Chapter 35

To say that young Draco Malfoy was experiencing conflicting emotions on the morning of September the first was to understate the truth. As much as he was sure Hogwarts was going to be good for him, in the end he was not looking forward to life without his beloved father, nana or his governess, Jane.

Perhaps it was the fact that she was leaving for a new job but in a way the separation from Jane had perhaps been the hardest he had had to endure yet that day; much harder than leaving Eliza had been. As he rode along in the carriage by his father's side, he could not help but recall the events that had not yet happened half an hour ago.

"Now when you get to Hogwarts young sir, you are to be a good boy and do as you are told, do you hear me?" said Jane, as she knelt to help her little master do his clock up about himself. They both knew he was more than capable of doing such a thing by himself now – he was hardly a little boy any more, but he let her do it anyway. She seemed to need too. "You have a great spirit and an eager mind, so you nurture these gifts, yes?" she said and she blinked away the tears. She wasn't going to let the child see her cry. He was worried enough as it was. "You'll be good."

"Yes, I shall."

Protocol thrown to the wind, Draco step forward to receive what would be a bone crushing hug from his governess. They had been together almost a decade. It was only right and natural that they were going to miss each other.

"If you ever need a helping hand, I am never more than an owl away, ok? I'll write to you if you wish it."

"I do Jane, very much."

"Very well sir. Your father has also promised to keep me updated so no bad behaviour. I shall know if you're messing about." She told him but there was such a warm smile on her face that he could not take her seriously.

"I'll miss you very much Jane."

"As will I little one. As will I."

It had been difficult but he knew there was a still more painful separation to come. He looked up at his father who gave him a confident smirk but on the inside even Lucius was crying out for someone to turn back the clock so his son could be little once more. He had not thought he was going to be dropping him off for school, what felt, so soon. It was intolerable that his child should have grown up so quickly.

He had insisted that the two of them were going to go to Kings Cross alone. It was a moment he felt that should be reserved for just the two of them. Draco evidently felt the same.

As Draco stared out of the window, he begun to wonder what it was really going to be like. When he had been thinking of Hogwarts he had imagined that it was going to be quite gloomy, but really, he felt quite – confident. He was ready for school.

Besides, he wanted to see who was in his year and met up with 'that boy' and Ron again. He wasn't as scared as he thought he was going to be. Yes, he was going to miss every one. But that did not mean he wasn't going to enjoy school.

And so as he moved closer to the station his emotions regarding what was about to begin for him continued to swing between an over whelming fear and excitement.

Undoubtedly it was the biggest day of his life so far.

Before he could register the journey passing he found that he and his father had already run together through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. It felt exhilarating. Despite part of him telling him he wanted to do nothing more than to go home and hide in his room, now that he was on the platform the excitement won out and dominated him.

He looked about to all the other first years who were going to school who were being seen off by their respective parents. You could tell the first years by the slightly green tint to their faces and their size. A stab of jealousy hit him as he realised the majority of his class mates had the one thing that he wanted more than anything else. A mother. The mother who had given them life. There were plenty of mums cuddling there little one close for the last time before they left.

Narcissa had not returned to him as he had hoped she would. She must have known he wanted her! She had last time, so why hadn't she come back?

"Come Draco let us get your truck on to the train." His father's voice brought him back to reality.

Once that was done Draco picked up Hercules, his new eagle owl, and headed over to the train. Now came the really hard bit.

Lucius looked down on his son. He seemed even smaller than he had when they had been in the carriage if that was possible. It was going to be a very long three months for both of them.

"I know you are going to do well at school, son. Try hard. Don't get in too many fights, and remember – "

"If I need you, then all I have to do is go and see uncle Sev?"

"Precisely."

Ignoring the fact that they were both Malfoy's and that his son was now over five years old, Lucius put his arms out and pulled his son in for what would be there finally embrace for quite some time. When Draco felt the tears sting him however he pulled back, knowing if he did not then he was not going too.

They two of them looked at one another in a meaningful way. It was a big day for both, father and son.

"You know what Prince-"

But Draco never found out what he was going to say to him.

"Oh honey, I was hoping to catch you before you got on to the train," a voice said from behind him and he turned to see that it was.

"I wanted to come and say good bye," Andy said as she hugged him completely unaware of the moment she had just taken away from her brother in law. He should have realized she'd be there dropping Dora off for her last year.

As Draco turned into her she kissed his ear. "Remember what I said little one," she muttered to him.

He nodded. Having had enough of the goodbyes he gave his uncle a wave, then turned away from his father and got on to the train. It was almost eleven. Time to go.

Finding the carriage where Blaise sat with Grey, Vincent and Theodore, he soon joined his friends from their nursery days. As much as he wanted to find Ron and the boy he had met at the robes shop, it felt only fitting that he should depart from his childhood with the ones he had shared it with.

