6 Hogwarts

Going from one compartment to another asking if they had seen a toad was really embarrassing, a couple of senior girls even laughed at Draco. So after that he just kept quiet and silently followed Hermione standing behind her, letting her do all the talking. Hermione opened up another compartment door to find a boy raising his wand.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said with her bossy sort of voice.

"We've already told him, we haven't seen it," said the red-haired boy, but Hermione wasn't listening to him, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er -- all right."

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. The rat stayed gray and fast asleep.

"The spells probably fake." Draco said walking in.

Harry was surprised seeing Draco, smiling he said, "Draco, how have you been?"

"Pretty good." Draco smiled

Draco wasn't really interested in playing buddy-buddy with Harry, since being with the main character always brings you unnecessary trouble, but since he plays an important role in defeating Voldemort as he is literally a walking Horcrux and you know how the saying goes, ' A enemy of your enemy can be your friend.' so Draco thought why not at least have a good relationship with Mr. Savior.

"Harry meet Hermione Granger." Draco said pointing at Hermione, "And you've probably already guessed it, He is Harry Potter."

"Are you really?" said Hermione getting excited. "I know all about you, of course -- I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.

"Okay Hermione give Harry here a break, in fact, his life so far has just been the same as yours and he too got to know that he was a wizard just a month ago."

"Really?" Hermione asked looking at Harry who nodded in response.

"Oh! let me introduce you two, Ron, this is Draco Malfoy." Harry introduced his new friend to Draco, "And Draco he is Ron Weasley."

Ron didn't laugh at his name as the original since most people in the wizarding community had already heard his name at least once, Instead, he looked at him with caution and a bit of hatred. From what Ron knew, Malfoy family and Weasley family were enemies, but even his father had complimented Draco for giving out his research for free to people and called him a good one among the Malfoy's. Ron had a jealous character from a young age and seeing a son of death-eater acting like a saint caused him to be wary of the person named Draco Malfoy. He believed that all of this was just a facade to fool people into thinking the Malfoy's are good people. Ron would be really surprised if he ever found that all his theory were mostly true.

Draco just nodded at Ron but the other party just kept staring at him. Draco didn't like the awkward atmosphere so he just stood up, "Hermione I am getting bored so I will go back to the compartment and Harry I will see you when we reach Hogwarts."

He didn't care much about Ron but he knew the golden-trio was very important to the story since Draco didn't want the story to go off-roads from the original. Draco was already scared of not knowing the future in this dangerous world since this was the only advantage he had and with his wand, he already had a gut feeling that more trouble was about to head his way, so he didn't want to add more to his troubles. But this still made his mood turn sour, maybe it was because of slight jealousy as Ron would likely marry Hermione in the future if he didn't step in or the fact that he has to leave Hermione here just so he could start the cycle of golden-trio.

Harry and Hermione didn't understand why Ron was acting that way and why Draco was about to leave.

Draco left the compartment, leaving the dazed Hermione and Harry.

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"Ron, do you know Draco from before?" Harry asked looking at Ron.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." Harry was stunned as he didn't believe that Draco was a bad guy but now he didn't know what to believe in.

While Harry was lost in his thoughts, Ron turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"Nothing, you better change into your robes, we are probably about to reach Hogwarts." Hermione said standing up.

"You are a Muggle-born wizard, aren't you?" Ron asked.

"Yes."

"I would be careful around him, From what I've heard Death-eaters have a deep hatred against muggle-born wizard's."

Hermione nodded and walked away, she already knew some things about You-know-who and Death Eaters but she didn't believe that Draco was a bad guy, at least for now.

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Draco walked back to his compartment where Theodore was already snoring and Pansy was staring daggers at him.

He sat back in his seat beside Pansy and looked at her, "What?"

"Hmph!" was all he got back in response.

Draco was kinda annoyed right now because of Ron, so he didn't have any energy to waste on Pansy so he just kept quiet.

"Hey, you are supposed to ask, 'What's wrong?'" Pansy said with a frustrated expression.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked lazily.

