A/N excerpts in bold are taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

September first had finally arrived and Draco's excitement was contagious as Harry was just as excited and much less nervous this time round as he had been on his first journey on the Hogwart's Express. Harry and Draco were delighted to find the elves had provided a buffet of their favourite breakfasts, and each boy was given a small knapsack with treats made by the elves for on the train, Narcissa also gave the boys several galleons each for sweets. Finally it was time to leave.

Lucius apparated Harry, while Narcissa brought Draco, their trunks were currently shrunk and in Lucius pocket, to the Platform just after 10. The boys found a carriage and Lucius helped them store their trunks, returning them to their original size, before the three of them returned to the platforms to say their farewells Lucius warded the door to their compartment to prevent anyone else entering until Harry and Draco returned.

Narcissa made Harry and Draco promise to write every week, and told them she didn't care what house they were in as long as they did their best in class and didn't get caught breaking the rules.

Lucius wanted the boys to be in Slytherin, but said Ravenclaw would be acceptable. However when he said this, he received a glare from his wife and quickly amended his statement. They finnished their goodbyes as the train blew its warning whistle. Harry and Draco boarded the Hogwart's Express and made their way back to their compartment.

As the train left the station, Draco pulled out his chess board, and asked Harry if he cared for a game, when Harry replied in the affirmative, Draco tapped the centre of the board with his wand, activating the low-level levitation spell on the board. The chess board was now floating in between the two boys to prevent the momentum of the train affecting the game, Harry and Draco pulled out their respective chessmen and began to play a brutal game, while they discussed the quidditch match Lucius had taken them to the day before.

Lucius had taken them to see the Falmouth Falcons play against the Montrose Magpies since it was the last game before they would be going to Hogwarts. The game had lasted nearly three hours and the Falcons had won by fifty points, their seeker had caught the snitch and kept them in the top four on the British and Irish league priemership table.

Harry had Draco in check, for the second time, when there was a knock on the door and they were joined by Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass.

"Hello Draco, Hadrian," Daphne was the first to greet the two boys

"Hi guys, has anyone seen Greg or Vince?" Draco asked

It was Theo who answered "They are at the back of the train with Lestrange, Dolohov and Jackob Moon."

They were about an hour out of London, when the door opened and the familiar head of Ronald Weasley stepped into the compartment, "Hey, has anyone seen Harry Potter, I'm his best friend, Ron Weasley"

"A Weasley, why on earth would the Harry Potter be friends with a blood-traitor like you?" Draco asked.

"Harry and I are both going to be in Gryffindor, we're going to be the best of friends" Weasley replied

"Going to be," Harry interrupted "I thought you said you were best friends" by the time he was finished Draco and Theo were masking their sniggers amd the girls were giggling, as Weasley realised the reaction the other children were giving him, his face darkened becoming as red as his hair,

"Well it's not like he would want to be friends with snakes like you" and with that the stupid, annoying red-head fled the compartment. As Weasley closed the door to the compartment, the children couldn't hold their mirth anymore and gales of laughter surrounded the friends.

"I can't believe a Weasley thought he would be your friend Hadrian, a lackey maybe, or not" Draco commented. After that the new first-years forgot about the annoying boy, and began to discuss different quidditch teams and their standings in the English Cup.

When the train finally arrived in Hogsemede, Harry, Draco and the rest of their compartment disembarked and headed towards Hagrid as he called "Firs' years! First years o'er here" repeatedly.

"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. Neville had still lost his toad Trevor, "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!" Harry was happy to see Hogwarts once more, despite the people who currently inhabited the castle it was still his first home, although since his return to this time he had begun to consider Malfoy Manor his home as well.

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of the black lake at Hogwarts, and the other first years were now seeing Hogwarts perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, with its many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. While on his first crossing had shared a boat with the sycophants Ron and Hermione as well as the Longbottom heir, this time Harry and Draco entered a boat and were followed by Daphne and Tracey. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"

As the boats floated across the lake powered by the magic of Hogwarts, Draco, Daphne and Tracey discussed the sorting and what they expected at the welcoming feast. Harry was contemplating his vengeance, soon one of the traitors would hopefully meet their end, he would only have to wait until Samhain and allow his grandfather to continue his plans for the Philosopher's Stone. Samhain would mark the beginning of the end for those who would one day betray him and for those who had long seeked to control him.

