PB7

Disclaimer – not mine, just having fun with JKR's characters

Chapter 7

Harry and Draco kept the door open, intending to snag the students they wanted. Severus had gotten the addresses of certain students, and Lucius had hired detectives to get pictures. They had spotted Dean when he had been admiring Lee Jordan's tarantula while still on the platform. They waved at him as he went by.

"Was that really a tarantula?" Draco asked, wide-eyed. He couldn't care less about the spider, but he wanted to open a dialogue. If he and Harry made friends with him first, it would be harder for others to paint Draco as evil.

Dean happily sat on the seat across from Draco and described the spider with relish. The three cheerfully grimaced and yelled 'ick' over the spider. Draco introduced himself and asked if Dean followed the 'footie' games. Dean was an avid follower of the Fulham Football Club, and Draco was happy to discuss the league standings with him, admitting he was new to Football, but was eager to learn.

Harry snagged Seamus Finnegan as he strolled by, asking if he was a first year and if he liked football or Quidditch best. As Seamus had 'a foot in both worlds', as he described it, he was happy to give his opinion.

Dean was as eager with questions about Quidditch as Draco was with ones about Football. Draco drew out an enormous book on Quidditch teams and their history. Draco explained the game as well as he could, though it was a bit complicated. It seemed enough that it was a game that was played while flying – that interested Dean quite enough.

As the train continued to get loaded several students looked in and Harry always gave a pleasant greeting, along with Draco. Several times Draco introduced him to other students. Many of the older students – especially the ones with green and silver ties – gave him assessing looks. A few looked a little awed, but no one said anything impolite.

Draco made himself relax whenever someone looked at Harry's forehead as they were clearly looking for the famous scar. It was rude, but at least they didn't ask him to move his hair out of the way to see it. Harry had said, days ago, that they needed Draco to come across as agreeable and definitely not pretentious in any way. Lucius had supported that, saying that Draco could ease up on the 'niceness' once he had established some friendships. Draco had been reluctant, until Narcissa had threatened to call him 'Sweetums' or 'Dracky-poo' during their send – off if he didn't co-operate. Draco immediately felt that they had a point about being pleasanter to anyone his parents and Severus thought they needed to be friends with.

Now that he was here, it really wasn't difficult to be 'nice'. Dean and Seamus were actually fun to talk to. The students with the rude requests … well Harry was dealing with them with a smile, so he kept quiet.

Harry's eyes sharpened when introduced to Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones. "I greatly admire your Aunt, Susan – she seemed quite on top of things when I was speaking to the Wizengamot."

Susan beamed at Harry and he turned to her friend. "I've heard very good things about the Abbott family … and I hear your family has a racehorse or two …" … and your family has always held itself a bit aloof form Albus Dumbledore, even if you are considered a light family Harry added mentally.

Hannah blushed and smiled. "Yes, the family has always kept one or two racers, along with some riding horses." The girls hovered and Draco told them about the Camargue horses and their riding adventures in the New Forest Preserve. Hannah and Susan eventually went on to sit with some other friends, just in time for Ron to appear - his brothers walking on by with satisfied looks at having found Harry for Ron.

Draco tensed as Ron sat next to Seamus, across from Harry, with a wide grin. Harry answered with a polite smile. "Thought I would never find you … most of the other compartments are getting pretty full." Ron turned to Seamus and Dean. "Did you see his scar? Could hardly believe it when I heard he was coming to Hogwarts this year …"

Dean looked puzzled and glanced at Harry in inquiry. Seamus, though he didn't seem the subtle or easily embarrassed type, looked uneasy at Ron's fascinated behavior. Seamus had been curious about Harry as well, but figured that he needed to have been around Harry Potter for a day or two before hazarding a few questions – after all, he had the whole school year to satisfy his curiosity.

Ron just grinned at Harry, "Go ahead, show them the scar." He was very sure that Harry Potter would jump at the chance to display his famous mark.

Harry was a bit speechless at Weasley's demand that he show off the scar. Draco was never speechless, however and could not resist answering.

"He doesn't have to display his scar for your amusement if he doesn't want to." Draco frowned, trying to keep most of his hostility hidden. Seamus squirmed and Dean looked even more confused.

Ron reacted with predictable aggressiveness. "Shut up, you snobby snake – you're sure to go in Slytherin, just like all the rest of your evil family." Dumbledore himself had talked to his family, telling how the Malfoys were taking advantage of Harry Potter and his family – that they had likely engineered the Dursley's financial troubles so they could 'rescue' them. At all cost, the Headmaster had said, Harry must be saved from the Malfoys and from Slytherin.

