Chapter 4

Upon arrival at the platform, the trio veered off to the side, unsure of what to do. Then Harry heard a familiar booming voice, "First years! This way!" and his nervousness broke into relief. "Hagrid!"

Ron and Draco exchanged semi-nervous glances and followed Harry to the half- giant. When the man saw them, he smiled and waved, then continued to usher first years toward the lake.

"He's bigger than I thought," Draco whispered, and Harry noticed a hint of fear.

"He... seems nice," Ron said hesitantly.

"He is," Harry assured them, "trust me."

And they did.

Soon after they fell in step with the other kids, filling four to a boat, Oo'ing and Ah'ing at the spectacular sight of the castle in the distance. When darkness fell voices turned into awed whispers, and the magicked boats slowly took them across the waters. Gradually the whispers died away as the students were lead into the castle, up the steps, and into the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Headmaster Dumbledore smiled with sparkling eyes.

After the Sorting Hat sung his song, and the appreciative clapping ceased, Professor McGonagall announced the beginning of the sorting.

"Zabini, Blaise!" Skinny walked up a little nervously, climbing onto the gigantic stool. The Sorting Hat was placed on his head, and after a minute or so it shouted out "SLYTHERIN!"

Skinny let out a relieved sigh and left for his table.

"Figures he'd be in that house," Ron whispered to Harry. Besides him, Draco's heart began to pound.

Soon the number of first years crowded in the center began to disperse as the Sorting Hat did its duty with practiced succinctness. Occasionally there would be a pause.

"Weasley, Ronald!" McGonagall called out.

Ron's heart skipped a beat and he stepped forward shakily. Draco gave him a comforting pat and Harry mouthed 'good luck'. At the Gryffindor table, Fred and George, along with a more composed Percy, stood up for a closer look.

The hat settled over his flaming red hair like a cloud a smoke. The edges covered his eyes, and Ron sucked in a breath of surprise when a voice spoke inside his head. "Ah, a Weasley..." the hat chuckled, "brave and honorable as usual, the same old stubbornness and loyalty. Let's hope that they are in the right place. Better make it--"

"GRYFFINDOR!!" The Hat shouted, and the older brothers cheered and welcomed their newest housemate. Ron sat down, relief painted on his forehead.

"Weasley, Draco!" McGonagall read, and the room fell quiet again.

Draco's heart was threatening to break his ribs now. Beside him, Harry gave a supporting squeeze on the arm. Fred and George leaned out farther, watching with a hint of worry. Draco had always been a bit different, being adopted and all, and he had never really caught on to the Weasley's 'do- first-think-after' way of life. In some ways, he was more like Percy, who was almost sorted into You-Know-What due to his lust for fame (This embarrassing little information was obtained when the twins spiked his hot coca with the truth potion one night while the Weasley parents went to a business party).

They watched with increasing nervousness as Draco walked up with a mask of cold aloofness that reminded them too much of what Zabini tried to do.

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"Another Weasley, I see," The hat remarked inside Draco's head, "though only by title."

The side of Draco's lips twitched.

"You've noticed the differences, haven't you? You can never dash into uncharted territories the way Weasleys can, you can never risk your own neck for anyone. Well," the hat added, "not yet."

"You want to fit in," it continued mercilessly, "yet you have your own plans. You don't like the life you are thrown in, yet you try to fill your role." Draco began to sweat. "I will give you the chance to decide." There was a pause.

"Draco or Weasley?" The pale boy glanced at his step-brothers, who were watching expectantly for their last brother to join them at the long table. His gaze traveled across the other three tables, then back to the center at the unsorted first years. His eyes caught Harry's.

They stared at each other for a long time, neither understanding the meaning of this exchange yet knowing somehow that it will affect the outcome of their lives.

Then, Draco turned to Ron. The Weasley smiled supportively, and Draco let out a long breath.

"I am Draco," he told the hat, "Draco Weasley."

"Well, then," the hat replied, and its voice boomed across the hall, "better make it--"

"SLYTHERIN!!"

The crowd was silent. The hat was lifted off his head, but Draco did not notice. He stared at his brothers with a swirl of emotions, and they stared back with bulging eyes and hanging jaws.

A Weasley in Slytherin.

"Take your seat, please." Professor McGonagall ordered softly, and he was forced to move.

No one moved at the Slytherin table, so Draco sat down at the edge. The second years beside him shifted away in distain, but he was too caught up in his thoughts to care. His brothers hate him now. Percy's face was drained of color, frozen with shock. Ron looked as if he was forced to eat a bowl of spiders. But the twins. He groaned and covered his eyes. They had looked crestfallen, as if something they dreaded had happened. That, of course, was exactly what had happened, because Draco was sorted into Slytherin.

"Why didn't I just say Weasley?" He thought to himself, "I should have gone to Gryffindor. I can survive in Gryffindor! I'm a Weasley! I'm brave!" Draco sighed heavily, "I'm brave..."

Oh Merlin, what's Mum and Dad going to think? A distant part of his mind heard McGonagall call Harry's name, but he didn't dare lift up his head for fear of catching his brothers' eyes. The halls were silent for a long time, waiting for The-Boy-Who-Lived to decide his path. Feeling the intensity of the moment, Draco reluctantly gave in to curiosity and peeked at the sorting. His eyes widened in surprise when he found Harry staring back at him. The dark haired boy mouthed something, but Draco was too far away to see.

He heard an intake of breath, and the magical voice of the Sorting Hat boomed out:

"SLYTHERIN!!"

...tbc!

on a side note, notice how the sorting began at letter z. Well, I did that cuz I needed the certain last name order, and so I'm chalking it up to Dumbledore's eccentricities.