Chapter Nine
Hogwarts Express, England/ Scotland, 1 September, 1991
Adrian levitated his trunk onto the rack and plopped into his seat across from Draco. They'd chosen a compartment near the back to avoid some of their fellow students, namely Henry Potter, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe. They were so stupid.
They'd been talking for a few minutes when the door to their compartment slid open. A tall, gangly redhead with a slightly overlong nose looked at them nervously. "Can I sit in here? Everywhere else is full."
Adrian smiled, and Draco did the same. They'd been raised as respectable purebloods, and so were nothing if not polite.
Draco gestured to where he sat and moved next to Adrian. The boy smiled gratefully and sat down, adjusting his worn robes self-consciously. "I'm Ron, by the way, Ron Weasley," he looked down, as though ashamed of his name.
Draco and Adrian shared a glance. They knew about the Weasley's, of course; poor, pureblooded like them, with a lot of children. They were also huge supporters of Muggle Rights.
Adrian reached across the compartment, offering his hand. "Adrian Malfoy," he said warmly. Ron took his hand and shook it.
Draco followed suit. Adrian was generally a very good judge of character, and he trusted his brother with his reputation. "Draco Malfoy."
Ron looked a little surprised as he shook Draco's hand. "I've always heard that the Malfoy's were dark, arrogant, and cruel."
"Well, we've heard that the Weasley's were childish, arrogant, and, ah, followed their leader like sheep into the slaughterhouse," Draco replied, a slight flush of anger and embarrassment creeping into his face.
"Not me, Malfoy. I'll be remembered as more than Charlie's brother, or Bill's or even Percy's little brother. I won't be just another Weasley. I'll outshine them all, my Mum and Dad will see," he said tensely, his ears turning red.
The Malfoy's shared another look. This was a very different Weasley than they'd expected.
Just then the door burst open. A girl with bushy brown hair stood framed in the doorway, a round-faced boy right behind her. Both had traces of tears on their faces.
"C-can we s-s-sit here?" the girl asked, hiccupping through her tears.
"Sure," the boys said in unison, making room for the two. Ron moved next to Draco and the newcomers sat across from them. Their formerly empty compartment was becoming quite full.
"What happened to you two?" Adrian asked, conjuring a tissue and handing it to the girl.
"Th-this idiot k-k-kicked us out of our compartment, and called me a Mudblood. I t-told him I d-didn't know what that was, and he said that I was t-too stupid to be a witch and they'd send me back!" she sobbed.
Ron stiffened, as did Adrian, Draco, and the round-faced boy beside her.
"Who?" Adrian asked quietly. He didn't like to see anyone cry, even if he was a Malfoy, and neither did Draco, though he had a bit more self-control than his brother. Adrian was very impulsive, almost as reckless as a Gryffindor.
"Someone in our year, brown hair, big," she shrugged, her crying easing up somewhat. "Looked a bit like an ape."
Draco looked at his brother.
"Goyle," they breathed together.
"Gregory Goyle?" He's the dumbest excuse for a wizard I ever had the displeasure of meeting," Ron scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't listen to him."
"What he do to you?" Adrian asked the boy.
"It wasn't him, it was the other one. He- he squashed Trevor, my dad's toad. He stepped on him and killed him, and laughed and splatted his guts on me," the boy said, teary-eyed. There was indeed what appeared to be toad smeared across the front of his shirt.
"I'm sure your dad'll get you a new toad. They aren't too expensive," Adrian offered kindly.
The boy shook his head and looked out the window silently.
"I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, and this is Neville Longbottom. You are?" the girl asked, holding out her hand.
They introduced themselves and quickly began talking and joking amongst themselves. As the snack cart came around, everyone pitched in and they bought half of the delighted witch's stock and shared it, laughing as Hermione encountered her first chocolate frog, screaming and jumping into Ron's lap, which he didn't seem to mind overmuch. They'd howled with laughter and she claimed that it wasn't funny, but her lips twitched, suppressing a smile.
Eventually, the talk turned to Houses.
"I think Ravenclaw would be best," Hermione said wistfully, and began to tell them all about the history of her desired House when Ron interrupted her.
