Disclaimer: JKR owns it all
Timeline: Alternate universe, the story will approx. spans 1980 to 1995
Rating: This chapter PG-13
Chapter: 3/10
Summary: Harry and Draco come to Hogwarts. I can promise you that the sorting will be a surprise.
Author's note: All of you who're waiting for the promised longer chapters, here they are.
The Debt
By Artemis (Artemis1000@gmx.net)
Chapter three: Shocks
"Oh darlings, I'll miss you so much", sighed Narcissa. She wiped a few years away and hugged her boys a last time. "Promise me that you won't get yourself hurt and write every week?"
"Of course, mum, I'll write you every week a very long letter. And as soon as I'm in the dorm I'll send you an owl that we're fine and in Slytherin", promised Harry.
"Good. I love you. Draco…"
"Harry, keep us a compartment free, I'll search Crabbe and Goyle."
"Okay, see you. Mum, father, goodbye, I'll see you in the Christmas holidays." Secretly he's glad for an excuse to leave. Otherwise his courage and self-control would disappear, Harry feared. And it wasn't very manly if he started crying like his mum, was it?
"Goodbye, Harry", said Lucius and gave his adoptive son a pat on the shoulder.
"Darling, have fun at Hogwarts."
Winking to his parents, Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express.
Carrying only his snake cage, the first year easily passed clusters
of students and luggage. While he searched for a free compartment big enough
to accommodate all of them, which would be Draco, him, speedy the rattlesnake,
Goyle and Crabbe, he chatted with speedy about Hogwarts. This got him stares
from muggle-borns, the wizard-born students didn't even spared him a glance
since it's a known fact that Harry Malfoy was a parselmouth. "So, speedy,
what will you do while I'm having classes? I never thought about that before…
maybe I should charm you some toys so you won't get bored?", he suggested.
Draco had entered the train just in time.
Now the slender boy was walking down the rows of compartments, cursing Harry, Crabe and Goyle that they had picked places so far at the back of the train. He didn't had all day! Finally the other two Death Eater sons were found. Fortunately for them since he'd already broken his search for them up and only looked for Harry now. He would never live it down if he left Harry by himself, his brother was such gifted to get himself into a tight spot, attract the wrong friends or other trouble… "Stop threatening the prefect, you idiots!"
"But he's a G…", protested Goyle weakly.
"I don't care. I only want to find Harry before he gets himself killed."
The Gryffindor prefect had regained his composure by now a bit. "Hogwarts is a safe, especially protected environment, it's impossible that someone is killed at Hogwarts or at the Hogwarts Express."
"You don't know my brother…"
He'd been right.
Well, Harry wasn't getting lynched or tortured, there the prefect had been right. It's even worse…
"I told you to keep a compartment for us, I didn't told you to socialize with the son of muggle-lovers!", he reproved harshly as way of a greeting.
This was exactly the wrong thing to say. He would've listened to the voice of reasons, but when his arrogant little brother thought he could boss him around… He drawled patronizingly, "I did found us a compartment. You never told me *not* to socialize with the sons of muggle-lovers."
"That's a given, you oaf! Now get out, we'll find a different compartment."
"No, we won't. Crabbe, Goyle, sit." Harry's voice was firm, coldly controlled, unflinching, but never rude. The way he'd heard his father talking to superiors. "Ron, the unpolished blonde is my brother Draco Malfoy, the silent ones are our friends Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Guys, that's Ron Weasley."
After a short moment of hesitation followed Draco the example of his pals and took a seat next to Harry. He glared in turns daggers at Harry and Ron, but he sat without complaint.
"Hi." Ron looked mightily impressed. He'd never known anyway surviving bossing a Malfoy around, let alone without a quiver, as if it's a matter of course. But then again, if this was Harry Malfoy, the parselmouth about whom rumours were circulating that he's a gifted dark wizard…
"So you're really a parselmouth?"
"Yes, I am. Like my great-great-grandfather."
"Wow. Do you guys know already into which House you want?" It's an unnecessary question to ask the son of Death Eaters usually, but he wanted to know if what he'd heard about the Malfoys went for Harry.
