Draco pushed his cart through King's Cross, making sure not to meet the eyes of any muggles. There were notice-me-not charms around the entrance to Platform 9 and Three Quarters, so no muggle would be able to get in unless they were accompanied by a witch or wizard (like the parents of a muggleborn), but Draco still didn't want to risk attracting any attention.
Uncle Ted and Aunt Andromeda were already gone. They had flood over with him to King's Cross in one of the stations where magicals could congregate in secret, and said their goodbyes (Uncle Ted had even wished him luck, and Aunt Andromeda told him to study hard and keep his grades up, which Draco counted as a sign that they cared at least a little), but they had left rather quickly. Draco knew that part of it was because they just didn't care enough to see him off, but he also understood that Uncle Ted had to open up his practice pretty early in the morning, and Aunt Andromeda usually helped him on the more business-focused side of the practice, so he was comforted by the fact that it wasn't completely him who was the cause of them not staying to see him get on the Hogwarts Express.
Draco pushed his cart, filled with suitcases of new (new!) things, from robes to cauldrons to his textbooks. Draco had taken a look at some of his textbooks. Defense Against the Dark Arts sounded like the best class in school at the moment, but Potions sounded quite nice as well. He'd sometimes watched Uncle Ted brew Skele-Gro and Calming Draughts in his study before, and it had seemed interesting enough.
Draco slipped his hand into the pocket of his pants (he was forced to be wear muggle clothes since he had to blend in on the way here), shaking away the uncomfortable feeling he got from having to wear such restrictive clothing (seriously, how did muggles function while their movement was so...restrained?) and wrapped his fingers around his wand, the comforting feeling of Willow and Phoenix Feather sending a thrill of warmth down his hand. Draco couldn't suppress a smile at the feeling. He'd seen his family and many others do so many amazing things with their wands, and now, he was going off to Hogwarts to have the chance to learn all of those things, too!
As Draco walked over to the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10, he recalled his aunt's words on how to get in. Just walk through, run through if he was nervous, and he'd appear on the station for the Hogwarts Express.
"Alright, everyone," he heard a woman's voice come from behind him. "Remember to make sure no muggles are watching as you enter the platform, understand? The Statute of Secrecy is very important."
Draco raised an eyebrow at how openly the woman was talking about the wizarding world as he turned around to see what was going on behind him. Would muggles not be able to hear her when she spoke? Draco's eyebrows shot even higher into his hairline (which was, once again, messy and covering his forehead to hide his scar) as he took in the image in front of him when he finished turning. A short, portly woman with flyaway gray hair was directing a group of about 10 children, all of whom were lugging carts filled with suitcases just like he was.
"We know, Mrs. Figg," a tall black boy who was slouching around in the front, right behind the woman, muttered. "You've told us a thousand times already."
The woman, apparently named Mrs. Figg, slapped the back of his head, prompting a yelp of pain from the boy.
"I won't take any cheek from you, Dean!" She snapped. "You're going off to Hogwarts! The professors there aren't going to be as forgiving as we are, do you understand?"
Draco's mouth twisted downwards as he watched them talk about wizarding terms seeming without a care for the world. What was their problem? It was ironic how they were talking about the Statute of Secrecy, yet were dangerously close to breaking it with every word they spoke.
Still, he didn't say anything, instead opting to turn away and push his own cart in through the platform barrier. He closed his eyes as he walked into the barrier, half expecting to just crash, but when he opened his eyes, he was in a completely different place. He looked up and grinned as he saw the wrought-iron archway with the words "Platform Nine and Three Quarters" on it. He was finally there.
Smoke from the engine of the massive train with the words "Hogwarts Express" stamped on the side drifted over the heads of the chattering crowds of people. Kids that looked to be Draco's age and far older were bustling around, some in Hogwarts robes, some in muggle clothes. Owls were hooting in their cages and flying overhead, parents were holding sniffling children and hugging their older ones, and several stalls had been set up on the edge of the platform, selling everything from pumpkin pasties to self-polishing wand holsters.
"I won't be giving you any leeway because you're my brothers this year," A pompous-looking, tall redhead said imperiously to two shorter redheaded boys who wore identical grins.
"I didn't do my Defense essay yet," a pretty brunette who looked a few years older than Draco was complaining to a blonde boy. "Do you think I'll have enough time to finish it on the train?"
"I heard they're selling Platinum Chocolate Frog Cards in the stands!" A little boy was dragging an exasperated older girl who looked to be his sister. "I can finally get Salazar Slytherin and complete my Founders Era set!"
"I can't believe my baby is really going off to Hogwarts!" A woman was hugging a girl that Draco assumed was her daughter tightly, who looked mortified and was trying desperately to push away.
I wouldn't push away, Draco thought as an ugly feeling of jealousy bubbled up in his stomach, before shaking his head as he remembered that he needed to get on the train. He pushed past the crowds of people, noticing the Mrs. Figg from King's Cross looking on as the kids she had been leading entered the train. Draco lugged his trunk over to one of the less-crowded entrances to the train, straining himself to lift the trunk onto the train and very nearly dropping it on his toes several times. He was eventually able to get it on the train, and with a sigh of slight exhaustion from the exertion of lifting his heavy trunk, began his journey to find an empty compartment to sit in.
