Disclaimer: Much as I'd like to, I don't own Draco Malfoy, or any part of the magical world that J.K. Rowling has all the copyrights to ... please don't sue me. There are some parts of this story that are quotes from the book - it can't be helped - events are the same as in the book, but Draco's opinion of these events may vary from Harry's.

Author's Notes: I needed to do some re-writing, after reading OotP. I have made some minor changes to this chapter, mostly spelling and grammar, but since J.K. Rowling was kind enought to tell us that a "weedy boy" who was seen hanging around with Draco is named Theodore Nott, I have had too change Nott's name in this fic.

Chapter 2 - Welcome To Slytherin

The train approached the station, and I heard a voice saying, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." The train stopped, exactly five minutes later, and we all made our way off, onto the platform.

I heard a voice, calling, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" that great hairy oaf - the gamekeeper, Hagrid - and he's playing favourites … not that I'd want to be his friend anyway, but it's still not fair. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" We all followed Hagrid, away from the platform, "Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!" The path we had been following suddenly ended, abruptly, at the edge of a lake - and on the other side of the lake, was Hogwarts - it was pretty impressive, but I, personally, have seen better.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, and pointed to a large number of small boats sitting in the water by the shore. I shared a boat with Crabbe, Goyle, and a boy who said his name was Seamus Finnegan, "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"

As we reached the far side of the lake, Hagrid said, "Heads down!" and we floated through a curtain of ivy and in through a sort of cave. We finally came out into some sort of underground harbour, where we all got out of the boats "Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" Hagrid called to the crybaby, Neville.

"Trevor!" Neville called, sounding like this one little toad was the key to all his happiness - some people are simple minded. We then followed Hagrid up a walkway to the castle, where we all crowded around a large oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid asked. Then he knocked on the door, and it opened immediately.

The first thing we saw inside the school building was a tall black-haired witch wearing deep green robes. She looked quite strict and seemed to give the impression that disobedience was not an option.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said to this witch.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." she responded - her voice matched her appearance - stern and strict. She pulled open the door, to allow us to enter. The Entrance Hall was as big as the ballroom in our Manor, and it was lit with torches. There was a large marble staircase in front of us, leading upstairs. As we followed this witch across the Hall, I looked around at the suits of armour and the carvings on the walls - interesting interior design - father would like it, it's very gothic. I heard voices coming from a room off the Hall to my right.

We were led into an empty room, where we were given what must have been a standard announcement for new students, "Welcome to Hogwarts, 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 honour. 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." she scanned us, looking particularly at Neville and Weasley, "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

I listened in on the conversation between Potter and Weasley. "How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Potter asked.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." yeah, right - like they'd want to hurt new students - it's only Muggle clubs that are stupid enough to mutilate new members and of course ... Them, as well, but I won't think about Them - They were before my time.

The bushy-haired girl was muttering about all the spells she had learnt - show off - I like people like that.

Suddenly several people screamed - you'd think they'd never seen a ghost before - of course some of them probably hadn't. "What the -?" several other people asked. A group of ghosts had appeared, and were in the middle of a debate about ... someone called Peeves.

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"

"New students!" the Fat Friar said, "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" several people nodded. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" he said, "My old house, you know."

'Fat chance, Fat Friar,' I thought.

"Move along now," Professor McGonagall's voice called, "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." the ghosts left, slowly. "Now, form a line, and follow me," she said. I stood third in the line, behind Pansy and another boy, who's name I didn't yet know. We walk out of the room, across the Entrance Hall, and in through the doors I had heard voices from.

The Great Hall was spectacular. Even by my standards, this was great. The Hall was lit by thousands of candles floating above the tables, and the ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky. There were four long tables one for each house all laid with golden plates and goblets, and a fifth table at the end of the Hall, where all the teachers sat.

The bushy-haired girl whispered to everyone within earshot, about the ceiling, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." I'd bet she's probably the only other first year here that's actually read that book. I've read it, of course, but that's because I like reading and Hogwarts is an interesting place.

Professor McGonagall set a four-legged stool at the front of the Hall, where everyone had a clear view of it, and then placed a particularly old, worn and patched up wizard's hat on the stool. After a few seconds the Hat started to sing, a bit off key, but not exactly horrible:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry,

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

After the applause died down, Professor McGonagall held up a roll of parchment, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," 'Simple as that' I thought - well I knew it wouldn't be dangerous.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde pigtails, and slightly chubby cheeks ran forward, and put on the hat it covered her eyes and sat there silently, for a few seconds before shouting: "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table on the right - it must have been the Hufflepuff table - cheered as the girl ran over to it.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!" The second table from the left cheered, this time, as the boy ran over to them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brown, Lavender!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" The table on the far left cheered, as the first Gryffindor ran over to them.

"Bulstrode, Millicent!"

"SLYTHERIN!" The second table from the right cheered, as the relatively ugly girl made her way to it.

"Crabbe, Vincent!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Feral, Catarina!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Finnigan, Seamus!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Goyle, Gregory!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Granger, Hermione!" The bushy-haired girl, who I had met on the train ran forward, eagerly, and put the hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Now that was a surprise - I really had thought she would have been a Ravenclaw.

"Longbottom, Neville!" Crybaby with the toad... I'd bet on Hufflepuff.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Well I'll be - totally amazed, I mean - never would have thought such a wimp could be classed as brave. And the idiot ran off to the Gryffindor table wearing the hat!

