Draco shouldered his way past a group of older students who were loitering on the platform, with Harry in tow, and scrambled up onto the train. Both boys had trunks that had been shrunken down enough to fit in their pockets, so they did not need to worry about stowing anything away, or claiming a compartment for themselves immediately, but Draco still did not want to be the last ones onto the train. Draco smoothed down his robes, as he searched out the faces of those already aboard the Hogwarts Express, for any older student that he recognized. He had a plan.
Draco had chafed the entire time between when he had crossed the barrier onto platform 9 ¾ and when his mother had handed him his robe, to slip over his head. The muggle clothing that he was wearing was more comfortable than he had been expecting, but it was just so odd. He didn't feel like himself, without his robes.
Harry had slipped his own robe on too, as the two were saying goodbye to Draco's parents. Draco would not have said anything, not to Harry, but he was glad that the other boy had put on something more wizard-appropriate. It would have been difficult introducing him to his pure-blooded friends if the boy looked like a misshapen muggle lump.
He spotted Pansy, and figured she was an alright place to start, even though she hadn't technically been sorted into Slytherin, yet. Draco had sent her a letter already, warning her to be nice and avoid awkward topics until Harry had settled in.
"Hi, Pansy," Draco called out, in an exaggerated drawl, leaning against the doorway to one of the open compartments, with his arms loosely crossed over his chest, as she turned around.
"Hullo Draco. This your new friend, then?" she answered, giving both boys a scrutinizing once over, and twirling her new wand between her fingers.
"Yup, Pansy, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is Pansy. She bites."
Pansy stuck her tongue out at Draco, and then held out her hand to Harry, for him to shake. "Nice to meet you, Potter. Don't listen to everything Malfoy here tells you. He can be a bit dramatic."
"Says the girl who cried until her father bought her a pony, last year," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
"It was a miniature horse, and I had just had a very traumatic haircut!"
Harry laughed. "Last time I had a bad haircut, I just grew it back with accidental magic."
Pansy eyed Harry's disastrous mop of hair skeptically. "If you say so. You sure you don't have a poltergeist living up there?"
"Just my thoughts, last time I checked."
"Merlin, Potter. I knew you must be crazy, to get along with this one, but with hair like that, you must be full off your broom."
"Play nice, Pansy," Draco warned. "Harry here's gonna be in Slytherin with us. Solidarity, and house pride, and all that."
"Oh yeah? Well good for you, Potter. Too many people avoid Slytherin on principle, these days, like cunning and ambition are anything to be ashamed of. I'm surprised anyone gets sorted into Gryffindor, anymore; they're all so afraid of becoming a big, bad snake."
"That's the plan, anyways," Harry said, with a self-deprecating shrug. "Guess I won't know for sure until we get there."
"I'm going to introduce Harry to some more people, Pansy," Draco said, pushing away from the doorframe he'd been leaning against, as more students clamoured past. "We'll catch you later."
"I'll save you both a seat. Later Draco, Potter."
"It was nice meeting you, Pansy," Harry said, before turning to Draco, with a frown. "You're going to tell more people who I am?"
Draco pinned Harry with a look, making the other boy squirm. "They're all going to figure out who you are soon enough, anyways. I might as well help you make good first impressions with the people I know. That way, if the topic starts going somewhere you don't like, I'll be right there to jump in with a diversion. I've, er, been practicing how to do stuff like that with Father, just in case."
"You have?"
"Of course! You're my friend! I wasn't going to just throw you to the wolves. I've got your back. Just because you're famous, doesn't mean you have to let the spotlight turn you into a bumbling idiot, all on your own."
"Ha ha. Who's next, then?"
Draco craned his neck, and stood up on his tiptoes. "I'm trying to find Marcus Flint. He's the Slytherin quidditch captain, and he's looked after us kids at a few of our parents' parties. He's cool. Might not run into him first, though, so we'll see."
"You really know a lot of people huh?" Harry asked, plastering himself to the wall, to let a group of students lugging large, cumbersome trunks past.
Draco waved him off. "My parents know a lot of people; I've been dragged along to all their social events for my entire life, so I've met a fair few of their friends' kids. Some of them are nice. I'll point out who to avoid, if you'd like."
"I, yeah. I want to make my own friends eventually, but it wouldn't hurt to give me the beginner's tour today. It's a lot."
So, Draco led Harry up and down the train, bracing themselves, as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, and then taking more cautious steps, to keep their balance, once it was moving. They found Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, and Vincent Crabbe, who was too preoccupied looking for Greg Goyle to talk much, not that he was the most riveting conversationalist at the best of times.
Draco tracked down Adrian Pucey and Gemma Farley, who were both thankfully cordial to the Boy Who Lived, and were both encouraging when Draco explained they were both hoping for Slytherin. He introduced Harry to Zacharias Smith, after warning him that the boy was a bit of a prat, but resourceful and connected enough, that it was good to have him onside, anyways. Anthony Goldstein had stopped to say hi, as had Susan Bones, albeit a little stiffly. Her aunt did not get on well with Draco's father, but she Susan herself had always been willing to play with Draco at ministry galas.
