The response to the first 4 chapters was phenomenal. I'm thrilled that you guys are enjoying this so much already. I'll have a few chapters for each school year. Obviously this will take some time, but I hope you guys will stick with me and let me know how I'm doing. I can promise that it'll be interesting.
Draco climbed onto the Hogwarts Express and found an empty compartment. He'd managed to escape the notice of Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle, but he hadn't seen Harry on the platform. He made himself comfortable near the entrance, his eye darting between the window and the aisle.
He smiled in relief when Harry headed down the aisle, looking quite nervous. His green eyes lit up when he spotted Draco waiting for him. Harry slipped into the compartment and sat down next to Draco.
"Finally," Draco laughed. "We'll get to see each other every day now. Have you thought about which house you want?"
"A little," Harry murmured. "But I don't know. Remus said there's good things about each house and that I'll end up where I'm meant to go."
"Slytherin is still the best," Draco insisted.
Harry rolled his eyes, but didn't argue. There was really no point in debating this topic with Draco.
A moment later, Ron appeared in the doorway. He smiled brightly at Harry, but the expression faded when he saw Draco. This was one thing that Ron hadn't been looking forward to. He knew that Harry was friends with the Malfoy heir. Which meant that, as Harry's other friend, Ron would have to tolerate Draco's presence a lot more often than he liked. So far, Draco and Ron had never really had to share Harry's attention. He was with one or the other, never both. The train ride to Hogwarts was going to change that.
"Hey Harry," Ron said, sitting down across from the other two boys. "Malfoy," he added grudgingly.
Draco pointedly ignored him.
Harry heaved a sigh of irritation. "I'm not doing this all year," he declared impatiently. "Learn to get along or I'll avoid both of you."
"I'm your best friend!" Draco cried indignantly.
"I'm his best friend," Ron snapped with a sneer.
"You're both ridiculous," Harry said loudly. "This is just stupid. I'm not going to sit here while you two fight over me. I'd like to enjoy our time at school and you too are going to ruin it."
Suitably chastised, Draco and Ron fell silent. They exchanged a look of sullen dislike and then looked away. Deciding that it was the best he could hope for at the moment, Harry relaxed in his seat.
Eventually, the excitement over their first train ride took over and the boys started talking again. Draco and Ron avoided making direct eye contact with one another, but they both managed to participate in the conversation without fighting. When the trolley witch came by, Draco and Harry bought a good number of sweets. Ron had declined a bit awkwardly. Harry knew that it was because the Weasleys really didn't have much money. But Harry had coaxed Ron into trying a few of the treats with him. Some were unfamiliar to Harry since Remus and Minerva weren't big on giving Harry such things. Draco had bought a few types of sweets that Harry hadn't, but had eagerly asked for Harry to try them out. He even offered the same treats to Ron, earning a pleased smile from Harry.
Suddenly, a girl with very bushy hair poked her head into the compartment. Draco flinched at the sight of her. Why in the world hadn't she done something to contain her wild hair before going out in public?
"Has anyone seen a toad?" she asked in a bossy sort of voice. "A boy named Neville has lost one."
"No," Ron responded in a tone of voice that suggested that he thought it was a ridiculous question. For once, Draco agreed. Who would want to look for a toad?
"We'll let you know if we see it," Harry said helpfully.
The girl nodded in approval and then her eyes widened in recognition. "You're Harry Potter!" she said excitedly. "I've read all about you. I'm Hermione Granger." She glanced at the other two boys expectantly. "And you are?"
"Ron Weasley," Ron replied, one of his cheeks bulging from taking a big bite out of a chocolate frog. Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust before looking at Draco.
Draco didn't answer. He was too busy staring at Ron with horrified fascination. Harry nudged Draco with one elbow, drawing Draco's attention. Draco shot Ron a reproachful glance before looking back at Hermione. Her hair was nearly as frightening as Ron's manners. "Draco Malfoy," he said stiffly, swiftly looking away again.
"Hmmm... Pleasure," Hermione said dryly, grimacing as Ron shoved the rest of the chocolate frog into his mouth.
"God that's disgusting," Draco muttered.
"Well, you three had better get into your robes," Hermione said bossily. "I expect we'll be arriving soon." She left the compartment without another word.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. He'd been aware that he was famous in the wizarding world, but he hadn't needed to deal with it before. Remus was a very private person and Harry had been glad for it. They went shopping when they needed to, but they didn't really venture out much into public. The weeks trips to the park with Draco and the visits to the Weasley home were the bulk of Harry's social experiences. Remus had warned him that he'd likely get a lot of attention for his fame, and Harry immediately decided that he didn't care for it.
