled his eyes. He was staring at an Asian girl in the crowd, who was now climbing into one of the boats, her long, dark ebony colored hair swaying with every move she made.
"She's beautiful... that girl," Harry muttered, pointing to the Asian so Draco would know which girl he was talking about. "She's so fine!"
"Cho Chang? My mom is best friends with her mom. Even if Cho as beauty, I've seen much better," Draco said, looking suggestively at Pansy. Pansy giggled and Draco gave her a rose, from inside his robes.
"You cut off the thorns and everything," Pansy cooed.
"Just for you... hottie," Draco grinned. He slipped his arm around Pansy's waist, pulling her closer. Just then, Pansy realized that Harry was a little uncomfortable.
"Oh, and Harry... Cho and I are great friends, I could introduce you." Pansy said, with a smile on her face.
"What's she like?"
"She'd definitely go for a hottie like you," Pansy said. Draco had a glare on his face, so Pansy added quickly, "Sorry, Harry, Draco's hotter."
"You're right," Harry said sadly. "Cho would never go for a loser like me..."
"Aw, don't think that way!!" Pansy exclaimed reassuringly. "Cho has always been a sucker for losers!!" Harry glared, and Pansy laughed at the look on his face. "Just joshing you!! Cho, actually, knows all about you... you're her idol!! She owns all of the books on you... she'd love to date you!!"
"Oh, I can't wait to kiss her! Truth or Dare tonight!" Harry exclaimed. His cheeks turned red as he realized what he said.
"Wow, Harry, you haven't even met her yet!! Slow down, mate..." Draco laughed at Harry's mortified look.
"I didn't mean to say that out loud..." Harry frowned, "But, Truth or Dare, is a definite tonight, or at least tomorrow night. You guys have to dare me to kiss her."
"What if we're in different houses?" Draco asked.
"I mean, you're most likely to be in Slytherin, but you have some Gryffindor characteristics!" Pansy said.
"Oh, they wouldn't dare separate us," Harry said.
"But... you're the Boy who Lived!! Doesn't that mean you'd be... not in Slytherin?" Draco asked uncertainly.
"Oh, Drake, how can you doubt Harry? He's our best friend now, and he's definitely one of us!!" Pansy scolded Draco, then giggled.
"Is she just as pretty up close?" Harry murmured dreamily, looking back at Cho, and Pansy and Draco realized that he hadn't been listening to a word they had been saying.
"Oh, Cho again? Yeah, she is a classic beauty... of course, nothing like some people," Draco gave Pansy a seductive smile.
"Oh, you wouldn't be talking about me, now would you?" Pansy asked, scooting closer to Draco.
"Oh, shut up and get a room," Harry advised, then laughed. "I'd better sit in between you too."
"Hey, we're here now," Draco announced, and the three of them stepped onto dry land and looked up at the Hogwarts castle.
"Not that bad, you know," Harry admitted.
"Durmstrang is much better, I must say," Draco frowned in disapproval, but shrugged anyway.
"Oh, Drake, shall we go now?" Pansy asked with a giggle. Harry walked behind them, alone, as Draco slung his arm around Pansy's waist.
"Oh!" A girl suddenly ran up to Harry, her shockingly blue eyes wide. "Are you ... are you ... Harry Potter?!" she asked breathlessly, pushing her long, sleek black hair from her eyes, which were still wide.
"I am, and you are?" Harry said. Draco, hearing the girl, looked back and winked at Harry.
"I'm... I think I'm... I'm... Cho Chang..." she said slowly, her voice flustered as she stared at the Famous Harry Potter.
"What year are you in?" Harry asked her.
"Um... I think first year. Oh golly, I hope I get in Slytherin!" she gushed.
"Me too, we better get moving, or we'll be behind!" Harry told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. They arrived at the castle door.
"Oh, Harry, thanks for leading me to the castle. I couldn't see it, because all I could see were your gorgeous green eyes." Cho told her, staring at Harry dreamily.
Harry blinked his eyes, so she would have the ability to look away. It didn't work.
"Wow, your eyes snap like snap dragons," Cho exclaimed happily, tilting her head to admire Harry's eyes.
"Yeah..."
Cho threw herself at him and, through his struggle, managed to kiss his cheek. Harry pushed Cho off and opened the castle door. "Took you long enough," Draco said. "What'd you guys do? It doesn't take that long to kiss."