The boys were as boisterous as ever. There was an electric current in the air as the first game of Exploding Snap between the five boys all of whom were expecting to end up in the same house.

The laughter stopped for a while when the train pulled out. The first year boys all crowded about the window to gain a brief last look at their parents. Theodore, just like Draco was motherless. Their fathers, perhaps for this reasoned seemed more upset by the loss of their beloved boys to the school system than the others, though there were of course no tears.

But it wouldn't be for so long.

"I think I am going to go and look about the train," Draco announced to the others after a while when they were out of London and countryside was rolling by. He was finding the carriage rather stiffening and wanted to get.

"Do you want us to come with you?" offered Greg but Draco shook his head.

"I am sure I'll be alright."

He was soon out. The first person who he found out the carriage who he knew was, of course, Dora. She seemed simply delighted that she was going to be able to play the doting big cousin for the year, though she promised to embarrass him too much.

"I remember my first year – I know its nerve wrecking kid, but don't worry – honestly, you'll do great."

He nodded and he knew that he was going to be grateful to have her there for the year. They were going to spend more time together that year than they had since they had been really little kids.

It'd be nice.

Continuing down the carriage on his walk, he begun to feel more like himself again as he became accustom to not have Lucius there watching over him. It certainly felt odd not to have him there.

An ache and a sickness in his heart forced him to banish his father from his thoughts. Until he was used to the separation, he didn't think he would manage to think of him.

He had been walking on down the carriage when he was aware of a presence behind him. His imagination had already seemed to settle on the idea of it being his lordly sire, when he turned to see something that put excitement into his heart.

"Hello," the voice said. It was him – it was the boy from the robes shop!

"Hello," he replied, simply delighted to have found him on the train as he had hoped he would.

The boy ushered him into the carriage – then another surprise...

"Draco!"

"Ron!"

Eagerly he sat down next to the young Weasley who tried to correlate this young boy he had often thought of with the description of the Malfoy family that his father had given to him the night after the game. He didn't seemed bigoted or unkind. He, in contrast to this caricature of a family, seemed just plain – nice.

"You too know one another?"

"Kinda," Ron admitted. "We went to a Quidditch game when we were young. My big brothers Fred and George left me and Draco was left by – who was it?"

"My cousin Nymphadora. We met up while we were lost and looked for our families together."

"You'll never know how much trouble the twins got in for that one. Couldn't sit down for a week when we got back home to mum."

"Well I think my father was rather angry at my cousin too. I'm sorry, but what's your name? I've not asked yet."

"Harry. Harry Potter."

Draco was struck dumb in amazement for a moment - he had met Harry Potter, twice now and he hadn't even known. Guilt stabbed him. He knew what it was of course. His father's voice. He had told him Potter was a half blood. Really he should get back to the boys he had been brought up with.

But then a defiant voice crept in. The voice that questioned his father. Aunt Andy. And at least, for that moment it was Andy who won. Her ideas run in line with his own wishes.

He didn't want to leave the carriage. He liked these boys.

"Have you got the -" Ron chipped in putting his hand to his forehead.

When a lightning bolt scar was revealed which did indeed sit on his forehead, the two purebloods were in shock. "Cool!" they declared simultaneously before rolling about laughing.

Draco was more than happy to spend the rest of the journey to Hogwarts with the two boys. They seemed to be a lot like him. Worried, but excited about what was to come. Harry felt he was at a disadvantage as he knew no magic but Ron's main concern was he wasn't going to be able to match up to what his brothers had achieved.

And Draco's?

"I suppose – I just want to make me dad proud of me." The three of them had spoken about their family situations together and it soon become clear that while family wise Draco was not as well off as Ron (Draco thought again how lucky to have so many brothers) but not as bad off as Harry (the muggles who raised him sounded appalling!). He was even more grateful for having been brought up by at least one parent.

The train journey and the boys bonding was only interrupted twice, both times by the same bushy haired girl. She was helping one of their soon to be class mates find the toad he had apparently lost.

"I expect we are going to be there soon, so you lot had better change into your robes," she told them pompously the second time she came into their carriage.

From Ron's reaction, he had the same first impression of her as Draco had. That she was a bossy know it all.

Yet she was right, and so it was not long till he went back to his boyhood friends to change into his robes. They were of course curious to where he had been for the majority of the journey but he said he had been with his cousin. Of course, the majority of them thought of her as a blood traitor but it was better to tell them that then he had been with Harry and Ron.

It was overall, good to get off of the train. Despite the fact that summer was drawing to an end it was not yet cold, and the breeze blew through the student's hair.