Harry didn't needed any time to think about this, "Slytherin."
Then his parents were most likely right. What a pity, he seemed to be quite a decent boy. "I want into Gryffindor."
Draco interrupted his intensive study of the upholstery to snort derisive. "Gryffindor? Weak goody-goody doers who run screaming back to their mums as soon as they're in a tight spot."
"They are famous for their courage and bravery!"
"There's a difference between bravery and stupidity, Weasley…"
"Yes, there is, and Gryffindors are brave."
"They are not, they are stupid. Get themselves always into trouble with their thoughtlessness and then they don't have the guts to admit their failure. They can't handle it when they're in actual danger. If Gryffindor is the best House, why are then Slytherins in all the executive positions of the Ministry of Magic, science and business? Why were the Aurors in Slytherin?"
"Many former Gryffindors are Aurors. The Slytherins are all former Death Eaters, their Dark Arts knowledge is the only reason why they're tolerated as Aurors."
"Let's just close this topic since we'll never agree. You are from a muggle-friendly Gryffindor family, we are from Slytherin and ex-Death Eater families, we have totally different views of the world. This planet would be a boring place if all people would agree, wouldn't it? Well, what is with the three of you? Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor?"
"Slytherin of course, you know that!", answered Draco a bit snappish.
"Don't get huffy, it's a sensible question, Drac. I only hope that we get into a different House than Pansy, even if it's Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. In fact, I think Gryffindor isn't such a bad House. Many famous and important people have been in Gryffindor." His parents, for example.
"Slytherin."
"Gryffindor or Hufflepuff." Four heads turned to Crabbe, eyebrows touching the hairline and jaws the floor. He blushed bright red, but didn't backed down. "Well, it would annoy my parents, wouldn't it? And after they forced me to a six months long diet they deserved revenge."
"Crabbe, you would be stuck in Gryffindor for seven years. Is a diet worth that?"
"I only got dry bread and water!"
"You have to avenge that. If you aren't sorted into Gryffindor, get yourself a Gryffindor girlfriend and tell your parents you'll marry them as soon as you're 17."
The boy's eyes widened gleefully, "good idea, thank you."
Harry snorted mentally. Crabbe and Goyle weren't such bad friends, although they're rather Draco's friends than his, but neither of them had any sense for sarcasm. Still he didn't bothered telling them the suggestion was meant sarcastic. He's too much looking forward to the reaction of Mrs and Mr Crabbe. "Do that, it's a good idea. In fact you should tell them you'll marry a Gryffindor girl even if you're sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. That will teach them to force you never again to a diet."
"Thank you, Harry."
Several minutes of silence followed.
"I'm bored", exclaimed Draco suddenly.
"You're always bored."
"Yes, but usually I'm not bored sitting in the Hogwarts Express with my foolish brother and a Weasley."
After a moment of contemplation agreed Ron, "I hate to admit it, but I'm also bored." Worse it's only made by being bored together with four Slytherins, two of them Malfoys.
"Let's play a game! How about truth or dare?"
"Everything but truth or dare, I'll never play it again with you! Last time we played truth or dare you dared me to flirt with a house elf!"
"I didn't forced you, Draco, you had even two alternatives."
"But these were kissing Pansy and running naked through the headquarters of the Ministry of Magic!"
"Truth or Dare is fun", chimed Ron in. He had already a dare in mind sure to top Harry's…
"Come on, don't be such spoil-sports. Draco, you can even ask me first."
A malicious smirk spread over Draco's face and his voice was dangerously sweet when he said, "truth or dare, Harry?"
"Truth." There wasn't really anything embarrassing Draco could make him tell, but his true parents he'd no big secret. He's a Malfoy, they were masters of finding loopholes.
"What did you got from Pansy Parkinson for birthday?"
He'd been wrong… "What's the dare?"
"I dare you to tell us the most embarrassing present you ever got."
Darn, this was one and the same and Draco knew it. "She gave me… a pink teddy bear." Harry blushed bright red when the whole compartment roared in laughter, but he'd to chuckle himself.