"Oh," Harry sighed, disgusted, "She gushed on a bit over my 'gorgeous green eyes' that 'snap like snapdragons' when I blink. I mean, sure, she's beautiful, but she's a complete ditz! I can't stand unintelligent people."
"Who cares? She's crazy about you, mate," Draco gave Harry a lopsided grin.
"No different from Pansy's obsession with you," Harry laughed, glancing over at Pansy, who was watching Draco with large puppy eyes. "Then again, at least Pansy's not a ditz..."
"True, true," Draco grinned.
Harry was about to respond when he got cut off when Cho launched herself at him, covering his eyes from behind and asking sweetly, "Guess who?!"
"Hmm... lemme think... I wonder who," Harry replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, silly snookums!! It's me, Cho!!" Cho giggled giddily. "Anyway, what now?!"
"The sorting," Harry told her a bit sharply, rolling his eyes. "So you wanna be in Slytherin, do you?"
"Of course, snookums!!"
"Er— pardon me, I thought you just called me snookums," Harry laughed at his stupidity. Nobody would call him that!
"But, Harry, silly, I did!!"
Harry moaned in obvious disgust.
Meanwhile, two friends, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, were waving to Parvati's twin sister, Padma Patil. Lavender had light brown hair and hazel- green eyes, while Parvati had black hair and gray eyes. That was when two hot redheads walked over.
"Hey girls, you been sorted yet?" one of them asked.
"No, we're waiting for that," Lavender told the one who had spoken. "I'm Lavender, Lavender Brown. This is—"
"I'm Parvati Patil," Parvati interrupted, introducing herself, and smiling at the twins. "And you are?"
"I'm Fred Weasley," said the one who had spoken, "And that's my twin, George. We're second year Ravenclaws."
"Ravenclaws, huh?" Lavender gave Fred a wink. "I heard they're real smart... you a geek?"
Fred laughed. "Are you kidding? Me, a geek? I hardly know a thing. The Sorting Hat must've been a bit off when it sorted me."
"Oh, don't be too harsh on yourself... I'm sure you're not that thick," Lavender flirted.
"Don't be too sure about that," George sulked, jealous at not being in the center of the attention. He smiled hopefully at Lavender, but she rolled her eyes and ignored him.
"Hey, Ronniekins!" Fred beckoned Ron over, and introduced Lavender to Ron.
"I hear you're a prat," Lavender said. "I heard it from that gorgeous Harry Potter. Too bad Cho is after him... she lives down the street from Parvati and me. She goes after all the boys that she thinks are cute. I wonder if she said the snap dragon line, yet? Probably." Lavender said answering her own question.
"I am not a prat!" Ron exclaimed.
"You're a git, then?" Fred and George asked at the same time.
"I am not a git!"
"Right... Fred, which house do you think is best?" Parvati asked, trying to move the attention of the group to her.
"Yeah, Freddy, which house do you think is best?" Lavender asked and then ruffled his hair.
"Ravenclaw. I hope you get in Ravenclaw, Lavender." Fred said.
"I hope I get in, too!" Lavender exclaimed.
"Well, we better get seated... hope you get in our house, Lavender. I got my eye on you," Fred said jokingly. Parvati glared at him, then turned to her friend.
"What do you see in that guy, Lavender? He's such a git."
"Are you just jealous that he was paying attention to me?" Lavender asked suspiciously. Then she laughed. "Just kidding, but do you like him?"
"Why would I like him?!" Parvati protested.
"Okay, you so like him!!"
"So do not!" Parvati exclaimed.
Back to Draco, Harry, Pansy, and Cho.
"Harry," Cho said, "I hope we both get in Ravenclaw!"
"Ravenclaw? Are you mad? Slytherin is the only house that will lead anyone to victory!" Harry frowned.
"Oops-- I mean Slytherin. It's the finest house."
"Harry, would you mind coming here for a second to discuss some matters. Pansy, how about you entertain Miss Chang," Draco said. Draco pulled Harry to a corner and said, "Do you like her now that you met her?"
"Even though Cho's beautiful, I sort of am interested in that smart girl that I met earlier on the train... Hermione Granger. Even if she may be interested in Gryffindor..." Harry shrugged.
"That Mudblood!" Draco exclaimed in horror.
"She's really smart. I'm going to ask her out. Be back in a sec, Draco." Harry walked away from Draco and over to Hermione Granger. "Heyy, Hermione. You're looking good today."
