Author's Note:

If any of you have read the summary, you'll know that this story will be written not only about Harry, but also about Draco. I realize Draco hasn't appeared yet, but that's all about to change, at least for a small portion of this chapter. I'm sorry this chapter's a tad short; I had a bit of writer's block. I'm also sorry that it's taken so long for me to post it; I finished writing it this past weekend, but my internet was down until last night.

In other news, this story now has over 10,000 words!

Chapter 8

*September 1, 1995*

Draco Malfoy said goodbye to his parents and walked down Platform 9 ¾ towards Pansy Parkinson. He passed Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and the Weasley clan. They were all being obnoxiously emotional, as they usually were. Crabbe and Goyle followed Draco as he walked by the train, failing to make any intelligent conversation, which was also usual. Pansy smiled as she watched him approach her, and he ordered Crabbe and Goyle to take his belongings with him onto the train.

"Draco! I've missed you so much!" Pansy hugged Draco, but he didn't return it. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy walked up behind the two fifth years and shook hands with the Parkinsons. "I was made a prefect, too. Of course I figured you would be picked as the boy for Slytherin house. How was your summer?"

"Well—"

"Draco, may I have a word with you?" Draco nodded and walked to an empty space on the platform. "I noticed you weren't returning Pansy's hug. Why is that?"

"I'm not fond of her, and I'm not one for hugging, Father."

"I suggest you change your attitude about her and her hugs then. I had planned to wait until next summer to tell you this, but the two of you have been betrothed since her birth."

"She was telling the truth when she claimed we were betrothed?"

"Yes, why wouldn't you believe her?"

"I'm a Slytherin, Father. I question everything anyone says."

"That's a good thing, but she has been telling the truth. I suggest you work on getting closer with her so your marriage will be easier for the both of you. You don't have a choice in the matter, Draco."

The youngest Malfoy nodded. "Yes, Father."

"Have a good year at school." Lucius Malfoy waved his wife over to him, and Draco returned to Pansy. The whistle on the train blew, and all of the students boarded, searching for a compartment to sit in. Draco and Pansy walked on the train until they found the compartment where the prefect meeting was to be held, waiting with each other.

Harry entered a compartment that had Luna, Ginny, and Neville in it since both Ron and Hermione had to go to the prefect meeting. They had promised to come find him later, but he wasn't sure if that would happen. Luna and Neville were busy looking out of the window, and Ginny came over to sit across from Harry. "Are Ron and Hermione with the rest of the prefects?" Harry nodded. "Well, you still have us for company. Do you want to play Exploding Snap?"

"Sure, it isn't like we have anything else that we can do."

Ginny got Exploding Snap out of her bag. "Luna, Neville, come play Exploding Snap with us."

An hour later, Ron and Hermione arrived in their compartment. Hermione smiled brightly at everyone. "Hey, I see you managed to survive without us, Harry. Thanks, Ginny."

"No problem, Hermione."

Everyone moved over to make room for the new prefects, and Ron whispered to Harry. "Did you see Cho on your way down here?"

"Yeah, but it hurts to look at her. She reminds me too much of Cedric now."

"You don't like her anymore then, do you?" Harry shook his head. "That's okay, Harry. There are plenty of other girls around."

Hermione looked up, noticing the crestfallen look on Harry's face and stood up. "I'll be back in a little while. I just thought I should go on patrol. It won't take me too long." Hermione left and the other five occupants of the compartment were left alone.

"Neville, how was your summer?"

Neville shrugged. "It was okay, just like every other summer I suppose. Oh, I got a mimbulus mimbletonia for my birthday. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria; it's supposed to be really, really rare." He pulled it out of his schoolbag, along with Trevor, his toad. "Here, let me show you something. It's got an amazing defense mechanism." Soon everyone in the compartment was covered in Stinksap from Neville's plant.

Ginny cleaned up the mess, casting Scourgify. "What about you, Luna? How was your summer?"

"My father and I went on a trip in search of the Blibbering Humdingers. It was quite wonderful."

The food cart showed up at their compartment, and Harry bought a large amount of candy, enough for everyone in the compartment, plus Hermione, to have their fill. Hermione reappeared a few minutes later, three seventh years in tow. Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Lee Jordan were all standing with Hermione, devious grins on their faces.

"Hermione said that—"

"—Harry was upset—"

"—and that he needed—"

"—cheering up!"

Ron stared at his twin brothers and their friend until he turned his eyes to Hermione. "You thought it would be a good idea to get the twins to help?" Hermione nodded. "I think we've had enough fun for today. Neville got all of us covered with Stinksap earlier."

The three seventh years pushed through the compartment to Neville upon hearing about the Stinksap and started immediately asking him questions about the plant and the uses of Stinksap.

"They're perfectly fine. The twins are always good for a laugh, and I thought that might be exactly what Harry needs right now." As if on cue, small fish in different colors appeared and began swimming through the compartment. Harry smiled at them, even if it was only for a moment. "See, Ron, they're cheering him up a little, and I think that's better than nothing."

The fish started affectionately rubbing against all of the compartment's occupants before they became pink birds, and so it continued until the Hogwarts Express reached Hogsmeade.