Most of them were filled to their maximum capacity, and it took searching through about 10 compartments, but he'd finally found one that looked relatively empty. As Draco peeked his head in, he found that the only person there was a rather stout, chubby (although not exactly fat) boy, with watery blue eyes and thick blonde hair parted neatly down the middle. He was looking longingly out of the window.
"Excuse me," Draco began, causing the boy to jump and swivel his head to him. "Is this compartment full?"
"Um...no. Come on in, if you like," the boy managed, and Draco shot him a small, grateful smile and took the seat opposite to the boy.
"What's your name?" He asked, wanting to be polite and not get off on the wrong foot with the boy.
"Oh...my name's Dudley...Dudley Dursley," the boy said, looking at Draco with a small amount of trepidation in his eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Dudley," Draco tried for a friendly tone. He stuck out his hand, and after a few seconds, Dudley took it. "My name's Draco," he stifled a sigh. He knew his name was going to get out anyways, so he might as well get it over with. "Draco Malfoy."
He almost closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable gushing that came whenever most people heard his name...but it never came.
"Oh," Dudley said. "Um...I'm sorry about your parents."
"...what?" Draco asked dumbly, staring Dudley open-mouthed. Out of all the reactions Draco was expecting after saying his name, this was the last one he'd have ever thought would happen. Nobody had ever told him that before.
"I'm sorry about your parents," Dudley repeated. "My dad died in the first war too. My mum raised me on her own and told me he died in a car crash. Didn't find out the truth until the Ministry detected that I was a muggleborn and sent me to Muggleborn Primary. It sucks not having a dad...so I'd imagine it sucks worse to not have either of your parents."
"Um...wow," Draco managed. "Thanks. I'm sorry about your dad, too. Did he fight against the Order of the Phoenix as well?"
Dudley's mouth twisted into a bitter smile, and Draco faintly registered that the train had begun moving away from the platform. There was nobody to say goodbye to, so it wasn't like it really mattered for him, anyways.
"No, he was a muggle. Just a random victim of the brutality of a Phoenix Claw. They told me his name is Remus Lupin, and he's locked up in Azkaban now."
Draco had heard of Remus Lupin. He had been one of the Black Phoenix's most feared followers, a savage, brutal werewolf with a higher kill count than anyone except the Black Phoenix himself. He'd heard that Lupin had been caught 10 years ago brutalizing and killing a muggle family, but he didn't realize that he was talking to the boy whose family had been killed.
Draco found himself needing to change the subject, so that's what he did.
"You're a muggleborn then, are you?" At Dudley's nod, Draco continued. "So when did you find out you were a wizard?"
" 'Round when I was 5 or 6 years old," Dudley responded. "Been going to Muggleborn Primary instead of regular school ever since, to prepare me for Hogwarts. Still live in a muggle neighborhood though, so mum makes the excuse that I go to some posh, unknown private school. It's not too different, to be honest. They're pretty strict in the region where I go to Primary, but I like to think they care about us. Or at least, that's what Mrs. Figg likes us to think."
A light went off in Draco's head as he made the connection.
"You were part of that large group on the platform!" He exclaimed suddenly.
Dudley looked a bit surprised at the outburst, before nodding slowly.
"You mean the one led my Mrs. Figg?" Draco nodded, and Dudley's lips formed an 'o' of realization. "Yeah, I think I remember seeing you in front of us. Or at least, some blonde kid."
"You know, your Mrs. Figg was being pretty foolish back on the platform," Draco said before he could stop himself. "Talking about Hogwarts and all that. What if a muggle had caught you?"
Dudley actually laughed at that.
"Oh, don't worry about that. Mrs. Figg and the house elves back in Primary gave us potions to drink that made it sound like we were talking about First Division, or whatever else the muggles thought was normal for a bunch of teen boys and girls," he grinned.
Draco nodded slowly.
"Right, that'd explain it," he mused. "My bad for accusing you."
"It's all right," Dudley waved it off. Draco frowned as another thought came to his head.
"Speaking of which, why aren't you hanging around your friends from Muggleborn Primary?"
Dudley's good cheer vanished at that, being replaced by a frown, and Draco wondered if he'd said the wrong thing.
"They don't like me much," Dudley muttered, looking self-conscious. "I ain't that good at magic, and they make fun of my weight too. I'm looking to avoid them in Hogwarts."
Draco felt a bit uncomfortable at the declaration, before deciding to look out for Dudley when they were in school, even if they were in different houses. It wasn't right, to be bullied for something stupid like weight or magical ability.
"Speaking of magic," Draco changed the subject, pulling out his wand. "What wand do you have? Mine's Willow and Phoenix Feather, 12 and a quarter inches, rigid."
Dudley perked up at that, and fumbled out a stout-looking wand from his robes pocket.
"Got Larch and Dragon Heartstring. 9 inches, flexible," he said, slowly regaining his former cheer. "Ollivander said that it meant I have a lot of hidden talent and untapped potential. I hope he's right, I don't think I'd be very good with wandwork."