After everyone had calmed down more or less, Harry asked, "Ron, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"I dare you to get within the next seven days a date. Girl or boy doesn't matters, but it can't be a member of your own House and you aren't allowed to tell that you need a date because of the dare."
"Okay. Truth or dare?", Ron asked Draco next.
"Dare."
"I dare you to dress in the colours of the House you hate most and say you're muggle-born."
That was really nasty, everyone would laugh at him for days. "I'll rather take truth."
"What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?"
Not good either. "I'll pass."
"You can't! That's not fair!"
"Come on, bro, it's not Malfoy-ish to chicken."
"How much time do I have?"
"You've to do it within a month."
In a month the bloody Weasley would've forgotten about his dare. "I'll
do it. Crabbe, truth or dare?"
"Incredible, isn't it? My brothers always raved about Hogwarts and showed me pictures, now I believe them", whispered Ron.
Harry was awed upon entering the Great Hall. "Wow! That's bloody amazing!"
"Goyle, Gregory!", was the first name they heard upon entering. Since Harry, Draco and Ron had been curious, they'd sneaked away from the group and explored some of the corridors close to the Great Hall.
"Even more so than Malfoy Manor's hall", agreed Draco reluctantly. He's just as impressed as Harry. They'd seen the yearbooks and many pictures of their parents, but it's not the same as standing here himself.
"I wonder how the Slytherin Common Room is, if it's changed much. Do you remember when dad told us about his school time if we couldn't sleep, Draco? He's such a miserable story teller that he's more effective than any sleeping draught…", Harry added for Ron.
"Yes, I remember."
"Slytherin!"
"Cool, Crabbe did it!"
"That'll make it even more humiliating if you're not sorted into Slytherin, won't it, Harry?", quipped Draco sweetly.
Harry immediately flushed and lowered his gaze. Since his birthday he'd done much research in the gigantic library of Malfoy Manor. One of the things he learned in his investigations was that the Potters had been both Gryffindors. For the young Malfoy it'd been a shock that took him several days to digest. His parents in Gryffindor! It's ridiculous, really - everyone said he's such perfect for Slytherin, how could he be the son of Gryffindors…?
The only worse news was that Lily Potter - he didn't thought he ever wanted to get used to them being his parents instead of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy - was a Mudblood. Out of consideration neither his mum nor his father mentioned it when they told him about his family. He guesses they believed he wouldn't be able to handle it. And he hadn't exactly handled this bit of information well. In fact, when he read about his real mother's descent he got a fit of rage he only knew from his father when an Auror messed terribly up.
"Malfoy, Draco!"
The dark-haired boy was shaken off his memories when he heard the name Malfoy. He gave Draco a thumps up and held tight to his lucky charm. "Please let us be in Slytherin, please, please, please Slytherin!", Harry wished fiercely.
Draco's thoughts were similar. He wanted to be in Slytherin very badly, it's one of his biggest wishes. But his biggest wish was to be in the same House as Harry. While both were being taught in the Dark Arts, the Malfoy traditions and beliefs their family had kept from Death Eater times, his brother was still light and innocence. Without him he would be as cold and heartless as their relatives. Harry was his brother, his best friend - the only real friend he ever had had - he didn't wanted to loose him or be separated from him because of stupid House rivalry.
For the first time in this year's sorting the hat hesitated. You are smart, sly and cunning, you have ambitions - Slytherin. But you're loyal, with the right influence you could become a hero.
I don't want to become a hero, I want to become a Slytherin!
But you're brave, boy, and Gryffindor will help you to find your own way. Your mother would be very proud, you know?
Draco wrinkled his forehead in confusion. He knew that his mother was a Gryffindor, but he'd never pondered how she felt about his sorting. She would?
Yes. "Gryffindor!", yelled the Sorting Hat aloud.
At first the Great Hall fell dead silent. A Malfoy in Gryffindor? That's impossible, the Sorting Hat had to be manipulated by the Weasley twins! But when nobody laughed they slowly realized that it wasn't a joke. So the Gryffindors, who digested this news fastest, cheered like they'd done when before someone was put into their House.
