Chapter Eight

Hagrid's hut was a small building on the grounds halfway between the school and the forbidden forest.

Harry knocked on the door and heard Fang begin to bark from behind the house. Hagrid lumbered forward.

" 'Arry what you doin' 'ere?" He asked squishing Harry in a big hug and shaking Draco's arm hard enough to lift Draco's feet briefly off the floor.

"We need to talk to you." Harry said once Hagrid had let him go and he could breath again.

" Alrigh' I'm 'bout finished ou' 'ere. Lets pu' some tea on."

They followed Hagrid and Fang into the hut and sat down on the big squishy sofa only to be immediately sat on by Fang.

"Hi Fang, yes we love you now Get off!" Harry said rubbing his belly.

"Wha' you wan'in' to ask 'bout 'Arry?" Hagrid asked handing them each a small bucket sized cup of tea.

"We know you like...err...interesting animals." Draco began, taking one sip of tea and quickly putting it to the side.

"Yes and we sort of found something in the castle."

"Tha' doesn' sound good." Hagrid said looking worried, "Wha' you been stickin' your noses in?"

"It was a giant three headed dog!" Draco said shaking his head.

Hagrid laughed and lent back in his seat, "That's just Fluffy! I though' it was somethin' bad."

"Fluffy? Seriously Hagrid! What's it doing in the castle? It tried to eat us!" Harry shouted.

"Dumbledore asked me to borrow 'im, he's guardin' the stone. Wha' were you doin' in tha' corridor?" Hagrid asked.

"We got lost." Draco said, "What stone?"

"I can't tell you that. That's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flammel. I shouldn' have told you that. Right off you go now. It's getting late." He stood up and guided them out the door, ignoring the fact it was still light outside "Come again soon."

"But who's Nicolas Flammel?" Harry and Draco asked the now shut door.

"Well that worked." Harry huffed beginning to walk back up to the castle.

"It gave us something. I'm sure I've heard the name Nicolas Fammel before." Draco said, "And we could always get Fluffy a collar for Christmas." he said rolling his eyes.

Draco and Harry sat at the Slytherin table happily munching on bacon butties the next morning when the post arrived. Hedwig swooped down and stole a bit of bacon from Harry's plate.

"Oi you!" Harry said giving her a gentle tickle. He untied the small clutch of letters from her leg and gave her another slice of bacon. She flew off with Armilda to go and sleep.

Harry opened up the first letter.

Dear Harry,

I do hope you are enjoying yourself. I love getting your letters and I wish I could write more often but Danica has begun school and Alice is sending over the children as she's pregnant again and feeling very ill. I'm missing you so much and so is everyone else.

Anyway Happy Halloween! I hope you have a brilliant day and enjoy the lack of school. How's Hagrid? I used to love going down to have tea with him but don't eat the rock cakes!

Love you lots and can't wait to see you at Christmas!

Mum.

P.S please please please stop sending Danica sweets; Sirius is giving them to her all at once and she's a nightmare on sugar. Xx

Harry laughed, Lily wrote nearly every day there was no shortage of letters there but it was clear that she was missing and worrying about him even if he was under the watchful eye of his step-father. He ripped open the next one,

Hi Harry!

How are you doing? Not too much school work but plenty of trouble I hope. Severus said you got a detention in the first week! Good for you boy! I only managed it in my second although I did get two in one day so that's the next one to aim for.

Anyway your mother might have said something about Danica having to many sweets, all made up, when would I ever disobey your mother? I'm always good and only ever give your little sister sweets one at a time after she's eaten her veg.

Speaking of which, I've included the article Rita Skeeter wrote about you, your mother didn't want me to send it to you in case you got upset but I thought it would give you a laugh.

Anyway Harry, Happy Halloween! Can't wait to see you at Christmas and stay in trouble!

Sirius

Harry rolled his eyes at that one, Danica was trouble on her own but he was surprised that the world was still standing when Sirius was on babysitting duty.

"What did you get Draco?" Harry asked, Draco was struggling with being away from his parents and was feeling very homesick although he tried to hide it. This was not helped by Crabbe and Goyle making jabs every second they got.

"Sweets and a new quill." Draco smiled, tucking the letters away carefully.

"I got this." Harry said unrolling the news paper, "Fancy reading with me?"

Draco grinned and moved over to sit next to Harry;

"September 1st, 11 o'clock the Hogwarts Express left the station as normal, but carrying a very special cargo.

