Entering the Great Hall, Harry was very nervous. He looked around him. I was simply mesmerizing. The ceiling enchanted to look like the night skies outside, the candles floating in the air, and the tall, colorful, glass windows reflecting the candlelight.

He was walking with Draco right next to him, and Ron, whom they found after getting off the train, and Hermione, the girl who was helping Neville, the toad guy, behind them. Hermione was citing facts about Hogwarts, which seemed to annoy both Ron and Draco. Harry thought it's cool that she knew all that stuff, but he was also too nervous to fully appreciate it.

Professor McGonagall briefly explained how the sorting works, and started calling the students. Each student, on their turn, walked up to the stool and got sorted by the Sorting Hat. Once sorted, the house they just got into cheered for them.

"Malfoy, Draco", Professor McGonagall called.

"Wish me luck!" Draco turned to Harry, and then walked up to the stool, sat down, and…

"Slytherin!" the sorting hat announced, right as it touched his head. Draco seemed to be satisfied. He looked towards Harry, winked, and then ran towards the Slytherin table.

"Of course he got into Slytherin" Ron said in a derogatory tone, rolling his eyes. Harry felt uneasy.

A few more names, and… "Potter, Harry!" McGonagall called, and silence fell on the Great Hall.

It seemed everyone was paying close attention to the Boy Who Lived now, as he walked up to the stool. For a second before the hat covered his view, he could see all eyes on him, watching in anticipation, and… darkness.

"Hmm… this is a tough one" said the Sorting Hat. "Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived!"

I want to be with my friend, he thought.

"Who? The Malfoy boy?"

Harry nodded.

"If you say so…" the Sorting Hat said, before announcing: "Slytherin!"

There were a few gasps. Some from the faculty table even, but these were swallowed into the cheering from the Slytherin table. Harry awkwardly walked towards it, and sat beside Draco.

"Congratulations!" Draco gave him a pat on the back, as others reached from across the table to shake his hand.

"Were there gasps?" Harry asked Draco, whispering.

"Don't mind them! Some people are just narrow minded…" Draco dismissed his concerns.

Soon, the sorting was over. Ron got sorted into Gryffindor, and so did Neville. Hermione got sorted into Ravenclaw. These are the other first-year students that Harry knows. Professor Dumbledore rose to give a speech, but, instead, he blurted out some weird sounding phrases, before food appeared on the table.

"Wow!" Harry dug in. He doesn't think he has seen this much food in his life! Definitely not at the Dursleys'.

"That's nothing." said Draco, boasting a little. "You should see the feasts we throw back at Malfoy Manor. You should visit some time." Harry absentmindedly agreed. He was too busy devouring the food.

He also had some time to chat with the other students around him. In front of him sat Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass. They were alright. He managed to talk to Pansy Parkinson, whom he found to be a little annoying, Millicent Bulstrode, whom he thought came off a little aggressive, and Theodore Nott, whom he actually kinda liked.

Harry was enjoying himself! He was eating good, making friends. Until…

"Ouch!" Harry said, and his palm instinctively covered his scar.

He said quietly enough, that no one noticed in the loud Great Hall. Except for Draco.

"Is everything alright?" Draco asked, and then his eyes widened when he realized what was happening. "Is it… is it your scar?"

"Yes" Harry answered weakly, and then looked up to scan the Great Hall around, when he found one professor staring at him intensely. "Who's that?"

"Who?" Draco asked, as his head turned to look where Harry was looking. "Oh! That's Professor Snape!" He answered cheerfully, and then he looked back at Harry, who was not very cheerful. "He's our Head of House." He added.

After a short while, Snape seems to notice Harry looking back at him and breaks eye contact, picking up a conversation with the professor sitting next to him wearing a weird purple turban.

Harry rubbed his scar, which wasn't hurting much, and went back to enjoying his time. Soon enough, it was time for all the students to head to their dorms.