1. The Hogwarts Express and Other Disappointments

Lucius Malfoy did not have an excuse to miss this momentous occasion of his son going off to learn mediocre magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He probably would have blamed it on work, if he actually had a job in the first place. Lucius didn't have a job per se, he had duties though, duties and influence– oh yes, and he had money. Money in the Muggle or Wizarding worlds meant power, and as everyone knows, people in power do not work. So Lucius was rather inconvenienced into seeing his son off to what Narcissa thought was her doing. The actual reasons that Draco ended up at Hogwarts were complicated and based on flimsy whispers of whispers of rumors that were too devious to be discussed at the dinner table, to be put politely.

"Now, don't forget to write," Narcissa said smoothly as she gestured to Draco's speckled, eagle owl that lazily squawked and eyed Draco maliciously. Draco looked down at it with the same distaste his father used.

The owl was named Thalion. His talons were extremely sharp, as Draco had learned the day they bought him. He had decided that the owl needed to get a better view of the Manor, so he had hung the owl upside down by its feet over one of their highest balconies. This was mostly to anger his mother, who had refused to buy him a Nimbus Two Thousand, and also to torment the bird. As it turned out, Thalion didn't appreciate this at all. The owl didn't come down from the roof for three days after he had escaped and managed to gash Draco's face. The disgusting beast also left Draco an unpleasant present in his bed, and no, it wasn't a dead rat.

"And do exactly what Professor Snape tells you," Narcissa said as she fixed Draco's robes.

Draco's hair was slicked back. His fair, translucent complexion appeared queer against the sharp black of his school robes. His features were pointed, not unlike his mother's. His eyes were nearly the same smarting silver as his father's. Draco wasn't the most handsome boy, but he certainly was so unusual looking that it had a becoming appeal for him.

"Mother!" Draco yanked away from his mother.

King's Cross was becoming very busy. The three Malfoys were a sight to see in the crowded, screeching station. The more ecstatic and boisterous the people around them became, the calmer they walked and the more nauseous they got. Muggle children ran everywhere, and the guardsman kept one suspicious eye on the blonde bunch; they certainly were a spectacle to behold.

Lucius sported a serpent-headed, black cane. His dress robes were black moleskin, trimmed with charcoal silk. His serpentine hair was pulled back with a silvery ribbon. He walked in long, patient strides along side Narcissa, who was also wearing black velvety robes trimmed with a sharp feminine green. Dobby, the house elf, invisibly skirted around her feet; he was less prone to get caned in the eye there.

They passed through platform nine-and-three-quarters sleekly. Draco immediately saw Blaise Zabini and waved him over. Zabini smiled solemnly at Draco, and they shook hands. Narcissa was double checking Draco's things, and Lucius had rushed off to talk to Theodore's father, Korvin Nott.

"Have you seen anyone else?" Draco said as he measured Zabini with his eyes; Blaise had grown a lot taller since he had last seen him.

"Only Adrian and Adarin Pucey," Blaise said calmly. "So did you get it?"

"No," Draco sighed, disappointed. "Mother kept butting in every time I tried to talk to

Father about it. What about you?" Draco said with some jealousy. Theodore joined them from the group of fathers that were congregating around Lucius Malfoy.

"Did you hear?" Theodore asked Draco, who in turn snorted.

"Of course I did," Draco quickly lied.

"Hear what?" Zabini said with the same feline interest.

"I overheard Father talking, and you'll never guess–" Theodore Nott tensed up and smiled slowly as a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Nott." Marcus Flint, a caveman of a boy grinned down at Theodore. Nott smiled uneasily.

"First years," Flint sighed as his eyes flitted from Nott and Zabini to Draco. "Malfoy, I don't think we've had the pleasure." Flint stuck out his hand. Draco grinned and took it. "Flint, Marcus," he said as his grip tightened. "I'm sure you've heard of the Flints. My father, Vito Flint…" Flint let the name linger. "…is a friend of the Ministry."

"Of course," Draco said.

"I'm also up for the Quidditch team captain this year. If you play your cards right, you might end up on the team, Malfoy. I hear you're a good Keeper–"

"Boys, I do believe you should get a good seat on the train," said a deep voice.

It was Mr Zabini; he hugged Blaise.

"Narcissa, how nice to see you again," Zabini senior said while flashing a smile. Draco's mother flushed.

"You too, Zama," she said and turned to Draco. "Now–"

"Yes, I know," he said, now even more irritable since they were in front of his friends. Narcissa showed a rare and almost strained smile. "Have fun and work hard."

Draco faced his father, whose interest seemed to take a turn for the worse. Draco had at least expected an uncomfortable hug, but Lucius stuck his hand out. Draco shook his father's hand like if he was departing from a little known acquaintance.

