"GRYFFINDOR!!!" the entire great hall was silenced as the Sorting Hat called out the house to which the student wearing it would belong. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and their eyes snapped to the small boy sitting in the chair, the Sorting Hat atop his head. The young blonde boy looked utterly shocked, and absolutely horrified. There was a full, maybe five minutes, of dead silence, as no one could have ever seen this coming. Minerva McGonagall stood staring at the small blonde boy who would be in her House. How was this possible? she thought to herself as she attempted to collect herself mentally.
Meanwhile the boy sitting in the seat was trying to process what he had just heard. Had he misheard? The hat had to have made a mistake. He was supposed to be in Slytherin. Not Gryffindor. The hat made a mistake. That was it. It just made a mistake. Right? He looked up when the dead silence slowly got louder. The Slytherin table was snickering and the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were whispering. The only table still silent was the Gryffindor table. The boy laughed silently at that. The lions had finally been shut up. The only problem was that he was the reason. Stupid Gryffindors, he thought angrily. Then, Minerva moved into action.
"Malfoy, please go sit down," she spoke softly, motioning toward the Gryffindor table. The boy just sat there for a moment, lost and confused. But eventually, he came to his senses and stood as Minerva removed the Sorting Hat from his head. Head down and fists clenched, eleven year old Draco Malfoy moved toward the Gryffindor table. This was the table he hated most. They were his enemies by nature. He was a Malfoy, therefore Gryffindors were bad. Except that one. What was his name? Oh yes. Harry Potter. Maybe there was a possibility he could try his hand at befriending the other boy again. The famous Harry Potter could be my friend! Draco thought. He would have to try something different this time, as his last tactics hadn't been successful. Silently, the young blonde boy took a seat at the end of the Gryffindor table, not wanting to deal with any of the people yet.
- - - - - - - - -
"Hey blood traitor!" Draco looked up to see Gregory Goyle headed towards him. The blonde boy pulled out his wand, as he knew that Goyle was not going to be kind. Not since he was sorted into the wrong house. There was a sudden pain the right side of his face -Goyle had punched him. Draco raised his wand to cast a spell when a voice called out, stopping Goyle in his attack, and Malfoy in his defense.
"Hey!" Both boys turned to see Harry Potter running towards them, the Weasel and a bushy-haired girl following. Goyle saw the green-eyed boy and turned to flee, leaving Draco on the ground, confused and unsure. What had just happened? His friend had attacked him! "Malfoy, you okay?" Draco looked up to see Harry standing above him, offering him his hand. Hadn't this scene already played but in reverse? Well, not this exact scene, but hadn't Draco offered his hand in friendship to the green-eyed boy in front of him and been rejected? Why would he take the hand offered to him now? I shouldn't. But, maybe... he thought as he considered it. Was this his chance? Making a decision, Draco grabbed Harry's hand and allowed the boy to help him up.
"Gee, Malfoy, are you okay?" Harry asked, looking at the other boy's face. A bruise was already forming on the blonde boy's very pale skin. Harry had already asked that question, but the other boy hadn't answered and now he could really see Malfoy's face.
After the shock wore off slightly,the pain returned. He could feel his face beginning to bruise and it hurt -a lot. Finally he brought himself back to reality. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine," he said at first, raising his chin to attempt to better his appearance. Harry raised an eyebrow, and the girl behind him seemed concerned as well. "You don't look fine, Malfoy," Harry told him, confirming the bruise Draco could feel blossoming on his face. He looked away, suddenly very self-conscious about his face. He was a Malfoy and that meant perfection. Having a bruised face and being sorted into the wrong house were both not on the list for Malfoy perfections.
And the it dawned on him. After this, he wouldn't be a Malfoy. His father would never accept a son in Gryffindor! What would his father do to him upon hearing the news? What would his Godfather, Severus, do? He would have to deal with Severus all the time...suddenly Draco began went into a panic. Thoughts were racing through his mind at lightning speed, and they were all causing him so much panic. What will Father do about this? What will happen to me? I've brought shame to the Malfoy name! Father is going to kill me! Oh he is going to be pissed and he's going to kill me! And Mother! She'll be so disappointed! All of these thoughts ran around in his head and they kept getting worse and worse, more severe and more frightening to think about. But he couldn't stop them.
