Chapter Four: The Boy Who Lived

There are several dialogue quotes taken from JK Rowling's Sorcerer's Stone in this book. This is to convey the same story she wrote, but from another character's POV. The quotes taken directly from the book have three quotation marks (instead of two) around them to signify she wrote them and that I am citing them. Because I am transforming pieces of her work into something new this falls under the Fair Use Act. Additionally, JK Rowling has stated that she is okay with noncommercial fan fiction. All direct quotes, the Harry Potter storyline, and the characters all belong to JK Rowling.

September first could not come fast enough for Draco. The days crept on like years, and the minutes dragged on for days, but despite the impatience of the young boy, eventually September arrived. Niklaus, Draco's pet eagle owl, soared in through the window and landed on Draco's bed, nudging at his arm. Draco protested Niklaus' wake up call, trying to catch another hour of sleep, when suddenly he remembered what day it was.

Draco shot out of bed and ran to his closet. He dressed in a freshly pressed white dress shirt, and black trousers. He pulled his black Hogwarts cloak over him, knowing that many students wait till they are on the train, but wanting to be ready now. He then took a good amount of time fixing his hair in his favorite slicked back look. Draco wore this hairstyle every day in an attempt to look put together and classy.

Draco bribed Niklaus into his carrier with a bit of chocolate, then he grabbed his trunk with his other hand and made his way down the grand staircase. His mother was already at the bottom of the stairs fretting about having everything in order. Lucius then came into the hallway, "Ready to go Draco?" he asked.

Draco nodded and tried to make his way to the fireplace, but was interrupted by his mother. "Honey take something to eat," she insisted, pressing a scone in his hand. Draco shoved it in his mouth and picked up his belongings. Lucius gave a disapproving sneer at the sight of his son with a scone hanging half out of his mouth, but managed to keep quiet.

Narcissa went first, grabbing a handful of floo powder and clearly stating King's Cross to the fireplace. Draco followed, and lastly Lucius. The three of them quickly made their way through the station trying to avoid the muggles, when finally they arrived at the divider between platforms nine and ten.

Draco gulped as he saw the hard brick wall. He may have been a wizard, but it wasn't everyday he was asked to run through a solid wall. Narcissa put her arm around Draco's shoulder. "Lets do it together," she whispered. And the two of them ran right through the barrier, onto platform nine and three quarters. A few seconds later, Lucius appeared as well.

The platform was almost completely deserted. Draco looked at the clock and saw that it was only 9:30am. The train wasn't set to leave until 11:00am, but there were many people his mother and father were trying to avoid. Even with the few people around, Lucius was rubbing his temples complaining of a headache that the muggles and the blood traitors brought on.

Draco didn't mind the early arrival though. He was not the kind of boy to arrive just on time and risk missing the train. Draco was an organized person and made absolutely sure he was early and well prepared.

Draco first turned to his mother whose eyes were damp and cloudy. He embraced her in a warm hug and listened intently to her last advice. "Stick to your own," she said. "You may not understand yet, but you will. Not everyone is going to be nice to the Slytherins. You may find that even some of your teachers dislike you before they get to know you. However, if you stick to your house, you will find that friendships blossom in adversity."

Draco kissed his mother on the cheek and said a final goodbye. He then turned to his father with eager eyes, half expecting him to pull Draco into a hug, despite that being quite uncharacteristic of him. Instead his father left him with parting words, "Make us proud, son."

Although it was not exactly what Draco yearned for from his father, he felt a sense of pride in himself. He felt, for one of the first times in his life that maybe his father did believe in him, and he would do anything to make his family proud. "I will father," said Draco. "I swear it."

Draco then turned and got on the train without looking back. He was a little worried that if he did, he may cry and that his father may see it. For this reason, Draco was glad that he got the train mostly to himself for a little while. He chose a compartment towards the front and drifted off into a little nap.

He awoke with a jolt when the train engine started, and not a moment later, two completely out of breath, broad shouldered boys opened the compartment door. "What happened to you lot?" Asked Draco.

"Late... almost... missed... train" Crabbe mumbled out between breaths. His short but large physique was clearly not meant for physical activity Draco noted. Goyle on the other hand was taller and a bit more in shape, but still just as broad. He seemed to have recovered much faster.

"Well sit down then." Draco said gesturing to the seats in front of him, and the boys did just that. After a few minutes of chatting, a plump old witch slid the compartment door open, "Anything from the trolly?" she asked.

