Harry arrived at King's Cross station at 10 AM on the first. The train was leaving at 11, but he wanted to make sure to have time to find a good spot on the train. He knew how to access the hidden station, but found the idea of walking through a metal barrier quite odd. He was really glad that he didn't have much luggage-only his trunk, and he could pull that on its wheels. In the end, he had decided against buying an owl. It would be cool to have one, but he didn't really have anyone he would be sending mail to. ' Definitely won't be mailing those muggles. Maybe a miracle will happen and some wizarding family will adopt me, and I'll never have to deal with muggles again!' He was startled to find himself thinking about being adopted. He had thought he had broken that habit after he finally had been adopted-only to discover that in some ways it was worse than living in the orphanage.

' Those were muggles. They were scared of me. It will be different in the magical world'

He started walking towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Draco had said that his father would teleport their family directly to the platform. ' Not teleport. Apparate is what they call it'

He didn't want to hang around the muggle side any longer than he had to. Seeing the witches and wizards scattered throughout the assorted muggles was actually embarrassing. ' Don't they have any idea how muggles dress? If you have to go into the muggle world, at least make yourself seem to belong'

He was walking past a clearly magical family (Their ridiculous clothes and owls in cages were a dead giveaway) when he heard something that made him stop and eavesdrop.

"Yes, mum, Harry Potter is coming this year". The redheaded boy was saying to his mother as a group of boys of various ages, all ginger, listened in. There was a small freckled girl as well, but she looked tongue-tied.

Harry surreptitiously took a step back, hoping none of them had noticed him listening to him. He smoothed his hair down, ensuring that his scar would be hidden.

"I'm telling you, mum, Neville told me. They were only born a day or two apart, so Neville would know"

Harry could hear the boy saying something else, but couldn't make out the exact words. He heard the boys' mother though

"Ronald, you will not pester him! He has been through enough to have earned a break from people asking him about that night. You aren't to mention You-Know-Who to him at all!"

The boy started saying something, but Harry was walking forward face burning.

' Of course, they're all going to be talking about me. Am I going to have a chance to be myself at all, or am I gonna have to be their savior at all times?'

Lost in his thoughts, Harry walked forwards until he was right in front of the barrier. He looked around him, couldn't see anyone watching, and walked forwards.

Straight through the metal barrier.

His skin tingled a little, but otherwise, there was no sign that he had just passed through what appeared to be solid metal. He took in the scene before him and smiled.

There was a large, bright scarlet locomotive before him, letting loose great clouds of steam. The crowds here were so blatantly magical that Harry couldn't help but laugh. He saw robes, owls, broomsticks, and older wizards and witches levitating their children's trunks with wands. Towards the back of the platform was a wide, marked off area, and Harry saw families and people seeming to condense out of the shadows and appear there with a loud accompanying crack before they would walk into the platform proper. There were young children running, and snatches of joyous and teary conversation could be heard. All in all, it was hugely different to the scene Harry had seen on the Muggle platforms. There, everything was so dull and dreary. Here though, here there was life.

"Harry, over here!"

Harry turned around, trying to find where Draco was calling him from. The place was so bustling, it took him a minute or two to spot them.

Finally, he managed to see them. They were standing on their own, a little bit away from the crowds, Draco waving Harry over.

Draco's father was dressed stately as the last time Harry had seen him, and Draco's mother was every bit the noble lady. She was dressed very finely, her ice blue eyes and white-blonde hair contrasting with her black robes. There was something about the way she held herself, which Lucius shared as well. Something powerful and grand. ' Muggles don't hold themselves like that. Muggles would see that and know they are below them'

"Harry! It's good to see you. Did you get here all right?"

"Yeah Draco, I got here fine thanks. Had to take a taxi, but the matron paid for it. It's good to see you too" Harry replied.

"Harry, it's a pleasure to see you again" Lucius spoke silkily, "May I introduce my dear wife, Draco's mother, Narcissa?"

' Am I meant to kiss her hand? Or is that something only people in old books and movies do?'

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter"

"Thank you very much, ma'am, and you as well."

"I think you do not know, but we are actually related"

"Really? I thought I didn't have any family alive."

"Truly. My great-aunt Dorea Black was married to your father's great uncle, Charlus Potter. We may not be close relatives, but you do have family".

