I don't own either Harry Potter or Dungeons and Dragons. They belong to their respective creators. The only things that are mine are the story itself and any original characters I might come up with. Please read and review; I always appreciate feedback. Constructive criticism is welcome, however no flames please.

11 – SORTING AND OTHER MATTERS

As Harry and his friends exited the train onto the platform in the darkening evening they heard a voice calling from the far end of the platform near the front of the train.

"First years!" called the voice, "first years over here!"

"Who's that?" asked Hermione as they got near the end of the platform where the speaker was. It was a big man, very big, he looked almost too big. He had a full head of hair, a large, unkempt beard and was holding up a lantern as he called for the first years.

"I think that's Hagrid" said Neville, "my parents told me about him. He's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts."

"My parents mentioned him too" said Harry, "they say he's a good guy."

"This way!" called Hagrid to the gathering first years and led them off the platform onto a path that sloped down a hillside. As they rounded a bend in the path the view opened out over a large black lake. On the other side of that lake a vast castle was sprawled out on the hilltop with many windows lit up. There were many gasps of appreciation from the group of students.

"Impressive" said Harry as he got his first look at Hogwarts.

"Even by your standards?" asked Neville in a low voice to Harry.

"Dragon standards are different" said Harry, "we have to build big for obvious reasons. That castle is still impressive even if it's not built for dragons."

While they were talking they reached the shore of the lake where a whole bunch of little boats sat by the beach.

"No more than four to a boat" called Hagrid. Harry, Neville, Hermione, and Ron all got into one boat while the other students filled up the other boats. Hagrid had his own boat.

"Forward!" called Hagrid and the boats began moving across the lake by themselves. The trip across the lake was a silent one as the new students looked up at the castle they were sailing towards. Eventually they entered a tunnel under the hill and continued on until they came to an underground harbor. They all left the boats and went up a passage which put them out on the lawn before the castle front doors. Hagrid stepped up to the doors and rapped upon them. The doors were immediately opened by a stern looking witch dressed all in green.

"The first years Professor McGonagall" said Hagrid.

"Thank you Hagrid I will take them from here" said Professor McGonagall. She led the students into the school and into a small side chamber where she briefly welcomed them to the school and mentioned the four houses they would be sorted into before telling them to wait while she went to see if things were ready yet. There was some whispered small talk among the new students while they waited but nothing of any real importance. The only notable thing that happened was when a bunch of ghosts walked through the room on their way to the school's opening feast and greeted the students.

When Professor McGonagall came back she had the students line up and follow her. Harry lined up behind Neville and in front of Hermione as they walked across the entrance hall and through a set of large doors which took them into the Great Hall of Hogwarts. It was an amazing place, even to someone like Harry who had grown up in a dragon-sized palace on another plane of existence. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky above. Four tables ran parallel down most of the length of room and these tables were full of students, obviously the rest of the school. Down at the other end of the room was a raised platform on which a fifth table was placed perpendicular to the other tables. The teachers of the school were sitting there looking out at their students.

Professor McGonagall led the first years down to the far end of the Great Hall and had them line up in front of the teachers' table. Then she got out a low stool and put an old, ratty hat on it. After a few seconds rip in the hat opened up and it began to sing a song in which it announced itself to be the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts and telling everyone about the four houses of the school, their main attributes, and that it was going to sort all of the first years into their proper places. When the Hat was done it bowed to all of the tables. Professor McGonagall then unrolled a piece of parchment.

"When I call out your name please put on the Hat and sit on the stool to be sorted" she said before calling out "Abbott, Hannah."

Hannah walked shakily from the line to the stool and sat down on it with the Hat on her head. A moment went by before –

"HUFFLEPUFF!" called the Sorting Hat.

"No surprise there" Harry commented to Neville in a low voice as Hannah went to the cheering Hufflepuff table.

"Bones, Susan" was next.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" called the Hat and Susan followed Hannah to the same table.

"Or there either" said Neville, "it does run in her family."

