Roles Reversed
After having met Draco Malfoy in Madam Malkin's, Harry desperately wanted to be anything other than a Slytherin. But when Malfoy, Draco's name was called by Professor McGonagall and the Sorting Hat shouted Gryffindor! with a great smile, Harry was second guessing himself.
"Bit odd, innit?" Ron pondered as he shifted next to Harry. "Never have I heard of a single Malfoy who was sorted anywhere other than Slytherin. Much less Gryffindor."
"The Sorting Hat could've gotten it wrong, no?" Harry frowned. He, unlike a bushy-haired girl, had not read Hogwarts: A History.
"Eh, nobody questions the hat," Ron shrugged. "Lad looks like he's about to cry," he said, pointing at the blond boy who was trudging towards the Gryffindor table, no doubt failing to keep his feelings hidden. "Serves him right tho."
After a couple more people Harry had never heard of get sorted into their respective houses, within no time, Potter, Harry was called and he found himself shaking from fingers to toe as he walked towards the front, a walk that suddenly seemed never-ending.
His ears were fuzzy as murmurs burst out around him.
Harry Potter? The Chosen One? The boy-who-lived?
Professor McGonagall gave him a tight-lipped smile as he sat on the stool, and the hat was placed promptly on top of his head, nearly covering his eyes.
"Ahhh, a very interesting one we have here," Harry heard the Sorting Hat muse. "Plenty of ambition and drive, yet I see so much courage. Hmm…"
Not Slytherin, Harry thought profusely. Not Slytherin!
"Not Slytherin, you say?" the Sorting Hat drawled. "Yanno, Slytherin has produced some of the greatest wizards and witches who has ever lived. If you don't want Slytherin, then I suppose Gryffindor is the other option… very curious indeed…"
Harry looked towards the Gryffindor table and saw Draco sit next to the bushy-haired girl who annoyed him to no end on the train here. No way did he want to deal with them for 7 years.
Okay, Harry conceded. Slytherin would be fine.
"Oh yeah?" the Sorting Hat said, perking up. "Well, if you're sure… SLYTHERIN!" it bellowed the last part.
Harry set down the hat and his lips curved into a little smile at the sight of Draco's horrified face. Murmurs burst out again around him but he ignored them and made his way to the Slytherin table, where several prefects high-fived him.
Harry was somewhat pleased he was sorted into Slytherin but he couldn't miss the crestfallen face that shadowed over Ron. He only met Ron today, but he knew that Ron couldn't stand Slytherins. No way would he be sorted here, so Harry might have to make some new friends.
Eventually Ron was sorted into Gryffindor! and the headmaster, Dumbledore, rambled on about some stuff Harry didn't understand. Then lots of food appeared out of thin air on the tables, and Dumbledore gave them the all clear to dig in.
Damn was Harry hungry. The Dursleys weren't exactly too generous with his rations.
He looked around him to make sure people started eating too. Taking that as the sign to start eating himself, he started reaching for a chicken drumstick before he was interrupted by a voice next to him.
"So, you're the Chosen One, huh?"
Harry stopped reaching for the chicken drumstick and whipped around, wide-eyed, at the source of the voice. He was sitting next to a blonde girl with medium length hair and startling blue eyes.
"Um, what now?" he said.
The girl was expressionless. "You're Harry Potter, right?"
"Uh… yeah. I think I am," he stuttered.
She raised an eyebrow. "You think you are?"
"No, I mean, yes. My name is Harry Potter, yes." Harry said, clearing his throat. His social skills weren't great; with all the rumours Dudley spread about him, people didn't usually speak to him at all. Much less pretty girls like the one he was sitting next to.
"So you're the boy who lived," she stated, and Harry still couldn't read her expression.
"Yeah, sure," Harry coughed. "I mean, I got to be. If I'm not living, I wouldn't be here right?"
The girl with choppy brunette hair sitting next to the blonde girl burst into laughter. "He's funny," she grinned at her frowning friend. "Hi, I'm Tracey. It's really nice to meet you." She extended a hand over the blonde girl, and Harry shook it cautiously.
"You too. I'm Harry," he responded awkwardly.