"I'm sure you'll do alright," Draco responded easily.
Before either of them could say anything else, an old lady pushing a trolley filled with sweets and pastries bustled into their car.
"Anything off the trolley, dears?" She asked in a kindly tone. Dudley flushed a dark red, checking his pockets and frowning, evidently not having any pocket money. Draco, on the other hand, had been given an allowance from Uncle Ted for the first time in his life. It was obviously because his aunt and uncle didn't want anyone to think they weren't pampering the Boy Who Lived, but Draco wasn't one to look a gift hippogriff in the mouth. He had more than enough money to buy sweets, and whatever else he wanted, for the first time.
"I'll take six chocolate frogs, four pumpkin pasties, four cauldron cakes, and a jar of Bertie Bott's, please."
The lady smiled at him as she handed him the sweets he'd requested, before rattling of the price to him. Draco fished out the ten sickles and two knuts and handed it to the trolley lady, who wished them a good train ride and walked off.
Draco laid his sweets down on the seats between him and Dudley.
"You want some?" He asked.
Dudley's cheeks reddened.
"I'm...I'm alright," he muttered, even though he was very clearly eyeing the sweets with hunger evident on his expression. "Muggleborn Primary doesn't give us an allowance, and the other kids already say I'm fat..."
Draco frowned.
"It's just a couple sweets, mate," he persisted. "I can tell you want it, too. There's no harm."
Dudley still looked reluctant, but at Draco's expectant look, finally listened and took a chocolate frog, his face brightening as he bit into it.
"Thanks, Draco," Dudley smiled.
"No problem," Draco responded easily, and settled more comfortably into his seat, watching as Dudley finished his frog and plucked the card out from the air as it began to fall.
"Oh, I got Tom Riddle," Dudley said, blinking. "Want to see?"
Draco nodded, and Dudley handed him the chocolate frog card.
TOM RIDDLE JR.
CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS
Considered by many to be one of the greatest wizards of modern times, Riddle is well known for discovering the Chamber of Secrets and Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk in his Sixth Year of Hogwarts, which became an instrumental line of defense for the castle due to Riddle's status as a Parselmouth. He is also famous for introducing the idea of Muggleborn Primary, where muggleborns are educated in magical schools from a young age so they better integrate into magical society, as well as the creation of several spells, including the popular Agerus modifier. In addition to being Headmaster of Hogwarts, Riddle is also the Lord of House Gaunt and the last living descendant of Salazar Slytherin.
Draco had seen Riddle's Chocolate Frog Card a few times before, but he still couldn't completely get over how accomplished the Headmaster was. It was kind of incredible someone had managed to achieve so much in his life.
After he set down the card, he and Dudley continued to share the sweets Draco had bought. They talked through cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, and Every Flavor Beans (Draco, at one point, received a toenail flavored one that made him actually spit it out, while the worst Dudley got was raw pork). Draco found that he quite liked Dudley. He was friendly and affable, if seeming a bit insecure and self-conscious. He hoped they'd be able to remain on friendly terms in Hogwarts.
They were in the middle of talking about Quidditch (Draco was a fan of the Magpies, while Dudley favored the Arrows), when their compartment door burst open and a girl ran into it, shutting and locking the door behind her.
"Hide me!" She begged Draco and Dudley. "Pansy's been going on and on about Teen Witch Weekly for hours, and it's so bloody boring!"
"Um...alright," Dudley just stared at her in confusion.
Draco blinked as he realized that this was the girl from Diagon Alley - Daphne.
"Hey, I remember you," he spoke up. "Daphne, right?"
Daphne, who had collapsed onto a seat, perked up as she took a closer look at him.
"Right, I remember you! Draco Malfoy! Who would've thought we'd meet again? How are you?" She asked a flurry of questions and Draco's head spun as he tried to process it all. Daphne seemed to notice and blushed. "Sorry, I talk too fast sometimes. Anyways, Draco, who's your friend?" She turned to Dudley.
Dudley raised a single hand in greeting.
"Dudley Dursley. Nice to meet you. Who're you?"
"Name's Daphne Greengrass," she smild widely and shook Dudley's hand. "Nice to meet you, Dudley."
Dudley, who had seemed a bit guarded at first, relaxed and smiled back.
"Likewise."
And just like that, a trio of friends was formed.
Draco was currently trying his hardest not to perish from just how much he was laughing.
"I'm serious!" Daphne howled through tears of laughter. "You should've seen the look on my dad's face when she said that!"
Dudley had already fallen out of his seat, clutching his stomach and guffawing. After their bout of laughter finally ended, Draco sighed in contentment as he slumped back in his seat, feeling more relaxed in this one train ride than he had felt in his whole life.
"Merlin, that's a hoot," Dudley chuckled.
"That's what I'm saying!" Daphne grinned.
The train will reach Hogwarts in 30 minutes. Please ensure your robes are on and your trunk is packed. Thank you. A voice rang out through the compartment, causing Draco and Dudley to jump.
"Say," Daphne piped up suddenly. "What house are you all hoping to get into?"
