"You're a wizard, Harry."

The words replayed over and over in Harry Potter's mind. He was a wizard. He could do magic. He was in a magic alley, getting magic supplies, so in one month, he could get on a magic train to go to his magic school.

It was almost too much for him to handle.

"We got ter get yer robes 'fore anything else," Hagrid was saying as they walked down Diagon Alley. "Otherwise, we'll ferget all 'bout 'em. The wand's the best part. We'll save it fer last."

Their wild cart rides in Gringotts had left Hagrid somewhat greenfaced, so Harry understood perfectly when he ducked into the Leaky Cauldron after showing him to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Harry entered the shop feeling excited to have a purpose.

"Hogwarts, dear?" Madam Malkin said. Harry nodded, smiling. "Head to the back. I've already got another young man back there."

Harry walked to the back of the shop, and saw a very handsome boy standing on a stool. He had white-blond hair, with a pale, pointed face.

"Hello," he said. "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," Harry grinned.

"I'm going for my books next, then my wand," he stated. "I've waited for this my whole life. You?"

"Er…" Harry began. He didn't know how the boy would react if he knew Harry had only just found out he was a wizard.

The boy looked expectantly at him.

"I only just found out that I'm a wizard." Harry said, hoping the boy wouldn't think him to be weird.

"Oh," said the other boy. "You were raised by Muggles? Are your parents Muggles?" The blond wrinkled his nose slightly.

"Muggles?"

"You know, non-magical people?" The other boy said, looking at Harry as if he were a bug under a microscope.

"Oh. I was raised by them, but my parents were a wizard and a witch." Harry told him. "So I've heard." He added the last part almost as an afterthought.

The other boy's eyes softened slightly.

"Where are your parents?" He asked.

Harry swallowed.

"They're dead. Apparently some really dark wizard killed them when I was one."

Recognition showed in the blond's face.

"Oh- you're Harry Potter, aren't you?" He said, as if he heard the name all the time.

"Y-yes…" Harry stammered. He was suddenly very nervous.

"I know all about you- everyone does." The boy's drawling voice was slightly excited. "I've heard your story loads of times!"

Harry smiled.

"I'm Harry, as you know." Harry said, sticking out his hand from the long black robes that had been pinned to him.

"I'm Draco. Draco Malfoy." Draco grasped his hand and smiled. "I'll see you around then. Maybe on the train?"

Harry nodded, letting go of Draco's hand.

"See you around."

The following month went by so slowly that Harry was sure someone had stopped time just to make him suffer. Finally, August 31st arrived, and Harry was in frenzy all day, making sure he had put all of his things in the right place in his trunk.

Harry set his alarm and jumped into bed- falling into a restless sleep filled with dreams of spells and robes and his new blond friend.

The next morning, Harry was walking through King's Cross Station with knots in his stomach.

'Platform 9 ¾.' He kept repeating in his head.

He passed 8, then 9, then 10… Wait, what? Where was 9 ¾?

"Excuse me, sir!" Harry called out to an attendee in the station.

"What can I do for you, lad?"

"Could you tell me where Platform 9 ¾ is?" Harry said. The man snorted, then, seeing Harry's face, said, "Platform 9 ¾? Are you trying to be funny? There's no platform of that name here." He frowned and walked away; deciding Harry was just another kid trying to make jokes.

Harry sighed in defeat. He leaned his back and head against the wall.

"Harry?" a drawling voice spoke. Harry opened his eyes quickly. Before him stood Draco Malfoy, smirking slightly.

"Draco? Thank goodness you're here! That man said that there's no Platform 9 ¾!" Harry spoke quickly.

Draco smiled. Behind him was a woman- almost a spitting image of Draco. Her face was pulled into a haughty look.

"Harry Potter?" She spoke, sizing him up, as if to see if he was good enough to be friends with her son.

"How… nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Harry responded, not wanting to say something wrong.

"Draco, my dear, I must leave you here. Your father requires my assistance immediately." At this, her eyes flickered to Harry. "I'm sure you can show Mr. Potter how to get to the platform." She kissed her son lightly on the cheek and walked away without another glance.

"What…" Harry began, immensely confused. Draco smirked.

"C'mon, Harry." He pulled Harry over to the wall with the sign 'Platform 10' on it. "Are you ready for the beginning of your life as a wizard?"

Harry nodded reluctantly. All of a sudden, Draco pulled him towards the wall- hard. Harry braced himself to hit the wall- about to question Draco with his fist.

But the wall never came. Instead, Harry found himself in a completely different room, staring up at a huge black and red train.

Harry gaped at it for a full minute before Draco pulled him forward, laughing quietly.

"Can you imagine being in Hufflepuff?" Draco scoffed loudly. "I think I'd leave."

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle both made noises of agreement. Harry gave Draco a blank look.

