Alternate Reality: Simply Slytherin

Chapter Four

Crowded was the first thing to come to Harry's mind as he ambled through the train station. People were everywhere around him, talking, laughing, crying, running, walking and skipping.

He pushed through the crowd determination etched in his mind. He could see platform nine approaching with each step. Passing it he discovered platform ten and backtracked. Platform nine.

This couldn't be good.

His stomach churning with nervousness Harry asked the location of the Hogwarts Express from a passing guard wearing a smart uniform, hat set primly on his head.

The guard gave him a stern look and was about to walk away when Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one and walked away muttering about pranksters.

His mind racing for possible ways this could be a joke, or otherwise elaborate dream, Harry didn't realize he was staring at the barrier between nine and ten. This was soon amended when he noticed that people were appearing in front of the barrier.

"Bloody hell…"Harry muttered watching as several more people appeared out of nowhere and start walking away.

Gripping the cart with clenched fists he approached the barrier warily and with a deep breath charged through. His eyes squeezed shut Harry braced for the collision but surprisingly he kept walking on firm ground. Eyes fluttering open he found a scarlet red steam engine waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign on his left read 'Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock'. Behind him where the barrier had been he saw a wrought iron archway with the words 'Platform Nine and Three-Quarters' on it. He had made it.

Harry noted that the majority of the students had already boarded the train and he pushed his cart through the crowd quickly. Finding an empty compartment at the end he lifted Caesar up first and struggled with his trunk. Setting it down in defeat he looked around for someone who might help.

"Need help there?" A boy Harry's age with slicked back blonde hair and pointed features asked.

"Yes." Harry was so relieved to find help he didn't notice the other boys eyes rest momentarily on his hair line.

"Crabbe, Goyle! Get over here. Put this trunk in the compartment."

Harry watched as two boys, bulky and somewhat mean looking came forward and lifted the trunk into the compartment easily.

"Thank you." Harry said, turning to the blonde boy who was giving him a calculating look.

"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." The blonde stuck out his hand.

"Harry Potter." Harry took the boys hand and they shook, studying each other with interest.

"This is Crabbe and this is Goyle, if anybody gives you trouble…" Draco didn't need to finish for Harry to understand. The two intimidating boys were thickset and resembled bodyguards, thought neither appeared very smart.

"I'll keep that in mind." Said Harry, unsure of what to think of the gesture.

"Come on then, I'll introduce you to my father." The platinum haired boy led Harry around the chattering crowd towards a tall, powerful looking man in wizarding robes.

"Draco? Why are you not on the train?" The man had long blonde hair and striking grey eyes like his son. He had a walking stick in his gloved hand and carried himself like royalty and arrogance.

"I wanted to introduce you to my friend, father. This is Harry Potter. Harry, this is my father."

"Lucius Malfoy, Mr. Potter."

"Nice to meet you." Said Harry accepting the offered hand.

The two looked into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity to Harry but was in fact only half a minute. In a battle of wills Lucius suddenly smiled, a strained expression if Harry ever saw one, and dropped the boys hand.

"Like wise, I'm sure." The older Malfoy inclined his head gracefully, Harry returning the gesture albeit a little more clumsily.

The two young wizards-in-training took their leave and boarded the train, eager to be off to school. Once they chose a compartment and were seated, the Malfoy boy stretched out over the booth like seat and did all but dismiss his two bodyguards.

"What house do you suppose you'll be sorted into?" he drawled, eyes half-lidded boredly.

"No one knows until after the sorting." Harry looked out the window as the train lurched and started down the tracks.

"I bet it'll be Ravenclaw, if not Slytherin, for you that is. For me it'll be Slytherin, sure as I'm sitting here. My whole family has always been Slytherin of course."

Harry honestly couldn't care worth a Knut, but knew it was polite to listen anyway. Besides, he might learn something useful.

"What about you, Harold?"

The raven haired boy seemed intrigued at the reference but didn't say anything against it. He had never been called anything but Harry by his teachers, or boy by his relations. This was getting to be a whole knew experience for him.

"I don't know. I've heard my parents were Griffindor, doesn't seem that bad of a place to be sorted into."

Draco snorted. "I've heard about Griffindors…" he trailed off for a moment but seemed to shake whatever he had been thinking of off and continued, "But I suppose it can't be as bad as being sorted into Hufflepuff."

"What would be bad about that? They're friendly, trustworthy."

"Trustworthy? Too trust worthy if you ask me. They're naïve and childish." The young Malfoy's voice dripped with disdain as he sneered.

"And Slytherin has no faults? They are crafty and sneaky, they slink around in the shadows…"

"But not a truer friend you'll find! Once you've weeded out the bad apples-"

"Or snakes."