"Slytherin," Draco said quickly. Upon their looks, he hurried to explain. "My mum and dad were apparently in Slytherin."
Their lips formed 'o's of realization, and they nodded.
"Hey, I'm hoping for Slytherin too," Daphne smiled. "Family's been there for generations. Won't be too mad if I get into Hufflepuff, I guess, but Slytherin's the goal."
"As long as it's not Gryffindor," Dudley snorted quietly. "I'm alright with anywhere."
Draco turned a confused look on him.
"Why not Gryffindor?" He questioned.
"You mean besides the fact that they say the Black Phoenix was a Gryffindor?" Dudley asked. Draco turned slightly pink at the reminder. "Well...let's just say that I have some...ah, family, that's probably going to end up in Gryffindor, and I'd rather not have to share a dorm with him."
"I thought you're a muggleborn?" Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a sibling or something?"
Dudley grimaced.
"I have a cousin. He's...he's not the greatest, I'll be honest."
And then, before any of them could say anything more, the compartment door slid open once more. Draco's eyes flickered over to it, and his eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the cocky face of Harry Potter. Except this time, he wasn't alone. To his right stood a tall, gangly redhead with an expensive-looking gold necklace dangling around his neck, leaning against the wall of the compartment door. On his left was a bushy-haired girl who crossed her arms and looked at them haughtily.
"Speak of the devil and he'll appear," Dudley muttered under his breath, looking rather resigned.
"Well, I'll be damned," Harry grinned mischievously. "If it isn't Draco Malfoy himself. Got your robes just fine? Must suck, not having parents to help you with it."
"Just means I can do things on my own," Draco responded coldly. "I don't need mummy and daddy to run to when things get tough."
Harry just laughed.
"Jealous? Just because my parents are alive and able to help me when they can doesn't mean I can't do things on my own."
"What do you want, Potter?" Draco asked shortly. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm just trying to enjoy my train ride with my friends."
Harry finally seemed to notice Dudley and Daphne, and his eyebrows shot into the depths of his messy hair, his grin growing wider and more predatory.
"Diddikins!" He exclaimed in a shocked tone that Draco felt was too over the top to be genuine. "I thought you flunked out of Muggleborn Primary! What're you doing here on the train to Hogwarts? You know we don't allow squibs, right?"
Dudley looked like he wished he could be anywhere but in the train compartment at the moment.
"H-Harry," he said in a slightly shaky voice. "What do you want?"
"What, can't a bloke come over and greet his own cousin?" Harry shot back easily, his smile taking on a cold edge as he took notice of the sweets piled up near him. "Sweets? Really? C'mon now, Big D, you're already big enough as it is. You don't need more sweets in your system."
Dudley flushed a dark red, and Draco found himself growing angry for Dudley.
"Here, how about I take it off your hands for you?" Harry's hand snaked out and reached over to a pumpkin pasty, but before he could touch it, his hand was slapped rather sharply, causing him to retract it in a flash and glare at the offending person.
"Leave him alone!" Daphne glared. "What's your problem?"
"And who might you be?" Harry's face slipped back from anger into it's formerly annoyingly cocky expression.
"I'm Daphne Greengrass, and your cousin is my friend," Daphne said sharply. The redhead who was leaning against the compartment door gave a snort at that, and Daphne's glare shifted over to him. "What, think my name's funny?"
"You're a Greengrass?" The redhead chortled as he moved forward. "I mean, can't say I'm surprised, from the look of you. Blonde hair, oversized robes, too little money, and too many problems," he grinned nastily. "Hey, Greengrass, daddy still looking for a cure for the malediction? I would've given up a long time ago and saved some dignity, but considering you Greengrasses never had that in the first place-"
In a flash, before the boy could say anything more, Daphne's wand was out and in between the redhead's eyes. She was breathing rather hard.
"Say that again," she said lowly, dangerously. "I dare you."
The redhead looked supremely unconcerned even as there was a wand pointed at his face, opting to stuff his hands into his pockets nonchalantly.
"You don't want to start this, Greengrass," he said, sounding rather bored. "I'm a Weasley, you know. My family can run yours out of Britain in an instant if we wanted to."
Daphne continued to glare harshly at him, her wand arm trembling, but her eyes held a flicker of doubt in them upon the boy's words. After a few tense seconds, she jerked her wand away from the boy, who just gave a small exhale of satisfaction. Draco frowned at the mention of his surname? That boy was a Weasley? Draco had heard of them, they were basically cut from the same cloth as the Potters. Rich, influential, and rumored to be muggle-haters and supporters of the Black Phoenix. Merlin, what was it with him and meeting all of these Dark families?
"Anyways, Dudders, Malfoy, Greengrass, I'd like to introduce you to my friends," Harry cut in, extending his hands grandly. "Meet Ron Weasley, my partner-in-crime and a son of House Weasley," he said dramatically, hands pointing to Ron. "And Hermione Granger, muggleborn and my mother's protege," he turned over to the bushy haired girl with a flourish. "Y'know, Diddydums, sometimes I wish Hermione was my cousin rather than you. I mean, she's basically my cousin anyways, considering that mum practically apprenticed her when she found her in Muggleborn Primary, but it'd be better to have the smartest witch I know as an actual relative over the dumbest wizard I know. You feel me?"