Her low confident voice and warm smile filled Harry's heart with something. He remembered the feeling, he had felt it when he first met the Welhearts. At the memory, his throat constricted, and he felt a great anxiety in him.

' Don't trust. Never trust. It will only heart you more'

' NO! This can be different, it has to be'

' Whenever you trust and love, you get hurt more. No trust'

' THEY WERE MUGGLES! THAT'S WHY THEY HATED ME! IT CAN BE DIFFERENT HERE!'

Harry simply said, "Thank you, ma'am."

"Draco, let me speak to you for a moment before you and Mr. Potter here embark"

Draco and his father walked a little bit away, and Harry watched as Mr. Malfoy began to speak to Draco.

"Harry"

He looked at Mrs. Malfoy, and she seemed to struggle with what she wanted to say for a second or two.

"Harry. If you require help or a place to stay, please, know that Malfoy Manor is open to you. Draco and you seem to have begun what seems a lovely friendship, and I know you have suffered. I will not allow that suffering to continue when there is something I can do about it"

Harry was blown away, his heart soaring. That damned voice began to speak in his head again, and he shut it away, deep within his mind where he couldn't hear it.

He looked up at Mrs. Malfoy again, and repeated, with much more sincerity now.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

Draco and Lucius returned from their chat. Mrs. Malfoy gave Draco a huge hug, and the boys made their way onto the train.

They found themselves a compartment quickly, and easily stowed their trunks onto the luggage holders near the roof. As the compartment was empty except them, Harry lay down on a full bench and made himself comfortable.

"How long do you think the ride is?"

"Father told me it takes around 7 hours"

"Oh. Should have a chance to have a nap, maybe read a bit as well"

"Yes Harry, there will be plenty of time for you to read." Draco sounded a bit exasperated. "You better get sorted into Slytherin. I know I'm gonna be there, my whole family has for generations."

"Surely you can still be friends with people in different houses?" Harry couldn't imagine there would be a rule against it, even an unwritten one.

"Well, yeah. But Slytherins and Gryffindors don't get along. Hufflepuffs are useless, and Ravenclaws spend all their time reading instead of actually living"

"Why don't Slytherin and Gryffindor get along?"

Draco thought for a little before answering. "Gryffindors are everything we're not. We proud ourselves on blood purity and they take pride in being blood traitors. We like to think things through before acting, and they just run straight into everything. We take pride in being sly and cunning, while they just say they're being brave"

"But surely bravery is a good thing right?"

"Of course Harry, but you have to understand, a Gryffindor will be brave always, even when there is no point to it and they end up losing. We prefer to look at a situation and judge what we should do about it"

"Ok, that kind of makes sense. But what makes Hufflepuffs so useless?"

"Well…" Draco was just beginning a long explanation (which would turn into a rant) when the door to their compartment flew open. Two boys were standing there, one quite tall with red hair and freckles, and the other short and pudgy with a round face. The pudgy one had a kind of sorrowful look on his face.

' He was talking about me earlier. What did his mother call him?'

"You know, it's quite rude to just barge in without knocking," Harry said. ' Ronald! That's what she said' "It's not good manners, Ronald"

Harry felt quite happy when he saw the boys shocked expression and he noticed his reddening ears.

"You can't expect manners from a Weasley Harry, that's just dumb". Draco drawled.

"Harry?" Ronald said. "Harry Potter?"

"That's right, I'm Harry Potter. Who are you and why are you in my compartment?"

"I'm Ron Weasley, and this is Neville Longbottom" the fat boy gave a bit of a wave, "we were looking for Neville's toad, but do you want to come sit with us?"

Harry looked at Draco, completely bemused.

"I'm already sitting here, with my friend," Harry said.

"Why are you friends with him?" The angry ginger demanded.

"Maybe because he can actually recognize Class, Weasley", Draco chimed in, starting to look a bit upset himself.

"Who would have thought, the Boy-Who-Lived sitting with a Death Eaters son!" Ron looked incredibly upset by now. 'What the hell is going on here? Lucius, a death eater?'

Draco stood up, his normally pale face flushed making his hair stand out more.

"You will find Weasley, that people make up lies about those they are jealous of. I notice there are no rumors about your father" He looked at Harry "I've heard their whole family shares one room, and only two beds!"

"You take that back!"

Harry stood up quickly "Get out! Both of you, get the hell out of our compartment, and don't come back here!"