One of their new acquaintances, Terry Boot then went to Ravenclaw followed by Mandy Brocklehurst, after which Lavender Brown went to Gryffindor and Millicent Bulstrode went to Slytherin. Not long after that another of their train neighbors, Michael Corner followed Terry and Mandy to Ravenclaw. Later still Vincent Crabbe went to Slytherin as did Gregory Goyle several students after him. Harry had expected both of these sortings from the little he'd seen of both boys on the train. And then –

"Granger, Hermione" called Professor McGonagall and Hermione eagerly ran to the stool and practically jammed the Sorting Hat on her head.

"Not so hard!" said the Hat to Hermione, "you'll get sorted. There's no need for you to manhandle me like that."

"Oh, sorry" said Hermione in surprise.

"Accepted" said the Hat, "now let's see. Hmm, you came here with your heart set on Gryffindor but now you're not so sure."

"No" said Hermione in her mind to the Hat, "I was made to realize that I should go to the house that's best for me, not the one that people say is the best house to be in."

"Sensible" said the Hat, "in that case there's really only one place for you and that's RAVENCLAW!" The last word was shouted out to the hall. Hermione took off the Hat and got up from the stool. As she headed towards the cheering Ravenclaw table she glanced back at the line and saw Harry and Neville both nod to her. She nodded back before sitting down.

And so the sorting went until Neville's name was called.

"Wish me luck" he said to Harry as he stepped forward.

"Good luck" said Harry.

"What do we have here?" the Hat said after it was placed on Neville's head, "you could go into all the houses, couldn't you? But what would serve you best? Hmm, you're quite the genius when it comes to plants. And about to be published already at your age? Most impressive. That makes things easier. You need to be where your love of, and learning about, plants will be encouraged to reach its full potential without other pressures. You can achieve great things in that field. I think the best place for you to be able to follow that path is in RAVENCLAW!"

As the Ravenclaw cheered for Neville Harry's eyebrows went up in surprise, although when he thought it over he wasn't all that surprised. There was no question that Neville was a genius so Ravenclaw probably would be a good place for him.

A few more students were sorted. Ernie Macmillan went to Hufflepuff, Morag MacDougal went to Ravenclaw, and then Draco Malfoy was called. Malfoy strutted up to the stool as if he owned the castle.

"Now where should you go?" the Hat said to Malfoy when it was on his head.

"Just send me to Slytherin" Malfoy said to the Hat.

"Slytherin?" said the Hat in a tone of pronounced disbelief, "I think not."

"I'm a Malfoy" said Malfoy, "Malfoys are always Slytherins."

"I'll decide that" said the Hat, "No, Slytherin is wrong for you. Although you have the ambition you lack the cunning and the subtlety necessary for Salazar's house. They would eat you alive before you'd been there for a term."

"I can handle myself" retorted Malfoy, "now send me to Slytherin you patched up rag."

"That's exactly what I mean" said the Hat, "no cunning at all if you're going to insult me like that. Did you stop to think at all before you did so? With a reckless attitude like that the only place for you is GRYFFINDOR!"

There was silence in the hall at this before the Gryffindors began to applaud in a scattered and halting manner. Malfoy sat on the stool in shock until Professor McGonagall removed the hat from his head.

"Mr. Malfoy please go to your house table" she said.

"What?" said Malfoy as if coming out of a daze, "no! I'm a Slytherin. I demand to be sent there!"

"The Sorting Hat has made its decision" said Professor McGonagall in a very stern manner, "go sit at your table unless you want to receive detention before classes start. Now Mr. Malfoy!" the professor added when Malfoy still didn't move.

Slowly Malfoy got up and walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down at the end of it as far away from everyone else as he could get.

"No" said Ron to Harry, "please no. Tell me we won't have to spend seven years in the same house as him."

