Harry's first time flying was an interesting one but it was an experience he'd cherish for the rest of his life.

Saying "Up" and having the broom fly into his hand was a gratifying experience and surprisingly cathartic. The wooden handle fit snugly into his hand and the touch of the wood was familiar, yet new. It was an odd moment.

Draco didn't have the emotional connection to this moment that Harry had, due to him already being taught how to fly a broom properly. He still couldn't deny the thrill he always got when the handle hit his hand with a dull thud that felt excruciatingly similar to hitting a drum.

Not everyone had as much luck with their brooms as the two Slytherin boys. Draco's initial reaction was to mock everyone for being bad at magic, but he had picked up on Harry's distaste regarding many people in Slytherin and decided not to poke fun at people. He even chose not to steal whatever Longbottom was fiddling about with when the teacher left.

What he did not overlook was the Weasley attempting to show off despite his obvious lackluster skills compared to himself.

"Did you see that?! Bloody 'ell that was cool!"

Excitement. Pride. Easy things to break. these were the thoughts parading through Malfoy's haed.

"And what exactly have you achieved here Weasley?" he almost spat at the Gryffindor.

Ron turned almost instantaneously to face his tormentor. No words came to retort however, so Draco pressed his advantage.

"'Cause if you ask me, it looks like you took far too long to lift up a stick."

The smirk was driving Ron into a corner, and the sudden interest of the other students prompted Harry to turn away from Neville and pay attention to what was happening.

"Shut it Malfoy! Stupid..."

"What was that Weasley? Can't actually argue back? Filthy weasel."

"You take that back!"

"Awww, is little ginger angry now? What a shame!"

Harry could see where this was going from a mile away. Malfoy was going to end up instigating a fight and then claim it was not his fault. One of the worst parts of his new friend. "Draco stop."

The blonde boy was having too much fun right now though. "Nah, I think I'll see what this little man can do, haha!"

The chuckle was disconcerting. Harry saw Ron quaking, his fist clenched but his head down. Harry could tell his eyes were closed. He made the same expression at his Uncle Vernon many times, "Draco, stop. Now."

"Come on Harry! Look at him! Its great!"

"Please... please stop."

Harry turned to see the ginger boy whimper, somewhere between anger and sadness. Part of Ron looked ready to break down, whilst another looked ready to smack Malfoy.

"Aw see? It's pathetic isn't it?"

Harry could really feel his blood boil. "Draco..."

"Isn't it just great? Father works for the ministry does he? Well it doesn't stop you being dirt poor does it?"

"Draco..."

The next words were a mistake. "You'd be as well living under the stairs with how you li-"

"Malfoy!"

The shout was harsh. The wind turned silent. Draco was shocked. He might've anticipated Harry not liking him picking on the boy, but this reaction was new to him. He turned and took one last look at Ron before walking over to Harry, attempting to hide himself in the crowd. The boy who lived began to walk over to Ron, who looked just as surprised as Malfoy.

"You alright?" The concern in Harry's voice was practically tangible.

"Yeah... yeah I- I'm fine." Ron swallowed, attempting to clear his throat.

Harry gave him a couple of pats on the back before attempting to reassure him. "If it's any consolation I i under the stairs."

Ron took that on board. It made him feel better, but also shocked. Draco, also shocked. Everyone present at that moment was shocked. Pupils like Pansy immediately started whispering, whilst the more intellectual of the group like Hermione just stood there trying to rationalise that comment.

Harry Potter, the boy who lived, a celebrity amongst the wizarding world, lived under some stairs? It could never have been thought of.

And yet, towards the end of their first flying lesson, every first year knew. Every single one could tell you about Harry's pre-Hogwarts life.

The Great Hall was abuzz with life and vigour as the students had their evening meal. Each table was filled by only the members of their house, although that didn't stop inter house mingling. With all but one house.

With Slytherin often looked down upon by the other houses, and most of his house not actually liking him, Harry often ended up alone at the end of the table. Often he would be joined by Draco, but he was with some of the other students today. Cho passed by him, politely said hello and continued to walk by with someone who seemed to be a Hufflepuff.

So dinner was as uneventful as usual for Harry. Left at peace by the rest of his house. It wasn't bad, but it could have been better.

However, at the Gryffindor table, someone was away to have a slightly worse night.

Hermione was thinking about the events that had happened during the flight lesson. It wasn't at the forefront of her daily thoughts but she had exhausted her schoolwork mindset for the day and needed to focus on other things.

Evidently Ron was still thinking about the lesson, but not so much about Harry. "What a stuck up snake, I really was gonna ounch him."

"Um, no you weren't mate." The giggle appeared to come from Dean Thomas, a face she wasn't too familiar with.

Despite how relevant their conversation was to her thoughts, Hermione let her peers speak without interrupting. Her mind was focused on the actions of one Harry Potter, who was becoming even more of an enigma the more she saw of him. He was a Slytherin, mischievous, threatening and other such adjectives, but he was composed, kind and ultimately stood against Draco, the person who appeared to be his best friend at this point, to protect Ron, a person who ultimately forsook Harry due to his house. Whilst she couldn't exactly blame Ron after seeing the other Slytherin, it didn't make sense why Harry would protect him if he was a Slytherin.

