1991
"Harry, dear, your Hogwarts letter's here!" Lily Potter said excitedly as she shook Harry Potter awake. She handed the thick yellowish envelope to her son, and he clutched it, half-asleep still.
"Mum. 'S too early. Can I open it over breakfast?" he asked, blinking at the light that filled his room.
"It's half-past noon, Harry. You missed breakfast."
"Oh. Awright." Harry slid his tired finger into the envelope and opened it, then pulled out all the papers inside. There was his list, his acceptance letter, and an envelope marked 'To Lily and James' in Dumbledore's handwriting. He handed his mum the letter and then scanned his letter and list. Lily opened the letter and smiled.
"What's that?" Harry asked. He didn't really care, but figured it would be polite to ask.
"Oh, just a silly Dumbledore letter. The usual stuff. Asking about you... Oh, yes, before I forget, what house do you want to be in? Your father and I were both Gryffindors, and I think you'll probably be, as well."
"Um..." In truth, Harry wanted to be in Slytherin, with Draco. He'd have to discuss this with his friend.
Lily took no notice to Harry's hesitance,"I'm so glad we have Dumbledore. Did you know he was Headmaster when you're father and I were at Hogwarts? And he was Transfiguration before that. Been there forever, he has. I can't imagine the day he's not." As Lily's short speech ended, her eyes filled with tears. Girls, thought Harry.
"Hey, where's Dad?" he asked, noticing his father was absent,
"Oh, business at the Ministry," Lily answered, wiping her eyes. "Sorry."
"I don't mind. Mum, can I have someone over today?" he hastily questioned, catching her in a weak moment. He felt guilty, but it worked, nevertheless.
"Sure, Harry. Eat something first, though," Lily instructed her son. He went downstairs, envisioning the cake leftover from his birthday two days ago. Everyone had come to his party: Sirius, Remus, and Peter, his dad's closest friends; Draco, Harry's very best friend; Henrietta and Helen, Lily's Hogwarts buddies; and Regulus, Sirius's brother, who had nothing better to do.
Harry cut himself a big slice of cake and grabbed a bottle of soda from the cooler on his way outside. "I'll be in the clubhouse!" he yelled to his mother.
"Okay!" she shouted back. Harry strode across their large lawn to a very big tree. He pulled on a rope that came down from the branches, and a platform dropped down. He stepped on it, and it slowly rose up until he was in a spacious wooden house up in the tree. Setting his cake and soda on a table, he went into a bedroom that connected to the main room. A queen-sized bed, accompanied by a small wardrobe and a desk were all that took up the room's tiny space. Harry sat down on the bed, bounced twice, and watched his candy stash fall–in a plastic bag–from the ceiling. A trick he had learned from his father. This was all of his candy that he didn't want Lily to confiscate. She threw everything out after two months, regardless of what it was. She believed sincerely in the idea that everything went bad exactly as milk did.
Harry pulled out some Cauldron Cakes and then tapped twice on the wall. The bag rose back up and was hidden somewhere that he wasn't particularly concerned with.
He walked to the desk and got some parchment and a quill loaded with ink, then scribbled:
Draco–
Come over ASAP!
–Harry
He called for Gerald, his owl. Gerald was quite ugly, but Harry "at least had an owl" in his mother's words. Harry tied his note to Gerald's leg once he arrived, and sent him off to get Draco.
A half-hour later, Draco arrived with his mother. They had Apparated into the clubhouse.
"Hello, Harry. Where's your mum?" Narcissa asked pleasantly.
"Oh, she's in the house, I think. Dad's at work, though," Harry answered.
"Oh, on a Sunday? Pity. I was going to steal them and go with Lucius to dinner. Well, I guess it's just your mum and I, huh?"
"Um, sure." Narcissa disappeared down the passageway on the platform, and Draco sat down next to Harry on the bed, where the latter had been eating.
"What's up, mate?" Draco asked.
"Did you get your Hogwarts letter?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, this morning. Why?" Draco questioned
"Well, my mum wants me to be in Gryffindor." Harry explained.
Draco was confused. "So?"
"You're going to be in Slytherin. You know that." Harry said, almost accusingly.
"Well, we can be in different houses. We'd still see each other. You know, in classes and stuff. It'd be okay," Draco reassured his slightly dramatic friend.
"But what if we don't have any classes together?" Harry asked.
"There's meals."
"We'd sit at different tables, remember?"
"Um, we'd see each other in the corridors." Draco had a hunch that he'd lost already.
"We wouldn't, I bet." Harry was also a bit pessimistic.
"Well... There's always the Room of Requirement. We could meet in there at night. You have you're dad's Invisibility Cloak, and I have mine that I got for my birthday. We could go out after hours and meet there." Draco was proud of himself. Harry hadn't even thought of that.
"Well..."
"It'll be okay," Draco repeated firmly.
"Fine. But what if I'm in Slytherin?" Harry lay back on the bed, closing his eyes.
"Well, all your problems'd be solved, wouldn't they?" Draco was confused again.
"No. My mum and dad would be mad. They were Gryffindors, remember?" Harry said miserably.
"Harry, come on. I'm sure they're happy you got in to begin with," Draco teased. Harry opened one eye and grinned.
"Okay." He gave in. "What do you want to do?"
"I dunno. You're the one that told me to come over." Draco lay down beside Harry and closed his eyes as well. He felt good like this.
"Malfoy, Draco!" Professor McGonagall called. The students already seated hused so that they could hear what house this new boy was Sorted intoThe hat barely touched Draco's head before it shouted "SLYTHERIN!" Harry smirked in a silent "I told you so" and waited until the professor called his name, which wasn't long. He scuffled up to the stool and sat down.