By then, word had gotten out that Harry Potter was on the train, and Draco and Harry began getting crowded by people he didn't know. Some were casual and friendly, in their attempts to get close to the Boy Who Lived, like Lavender Brown, Cedric Diggory, and, oddly enough, Fred and George Weasley, who even apologized for their mother's behaviour at the station, and gave Harry fair warning that his scar did not make him immune from pranks.
Most of the others, though, were pushy, and entitled, and very rude, as they continuously brought up Harry's status as an orphan, the Dark Lord's failed attack on him, and his oh-so-famous scar. Even worse were the ones who tried to convince Harry that Draco was a Death Eater, in out to get him killed.
Draco made a bit of a scene, as he yelled at everyone to back off, and was immensely grateful when none other than Marcus Flint opened the door to one of the nearby compartments, and ushered Draco and Harry inside.
"Thanks, Flint," Draco said, attempting to compose himself. "What a bunch of animals."
Harry looked shaken by the ordeal, so Draco poked him in the chest, and smiled reassuringly when the boy finally looked up from his clenched fists.
"You okay?" Draco asked.
Harry just nodded.
"Aren't you going to introduce us, Malfoy?" Marcus asked, wry amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Right, sorry. That mob was a bit much. Marcus Flint, meet Harry Potter. Harry, this is Marcus, I told you about him earlier, and that one's Cassius Warrington."
"I don't get a special introduction?" Warrington asked, with a smirk.
"You never snuck me an extra serving of dessert at the last function, Warrington. Marcus gets special privileges."
That made both older boys laugh.
"You're a little shit, you know that, Malfoy?" Warrington said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Potter. I was wondering who was causing such a ruckus, outside."
"Pleasure, Potter," Marcus echoed, extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you both," Harry replied, shaking Marcus' hand enthusiastically. "Thanks for the rescue."
"Anything for my future seeker. That still the plan, Draco?"
"You know it!" Draco grinned, puffing up his chest. "I'm going to whip Harry into shape to join the team, too."
"You think Potter's going to sort Slytherin?" Marcus asked. "That'd turn some heads."
Draco smirked. "He's practically best friends with Professor Snape, already, and if his summer study habits are any indication, he's got cunning and ambition down, too. Plus, he wants to join us, right Harry?"
"Right about wanting to join," Harry said with a nervous laugh. "I dunno about the other two."
"Snape's soft on you, don't even deny it. You met him for like an hour, and you're already his Teacher's Pet."
Warrington whistled appreciatively. "How'd you manage that, Potter?"
"I didn't! Draco's exaggerating! Snape's just friends with my mum. Or, well, he used to be. You know…"
"Am not exaggerating!" Draco jumped in quickly, before the conversation could turn awkward and maudlin. "You had him convinced you're gonna be the next great potions prodigy. Convinced Father, too. He spent all of August hounding me to study, so I wouldn't fall behind you, and your insane ideas."
They spent the rest of the train ride chatting about classes and quidditch, and laughing about the latest school gossip. Terrence Higgs, Miles Bletchley, and Adrian Pucey squeezed into the compartment after the trolly lady had past by, and the conversation narrowed down to quidditch strategy for the upcoming season.
Draco was entranced by the conversation, and proud that he was allowed to be privy to it, but made sure to send glances Harry's way, to confirm that his friend was not bored, or lost, by the technical talk.
He needn't have worried; Harry was just as hooked as he was, and Draco was sure that if he hadn't convinced Harry to try for the team next year already, he was sold on the idea, now.
"We're just about to Hogsmeade," Higgs said.
Harry's eyes widened. "Already? Draco, should we go find Pansy? She said she'd save us seats."
Draco waved his hand, dismissively. "Nah. Pansy's better at making promises than keeping them. Five galleons says she's forgotten all about it."
Harry relaxed back into his seat. "I can't believe we're almost there."
"Wait until you see the castle," Bletchley said, with a knowing grin.
"You'd better make Slytherin now you've heard our battle plans, Potter," Marcus said with a mock frown. "I'd hate to have to kill you."
Harry gulped. "I'll do my best. Don't suppose a promise that your secrets are safe with me is enough to spare my life, if I don't make it?"
Pucey laughed. "Pretend it's not, and let that be extra motivation for you. I can't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces, if you really do become one of us."
"You really think people will care, that much?"
The entire compartment gave Harry incredulous looks.
Draco gave Harry a playful shove as horrified realization dawned on Harry's face.
"I'm gonna be the center of attention all night, aren't I?"
"That's right, Potter," Draco drawled, "so make sure you sort Slytherin, so I can steal half your spotlight, yeah?"
Harry smiled. "Planning to steal my glory, Malfoy?"
"You know it."