"That's a surprise" murmured Harry, "Malfoy in Gryffindor? I wonder how his family will take it?" Even as Harry spoke to Ron his eyes moved over to the Slytherin table where he spotted both Crabbe and Goyle. Both boys looked surprised by Malfoy's sorting, but they also looked rather relieved, something Harry mentioned to Ron.

"Guess they can't stand the git either" said Ron in a low voice, "too bad their gain is our loss." Harry said nothing to this as the sorting had resumed with Theodore Nott going to Slytherin. A little later they reached the "P" students. The first of these, Pansy Parkinson, was sorted into Slytherin. As she was walking toward the Slytherin table Harry saw her look over at Malfoy with a look of betrayal on her face. Harry briefly wondered what that was about but quickly dismissed it as Padma Patil's name was called.

Padma went to Ravenclaw but her sister Parvati went to Gryffindor. After that Sally-Anne Perks went to Hufflepuff and it was finally Harry's turn.

"Potter, Harry."

Harry stepped forward towards the stool and immediately heard people whispering his name.

"The Harry Potter?" he heard someone whisper.

"The Boy Who Lived?" he heard someone else whisper. He refrained from rolling his eyes as the Hat settled over his head.

"Difficult" he heard the Hat say, "very difficult. I don't think I've ever sorted anyone quite like you before."

"You sorted my parents" said Harry to the Hat, "they're like me."

"That's true" said the Hat, "but at the time they did not know what they truly were and neither did I. You, however, are fully aware of exactly who and what you are. You have power, oh my do you ever have power, and the strength and bravery to use it. Your ambition is strong and you know well the value of hard work. Also you have acquired a great deal of wisdom recently and you're looking forward to learning more . It's clear that you would do well in any of the houses. So where should I put you?"

"If I get to choose" said Harry, "then I would prefer it if you would please send me to Ravenclaw with my God Brother."

"That would work" said the Hat, "you'd fit in well there, but let's be absolutely sure first. Your parents were both Gryffindors."

"They were" said Harry, "and normally I wouldn't have a problem with that. But spending the next seven years with Draco Malfoy is not a good idea – for his sake. With his current attitude my people are liable to kill him before we even reach Halloween. I don't want that on my conscience."

"Alas you are correct" said the Hat, "hopefully he will change but it will have to be his choice. What about Slytherin?"

"If you send me to Slytherin everyone will immediately assume that all dragons are inherently evil" said Harry, "that's very unfair to Slytherin."

"And Hufflepuff?"

"I don't have any problems going there" said Harry, "I have some good friends in Hufflepuff."

"But your best friend is in Ravenclaw" observed the Hat, "very well, is your choice unchanged?"

"Yes" said Harry.

"Right" said the Hat, "as you wish Mr. Potter. RAVENCLAW!"

Harry got up from the stool and walked over to the Ravenclaw table which was cheering very loudly for him. He sat down in between Neville and Padma and nodded in greeting to the other students near him at the table.

"Good to see you here" said Neville, "it took you a little while."

"The Hat said I could have gone to any house" said Harry, "we had to eliminate the others to be sure I would best fit here."

"Well I'm glad you came here" said Terry from across the table where he was sitting between Michael and Hermione.

"So am I" said Harry before turning to watch the rest of the sorting. There weren't many students left now. A black boy named Dean Thomas went to Gryffindor followed by Lisa Turpin who joined Harry at the Ravenclaw table. Then it was Ron Weasley's turn. The Hat only sat on Ron's head for a few seconds before sending him to Gryffindor. He didn't look very happy about that and when he sat down at the table he made sure he wasn't anywhere near Malfoy.

"Shall we take bets on how long it will be until Ron and Malfoy destroy Gryffindor house between them?" Harry asked Neville.

"I think it's more likely that Gred and Forge will prank Malfoy into oblivion first" said Neville.

"That's a bet I won't take" said Harry with a grimace as he noted that Blaise Zabini ended the sorting by going to Slytherin, "I almost feel sorry for Malfoy now."