The three boys dug into their money sacks. Their mothers had given them loads of galleons, and they were aching to spend them. The three boys bought loads of chocolate frogs, pumpkin pastries, licorice wands, cauldron cakes, and of course, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Draco slowly chewed on a licorice wand, as Crabbe and Goyle shoved their face with candy at record speed. Draco wondered how the two of them didn't weigh the same as a baby elephant considering how much they ate.

At risk of losing a finger, Draco grabbed a couple chocolate frogs and hid them in his robe pockets for later. The train moved along as the boys complained about first years never being allowed on the Quidditch house teams.

Eventually a sniffling young boy slid open the compartment door. He had crooked teeth and a very round babyish looking face. "Has anyone seen a toad?" The young boy asked between sobs.

"No, but consider that a blessing," Draco retorted. "If my mother and father had given me a toad in place of a respectable pet, I'd have ditched it at the platform."

Crabbe and Goyle sniggered, and a familiar looking girl with frizzy hair and huge front teeth popped up from behind the boy. "Oh hello," said Hermione. "Thank you for the book recommendation Draco. I er- found out your name by reading about your family and your father's influence in the ministry- but anyways the book was truly amazing." The words came out quickly without adequate pauses between them.

Draco could feel his ears start to turn pink as he saw Crabbe and Goyle staring at him out of the corner of his eye. "You actually read that old thing?" Draco laughed. "I can't believe you're that thick. Do you have literally no friends or something? Guess muggle borns really are all spirit and no talent. You can read all you want, but it's not like you'll ever truly be one of us."

At this point Crabbe and Goyle were shaking with thunderous laughter. Hermione was taken aback and looked as if she had been slapped across the face. Even sobbing Neville seemed to have forgotten his lost toad for a moment and looked horrified.

"I er-" Hermione started, her eyes starting to well up with tears, but then all of a sudden she pulled herself together. "I just came in here to help look for Neville's toad," she said. "If you haven't seen it we best be off," and she dragged Neville out of the compartment by his hand. But before she left, Draco saw the anger and betrayal in her eyes. He did honestly feel guilty, but he needed to impress his friends, and it's not like she could have been a friend to him. She may be a charming girl, but that did not change the fact that her and her kind were ruining the wizarding world.

The three remaining boys chatted on again for a good while, but soon they got unbelievably bored. Draco opened the compartment door to take a moment for himself. He stepped outside into the long corridor and stared out the giant window. He started to listen in on some of the chatter within earshot, and heard a group of girls gossiping about Harry Potter being on the train.

Draco jolted up straight at that news. Harry Potter? On this train? In his year? Draco knew that Harry Potter was undoubtedly the most famous wizard of his age, and he also knew that such a friendship might be enough to impress his father. Lucius was always preoccupied with powerful connections and friendships. Draco knew that having Potter in his circle could bring opportunity and power to his family. His dad may finally, truly be proud of him.

"Crabbe, Goyle," Draco called. "I fancy a walk down the corridor. Up I say."

The three of them sauntered down the hallway, Draco trying his best to look cool and unbothered. He followed the excited chatter of the other students until he came upon what was rumored to be Harry Potter's compartment.

Draco slid open the door and immediately recognized the small boy with dark, unmanaged hair, and glasses. He was the boy Draco met at the robe fitting.

"Is it true?" Draco asked. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry, and he stared behind Draco, not making eye contact.

For a second Draco was taken aback, but then he realized what Harry was looking at. "Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," Draco said as nonchalantly as possible. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

At this Draco heard a laugh from the boy sitting across from Harry. He was a raggedy looking redhead wearing tattered second-hand robes that didn't even fit right. He may have faked a cough, but it wasn't enough to hide his laughter.

Draco was furious. What authority did that kid have to laugh at him? Draco remembered what his mother said about the other kids being cruel due to jealousy, and realized she must be right.

"Think my name's funny, do you?" Draco spat. "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." As he said those words, he saw the Weasley kid look down shamefully as if defeated, but Draco didn't care. He heard from his father that the Weasley's were blood traitors, and this kid had gone out of his way to make Draco look like a fool.

Draco turned back to Harry, concerned for his reputation. "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." He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry replied.

Although he tried his best to hide it, Draco was completely mortified. How dare this boy snub and embarrass him? Draco thought about the honor his family would feel if he was able to befriend such a powerful and famous person. He thought that Harry would want to play to his advantage, and befriend the best and the brightest from Hogwarts. But here was this small underwhelming boy turning down opportunity and for what? Draco did not see anything impressive about Harry Potter, and knew that he could succeed him easily, especially if he was not willing to take the necessary steps to being a powerful wizard. Still, Draco knew that if Harry Potter was not his friend, then he was his enemy, and the stubborn blonde drastically changed his tone.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," Draco sneered. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you." Draco added as a final warning.