Dean and Seamus both frowned; Draco had been quite friendly and open … eagerly asking about the muggle games and sharing information on Quidditch. Sure, anyone with half an eye could see his clothing was expensive – but he had not been flaunting anything.

The strategy plans that Severus, Lucius and Harry had thought up – and that he'd agreed to - had been clear – if Ron attacked him verbally this way, he was to back off with a dismayed look – perhaps acting a bit hurt at the insinuation that he was snobbish … and let Harry defend him. They had reviewed every scenario they could imagine and had various responses that would help them out. So, Draco sat back and looked at Dean and Seamus as if contemplating apologizing to them for the sin of being rich.

Dean immediately frowned. "Draco has been very nice – explaining Quidditch to me, he hasn't acted snobbish at all – it's not like he can help being well-off."

Ron sputtered, "He and parents are rich as Midas … they could buy and sell you guys ten times over."

"That seems a lot more important to you than anyone else, right now." Harry answered in level tones. "If you can't like someone because they have a bit of money … maybe you are the snob – or rather a reverse snob ... and since I have a little money of my own – well you can't like me either, then."

Ron reared back in shock. This was unexpected. "What do you mean I'm a snob – I'm not rich … I can't be a snob!" The remark that Harry was a bit wealthy was ignored by him … he hadn't meant that – surely they realized that he would want to be friends with Harry no matter what?

The other four boys grimaced in unison. If Ron Weasley didn't know what reverse snobbery was – there was no point trying to explain it to him. He would probably think it was perfectly alright, anyhow. Even Seamus, who was hardly rich – or terribly intellectual either - knew what the term meant.

Harry nearly smirked, Ron Weasley was shooting himself in the foot, they weren't having to do much arguing to convince Seamus and Dean that Ron was a bit of a jerk – and not to be listened to. Harry felt that Dean needed a bit of an explanation, so he turned to him and told him an abbreviated version of his story.

"I'm apparently famous in the magical world because a "Dark Lord" was tracking down and killing a lot of people that didn't agree with him – he targeted my family and killed my parents. My mother had cast some protective magic on me that activated when he killed her to get to me. The killing curse he used bounced back and hit him instead." Harry shook his head. "It gave me this scar, and made me rather well known, since no one else ever survived the killing curse – but it's also why I hate showing it off – it reminds me of their death."

Dean looked less confused, nodding. It was enough of the story to let Dean understand at least some of the fuss surrounding Harry.

Ron looked totally surprised. He'd never thought of the possibility that Harry's famous scar might not be a point of pride for him – that it brought up poor memories instead. Ron tried to imagine being in a similar situation without much success. Would he still be proud of the scar? Surely it would be okay to show it off – it would be a way to honor his parent's sacrifice, maybe? It was unthinkable to not want to show it off at all.

"My Aunt died of cancer – we had some money trouble and Draco's family bailed us out when they realized our trouble as we are relatives, after all." Harry smiled at Draco, who smiled back – their script right on track. "Lucius Malfoy – Draco's father – can come across as rather intimidating, but he's different when it's just family."

Draco nodded in agreement – it was true that it was his mother that was the force to be reckoned with at home.

Seamus relaxed; this was an area he was familiar with. "Yeah, my da' is about the most fearsome man in town – runs a very popular pub an' all. 'e can stop a fight from happenin' with a single glare. But at 'ome he's a big softee … Mum 'as to do all the disciplinin', 'cause 'e hates layin' a 'and on us kids."

Dean smiled and nodded, as they moved back to ground he was easier with as well. Harry's story was quite interesting, though and he made a mental note to grill Seamus later - if they got to be roommates.

Ron finally recovered and jumped back into the conversation. "What houses do you think you'll be in?" He aimed the question at Seamus and Dean, hoping to not aggravate Harry further – or worse, have him saying anything more about his beloved Aunt belonging in Slytherin.

Seamus grinned, "Me Mum was in Hufflepuff … my da' is a muggle, but I'm thinking he'd have been a Gryffindor if he'd been a wizard."

Dean looked uncertain. "I'm not sure about all this stuff about houses … my dad was in the military for several years. My mother is really smart – does planning for expansions at a big company – that takes strategy. I'd like to think I'm very loyal – I guess I'm good for just about any of the 'houses'." Dean shrugged, quite unconcerned by it all.

Draco felt he'd been silent long enough. "What 'house' you go into can be important for some. Some families take great pride in always going into the same house. For some that want to work at the ministry – getting into the same house as others that you may one day work with can be important."

"As I recall, your entire family has been Slytherin for centuries … everyone knows all Dark Wizards come from there." Ron tried not to sound as belligerent as he felt.