"Malfoy! Malfoy!" and then there was someone shouting at him. What? he thought silently as he opened his eyes. Wait...opened his eyes? When had he closed them? his eyes opened to see Harry bent over him with a worried expression on his face. Even the Weasel looked concerned. "Oi, Malfoy, you passed out," the Weasel commented. He had done what? He, Draco Malfoy had passed out? Then everything came rushing back. And, at only eleven years old, such rapid-fire thoughts were difficult to handle. "Yeah Malfoy. I don't think you're fine. Let's go -" "What in Merlin is going on down here?" Harry was interrupted and the four students all stopped and looked up when they heard Minerva McGonagall's voice. They looked up to see the Head of Gryffindor House and the Deputy Head Mistress of Hogwarts, striding toward them, a stern expression on her face. It was Harry who spoke up. "Professor,
it's Malfoy. He, um, well, one of the Slytherins was attacking him, and we found them and stopped the kid who was attacking him. Then he kind of passed out...we were just about to go looking for someone to help when you showed up," Harry explained the situations somewhat awkwardly, as he didn't really know the whole story, just what he had seen. But, Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows, looking from each student to the next. Potter, Weasley, and Granger all nodded, but the Malfoy boy was just staring oddly at the other three.
They defended me? Since when would the Weasel do such a thing? He was staring at them, confused and..there was another emotion that he hadn't felt before...was it, gratefulness? That was weird. Malfoys weren't grateful to others! Oh... then he remembered again. He wouldn't be a Malfoy after his father heard about this.
"Mister Malfoy, is this correct?" he looked up to see McGonagall looking at him. It seemed like she had asked him multiple times by now. Slowly, he nodded. "Yes," he spoke quietly. His world was falling to pieces and he had no idea what would happen.
"Alright, lets get you to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey will fix you up. You three, to the common room," she ordered. "Um, Professor, I'd like to accompany Malfoy, is that alright?" Harry spoke up and helped Malfoy to his feet once again. Minerva sighed, but nodded. "Very well, Potter. Weasley, Granger, back to the common room," she gave them a look that said there would be no arguments, and they nodded. "Bye Harry," they both bid their new friend farewell and hurried off toward the Gryffindor common room.
"This way," Minerva led the way towards the Hospital Wing. She glanced back behind her once to make sure the boys had heard, but then simply led the way. The Malfoy boy concerned her, and she didn't know why Harry Potter would claim the boy as a friend. at least, that is what it seemed like from her perspective. However, she also knew many things about the Malfoy family. And one thing she knew was that the young blonde boy would not get a warm acceptance when i=his family received news of the House he was sorted into. There was no way that Lucius Malfoy would accept having a son in Gryffindor House. Minerva felt bad for the boy. At first, she had simply been concerned about having to deal with a Malfoy, but now, after having thought about it, she was more concerned for the boy's safety.
"So, Malfoy, what happened back there? Wasn't that a friend of yours? Why would he hit you?" Harry inquired as they walked. He'd never had any good experiences with people before Ron and Hermione, but he was pretty sure friends were supposed to nice to each other. And considering the very large, very dark, bruise on Malfoy's face, his friend had not been nice to him.
Draco was quite surprised when Harry Potter voiced concern for him. Why would he be so nice when I was so rude to him before? he asked himself. "You wouldn't understand," he bit out harshly. He was angry at the Sorting Hat and in pain, and he hadn't meant to sound so harsh. "I, I'm sorry," he apologized softly. It felt so weird to do such a thing -to apologize to someone. But it also felt good, in a way. I'm not supposed to be doing or feeling such things! I'm a- he scolded himself, but then was reminded once again of his fate as he went to say something that would soon not be true.