"Ah, Potter. I recall your parents. Gryffindors. Where to put you, though?" a voice whispered in his ear. Please Slytherin, Harry thought as hard as he could.
"Not Gryffindor? Why ever not?" Draco's in Slytherin, Harry responded.
"Well. It's up to you. Slytherin or Gryffindor?" Slytherin.
"Okay, if you're sure. SLYTHERIN!" Harry smiled as the hat was pulled off his head. The Slytherin table erupted in cheers. Harry trotted over and sat next to Draco.
"Problem solved, mate," Harry said in his ear. The rest of the students were Sorted quickly and Dumbledore said something Harry failed to catch, then the feast began.
It was much like meals at the Malfoy Manor. Harry watched the students who were not accustomed to food suddenly sprouting from empty plates faces as they were shocked and then delighted. He dug in, taking several of everything and eating until his pants were in danger of popping open, and then some more. After dessert, Dumbledore stood up and the Hall became very quiet as the Headmaster began to speak.
"I have some announcements, and then we can all go to bed. First, this year, I have been asked by Mr. Filch to alert students of the list on his door of the things which are not allowed in the school. If you have any questions about certain objects, please consult the list or Mr. Filch.
"Second, I will warn first-years that the Forbidden Forest is, as its name suggests, forbidden. Be careful to stay well away from it, as there are dangerous creatures inside and it is complicated to explain to parents how their child strayed from Herbology and ended up unicorn food.
"The last announcement this evening I must ask you all to pay attention to. The third corridor on the right side is forbidden. I will ask you not to go near it unless you would like to die a slow and painful death.
"Well, that's all! Follow your prefects to the dormitories and have a good night!"
"Was he kidding?" Harry asked Draco nervously.
"I hope so," Draco answered
"GO, FLINT, GO!" Harry yelled as the Slytherin Quidditch Captain zipped past the stands on his broom. It was pouring buckets, and everyone was drenched. Draco, beside him, had refused to bring a jacket, saying it was "just a drizzle." And it had been, at first, but now the rain was coming down so hard Harry couldn't see across the stadium.
"Mate, you need a jacket," Harry informed Draco. He was shivering, but trying to hide it. His clothes looked several pounds heavier from the water it had absorbed.
"I'm f-fine," Draco insisted.
"No, you're not. Here, take mine," Harry said, pulling off his jacket.
"I can't. You'll freeze."
"Well. Um... Oh, I know. Engorgio!" Harry enlarged the jacket considerably, and pushed the right side over Draco, who smiled gratefully.
"Ugh, Draco, I don't feel so good," Harry said, holding his stomach. It was the middle of the night during the holiday break. Harry had awoken in a cold sweat, his head spinning. He had a feeling that he was about to see his dinner once more.
"Well, come on then, let's go to the Hospital Wing," Draco coaxed sleepily. Harry had shaken him awake.
"No, mate, I'm not gonna make it to the–" Harry turned around to face the door and vomited. Draco was luckily very stable about this kind of thing, and administered a cleaning charm. Harry lay back on his bed, feet hanging over.
"Harry, put your feet on your bed and prop yourself up on some pillows. Here's mine," Draco instructed Harry as he tossed him another pillow. Harry had other ideas and leaned over the side of the bed while Draco rubbed his back soothingly. Harry continued to vomit until he was sure he'd faint. He couldn't breath, and he thought, I'm going to die, right here.
"Come on, mate, lean back, you're done. Put your head on the pillows, that's it. Now put your feet on the bed, come on. Will you be okay? I'm going to get Snape. Just stay here until I get back, okay? I promise I'll hurry." With that, Draco dashed out the door, leaving it open. Harry closed his eyes and relaxed, trying to will his stomach to stop clenching like that. He was suddenly very tired. He relaxed as much as he could, and he felt himself drifting off...
"Potter, wake up. What's the matter? Draco comes to get me in the middle of the night, says you're puking out your eyeballs. Let's get you to the Hospital Wing," an abruptly sharp voice said, waking him from his trance. He opened his eyes as Snape lifted him up. They walked quickly to the Hospital Wing, with Draco following closely behind.
"Oh, Mr. Potter, what's the matter?" Madam Pomfrey asked, tying a robe around her sleeping gown
"I'm dying," Harry informed the nurse.
"Okay. Mr. Malfoy, what's the verdict?" Madam Pomfrey turned to Draco.
"Well, he's got a fever, a headache, and he's been vomiting. He's all pasty, look, and clammy. He says he couldn't sleep, but he was asleep when I got back from getting Professor Snape, and that took about two minutes. I'd say either the flu or something of the sort," Draco said, very businesslike.
"Mr. Malfoy, that was impressive. You should be a Healer." Draco blushed from the compliment.
"If you excuse me, Poppy, I'm going back to bed," Snape butted in unceremoniously.
"Okay, Severus. I think Mr. Malfoy and I have got it covered. Good night," Madam Pomfrey turned from Snape and back to Draco. "What do you think we should give him?" she said, nodding toward Harry, who was now on a cot and moaning.
"Stomach Solution and bed rest," Draco said confidently.
"My thoughts exactly." The nurse walked into a cabinet and came out with a bottle of green-yellow liquid. She measured out enough, handed it to Harry, and instructed, "Swallow it all. Hold your nose, you won't taste it as much." This last part intimidated Harry slightly, but he did as told.
"Good night, Harry," he heard from Draco before he laid his head on the pillow and slept.