"Why are you so concerned about that mud-blood?" Pansy said with an annoyed voice "Ever since she got in our compartment, you have been acting strange."

"I am not concerned about her and please stop calling people that." Draco said looking at her seriously.

"Che, you both won't even let me have a good sleep." Theodore said waking up lazily "And she is right you know, you acted kinda different around that Granger girl... do you like that girl? Is it love in first sight as they say or do you have a thing for people with messy hair and large teeth, or do you like a bossy girl who can dominate you? Oh! I didn't know the prodigy Draco had such a fetish if only I had known earlier, I could have helped you out a little."

The more Theodore talked, the uglier both Pansy's and Draco's face got.

"I want to torture you with the Cruciatus Curse, right now." Draco said taking out his wand.

"Hey, Hey no need to get serious I was only joking, you know." Theodore said as he quickly averted the topic, "But seriously, The genius, arrogant Draco apologized to a guy who was literally mourning over a lost toad and even went to help him. What's wrong with you?"

Draco thought for a while, 'Shit! I probably acted kinda weird due to my crush on Hermione, to not make her think that I am a bad guy. Well, I don't regret it that much since she would likely be in Gryffindor and I am more likely to be in Slytherin, so I need to make a good impression before we get sorted into our house.'

Theodore looking at Draco's silence and Pansy who looked as if she was going to explode, quickly said, "Did you at least find the Toad?"

Draco snapped back to reality and looked kinda pissed, "Nope, My mood was disturbed by this red-headed trash and his filthy rat."

"First a toad and now a rat? What is Hogwarts? A creepy Zoo?" Theodore said making a weird face.

"Red hair, you mean the Weasly's?" Pansy asked calming down.

"Yes." Draco nodded,

"Do you want to teach him a lesson?" Pansy asked smiling a little.

"Okay! stop smiling like that pug-face, it's creepy." Said Theodore making Draco laugh a little.

Pansy kicked Theodore on his legs with an angry face,

"Okay, you two... don't start fighting. We are probably reaching Hogwarts, so let's change into our robes."

Pansy nodded and took her dress; and went into one of her friend's compartment to change. Draco took out his and Theodore robe from his suitcase and both of them started changing their clothes.

Theodore was already dressed and was putting on his robe and Draco was still pulling his pants up when suddenly the door to their compartment opened.

Hermione who opened the door looked at the naked upper body of Draco for a while, and quickly closed back the door screaming, "Idiot, at least lock the door if you are changing your clothes."

After a while both Theodore who was laughing and Draco came out of the door, to find a red-faced Hermione glaring at Draco.

"Hey! you are the one who took advantage of me, why are you so pissed? Draco said covering his chest with his hands as if he had just been sexually assaulted.

"And whose fault do you think it is, you idiot." Hermione roared at Draco walking inside the compartment and shutting the door close.

"You know if you flirt so much with her, Pansy is probably going to kill both of you."

"You do know, that my life can still go on just fine without your commentary in everything I do"

Theodore didn't say anything and just shrugged his shoulders.

A voice echoed 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."

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. Hermione and Pansy pushed their way towards the door pulling the lazy Draco and Theodore who wanted to wait till all the people are gone to go outside.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" A voice came in front of them.

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was very dark on either side of them, Nobody spoke much. Neville, who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Hermione, Draco, Pansy, and Theodore got in a boat as Hagrid's voice came again.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then -- FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Everyone could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They

crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"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 rule-breaking 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."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall.

"Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Hermione asked Draco. Pansy and Theodore turned to Draco as well, since keeping what the sorting ceremony a secret was a tradition, not even his father or mother told him what was gonna happen, but Draco already knew.

"They put a talking hat on your head and it will decide your entire future." Draco casually said,

"Hmph! If you don't want to say it then don't say it." Hermione didn't believe Draco and turned back. Draco shrugged his shoulders looking at Theodore and Pansy who also didn't believe him.

Draco looked at Harry who was looking in his direction from time to time, Draco was sure that Ron had already told him about the death eater stuff, but he didn't bother too much with it.

Suddenly about twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance --"

"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?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."