Draco's Companion

A/N- Here ya goooo!!!!!! Enjoy, if you guys are good to me today i'll prolly post another chappie today.


Chapter Nine: Sorting


As they headed farther towards their school, it started to rain. Thick, large, heavy drops of rain smashed into the window, making a loud pattering noise. Cutting through the silence of their trip to new begginings. No one else had tried to enter their compartment, the Granger girl must have told everyone what had occured when she went there.

Draco was glad. Now he didn't have to worry about anybody taking Harry away from him.

They were riding in silence, when there was a tentative knock on the door. Draco looked at the window and seen a dark fellow, and a girl who reminded him of a pug. A dog he had seen on a magazine years ago when he went to the beach. He thought it odd that the picture of the dog had stuck with him for so many years.

They slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

"Yes?" Draco asked dryly.

"Your Draco Malfoy right?" The dark boy asked.

"Correct."

"Well my name is Blaise Zabini, my mother and father know your parents. Very well." He said, emphasizing the last part.

"Okay..." Draco replied, letting his statement hang.

"Well I figured we might as well as be friends, I'm sure we will be seeing alot of each other over the years. This is Pansy Parkinson."

Draco raised his eyebrows. 'Parkinson...' He was thinking to himself.

He looked at the girl, and she was smiling at him. She had yet to speak, she just raised her hand in a small wave.

"Your last name sounds familiar" Draco said to her.

"Yes, my parents also know your parents well. They talk highly of the Malfoy family." She said in a surprisingly shrill voice.

Draco glanced at Harry.

His glance caused the other two to look at him.

"Hello." Blaise said, looking him over. Pansy just watched the small boy curiously.

"Hi." he whispered. "I'm-"

"Harry Potter" The two guests said together. "We know" Pansy said.

Draco felt uncomfortable now. It wasn't a feeling he was used to, but the way Pansy was watching Harry was twisting his gut.

"Well, can we sit down?' Blaise finally asked, sick of waiting for an invite.

"Uhm yea, sure" Draco said uncertaintly, glancing at Harry again.

"So what house are you hoping to be in?" Blaise asked, he already knew what the answer was. He just wanted to make some conversation.

Harry looked at Draco and seen that he was smirking. Harry matched his smirk perfectly.

The looks on their faces mildly shocked Blaise. Pansy was amused.

"Slytherin, of course."

Pansy nodded. "Us too!" she said shrilly.

They spent the rest of the train ride talking about the school. How they figured they were going to be sorted, and what characteristics put you in which house.

**********

When they got off the train there was a huge man standing to the left shouting "Firs' Years!! O'er Here!!!"

The quartet looked at each other and ambled his way.

The huge man was looking around still shouting when he caught sight of Harry.

"Harry?" He asked, shocked. He looked..scary.

Harry took a few steps back and looked into the huge mans face. He looked over to Draco, shrugged and headed back towards him.

"I have no idea who that is." He said to Draco.

"He's obviously a half breed."

Hagrids face registered shock, then hurt.

"Okay, well were gunna cross the Black lake in these lil' boats o'er here." Hagrid said. Harry thought he sounded sad and couldn't help but wonder why.

He pointed towards the boats, they held four people each. Harry, Draco, Pansy and Blaise clambered unsteadily into one and waited. After everyone had packed into all of the other boats they started to magically move.

Once they were safely to the other side they climbed out and started up the steep slope to the castle. They went inside the large castle and Harry barely succeeded in holding in his gasp of joy. It was beautiful.

They moved forwards and a very stern looking witch took them into a side room.

"I'm professor McGonagall, head of Grffindor House." Draco grimaced, " In a few moments you will be Sorted into your respective houses. These houses will be your home's while you are at school. When you earn points they go to your House. When you lose points they are deducted from your House. I'll be back for you in a minute and then I will take you into the Great Hall."* The stern witch said.

Harry turned to Draco.

"I better be in your house." He said quietly. Draco could see that he was mildly sweating.

"It's going to be okay, Harry." Draco told him.

Pansy was watching.