"Only almost?" said Neville. Harry didn't reply as he saw movement up at the staff table. A very old man with very long hair and a very long beard was standing up from his chair in the exact center of the table. Harry figured that this must be Headmaster Dumbledore himself.

"Welcome" said Dumbledore, holding his arms out to welcome everyone to the school, "welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. Before we begin our feast I would just like to say a few words: Eenie, Meenie, Mynie, and Mo! Thank you!"

"Catch a tiger by the toe?" murmured Michael to Terry, "is he crazy?"

"No idea" said Terry, "but if he hollers at me I'm letting him go right away. Would you like some bread?"

"I'll have some" said Hermione as she reached out to the plate of bread that had appeared on the table along with many other dishes, "my mother said to pick this one" she finished as she took a slice from the plate before turning to help herself to some other dishes at the feast.

Harry enjoyed the feast. The food was good and the company was better, especially as he was already familiar with several of his new fellow Ravenclaws from the train ride. He also officially met his other new year mates in the house including Sue Li and Anthony Goldstein.

Eventually the feast began to wind down and Headmaster Dumbledore got to his feet again to speak.

"Now that we are all fed and watered" Dumbledore said, "I have some start of term notices to give..." The notices were mostly standard things like how the nearby forest was forbidden for students to enter, how Quidditch trials would occur during the second week, things like that. Also he announced the third floor corridor on the left hand side was out of bounds this year.

"We're renovating that part of the castle" Dumbledore explained, "and anyone who has ever seen a construction site, whether magical or muggle, knows that they can be dangerous if you're not properly prepared for them. It's possible that we will give tours of the work site in the future to anyone who is interested, especially if you're considering going into magical construction, however this is not firmly decided yet so please do not go in there at this time.

"Lastly it is my pleasure to announce that this year Hogwarts will be adding several new subjects for those who are interested. We have recently made arrangements with certain parties who are knowledgeable in specialized types of magic that are not usually taught here at Hogwarts. These will not be graded classes – this year anyway – but if you have the time I would urge you all to take advantage of this opportunity to learn at least one of these extra subjects. I will have more information on this new program within the next two weeks as we iron out the final details.

"And now let us sing the school song" Dumbledore finished up. Harry noticed the expressions on the other teachers looked rather fixed as if this was something they really didn't want to do but couldn't come out and say. A moment later after Dumbledore told everyone to pick their favorite tune and begin he understood why they felt that way.


"Next year I'm bringing earplugs" said Harry to Neville as they climbed the stairs towards Ravenclaw Tower.

"Could you spare a pair for me?" asked Neville.

"And me?" said Terry on Harry's other side, "my ears are still ringing from that din."

"It wasn't that bad" said Hermione.

"Yes it was" said Padma.

"She's right" said Anthony who was walking next to Padma, "if they do that every year I'll have to bring my own earplugs."

"If it's that bad maybe you should just learn a silencing spell?" said Hermione, "one that stops you from hearing sound but doesn't affect anyone else?"

"Is there a spell like that?" asked Terry.

"If there isn't there should be" said Lisa.

"I don't know" said Mandy, "I can see a few problems a spell like that might cause."

"Could someone just write new music for it?" said Michael, "if the song only had one tune it wouldn't be so bad."

"Maybe" said Terry, "but do you think you could convince the staff to use it? The headmaster seemed to like the way the song was done."

"He did" said Harry, "especially that last bit when only the Weasley twins were still singing to that slow dirge and he was conducting them."

By now they'd made it up to the top main floor of the castle and were standing outside a door that had a large knocker in the shape of an eagle. The prefect who had been leading them gathered the first years around her.

"Now since we're known as the wise house" she said, "our founder arranged that we would always be learning. Rather than a password we have to answer a riddle to enter the tower. If you don't know the answer you'll have to wait for someone else to come along and answer it." With that she reached out to the door knocker and knocked on the door. The head of the knocker came to life and spoke:

"What can run but never walks
Has a mouth but never talks
Has a bed but never sleeps
Has a head but never weeps?"