Dark red splotches were forming on Dudley's face at Harry's words, and Draco found himself growing rather angry. Who did he think he was, going around and insulting Dudley like that?
Before Draco knew what he was doing, he was on his feet and glaring at Harry.
"Leave him alone, Potter," he said.
"Or what?" Harry asked in a laughing tone.
"Or I'll make good use of my wand and hex the snot out of you," Draco responded coldly.
"Are you really as stupid as you look?" The bushy-haired girl, Hermione, apparently, cut in, looking at him with a condescending expression on her face. "Spells aren't allowed to be performed outside of Hogwarts."
Draco turned to her and regarded her with a cool gaze.
"And I'm sure everyone follows that rule to the letter," he shot back, enjoying the girl's face flush. "You think anyone will care that I cast a tiny little spell on a spoiled bully?"
Hermione sniffed, but didn't say anything. Instead, Harry cut in to the conversation, eyes cold.
"Watch it, Malfoy," Harry said lowly. "You don't know who you're talking to."
"Neither do you," Draco riposted, meeting his challenging gaze. After a good while of staring each other off, Harry snorted and broke his gaze.
"Whatever, you guys aren't worth my time," he shoved his hands into his pockets and turned around. "C'mon, Ron, Hermione. Let's go get changed. We'll have plenty of time to deal with these three in Hogwarts."
With that, the three exited the compartment, leaving Dudley, Draco, and Daphne alone once more. Almost immediately, Draco rounded on Dudley.
"You didn't tell me your cousin was Harry Potter!" He exclaimed. incredulously.
"I mean, you never told me you knew him," Dudley shrugged. "Speaking of which, how do you know him?"
Draco grimaced.
"Met him and his parents in Madame Malkine's when I was getting fitted for my school robes. Lovely people, the Potter family."
Dudley snorted.
"You met Aunt Lily and Uncle James too? That must've been a riot," He slouched into his seat. "You'd be better off ignoring 'em, to be honest. They're all just a bunch of bullies, especially Harry. I know that they're technically my family, but I can't say I like them all that much. They're the reason I'm hoping to avoid Gryffindor."
Draco nodded, and noticed that Daphne was remaining strangely silent throughout their exchange. She had stayed silent ever since Ron had brought up her family and talked about a 'malediction', whatever that meant.
"Hey, Daphne," he tried. "You alright?"
"Fine," Daphne said stiffly.
Dudley frowned.
"You don't look fine," he pressed. "Was it what Weasley said?"
"Drop it, Dudley," Daphne muttered, looking rather irate.
"What did Weasley even mean?" Draco asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "What's your dad spending money on? And what's a malediction-"
"I said, drop it!" She snapped suddenly. Dudley flinched back, and Draco couldn't stop the surprise from showing on his expression. Daphne's face softened after her outburst, and was filled with a level of guilt. "Im sorry, I didn't mean to snap. Just...please, can we talk about something else?" She asked, sounding a bit desperate.
Draco frowned. He wanted to learn more about whatever Ron Weasley had been talking about in regards to Daphne's family, but he knew at this rate, Daphne wasn't going to cough anything up, so he decided he may as well change the subject and do some digging later.
"Anyways," Draco said in a forced conversational tone. "Which classes are you guys looking most forward to?"
Soon, the train had stopped and they reached Hogwarts. Daphne, who had blushed (quite uncharacteristically, in Draco's opinion) rather heavily when Draco and Dudley said that they needed to change, had just waited outside the compartment for them to change, having already changed into her own school robes far earlier. The trio then proceeded to walk out of the train and onto the dingy, dark platform lit by the light of a couple lamps hanging overhead.
"First years! First years, you lot better get your behinds over here or I'm leaving you to go back to London with the train!" A gruff voice bellowed, and Draco turned to see a very old-looking wizard with white hair calling to them, his wand emitting a bright light and waving above their heads. Draco and the rest of the first-years jumped at that and made their way towards the man, who led them down a steep, narrow path that would have probably been pitch black if it weren't for the wand light of the man.
The man, while he physically didn't look like much, cast a powerful and imposing magical presence. He radiated power even as he led them to a large, dark lake and barked at them to get into the boats. Draco, Daphne, and Dudley had all hopped into one boat, before they were joined by a skinny boy with thin brown hair who introduced himself quietly as Theodore Nott, and just as quickly as he spoke, turned away from them to gaze out at the lake.
Soon, Hogwarts came into view, and the lake erupted in a cacophony of "oohs" and "ahhs", Draco included among them. He couldn't help it, Hogwarts looked magnificent! It was massive, grand, and majestic, with it's several spires and peaks that made it seem almost like a royal castle.
Once they reached the shores of Hogwarts, the old man continued to lead them up a large flight of stone steps. They eventually reached a massive door, which the man proceeded to sharply knock on three times. The door swung open at once, revealing another old, portly man with a pleasant expression on his face.