Perhaps his favourite part of the day so far was when Draco got to go over to the castle in a boat. It was a truly magical moment for him and it was that day that he begun to appreciate truly that there was more than one type of magic in the world. He had gone over the water in a boat with Blaise, Pansy and Theodore. When they got to the other side his eyes sort of Ron and Harry - The three boys, all making sure that each other had all got across alright.

From where they had been the group of first years soon begun to walk up to the lake. It was quite obvious that they were getting nervous over the sorting. He had been told by his father and his uncle that he just had to sit on the stall and let the hat sort him ('it really is nothing to worry over Dragon') but it didn't help his nerves now that they were there.

He had to get into Slytherin... and yet if he did, then he was never got to get to see Harry and Ron, was he? But neither did he want to get into Gryffindor. He knew the other two did but that would be the worst case scenario for him. A Malfoy in Gryffindor? Definitely not. He wanted to emulate his father... but... Greg and Vincent were his mates, but he didn't think he was going to be able to put up with them all day every day for the next seven years.

They were met in the entrance hall by Professor McGonagall. Sev had told him that she was the Professor of Transfiguration and she was also Head of Gryffindor house.

She explained to them about the houses, the point systems, everything they had to know as first years. He was in Hogwarts castle!

Then together, as a year group, they went into the Great Hall. Of course, as a Malfoy, he was well used to splendour. He had been bought up in a Manor and he had been to brilliant parties his entire life. But this was beyond everything he could have imagined. Everything from the gold goblets to the enchanted sky ceiling seemed to take his breath away.

His eyes quickly, once they drew away from the ceiling, sort Severus. They found him and though he made no acknowledgement of his nephew, Draco knew he was there for him and that was enough.

Despite the walk down the middle of the hall feeling long, when it was done it was as if it had been done in as moment. Time was a funny thing.

It was beginning to dawn on him that he was a student now.

The Sorting Hat sung to the school before the sorting – and then it begun.

Draco had to wait though as 'Abbott, Hannah' joined Hufflepuff and 'Boot, Terry' made it in to Ravenclaw. Hermione Granger (the bushy haired girl from the train) was among the first of the new Gryffindor's along with Neville Longbottom, the boy who lost his toad.

"Malfoy, Draco," was finally called by McGonagall. He was up. Going over to the stool he sat down and the hat touched his head.

"Another Malfoy.... Slytherin surely, but what's this? Knowledge... a thirst to do well. A great deal of courage too... a sense of loyalty. You are a difficult one."

Draco tried not to think when he was on the stool. He didn't like the feeling the hat was in his head. His head told him he should be in Slytherin. Even Andy had been in Slytherin. But his dad had said it didn't matter. So maybe...

"Umm, no, I can afford a bit more creative with this Malfoy than the last. Better put you in ... RAVENCLAW!"

The fact that he had not made Slytherin, Draco had expected to hurt.... but it didn't. The Ravenclaws – the house which was set to be like his family - congratulated him and cheered him. While Greg, Vincent, Blaise and Theodore looked at him with pity – but he was sure also still with friendship, Ron and Harry seemed delighted. They both soon joined the Gryffindor's.

He also looked to Severus and this time he did acknowledge the boy. Whether it was because he wanted to reassure him or not, Draco wasn't sure but when they begun eating, Draco saw his uncle give him what could be counted as a smile and he raised his goblet to him.

Draco could not stop looking about. He was like he had been at the Quidditch match only this time he knew that he could not get lost. There was so much to drink in. He knew he didn't want to miss a thing. From the sumptuous food to the pearly white ghosts.

The ghosts.

At the end of the hall under the arch stood a ghost he knew only he could see... she was a different, he could tell to all of the others.

So she had come.

She raised her goblet to him and gave him the proudest smile he had ever seen a women smile. And then suddenly it didn't matter if Lucius approve of him being in Ravenclaw or not. Because Narcissa did...

-

"A Ravenclaw?"

"Yes."

Severus had to say he did not think Lucius was as shocked as he was expecting him to be – in fact he took the news positively well.

Maybe he had always known that his son was not Slytherin. He had to say that it was partly his fault. He knew he had not raised the boy to be a Slytherin. He had raised him to be his own person. He had tried true enough to impress on him the importance of blood purity and he had tried to ensure he knew he was better than his peers. And nothing could Draco's blood and status away from him.

He would remain a Malfoy.

A Ravenclaw. A pride swept across Malfoy senior. His Prince had always been a serious little being. Yes, he would prosper and do well there. There were worse things in life than his son not being a Slytherin. And he had always respected Ravenclaw as a house. Intelligence should not be mocked.

Lucius poured two glasses of firewhisky out before giving his friend one.

"To Draco." He proposed.

"To Draco." Severus agreed.

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