"Malfoy, Harry!", called Professor McGonagall next up.
Still holding the talisman he'd gotten the last but one Christmas, Harry sat down. He's still dazed from the shock of Draco becoming a Gryffindor, but he's enough of a Malfoy to keep his posture. Then the Sorting Hat was put on.
Hmm. Difficult. Very Difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?
Slytherin, please, I want into Slytherin, but with Draco!
You have also potential for Gryffindor, you know?
Maybe, but I don't care. Slytherin is the only House I want into and the only House I can into. It would break father's heart if both his sons were sorted into Gryffindor.
Still the Sorting Hat was unsure. I see, all Malfoys but your brother were sorted into Slytherin and you want to become one as well… But your real parents were in Gryffindor. They would want you to become one as well.
Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy are my parents, Lily Potter is only the woman who gave birth to me.
Since you want to be with your brother… "Gryffindor!"
A feeling of dread had gripped his heart the moment he'd heard the Sorting Hat announce Draco's judgement. Now when he walked to the Gryffindor table he felt like he's walking to his own execution. The only thing that could keep Harry from smashing the Sorting Hat was the thought that father would then be even more disappointed.
"Are you okay, Harry?", asked Draco his brother worried. He wasn't surprised that Harry had been put into Gryffindor, he's such a good person. But himself…?
"No, of course I'm not fine! Oh god, Draco, father is going to kill me for this. I shouldn't have… I… This is just so wrong! You deserved to become a Slytherin, not to share my bad luck. How could that happen? Everyone said we're the perfect future Slytherins and we aren't even good people. I mean, we hate Mudbloods, we are good at Dark Arts and we are mean, evil persons. Why the hell were we put into Gryffindor? It's wrong, so terribly wrong! I'm so sorry, Draco, it has to be my influence, maybe…"
"Ssh, now calm down, Harry, will you? Freaking doesn't helps us any. We're sorted into Gryffindor, it's not what we wanted, but we'll deal. Our plans went already much more spectacular wrong and in the end it always turned out better than what we had in mind. I mean, it could've been worse…"
"What the hell could've been worse than being sorted into Gryffindor?!"
"Hufflepuff", answered Draco calmly.
Harry's miserable expression turned into one of pure horror. "You're right, if we'd been into Hufflepuff father would really kill us and gut us and feed us our own brains…!"
"I told you. Now calm down for a minute so we can watch the rest of the sorting. Maybe some other people we know are sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff as well, then at least we won't loose all of our friends."
"I hope Ron becomes a Gryffindor. When we're still at the train I wanted him to become a Slytherin so we could become real friends, but now I want him to become a Gryffindor."
Suddenly a smirk appeared at Draco's face, "at least now I won't have to parade in Gryffindor colours."
"U-huh, Drac. Ron will make you wear Slytherin stuff now." Harry looked very pleased with himself and smiled like a cat that had had the cream at his brother.
Draco buried his face in his hands and muttered, "can someone please kill me?"
"I would volunteer if I knew what the whole commotion is about", offered Ron. With a puzzled look in Draco's and a smile in Harry's direction the redhead sat down next to them. They're just as strange as his dad had told him, but at least Harry seemed to be pretty nice. Well, for a Malfoy and an almost-Slytherin at least…
"Draco is just being his usual whiny self."
This "explanation" caused Draco's head to shoot up and glare at the dark-haired boy. "Excuse me, I'm being whiny? Who panicked because we're in Gryffindor, huh?"
"I didn't panicked, Draco, I was only unsettled and uncomfortable with it. That's an important difference."
"Do you think the food will appear sometime soon? I don't feel much like starving at my first day."
"Weasley, we're only seated for a minute. Or perhaps you didn't got enough food at home…?"
"Draco." Again there was the warning tone in Harry's voice that made most people shrink back in fear.
Draco only threw an annoyed glare at his brother. He liked Harry too much to do anything that would hurt him, and scaring his friends away counted possibly - it's already difficult enough to make friends when everyone was scared of your father or hated your family. That didn't meant that he'd to be nice to Weasley, though.