Draco inclined his head, "Alright, I'll play your game. Or snakes. Once you've rooted them out you can find friends. Good ones, ones who'll stick by you no matter what."

"Game? I never play games."

"We all play a game."

"You call life a game? Quite a philosopher for your age, don't you think? Perhaps you'll be the one sorted into Ravenclaw."

Draco snorted again, "Ravenclaw? They may be smart, but so rooted in their studies so as not to notice danger around them? They aren't smart in everything. They'd have a spell cast at them and be so entranced at wanting to know the effect, they wouldn't care if it was new killing curse."

Harry turned from watching the scenery fly by and listened to Draco with interest, "And Griffindor? What are their faults?"

"They are loud, obnoxious."

"Brave, and courageous."

"Bravado and show."

"True of heart…"

"A heart they refuse to protect."

"And Slytherin protects their heart?"

"Like a coiled snake. Slytherin would rather strike first then be hurt."

"But with so much protecting they never experience happiness and love. Joy and sadness."

"Who wants to experience sadness? It is a weakness."

"Slytherin's strength is also its weakness. Every house's strength is its weakness." Harry concluded the conversation just as a plump woman walked by the door and asked if they wanted anything. Harry's stomach grumbled but he wrinkled his nose at the sweets.

Draco refused and stared at Harry for a moment. "You're nothing like I expected."

Harry could feel a blush pinch his cheeks and he swallowed nervously. "I'm still getting used to this whole 'boy-who-lived' thing…"

"No no, I meant it in a good way. I thought you would act more…Griffindor, from what I've heard of you anyway."

Harry honestly wondered what the platinum haired boy could have heard about him. He'd been locked up with the Dursley's his whole life. Maybe he'd been spied upon by the wizarding world and hadn't known it. He decided against the thought though, if they had know how he had been treated wouldn't they have handed him over to their people? Filing away the thought for later Harry tuned into what the other boy was saying.

"…father attended Hogwarts about the same time your father did. James was his name wasn't it?"

"Hm? Yes."

"Well my father says your father was part of a group that labeled themselves the 'Mauraders' and they used to terrorize my godfather. I suppose he isn't going to pleasant around you, I heard him talking to my father a few weeks ago. He kept muttering about the 'Potter child' and I guess he was meaning you."

"Why would I be around him? Does he teach at the school?"

Draco looked proud, "Yes, he's a potions Master though I think he fancies the D.A.D.A. job. Pity that rat Quirrel got it."

Harry looked at Draco with interest, "Potions? I love potions. Did you know there is a potion you can change a person's skin colour with? It's fairly simple to make as well."

"Is it in our text book?"

"No, I picked up a few extra books to read when I went to get my school supplies."

"Wicked, perhaps if you're sorted into Slytherin…" A mischievous glint lighted in Dracos' youthful gaze and the two made an unspoken agreement.

Soon the two were changed into their Hogwarts robes and skimming the pages of Harry's 'extracurricular' books. A girl with bushy brown hair, and crooked teeth opened the compartment door and looked around, not meeting the eyes of the two boys. Seemingly satsified that what she was looking for was not in fact there she met the eyes of Draco and sniffed.

"A boy named Neville has lost his toad, you haven't seen it have you?"

"I'm looking at it." He replied coolly. Harry gave him a disapproving look before answering.

"No, we haven't. Perhaps you should change into your robes, we're almost there."

Shifting her icy glare from the Malfoy child to Harry she sniffed again and drew her lips into a thin line. "Yes, I know. I've just come from the conductor's place. He said as much as well." With another look at Draco the girl closed the door and continued down the hallway.

"Five sickles says she's a Griffindor." Quipped Draco as he stared at the closed door with a scowl.

Harry sighed and folded his arms. "You weren't very nice to her."

Draco wrinkled his nose, dismissing the matter.

REVIEWS~

Molly Morrison: Well I'm not sure how he knew, mayhap it was wizards intuition? Maybe cause the store was closed for a couple days, I dunno. I forgot that detail. *bangs head against wall * Bad author!

Padawan: *cackles gleefully * This is so much fun!

HecateDeMort: * dramatic sigh * I know…

Serpent of Light: Thank you, you are awsome.

SlythCat19: You're a quick one! ^_^

Freshly ground COW: So sorry it took so long to post up this chapter! I have a life and it takes up most of my free time

*sigh * Glad you liked it!

Tati1: I trust you have never heard of Caesar Augusta? He was an old Roman king I think. I'm not sure, I've got my Bible and History all mixed up. @_@ So it's both, formally Augusta. And for short, Caesar.