It Is Our Choices that Show what we Truly Are

What if Harry and Draco had made just a few different choices before their first year of Hogwarts?

Harry and Hagrid had just returned from Gringott's, and Harry's pockets were heavy with the coins from his safe. He began to riddle Hagrid with more questions about the goblin-run bank, but his answers were short and non-descriptive; he was still recovering from nausea that the Gringott's mine cart afflicted him.

Harry still needed to buy all of his things for Hogwarts, so Hagrid sent him on his way to Madam Malkin's with a nondescript excuse to go to the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking quite green.

Harry entered the robe shop apprehensively. It was the first time he'd been in the wizarding world alone, and he felt so unattached from everyone else, so uneducated. He walked around aimlessly for a minute or so until a short, stout witch approached him and introduced herself as Madam Malkin.

"Hogwarts, clear?" She asked before Harry could get a word in. He nodded his head, and she directed him to the back of the shop where she told him another Hogwarts student was getting fitted. The student had a pale, shrewd look to him and did not look like someone you'd want to cross.

Harry was about to go forth boldly and treat him as he would any other person, but then he stopped himself. This is someone I'll be going to school with, he thought to himself. I'd better not make a bad impression; he doesn't look like someone I'd want to be enemies with... Horror stories flit through his mind, of going to Hogwarts to find everybody hated him, to walk the halls without a friend in sight. The one place I was meant to fit into, and everybody hates me. I'd better be nice.

Harry slowly walked up to the other boy, and smiled timidly. The boy's eyes grazed over him, and then went back to his dress robes.

"Hello" The boy drawled at Harry. "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," Harry replied too quickly. The boy's eyes sprung up to him again, quickly wondering how he should judge Harry.

The boy was about to say something else, but Harry started talking again. "I don't know anything about it, though, I feel so unprepared." He hoped he didn't say anything wrong.

"Muggle-born, eh?" The boy looked up at Harry with a snarl on his face.

"Oh no," Harry replied. "Both of my parents were wizards. I was just raised by Muggles."

A look of approval quickly flashed across the boy's face. And then he grimaced again.

"Raised by Muggles?" The boy gasped. "That must have been terrible!"

"Yeah, it was," Harry admitted. "They hate me."

"I couldn't imagine," The boy replied, rolling his eyes. "So what happened to your parents?"

"Dead," Harry replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm sorry," The boy replied without much remorse in his voice. Harry was slightly taken aback, but then again he hadn't said it with much remorse either.

Madam Malkins then returned to the back room, and began to measure Harry for his robes. He and the boy continued their conversation.

"So you were forced to live with those terrible Muggles?"

"Yup. I would give anything to have grown up in the Wizarding world, I take it you have?" The boy nodded. "Gosh, you're so lucky. That must have been great."

The boy sported a huge smile, and began gloating. "You bet it was. You know what, you're alright. I take it you know the right sort of wizarding folks when you see them."

The boy held out his hand. "My name's Draco. Draco Malfoy."

"Nice to meet you, Draco. I'm Har-"

Before Harry could finish, he and Draco heard a loud rapping noise outside of the shop. A man who looked quite similar to Draco with long, pale blond hair was standing there, looking annoyed.

"Oh, there's my father," Draco stated as he looked out the window. "I've got to leave. Meet me at Platform 9 ¾ at 10 o' clock so we can find a seat. It sounds like you'd need all the help you can get, what with being raised by Muggles and all."

"Yeah, sounds great," Harry replied fast, and then waved to him as he strode out the door with his new robes.

Harry looked down and smiled, underneath the eyes of Madam Malkins bustling around him. I've finally made a friend.

Madam Malkin announced that she was done, much to Harry's surprise, and he gathered his robes, paid for them, and left the store. He looked forward to tell Hagrid the exciting news.

Thanks so much for reading the first chapter! If you could critique it I would appreciate that so much. I'll add the next chapter once I get a few reviews!