"I'm looking already forward to meeting our new roommates. I wonder how they are." Harry's anticipation was ruined when he remembered that he wasn't exactly popular among muggle-lovers. "And whether they'll hate us like everyone else seems to do… Hopefully no Mudbloods, I don't want to have to share a dorm with Mudbloods."
"Don't call them that, Harry."
"But what can I call them else?"
"Muggle-born."
"Nope, I don't like that name. And I won't share a dorm with any of them, no matter what name they have. Draco and me will ask the Head of House for another room in that case."
"Yes, and if they don't give us one we'll tell it father. He's an executive of the Ministry of Magic."
"Now you're bragging, Drac."
"I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"Am not."
"You are."
"A…" Draco's newest protest was cut off by the food appearing in front
of them. He would later continue arguing with his brother, right now he's
hungry.
The Gryffindor first years were asked to follow their prefect to the tower when they'd all eaten their fill and the first timid friendships were made.
Harry and Draco were having a good time scaring the other first years. And complaining to Ron. "I'm sure father is going to disinherit us! Mum will take it well, she's in Gryffindor herself, but father will get a fit of rage when he finds our sorting out. And we can hardly keep it a secret for a long time. He's friends with the Slytherin Head of House, he'll see our yearbooks and he'll get suspicious upon seeing our red Quidditch robes and scarves - if we manage to go only with mum to Diagon Alley."
"But aren't you even a little bit happy about your sorting, Harry?"
"Not really. You can't understand it since you don't know enough about me, but it would've been important to prove my parents that I'm just as good a Slytherin and Malfoy as all other family members. I… I wanted father to be proud on me. He'll still be proud, but at first he'll be very disappointed."
"I think it's stupid that your parents won't accept anything but Slytherin. The sorting is about you, not about your family. As long as you're happy with your housemates it shouldn't matter."
"How would your parents react if you're sorted into Slytherin?"
"Not very well. But that's because they made only bad experiences with Slytherins in their own school time. In the end they would accept it, though."
"Everyone expects of us always that we're perfect, that's the catch about being the son of rich and powerful people, I suppose." He wondered how it would feel if he weren't rich. If he hadn't been adopted by the Malfoys, but by poor wizards. Harry didn't even wanted to think about being adopted by Muggles and forced to live like them, that's just too horrible a thought.
Before Harry had a chance to muse about this, they'd reached the portrait
hole. From the prefects the first years got the password, then they're
brought into the Common Room. "Wow, it's great! Maybe not as great as the
Slytherin Common Room would be, but at least it's cosy."
Only some minutes later Harry sat at his bed in the first year dorm, curiously looking around the room. It's not so different from what he'd expected, but he's still trying to get used to the idea of being a Gryffindor.
Draco smiled encouragingly at his brother and signalled the green-eyed boy to join him. The events of the day were also exhausting and worrying him, but he's a better actor as Harry. "Do you feel like causing a stir?"
"Sounds fun. What do you have in mind?"
"Let's scare the Mudbloods."
"Are you sure? I mean, we are now Gryffindors and we're supposed to be the good guys, so maybe we shouldn't scare them too bad."
"We'll only scare them a bit if that makes you happy."
"Great!"
"I don't understand you", said Ron. He'd overheard the other boys plans and was quite puzzled by it.
Harry was just as confused. "What don't you understand?"
"You're nice to me but you treat the muggle-born like they're inferior."
"Because they are, Weasley."
"No, they aren't! Just because their parents aren't wizards like yours and mines they aren't any less worth than you. If you would give your bloody prejudices for a couple of minutes off you would find out that muggle-born can be as good friends as wizard-born!"
"That's not true, they are not like us!"
"You don't have any idea, you…"
"I'm going to go now to the Common Room and write our letter to mum!",
announced Harry before the difference of opinion turned into a serious
fight. "Draco, if you want to help me, you can come along, if you'll rather
bitch with Ron I promise I won't hold a grudge against you. And please
feed speedy, whenever I wake him up for it he's snappish for weeks." To
prove his seriousness the dark-haired Gryffindor went to his trunk, took
quill, ink, parchment and a delicate green silk ribbon out.
