Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It and any characters from the franchise that may appear in this fanfiction are the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling. This story was written for entertainment purposes only and no profit is made from this story.
Author's note: Eternal thanks to my beta, GeekandProud (AO3) a.k.a. AnimeIsMyCrack (FF) who also made the cover image for this story.
Hagrid greeted Harry when they stepped off of the train, and the first years followed the half giant to the boats which would take them across the lake. Neville joined the three of them in their boat and Draco wondered if Longbottom would be friends with Harry and Hermione again. Even though he hadn't been a part of the golden trio, he had been a fearless and loyal friend to them, turning into a ferocious wizard who had led the uprising against the Carrows back in Draco's seventh year. Longbottom would be an excellent ally to have.
Once they neared the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall looked at the three of them sternly, clearly contemplating what she considered to be a muggle-born witch and Harry Potter joking and goofing around with Draco Malfoy. Draco noticed her eyes lingering on them and bowed his head at her respectfully. The deputy headmistress seemed surprised, but eventually nodded back at him, before explaining that the sorting ceremony would soon start.
Hermione rattled on about the charmed ceiling to Harry once they entered, a sign that she was nervous, and Draco quietly grabbed her hand and squeezed it for support when they had all grouped up. She smiled at him.
"Remember that we will follow your lead, 'Mione," Harry whispered to her, taking his friend's other hand and squeezing it.
Hermione smiled at her two boys gratefully. Out of the three of them, she was the first one to be called up to the sorting hat. McGonagall almost did a double-take when the small muggle-born witch she had met a few months earlier was now on her list as "Dagworth-Granger, Hermione." Draco had to admit though, the older witch hid her surprise well.
Hermione stepped up to the small chair, her tiny hands clenched into fists. Both Draco and Harry gave her an encouraging smile, and even Neville gave her a small thumbs-up as he was struggling holding onto Trevor.
Thirty seconds seemed like an eternity. Draco was trying to hype himself up, just in case they wouldn't end up in Slytherin. He'd go wherever Hermione would go. Sure, both she and Harry had seen Slytherin's positive traits and Harry had thought it funny to be sorted in Slytherin seeing as he'd apparently claimed the House as his own by surviving Voldemort's killing curse. But they had also agreed they would be sorted together if the hat would deem Hermione better suited to another house. He knew Hermione could end up in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. The choice was all up to her.
When the hat called out "Slytherin!" the breath that Draco had unknowingly been holding slipped out. The Slytherins applauded, and Hermione smiled widely, her big front teeth showing, as she walked over to her new house. Draco and Harry grinned at each other. Harry cheered loudly, yelling her name, and Draco whistled as loudly as he could.
Both boys' antics made Hermione roll her eyes at them and stick out her tongue before she sat amongst the snakes.
When Draco got called up and sat down a while later, the sorting hat actually touched his head. That was a first.
"Well, well, it's a bit tight with all these people here, isn't it, Deandra," the hat began, making Draco freeze. "I'm surprised to see it took you so long to greet your old friend. Neither Lucius or Abraxas seemed to have inherited their ancestor's spiritual powers. Yet, this young Malfoy has. What to do with him?"
Draco could feel Deandra chuckle at his surprise, and quickly explained what had happened. "Like me, the sorting hat is a spirit connected to the ley lines. He is one of the many bound to the ones Hogwarts was built upon. You could say he is quite literally the voice of Hogwarts."
"It would be lovely to catch up some other time, Deandra," the hat answered. "Now, let's see where to sort… Oh. Oh my. Well. Seems this isn't the first time I've sorted you, lad."
Draco swallowed. What if the sorting hat would tell what he had done to Dumbledore? If the Headmaster figured out his plan, he would have him obliviated for attempting to mess with the timeline… And all of this might've been for naught. Fuck.
The hat laughed. "I do not answer to any of the Headmasters who have graced these halls," it said. "I only answer to magic itself, and if magic has allowed you to come and change this, then all I can say is… SLYTHERIN!" it yelled, Draco sighing in relief as he joined Hermione and Daphne and a bunch of other Slytherins at the Slytherin table. Theodore Nott joined shortly after that, and then all eyes were on the small raven-haired boy who walked up to the stool. As soon as the name "Harry Potter" was announced, the great hall went completely still, staring at the Boy Who Lived.
