Surprisingly, Harry Potter was also sorted into Gryffindor. The applause was deafening but Draco wasn't annoyed at the clearly visible favoursim. He was applauding the Dark Lord too, which earned him suspicious looks from the other students.
Draco waved to Harry and the boy sat down next to him with a smile.
Incredible. He somehow tricked the Sorting Hat into sorting him here. But why? Ah, surely to spy on the stupid Gryffindors. A plot truly befitting the Dark Lord.
"So, how are you, Draco? Isn't it nice that we're in the same House?" asked Harry quietly while the Sorting continued.
Draco flinched. "Yes, it's very nice. Gryffindor is a… great House. I'm sure we'll fit right in."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"
Draco shook his head. "No, no, nothing's wrong. It's just that… my father… and to be fair, everyone, including me, expected me to get sorted into Slytherin."
"Oh. Will they be angry at you?" asked Harry with a concerned face.
Draco shrugged. "They will. But I will try to send a letter home today, to try and… minimize the damage, or something."
"Okay, that sounds like a good idea," said Harry and they began to pay attention to the Sorting once more.
A theory started to form in Draco's mind. A theory which seemed to be confirmed when the Weasley boy was also sorted into Gryffindor.
I knew it! Sorting me here, it was all Harry's plan! I'm not actually a Gryffindor, it's just what the Dark Lord wanted! He needed me, his right hand man, and Weasley, his victim, to be close!
"You okay there, Malfoy?" a voice interrupted his triumphal musings.
Draco noticed that some of the other students were looking at him with baffled faces. He might have been putting his fist into the air, crying with joy.
"Of course I'm okay, what about you, Weasley?" he asked, trying hard to hide his happiness.
Ron's eyebrows shot upwards. "Err… I'm okay too, glad to be a Gryffindor. But it's weird to be in the same House as a Malfoy," he said, practically spitting the last word.
Harry glanced at his red-haired friend with annoyance. "Hey, don't be rude. It seems like the poor guy is in enough trouble as it is. Don't bully him just because he's weak."
Poor guy? Weak? I've never been more insulted in my life…
Draco started preparing for an inevitable retort, filled with insults and swear words, when suddenly, Harry patted him on the shoulder.
"Sorry, Draco. It just seems like some wizarding families think they're better than others. Don't worry, I can tell the wrong sort myself," he said, looking at Ron with disapproval.
The red-haired boy flushed with embarrassment.
Draco did too, but for a different reason. Harry Potter, the Dark Lord himself, just patted me on the shoulder! That's it, I've been deemed worthy!
"No worries, it's okay, I'm okay," Draco said quickly. "Let's all be friends, we're Housemates after all."
Harry nodded with a smile.
Ron also nodded, although still unsure what to make of the Malfoy boy.
After the feast was over, and they had all made themselves comfortable in their new dormitories, Draco sneaked out of the Common Room to send a letter to his father. He thought carefully about what to write and finally decided on the content before sending the letter and hurrying back to his dormitory and falling asleep after a long, tiring day.
"Ah, there's a letter from Draco!" Lucius Malfoy said excitedly, waking his wife up. He took the letter in his hands and sat down on a luxurious armchair to read it. "Let's see how our little Slytherin is doing," he said and giggled while opening the envelope.
Dear Father,
Hogwarts is great. Just as great as I imagined from all your stories. The day was rather uneventful. Feast was lovely and our dormitory is very comfortable. I said hello to Uncle Severus from you. I have two new friends. You will be pleased to hear that I'm now best friends and roommates with Harry Potter, who is a Gryffindor. I'm looking forward to the classes. How are you and Mother doing?
Love, Draco
"How is he, darling?" Narcissa asked, a little bit of concern visible on her delicate face.
Lucius smiled. "It seems that he's doing great, love. Here, read it yourself," he said and handed her the letter.
Lucius hummed a happy tune and began writing his own letter.
"Umm… darling, have you read the letter carefully?" his wife asked him quietly.
"Hmm? Of course, I've already memorized the whole thing, that's just how I am," he said and gave her a wink.
Narcissa smiled at him with a grimace. "Then well, who is Draco's roommate?"
Lucius sighed. "Are we testing my memory now? Of course I know, his roommate is Harry Potter, a Gryffindor," he said confidently.
Narcissa kept staring at him with a small smile.
After a moment, Lucius dropped his quill. "Oh…" he voiced. "Oh dear…" he mumbled and passed out onto the armchair.
Narcissa sighed loudly. "This will be trouble…"