Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I make anything from the writing of this.
This is a rewrite of Shades of Black. If you've read it you'll notice the differences I'm sure. I am not changing the story, just improving upon what's already written and make corrections.
Note: This starts right before the sorting in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (pg 135 in my paperback copy). I'm assuming (I know I shouldn't assume because it makes an ass out of u and me but I think it's alright this time) that you know the background and what happened in the beginning. Parts of this chapter are taken directly from the book.
Chapter 1
"You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." Draco Malfoy purred, holding his hand out to Harry.
The ebony haired teen looked thoughtful. He wanted to know more about the world he had been thrust into, he wanted to prove that he wasn't just a scar. He glanced at Ron Weasley, the red head that had come to his compartment earlier. He had been friendly enough, if not demanding, although the moment he had heard his name he had wanted to see his scar. The blonde boy offering his hand had yet to demand anything. He didn't see why he couldn't be friends with both, Draco was confident and perhaps it was that confidence more than anything that drew him in. Slowly he took his hand, wringing a sound of outrage and disdain from Ron. A smirk made residence on the blonde's face as he gently tugged Harry behind him.
"That look is rather becoming on you Weasley." He glanced at Harry, "Come, let's get you into robes, we're nearly there." Draco made sure Harry grabbed his robes before showing him to another compartment, "You really need better attire. Do those muggles you're forced to stay with think you're a whale?" Harry was blushing as he changed into his robes, looking down at the floor a bit. Draco waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, "Not to worry, I'm sure we can figure something out."
Upon their arrival the voice of the half-giant, Hagrid, could be heard calling over the large group of students, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" He asked with a smile, which Harry returned, "C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
The group of first years made their way over the slick rocks, following him to the lake. Draco didn't look happy about taking orders from the big oaf; Harry ignored the look, Hagrid had been his first contact with the wizarding world after all. The young man was looking forward to seeing what this year would bring.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called breaking Harry from his thoughts as they came upon a group of boats. Draco and Harry got in one followed by the two dimwitted goons, Crabbe and Goyle, "Everyone in?" Hagrid asked so everyone could here, "Right then – FORWARD!" When they finally arrived at the school they were greeted by a witch in emerald green robes with black hair tied back in a bun, "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said, turning them over to her care.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She said, pulling the doors open.
The entrance hall spread out before them in grand relief, the likes of which Harry had never set eyes on before. He took it all in distractedly as they were ushered inside. Immediately hushed whispers spread through the students before Professor McGonagall spoke up, sending the crowd into silence.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. 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. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each his 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. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
The room was filled with hushed whispers about the infamous sorting ceremony, no one knowing what to expect. He heard Ron mention something to another boy about a troll. Someone else asked if it was going to hurt, while a young girl with bushy hair scoffed at the question, stating that of course it wasn't going to hurt, they wouldn't harm students. Before long the doors opened and Professor McGonagall ushered the nervous first years into the Great Hall. The ceiling seemed like a giant skylight, looking exactly like it did outside. Harry gasped softly in awe at the sights that greeted his eyes. There were four tables, one for each house, lined up in front of the staff table at the end of the hall. In front of the staff table was a stool with a battered looking hat sitting on it. Harry looked at it wearily, unsure what would happen. Suddenly it began to speak, its voice for everyone to hear.
"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 to Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindor apart;
You might belong to Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs 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 true 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 entire hall burst into applause as the hat finished its rhyme. A sigh of relief came from Ron who had managed to maneuver himself closer to Harry, it almost seemed as though he had gotten over his anger from the train or he had some ulterior motive.
"So we've just got to try on the hat! I'll kill Fred; he was going on about wrestling a troll." Draco growled at the red head, shooting him an angry glare for daring to talk to the black haired boy.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long roll of parchment before Harry had a chance to reply, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." She said before beginning with the first name on the list.
Hermione, a girl that Harry had met on the train, was put into Gryffindor, as were Ron and Neville. Draco was placed into Slytherin. Finally it was Harry's turn. When his name was read murmurs spread through the hall, wondering if it was really him. He growled to himself and sat on the stool, the hat placed on his head.
"Hmm." The hat was talking to him, causing him to scowl, "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting…So where shall I put you?"
Harry's scowl deepened and he thought, "What do you think?" He sneered mentally.
"You could be great and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness. Yes, yes, I think that would be best for you." It said to him, he realized that only he could hear what the hat was saying, "SLYTHERIN!" He said for the whole hall to hear.
Harry half smiled and took the hat off, striding over to the table where Draco was seated. The Slytherin's cheered and as Harry looked up at the head table, the old man in the middle who he had a feeling was the headmaster, looked back at him. He didn't look pleased by where Harry had been placed but he hid it well. Draco smiled at him and patted him on the back; Harry turned to him and smiled in return. He had a feeling that this was going to be a good year. After everyone was sorted into their respective houses the headmaster stood. Harry realized that he was the same man on the wizarding card he had gotten from the chocolate frog, Albus Dumbledore.