"Really?" Harry responded with a hint of anger. "As I remember it, the wizard that betrayed by family to their deaths was a Gryffindor … Sirius Black. One of the Dark Lord's favorite torturers was Hufflepuff – Barty Crouch Junior…" Harry heard a gasp from the hall, in time to see a timid looking boy holding a toad scurry away just as the train left London and proceeded through the countryside.

Ron felt the earth get cut away from under his feet once again. He'd not heard of those wizards, and it shocked him that not all the evil wizards were snakes. He was quite sure that he'd heard Bill … and Charlie as well … say that there wasn't a witch or wizard that had gone bad that wasn't in Slytherin.

Draco sniffed at Ron's statement and then forced himself to relax and smile. "My dad was barely on the chair a moment before he was sorted to Slytherin – I'm pretty sure that the majority of my ancestors were in Slytherin – but not all. My father's mother was a Ravenclaw, for instance."

Hermione had lurked outside of the compartment for a while, listening to the boys and sneering at Ron's efforts. Professor McGonagall had said that the Weasley boy would also be trying to help keep Harry Potter safe. She'd been excited that the Professors had immediately realized that she was 'the one' that they needed to lead Harry Potter safely through the dangers he would soon face. She needed to be smarter than her opponents … show Harry Potter that she was smarter than any of the other students, and he should want to listen to her.

In the muggle world her intellect and thirst for knowledge had made her a pariah to her fellow students and eventually even the teachers were irritated, as she constantly questioned them and always caused the 'grade curve' to be totally off. At last she would have Professors that appreciated her, she thought smugly.

She strolled forward to the doorway as she heard the Malfoy boy speaking – the one that Professor McGonagall had warned her about. "Has anyone seen a toad – a boy named Neville has lost one?" She'd met Neville and used the toad as an excuse to seek out Harry Potter.

The boys shook their heads in disinterest. "Are you trying to decide what house you want to be in? I would like Gryffindor, myself, they seem to be the most upright and fair-minded of the houses." She looked at Harry and Draco, willing Harry to agree with her.

"Not really …" to her surprise it was Seamus that interrupted her. "Most Ministers for Magic and a fair number of ministry workers are Hufflepuffs – and they prize loyalty. They are the house most likely to welcome almost anyone and 'make them their own', as they say."

"But there are Gryffindors in the ministry as well …" Hermione had been shaken by Seamus' assertion.

"Yes, mostly as Aurors – they are like policemen." Draco answered, forcing himself not to sneer. "But they enforce laws – they don't make them … Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs for the most part do that. Hufflepuffs are known to be 'fair-minded' – as you put it, and Ravenclaws are smart."

"Well, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore – who was also the Head of the Wizengamot and at one time the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards – is a Gryffindor, as well as the Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall." Hermione said this with triumph.

Seamus actually snorted, making Harry smile. Draco rolled his eyes, but kept silent. It was Harry's turn. "Professor Dumbledore has been a highly respected wizard – however he recently stepped down from those two positions because he was … shall we say … stretched too thin and unable to perform all his duties … adequately."

Seamus snickered and looked at Harry with a bit of sympathy. Seamus' parents – particularly his mother – had been loud in their complaints regarding Albus' mishandling of Harry's affairs. His mother had even wept a little when she read about Harry's little diatribe aimed at the Headmaster. Dean looked confused again and Seamus pushed a Daily Prophet at him – one that detailed the whole story and Dean started reading.

Harry smiled, he didn't want them to think he hated Gryffindor house – that would be unfortunate. "My parents were Gryffindors – it's not that I think they are a bad house – far from it, I just think all the other houses have good points, too. I believe I'll be happy wherever I'm put."

Hermione shared a look with Ron, neither of them were happy with that answer, but could not mount a good argument against it. They murmured a faintly unhappy response and Hermione went back to the compartment housing a terrified Neville and tried to think. She'd thought this would be easy – it obviously wouldn't be.

Ron subsided and simply listened to the others talk about some muggle game named football and comparing the rules and strategies with Quidditch. The candy trolley came by – the Headmaster had given him a sickle to buy some candy with, and he bought a few things for later – he was too depressed to bother with it right then. To his relief the train ride finally came to an end.

A statuesque witch introduced herself as Professor Sinistra and led them to a small fleet of boats to cross a lake to the castle in. For the first time Harry forgot about 'the plans' and let himself simply revel in the magic of the place. Hogwarts truly was beautiful and he could feel the castle embrace all of them with open arms.

Dean, Seamus, Draco and Harry all got in a boat together, gliding over the lake to the castle with awestruck looks.