When everyone else went to bed, Harry stayed up and wrote into his journal.
I don't know how it could happen, how I could end up in Gryffindor. It's impossible, my whole life is ruined!
No, that's wrong, I do know how that could happen. After all my real parents have been Gryffindors and it happens often that the children are in the same House as their parents. And that makes it only more frustrating.
I wanted so badly into Slytherin! Not for my own sake - not even for Draco's although I wanted to be with him just as badly - but for my parents. Mum and father gave me so much, I wanted to repay them somehow. Or at least show them that I am the kind of son they always wanted me to be. I wanted them to be proud on me, be glad that they adopted me. Father would've been so proud if Draco and me had played together on the Slytherin Quidditch team.
Now it turned all out as a big mess! Everything went wrong, like the whole universe conspired against me. How much I hate the Sorting Hat! When I get the opportunity I'll destroy it! It's nothing personal against Gryffindor, don't get me wrong, I just hate being a Gryffindor because Gryffindor ruined my dream of becoming a Slytherin. I could've been a good Slytherin, I know I could.
But there can't be anything done about that. This opportunity to prove myself was stolen from me, but it won't be the only one. I will get another chance and I won't allow anyone to take it from me a second time. I'm not stupid, I don't make the same mistake twice.
Apart from that I hate being here and would kill to get me and Draco into Slytherin, I suppose Gryffindor isn't such bad.
They have a nice Common Room, it's pretty big and comfortable. I already picked a favourite chair. It's a big red armchair close to the fireplace, I sat there earlier when I wrote the letter for mum.
Ron told me that the Gryffindor Quidditch team sucks. Well, he used different words, but he meant it like this. The Slytherins have won the House Cup for years. Another reason for Slytherin and against Gryffindor, but I won't think about that anymore. The Sorting Hat has to have reasons why it put me into Gryffindor and they're famous for their bravery, their daring, aren't they?
Our Head of House is Professor McGonagall. She looks like someone you don't want to make mad. I don't like her, she's too severe for my taste.
Professor Snape doesn't looks any nicer, though. They both seem to be very severe. I wonder how Professor Snape will treat us. I don't know if he's one of father's Death Eater friends, but I think so. Hence I don't believe that he knows who I am, sure am I not, though. Maybe Headmaster Dumbledore told the other teachers? That would be bad, they surely can't keep it a secret for long. Well, I'll find both answers out tomorrow. I know the human nature, it's virtually impossible to fool me. I see even through Draco's pretences, the teachers don't have a chance!
The best thing about Gryffindor is Ron, though. I met him today at the Hogwarts Express - before Draco joined us - and I hope that we can become friends. Draco's in a huff when I refused to leave the compartment where Ron was, making a fuss about him being a Weasley, muggle-lover and poor. As if I wouldn't know that! But in the end they got along quite well. I even believe that he's glad we met him, now that he's sorted into Gryffindor he needs every friend he can get - but of course I would never say that aloud unless I have a death wish.
The only big con about Gryffindor - apart from them being losers at Quidditch - is that there are so many Mudbloods at House Gryffindor. It's a shame, such a good House is ruined and tainted, just because Godric Gryffindor was too weak to say no. But since I don't want to be a hypocrite I don't complain as loudly as Draco, after all Lily Potter was a Mudblood herself.
Urgh, I'm so tired I feel like I'm going to nod off any moment now!
I would love to tell you more, but I need to get some sleep before classes tomorrow. After all I don't want to fall asleep at my first day and earn a detention already. Although it would beyond doubt make Draco's day…
Harry
tbc…
Next is the first week in Hogwarts. Feedback will make me write faster and for suggestions I'll love you forever.
Before you flame, I don't hate Gryffindor. Slytherin is my favourite House (I always love the bad boys/girls) but I like Gryffindor as well. I just wrote Harry so horrified about the sorting because I have a sadistic mind and it's not realistic in my opinion that someone with his upbringing and philosophy of life would be anything but horrified. If you wait for slash, H/D will come when they're older.