The form of Hagrid welcomed the first-year students when they stepped out of the train. Draco came out followed by Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle, being the last group to walk out. His eyes scanned the crowd, studying each student and finding his soon-to-be housemates and rivals.
He found Potter stood with Longbottom, Granger, and Weasley. From the look of things, the former and latter of the four mentioned had made up. Though Weasley was still shooting glares at the Malfoy heir. It made him internally sigh. Trust a Weasley to ruin things for a Malfoy.
"C'mon, follow me" the half-giant called for the first years to follow him. Draco was walking with ease and grace, already familiar with this narrow path to the lake. The others were left slipping and stumbling as they followed the groundskeeper down the steep, narrow path. The path opened up after a moment at the edge of the lake and Draco heard the awed noises of the first year behind him. Even as used to it as he was, he was still awed at the beauty of the school.
"No more'n four to a boat!" the man shouted and students got on four at a time. Draco was sat with the same people that he shared a compartment with, thankfully Pansy had been silenced by the Castle. So, Draco was thankful for the silence.
The fleet of boats moved as one, each departing at the same time, gliding over the water surface smoothly. There was silence all around, the students too in awe at the visuals to comment.
The boats entered a dark tunnel which took them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they all got out of the boats and onto rocks and pebbles. Hagrid led them up a passageway in the rocks and they came out on the cliff in the shadow of the castle, damp grass under their feet. They then walked up a flight of stone steps, crowding around a huge oak door.
"Everyone here?" the half-giant asked, doing one last sweep of the students behind him. He turned around after and against the door he knocked three times.
The doors opened right away, revealing a tall witch in emerald-green robes. Minerva McGonagall stood there, looking at the collection of students closely. She took over from Hagrid and led the students inside. Draco had to question her choice of attire. Shouldn't the head of Gryffindor House be wearing her colors and not the opposite?
Guess she has good tastes, Draco thought, holding back a snort.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall declared once they were crowded into a small chamber close to the Great Hall. "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."
Draco tuned out the deputy headmistress and instead focused on his thoughts. His plans to befriend Potter were on the ropes he knew. If Weasley couldn't be at least civil with him, the chances of Potter slowly moving away from him was great. And Draco had a clear idea of what would happen if Potter went along as he did last time. Stupid Weasley. The Malfoy heir needed to do something about the boy and fast.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Draco heard Potter ask just as he came out of his thoughts.
"There's a sentient Hat that reads your mind and judges what trait is prominent in you and sorts you based on that" the Malfoy explained and immediately heard a low grumble from the Weasley.
"He wasn't asking you Malfoy!" he snapped, "and stop lying! Who sorts people with a hat?!"
"Believe me or not, but that's how it's done" the Malfoy shrugged, his tone a matter-of-fact one. "You two look like very close friends. Have you guys met before?"
"We met on the platform" Harry answered before Ron could snap at the Malfoy heir. "Ron's mother was asking Ron and his brothers about the Platform and I overheard her. She helped me cross into the Platform."
"Oh," Malfoy nodded and looked away. But the incident did raise a few questions to him. For one, The Weasleys had six sons and a daughter in total, and five of them were going to Hogwarts. Why would Mrs. Weasley need to ask? And that too loud enough for Potter to overhear? It could be that she was testing her children, but Draco felt there was something more to this.
A round of shouts and screams snapped Draco out of his thoughts. His hand reached for his wand out of habit but he stopped at the last moment, reminding himself that this was no war and he was in no danger as of yet.
It was ghosts, as it turned out. The new students were not familiar with them, hence the fright. The two ghosts went on to discuss what they were discussing previously before Fat Friar, the Hufflepuff ghost noticed them. But Professor McGonagall had come back before the ghost could get too into his welcome and promotion for his own House.
The professor arranged them all into a line and led them into the Great Hall. Once more Draco heard the awes of his year mates, while he kept his face impassive and held himself taller than he was.
McGonagall then went forward, taking out a four-legged stool and placing it in front of them. And then she took out an old, dirty, patched, and frayed Wizard's hat. Draco hid a smirk when he heard Potter whispering to a dejected Weasley about how Draco was right.
A section of the Hat seemed to open up like the Hat opened its mouth, and then it went on to sing about itself and how it was more than just a normal hat and not about judging it by its looks.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted" the deputy explained before calling on the last names in alphabetical order. Draco did not need to know about who went to which house, already knowing who went where. He kept his ear open for when he would be called up. And when it was, he stepped forward.
Draco sat down and prepared himself to stand upright away and walk to the Slytherin table and join his house. But when the hat was placed on his hat, the hat simply hummed.
"What have we here?" the voice echoed in his mind. "A traveler of time? What brings you back here?"
"You can see it already," Draco thought to it after the shock had passed. The hat simply hummed and Draco waited for some response. "Well? Anything to say?"
"Your plan is dangerous" the hat spoke. "But it's necessary. I prefer you not to bring this up with your father or Dumbledore. I remember everyone I ever sorted, and I remember those two well. They will surely interfere with your plans in some way. Your mother on the other hand… She is sound of mind and she is someone who would fight for the family above everything else. She would be helpful to you."
"Thank you…" Draco thought, a little caught off guard at the help the hat was offering him.
"The future is dark, and I would rather not have so many people dying at the will of a madman that should have been dealt with before he became the monster he is now" the hat grumbled and Draco felt like it was pinning the blame on someone.
"Dumbledore is sure to play some sort of game. So be very aware, young SLYTHERIN!"
Draco blinked, hearing the last part louder than the rest of the hat's words. When McGonagall had removed the hat, he realized that the hat had shouted his sorting.
Draco rushed over to the Slytherin table, shook hands with the perfect, and sat down between Crabbe and Goyle. The rest of the sorting Draco watched in boredom. He let out a happy sigh once the food had appeared before him, but then stiffened when Dumbledore stood.
While Dumbledore gave his speech, Draco kept a critical eye on the headmaster. When not even the sorting hat trusted the headmaster, Draco understood that the man was someone who would be ahead to get the outcome he preferred over what was good for the people. And his father would grovel to the Dark Lord no matter what the boy said. He needed to be careful about the cards he plays from here on out.