Harry Potter, aged 12, has left the nest to learn the Wizarding ways. He was seen arriving with his mother, Lily Potter, who is so obviously over the death of her much loved husband, James Potter, as she was accompanied not only by Sirius Black, who was once under suspicion of killing her husband and trying to kill her and Harry Potter, but Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions master as well as a young daughter, looking to be aged about five-years-old!

Harry Potter, aged 12, carried a snow white owl and a large trunk, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Lucius Malfoy and son, Draco, went to join them! The famous Harry Potter was seen boarding the train with Draco Malfoy, which can not be a good sign.

Dear readers, I would love to tell you that, upon arrival at Hogwarts things got better for our treasured Boy Who Lived, but it didn't. News had it that, on the train, both boys were laughing at some poor soul who had lost their pet toad, and refused to help! Instead mocking a young muggle born girl.

Once at the station, Harry Potter was seen talking to the Grounds Keeper, Rubeus Hagrid, before boarding the boats to take them across the lake with two other students to start his education.

According to my inside source, Harry once again refused to speak with his admires, instead choosing, CHOOSING, to talk to the offspring of known Death Eaters, Greengrass, Malfoy and Parkinson.

It's already looking bad for Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, who defeated You Know Who just as a baby, but I'm afraid to report things just got worse from there, dear readers.

As our new minds, waiting to be filled with knowledge were sorted, Harry Potter waited nervously. Where would he go? Surely Gryffindor, like his brave and loving father before him, like his mother too. We've all been picturing this moment, the Sorting Hat going on to his scarred little head.

I would like to now let you know that Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson all went into Slytherin. Neville Longbottom, who has been seen with Harry Potter before made the proud house of Gryffindor.

As Harry Potter's name was called, we all held our breath. But, the Hat is never wrong.

Harry Potter was sorted into Slytherin.

What does this mean? It's an outrage, in my personal opinion of course, the Daily Prophet does not take sides, but this is… unexpected to be kind to the poor boy!

It's obviously some mistake, but as I said, the Sorting Hat is never wrong. I long expect that Harry Potter, when defeating You Know Who, somehow was effected by it, and is now suffering the results. Maybe he has been influenced too much by his new 'Step-Father' Severus Snape. Who knows what that man does to the poor boy and his mother. Who is that little girl who came with Harry to the station? Maybe Snape has, somehow, managed to influence the hat in order to control Harry Potter more. We all know that Professor Snape is head of Slytherin House, maybe it's all just some scheme to control Potter?

After all, if his dear father were alive, Harry would have been sorted into Gryffindor and probably be very good friends with the Weasley's, a big, pure blooded family who have all been in Gryffindor.

All we can do my dear readers is sit back and hope, pray and wish that Harry Potter will be moved. As they say, There's never been a which or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin.

Until next time, my dear and faithful readers,

Rita Skeeter."

Harry and Draco burst out laughing earning them a stern look from Percy Weasley who was reading the Daily Prophet proudly at the Gryffindor table.

"I can't believe she got so much wrong!" Draco said, "All Students starting Hogwarts are only 11. And she was a Slytherin! We weren't all that bad!"

"She's a bad example." Harry laughed shaking his head, "But I know what you mean. This one is definitely going to get added to the collection! I can't imagine ever being friends with Weasley. All he cares about is that I'm famous."

"I think you're likely to be adding a few more before long; that woman is obsessed with you." Pansy said books in her arms, "Anyway I was wondering if you two would like to join Daphne and I to study down by the lake. It's quiet."

Harry and Draco nodded and grabbed their bags. The four of them wandered out towards the lake. They sat down on the grass next to a rocky patch jutting out into the lake; joined shortly by Neville.

"Hi guys." He smiled and kicked his shoes off sitting next to them, "Do you think I'm allowed to sit here? Or is it ten point from Gryffindor!" He said impersonating Professor McGonagall.

Harry snorted, "I hope so, we're not far away from points scores. And both our prefects have made it very clear that Slytherin needs to win again."

"Yes we must not loose our winning streak!" Draco said with over exaggerated shock.

"Well I'm doing everything I can." Neville laughed.

Draco looked around, "We ran into something strange the other day," He said shuffling closer to Neville, "We ended up on the third floor, we weren't supposed to be there but the staircase went all weird and Hargrid has a giant three headed dog thing up there!"

"What? Why?" Gasped Neville, "What's something like that doing in a school?"

"Shh." Harry told him, "It was guarding a trap door, Hagrid said it had something to do with a stone and some one called Nicholas Flammel."

"Nicholas Fammel?" Daphne said coming over, her and Pansy sitting down with the boys.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure that's what he said, Hargid was pretty closed up about the whole thing which really isn't like him." Draco said, "Harry your stalker is back."