"Don't get into too much trouble," Lucius said with a small smile and his famous arched eyebrow.

"Yes, sir."

They loaded on to the train. He met Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle as he was lugging his trunk. They looked more dumbstruck than usual.

"Where have you two been?" Draco sighed when he ran into them. Although he definitely enjoyed the new politics Hogwarts was opening him to, he felt better seeing the familiar, if not blockheaded faces of Crabbe and Goyle.

"Have you heard!" Crabbe, the quietest of the trio, whispered to Draco. Draco eyed a group of first years who were surrounded by a boy with dread locks and a huge grin. There were more students congregating to see what the boy had in a large box.

"No, no, I can't," the boy with dread locks said with a mischievous grin to a first year.

Crabbe slid the glass compartment open. It was at the front of the train and the platform was crowded of first and second years trying to find empty compartments. Goyle grabbed Draco's trunk and pulled it in.

"Heard what!" Draco grouched, red-faced. Crabbe shut the glass compartment behind him. Draco scanned the large compartment as Goyle loaded his trunk. Nott knocked on the

compartment and Crabbe rolled his eyes, letting him in.

"Longbottom…" Nott grinned feverishly. "…lost his toad, Malfoy. Have you seen it?" Nott then reached into his robes and retrieved a slimy, fat toad. Draco clucked his tongue as Nott plopped down beside him on the seat, holding the amphibian.

"Longbottom, eh?" Malfoy mused as he eyed the toad. "I have a feeling he has lost a little more than his toad." Crabbe and Goyle laughed darkly.

Draco reached up into his trunk and pulled a small, untitled book out of it and began thumbing through it. He showed Nott a picture of a man being decapitated in several different ways. Nott acknowledged the book, but was too concerned with prodding the toad with his wand.

"Yeah," Goyle, the bigger of the dumber of blockheads grunted and eyed Crabbe.

"By the way, Longbottom is trailing behind this horrendous looking cow and she's saying that..." Nott paused and caught Draco's eye. "Harry Potter is in the last compartment."

"So it's really true?" Crabbe asked.

"Savior of the Wizarding world, Harry Potter?" Draco let out a boisterous laugh.

"Harry Potter." The glass door slid open. "I can't step into one bloody compartment without hearing about him." Blaise Zabini shut the door after he entered.

"What does he look like?" Nott asked, attempting to veil his excitement with a look of casual interest. Zabini gave a questioning glance to the toad Nott was prodding but decided better not to ask.

"Well," Blaise said as he eyed Goyle, and then sat in the space beside him. "I didn't see him, but Longbottom said he was pretty ordinary. Black hair, glasses, skinny..." Blaise grinned at Draco who looked slightly dumbfounded.

"No way!" Draco gushed. "I think I saw him at Madam Malkin's. Incredibly dull fellow..."

The foursome eyed him inquisitively

"Come on, boys," Draco said to Crabbe and Goyle. "We should definitely throw Prince Potter a welcoming parade."

They arrived at the last compartment and opened the door. There was the boy from Madam Malkin's with a red-headed, delirious-looking boy who had a dirty face. Draco squinted at the Potter boy.

"Is it true?" Draco said, crossing his arms. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said the boy. He adjusted his glasses.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle." Draco tossed his hand to the two boys behind him. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

The wretched red-headed boy choked on a giggle at Draco. Draco turned to the redhead and focused on him, measuring him from wand to robe.

"Think my name's funny, do you?" Malfoy asked, his eyes narrowing. "No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." Draco turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find that some Wizarding families are

much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

Draco, like he had done so many other times to other boys, held out his hand to Harry Potter; but Harry Potter didn't take it. Harry's large, green eyes seemed to be magnified by his glasses as he stared at Draco Malfoy. Even in Madam Malkin's, this boy, this Harry Potter hadn't given Draco his full attention. Now it almost unnerved Draco, the way Harry was looking at him.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry said to Draco.

Draco blinked, unable to even recollect his thoughts. This wasn't supposed to happen, this never happened. What had he done wrong? Why didn't Harry Potter like him? Why, was Harry Potter so above even for a Malfoy! Harry Potter had just humiliated Draco Malfoy in front of his two best friends and a bloody Weasley.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," Draco said as he gathered his thoughts back. "Unless you're a bit politer, you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you too."

Weasley and Potter stood, as if preparing for battle.

Oh, they're so touchy when they're insulted, aren't they? Draco mused.

"Say that again," the Weasley spouted.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy snorted.

"Unless you get out of here now," said Potter.

His bark is bad for someone who seems to mope around all the time, thought Draco.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Draco eyed a heaping pile of goodies in the middle of the compartment.

