A/N: This is crazy, but I actually don't own Harry Potter! Wow! I know!

Chapter Ten

How can anyone possibly be so idiotic? Harry thought in confusion, watching a witch usher her kids down King's Cross Station shouting about "platform nine and three quarters". Muggles can easily hear her! Recognising the witch as the mother of the red-head boy he met at the bookstore in Diagon, he hurried to catch up with Draco and Narcissa. "Those gingers are the Weasley family," Draco sneered. "They're blood traitors and have a ridiculous amount of children!"

"Oh. Well, I talked to one of them in Diagon Alley, and he said he didn't like Slytherins because they're evil," Harry commented. "I thought that was silly!"

"Yeah. Lots of people think that. A lot of us are dark wizards, sure, but that doesn't make us evil!" Draco agreed.

"There's more to the world than good and evil, I think," decided Harry.

Narcissa's lips turned up. "I quite agree, but it is best not to talk of such things in public where anyone can overhear." She stopped and turned to them. "This is the border. This pillar is how you will get to the platform where the Hogwarts Express is. Just walk straight through." She demonstrated by striding through the pillar with grace, easily disappearing.

Draco took his hand, dragging him forward. "Come on then!" They disappeared through the pillar and reappeared on the other side.

"Woah!" Harry gasped, taking in the sight of the large scarlet train.

"Yeah," Draco breathed out in agreement. "It's amazing!"

"And it is time for you to board it," Narcissa's voice called to them. She smiled gently. "You have everything, yes? And you know to choose a compartment and where to put your luggage?"

"Yes, mother," Draco replied, rolling his eyes. "You've only told us a dozen times."

"Good, good." His mother put a hand on his shoulder. "Do be careful, Draco. You know how I worry about you."

"Of course, mother."

"I won't let anything happen to him!" Harry chimed in.

"I am sure." Narcissa smirked. "Do get sorted into Slytherin, boys. And Harry…" She bent down to whisper in his ear. "Do not look into the headmaster's eyes." She backed away, looking serious.

Confused, Harry just nodded. "I won't."

"Go on! Board the train. Goodbye, boys. I will see you both for winter break!"

The two boys jogged to the train, excited to start a brand new chapter of their lives.

"Harry, this is Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. Blaise, Theo, this is Harry Potter!" Draco introduced smugly.

"The Harry Potter?" Nott raised an eyebrow.

"Theo," Zabini warned calmly without glancing at him.

"Er… Yeah," The Harry Potter said awkwardly. He looked at Draco. "Can we sit down now?"

"Sure," Nott shrugged. "But… You're not worried about hanging around a bunch of Slytherins?"

"No," Harry replied as he and Draco took their seats across from the other two. "Should I be?"

"No," Draco told him. Then he turned to Theo. "He's been staying with us for the last couple months!"

"What? Why?"

"I've lived with my aunt and uncle as long as I can remember," Harry answered. "They're muggles."

"Muggles?" Nott said incredulously. "That's atrocious!"

"Quite strange," Blaise agreed. "Being from a pureblood family, you should have been living with wizards."

"I wish I had been!" The Boy-Who-Lived replied emphatically. "I didn't know anything about magic until just this summer! I've been learning so much staying with Draco's family!"

"You mean you didn't know about magic at all?" said Nott sceptically.

"Nope. They knew and never told me!" Harry grimaced.

"Disgusting muggles," Draco sneered. "If I-"

The blond was interrupted by the compartment door opening. "Have any of you seen a toad?" a frizzy haired girl asked. "A boy named Neville's lost one." Her eyes landed on Harry, and her eyes lit up with recognition. "I remember you! You're the boy I met at Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions!"

The green-eyed boy grimaced. "Yeah. I remember."

"I'm Hermione Granger," she introduced herself to everyone. "What are your names?"

"A mudblood?" Draco scoffed in disgust. "How dare you just waltz in here like you own the place! Get out of here!"

Granger pursed her lips. "I deserve to be here as much as anyone else! I have magic too!"

Harry sighed. "Granger… just go."

"But-"

"Granger," the boy warned her with a pointed look.

"Fine," she huffed, slamming the door shut behind her as she stomped off.

Draco smirked. "What an idiot. Mudbloods could never measure up to us! We grew up around magic," he said smugly.

"I haven't," Harry reminded him. "Are you saying you're better than me?"

"What," Draco stammered, "No! That's not-"

"Exactly," the dark haired boy cut him off. "I don't think anyone should be judged just because of something they can't help. I think that was mean of you to say."

"What?" Draco screeched. "But she's a mudblood-"

"So was my mum! And I'm a half-blood. I was even raised by muggles - not that they did much raising."

"Yeah, but you come from a pureblood family-"

"And what good is that?" Harry asked. "Sure, I've got money and stuff, but it didn't do me any good when I lived in a cupboard!" He glanced at Nott and Zabini and his cheeks burned. "Just… don't say that word anymore. That goes for you guys, too," he added, glaring at the other two in the compartment.