The three boys pulled on their school robes and impatiently waited for the train to stop. It seemed to take hours, but eventually they were allowed to leave the train. A giant of a man, with a long unkempt beard was calling for first years and guiding them toward a lake that held a bunch of little boats. After a brief boat ride, all of the first years were led into the castle entrance and left just outside the Great Hall. In a moment, they would be going into the Sorting Ceremony.
"There you are Draco," a girl with dark hair and a pug nose said, approaching Draco and tugging on his hand. "Where have you been?"
Draco withdrew his hand, resisting the urge to wipe it on his robes. "I met Harry Potter on the train," he said casually. He turned to Harry. "Potter, this is Pansy Parkinson. Behind her are Crabbe and Goyle," he added, gesturing to the two hulking figures that were watching him expectantly.
"Hello," Harry said awkwardly. He and Draco had agreed to pretend to have met on the train for the sake of appearances, but this was a bit weird.
Pansy eyed Harry up and down. "Your shorter than I expected," she said dismissively.
What a rude bint. "He's eleven, Pansy," Draco retorted with a roll of his eyes.
Before Pansy could make another comment, Professor McGonagall called them into the Great Hall. They walked between two of the long tables to gather in front of the Head Table where a stool had been placed. On top of the stool sat an old, worn out wizards hat. A jagged slit in the hat opened like a mouth and it began to sing, scaring the wits out of most of the first years.
Each first year student was called up, one at a time, to sit with the Sorting Hat on their head. It was honestly a relief to Harry. Ron had been muttering something about wrestling a troll.
Harry fidgeted nervously with each name that was called. He held his breath as Draco sat down and the hat was dropped over his blond hair. It was just a breath later that the hat shouted "Slytherin". Draco smirked and walked off toward the Slytherin table.
It was soon Harry's turn. He sat down and drew in a shaky breath as the hat was placed on his head. Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice inside his head. "Very difficult," the voice muttered. "You've got plenty of courage, loyalty... Not a bad mind either. There's talent and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?" the voice asked thoughtfully.
Harry had been wondering the same thing. He really had no idea where he belonged. He certainly hoped that the hat knew what it was doing.
"You could be great," the hat went on talking in Harry's head. "You've got quite a road ahead of you, and you'll need allies from all sides. So, better be... Slytherin!"
The hat shouted the name out for everyone in the hall to hear. There was a moment of stunned silence. And then a voice called out from the Slytherin table, "We got Potter!"
Clearly it wasn't what anyone had expected. Slytherin's reputation wasn't good. Minerva had thought that Harry would be in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. His parents had both been Gryffindors. But, the hat had decided, and there was nothing to be done. It didn't change who Harry was. Minerva was determined to be supportive. His house affiliation didn't matter to her so long as he was happy and healthy. And Draco would certainly stick by his side.
Harry met Professor McGonagall's gaze as she took the hat off of his head. She offered him an encouraging smile, patting him fondly on the shoulder before he walked toward the Slytherin table. His eyes scanned the table until he found the familiar head of blond hair. When Harry approached, Draco eagerly pulled him onto the bench.
Draco was delighted by this turn of events. He'd been really uncertain about Harry's sorting. Draco was so relieved. He'd been mentally preparing himself for the possibility that Harry would be a Gryffindor. That would have been a worst case scenario. Of course, it was possible for a Slytherin and Gryffindor to be friends, but it was difficult. The rivalry between the two houses was notoriously intense. He'd learned that much from his godfather. More than that, Draco would have been left with no real friends within his own house. Crabbe and Goyle behaved more like body guards or henchmen than anything. And Pansy... She was so annoying. There wasn't a single person that Draco would consider a real friend. But, now Draco would have Harry with him.
Harry was glad to be in the same house as Draco. But, he felt a little guilty when he watched Ron get sorted into Gryffindor. Ron was a great friend. Harry really hoped that house rivalry wouldn't destroy their friendship.
As the food appeared on the table, Harry and Draco helped themselves to the foods that they wanted. Draco watched as Harry ate slowly. "Are you disappointed?" Draco asked.
Harry hesitated. "Not exactly," he said carefully. He sighed at the hurt that flashed on Draco's face. "I'm glad to be with you. But, Slytherin does have a bad reputation. And Ron's now my rival. What if he doesn't want to be friends anymore?" He poked at his chicken morosely. "If I'd been in Gryffindor though, I might have lost you as a friend."
Draco scowled at that. "We are best friends," he snapped, gesturing between them. "You being sorted with the Gryffindorks wouldn't change that."