"I dunno where I'll be. My whole family's been in Gryffindor for generations, but I don't really want to be in it. I want to be different," he said, his words growing louder as he went on, as if to reassure himself that he was different.
"I'll end up in Hufflepuff, I just know it," Neville said miserably. They tried to reassure their new friend, but he would have none of it, convinced that he was a born loser.
"Slytherin," Draco and Adrian said together, grinning in anticipation. The others looked shocked, angry, or amused. "The Slytherin's have the most fun."
Ron shook his head. "According to my bothers- I mean brothers, they have the most fun."
The others roared with laughter as he described his brothers' antics, from the mediocre (when they were small) to the extravagant (as in more recent years), to the complete genius (always).
Neville then told his story about when he was discovered to be a wizard and not a squib, which had everyone laughing.
"You- you bounced?" Ron asked, still chuckling.
Neville nodded, grinning.
"I wonder where we are," Adrian said, looking out the window. The sky was streaked with orange and purple in the failing light of the setting sun.
"Well, no one really knows the exact location of Hogwarts. All the wizarding schools guard their secrets zealously, and so they're Unplottable, as well as being impossible for Muggles to find. I read it all in Hogwarts: A History," Hermione said. "We should change into our robes; I think we'll be there soon."
She left and the boys changed in silence, each nervous, but each too proud to admit it. Once they'd changed, Hermione came back in and they talked quietly for the rest of the journey.
Hogsmeade Station, Scotland, 1 September, 1991
"Firs' years! This way, firs' years!"
The five piled off the train, following the voice that boomed through the station, jostled and bumped by other students.
And they saw Hogwarts for the first time.
The castle was visible across the dark lake, lighting up the night like a thousand candles.
"Wow," they said together, staring openmouthed.
They gathered around the source of the voice, a huge man with long black hair and an even longer beard who had ink-black eyes that twinkled warmly in the light from his lantern. "Firs' years, this way. Four to a boat, one with me. Le's go!"
They followed him down a cliff path to a beach at the side of the lake where a fleet of small boats was waiting.
Draco, Adrian, Ron, and Neville climbed into one boat, and Hermione went with the huge man, who they learned was called Hagrid, waving nervously as Hagrid shifted his weight, tipping the boat.
The journey across the lake was silent, the only sound being the waves lapping against the boats.
The journey only took a few minutes, and soon they stood in the Entrance Hall, looking about them nervously. Behind the massive wooden doors, hundreds of muffled voices echoed, laughing and talking amongst themselves.
Adrian swallowed hard. For the first time in his life, he felt small.
"Good evening," a voice said behind them. "I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. In a few minutes, you will join your Houses for the feast, but first, you must be sorted."
Ron let out a quiet moan, and the other four snickered at him.
Professor McGonagall was a witch of average height, though she somehow seemed much bigger that she was. Her graying hair was pulled into a severe bun and she wore emerald-green robes with a matching hat. She wasn't old, at least by wizarding standards, probably only 60.
"While at Hogwarts, your House will be your family," she continued, ignoring the muttering that had erupted. "Good behavior will be rewarded with House points, and any misbehavior will result in the loss of points. The House with the most points at the end of tem wins the House Cup, a great honor to whoever wins it."
The five friends looked at each other in anticipation; friends or not, they wanted that cup.
"Please follow me into the Great Hall, where the sorting will take place," she said, flicking her wand at the doors. They creaked open slowly.
There was silence throughout the hall.
Being taller than most of the other students, Draco and Ron saw a hat on a stool at the front of the hall.
"What's that about, mate?" Ron whispered. Draco shrugged, wondering the same thing himself.
The hat, as though hearing them, began to sing, a mouth opening near the wide brim.
"Oh
you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter
hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats
sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts
Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in
your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will
tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in
Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and
chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in
Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are
true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any
means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be
afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though
I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
But I beg you, please,
Heed my words before I depart:
By the end of term,
Only Blood Brothers true
Can save us from the coming Dark."
The applause was scattered, and confused murmuring resonated throughout the hall.
"First Years," McGonagall said sharply, "when I call your name, come up and you will be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"
Abbott, Hannah was sorted into Hufflepuff after only a moment. As the names came and went, the five became more and more nervous.