Professor McGonagall met them at the top of the stairs, and explained the sorting and point system. She looked displeased at Draco's proximity to Harry – and the lack of any Grangers or Weasleys nearby. At least Mr. Thomas and Mr. Finnegan were right beside them. She finally led the way into the Great Hall.

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Severus sat next to Professor Quirrell with discomfort. Clearly something was very wrong with the man. Albus just waved his concerns off with twinkling eyes. Severus suspected this must be part of Albus' plans to test Harry. Quirrell had his back to the Hall and was muttering to himself a bit – making Severus twitch in alarm.

Lucius and a group of governors were huddled at one end of the teacher's table. Lucius had talked them into 'observing' the welcoming feast. Everyone knew he just wanted to watch his heir, Draco, be sorted. None of the other governors objected, of course – all of them wanted to watch Harry Potter be sorted.

Severus had managed to get his hands on the sorting list – it was imperative that Draco be sorted before Harry – a great deal rode on that. Luckily he didn't need to change the order of names - they weren't alphabetical, so he had needed to check – however, Draco was before Harry on the list and all would be well.

The children gathered together in the front of the Head table and Minerva lifted the scroll and let it unroll in front of her, the sorting hat in the other hand. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott went to the cheerfully applauding Hufflepuff table. Hermione Granger nervously went to forward when called, muttering to herself. After a few tense moments the hat proclaimed her "Gryffindor!" A few more were sorted and then Seamus and Dean went to Gryffindor to much cheering. Then Draco Malfoy was called.

Albus relaxed. Finally the Malfoy heir would be sent to the dungeons and Harry could be weaned away from him. The slight blonde figure sat down and the sorting hat placed on his head. The hat muttered in surprise and then started chuckling happily. "Better be … Gryffindor!"

Albus was sure, later, that he blacked out for a moment or two, and then he found himself watching the triumphant Draco wander over to the hesitantly applauding students at his table. Seamus and Dean welcomed him happily, though. Minerva recovered and called Ron forward and he went to the Gryffindors table as well – sitting next to the twins and muttering anxiously to them.

Albus finally thought to look over at Lucius. He expected to see an infuriated Malfoy Sr. Instead, there was a puzzled looking father who was smiling at his newly placed son and nodding at him in acceptance. Albus looked closer … no, Lucius was not surprised or puzzled at all, this was planned.

During Albus' perusal Harry was called up. The hat was placed and did more chuckling and quietly said to Harry. "Your friend Draco already showed me your plan. You are correct – the Headmaster insisted that you go to the Lions … though you would have done well in Slytherin, too." "Better be Gryffindor!" the hat shouted.

Albus clapped with little enthusiasm. Yes, Harry was in Gryffindor, but there was not much triumph in it with Draco Malfoy there as well. He'd insisted that Harry go under Minerva's wing … it had never occurred to him that he needed to tell the hat to not place Draco Malfoy with the Lions. Albus looked back at Lucius … yes, this had been another well-thought out plan.

Albus glanced at Severus, who looked positively murderous, and smiled a little. Lucius had lost a friend there, most likely. Severus would not like being cut out of having his godson in his house. None the less, Severus would need to stay friendly with Harry … and Draco as well, he supposed. He needed Severus to influence Harry into trusting Albus.

Neville stumbled up to the chair, uncertainly. He'd wanted to go into the house his father had been in – Gryffindor. Now the thought terrified him – Malfoy was there! He'd heard his Gran rant about the Death Eaters … especially the still-at-large Lucius Malfoy. When the hat went on his head he begged it to send him elsewhere. The hat sighed and shouted, "Hufflepuff!" Neville ran to his new friends in relief … he would be safe, there.

The rest of the students were eventually sorted to their places and the feast started. Severus eventually let his expression dull down to just a bit sullen, managing to not sneer at the Headmaster in victory. Lucius was heard telling the other governors that 'he was just fine with Draco's sorting.' With Draco being sorted first it would be impossible for Albus to accuse anyone of getting Draco mis-sorted. After all - as far as the rest of the world knew, they couldn't have predicted that Harry would go into Gryffindor. Albus would not want to open the can of worms that accusations of 'tampering with the sorting' would bring about.

Much of the Gryffindor table seem to slowly be accepting Draco – after all, he seemed to be very chummy with the muggleborn Dean and the halfblood Seamus – so perhaps they needn't worry. Harry Potter was clearly a friend, so how bad could he really be? Anyway, the sorting hat knew what it was doing, right?

At last, Percy led the first years to their dorms, and they settled into their beds. Everyone happy with their placement … except for Ron, who couldn't believe he was somehow the odd man out.

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A/N – Sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but we are all sorted at last. I hoped to make it a bit of a surprise.