Harry looked over to see Ron smiling and waving, Harry rolled his eyes as Ron bounded over. He squished himself between Harry and Pansy even though it left him basically sitting on Pansy's lap. She shuffled over and dragged her skirt free from under him with a huff.

"So what are you guys talking about?" Ron asked.

"Just school stuff." Draco forced a smile.

"You know I thought for sure that you'd be in Gryffindor, like your dad. I looked it up and he was on the Quidditch team, Chaser I think. He's on one of the trophies. I can show you if you like?" Ron grinned.

"Thanks maybe another time." Harry said, "My mum was in Gryffindor as well but my Dad, Step-dad, was in Slytherin so I really didn't mind where I ended up."

Ron let out an ironic laugh, "I don't know why you call him Dad, it's not like he's actually family."

"I don't know," Harry said with gritted teeth, "My sister feels like family."

Ron waved his hand dismissively, "Why didn't you try out for Quidditch?"

"First years aren't allowed brooms." Harry informed him dismissively.

"Yeah but they would have made an exception for you. You're Harry Potter!" Ron said

"Shall we head in?" Pansy said standing up quickly, making sure to elbow Ron on the way up, "It's getting on and I want to have plenty of time for the ceremony before dinner."

Ron snorted, "You still follow that old crap? Talk about stuck in the dark ages! Am I right?" He nudged Harry.

"Actually," Harry said, standing up with the others, "Mum started following not long after James died and I really wish you would leave me alone."

"But we're friends." Ron said possessively giving Draco a filthy look.

"We're not friends; we've never been friends; we never will be friends! I hate people who only like me because of my fame. And Severus IS my father! James died, I don't even remember him so I would REALLY appreciate it if you stopped pretending that Snape isn't my real father! Come on guys lets go."

Harry didn't wait for a response before stomping towards the castle, Draco, Neville and the girls following quickly behind.

"Harry! Harry! Harry slow down!" Pansy called.

Harry stopped just inside the castle door and paused to catch his breath, leaning against the door.

"Harry..." Draco didn't need to say anything else.

They all wrapped him in hug as a furious Ron barged past muttering swear words under his breath. They wandered down the hall way, Neville having to say goodbye and head up to the Gryffindor tower.

"I don't think we've heard the last of this." Pansy sighed, "Ronald seemed pretty angry."

Harry nodded, "I know I shouldn't have let him get to me, it's just…. You girls should go and get changed." He smiled.

They nodded and headed up to the girls' dorm. Harry followed Draco up to the boys' and dug his white dress robes out from in his trunk. He ran his fingers over the small amount of coloured embroidery along the neck line. Two lilac does when Lily remarried, a dark blue kitten for when Danica was born and now an emerald-green snake for him joining Hogwarts.

Draco's weren't as decorated yet, he had the snake and eight little kisses in almost white pink and blue.

"I always love wearing these." Draco said finishing getting dressed and pulling a comb through his hair.

Harry nodded and smoothed his robes, "Shall we head down?"

They went down and were joined within a few minutes by Pansy and Daphne. They both wore knee length, white dresses with elbow length sleeves. Daphne had a tiny deep purple rabbit on one shoulder and both girls had the Slytherin snake.

"How old's your little sister now?" Harry asked Daphne.

"She's nine this year." Daphne smiled placing a loose, lace veil over her hair and pinning it in place.

The room was slowly filling up with students all dressed in white. Tracey Davis arrived in a floor length white dress with no embroidery but a white snake. All her pale blonde hair was covered in a tight, solid white head dress.

"Why is your snake white?" Pansy asked kindly.

"It's for humility." She snapped, "I was raised that colour was ostentatious for religious ceremonies. As is not covering ones hair." She looked pointedly at Pansy's loose hair that flowed around her shoulders.

"Oh." Pansy shifted awkwardly tucking her hair behind her ear, "I think my parents raised me in the older way." Pansy tried to explain.

"Older is not always right." Tracy said ending the conversation.

Sally clapped her hands, "Right; everyone who wants to come down is welcome to do so. The normal rules will apply. It's also a rule that you don't engage with students not taking part. For better or worse the old ways are becoming less and less common so it is very likely that a number of students will be outside and not want to take part."

The students nodded in understanding although there were a few loud huffs from people. They made their way out the castle doors. The sun was just beginning to set, casting an eerie shadow from the forest.

Small groups of students were gathered around the grounds, many already deep in thought.

Howard stepped forward and paused for a moment, "Those who wish to stay in the main group may do so, those who wish to go off separately may also do so."

Harry, Draco, Pansy, Neville and Daphne made their way to a quiet spot near the water.