"Anyone want to give it a try?" asked the prefect. There was silence for a moment before Hermione stepped forward.

"A river" she said. There was a click and the door swung open.

"Well done" said the prefect, "come inside everyone and gather round."

They all entered the Ravenclaw common room. It was a large circular room decorated with blue hangings on some of the walls. There were chairs and tables set up all around the room as well as a big fireplace in one wall. There was also a statue of a woman in the room. She was tall and she wore a sort of crown on her head.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw" said the prefect to the first years, "as you already know we are the house of learning. As you can see the common room is set up with lots of place where you can study. We also have a private library here. We're the only house that does. Lastly as everyone will develop their own study habits we try to accommodate that as much as possible. Everyone in this house has their own private room although bathrooms are shared. The boys' rooms are that way – " she pointed to an opening in a wall, then pointed to another one nearby " – and the girls' rooms are that way. Now off to bed with you."

Harry went with the other boys through the indicated door and entered a hallway with closed doors on both sides. Each door had a student's name on it. Harry's door was the second one on the left and was in between Neville's and Terry's rooms. After bidding his classmates goodnight Harry entered his room. It was a nice little room. There was a four poster bed that had blue hangings around it. Next to it was a nightstand with a drawer under the top. There was a large wardrobe which contained both a bar and hangers, a dresser with several drawers, and a full length mirror on the inside of one of the doors. Lastly there was a desk and a chair to go with it. The window of the room looked out into the night sky. Harry opened it to let in some fresh air and to let in Hedwig who was waiting on the ledge outside.

"Hello Hedwig" said Harry as the owl landed on his shoulder, "come to say goodnight before heading to the owlery?" In answer Hedwig nibbled one of his ears affectionately before launching herself back out the window.

"Good hunting" Harry called after her. He turned away from the window and went over to the bed. His trunk had been placed next to it and Raja's aquarium was on top of that. Harry opened the aquarium, took Raja out and put him on the bed.

"How do you like our new quarters?" Harry asked Raja.

"Looks rather nice" said Raja, "this bed feels very comfortable."

"Why don't you keep it occupied for me right now?" said Harry, "I'm going home to see mum and dad. I'll be back later."

"Okay" said Raja as he made himself more comfortable on the bed.

Harry stood in the middle of his room and concentrated. For a split second reality seemed to turn inside out and then he was standing in his sleeping chamber in his father's palace. He shifted into his dragon form and went searching for his parents. With the help of one of the servants Harry eventually found them out on the palace's back terrace.

"Mum, dad" Harry called to his parents as he approached. They turned and saw him.

"Harry" said Bahamut, "I'm surprised to see you here so soon. Your mother and I thought you would at least spend the first night at Hogwarts before coming back here to visit."

"And I will" said Harry, "after we talk I'll go back. I thought you might want to hear how things went today without having to wait for Hedwig to bring you a letter." Bahamut had given both Hedwig and Raja the ability to come and go from Mt. Celestia as they pleased.

"Of course we would" said Daranni, "what happened?"

Harry told them everything that had happened after the train left the station that morning, about meeting new people, seeing old friends, especially the Weasley twins, the encounter with Malfoy, the sorting and the feast. Both of his parents were fine with his sorting into Ravenclaw. Daranni told him that she (as Lily) had almost been sorted there herself although in the end the Hat had sent her to Gryffindor. Bahamut, on the other hand (as James) had gone straight to Gryffindor when he had been sorted. The big surprise had been Draco Malfoy's sorting.

"A Malfoy in Gryffindor?" said Bahamut, "I don't think that's happened in living human memory, maybe not ever. I hope he'll be all right."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Did Sirius ever tell you about his sorting?" asked Bahamut.

"He was a Gryffindor" said Harry.

"Yes," said Bahamut, "but the rest of his family were all in Slytherin. His parents were very angry when he didn't go there too. They treated him very badly in the years after that. They got quite abusive, especially his mother Walburga."