"Welcome!" He said with a smile, he seemed happy to see all the students although Harry remembered the way he had looked when he had been sorted into Slytherin and rolled his eyes, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquette, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He said before sitting back down. Now Harry thought the man was just daft. Who says words like that in succession? By the look on Draco's face he was thinking along the same lines.
He looked back at the table and it was covered in food. Draco began filling his plate and Harry joined him, gods he was hungry. The Dursleys had never really given him a decent meal and all this food looked delicious. They all ate happily until Harry spotted a ghost covered in silvery blood. Harry blanched a bit, unsure what to think. Draco seemed to notice and whispered in his ear.
"That's the Bloody Baron. My father told me that he's our house's ghost." He said with a shudder.
Finally the food was done. Everyone seemed sated and happy with their meal. Throughout dinner Harry and Draco worked on ignoring the ghost who seemed strangely drawn to where they were seated. They certainly weren't going to be the ones to tell a blood covered ghost what not to do or where to be. Weasley had been glaring daggers at Harry ever since he had been sorted, he had even seen him mouth the word 'traitor'. He didn't understand, how could he be a traitor because of the house he was sorted into? Any desire to have any kind of friendship with the boy he met on the train went up in smoke at that moment.
"How many of those red haired gits are there?" Harry asked softly.
Draco looked disgusted, "Far too many." He sneered, "They reproduce like bloody rabbits." Harry smiled slightly at the analogy, "I have a lot to teach you Harry." He said with a smile, "Since you were with those idiot muggles for so long."
Harry nodded, "I hate them." He said softly.
Draco nodded in agreement and was about to speak again when Dumbledore stood up, "Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." He said, looking at the Weasley twins, "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-flood corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Harry scowled and Draco snorted in disgust, "And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore said happily, the other teaches had fixed smiles on their faces. Dumbledore flicked his wand and a golden ribbon snaked out, winding itself into words, "Everyone pick their favorite tune and off we go!"
With that they began to sing although Draco, Harry, and most of the other Slytherins chose not to join in.
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees.
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
Everyone finished at different times, the last were the Weasley twins, singing at a funeral march. Harry rolled his eyes. Dumbledore looked ecstatic; he was clapping the loudest when the song ended, while Draco looked bored.
"Ah, music." He said, wiping his eyes, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot."
Everyone stood and followed their respective house's prefects. Draco and Harry followed after their prefect, lead down into the dungeons. Harry wasn't sure what to think about living there. Having no windows was something he was accustomed to. They walked to a stone wall causing Harry to look a touch confused, there wasn't any sign of a door. The prefect stopped and looked at it for a moment before speaking.
"Meracum sanguis." He said with a smile, the wall slid open.
Harry held back a gasp of surprise as they all walked inside and the wall slid closed behind them, "What does meracum sanguis mean?" He asked Draco once they were inside.
He whispered back, "Pure blood." He replied.
Harry nodded in reply. The common room they entered was bathed in a green glow from the hanging lamps and a fire burned on one wall. Theere were comfortable chairs and couches arranged around the room. From there they were directed to their rooms. Because they had the dungeons to themselves, except for the potions classroom and Professor Snape's office, Snape just happened to be their head of house as well, it was divided into two students per room. Draco and Harry were sharing one. The four poster beds were done up in green and silver, Slytherin colors. It was actually quite warm in the dungeons and as Harry looked around the room he would be sharing he noticed that his trunk was already there. Draco lay out on his bed with a sigh.
"What do you think Harry?" He asked, looking up at his canopied bed, green curtains edged with silver were tied to the posts.
"Nice." He replied, sitting on his own bed.
He smiled, "Anything you want to know? I realize you've been away from our world for quite awhile but I'm going to help you." He was being nice, not the face he put on in front of some of the others.
"Why make our password pure blood?" He said, tracing the silver patterns in the velvet duvet.
He smiled at that, "Purebloods are wizards who have wizarding heritage, like my family, the Malfoys, we're an old pureblood line. Mudbloods," He paused for a moment, "Muggleborns, are obviously from non-magical stock. There are half-bloods as well, they're usually from a witch or wizard and a muggle." Harry nodded in understanding, "Then of course there's squibs." Harry raised an eyebrow, "Someone who's born to a witch and wizard but doesn't have an ounce of magical talent, pathetic really." He looked rather disgusted by the concept, "We should be getting to bed, I can teach you more later." He said, changing into some night clothes.
"Thanks Draco." Harry replied, looking a bit nervously at his own pajamas before following suit.
"Don't worry Harry, we'll see about getting you some proper attire." Once they were in bed the lights turned off and they fell asleep, wrapped in soft velvet and silk.