Harry had flinched slightly at Malfoy's harsh tone, but then the blonde boy had apologized. The green-eyed boy gave him an odd look and then shrugged. "Then explain it," he said simply, as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do. Malfoy sighed. "It's not that easy, Potter," he said, exasperated. But, in the hope of a possible friendship, he decided to try. "It's a pureblood thing, I guess. I, uh, my family, uh...my father is very strict...he, um, he has certain...expectations. And, I, um, I didn't, well, I didn't meet them...It's a...well it's a tradition, for Malfoys to be in Slytherin. And since I, well, am not...I have disgraced my family and they'll probably disown me because I'm a blood traitor..." he spoke faster and faster, stumbling and pausing awkwardly in places. At the end of his little speech, he looked up from the ground and saw that Harry was giving him an odd look. "What?" Draco asked. Harry seemed to be lost in thought. "Uh, Potter?" Draco asked again. The eleven year old Malfoy was quite confused, and also quite lost. He had no idea what was going to happen to him, he had no idea why he had been put in Gryffindor, and he had no idea why Harry Potter was being so nice after he had been rude. This was completely different from the world Draco Malfoy knew, and his little secret? He kind of liked this other side of things...
Potter seemed to realize he was being spoken to and blinked a couple times. "Sorry. Um, Wow. Your family would really do that to you?" Harry knew what his family was like and was honestly surprised he hadn't been tossed out with how much the Dursleys hated him. But the young green-eyed boy would have thought this world wouldn't be so cruel. With all its magic and strange, awesome things, he hadn't even considered there would be anything bad about this world. Well, besides a few snarky kids -the one he was speaking with having been one of them. But now he saw this blonde boy differently. What else would he find out about this boy he had at first thought of as a snarky, pompous rich kid?
Draco nodded. "Yes, they'll do it. Why wouldn't they? I don't deserve the Malfoy name," he told Potter these things, fully believing the words that fell form his lips. Harry, however, couldn't believe what he was hearing. This blonde boy walking next to him was so sure about this and it seemed he believed wholeheartedly -no, knew- that his family would reject him because of something so small. Well, at least in Harry's eyes it was something small. It didn't seem so to the other boy. In a way, Harry could understand the boy's panic and such. He knew how it felt to be hated by his family. And no matter what, he wouldn't wish that upon anyone.
"Well what've we got here, Minerva?" Poppy Pomfrey smiled at her friend as the Head of Gryffindor House walked in and then saw the two First Years behind her. One happened to be Harry Potter. And the other? A Malfoy for sure. "Hello, Poppy. It seems young Mister Malfoy got himself into a bit of trouble in the halls this evening. Mister Potter wished to accompany him to you," Minerva explained. Poppy's eyes widened. A Potter and a Malfoy getting along? Such a thing had never been, nor ever even heard of. "Well, young Malfoy, it seems you got yourself a bit of a bruise. Come here, boy, and we'll get that all fixed up for you," Poppy shuffled him over to a bed, Harry following right behind. Then the Hogwarts Healer bustled about to get the necessary potion for Malfoy's bruise and any other possible injury he may have behind said bruise. "Drink this," she ordered the young Malfoy in front of her.
Draco glared at the potion and then at Madam Pomfrey. The older Witch raised her eyebrows and looked at the boy. Draco then quickly took the potion and swallowed it. It tasted gross, and he had a hard time keeping it down, but he managed. The young boy made a disgusted face and swallowed a few more times to attempt to rid his mouth of the taste.
"Thank you, Poppy," Minerva McGonagall smiled and then turned to the boys. "Alright boys. Back to the Dorms. Go," she nodded to the doors and escorted them out. Harry remembered the way from earlier and led Malfoy along.
"Come on Malfoy, this way," he said, leading the way through the halls towards the moving staircases and towards Gryffindor Tower.