Harry smiled. He'd never know if that was true or not, but it wouldn't do any good to speculate. He was grateful for Draco's friendship. But Harry didn't want to lose Ron either.
"Don't worry so much Harry," Draco said quietly. "You'll have lots of friends here. Just remember that I'm the best," he added smugly.
"How could I forget?" Harry laughed. "You're always reminding me."
"Very funny," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
Across from them, a black boy was looking Harry over. "Hello Potter," he said simply.
Harry hesitated, but returned the greeting politely. He would have to socialize with his other housemates eventually, regardless of how nervous they made him.
"I'm Blaise Zabini," the boy went on. He glanced at Draco and smirked. "Courting favor with famous Harry Potter already, Malfoy?"
Draco bristled. "We met on the train," he retorted. "We got to know one another a bit."
"I see," Blaise nodded. "And Potter, what do you think of Malfoy?"
"He's quite witty," Harry responded, nudging Draco's knee under the table. He tilted his head to one side, eyeing Blaise speculatively. "Not sure what I think of you though."
Blaise grinned suddenly. "Fair enough," he said. "We've got seven years together, so we've got time."
Draco ate while Blaise talked with Harry. He'd been told that in Slytherin it would be wise to gather allies early on. Draco didn't know Blaise very well, but perhaps he would be alright. He was being kind to Harry, and Draco really wanted Harry to be happy in Slytherin.
Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were brutes. But they might be useful. The defeater of the Dark Lord might not be so welcome, so protection would be necessary.
"Don't look now Potter," Blaise said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Malfoy is already plotting."
Draco gave him a withering look. "Shut up," he drawled.
"So hostile," Blaise gasped theatrically. "I was proposing an alliance with Potter here. He calls it 'friendship', or whatever," he added with a dismissive wave of his hand. Harry rolled his eyes but looked amused. "What do you think Malfoy? Can't let this one get roped in with the wrong sort," he added quietly, his eyes darting toward the other Slytherins.
Draco nodded sharply, his stomach clenching uncomfortably. It seemed that Blaise had come to a similar conclusion; Harry would need to be protected. Draco couldn't be sure of Blaise's motives but, he'd keep an eye on it.
Harry looked toward the staff table, his eyes sweeping over the teachers for recognizable faces. He was pleased to find that he was familiar with most of them since he visited Hogwarts for a few days of the summer with Minerva. His gaze lingered on Professor Snape for a moment. He really hoped that Snape didn't hate him. Of all the teachers, Snape was definitely the most frightening.
Next to Snape was someone that Harry didn't know. It was a nervous looking man wearing a turban. He was talking to Snape, his hands fidgeting restlessly. Harry felt rather sorry for him.
"Who is that talking to Professor Snape?" Harry asked to nobody in particular.
One of the older Slytherin girls nearby glanced toward the staff table. "Professor Quirrell," she responded. "He teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"That's the bloke teaching Defense?" Draco asked incredulously. "He looks terrified."
As Harry watched Quirrell's nervous fidgeting, the scar on his forehead suddenly began to feel like it was burning. He hissed in pain and pressed his palm to his forehead.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked, his voice full of concern.
Harry pulled his hand away, half expecting to find blood. Harry shook his head, relieved to find the pain already receding. "It's nothing. I'm fine," he said tensely.
Draco frowned at him but chose not to push the issue at the moment. He glanced up to see Snape looking at them thoughtfully. Perhaps he had noticed Harry's strange episode as well. After a moment, Snape returned to his conversation with Quirrell, but he kept casting odd looks back to Harry.
As dinner came to an end, the school prefects led the first years to their common rooms. Harry walked between Draco and Blaise while Crabbe and Goyle followed closely behind. In fact, they were so close that Harry could feel Goyle's breath on his neck.
Luckily, Draco noticed. "Goyle, unless you're planning to climb onto Potter's back, I suggest you back up a bit," he commanded in a bored time.
Goyle slowed his pace a bit, putting a bit more space between himself and Harry. Harry shot Draco a grateful look while Blaise coughed to hide a laugh.
The common room was warm despite it's cool appearance. A massive window seperated them from the water of the Black Lake. Harry could see a few ominous dark shapes in the water but, as night had fallen, he wasn't likely to identify what they were. The decor was mostly green and silver against the stone walls.
Draco and Harry walked up the stairs to the dormitory they'd be sharing with the other first year boys. The bedding and curtains were in dark green with silver accents. Harry wondered briefly if he was going to grow tired of the color green very quickly. He found the bed that his trunk rested next to and gladly sat down on the duvet, trailing his fingers lightly over the fabric.
