One.
The first time he met him was when they were getting their robes tailored..
The pale boy standing on the stool across from him was nice – friendly. The second he was placed on the stool beside him to get fitted for his school robes, the boy turned and said, with a smile, "Hullo. Hogwarts, too?"
Glad to know someone else going to his school he smiled back and said; "Yes"
"I'm quite excited," the boy continued, looking away, "I've never been away from home before like this. I mean, I know it's still school but never once have I lived somewhere else."
He blinked and smiled wider, "Thank goodness, I'm not the only one then" he said. The pale boy grinned at him and then explained how his father was down the street, picking up his books. Then he brought up the store down the street, and started talking about this sport – Quidditch.
"What's Quidditch?" he asked the boy, who looked at him as if he was insane;
"Why, it's the most famous sport in the Wizarding world. Surely you've heard of it." The pale boy scoffed.
"No, no I haven't. I was raised by muggles. I didn't even know I was a wizard 'til a few day's ago." He mumbled.
"Are you muggle born?"
"No, my parents were magical." He averted his eyes away from the small boy, who was studying him with narrowed eyes. The boy never replied, though. An awkward silence fell over the room. The only sound now was that of the rustle of clothes from the women still tailoring the robes. Then the other boy broke the silence;
"I say, look at that man" breathed the boy as he looked over his shoulder to the window.
He looked back too, and saw the half-giant, Hagrid standing there. He waved and smiled and he said to the other boy, "That's Hagrid, game keeper at Hogwarts."
The boy looked back at him, amazement dancing in his silver eyes; "Well, he looks quite interesting. Are you friends?"
"Yes, we are. I think he's brilliant." He smiled.
"He doesn't look it" the boy laughed quietly, and he thought it was the most wonderful sound.
He stayed silent for a moment, watching Hagrid eat his ice-cream and then snorted; "No, he doesn't, does he?"
The woman fitting the boys robes finished and tapped his shoulder, telling him he was done. It only made sense that the pale boy was done before him, since he came after the boy. No matter, he still wanted to continue talking to him. The boy jumped off the stool and smiled up at him. He then told the petite witch he would be waiting till he was done being fitted and leaned against the wall.
"I'm Draco, by the way. Draco Malfoy." The pale boy said.
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
Draco's eyes widened and he stood up straighter; "Are you really?" his silver eyes darted to his forehead and back to his eyes.
Harry frowned; "Yes, I am."
"Do you really have the scar, then?" Draco sounded suspicious all of a sudden.
Not caring what the witch fitting him said, Harry reached up and pushed his unruly, jet-black hair away from his forehead.
Draco only smiled, and leaned back against the wall, smirk on his face. After Harry was done being fitted, they couldn't find Hagrid, so instead they found Draco's parents. Draco introduced Harry to Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy – his parents, and in Harry's opinion, he's happy Draco didn't inherited that sneer that's practically fixed permanently on his fathers face. Later, they ran into Hagrid, near the ice cream shop down the alley. Draco politely introduced himself properly, and came to like the half-giant, even if Hagrid doesn't trust him just yet.
September rolled around, and Hagrid left Harry at the train station to find platform nine and three-quarters by himself. Just his luck, he ran into Draco while rolling his trolley to the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Lucius sneered at him and Narcissa beamed. Draco walked through the barrier with him and helped him on the train. For the entire train ride, Draco told Harry all about Hogwarts and the different houses and how they were sorted. They were joined by Crabbe and Goyle, the people Harry jokingly calls Draco's body-guards. When they pulled up to the train station in Hogsmeade and rode the boat's to the castle that Hogwarts is, Draco was oddly quiet. Harry didn't find it the least bit uncomfortable, though. Then they were in the Great Hall and in line to get sorted and Draco was placed in Slytherin, along with Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. The girl's sorted into Slytherin were Asotria and Daphne Greengrass – twins, Pansy Parkinson, Tracey Davis, and Millicent Bulstrode. The very first Gryffindor was a small girl with horribly curly blonde hair, Lavender Brown. The first Hufflepuff to be sorted was a chubby girl with frizzy red hair, Susan Bones. The first Ravenclaw to be sorted was a lanky boy with flat brown hair, Michael Corner.
Then it was "Potter, Harry" being called, and it was Harry stepping up and sitting down. It was Harry gripping the edges of the four-legged stool to tight and Harry listening to the small voice echo in his head, saying that Slytherin will help him on his way to greatness. It was Harry telling the hat that he doesn't care where he goes, so long as he has good friends like Draco and it was Harry releasing a breath that he didn't know he was holding in when the hat shouted out; "Slytherin!" to the eager hall.