Draco was beginning to wonder if Harry's sorting was the longest in Hogwarts history. Twice. He faintly remembered it taking a while the first time around.
When their conversation finally ended, and the hat yelled out Slytherin, the whole Great Hall kept silent except for the Slytherin table. This time, Hermione and Daphne whooped for Harry, Blaise and Draco drumming on the table.
The rest of the hall stared at the Slytherin table, completely gobsmacked. No one had expected James and Lily Potter's son to end up in the snake's nest. Professor Dumbledore frowned, McGonagall seemed to be in disbelief, and Draco's godfather looked awfully pleased as he took a sip from his goblet and Draco noticed the hint of a smile on the corner of his lips.
Once everyone was sorted and the feast began, Hermione started to eagerly talk with Daphne and Tracey. Draco sincerely hoped that the three studious girls would make good friends, at least compared to how Hermione's relationship with Lavender and Parvati had been.
Pansy clearly couldn't give a jobberknoll's ass about Hermione and was sitting on Draco's side, rattling on about a trip to Paris she had taken with her mother during summer, and how it had been so sad that he and his mother couldn't join. Harry raised an eyebrow at that, and Draco made a choking motion when Pansy wasn't looking, making him snort into his goblet.
During dinner, he couldn't help but keep an eye on both Hermione and Harry. They had been sorted into the snake's nest. If three months ago someone would have told him that two-thirds of the golden trio would be Slytherins, he'd have laughed in their face.
What would life be like for them now that they weren't in the lion's den? Would they grow up to be completely different people? Or were some things meant to be, as Deandra had said?
During his quiet observations, Draco noticed that Harry's mouth fell open when he saw all the food on the table, even though he'd spent the past two weeks at the Granger household. The boy had been underfed his entire life, so it was no surprise to Draco that he took a little bit of everything. Once dessert appeared, Harry's eyes lit up when tasting treacle tart. Right. The damned thing he smelled in the Amortentia. Draco chuckled at the memory.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him and kicked his leg under the table as she was eating some chocolate mousse with strawberries herself. She had such a sweet tooth, even if her parents rarely allowed her to eat anything too sugary.
Draco shrugged back at her and pointed at Harry with his eyes.
When the witch noticed her friend enjoying his food so much, she smiled at Draco. For a split second he felt her happiness through the bond. A tiny part of him couldn't help but bask in her happiness for a split second. He was glad she felt happy. He was worried that her other self's observations of being a worthy Slytherin might be wrong. He should've known to never doubt Hermione Granger.
Hermione's eyes suddenly widened and she looked up at him confused, raising an eyebrow. Fuck. Had she felt that nostalgia and his own feelings of contentment? He really had to keep a tight leash on his occlumency around her… She was too smart for her own good.
After dinner, they followed the Slytherin prefects down to the dungeons as they showed them to their dorms. Since there were so many Slytherin boys this year, it was decided that Blaise, Draco, Theodore and Harry would bunk together while the other guys including Gregory and Vincent would sleep in their own room. Hermione ended up sharing with Daphne, and Tracey. Pansy and Millicent would be sharing their dorm with two other Slytherin girls.
Draco noticed that Pansy had realised Hermione and Draco's easy-going friendship during dinner and he saw now that the smiles she was giving Hermione were all false. Daphne seemed to have noticed the same thing and quickly took her and Tracey to sit in front of the fireplace.
The whole room went silent when his godfather entered, his commanding presence enough to make everyone shut up. Draco nodded at his godfather, and got a rare half-smile from him, clearly proud he had been sorted into Slytherin.
"I would like to welcome all the new first years to Slytherin house," he drawled, his arms crossed, looking intimidating in his long dark robes. His stern gaze sweeping around the room. "In addition, there are a few things we need to clear up. The first, concerning Mr. Potter." He now pointedly looked at Harry, whose bravery was showing as he looked Professor Snape directly in the eye. "Mr. Potter will not be treated as a celebrity by Slytherin house. He is your classmate, and I expect you to treat him as nothing more, and nothing less."