The brunette grinned, amused. The blonde glared in Tracey's direction, but Tracey was unfazed, nudging her. "Well? Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
"Hello Harry," she said, turning her attention on Harry again. Her blue eyes were somewhat intimidating. "I'm Daphne." Daphne unfortunately didn't offer her hand. There was a pause. "Greengrass," she added.
Harry frowned. "Green grass?" he echoed. "What, is grass not usually green in this world?"
Tracey's bellowing laughter caught the attention of a few nearby Slytherins as Daphne's face turned red with anger.
"That's her surname," Tracey supplied, and Harry slapped a hand onto his forehead.
"Oh. I'm so sorry," he said to the pretty blonde who was still scowling at him. "I didn't mean to offend you."
"None taken," she replied formally, shooting a final glare at her friend.
"Oh, and I'm really looking forward to Transfiguration, of course," Granger rambled on, clutching several books in her hand. "And I'm definitely looking forward to Muggle Studies. I think it would be extraordinarily interesting to rediscover the Muggle world from a wizarding perspective. My parents were dentists!" she beamed. "And also Defence Against the Dark Arts! I've read from A History of–"
"Will you please shut up!" Draco exploded, whirling around. "And stop following me! Can't you tell when someone wants some peace?"
Granger's lips turned downwards as she deflated. "Well, I thought you could use some company. I find your ancestry vastly fascinating." She adjusted her tie which were red and gold, and Draco realised he was, indeed, also wearing a red and gold tie.
Red and gold. It was everywhere.
Him. In Gryffindor.
"This isn't happening," he muttered to himself as he looked from left to right. "This isn't happening." He pinched himself. He didn't wake up.
Trying not to hyperventilate, he sprinted in the other direction, ignoring Granger's calls.
"Draco!" she shouted. "You're going to be late for class!"
Draco slammed the bathroom door behind him as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was breathing heavily, and he had no idea what was going on. How did he let himself get into this situation?
He yanked his Gryffindor tie off. This had to have been a mistake. He was no Gryffindor. There was no way he could survive any longer here. It was only the second week, and the Weasley twins had already pranked him twice. Something had to be done. Someone had surely switched houses before, right? He was a Slytherin in blood and bone. The Sorting Hat had to have made a mistake. It was early enough, it could be rectified, right?
He took a few moments in the bathroom as he composed himself. He would tell his father about this. He would surely understand and fix this situation. Yes, that's what he would do.
Considerably calmer, he strode out of the boy's bathroom but nearly jumped out of his skin when somebody was standing right in front of him.
"Granger!" he all but yelled. "When will you ever go away!"
"I was worried you were going to miss your first Charms class," she admonished. "Are you okay, Draco? You'll find that I am an excellent listener too."
Draco did not believe that for a second. "Please," he pleaded. "Just leave me alone!" he strode faster than he ever before, and much to his chagrin, Granger was hot on his heels.
"Please, Professor Snape loves you," Tracey gushed, hands moving animatedly. It was lunchtime and Harry was having his meal in the Great Hall, sitting next to Daphne and opposite Tracey. They had just finished their potions class with the Gryffindors and Ron kept looking at Harry with a disappointed look. Harry hadn't had the chance to speak to Ron since the Sorting a week ago. "He really gave you 10 house points for nothing."
"My potion was way better than Harry's and he didn't even look my way," Daphne remarked as she sipped her juice. "It's not fair."
"Ha, then you haven't seen how he treats Malfoy," Tracey smirked.
"Yeah, poor guy lost 20 points for not wearing his house tie." Harry supplied.
Daphne's lips twisted into a small smile and Harry wondered why she didn't smile so often. She was always so stoic, but he was pleased to see her starting to let her emotions show the more time she spent with him and Tracey. Harry was having a blast with his new friends. He was wrong in thinking Slytherins were bad. He used Malfoy to represent the face of Slytherin which was in hindsight a bad idea. Ironically, Malfoy didn't get sorted into Slytherin at all.
"Ah, speak of the devil," Tracey rolled her eyes and Harry followed her line of sight to see Malfoy walk briskly towards them. There was an empty seat next to Tracey and he took it.