The Granger girl came forward again and she looked giddy.

"Can you believe this?" She asked, taking another stab at conversation with them, "I'm so nervous. I heard the ceiling is charmed to look like the sky outside. I read it in Hogwarts: A History."

"Bully for you." Draco said, before turning away.

The redhead was just opening his mouth to say something when McGonagall came back, she tapped him sharply on the shoulder with a roll of parchment. Weasley looked back at her and she said, "They're ready."

********************

Harry followed closely behind Draco. All of the older students were seated at four long house tables, dressed in black, but the colors of their ties matched the banners overhead. He glanced at the Slytherin table and realized how mean, and grim the students who sat there looked. Would he fit in there? Even if he didn't, he would need to go where Draco was, it's what Draco wanted.

He looked at the other three tables and everyone looked happy, like they were having a great time.

What a difference.

They stood in front of the table where all the teachers were sitting and he glanced at Mr. Snape. Harry gave him a small smile, which was never returned, and then Harry looked at the man who was staring at him. The old man must have been the headmaster. He had a long gray beard that went all the way down to his waistline and half-moon spectacles over a long nose.

He smiled at Harry. Harry looked away.

McGonagall carried a stool forward, there was a hat sitting upon it. She explained quickly that they were to put the hat on their head and it would decide their house.

"You mean to tell me the decision of my future relies on a smelly old hat?" Draco whispered incredulously to Harry.

Harry sneered.

Dumbeldore's eyes widened. That sneer....

McGonagall unrolled her parchment and started to read off names in alphabetical order. Finally the list passed the A's, then the B's, Harry's mind began to wander. This was taking so long. His ears perked up when
"Granger, Hermione" was called. Harry was interested in where this girl would go.

She stepped forward and timidly placed the hat upon her head. She stood there for a few minutes nervously twisting her hands together. Finally the Hat shouted "Gryffindor!"

"I knew she would end up there." Draco said quietly.

The list was moving faster now.

"Malfoy, Draco." Harry stood apprehensively. Draco turned and looked Harry straight in the eyes. As soon as the hat touched his head, "Slytherin!" The Slytherin table cheered and Harry clapped as well.

Finally, "Parkinson, Pansy." was called.

"Wish me luck!" the girl said in Harry's ear and walked away before he could reply.

"Slytherin!" More cheers

After what felt like forever, "Potter, Harry" was called. The hall wet completely silent. Harry felt very uncomfortable and stumbled forward. He turned, his eyes searching for Draco's in the sea of students. Finally he found them and locked onto his gaze as the hat fell over his head, almost covering his eyes.

"Ahhh, I was wondering when I was going to get you." A faint voice said in his ear. He still didn't look away from Draco. "This is a turn of events, I always assumed I would put you in Gryffindor." The voice said, 'No!' Harry thought hard. 'Not Gryffindor.' "Not Gryffindor, eh? You have plenty of courage, and Gryffindor could mold you properly." 'NO!' Harry almost screamed. "Well if your sure, it had better be, Slytherin!!" The hat said, shouting the last part out loud.

Harry was flooded with relief. He stepped down from the platform. The entire hall was silent except for the Slytherin table. Some people were cheering, others were conversing in low tones. Harry walked forward and sat down beside Draco. Draco patted his leg under the table, "Good job." he said.

An older student looked at Harry curiously. Harry tried to avoid his gaze.

"How is it that the savior has ended up in the House that produces Dark Wizards?" He asked shrewdly.

Harry shrugged. Not answering.

"Look at Dumbeldore's face." Another one said while laughing

Harry looked up to see what the girl was talking about.

Dumbeldore looked terrified. The color had drained from his face and he wasn't clapping as the sorting continued, he was avoiding conversations, and as Harry watched he put his face into his hands. A short teacher sitting beside him tapped him sharply on the arm and Dumbeldore composed himself.

Finally the last name was called (Zabini, Blaise. Slytherin) and they were able to eat.

*I lost my Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone book, so I'm not actually sure exactly what the correct speech is when McGonagall is explaining about the Houses.. I just cut it down and still got to the point:P