"Oi, Hermione, what do you think?"

Hermione had stopped listening to them, so Ron calling her out was a shock for her. "Pardon?"

"What do you think about 'arry? You know, the boy who lived?"

Flustered, but formulating a response, the girl sighed, pushed her hair back and reply, rather calmly, with potential essay waiting to happen. "Well, he seems like a nice person, in his time here I've not seen him do anything wrong or potentially bad, and though I find his friendship with Malfoy... concerning," she paused to think for a time before continuing, "I find him to be an interesting person to witness. What he's truly like, I don't really know."

Dean should've kept his mouth shut after that. "But do you know what anyones truly like?"

An offhand comment immediately startled the young witch. "What do you mean by that?" was the rather angry response that was given.

Dean made no attempt to continue. Ron then opened his big mouth without thinking, "I fink he's just saying you have no friends."

The nonchalant way he said that hit her hard. "I do too have friends!"

"Who then?"

Hermione didn't have a snappy answer for this so the conversation quickly moved to Ron saying "'Cause you're always looking pretty alone."

It was all starting to get to Hermione, the silly attitude of Ron whilst saying something so...

The wet behind her eyes was starting but she held them back. "And what, do you think I'm incapable of making friends!?"

"After the train? Yeah, kinda."

Harry only remembers hearing the harsh sound of a chair scraping across the floor accompanied with the fast footsteps of someone leaving the hall. He seemed to be one of the only ones to notice as he turned from his dinner to see a familiar looking girl with his back to him leaving the hall, her left hand going to her eyes when she was almost out of his field of view.

The thought had occurred to follow the girl and find out what was wrong, but then recalling his house deemed that it was better that he didn't go after her.

Draco came down and sat across from Harry, his eyes also trained on the door to the great hall. He sat with one leg crossed over and propped his head with his right arm. "What do you think was wrong with her?"

"I don't know," Harry responded, "but she's not doing alright."

Malfoy scoffed at this, "She's Gryffindor, 'course she's not doing alright."

Harry laughed nervously but truthfully, which seemed to be the reaction his friend was going for. Harry continued to look at the door when Malfoy surprised him with, "So did you really live under a set of stairs?"

Harry turned to look at the other boy before looking down at his plate. "Yeah," was the quiet, nervous word that Harry replied with, "I lived with my muggle aunt and uncle, they hated magic. Were afraid I'd turn out like my parents." He sighed. "So they kept me in a cupboard under the stairs, never let me go out and make friends, barely let me speak. It wasn't, abuse but..."

The look on Malfoy's face was unusual, which was about what Harry expected. He didn't think Malfoy would have gone through something like that, so it was understandable that he didn't understand it.

Harry still didn't quite understand it either.

Cho heard the door to the girls bathroom swing open as she was washing her hands. She turned only to see a first year Gryffindor, tears strewn down her face try and lock herself in a cubical. She knocked on the door, only to be met with a muffled noise and an infrequent sniff.

"You okay?"

No verbal response.

"It's okay, I wont tell anyone."

"I...It's just..." was the barely audible response Cho got, "I-I don't have f.. friends. People don't like m-me..."

"W-well..." Cho wasn't knowledgeable on this particular issue. She'd always had friends in Hogwarts, she hadn't ever felt isolated. Presured to help, she responded, "I'll be your friend then! Whats your name?"

Though she felt this was all moving a bit fast for her liking, the girl complied, "H-Hermione. Hermione Granger."

"I'll come see later okay?" Cho didn't know the exact details yet, but as a Ravenclaww she had a problem that needed solving, and as far as she was concerned, she'd found a solution. "Don't worry, some people just won't... get you."

Cho left the bathroom feeling uneasy about her answer, but hopeful she had helped her fellow witch. Hermione felt... at odds. She was far from being okay but someone had offered to help her, something she hadn't anticipated happening.

Things might be looking up for Miss Granger.

Professor Quirrel came in. He screamed about a troll wandering the school. He fainted shortly thereafter. Malfoy found that quite funny since Quirrel taught defence against the dark arts. Harry saw the humour but he wasn't laughing. The teachers started evacuating students out of the hall. As soon as Harry had left the hall, he dashed through the crowd into the open corridor. Draco called him back, but as that failed he chased after him. Ron wanted to follow them, wondering what they were planning to do, but he was stopped by Snape. He didn't rat out his peers however. He had faith in whatever they were trying to do.

They turned a corner and Malfoy finally caught Harry's arm. He was about to tell the Potter how stupid it was to go thrillseeking, to fight a troll. But the look in Harry's eyes wasn't one of an adrenaline rush; it was one of fear.

"The girl," Harry said, "The girl from earlier!"

Malfoy was initially confused, but realised the moment before Harry told him.

"She doesn't know!"