"Please don't remind me of Walburga" said Daranni with a groan, "of all of the foul-mouthed, bigoted bitches to ever exist – "

"Daranni" began Bahamut but Daranni just talked over him.

"It's true!" she said, "you know what she was like."

"I remember all too well" said Bahamut before turning back to Harry, "it got so bad for Sirius that during the summer after fifth year he ran away from home and came to my family. Your human grandparents were quite willing to take him in and he stayed with us after that when not at school. But not long after he first came to stay with us his mother tried to force my parents to make him come back home. She even went so far as to threaten my dad with kidnaping charges. Luckily for Sirius the day after he had come to my house my dad paid a visit to Sirius' grandfather, Arcturus Black to discuss the situation with him. Arcturus may be a dark wizard but he's a lot more sensible than his daughter-in-law was (he's still alive by the way) and he gave his approval as head of the Black family for Sirius to stay with us. When my dad told Walburga this and provided her with Arcturus' signed letter of approval for Sirius' transfer she went into perhaps the worst tirade I have ever heard anyone give. I won't tell you any of what she said because none of it is fit to be repeated even in impolite company. I'm pretty sure my ears didn't stop bleeding for a month!"

"Wow" said Harry. Sirius had never told him about any of this.

"Yes, wow" said Bahamut, "I hope something like that doesn't happen to Draco."

"With his stuck up, snobbish, 'I'm-so-much-better-than-you-and-you-will-die-if-you-don't-kiss-my-feet' attitude I doubt he's being abused" said Harry, "it's much more likely that he's just a first class asshole."

"Language Harry!" said Daranni in a reproving voice.

"Sorry" muttered Harry.

"Don't be so sure" said Bahamut, "he could be putting up a mask because he doesn't want anyone to know the truth. His mother, Narcissa is a Black and his father, Lucius was one of Voldemort's biggest supporters. Oh I know he says he was under the Imperius Curse the whole time but that has as much chance of being true as your Aunt T. has of becoming a human sized rat teaching Ninjutsu to a bunch of turtles, eating pizza and dispensing Zen wisdom!"

"Dad!" said Harry in surprise, "I didn't know you knew that show."

"Oh please" said Daranni rolling her eyes, "your father has been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since it first went on the air four years ago. He especially likes Michelangelo for some strange reason."

"He's a lot more fun than Donatello" said Bahamut.

"At least Donatello gets things done!" snapped Daranni, "if it wasn't for him the turtles would have a lot more trouble in the field than they do."

This exchange left Harry to ponder on the hidden depths of his parents and to wonder (not for the first time) how exactly they were able to get Earth TV shows here on Mt. Celestia anyway. His parents had promised to explain it to him someday but they hadn't done so yet.

"Okay, okay" said Bahamut, "before we get too far off topic it might be a good idea to keep an eye on young Draco."

"I don't know that I'll have time for that" said Harry.

"We don't mean you" said Daranni, "you have enough things to take care of without adding watching over Draco Malfoy. We'll have one or two of our people handle it."

"Thank you" said Harry.

"While you're here" said Bahamut to Harry, "there is something else your mother and I need to tell you. We should have told you this sooner but we didn't get much chance to before you had to leave for Hogwarts. You told us that when you confronted Malfoy he said that the news about our family was 'crap' as he put it?"

"Yes" said Harry, "he said he didn't believe it, although after he met Kurya that may be changing."

"He's not the only one" said his father, "there are quite a few people who, like Malfoy, don't believe the truth about us. Too be fair it is a pretty incredible story even if it's true."

"Should I show my dragon self to the school?" asked Harry.

"You could" said Daranni, "since it's not a secret now. That would probably convince some people."

"It's not only that some people don't believe it," said Bahamut "rather there are some people who do believe it and don't like it one bit. Some of those people are highly placed in the Ministry or are members of very old and influential Pure Blood families, which doesn't make very much sense to me as it's the really old families that are most likely to have known about your mother and I from the old records. Anyway a few of those people consider anyone who isn't fully human to be so inferior as to be nothing but mindless beasts fit only to be controlled by wizards."