"The first years, Professor Slughorn," The old man grunted shortly. The man, Professor Slughorn, smiled genially.
"Thank you, Aberforth," he replied jovially. At Professor Slughorn's words, Draco felt himself back up instinctively. He wasn't the only one. Daphne had a terrified look on her face, Harry was frozen in shock, and there were several other gasps and looks of shock from the first-years.
"Oi," Dudley, who was one of the few who hadn't backed away, just looked confused. "What's with you lot?"
"That's Aberforth Dumbledore," Daphne hissed. "The Black Phoenix's bloody brother. What the hell is he doing working here in Hogwarts?"
Draco found himself nodding in agreement, looking over at Aberforth, whose eyes had fell on him as well. The blue irises, like shards of ice, bore into Draco's own, and he almost took another step back at the fear that began to fill him. Was Aberforth upset that Draco had killed his brother? Would he want to kill him as well? Merlin, why the hell had anyone hired him to work at Hogwarts?
Aberforth's gaze finally left his after what felt like an eternity, and swept over the rest of the first-years, before he grunted something unintelligible and stood off to the side.
"Well then," Professor Slughorn cut in. "Follow me, first years. We don't want to be late for your sorting, now, do we?"
With that, Draco and the rest of the first-years shuffled past Aberforth and into the castle of Hogwarts. Draco couldn't hold back a sigh of relief as the doors slammed shut behind them and Aberforth remained outside. His former fear at seeing the brother of the Dark Lord, however, was quickly replaced by a feeling of enthrallment at seeing the inside of Hogwarts. It was amazing. The staircases were moving, the portraits were all chattering with one another, and several lights floated overhead, changing color as Draco looked at them, almost as if they realized he was watching.
"Welcome, everyone, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Slughorn said happily as he led them down the hall. "My name is Horace Slughorn, and I'm the Deputy Headmaster, Potions Professor, and Head of Slytherin here at Hogwarts. Many of you may know me as the host of the Slug Club, and many of you may want an invitation for it as well! Not to worry," at that, Slughorn paused and winked at them. "You'll all get a fair shot at being invited, of course."
Nobody responded except for a few weak smiles, but Slughorn just laughed brightly.
"Nervous, are you? I don't blame you, I was quaking in my shoes when I was your age. You'll be fine," he said in a pleasant manner. "Now, as I was saying, welcome to Hogwarts! Congratulations to all of you for your acceptance, I'm sure you each will add something special to our school's illustrious history. Now, at the moment, you are about to go and be sorted. The sorting is a very special ceremony, you see, because it places you in the house that will become your family for the next seven years."
Slughorn paused, as if to allow that to sink in.
"The four houses are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Each house is incredible in its own right and has produced great wizards and witches, so don't feel that you have to go to a specific house. I'm sure you will al succeed no matter where you are placed," Slughorn beamed at them, and most of the first-years began to relax, Draco included. "Here in Hogwarts, there are many ways to support, or harm your house. When you accomplish something or do something good, you are given something called house points. When you do something bad, your house points are taken away. Troublemaking, breaking the rules, or not doing your schoolwork properly is a surefire way to lose points, while there are several ways to earn them, including participating in your classes, playing Quidditch for your house team, and taking part in our dueling circuits. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is given the House Cup, which is seen as quite the honor."
Slughorn clapped his hands he approached a great pair of doors once more, which swung open instantly (and seemingly on his own), revealing a massive hall. Thousands of candles were floating in the air, there were four long tables filled with students, and plates upon plates of food were stacked high. At the end of the hall, there was a fifth table where several older men and women set - the teachers, Draco assumed.
Draco looked up, and almost gasped at how the ceiling looked like the night sky.
"It's an illusion," he heard the girl from the train, Hermione, whisper excitedly. "They told us about it in Primary, the ceiling is bewitched to look like the sky."
"There's the swotty Hermione we know and love," Draco heard Harry snort in amusement. He couldn't help but frown. How was it that he was so easily able to shift from seeming like a decent friend to the jerk Draco had confronted in Madame Malkin's and the train?
"Now, the Sorting ceremony will commence very shortly," Slughorn smiled brightly at them. He took out his wand, and with a wordless flick, a four-legged stool and a raggedy old hat were both dragged from seemingly nowhere into sight. "I'll call out your names one by one, and you will each step up and place the Sorting Hat on your head. But first," he gestured towards the hat on the stool in a flourish, which then proceeded to rip its own brim open and begin to sing!
"Oh, you may not think I'm 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!"
After the hat finished its song, the entire hall burst into applause. After a couple of seconds of bemusement, Draco joined in. Nobody in his family had ever told him what actually sorted them, and the last thing Draco would have expected to do so was a singing hat.
"Thank you, Sorting Hat, for that wonderful song," Slughorn chuckled, pulling out a roll of parchment and glancing at it. "And now, the Sorting shall commence. Abbot, Hannah!"