At this Harry and Ron stood up angrily, and Draco couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" he said slyly.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry. But with two oversized boys standing right behind him Draco was ready to take his chances and call Harry's bluff.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Said Draco. Despite not knowing Crabbe and Goyle very well for a long period of time, he recognized that food might be their biggest motivator, and Draco was right.

Crabbe and Goyle reached forward to steal the food, and it was clear that they were going to get away with it, until Goyle let out a loud shriek in pain. A dirty, mangy looking rat had bitten down hard on Goyle's pointer finger.

Goyle panicked and flailed about unsure of what to do. The rat soon lost its grip and flew into the window. Draco heard the sounds of footsteps, and worried that an adult had come to see what the commotion was about, Draco pushed Crabbe and Goyle out into the hall and followed them back to their compartment.

They only had about fifteen minutes left on their strange, long journey to Hogwarts, and soon the train came to a halt at the station. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle stepped onto the dark platform and followed the rest of the students to Hagrid. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years?" He was shouting. " Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

The group of first years were led down a dark steep, narrow path by Hagrid. It had clearly rained recently as students slid around trying to keep their balance. One unfortunate, or possibly very fortunate girl, slipped and fell backwards into Draco's arms. "Careful there" he laughed, propping her back up.

The girl turned around to face him. She had a pretty face and shoulder length brown hair. Draco panicked for a moment, unsure if it was due to her beauty, or due to the fact he had no idea whether he should even be talking to this girl. "Thank you so much!" she said with a smile.

The blonde girl standing next to her, who had been chatting with her turned around as well and Draco's face lit up. "Daphne!" he exclaimed and gave her a hug.

Daphne laughed and hugged him back. Draco had known Daphne Greengrass since they were four years old. She was probably his closest friend in many regards, but it had been so long since they had the chance to see each other.

"I wondered why you didn't look for me on the train," Daphne said with an over-dramatic tone.

"I'm sorry," Draco responded sheepishly. "There has just been a lot on my mind lately."

Daphne nodded sympathetically, and then looked at the pretty brown haired girl who at this point looked quite hurt to be left out of the conversation.

"Draco this is Pansy Parkinson," said Daphne, and Pansy's face lit up once more. Draco breathed a sigh of relief that he was meeting a respectable witch. He recognized her surname, and also trusted Daphne to hang out with the right sort.

"Nice to meet you," Draco said. "This is Crabbe and Goyle," but when Draco turned to them they were several feet behind him picking on the boy crying over his toad. "Never mind" he said rolling his eyes.

The three of them continued chatting as they walked. Pansy keeping a close eye on a completely unaware Draco.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

Pansy let out a loud "Ohhhhh" as the path opened up to a large clearing and an enormous castle sitting on a mountain was surrounded by an enormous black lake, that seemed to be endlessly deep.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, and the mess of first years fought to sit with their new friends.

Draco got into a boat with Pansy, Daphne, and a black male that Draco recognized as a prestigious pureblood, but had not had the pleasure of formally meeting yet. Crabbe and Goyle suspiciously tried to pull the boy who had lost his toad into a boat with them. As Draco watched the spectacle, he felt quite sure Crabbe and Goyle may try to drown the boy. To the boy's fortune, Hagrid told Crabbe and Goyle that due to their sizes, they best take their boat alone. The crying boy quickly ran after the Granger girl and got into a boat with her, Potter, and Weasley.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, as he stepped into his own boat. "Right then - FORWARD!"

Draco and the other first years sailed silently across the lake. Draco couldn't get over how beautiful the castle or the scenery was. With his childhood friend by his side, and the magical atmosphere, Draco almost forgot about everything: his father's impossible expectations, the Potter boy who wanted nothing to do with him, the two idiots he had to manage.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid and they sailed through a curtain of Ivy into a tunnel. Draco, who had read Hogwarts: A History hundreds of times, cover to cover, knew the layout of the castle quite well. They were underneath the castle in an underground harbor. This meant they were reasonably close to the dungeons, and of course, the Slytherin common room. Draco smiled in excitement, but of course, he would have to be sorted into Slytherin before being allowed in there.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" yelled Hagrid as he helped the first years out of their boats.

"Trevor!" the boy cried.

"Honestly, Neville, let this be a warning to take better care of your pet," Draco heard the Granger girl say bossily.

They walked up the passage way, all the way up to the castle's front door. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid shouted, and then knocked three times.