"You get sorted into different "houses" when you get there," Draco started explaining. "Hufflepuff is for dimwits who don't live in reality. Ravenclaw is for the nerds who are in love with the library. Gryffindor is for the mighty saviors who think they're so great." He rolled his eyes at the mention of Gryffindor.

"So… Which do you want to be in?" Harry asked, obviously confused.

"The best one," Draco said proudly. "Slytherin." Crabbe and Goyle clapped at the mention of the house.

"Who goes in Slytherin?" Harry prodded, immensely curious. Draco smiled evilly.

"Only the pure of blood. The best ones. We're cunning and clever. We're prone to power." Draco said proudly.

"You're to be in Slytherin, then?" Harry asked.

"Definitely." Draco smiled. "And I'll be on the Quidditch team."

"Quidditch?"

"It's a sport played on brooms. I've been playing my whole life. I think it's rubbish that we can't bring our own brooms this year, don't you?"

When they arrived, they were ushered into little boats which carried them across the lake towards the castle.

Crabbe and Goyle had been separated from them. A freckled, red-headed boy and a bushy-haired brunette girl took their place.

"Hello, I'm Ron." The boy had said.

"I'm Harry, and this is Draco."

The boy- Ron- gaped at him.

"Harry Potter? Oh, hello! I'm Hermione Granger!" The girl interjected, her eyes wide with excitement.

"H-Harry… Potter?" Ron stammered. Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione said impatiently. "Don't ogle over him. I'm sure he just wants to be treated like anyone else!"

Harry searched his brain for a new topic of conversation but nothing he could think of seemed appropriate.

"Oh, would you look at that!" Draco almost yelled. "We're almost to shore!"

Harry almost breathed a sigh of relief. He was silently thankful for Hermione. He gave Draco a smile of thanks, which Draco returned.

Before long they were standing on the shore gazing up at their new home. It was time to go in.

"The sorting will begin momentarily." Professor McGonagall turned and swept back into the Great Hall.

"Time to get into Slytherin," Draco said, more to Harry, Crabbe, and Goyle. "We should all be together."

Hermione looked nervous. Ron snorted.

"Why would anyone want to be in Slytherin?" He said incredulously. Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Because, Weasley," He spat. "Slytherin is for the very best." Draco looked Ron up and down with a look of disgust on his face. "You obviously won't be joining us."

Ron opened his mouth to retort, his face a look of outrage. At the same moment, Professor McGonagall walked back into the Entrance Hall.

"We're ready for you."

McGonagall led them through the giant doors to the Great Hall. Everyone was seated at one of four separate tables. At one table, the kids wore red and gold ties. At another, they wore yellow and black. Another, they wore blue and bronze. And finally, the far table wore green and silver.

The ceiling looked exactly like the sky outside. A few gasped, thinking there wasn't a ceiling at all.

"It's bewitched to look like the night sky outside." Hermione was saying to Harry. "I read Hogwarts, A History before I came- how about you?"

Harry shook his head as they got to the front of the hall. There was a hat sitting on a stool in front of what Harry could only guess was the teacher's table.

"This is the Sorting Hat," McGonagall explained. "When I call your name, you will come to the front, sit on the stool, and place the hat on your head. You will then be sorted into your House."

All of them started chattering excitedly amongst themselves before McGonagall held up her hand to silence them.

"Vincent Crabbe!" Crabbe walked up to the stool, sat down, and set the hat on his head.

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat yelled. Most of the students jumped, not realizing what was happening.

Crabbe got up and went to sit at the table with the green and silver tie wearing kids, high-fiving Goyle on the way.

"Susan Bones!" A girl with brown hair and shaking knees walked to the stool.

"Hmm… Hufflepuff!" It shouted without delay.

Susan smiled and went to the black and yellow table.

"Draco Malfoy!"

Draco smirked and walked very slowly up to the stool. He had barely set the hat on his head when it shouted "SLYTHERIN!" Draco smiled at Harry with a look that said, 'I told you so.'

"Your turn." He whispered to Harry as he passed on the way to the Slytherin table, high-fiving Goyle as well.

Harry watched as Hermione, Ron, and another boy named Neville Longbottom got into Gryffindor, much to their delight. Goyle was a Slytherin.

"Harry Potter!" The entire hall seemed to hold its breath as Harry climbed the few steps to the stool. He picked up the hat and carefully sat down before setting it on his head.

"Ah, Mr. Potter…" The hat began. "I see bravery… But I also see ambition."

Harry closed his eyes.

'Slytherin.' He thought.

"Slytherin, eh? That's what you want?" The hat spoke. "But what about the bravery?"

'Slytherin is where I belong.' Harry thought. 'My friends are there.'

"You could make friends…" The hat said. "But I can see…"

Harry held his breath.

"SLYTHERIN!"