And so, one by one, people were called up to the Sorting Hat and placed in a certain house. Some, like "Abbot, Hannah" and "Bones, Susan", were sorted into Hufflepuff. Others, like "Boot, Terry", and "Brocklehurst, Mandy", were put in Ravenclaw. And then there were those like "Bulstrode, Millicent", who was put into Slytherin and "Brown, Lavender," who was put into Gryffindor.
Then, Slughorn called out "Dursley, Dudley!"
Dudley looked very very green and queasy as he walked over over to the stool, nearly tripping over himself a couple times. He placed the hat tentatively on his head, where he proceeded to sit for about 5 minutes, until the Hat yelled "SLYTHERIN!"
Draco heard Harry snort derisively somewhere in the crowd of first-years, but he ignored it in favor of clapping for the boy along with the Slytherin table, who stumbled over to the Slytherin and sat down heavily.
Some people were sorted almost intantly, while others took longer. "Finch-Fletchley, Justin" sat on the stool for less than two seconds before the hat called out "HUFFLEPUFF!", while Hermione Granger, the girl who had accompanied Harry Potter on the train, had sat on the stool for about a minute before the Hat sorted her into Gryffindor.
After Hermione, it was Daphne's turn.
"Wish me luck," she grinned at Draco, before skipping up to the stool. She sat on it for about 5 seconds before the Hat called out "SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherin table burst into applause, Draco following their example.
After "MacDougal, Morag" was sorted into Ravenclaw, Slughorn called out his name.
"Malfoy, Draco!"
All of a sudden, the hall fell into a silence, and people began to whisper.
"The Boy Who Lived-"
"The slayer of the Black Phoenix-"
"Can't believe I'm in Hogwarts with Draco Malfoy-"
Draco held his head high as he walked over to the stool, ignoring the craning heads of people trying to get a better look at him. He placed the Sorting Hat over his head.
Interesting, very interesting, Draco heard a voice in his head, nearly jumping in place. Calm down, boy. I'm just the Sorting Hat.
Nice...to meet you? Draco tried. The Hat chuckled inside Draco's mind.
Yes, it is nice to meet you as well, Draco Malfoy. The Boy Who Lived, indeed. But this isn't the time for pleasantries, oh no, I'm here to sort you. Now, let's see what we have here...oh my, you are quite the interesting character, aren't you, Mr. Malfoy? Quite a bit of intelligence and wit, I see your aunt instructed you rather well when you were younger. Though there's not much curiosity, however. Loyalty to your loved ones, yes, and a sense of justice, but you're too willing to take shortcuts, nor are you particularly patient. There is a real courage in you, as well...but not as bold as Godric would have liked, and there's not much value placed on those traits, either...
Draco felt the blood pounding in his head. Where was the Hat going to put him?
No, you're intelligent and studious, but only because of your ambition. You're loyal, but mostly to those that offer you loyalty in turn - fraternity. You're courageous, yet cunning and not as reckless and impulsive as some Gryffindors would be...at your core, you're ambitious, determined, resourceful, and cunning. The seeds of greatness, indeed. That was what Salazar valued in his students, and you have those traits in spades. Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I see that you're quite like your parents after all. While I'm sure you could do well in any of the four houses, the best house for you would be-
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat called out. Draco couldn't stop the wide grin from spreading across his face as he took off the Hat. The Slytherin table was cheering and clapping and banging their goblets on the table, bellowing "WE GOT MALFOY! WE GOT MALFOY!"
Draco smiled brightly as he sat down in between Dudley and Daphne.
"Congratulations!" Daphne whispered to him as the next person was called up to be sorted.
"Thanks," Draco whispered back.
"What'd the hat say to you guys?" Dudley asked him. "It was debating between Slytherin and Hufflepuff for me for the entire time. Was honestly surprised when it placed me in Slytherin, I'll tell you," the green on Dudley's face had mostly faded away by that point.
"Barely even a beat before it put me into Slytherin," Daphne beamed. "Said that I was perfect for it."
"It kind of went through a checklist of all the house traits for me," Draco said. "But it eventually decided on Slytherin."
The trio settled into comfortable silence as they continued to watch the sorting. A couple of people after him, Harry Potter was finally called to the stool. He swaggered up with his cocky grin and plonked down on the stool comfortably, staying on it for about 30 seconds before the Hat put him in Gryffindor. Draco mostly tuned out the sorting after that, instead opting to look at the table where he presumed all the staff were.
He flinched when he saw Aberforth Dumbledore seated at the end nearest to him, his soul-piercing blue eyes trained on something Draco couldn't see. A thin, pale, sallow-looking man sat next to him, looking rather grumpy. On the opposite side of the table sat a stout (although by no means fat) wizard who had a jovial smile on his face, although Draco found himself rather put off by the strange gleam in his eyes as he spoke to the woman next to him. Draco couldn't place what exactly the look reminded him off, but it definitely unsettled him. The man noticed his gaze and turned to him, his expression growing several times more frigid when he seemed to realize who Draco was. Draco quickly turned away from him, opting to stare at the plates in front of him instead.