"MacDougal, Morag!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Malfoy, Draco!" That's me! I walked forward, really not understanding why all the others had run up and down like idiots, sat on the stool, and lowered the hat to my head - it didn't even touch me! Not so much as messed up my hair, before it called out "SLYTHERIN!" and I walked happily to the Slytherin table, and sat with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Moon, Alexander!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Nott, Theodore!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Parkinson, Pansy!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Patil, Padma!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Patil, Pavarti!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Perks, Sally-Anne!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Potter, Harry!" This announcement was followed by a lot of muttering, mostly people asking if this was THE Harry Potter. Potter walked up to the stool, and put the Hat on. It took ages to decide where to put him. He sat there for almost five minutes. Finally, it called out:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Thomas, Dean!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Turpin, Lisa!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Weasley, Ronald!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Zabini, Blaise!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

And that, as they say, is that. The Sorting was over, and Professor McGonagall removed the Hat and stool.

* * *

The Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, stood at this point, and said, "Welcome. 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! Thank you!"

I sniggered quietly - very few people laughed at this - I thought it was funny. As soon as Dumbledore sat down, food magically appeared on the empty dishes. There was roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some unknown reason, peppermint humbugs. Good selection.

As I started into the steak I had taken, I sensed someone in the seat beside me. I knew no one had been there when the Sorting had finished, and I wondered who it was. I turned round and saw a ghost - he was pretty gruesome, and that's even by ghost standards - He had long what-was-once-black-but-was-now-ghost-coloured curly hair, like the sort you would imagine a high class pirate might have, and his translucent robes were covered in silvery blood - you would tend to wonder where that blood came from, and also wonder whether or not you actually wanted to know the answer to the first question. The ghosts at the other three tables, I noticed, were very talkative and friendly, but this one just stared into space - a bit like Crabbe or Goyle, except creepier. I shuddered and turned back to my food, trying to ignore him, as he was quite clearly ignoring me.

When the desserts arrived, everyone started talking about their families - there were no Mudbloods in Slytherin house that I was aware of - I think there might have been one or two, but they were intelligent enough to keep quiet about it. Blaise seemed like the sort of girl I would like, but Pansy had already told all the girls to stay away from me, she says I'm hers. Ha! In her dreams, maybe - but be that as it may, all the other girls are actually listening to her. One of the prefects introduced himself to me, at this point - Marcus Flint. He had this to say, "See that ghost there?" he was pointing at the ghost next to me - the one that scared even me, a bit, "He's called the Bloody Baron, and you'd do well to get on his good side, 'cause he can control Peeves. Peeves the Poltergeist could otherwise be referred to as a force of nature indoors. Peeves is the most disruptive creature in the school, with the possible exception of the Weasley twins."

I snorted at the mention of the Weasleys - so they fancy themselves troublemakers, do they?

"And then, of course, you've got to look out for Filch and his cat - those two can cause you even more trouble than Peeves in a bad mood, and what's worse is that they're always in the right, too - Filch is the caretaker, and Mrs Norris - that's his cat - has some sort of connection with him, 'cause he can show up within seconds of her spotting someone up to no good."

"I'll be careful, then." I said, implying that I was going to be up to all sorts of mischief, and not planning on getting caught. Of course, I'm not that stupid - I had no plans to break the rules - getting other people into trouble they don't deserve is much more fun.

At that moment, Dumbledore rose from his seat again, and everyone stopped talking to pay attention to him, "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." He glanced at the Weasley twins, definitely, "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 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."

"Seriously!" I asked.

"Yeah - Dumbledore doesn't joke about that sort of thing - wonder what he means, 'die a very painful death'?" Flint said.

"Probably that there's something painful and deadly in the corridor?" I suggested.

"Smart arse." Flint grumbled.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore said, and the other teachers did not seem too pleased with this suggestion. Words appeared out of Dumbledore's wand, and he said, "Everyone pick their favourite tune, and off we go!"

Everybody sang in different keys, pitches, and rhythms - it sounded horrible:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everyone stopped singing at different times, (I hadn't even bothered trying to sing - it sounded dreadful, and I didn't want to be part of such a horrific noise.) The Weasley twins finished last, because they had been singing to a funeral march.

"Ah, music," Dumbledore said, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Flint lead the first year Slytherins down, towards the dungeons, to what seemed to me like a blank wall. I wondered why we had stopped here, when, for no apparent reason, Flint said, "Avarice." and at this word, which I assumed must be a password, the wall in front of us opened, and revealed the Slytherin common room.

* * *

It was a long, low room, with rough stone walls, and tapestries hung over most of the walls. The main feature of the room was a large, ornately carved stone fireplace. There were several lamps, glowing green, a large number of dark green armchairs dotted around the room, and the fire in the grate had a greenish tinge to it. Well they certainly go in for house colours, here, I see.

"Boys' dormitories, through that door, there! Girls' dormitories through the other door, over there!" Flint called, "Now get lost, all of you! I don't want to see any of you until tomorrow! Your luggage will all be in your rooms!" friendly, isn't he? Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and I all made our way down the corridor Flint had directed us to, and found a door marked with a plaque, 'First-Year Boys.' We entered the room, and I was anything but surprised to see that it was decorated in green. I found my bed, right away - my trunk was already at the foot of my bed, as Flint had said. Nott claimed his bed, quickly too. Crabbe and Goyle squabbled over who was going to get which bed for a full five minutes, before Nott pointed out that their trunks at the foot of the bed indicated which one belonged to who. I had been quite enjoying watching them make bigger idiots of themselves than usual, but didn't say anything. I liked this place, already. I lay awake for about an hour, thinking how well most of the day had gone - with the obvious exception of meeting Potter on the train, and making him hate me, without even trying - I always could make people hate me, quite easily (with the obvious exception of Pansy, who I have been trying to get rid of for years) but I've never made someone hate me, without trying to, before. I fell asleep, still wondering exactly why he hated me, and in my dreams, I came up with the answer: He was a Gryffindor - a born Gryffindor - and no Gryffindor could ever be friends with a Malfoy - they are all Muggle-loving fools, every single one of them.

* * *

End of chapter 2