"HA!" snorted Daranni, "try telling that to a centaur, or a sphinx, or a goblin, or any number of sapient nonhumans. I wouldn't want to be in your place when you did."

"But" said Harry as he realized where this was leading, "is that going to be big problem for me? Will they try to come after me? Or arrest me? Or attack me?"

"Harry" said Bahamut "whether they like it or not you're our son. You're a prince, with all of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that go with such a position."

"You have the same diplomatic protections any foreign dignitary would have" added Daranni, "they can't touch you without risking an enormous cross dimensional incident."

"If you are attacked by anyone I will demand immediate justice" said Bahamut sternly, "if the attackers are connected to the Ministry it will be taken as a potential act of war! If they're private individuals I will demand that they be turned over to me. If their government refuses that too would taken as an official provocation."

"Don't forget Harry," said Daranni, "you're a god, just like us. You already have a lot of power and it will only increase as you get older."

"There are some very stupid and crazy people out there" said Bahamut, "who wish they were gods and who would love to take such power as we have for themselves. For instance Voldemort is such a person."

"We're not trying to frighten you" Daranni assured Harry, "we just want you to be aware of these things. We don't really expect anyone to be foolish enough to try to come after you but it's always best to be prepared."

Harry thought over what his parents were telling him. He knew that he couldn't easily be killed. If someone did kill his body while he was on Earth he would just be sent back to Mt. Celestia to regenerate for a year before being able to leave again, as had happened to his parents when Voldemort killed them. But that didn't mean he should be reckless in his behavior.

"Thank you for telling me" said Harry, "I'll be careful."

"Good" said Bahamut, "now why don't you go back to Hogwarts and get a good night's sleep."

Harry nodded, said goodbye to his parents, and returned to his room in Hogwarts.


At the same time that Harry was at home talking to his parents the subject of part of their conversation was not having a very good time of things.

"I can't believe I'm stuck in this stupid house" Malfoy said, not for the first time after being taken up to Gryffindor tower and directed to his dorm room.

"We can't believe you're here either" said Ron from over by his bed.

"Shut up blood traitor" said Malfoy before turning to the other two Gryffindor boys, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, "now if I'm going to be living here then this is how things are going to be – "

"Stop right there" said Dean, "I don't know who you think you are but you don't give orders around here as if you were some kind of king."

"There's three of us and one of you" said Seamus, "and this is our room just as much as it is yours."

"He's right Malfoy" said Ron, "you're not in charge here."

"I'm not looking to make enemies" said Seamus, "but I also won't stand to be bullied."

"You need to change that attitude of yours right quick" said Dean, "for your own sake."

"Yeah" said Seamus, "we know where you sleep – and you're stuck with us for the next seven years."

Malfoy scowled.


Meanwhile down in the Slytherin dorms Crabbe and Goyle talked things over as they both got ready for bed.

"Hard to believe Draco's not here" said Crabbe.

"Yeah" said Goyle, "maybe we can make our own friends now. We can't be his bodyguards if we're in different houses."

"That's true" said Crabbe, "I guess he's on his own."

"What a shame" said Goyle, not sounding one bit ashamed.

"Yeah" said Crabbe sounding just like Goyle before the two of them turned in for the night.

(To Be Continued)

A/N: Yeah I sent Malfoy to Gryffindor. I've read many stories where Harry and his friends thought Malfoy was wrongly sorted and should have been in Gryffindor so in this story he does.

Some of this chapter was, more or less, taken from Philosopher's Stone. I say more or less because I was writing things from memory rather than having the book in front of me so I can't state the exact quotes but I'm sure big fans of the first book will see them. I tried to minimize that as much as I could which is why things like McGonagall's speech to the first years, the scene with the ghosts, the Sorting Hat's song, and Dumbledore's announcements after the meal were not quoted in detail.

Until next time...