"Get a life, Potter. I would never go out with you. As I said before, get a life," Hermione exclaimed.
"Fine," Harry frowned, his voice sharp so that he could conceal his disappointment.
"Eww, would I ever go out with him?" Hermione asked Ron, while Harry was still in earshot.
"Turned you down, eh?" Draco asked when Harry returned to him.
"Yeah, that... hey, Cho!" Harry called. "Would you go out with me?"
"What are you doing, mate?" Draco hissed in shock.
"Oh, snookums, I gladly will!" Cho exclaimed, giving him a big, rather slobbery kiss.
"Cho, this is too early in the relationship," Harry snapped impatiently, pushing her away. Then, lowering his voice, he told Draco, "I'm making Hermione jealous."
Draco was about to respond to Harry when Professor McGonagall stood up. "Now, everyone, it is time for the first years to be sorted. Line up, now. When I call your name, you will come forth, and put on this Sorting Hat. It will announce your house."
"Abbot, Hannah." The blonde girl giggled airily, much like Cho had so many times, and walked up, allowing the Hat to be placed on her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" it yelled.
"Bone, Susan." The girl who was a very close friend with Hannah giggled as well, waving to Hannah stupidly, and then sat down on the stool.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" it shrieked immediately. And the Sorting continued...
"Brown, Lavender." Lavender glanced back at Parvati nervously, then sat down.
"SLYTHERIN!!" Lavender frowned, and gave a distressed look over at Fred, who sat, disappointed, at the Ravenclaw table.
"Chang, Cho!!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Harry Potter!" the sorting hat yelled. The second he stood, whispered flew across the room.
"Can it be, Harry Potter?" Ernie Macmillan hissed in surprise.
"Bloody git," Ron muttered angrily.
"Harry, get Slytherin!" Cho gasped.
And the Hat said... "Potter... hmm... you would do rather well in Slytherin. Great things will find you in this house... and you will achieve everything you strive for. It will be... SLYTHERIN!" the Sorting Hat shouted aloud.
"Yay!" the Slytherin table cheered, delighted to have the Famous Harry Potter.
"Harry, you're my god!" Cho screamed.
"Get a grip," Hermione snarled back in an annoyed tone, from across the room. Cho didn't hear.
Harry walked past all the tables, waving and blowing kisses at all the pretty girls. He realized with surprise that he was loving the attention, every moment of it. One girl, with long blonde, curly hair saw him and actually fainted.
"You big, prat, traitor, you!" Ron sputtered as Harry walked past.
Harry rolled his eyes at Ron and leaned forward, towards a very pretty girl with wavy brown hair that fell across her face.
"Doll face, meet me in front of the Slytherin common room at ten tonight," Harry told her softly. Then, with a grin, he made to move on.
"Hannah! You're so lucky!" Susan Bones, Hannah's best friend, exclaimed.
"Hey, why don't you come, too?" he said to Susan.
"You bet..." she said and sighed. "I love being beautiful." Susan watched Harry leave with a dreamy look in her eyes, then quickly pulled out a compact mirror and checked her hair. "Oh, Hanns, d'you think we'll look alright with our 'date' with Harry?" Susan asked nervously.
"I hope he kisses me!" Hannah exclaimed.
"Wait, he's gonna kiss me!"
"I know!!" Hannah decided. "He's gonna kiss both of us!!"
"Oh yeah!! But he'll kiss me first!!" Susan squealed.
"No, me first!!"
"He'll kiss us both at the same time!!" Susan compromised. Then they both giggled stupidly and thought of Harry.
Meanwhile, Harry walked down and blew Cho a kiss.
"Oh, Harry, I'm so glad you're my boyfriend!!" Cho cooed. "Oh, Harry!"
"Hey, Cho, meet me in the Common Room, at two in the a.m."
Then the Sorting continued, and a few other key sortings:
"Patil, Parvati."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Patil, Padma."
"RAVENCLAW!!"
"Weasley, Ronald."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Malfoy, Draco."
"SLYTHERIN!!"
And then, with the last one, ("Zambini, Blaise!"— "SLYTHERIN!") the Sorting ended and all it was time for the students to go to their Common Rooms.
Harry smiled, thinking of the pretty girls— of whom he didn't have a clue of their name— that he had told to meet him.
"This year is gonna be the best," he decided, with a grin.