Suddenly Hagrid yelled "Heads down!" as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid the wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along the dark tunnel, which would take them right underneath the castle, until they reached the castles underground harbor, the students clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Has someone lost a toad?" Hagrid called, while he was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up through the passageway in the rock following Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up the front steps of the castle and the rest of the first years crowded around the huge, oak front door. Harry and Draco lingered near the back of the crowd with their friends

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The first years were waiting in the ante-chamber adjoining the Great Hall, just as last time Granger was showing off her knowledge and ignorance all at the same time. Her whisperings were making some of the other first years anxious and Weasley showed his sheer stupidity as he commented that his brother's told him that they would be sorted by fighting a mountain troll. This was the last straw for Draco as he laughed loudly, "Seriously Weasly, you believed that, how dumb do you get?" before Weasley could retaliate, McGonagall returned and led them into the Great Hall.

Albus Dumbledore searched through the first-years as they stood anxiously awaiting their sorting, he was looking for Harry Potter, the child he was hoping to mold into a martyr, a weapon in his fight against Tom Riddle, that the child in question, was Tom's grandson just made it all the more pleasurable as he worked to destroy the last of Slytherin's line. He knew the child would look like his father, James Potter, and he expected a small child, beaten down by his years at the Dursley's, none of these first years fitted his image of Harry Potter. However he did notice the resemblance to several families, if he was not mistaken, the Malfoy heir, the Greengrass heiress and the youngest Weasley son were amongst these first years.

Harry watched as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she placed the Sorting hat. The hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty, just like it was during Harry's first sorting. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to sing, the sorting went exactly as Harry rembered in his original timeline, however unlike the original sorting, Draco was not sorted immediately, his sorting took just over a minute, before he was sorted into, "SLYTHERIN!"

After Draco was sorted, McGonagall's face paled as she read the next name on the list, "Malfoy-Potter, Hadrian" it was finally Harry's turn, this time he had no doubts and knew where he would be going, as the sorting hat mused, "It would seem Mr Potter, that I have already sorted you once before, interesting you have returned from the Ether beyond. Hmm...I see you know the truth, will you let me sort you properly this time round," Harry interrupted, "Just put me where we both know I belong", "Very well Mr Potter,"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Dumbledore had not been expecting this, the Malfoy's had adopted Harry, providing him with protection, hope and family. Things he was never supposed to have as his loyal weapon, not until he provided them.

Blaise was the last student to be sorted for the year, after she joined the Slytherin table, Proffesor McGonagall rolled up her scroll of names and took away the sorting hat. Dumbledore stood from his chair and beamed at the students, what Harry had previously seen as a twinkle of merriment, now seemed more crazed, his eyes bright and arms wide open, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome!" he said. "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's bloody crazy" Draco spoke from Harry's left,

"Couldn't agree more brother" Harry replied.

"Thank you!"
Dumbledore sat back down. Three of the four tables clapped and cheered, many of the Slytherins clapped politely but didn't cheer as they believed the headmaster was more than a little mad.

After everyone had finished their deserts, when the headmaster stepped up again and began the exact same speech he had given during Harry's original sorting feast.

"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."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of 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 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 a very painful death." many students laughed believing the headmaster to be joking including Draco, however Harry was contemplating how to steal the stone and embarrass Dumbledore, the stone while useful wouldn't help his grandfather as a wraith, Harry had found the perfect ritual to return his grandfather back completely. Unlike the ritual wormtail had used and managed to screw up.

After the welcoming feast, Draco, Harry and the rest of the first year Slytherins, were led to the dungeons and their common room by the two sixth year prefects, Aleisha Devu and Corvus Lestrange. When they reached their common room they were told the password, "Hellebore" and that it would be changed every second week. The two prefects also explained that in Slytherin they were separated into pairs to share rooms. These pairs would be the same for the next seven years, however in the case of uneven numbers, they would separate into a pair and a trio and room would be provided Draco and Harry chose to share a room with Theo, leaving Crabbe and Goyle to share the second room. As for the girls there were also five of them so, Tracey, Daphne and Blaise decided to share one room, while Pansy and Millicent shared the second room. Each room was decorated in green, silver, and black and had one bed, a wardrobe, a desk and a bookshelf for each occupant.

After they separated to their dorm rooms, Harry decided to read some from his text books, while Draco composed a letter to their parents, Harry and Draco were unsure what Theo was doing but believed he was working on one of his many sketches. Theo had talent for drawing and artwork that was remarkable. It wasn't long before the boys decided it was time to go to bed after all they had to meet the Prefects in the common room at seven. Harry watched the eaves of his curtain bed as he contemplated his plans, the soft snores of Theo and Draco's peaceful breathing were the only sound in the night and soon Harry was bound for the lands of Morpheus.