A blonde boy stood in the doorway. And not just any blonde boy. Draco Malfoy. Harry knew Malfoy, because his father and Malfoy's father had once gotten into a fight in Diagon Alley. He remembered the day clearly.
They were walking down Diagon Alley, when Lily asked to stop in Flourish and Blotts. The family popped in and Harry and James stood near the entrance, waiting for Lily. Harry spotted a book on Quidditch that looked interesting. He started toward the table, when he crashed into a blonde kid about his age.
"Watch where you're going!" The kid snarled.
A man came up behind him. "Ah, there you are, Draco," he said.
"He crashed into me!" Draco whined.
Lucius Malfoy turned slowly to Harry. "Harry Potter. What a- pleasant surprise. How dare you crash into my son."
Before Harry knew what was happening, Lucius had his wand pointed at Harry. Harry screamed, and James ran over, knocking Harry aside, and pointing his own wand a Lucius.
Lucius laughed at James. "Awww," he said. "Daddy has come, Harry. Feel better?"
"Never point a wand at my son!" James shouted.
Lucius laughed again and fired a stunner at James, that just missed him. James responded with one of his own. The shopkeeper came over, yelling furiously at them to get out. As they left, Lucius hissed to James and Harry, "This is not over."
*End of flashback*
Harry stared at Malfoy. Malfoy smirked.
"They were saying all down the train that Harry Potter was in this compartment," Malfoy commented. "We thought we'd come introduce ourselves, right boys?" He turned to burly boys behind him. "Anyway, I'm Draco Malfoy, and these are Crabbe and Goyle."
Ron snorted.
Malfoy turned to him. "You think my name is funny? No need to ask who you are. Red hair, hand me down robes and more children than they can afford, you must be a Weasley." He turned back to Harry. "You don't want to hang round things like the Weasleys. Some families are better than others, Potter. Perhaps spending some time in the real world will help you realize that. I can help you there." He held out his hand.
Harry stared at it, then looked up at Malfoy. "I think I'd rather spend time with the better families," he said coldly.
"I'd be careful, Potter. You don't want to go the same way as your dear grandmother. And I wouldn't hang 'round the Weasleys, it'll only make your social status worse."
"Say that again!" Ron's face was red with anger.
"Aw, ickle Weasley wants to fight, just like your idiot father," Malfoy smirked at Harry. "Are you going to fight too?"
"Unless you get out now," Harry snarled, trying to be braver than he felt.
"But we don't feel like leaving. We're hungry and we see that you still have some leftover candy."
Harry started forward, but something got there before he did. Goyle shrieked and lifted his finger, to reveal Scabbers, hanging on tight. Goyle swung his hand around and around, until Scabbers went flying, and hit the window. The three boys then left quickly.
Just after they left, Hermione Granger came back in. "What has been going on in here?" she exclaimed.
Ron ignored her and went over to Scabbers. "I think he's been knocked out!" Ron said. He picked up his rat. "No, wait. I don't believe it. He's gone back to sleep." Ron rolled his eyes. "So, you've met Malfoy before?"
Harry nodded. "In Diagon Alley when I was 9. I bumped into him and his dad went bananas and started dueling my dad."
Ron nodded. "That sounds like him. Dad told me that they were one of the first to come back to our side after the war. Said they'd been tricked. But dad said that is rubbish. He says Malfoy didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you?"
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!" Hermione said.
"We haven't been, Scabbers has," Ron growled.
"All right -- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," Hermione sniffed.
Ron glared at Hermione's back as she retreated into the corridor. He turned back to Harry. "Anyway, did you hear about the break in at Gringotts?"
Harry nodded. "Mum and dad were talking about it. Dad reckons it was a dark wizard in league with Voldemort."
Ron dropped the candy he was holding. "You-know-who," he hissed.
Harry shrugged. "Mum and dad say not to be afraid of the name."
"So?" Ron exclaimed. "You'll scare everyone else silly!"
At that moment, a voice blared through the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Harry felt a sudden wave of nerves. What if he wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? What if he was sorted into another house, like Slytherin? He saw that Ron had gone rather pale. Harry yanked on his robes and gathered up the rest of his sweets and stuffed them in his pockets. He noticed Ron's robes were a bit short, and made note to talk to his dad about maybe getting Ron some new robes. They stepped into the corridor and followed the crowd out the train.
The cold night air nipped at their noses. Then they heard, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Of course! Hagrid! Harry remembered his parent's stories about the half giant. Although he looked intimidating, he was a real sweetheart. "C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
They made their way down toward a lake, slipping and sliding the whole time. "Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
And then they saw it. There was a loud "Oooooooh!"
Hogwarts was beautiful. The windows sparkled with light. The turrets and towers reflected in the moonlit lake.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called. He pointed toward a fleet of boats. Ron, Harry, Neville, and Hermione all ended up in the same boat.
"Everyone in?" Hagrid called. He was so big that he had a whole boat to himself. "Right then --FORWARD!"
The little boats began to move all at once across the glassy lake.
"Heads down!" Hagrid shouted as they neared the cliff that Hogwarts sat on.
They ducked as the boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid the opening in the cliff. They then traveled along a dark tunnel, which opened into an underground harbor. The boats stopped here, and everyone began climbing out. Hagrid began checking the boats.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" Hagrid asked.