"I see where you're coming from," Blaise nodded respectfully. "I never said it much anyway. If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't say it anymore."

"Fine," Draco sighed. "I wonder what father will think."

They all turned to Nott expectantly, who grimaced. "Very well," he grumbled reluctantly.

"I think we'll get along just fine," Harry grinned.

"Firs' years follow me!" someone shouted as the group exited the train. The boys turned to find a gigantic hairy man hovering over the students. Following him, Hagrid noticed Harry almost immediately. "'Arry Potter!" he said cheerfully, giving him a pat on the back that had him stumbling. "My name's 'Agrid! I'm the groundskeeper o' Hogwarts. I tried teh pick yeh up from the Dursleys an' they said yeh left. Gave me an' 'Eadmaster Dumbledore a lotta trouble."

"Er… sorry," Harry apologised nervously. "I've been staying with my friend, Draco Malfoy!" he gestured to the blond. "Professor Snape," he struggled to remember his proper title, "dropped me off at my aunt and uncle's, but I met Draco at Diagon earlier that day and we really hit it off!" He grinned. "So Mr. Malfoy sent me an owl asking if I wanted to stay with them. My family said yes, of course!" he added hastily, faking innocence. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble! Honest!"

"I'm sure it's all righ'," Hagrid assured him. "Yeh couldn'a known better!" He turned to the rest of the students and walked through the crowd. "Firs' years follow me!"

As they jogged after the giant man, Draco leaned in to whisper, "You'll definitely be a Slytherin."

Harry just laughed.

They took a boat across a lake, the four boys sitting together again. Soon, Hogwarts came into view. "Whoa!" everyone gasped. The castle was absolutely stunning, gleaming in the darkness and taking the first years' breaths away.

"This is amazing!" Harry admired. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Me neither," Draco admitted.

After docking (with the help of Hagrid), they walked up about ten flights of stairs, leaving the students breathing heavily when they walked through the courtyard to large double doors. They were greeted by an aging woman wearing a tight bun. Harry recognised her as Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration professor and Deputy Headmistress. The students followed her through the doors and into a hallway in front of a statue. To the right, behind an even bigger set of double doors, there could be heard many voices - which Harry figured was the other students.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall greeted them. "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 has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking 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."*

"Mother told me we'll be sorted by a hat," Blaise commented.

"Yes," Draco nodded. "The Sorting Hat."

"I wonder where Harry Potter is," a voice whispered from behind them. "I heard he's supposed to be a first year with us too!"

Harry turned his head to see Weasley talking to a pale boy with dark hair.

"Yeah, I'll bet he'll be a Gryffindor like us," the other boy replied enthusiastically in an Irish accent.

Harry and Draco rolled their eyes almost in sync, giving each other an exasperated look. Suddenly, they were startled from their coinciding thoughts by a couple dozen ghosts flying through them. Harry almost stumbled into Draco as he jumped in shock. Then he scrunched up his nose. "Ugh! I forgot I read there were ghosts here!"

"Yeah, it surprised me too," Draco admitted.

Professor McGonagall shooed the ghosts off, coming to stand in front of the first years again. "Now, form a line and follow me."

As the students walked one-by-one into an enormous room filled with tables, students, and lit candles hovering beneath the ceiling, the newcomers all stared in awe.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside," Granger whispered aloud. "I read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History'."

Yeah, we all have, thought Harry irritably. As they came to the front of the grand dining hall, they saw an ugly, old hat sitting on a stool. Unexpectedly, the hat began to sing.

It was awful.

"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall began after the hat was done with its song, "you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

She began calling names, and Harry grew more nervous as time passed. Granger was sorted into Gryffindor. This relieved the boy, who believed Gryffindor to be the least likely house he'd be put in. Then Draco was called.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

Slytherin. Harry wasn't shocked in the least, but it was a surprise that the hat had hardly even touched his head before shouting it out.

Finally, "Potter, Harry!"

Whispering.

Harry slowly made his way to the stool and the professor set the hat upon his head.

"Ah," the hat began. Harry jumped. "Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived."

Are you in my mind? Harry thought worriedly.

"I believe you already know the answer to that," the hat pointed out. "Now let's see… Where to put you? You could be in any of the houses, of course. Brave, but not heroic. Loyal, but picky about who deserves it. Smart, but brains aren't everything. And cunning and ambitious… but not necessarily manipulative."

Well… Harry thought carefully, I can be manipulative when I need to be. Like with Hagrid.

"Quite right," the hat agreed with him. "Better be… SLYTHERIN!"