After Ron Weasley was put in Gryffindor and "Zabini, Blaise" joined Draco in Slytherin, Slughorn rolled up his scroll, and with another flick of his wand, the Hat and the stool both vanished. He then proceeded to go to the staff table and take a seat near the center, next to a large, gold chair. The man who was sitting in the chair stood up. He looked fairly aged, with black hair lined with grey and a few lines on his face, but had an dignified, regal air about him. He held a magical presence that was even stronger than Aberforth Dumbledore, which was offset by the small, genial smile on his face.
That's Tom Riddle, Draco realized. The Headmaster.
Daphne whistled appreciatively as he stood up, causing Draco to pause in his thoughts and shoot her a weird look. She shrugged.
"He's hot."
Dudley made a disgusted face at that.
"He's in his sixties."
"Still hot."
Draco snorted in amusement at Daphne's blunt words, before turning his attention back to the Headmaster, who raised his hands up in the air as the hall quieted down, the chatter of students dying down slowly. Draco supposed he could be seen as good-looking, in an older gentleman kind of way (at least, that was the term used in some of Aunt Andromeda's muggle romance novels), and it seemed like he may have been handsome when he was younger, but it was weird to hear people actually say it out loud.
"Good evening, students," Riddle said, his voice quiet yet still carrying throughout the hall. "For those of you who don't know me, my name is Tom Riddle, and I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. It is my pleasure to welcome you, or welcome you back, to Hogwarts. Before we enjoy our feast, allow me to say a few words."
His hands fell back to his sides.
"You would all do well to remember that the Forbidden Forest is, as the name suggests, forbidden, unless you are authorized to be there for either your Care of Magical Creatures class or if you partake in Survival Games. Speaking of which, if you wish to make a team for it, please see your Head of House to register. They're the ones responsible for sending the prospective teams to me," he spread his arms out, and four other people stood up. Slughorn, a short, old man Draco felt like had goblin blood, a kindly looking woman with grey hair, and the man whose eyes had unsettled Draco earlier. "These are your Heads of Houses, for you first years. They will be responsible for you, so feel free to approach them for any matters of concern you may have. If you would all please introduce yourself?"
"I'm sure you all know me, first-years, but I'm Horace Slughorn, Head of Slytherin House!" Slughorn said jovially. "Professor Riddle forgot to announce this, but auditions for an invitation to the Slug Club are coming up! Make sure to impress me with your greatest talents, since I only give out invitations to a couple of people every year!"
Riddle rolled his eyes.
"Thank you very much, Horace. Now, if you would allow your colleagues to introduce themselves?"
Slughorn just chuckled and fell silent.
The short man beamed at them, and introduced himself as Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House, in a squeaky voice. The old woman with a kind smile was Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House.
Finally, the last man gave a jaunty wave.
"Nice to meet all of you! I'm the Head of Gryffindor House," he cracked a grin, his blue eyes holding the same gleam that he held when Draco had glanced at him earlier.
All of a sudden, Draco realized just what the man's eyes reminded him of.
"My name is Peter Pettigrew."
A rat.
Authors Note
OOOHHH WE GETTING INTO IT NOW
Pumping out a chapter per day, man I'm going strong.
Let me clear some things up here.
1. Dudley's appearance is going to explained in due time, of course, I'm not keeping him as a wizard purely for the heck of it. There are deeper plot points involving him, ones we'll get into as the story progresses.
2. The Order is not going to be the same as the Death Eaters - although they do function as the same role of the terrorist organization. For the sake of the AU, blood purity isn't a thing - the "blood purism" of the world is really just muggle-hating and a desire to break the Statute of Secrecy. If you want to treat this as a Want For A Nail story, just imagine this is a world where Salazar Slytherin never became a crazy muggleborn hater.
3. Harry is not going to be a carbon copy of canon Draco, nor is Draco going to be a carbon copy of canon Harry. While they fill each other's roles, they both are still different people and as a result, will have different plots and make difference decisions. In a similar vein, this series isn't going to follow the canon Harry Potter series to a T, but with different characters. While I'll incorporate elements of it, of course, there are going to be a lot of differences in the main plot.
4. I know that a lot of characters seem OOC, like Harry, Draco, and Dudley, but I promise, there is a reason for this. Draco, for one, grew up in a household where his family wasn't too fond of him (the reason Andromeda dislikes him in particular will be explained, of course), and as a result, ended up a lot more quiet and affable. Harry, on the other hand, was spoiled rotten by James and Lily, and so grew up to be an arrogant little shite - think canon James when you think of this version of Harry. As for Dudley, it's mentioned in this chapter that he was bullied for his lack of magical ability, low intelligence, and chubbiness (there is also a reason why he's not as overweight as he was in canon, as well), and so ended up being a lot more insecure and shy.
I am VERY MUCH looking forward to delving deeper into the characters of Tom Riddle, Aberforth Dumbledore, Peter Pettigrew (surprise, surprise, he's a professor at Hogwarts now! We already know what happened to Remus and James, but what about Sirius? Where is he? That will come up later as well, I have a specific role for each and every marauder), and more. There is a specific reason each and every one of them are in the position that they are - nothing I have introduced in the story is just random. Characters like Snape and Bellatrix already have their roles in my drafts as well, I just need to progress the story so I can get to their introductions.