Ron stormed out, Neville left quietly and quickly making apologetic looking faces at Harry. Draco was pacing, muttering to himself. "I'll write father tonight, those types shouldn't even be allowed to come" Harry sat back down, heart thudding.

"You alright?" He asked Draco.

"Of course. As if a blood traitor swine like that could say anything to wound me"

"What's his problem?"

"I don't know. He'll be a Gryffindor for sure. Father told me their whole family is"

"Ok, I see what you mean about Gryffindors then"

"Yeah"

There were a few minutes of silence. ' I have to ask, I can't leave this without asking'

"Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"What did he mean, when he said your father was a Death Eater?"

Draco took a deep breath. Let it out. Then-

"He was. But he was forced"

"Forced how?"

"There is a spell, one of the Unforgivables. It's called the Imperius. If you cast it on someone, you control them completely. Like one of those puppet things with strings you know?"

Draco looked into Harry's eyes. "They came to recruit father, because they knew he believed in blood purity, like them, and because he is so rich and politically connected. They didn't know that he didn't like the idea of murder and torture, so he told them no. You don't tell the Dark Lord no"

"What happened?" Harry was almost whispering. Dreading the answer, but having to hear it anyways.

"They put him under a pain curse, the Cruciatus. Also an Unforgivable, the worst pain curse that exists. It makes every nerve in your body feel like it's on fire. That's what Dad said. Then, once he was out of it, they put him under the Imperius. They made him do horrible, horrible things, and he could see it all happening but couldn't stop himself at all!"

"That's horrific," Harry said and he meant it.

"They kept him under it until they had proof of his doing all these things. Then they brought him out of it, and told him that he could either serve willingly or else-"

Draco cut off. He seemed to shrink a little bit.

' Jesus. He can stop. Tell him to stop talking Harry, you've heard enough'

Before he could do that though, Draco continued.

"The dark lord brought in a muggle family that he had kidnapped. He tortured them himself and kept on doing it until they had been driven mad. Then he killed them. The Dark Lord told my father that if he didn't help them willingly he would do that to my mother and I. Afterwards, he would release all the proof he had about my father doing his stuff. After that, once my mother and I would be dead and my father's name ruined, he would torture my father to death. So my father agreed"

Silence fell on the compartment, Harry trying to take it what he had just heard.

' Holy shit. That is intense.' Another sly voice spoke in the back of Harry's head ' And possibly the greatest cover story ever if he actually was a death eater' Harry banished that voice and turned to Draco.

"Holy shit Draco. That's one of the worst things I've ever heard."

"Yeah. Of course, the Wizengamot ruled my father as innocent, but people like Weasley still claim he was a Death Eater all along"

Harry felt hatred, real hatred bloom in him for Ron, and people like him. To keep reminding someone of the worst experience in their life was just horrific. He missed the joy in Draco's eyes and naively thought the laughter being held back was actually tears being muffled.

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door.

"Wonder who that is? The sweets trolley doesn't come a second time does she?"

"I don't know," Draco said, then called, "Come in"

The door opened, and two big, hulking figures came in.

"Ah, Crabbe, Goyle, you've found us. Where were you?"

"Walking around" grunted one of them.

Harry stared in amazement. ' Are these two retarded?'

"Harry, these are friends of mine, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. Guys, this is Harry Potter"

"Pleased to meet you," Harry said. They grunted in return.

' Seriously, is there no magical special ed school?'

"Wanna play exploding snap?" Draco asked, pulling a deck of cards out of his robe pocket.

"What's exploding snap?" Harry asked curiously.

"Card game. Cards explode every so often. Here, I'll teach you how to play"

Harry had a great time playing, and the conversation was flowing. Admittedly, Crabbe and Goyle were less than entrancing conversationalists, but their presence was cool. The subject had moved on to their wands when again the door burst open.

A girl with impressively bushy hair strode in and looked around bossily. Her hands were on her hips, and she spoke in a torrent

"Have any of you seen a toad? Only Neville's lost his. Oh, are you guys doing magic? I've been trying it out, and it seems to be working great. I'm the first in my family to be able to do magic, what about you guys? I know all be very behind, so I've memorized all our school books, I hope that will be enough. I'm Hermione Granger by the way, what are your names?"

She said that all, in one breath, extremely quickly.

