Chapter 7: The Hogwarts Express
Harry struggled to keep track of all the doors they've tried. The first time Harry ever used magic, freeing a snake from the zoo. The first time Draco ever used a broom, fell, and broke his arm. When they found themselves in unpleasant memories, like when Draco visited his father in Azkaban, or Sirius's death, they established an agreement in which they try to leave the memory as early as they could.
They learned that the memories seem to have some response to their minds and focus - if they thought really hard of leaving, the memory faded faster. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Draco had pitched the idea of using their focus to imagine a door exiting the hall of doors. It hadn't worked so far, but Harry was pleased to find that Draco was beginning to be much more cooperative, and a lot less combative.
Still, they were no closer to finding their way out of the hall of doors, nor understanding how they got there in a first place.
All we can do right now is try more doors, Harry thought, and they did.
They found themselves in a compartment in the Hogwarts Express, looking at younger versions of themselves. Ron was there as well, and so were Crabbe and Goyle.
"So is this one of mine or yours?" Draco said.
"I'm not sure," Harry replied. "This is the first one so far with both of us in it."
"Is it true?" The small, pointy blonde kid asked eagerly. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
"Fan-fucking-tastic!" Draco exclaimed. "It's the first time we met!" Harry watched amusedly as the young Malfoy and Ron started getting into a big spat. His eyes traveled from the small blonde boy, well-groomed, with an air of juvenile arrogance, to his older counterpart. He was slightly disheveled, blonde hair mussed, shirt half-untucked. Although he was smiling, there was a dark look in his eyes. Harry saw a trace of the Mark on his left forearm through his white shirt. A drastic change, he noted. He's almost a different person. He wondered how different he looked in Malfoy's eyes, from the skinny boy, with messy black hair, oversized clothes, and tape on his glasses. That clueless boy, just happy to have found an escape from the Dursleys, who had no idea what kind of dark, painful places that train was taking him.
"No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford."
"Oooooh, Weasley just got in-ci-ne-RATED!" Malfoy was laughing, and Harry couldn't help but feel laughter bubble out of his chest.
"You'll soon find out 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."
Malfoy's hand clapped him on the back
"Potter, you monster! Look at his adorable little hand! He's trembling! Shake it, for Salazar's sake!"
Harry laughed and replied in unison with his younger self. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks."
The two men laughed as the young Malfoy threatened to steal young Potter's treats, as Scabbers (who was actually Peter Pettigrew, Harry revealed, much to Draco's horror and amusement) bit Goyle's finger, as Hermione came in and nagged them.
"So that was a train wreck," Draco chuckled, taking a seat in the train compartment. Harry sat down beside him."'Some wizarding families are much better than others,' said Bellatrix's nephew. Dumb kid."
"Maybe if I'd accepted your friendship, things would have turned out better." Harry replied, mimicking the boy's small, trembling hand. "Maybe you wouldn't have had to try so hard to impress me."
Malfoy, smiled, shaking his head. "I wonder… Maybe we should have a do-over."
Harry turned to face him. Draco was smiling almost shyly, as he extended a hand.
"Hello, my name is Draco Malfoy, eleven years old. I'm a little shit now, but in a few years I'm in for a life of pain. Do you want to be my friend? If you say no, I'll hound you for the next seven years trying to earn your respect."
Harry laughed and shook his hand.
"How d'you do, Draco, I'm Harry Potter, but you already knew that cause I'm famous…" (Draco howled with laughter) "… and everyone adores me. But secretly, I'm actually extremely overrated and deeply flawed. Oh, and bad shit happens to me all the time."
They broke the handshake, and Harry looked into Draco's soft, gray eyes, and replied, in all seriousness.
"Sure, I'd like to be your friend."
Hermione felt a hand gently shake her awake. She lifted her head from the book she had been lying on and saw Luna Lovegood smiling at her.
"Hello, sweet Hermione." She spoke dreamily. "Any progress?"
"Hi," she replied. "None so far. Can I talk you through my thoughts?"
"If you'd like," She said, taking a seat beside Malfoy's bed.
"Sharing magic isn't such a strange phenomenon in the wizarding world. Pregnant witches, for example, show much stronger magical abilities due to sharing with their child. Or twins, even, have documented drawing power from one another."
Luna nodded, as she began brushing the sleeping Malfoy's hair.
"My problem right now is that Harry and Malfoy's magic is too… intimately intertwined. If you look at it, you won't know where Harry begins and ends."
"Funnily enough," Luna quips, "Harry's and Draco's lives have been interconnected for as long as I can remember. I guess now it's just more… literal?" She gave a little giggle.
"I'm worried that if we try and separate the two, we risk damaging one… or even both. I don't know, Luna, I guess I'm just feeling extremely pressured. It's been almost two months and we're no closer to waking Harry and I feel like I've got this knot in my brain-"
"Sometimes a little relaxation can loosen a knot," Luna stood and hugged her friend. "Go home, Hermione. Rest a little. I'll watch over them tonight."
"I guess you're right." Hermione replied, stifling a yawn. "Can I ask you a question though?"
"Hmm?"
"Why… are you taking care of Malfoy?"
Luna smiled serenely. "Cause he's my friend."
Hermione frowned, but shrugged and said goodnight to Luna. Does she recall our past differently? When has Malfoy ever been a friend?
A/N: Borrowed a couple of lines from The Sorcerer's Stone. Yes! You've patiently waited through 7 chapters and I can assure you the sexy part will begin in the next chapter. So stay tuned! I'm writing as fast as i can so that the words in my head don't dissipate into nothingness. As always, I'd love comments and critiques.