Draco sprawled out across his own bed which was the closest to Harry's. "It's not as big as my bed at home, but it's fine," Draco said, rolling onto his side to look at Harry. "Are you alright?"
Harry sighed. "I'm just hoping the Slytherins don't hate me," he admitted. "I'm sure the hat knew what it was doing, but..."
"It'll be fine," Blaise assured him calmly. "You just need to understand how Slytherin works. You've got Malfoy and me for that. Besides, your fame may work to your advantage," he added with a little shrug.
"I don't want to be famous," Harry replied softly. "Everybody knows about me because of something that happened the night my parents were killed. Why would I want that?"
Draco stared at Harry for a moment. They'd never discussed this topic before and it had never occurred to him that Harry could be resistant to his own fame. He rolled into his stomach, propping himself up on his forearms. "I never considered that," Draco admitted. "I doubt anyone else would see it that way."
"But, that doesn't mean you can't be yourself," Blaise said sensibly. "If you want to be seen for who you are instead of... you know... We can help you with that. It might take some time though."
Harry smiled reluctantly. "Thanks," he murmured, glancing between Draco and Blaise.
They let the topic rest for the moment as the other first year boys walked into the room. Soon, they were all climbing into their beds and drifting off to sleep.
Harry was very happy to see Ron the next morning. They hadn't spoken at all since the sorting. Harry's smile faded when Ron seemed reluctant to talk to him.
Ron was standing just outside the Great Hall with a group of Gryffindor boys. They eyed Harry and Draco warily and it irritated Draco.
"I'll- I'll see you later," Ron said, moving away from Harry before Harry could speak.
Draco wasn't having that. "Not before you and I have a chat," Draco snapped.
Ron glared along with the other Gryffindors. "What do you want?" he hissed.
Draco stepped right in front of Ron, his expression determined. "It's still Harry," Draco said, keeping his voice low. "For some bizarre reason, he wants you as his friend. I don't like you Weasley, but I'll over look it for Harry. He needs allies... friends. The color of his robes doesn't change who he was when we sat together on the train. Don't be an arse," he added with a sneer. "Otherwise, you may as well admit that I was the better friend all along."
Ron took the bait. "Sod off Malfoy," Ron growled. He looked past the blond to see Harry looking dejected and tired. "Harry, you need to meet my new friends," he declared. "Seamus, Dean and Neville," he said, pointing out each of the boys.
"Hey," Harry responded with an awkward little wave. "That's Draco and this is Blaise."
Blaise was staring at the Gryffindors as if he found them rather fascinating. Draco offered a brisk nod, feeling that he'd quite proven himself already just by addressing the Weasley ruffian in public.
"Maybe we could hang out later," the boy called Dean suggested. "It looks like it might be a nice day."
Harry smiled, causing Draco to refrain from rejecting the idea. After a moment, they went to their house tables with Ron giving Harry a friendly pat on the back.
"Feel better?" Blaise asked, glancing at Harry's relieved grin.
"I do," Harry confirmed. He turned to Draco as they sat down. "Thank you," he said quietly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about Potter," Draco said with a dignified little sniff, but then he offered Harry a smile. "Someone has to look out for you."
"So, we're going to be friendly with Gryffindors?" Blaise asked uncertainly.
"It won't hurt you to try," Harry said reasonably. He piled toast, eggs and bacon onto his plate, suddenly very hungry. He hadn't had much of an appetite while he was concerned about Ron's reaction to his sorting.
Blaise pursed his lips, shooting a doubtful look at Draco. Draco merely shrugged and started on his own breakfast.
Snape was making his way around the table passing out schedules to the Slytherins. He paused by Harry and Draco, handing them their schedules. "I hadn't expected you to be joining my house, Mr. Potter," he said.
"I was a little surprised myself," Harry admitted. "But it's alright."
"I have high expectations for my students," Snape went on.
"Yes, sir. I'll do my best," Harry responded politely. Snape nodded and contined on down the table.
"He didn't stop for a chat with anyone else," Blaise noted.
"I think he was put up to it," Harry said, looking up to see Professor McGonagall's gaze on him. He gave her a nod and a little smile. She returned the gesture before moving to distribute schedules at the Gryffindor table.
"What?" Blaise asked.
"Harry was raised by McGonagall since right before his sixth birthday," Draco explained.
"We're pretty close," Harry added, smiling fondly. "I met professor Snape the first summer I was with her. Every summer came here for a few days, so I've met most of the professors. Professor Snape never really liked me."
"But being in Slytherin might help with that," Draco suggested. "You're one of us. Of course, he's still a grumpy git with me, and I'm his godson."
"He sounds delightful," Blaise snorted. Harry and Draco grinned in response.