"Tracey, Daphne," he nodded at the two girls in greeting but neither of them responded.
There was an awkward pause, as all the Slytherins nearby stared at Malfoy.
"What?" Malfoy said defensively. "I'm a Slytherin! I belong here!"
"Um, you sure?" Tracey said, flicking Malfoy's Gryffindor tie.
"McGonagall made me wear it," Malfoy hissed, looking around him desperately. "Guys, it's not like you don't know me. You all know I'm a Slytherin."
"I'm not so sure about that," Daphne said, and Harry nodded.
"Come on, please," Malfoy bargained, and Harry nearly felt sorry for him. "I can't stand the Gryffindors anymore. They're obnoxious and filled with mud– I mean muggleborns, and you know I don't belong in that crowd, so please–"
"Draco, what are you doing here?" Hermione interrupted, approaching the Slytherin table. "Come on, let's go back," she tilted her head towards the Gryffindor table.
"You get what I mean?" Malfoy said incredulously. "She's crazy!" he mimed the last word, pointing at Hermione so that she wouldn't know how he described her. "I'm a Slytherin!"
"Sorry, boo," Tracey shrugged, not sounding sorry at all. "The Sorting Hat didn't think so. I think you should go follow the nice girl," she said, smiling brightly at Hermione and Daphne suppressed a laugh as Malfoy stared at Tracey in horror. "That's right. Off you trot."
"I… you…" Malfoy spluttered. "My father will hear about this!" he warned as Hermione grabbed his arm and led him towards the Gryffindor table.
"Good riddance," Harry grinned, as Tracey matched his high-five. He then offered one to Daphne, who reciprocated, no longer able to contain her wide smile.
"There must be a way. I'm a Slytherin. I know it!" Draco concluded, sniffling in front of the fireplace containing his father's face. He had just indeed told his father about this and made sure it was late so nobody could overhear him. "Please help me, father."
Lucius regarded Draco for a long time.
"Oh, you snot." His face disappeared from the fire.
"Look at them," Daphne nudged Harry as she pointed at one of the Gryffindor pairs on the other side of the room. They were in Snape's potions class again, which turned out to be one of Harry's favourite classes. Snape was unusually fond of him, praising him about carrying on his mother's legacy and other things to that effect. Harry wasn't too sure what he meant. "Match made in heaven."
Harry followed Daphne's line of sight to see Hermione and Malfoy working together in brewing their potion. Hermione mostly looked exasperated as she reprimanded Malfoy for not following her instructions. Malfoy, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here as Snape deducted another ten points to the pair for being 'too disruptive'.
"I agree," Harry grinned as Daphne smirked. "You know, I begged the Sorting Hat to not put me in Slytherin."
"Oh really?" Daphne raised an eyebrow. "And yet you're here."
"I know," Harry said. "I really didn't want to be in Slytherin because I met Malfoy when I was getting my school robes. But then I realised Malfoy ended up in Gryffindor and so I changed my mind and told the Sorting Hat 'hell yeah' to Slytherin."
Daphne looked at him for a moment. "You didn't say that did you."
"No, I didn't," Harry said sheepishly. "But I'm glad I'm in Slytherin. And I'm really glad you're my friend. Tracey too. You guys have helped me a lot considering I didn't even know I was a wizard until recently."
"You're sweet," Daphne teased, but her smile was genuine.
"And thanks for choosing me to be your partner for this project."
"Please," Daphne waved a hand dismissively. "There's nobody else I would rather have for this."
"Really?" Harry said hopefully.
"Really."
"Hey!" Tracey complained from the table behind them.
"Miss Davis, please keep your voice down," Professor Snape admonished before turning his attention elsewhere. "Miss Granger, please stop arguing with your partner. Ten points from Gryffindor."
Hermione gaped before glaring angrily at Malfoy who looked defeated.
"A bit unfair, innit?" Harry whispered, leaning in closer so Daphne could hear him over the bubbling cauldron.
Daphne shrugged. "Just a little."
AN: I would love to hear any comments or feedback you guys may have. This is my first story so I hope you enjoyed it :)