The train rattled waking me up from my dream. Crabbe and Goyle, sons of my father's "friends" were in the middle of a deep conversation about what to purchase from the candy cart. "For Merlin's sake", I mumbled as I got to my feet, "six chocolate frogs and three boxes of Bertie Bott's". They began to protest "but Draco, we don't like Bertie Bott's, only you do".
"Oh, shut up you blithering fools, you'll do what I say or my father will hear about this". They bowed their heads. I was about to shut the door when a toad came, running, (is that what you would call it?) and a girl, a first year no doubt came sprinting after it. Her hair was bushy and caramel colored and her cheeks were flushed. She knocked over the entire cart of candy, all the while, the toad got away. I felt so bad, that yes, a Malfoy, went to go help her pick it up. As I bent down, we made eye contact. Her eyes were beautiful, they sparkled like a night sky. She was nervous, I could tell. "H-hi, I'm Hermione Granger".
"Draco, Draco Malfoy". I said taking her hand. As we got up, we both knocked our heads on the cart. We both started to laugh and fell to the floor. "Say, Hermoine, who are your parents? I'm not familiar with the last name Granger".
"Oh, I'm muggle-born".
A muggle-born? How disgusting! "I'm sorry, I have a reputation to uphold. I can't be seen talking to you. Filthy mudblood". I mumbled the last part. She didn't hear it anyway. Her eyes had filled with tears and she began to walk away.
"Train arriving in 20 minutes!" the conductor called out. But I wasn't paying attention. I was staring at her in disbelief. Had I just hurt that girl, Hermione? All that occupied my mind was how I had just managed to become my father, praying on the weak and vulnerable. Maybe I did belong in Slytherin. Blithering fool, I thought to myself, wait until father hears about this. When I stepped back into the compartment, I could immediately tell something was up. Crabbe and Goyle had these smug looks on their faces. "What?" I responded, "What is wrong with you two?" They didn't reply. Instead, they took a chocolate frog card out of one of their pockets. I groaned in disbelief as I looked at the card and slipped it into my pocket because I couldn't stand it anymore. However, Crabbe had different ideas. He reached into my pocket and was about to take the card out when the train jolted to a stop and the card fell to the floor forgotten. We had arrived at the Hogwarts platform. There was a moment of complete silence and then the train erupted into cheers and laughter. It was hard to get off the train. Everyone was pushing and shoving all filled to the brim with excitement. There was one group that was paled in the face and completely flustered. They were the first years. We all gathered at the dock to get into the magical boats that would take us to Hogwarts. I was about to get into the first boat, but Hermione got there first. No way I was going in the same boat as her, I was to embarrassed about before. So, like always, Crabbe, Goyle, and I ended up in the same boat. We glided over the black waters staring up at the magnificent castle above us. Windows glowed from every angle, reflecting on the lake. I however, wasn't paying attention. My blood was still running cold from seeing my own father, now on the card left on the floor of the Hogwarts Express. His words still ribboning through my mind. The day I am on a chocolate frog card is the day you make me proud. It is the day you get sorted into Slytherin. I never thought my father would tell me the truth, and this time, I was very afraid he was right.