Harry looked at Draco, bemused. He was glad to see Draco seemed entirely confused by this as well, and Harry held back a laugh just imagining Crabbe and Goyle's faces.

"We haven't seen a toad, and when will people learn to knock?" Harry replied.

"We knocked" Goyle (or was it Crabbe? Harry still wasn't sure which was which) rumbled.

"That Crabbe is because inbred though you may be, you are neither a mudblood nor a blood traitor"

Crabbe and Goyle laughed. ' Are they honestly too dumb to realize they were just insulted? No freaking way'

 

"That's not very nice!" The bossy girl exclaimed.

"What wasn't nice?" Harry said, knotting his brow as if confused.

"You can't just say people are inbred," She said, aiming her glare at Draco.

"I was complimenting them!" Draco whined.

"No, you weren't. Whatever, if you see a toad, please tell one of the prefects. And I'm glad to see you're all already in your robes, the driver said we'll be there soon" She said, half turning her head as she walked out of the compartment.

"Stupid mudbloods. Of course, I'm wearing my robes, what else would I be wearing?" Draco threw up his hands in exasperation. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered a decidedly ugly sound.

"Draco, tell me. Does it really matter if someone is pureblood or not?"

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle looked at Harry in utter shock.

"Of course it matters! My family has been wizards and witches for hundreds of years!"

"But Draco, why does that mean anything about you?"

Draco opened his mouth, closed it. Opened it again, closed it, opened it and spoke.

"Harry, if I'm coming from tens of generations of magical stock, why should someone who just came in from muggles be able to talk down to me? She" he pointed at the door violently, as if stabbing the departed Granger with his hand "Has to prove herself before I have any reason to respect her. I, however, am descended from generations of witches and wizards, and deserve respect for that at least"

"I think I see," Harry said slowly.

"It's much more than that though Harry" Draco was becoming quite agitated now, his hands waving "They come into our world and try to change traditions thousands of years old. If a mudblood was to adapt and truly join our world, no-one at all would have a problem with that. But no, they have to come in and say things like "Dark magic is evil" and "Wizengamot seats should be voted on, not inherited" and we all need to listen and smile and nod. Don't celebrate the ancient wizarding holidays, they offend mudbloods. Celebrate the birth of a man we don't worship, because the muggles do."

Harry was almost thrown backward by the force of this outburst.

"You know what we celebrate on December 25th Harry? We celebrate Yuletide and the winter solstice around that time! But because of muggles and mudbloods, we have to pretend to celebrate Christmas!"

"I think I understand now. You don't like them because they come from nowhere and change things right?"

"Yeah, but they get everyone to listen. All the wizards like Dumbledore and the ministry yield to their whims because "it's so hard for them to adjust". Draco finished with a sneer and was about to carry on talking when the train started slowing down.

"Were arriving!" Harry called out excitedly, moving over to the window to try to get the first look. He couldn't see much though, not with the sun has gone down.

As they got off the train, they were met by an enormous man with a lantern calling for them.

"Firs' years! Firs' years come over here!"

' Jeez. This guy looks like he could eat both Crabbe and Goyle, and ask for dessert afterward'

 

He was easily 8 feet tall, broad, with a thick beard and mustache. He led the first years into boats, and they started their ride down the river.

"Ye'll get ye'r first look of Hogwarts in three, two, one" he called out as their boats were coming around a bend in the lake.

Harry gasped, and from the sound, he wasn't the only one. They could see an absolutely majestic castle, and it was huge! It looked like something from a cartoon, Harry couldn't believe it was real. There was a loud splash and a girl was screaming

"Padma! Help, my sister fell in the lake! HELP!"

"Don' worry" the giant man called back, "the squid 'ill throw 'er back any minute"

Before he had even finished talking, a giant black tentacle curled out of the lake and dropped the sopping wet girl back onto the boat.

The rest of the trip went by without much incident. Draco whispered to Harry about the giant. Apparently, his name was Hagrid, and he was the groundskeeper. He would get drunk, try to do magic and set his hut on fire. Harry resolved to try to avoid the strange, monstrous man.

Eventually, the boats landed at some type of cavern. They got out and followed Hagrid to a large pair of doors set into the cavern wall.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid boomed out. When no one shouted out no, he knocked on the doors, three strong pounds that echoed in the cavern.