(Dumbledore's pov)
I was sitting in my office fuming at the thought that one of my plans failed. Harry shouldn't have been sorted into Slytherin. He is the heir to Gryffindor! I waited for the youngest Weasley male to enter my office, hoping that he can tell me what the Child of Prophecy had said on the train ride here.
There was a tentative knock on the door and I told the person to enter, putting my 'kind grandfather' mask back on just as the door opened and Ronald entered, closing the door softly behind him.
"You wanted to see me Headmaster?" He asked as he sat down.
"Yes. How was your summer, since I spoke to you?"
"It was fine." He relaxed, and explained to me all the petty things he'd done. How his older twin brothers pranked him into believing that the sorting ceremony was having to fight a troll, or how his sister was jealous that he was starting Hogwarts this year, while she had to wait until next year. I pretended to listen, a trait I had learned early in life. I found that it helps make people relax and trust me, making it easier for me to manipulate them. It also helped that the most witches and wizards aren't all that smart.
"How was the train ride?" I asked casually.
"Long." Was all he said. I knew I would need to coax the desired information out of him.
"Would you like a lemon drop?" He nodded and took one. As soon as he put the lemon drop in his mouth the effects took hold. The lemon drops were laced with a potion of my own invention. The potion worked as a sort of light interrogation. Rather than use veritiserum and ask questions, I merely offer a lemon drop and simply take the conversation where I need it to go. I can be right to the point like ask about a thing I wanted the person to do. The person won't even know that they told me. Its like obliviating the memory of our meeting without having to raise my wand.
"How was the train ride?" I asked again.
"It was long, especially when I had no one to talk too."
"What do you mean? Wasn't Mr. Potter with you?" I asked.
"No. Potter wasn't at the train station when we got there. Mum, Ginny and I searched the whole place, thinking that he was probably lost. We had Percy stay by the entrance to the platform and Fred and George went to the platform to see if he was already there."
"Did you and your brothers check the train?" I asked, trying to keep my calm appearance though I was shaking with rage on the inside.
"I did, but not my brothers. Percy had to go to the prefects compartment and the twins ran off to find their friends. I searched everywhere but I couldn't find him. I eventually found an empty compartment at the end of the train. So I waited for him to come in. I figured that since it was the only compartment that wasn't completely full that he would have to sit with me.
"After all, this would be his first time in the wizarding world so its not like he'd have any friends to sit with."
After that I had the boy head back to his common room, escorted by Mr. Percival Weasley. I stood up, and paced around my office as I usually do when I need to think. The facts were simple enough, but there weren't very many absolute facts. A lot of it was guesswork.
The facts are these: 1. Harry was not at the station when the Weasleys got there. 2. Mr. Weasley had not found him on the train. 3. Harry was here at Hogwarts. 4. He has been sorted into Slytherin.
Well, Harry had to, at some point, arrive at the train station. There is no other way he could have gotten here. The question here is when he got to the train station. Did he arrive late, just barely after the Weasley matriarch? Or had he arrived earlier?
If he was at the station before the Weasleys arrived, it doesn't explain how he got on the platform. I had told Hagrid not to tell him.
Harry would of had to find a witch or a wizard who could tell him how to get on the platform. But who had seen him and helped him?
I can rule out Slytherins. Most of them are too caught up in their pureblood supremacy to be caught hanging around the muggle entrance, not to mention they are all Death Eaters. And Death Eaters would rather kill him than help him.
The fact that Harry had ended up in Slytherin was enough to have to change my plans a bit. My plans were still able to work, I just have to adjust them to fit this inconvenience.
(Harry's pov)
I woke up early the next morning, about 2 hours before breakfast would be served. I decided to check any mail I might have gotten from Gringotts.
I didn't have anything so I decided to just work out in the training room, after warding my door so no one could get inside, but to warn me if anyone was trying to get me.
After working out for 30 minutes I left my trunk and took a nice shower, then I looked over some of my books, before leaving my room to meet up with Blaise and Draco for breakfast.
Breakfast was a quiet affair, all of the Slytherins arrived before the rest of the school. Our Prefects had told us to get ready for the early breakfast. One first year had asked why we would have to get up before the rest of the school for breakfast and we were told that the Gryffindors were really loud at meal times, and if we wanted to enjoy our meals we would need to be up early. If not, watching the Gryffindors would be a good way to lose your appetite.
Once the Gryffindors did finally enter the Great Hall we could see why the Prefect gave us the advice. Not only were they talking very loud, most of the 'private' conversations could be heard clear across the large room, they also stuffed the food into their mouths like wild animals. It reminded me of watching my uncle and cousin eat when I was still living with them.
Near the end of breakfast our Head of House stood up and handed the Prefects a stack of papers each, our time tables, I figured. Considering that the Prefects were handing them out to all of the Slytherins.
I looked at mine. Our first class Herbology with the Ravenclaws, and I also noted that I won't have potions til tomorrow, and with Gryffindor too. I would have to hope that Professor Snape would be up to hearing me out before he let his hate for my father take over.
Even though, according to Mums journal, my dad and Professor Snape had been able to get over what had happened in their Hogwarts years. I wouldn't bet against the possibility that Dumbledore had made Snape forget about the truce, and to intensify the hate Snape felt for my father enough to make him hate me as well.
I stood up, followed by Draco and Blaise, and left for the Common room to get ready for my first class.
(Ron's pov)
I watched as Harry Potter sat down at the Slytherin table, looking quite comfortable eating next to the enemy. He was even talking to Malfoy! The son of a known Death Eater!
The-Boy-Who-Lived shouldn't have to be around such horrible people. He should be with us Gryffindors, learning the truth about those slimy snakes.
That thought made me pause. Could it be possible that Harry did not know the truth?
Professor Dumbledore told me that Harry had been raised by muggles, so he probably wouldn't know that You-Know-Who killed his parents. Maybe he doesn't know that the Slytherins are evil, and that Malfoys father is a Death Eater.
Maybe he had been looking for a place to sit when he ran into Malfoy. And not knowing anyone he would not have known who Malfoy was. It wouldn't be hard for Malfoy to use that against him without Harry knowing it.
Malfoy could introduce himself and tell Harry that Slytherin is the best house. He could pretend to be friends with him, since Malfoy would probably have been the first magical person he had met.
If Malfoy succeeded then he could tell his father about being 'friends' with him, therefore either killing our only hope of a You-Know-Who free future, or turning him into a Death Eater himself.
Suddenly I felt jealous of Malfoy. I was supposed to be the first person Harry Potter met! I was supposed to be the one to introduce him to the new world he was coming into! I should be sitting with my friend Harry, here at the Gryffindor table, not sitting by myself, watching Harry befriend the enemy at the Slytherin table.
I decided that I would have to get Potter alone and tell him to stay away from Malfoy. Maybe I can get him to ask Dumbledore for a 're-sorting. Surely Dumbledore would allow Harry the chance to be placed in the house he belongs in, not the one he was brainwashed into.