Hagrid pushed Harry (nee Dudley) towards the robes shop (it looked like any clothes shop, Harry supposed, not having actually seen the inside of one himself, except that it had long flowy dress-like things instead of proper trousers and shirts). "Go in and get yourself fitted, I'll be back in just a flick of a lamb's tail."

Harry Potter was rather startled at this, turning back towards Hagrid (who had just given him a hard shove), and opening his mouth. Unfortunately, he found himself surrounded by a myriad number of things to say, anything from "how much do robes cost?" to "don't go, you'll get lost, and then where will I be?" Harry found the latter thought concerning, and then he had to ask himself just why he was so concerned.

Tucking his forehead under his cap (his hair was being unruly, as it often was) He walked steadily into the shop, trying to do his best to look like he belonged. A long stride, a straight back, and a firm gaze. Believe it yourself, and others will mark your confidence.

Inside, he saw another lad (with hair a pure white-was that real? Harry wanted to ask, but questions never got him anywhere, so he held back), about his age, up on a stool. The measuring tape danced around him, somehow taking the measure without hand (and without stripping the child bare). It was remarkable.

Stepping up on the stool, Harry stood there a moment, realizing that no one was stepping over to deal with him. He loudly cleared his throat, and an older woman (Madame Malkin) came over, saying, "Goodness! I didn't notice you. You're a quiet one aren't you? We'll have you set in just a few..." Harry found himsef wondering if the Wizarding world had minutes, or if they only thought in bells.

The blond lad began to speak, and Harry found himself confounded. Up until this very minute, he'd never have thought that a drawl could be this hard to understand - oh, sure, if someone spoke fast as a New Yorker, it might be troublesome... but this drawl? Hesitantly, he picked out a few words to learn later, and he tried to piece together what was being talked about. Quiddich, Slytherin, Hogwarts - he knew that one! Hagrid, yes, but setting his home on fire? "Is your father the type to lie?" Harry asked, not expecting a reasonable answer out of an eleven year old.

"Yeah, when it suits him." Draco Malfoy responded in that slow and easy drawl.

"Then I don't doubt that he's been lying about Hagrid. Surely he wouldn't be incapable of learning how to not burn his house down. If nothing else, drinking outside." Harry Potter rather doubted that Hagrid was that stupid, though it might be true. Still, for the other boy's sake, he didn't want him saying anything nasty in the tall man's hearing. Gentle he may be, but even the gentlest can be violent when roused.

"You think?" Draco drawled, thinking about the other boy.

"Yeah. So, don't just ask him when he comes in."

"Wait? Why-?" Draco Malfoy drawled, as the door suddenly opened, Hagrid stomping in.

"All done!" Madame Malkin said with a smile. "Have your packages picked up by eight."

"Later," Harry called back to Draco Malfoy - his eyes looking friendly, though without much of a smile.

As Hagrid and Harry left the store, Draco could hear the blackhaired boy being offered an owl by Hagrid. The boy couldn't... couldn't possibly be Hagrid's son, could he? That was ridiculous...

After the door had closed, Hagrid pulled Harry off into an alcove, saying to him, "You gotta be careful who you meet around here, Harry..."

Harry Potter eyed Hagrid up and down, looking at how - actually nervous - he looked. "You mean that boy in the clothes shop?"

"Yeah, he's a Malfoy. They're none of them up to any good, not ever. Not the type you want to cross either, but definitely not the type to befriend."

"And why's that, Hagrid?"

"Well, erm, he'll be in Slytherin - that's one of the houses of Hogwarts - his entire family has been, for generations!"

"And... what's so bad about that?"

"No good wizard's ever come out of Slytherin, they're well known for being sneaky, liars, and cunning to boot." Hagrid said. Harry frowned, realizing that it had sounded like a good summation of his own personality. Was Hagrid saying-? Not that Harry cared what Hagrid thought... but Harry suddenly remembered everyone at primary believing Dudley's lies. People were credulous, and ... if being in Slytherin was going to be a problem.

Harry Potter was going to find a solution. Because he didn't want to be the person everyone stared at, the person everyone hated. Not anymore.

"What are the other houses, Hagrid?"

"Gryffindor - the House of the Brave - my house if you hadn't noticed (Dumbledore's too). Hufflepuff - the House of Hard Work and Friendship, and Ravenclaw - the house of the Intelligent." Hagrid said, and Harry fought a curse that Hagrid probably wouldn't even recognize. Someone else might, though, even as concealed as they were back here. Spending seven years in one house? It didn't sound like the houses got along so well. if Hagrid had gotten his job through Dumbledore's intervention...

Thinking quickly, Harry Potter couldn't really see himself in Ravenclaw, though he might be able to pass, the big for their britches kids had never been nice to him. And Hufflepuff? Harry knew he couldn't go there - he just couldn't. He hadn't a friend to his name (the affable giant did not count) so how could he possibly fit in there.

Harry Potter was going to get into Gryffindor, if it killed him.

If he decided to go to Hogwarts, at all. There were always options, and, despite all the fancy whizbangs around here, he hadn't seen much that would really reward him for going here rather than somewhere else.

He would keep his head down, get as many books as possible, and talk with his Aunt and Uncle before he did a single solitary thing. Even if his uncle had a biased perspective, it was at least important to know - and besides, his Uncle would be flattered to be asked for guidance.

[a/n: Is Harry going to decide not to go to Hogwarts? Leave a review.]