"Thank you, sir," Harry said, clearly surprising Snape. Perhaps he'd thought the boy would be as arrogant and fame loving as his father? At least, that's how Draco's mother had described Lord Potter. Harry was totally different, however. The reason for his supposed fame was probably the cause of that. The boy needed no reminders of his parents' sacrifice.
Snape inclined his head slowly before continuing. "Secondly, Slytherins take care of each other. This means we do not snitch on each other, we do not travel the hallways alone, and any and all issues come directly to me. Understood?"
Hermione was nodding so fervently that Draco started to wonder if she would get a whiplash. Daphne giggled and put her hand on Hermione's shoulder, whispering something in her ear.
"Thirdly, remember that Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness. I expect all of you to show your ambition, resourcefulness, cleverness, and determination to do well. The House Cup, as well as the Quidditch Cup, will be standing in my office for another year," he stated, with no one questioning him.
Well. That should be no issue if he could get himself and Potter on the Quidditch team. Besides, Hermione and Daphne would be racking in the points for them during classes.
"Now, all of you, off to bed," Snape said as he waved his arms around. "Except for you, Mr. Potter. The Headmaster would like a word with you."
Bugger. The old codger was already going to meddle with things. Draco would rather prefer it if he didn't start manipulating Harry from the get-go, probably encouraging him to go back to his aunt and uncle as he'd done every year in the first timeline.
Luckily, after Hermione and Draco's mothers' helping Harry, the raven-haired boy had soon realised that the adults in his life were quite lacking in taking care of his needs. No one had ever stood up for him before that day, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Ehm, sir," Harry said, scratching the back of his already messy head. "I got specific instructions from Draco's mum to not meet alone with any adults without my magical guardian present. As Lord Black is currently unavailable, I would like for my head of House to represent me, and to bring my friends." He looked up at Snape sneering down at him, and quickly added: "If that's possible, sir?"
If you didn't know him, you wouldn't know it, but Draco noticed that Severus seemed to be impressed with Harry's politeness. Thank fuck he had prepared both Hermione and Harry for his godfather's sternness. To be fair, the man could be a complete and total arsehole to anyone not in his House, but they needed him on their side.
"Of course, Mr. Potter." He turned to Draco and Hermione who had both waited in the Common Room, showing they wanted to join Harry. "And friends. Come along."
Severus Snape stalked off, his dark robes bellowing behind him, the three children almost having to run to keep up as he walked through the hidden wall leading into the hallways.
Hermione politely but persistently asked him some questions about Slytherin house, as well as potion making as she had read the book she'd taken from the Dagworth-Granger vault.
Draco could see his godfather pinch his nose, trying to hide his frustration.
"Miss Dagworth-Granger," Severus finally said as they were nearing the staircase to the headmaster's office. "I understand your curiosity and willingness to learn. But I urge you to tone it down, not just with me, but with your peers and other professors as well. No one likes a swotty little-know-it-all."
Draco almost stumbled when her feelings hit him. Hurt. Hurt was what he felt the most. Anger. Hurt. A painful tugging of not belonging anywhere. He reached out to her, grabbing her hand, trying his best to explain. This was exactly why he'd returned. So she would never have to feel like that again.
"What my godfather is saying," Draco said, frowning at the Professor's back, "is that children often do not know how to deal with someone who is clearly smarter than them. Their jealousy or their idea of you being a teacher's pet might make them resent you. Therefore, you should be more cunning about showing how smart and studious you truly are."
Snape looked back at them as the Gargoyle statue moved and a set of moving circular stairs appeared. "Mr. Malfoy formulated it a bit better than I did, I must admit," he said, before leading the three of them up to the Headmaster's office.
Draco could feel understanding from Hermione now, as well as determination. Good. He didn't need her to be doubting herself. His Hermione had confided in him how during those first few years she sometimes felt like the odd one out, just because she was so eager to learn, to do well.