Silence. Harry looked up to Severus, whose face was blank. They made eye contact and Severus's eyes sparkled. He's proud of me, Harry realised, feeling his eyes prickle with unshed tears. No one's ever been proud of me before. He stood, handing the hat to McGonagall. Still in shock, she took the hat without saying anything. As Harry stepped down, the table to the far left - Slytherin - burst out in cheers. Harry gazed at Draco, who grinned at him. He ran to his new house's table and sat by his friend. "I knew you'd join us!" Draco bragged. "You'd never be anything but Slytherin!"

They watched the rest of the rest of the sorting, but nothing interesting really happened. The Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor, but that much was obvious. "All the Weasleys go into Gryffindor," Draco explained. "And all of us Malfoys go into Slytherin!"

After everyone was sorted, an old man at the center of the staff table stood. Harry's eyes narrowed on him. Dumbledore. "Welcome," the headmaster started, arms stretched wide. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" He nodded decisively. "Thank you." He sat.

"That was quite strange," Harry noted.

"Father says he's very intelligent and dangerous," Draco warned him. "I would watch out. I'm sure he'll want to talk to you."

Harry grimaced. "Yeah. Cissy says not to look into his eyes." At once, large plates of food appeared all across the table. It was more food than Harry had seen in his lifetime, even having stayed at Malfoy Manor for almost three months. "Wow!" Digging in, the two boys only spoke light conversation as they filled their stomachs. Almost an hour later, Harry felt extremely sleepy. As the desserts disappeared, Dumbledore stood once more, clearing his throat. "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." Harry saw him glance at the Gryffindor table, eyes twinkling, where two Weasleys (who had to be twins) were nudging each other and laughing.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker," the headmaster continued, "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-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

This made Harry feel uneasy with the knowledge of what this man was capable of. "I don't think he was joking," Harry whispered to Draco.

"I don't think so either."

Suddenly, everyone burst out into awful song, which Harry was not pleased to find was the Hogwarts school song. It was sung in different keys, with many students singing flat out of sheer tone-deafness.

Finally, the Slytherins made their way to the dungeons. The first years gathered in the common room as the other years went to their dorm rooms. Out of the shadows stepped their new Head of House.

"My Slytherins," he drawled. "I am Severus Snape, Potions professor and Head of Slytherin. You will call me 'Professor', 'sir', or 'Professor Snape'. I welcome you to your new house - and in addition, your new family. Look around you." The students glanced at each other. "These are the people you will be living with most months out of the year for the next seven years. Though I am sure you will not all become friends," he sneered, "you must all learn to live with one another, whether you like them or not. Above all else, you must stay united. The other houses and professors do not care for Slytherins. We are dark. We are evil - or so many of them claim. If any of you are seen fighting with another Slytherin, you will be torn apart by the other houses. Slytherins are loyal to their house, and that is rule number one. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," the students stated clearly.

"Good. Number two: Do not break school rules - and if you do, do not get caught. As Slytherins, I am sure you possess the brain power to avoid being seen.

"Rule number three: Work hard. This is the final rule, but important nonetheless. We have a reputation to uphold. I expect each and every one of you to be a diligent student. If your grades drop into the Gryffindor range, you will regret it. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the first years repeated.

"You may go to your dorms. Mr. Potter, stay behind."

The students all shuffled off except Harry. "Father says there are two students to a room," said Draco. "I'll save you the one with me!" He scrambled off with the other students, leaving the Boy Who Lived alone with their Head of House.

"Harry," Severus put a hand on his shoulder, making him look up nervously. "How are you doing?"

The boy relaxed. "Well," he replied. "I am glad to have been placed in Slytherin, and I am excited to learn."

The Potions Master's lips twitched upward. "I see you have been paying attention in your Pureblood etiquette lessons," he commented.

"Lucius has been a wonderful teacher," Harry agreed. "I have been working very hard."

"That is good to hear." Severus took his hand away. "Get to bed - it has been a long day for you, I am certain."

"Goodnight, Severus," the boy smiled, walking toward his dorm where he saw Draco disappear to.

"Harry," the professor stopped him. Said student turned and cocked his head questioningly. "Congratulations on becoming a Slytherin. I am very proud of you."

Harry nodded, keeping a straight face. "Thank you, professor." He made his way to his dorm room. Draco was waiting outside.

"Check out our room!" the boy said excitedly. Then his eyebrows furrowed. "Are you all right?"

Harry noticed his face was wet with tears and quickly wiped them away. "Yeah," he confirmed. "I'm just… happy."

"Whatever," Draco said, an eyebrow raised doubtfully. "Come on!" he ran into the room, jumping on top of the bed to the left. "This is great!"

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I'm knackered." Severus was right; it had been a long day.

A/N: Hi everybody! :) Thanks for reading! Just wondering: Would you guys like me to keep Hagrid's accent written this way, or would you like me to write his voice with no accent? Up to you guys! Please let me know! Aaand please review ;)

*I copied the McGonagall part almost word-for-word btw. It's really long. Ugh!

-Em