"Granger, Hermione!"
She gulped and sat on the stool, swinging her feet nervously.
'Ah, yes, a brilliant mind, fiercely determined.' the voice whispered, and Hermione knew that only she could hear it, 'Very loyal as well, but I think you'd do best in...'
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaws whistled and yelled their approval, and her four friends clapped, glad that she'd gotten into the House she'd wanted.
More names were called, until "Longbottom, Neville!" was to be sorted.
He strode up the stairs, sat carefully on the stool, and pulled the hat over his head.
'Ah, a Longbottom. Loyalty runs deep, and you aren't afraid to do what's right…' the Hat said, thoughtfully.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table cheered their newest member, and Neville was positively beaming.
The others clapped as well, and awaited their own turns.
MacDougal, Morag was next, and then it would be Draco and Adrian's turns.
"Malfoy, Draco!"
Draco smirked and swaggered up to the hat, plopping it onto his head.
"SLYTHERIN!!" the Hat screamed only a moment after he put it on. Draco smirked again and went to join his fellow Housemates.
I'm ready, Adrian thought, taking a step toward the Hat.
"Moon, Maxwell!"
Adrian stopped dead in his tracks.
What?
Draco stood up to protest, but Adrian shook his head violently, so he sat back down, silently fuming.
Moon, Maxwell went to Hufflepuff, and there were only a few students left now, including Henry Potter, who looked very confident.
A few more names were called, and then
"Potter, Henry!"
Whispers erupted once again.
"The Henry Potter?"
"He's here?"
"I can't see him! Move over!"
Henry made his way to the hat, pulled it over his eyes, and sat.
And sat.
And sat.
"Geez, he must've been up there for ten minutes now, mate," Ron whispered to Adrian, who nodded in reply.
Suddenly, the Hat boomed "HUFFLEPUFF!" as Henry screamed, "NO!!!!"
The hall was silent, a few claps coming from the Hufflepuff table.
The boy-who-lived was in Hufflepuff?!
Adrian snickered.
Soon, Ron was up. Adrian gave him the thumbs up and waited.
Ron, like everyone else before him, sat on the stool nervously at let the Hat cover his face.
'ah, another Weasley, but so much different than the others. Oh, you like being different, don't you. So ambitious, so bitter, so fearlessly determined to show them all what you are… you're a different breed of Weasley altogether…' the Hat whispered to Ron thoughtfully. 'It'd best be…'
"SLYTHERIN!"
There was no clapping, only a stunned silence. A Weasley in Slytherin? Unheard of.
Ron's brothers at the Gryffindor table glared at him as he trudged to the Slytherin table and sank into the seat next to Draco's. Everyone else moved away from him.
Zambini, Blaise was the last to be sorted, and then Adrian was alone.
A tall wizard with flowing silver hair stood up, smiling. Dumbledore. "Now that we've got everyone sorted-"
"Hey! What about me?" Adrian yelled, hands on his hips. "I haven't been sorted yet!"
Dumbledore frowned slightly. "My apologies. You are?"
"Adrian Aetius Malfoy," he replied.
Dumbledore looked puzzled. "You weren't Sorted?"
Adrian rolled his eyes. "No."
"Well, we'll sort that out immediately!" Dumbledore beamed, beckoning the boy to the stool. Adrian huffed and came forward.
He sat on the stool, and let the Hat cover his face.
'Another Malfoy? Hmmm, my, my, boy, you are a difficult one… lets us dig a bit deeper…' the Hat said. 'What's this? Too… much… conflict…'
Adrian shifted uncomfortably. He felt hundreds of eyes on him.
'What to do, what to do… I-'
"I CANNOT SORT HIM!"
Adrian's eyes went wide.
"HE IS AT WAR WITHIN, THOUGH HE DOES OT KNOW. I CANNOT SORT HIM!"
Adrian pulled off the Hat, but heard it whisper its last words to him.
'What are you?'
Okay, I know that this chapter was really long, but if I'd split it up, it wouldn't have been the same.
Anyways, this chapter was really hard to write. Major thanks to DarkNaruto002 for once again helping me out!
Please, please, please review, because reviews make me happy!
-TheNefariousMe