"Trevor!" Neville cried.
Hagrid then led them up a long flight of stone steps, that led to an enormous, oak door. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid asked. Then, he raised his giant fist and knocked on the castle door.
The door opened immediately. A tall witch in emerald-green robes with long, black hair tied up in a bun stood there. She had a stern look on her face, that made Harry think that you shouldn't make trouble around her.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.
Of course! Harry remembered the stories about Professor McGonagall. His parents had many nice things to say about her, although James said that she had caught him and his friends at mischief more than any other teacher.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," she said. She pulled the door open wide. The entrance hall was huge! It was lit with torches and the ceiling was higher than Harry had imagined a ceiling could be. Professor McGonagall led them across the stone floor. They passed a large doorway, where Harry could hear hundreds of voices, but didn't stop there. The first years were let to a small chamber just off the hall.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Nervous, Harry tried to flatten his hair, but knew it was impossible. His father had often told him to not even bother trying to tame it.
James and Lily had told Harry a lot of things about Hogwarts, but on of the things they hadn't told him was how they would be sorted.
"Do you know how they sort us into our houses?" Harry asked Ron.
"Your parents didn't tell you either?" Ron guessed.
Harry shook his head.
"Well, Fred says it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking. Some sort of test, I think."
"A test?" Harry echoed. His mum had taught him some magic, but surly, if there was a test, she would have taught him what was on it, right?
He was so busy worrying, that he jumped when someone suddenly shrieked. He turned around, and gasped. About twenty pearly white transparent ghosts came through the back wall. None of them seemed to notice the first years. In fact, they seemed to be arguing.
"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance --" a rather fat ghost was saying.
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost -- I say, what are you all doing here?"
Suddenly, the ghosts noticed the first years.
"New students!" One ghost exclaimed. "About to be sorted?"
A couple braver kids nodded.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" The ghost said cheerfully. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," Professor McGonagall had returned.
The ghosts disappeared through the opposite wall.
"Form a line," Professor McGonagall instructed. "Now follow me."
Anxiously, Harry and the other first years followed her through the giant doors and into the Great Hall. The Great Hall was like something out of a dream. Thousands of candles floated in midair, lighting the hall. There were four long tables with gleaming golden plates and cups. At the front of the hall, there was a slightly raised table, where all the teachers were sitting. The first years were led to the front of the hall, near the teachers' table. Harry glanced back at the rest of the school, only to find hundreds of eyes on him. He turned away quickly.
Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of them. On top of it, she placed a very dirty and very ragged hat. What in the name of Merlin was the hat for? Were they supposed to make something come out of it? As he tried wildly to imagine what he was supposed to do, the hat began to sing.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
Everyone burst into applause.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll!"
Harry smiled with relief. Thank Merlin!
Professor McGonagall then stepped forward, holding a long scroll. "When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and I will place the hat on your head to be sorted."
"Abbott, Hannah!"
Abbott...it was so familiar! Then he remembered. Uncle Paddy's girlfriend! Natalie had been traveling abroad for a while, so Harry hadn't seen her in about two years.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"The hat shouted.
Hannah went to sit with the cheering Hufflepuffs.
"Bones, Susan!"
Harry remembered the stories of Edgar Bones, who had been killed in the first Wizarding War. His parents had also spoken highly of her aunt, Amelia Bones.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuffs cheered again.
"Boot, Terry and Brocklehust, Mandy," both went to Ravenclaw.
"Brown, Lavender," became the first Gryffindor and "Bulstrode, Millicent" became the first Slytherin. The Slytherin house looked rather unfriendly, just as James had said they were.
A couple more students were sorted, some taking longer than others. Then, "Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione ran up to the stool and jammed the hat on her head. After about a minute, the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"
Ron groaned. Then "Longbottom, Neville!" It took a long time for Neville to be sorted. Finally, the hat decided on "GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry zoned out as several more students were sorted. He worried about being sorted into something other than Gyiffindor, especially Slytherin. His parents had told him that they would be proud no matter where he was sorted, but he had a feeling it would be difficult to forgive, let alone be proud, of a Slytherin in the Potter family.
"Potter, Harry!"
He felt as though he might throw up. After his name was announced, the whispers started.
"Potter? The Harry Potter?"
"No way!"
"In our year!"
And then the hat was dropped over his head.
"Hmm," a small voice said. "Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult."
"Difficult?" Harry asked. "But, I'm a Potter. This should be easy. Shouldn't I be in Gryffindor?"
"Aah. And that's where you're wrong. Just because you are a Potter does not automatically earn you a spot in Gryffindor."
"Now, plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind. And talent, and my goodness, a thirst to prove yourself, how interesting. Where to put you?"
Harry closed his eyes. "Not Slytherin. Anything but Slytherin. Maybe Gryffindor, or even Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff?"
"Hmmm."
"Please," Harry whispered.
"You're sure?" The hat asked. "Very well. Following Potter tradition...."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
A/N:
Long time no "see"! Sorry for not updating. Because of my crazy life, I have decided to update every other Saturday instead. (Just pretend this is a Saturday, ok? It's close enough.) Anyway, sorry about that! Vote, comment, share, and "see" you in two weeks!
-Glyon1