Goyle reached toward a chocolate frog. The Weasley, looking half insane, jumped forwards. Goyle yelped. A large rat was hanging from his hand. Goyle wailed around, violently tossing the rat, until finally it slammed against the window of the train.

Draco, utterly scandalized, left immediately and the other boys followed.

"You're a complete, incompetent, idiot– you know that, right?" Draco screeched at Goyle, who was cradling his hand and sobbing.

"How was I supposed to know a rat was going to fly out of thin air and mutilate me!" Goyle said, holding his bloody hand up to show Draco. They were rushing back to the front of the train.

"Rats don't fly out of thin air and mutilate people," Crabbe said; he looked angry as well.

"Obviously they do!" Goyle seethed. Draco, who was growing increasingly fond of a giant rat army eating Potter's head off, told Goyle to go with Crabbe and get some first aid magic. He watched them head off in the other direction as Goyle insisted that the rat had not been there.

"What happened?" an alert but soft voice uttered from behind him. Draco turned around to see a small girl with elfish features eying him.

"Er... rat incident," Draco muttered and looked at the rest of her compartment. It was a gang of giggling girls, all staring at him. The girl crossed her arms and leaned against the side of the doorway.

"Oh," she said with a sheepish grin. Her eyes were deep brown and sharp. Her nose was button and all her features scaled her small size. Her hair was worn short and kept blacker than any moonless night. "Did you hear? Harry Potter is–"

"Oh yes, I've heard all about Harry Potter," Draco said, his anger coming back to him.

"Well, I was going to go sneak a look at him," the girl said with another tempting smile, "My friend Pavarti said he seems like a near perfect angel, does he?"

Draco snorted.

"Oh yes, Saint Potter." Draco couldn't help but notice the girls losing interest but still keeping an eye on him. "I'm sorry, you're–"

"Pansy," the girl said quickly. "My name is Pansy Parkinson." Pansy tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The name sounded familiar to Draco; maybe her parents were friends of the family.

"I'm–" But Draco couldn't finish because someone interrupted him.

"Excuse me," a large dark skinned boy said. He was traveling with six companions.

"I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts," Draco said to Pansy and then eyed the dark skinned boy again.

"It looks like it." She sighed, waved, and turned and shut the compartment. Draco turned back once more to look at her as he traveled down the aisle. She was giggling about God knows what with the chamber of girls.

When the train finally slammed to a halt, Draco was the first to get off followed by Nott and Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle had been long lost once more.

Honestly, this is the second time I've lost them. I'll have to tie chains around their necks here. Draco sighed as he thought this.

It was very dark outside, and the first thing Draco heard was a booming voice.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Firs' years!" It was that giant, that Hagrid of Harry's. "Firs' years follow me!"

"Oh, good Lord," Draco said in disbelief at the giant.

"Oh, good Lord," Blaise echoed. "Almost makes you miss Muggle London."

"No, Blaise, there is nothing that will make me miss Muggle London," Nott said as he hopped from the train.

"Are we really supposed to follow him?" Zabini said suspiciously. "He might just be waiting to lure innocent children to his hut to crush our bones and eat us with marmalade."

"Naw, Father says a giant works here... Plus, I've seen him before."

The other Hogwarts students were piling out of the train, and the first years were congregating around Hagrid.

"You? Innocent?" Draco heard Nott snort at Zabini.

They traveled down a long a slippery trail. Branches scraped against their faces and robes. Draco moaned about the dark and a bushy-haired first year emitted light from her wand.

"Better?" she said, and smiled toward Draco and his friends. A blue glow radiated to the small circle. Draco eyed her.

"Yeah, thanks," he said as he watched her carefully.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the great oaf said. "Jus' round this bend here."

A sudden burst of "Oooh" was heard from the crowd of first years. Draco, though used to splendor, was also slightly taken back.

Across a giant ink-black lake laid a large castle underneath the glimmering stars. Gigantic towers jutted out of the earth in great gothic spirals. The arches that connected the towers were laced with intricate designs and detailed gargoyles rested on their eves.

Draco let his eyes trail to the boats.

"We're not riding those, are we?" Draco said in horror.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the hairy moron bellowed.

Draco glowered at Potter and the Weasley. Crabbe and Goyle had appeared from within the crowd. Draco would either ride with Nott and Zabini or with Crabbe and Goyle. Judging by the way Crabbe and Goyle's rickety boat was almost level with the lake, he picked Nott and Zabini.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid. Suddenly, it looked as if something were under the surface of the lake. Draco thought he might be sick.

"You okay?" Nott asked.

"Mhm," he breathed, keeping an eye on the lake. The giant yelled once more.

"Right then– FORWARD."