"Why are you being so nice?" Draco asked suddenly. Stopping and just watching Potter. Harry turned in surprise and cocked his head slightly. "What do you mean, Malfoy?" Harry asked him, curious. "I mean, I wasn't that nice to you when we first met. So why are you being so nice to me now?" the blonde boy asked, his voice portraying just how difficult it was to talk about this so casually. "I decided to give you another chance. I don't like it when people get hurt. And you were being hurt, so I had to stop it. And you weren't a brat then, so I decided you deserved another chance," Harry explained his reason as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. And for him, it was. But to Draco, this was a very foreign concept and it was very difficult for him to understand. "Oh. Okay. Um...Thanks," Draco looked at Harry and his words were quiet, unsure, and seemed a little forced as well. Harry shrugged and nodded toward the stairs. "Come on, we have to hurry," he then turned and headed for the stairs. Draco followed behind, still quite confused about the boy who was Harry Potter. In one day, the young Malfoy had experienced so many strange things, he wasn't really sure how to handle it.
So, he simply followed Harry Potter to the Gryffindor Common Room. He hadn't joined the First Years on the tour to the Common Room after the Sorting Ceremony, so he had no idea where he was going. Instead of doing so earlier, he had run to find Severus. His godfather was not what everyone thought him to be. He was very scary, sure, but to Draco he really wasn't. His godfather was more like his father than his real father, -not that the blonde eleven year old would ever admit that- and Draco had been so glad when Severus hadn't cursed him on sight, as his father would most likely do. Severus was less evil than most thought him to be, and Draco didn't know why, but the man did not seem too affected by Draco's House. Mind you, he was confused and little angry, but nothing like Draco's father would be. Lucius Malfoy would be beyond angry, that was for sure. Draco was brought out from his thoughts when Harry spoke.
"Fortuna Major," Harry said, speaking to the fat lady in the painting. "Hello, dear," she smiled and let the boys pass through. As soon as they stepped in, they were rushed by a bunch of Gryffindors, rushing towards Malfoy with not so nice looks on their faces. The young blonde boy shrank back slightly and Harry stepped up as if to protect him. That shocked quite a few of them. The famous Harry Potter, protecting a Malfoy? Thinking there must be a reason, some backed off. But others, who knew of the blonde boy's father and family, sneered at him and went on trying to scare the young boy.
"Hello, Harry," Two voices blended together as they shoved through the crowd. "Get off 'em. Bloody hell! Leave 'em be, come on." George and Fred Weasley stepped up and shooed people away. They each slung an arm over Harry's shoulders. "How are you, Harry?" George asked. "Come on, Malfoy!" Fred called over his shoulder. Malfoy was appalled at being summoned by a Weasley. They were the ultimate enemy of the Malfoys! But, not wanting to be left alone with Gryffindors that clearly disliked him and his family, he followed, over to where he now saw the Weasley and the bushy-haired girl sitting. What was her name? Hermione? Yes, that's it. he confirmed in his head. This was all very strange for the young Malfoy. Oh, his father was definitely going to kill him...or disown him. Or both.
"So, how's it feel to be a Gryffindor, Malfoy?" the boy looked up when he heard someone say his name. He then realized it was one of the Weasley twins who had asked him. He was still getting used to the fact that Weasleys were speaking to him. The Weasleys -a very poor, muggle-loving wizard family whom were the enemies of the Malfoys. At least they are pureblood though, he thought to himself. Then, he remembered that he was supposed to reply.
"Um..." he didn't really know how to reply. He wasn't going to share any important information with the Weasleys, that was for sure. He also didn't want to say anything because he didn't know what to say. He was ashamed, in all honesty. He had betrayed his family and his bloodline, and he was sure to be disowned and possibly tortured and killed by his father. So, the young boy just settled with not really saying anything.
"Yeah, I bet," George and Fred laughed and sat down on the floor. Weasel and Hermione -no, it should probably be Weasley, or Ron- were sitting on a couch, and Harry had moved to sit with them. Draco looked around, unsure of what to do with himself. That was, until Harry motioned him over to the couch as well. "You can sit, Malfoy. Or should I call you Draco?" the raven-haired boy asked curiously. Draco had moved to sit next to Harry and then when asked about his name, his head flew up and his eyes met Harry's for a moment before he looked away. Should I allow Harry Potter to call me Draco? With a deep breath, knowing this was the moment that he really knew his life was going to be very different from the one that had been planned for him, he spoke.
"You can call me Draco."
