The Big Blue House

The break was filled with desks being lifted and a couple of close calls. Michael wasn't the best at charms, and could only lift an inkwell, which he was very disappointed with. Neville had similar results, so they resigned themselves to discussing Herbology. Terry was quite good at Wingardium Leviosa, but didn't feel comfortable lifting anything heavier than a hardback book. Anthony and Hermione however...

"I lifted it higher, I swear I did!"

"Keep dreaming, girly, mine was practically 2 meters above the ground!"

"Well mine WAS 2 meters above the ground! So at least now you've admitted I'm the best chair lifter!"

"Oh please, you were practically popping a blood vessel with the effort. Face it, charms just isn't your thing."

"Oh I'll show you what my thing is! Wingardium Leviosa!" She sent a hardback flying into Anthony's chest. He landed on his back with an audible 'oof'.

"Yesss, finally, excitement! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" Michael began chanting. Terry put his hands over his ears and tucked his legs up onto his chair, while Draco once again thanked the gods that he remembered to set a silencing charm around this part of the library. Neville looked like he was about to be sick, and was clutching the edge of his chair with a death grip.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Anthony yelled from the floor. He lifted a schoolbag and dropped it onto Hermione's head.

"Hey, that's my schoolbag! Stop fighting!" Michael finally stopped chanting.

"Can you both please stop? Who cares who lifted their chair higher? The height of the lift isn't really a good judge for magical capabilities." Draco stepped in between the two. Hermione was the first to rise off the floor, and brushed herself down.

"I suppose you're right." She admitted, smoothing our her hair and standing up straight in an attempt to look more dignified.

"Yeah, besides, Draco's the best at it anyway. His desk was practically touching the ceiling of the charm's classroom." Anthony pointed out. Draco flushed.

"That's true." Hermione conceded.

"What's our next lesson?" Terry asked the other 4, uncurling himself.

"Double Potions." Anthony answered him, packing away the charms book he used to practice Wingardium Leviosa.

"Really? Best day ever!" Michael yelled excitedly. "I love Potions! My dad got me the Child's Potions Lab when I was younger, and I have a subscription to Draughts and Elixirs Weekly!"

"So do I!" Draco says happily. Sure, the only reason he got the Child's Potions Lab was because of Lucius' need for Draco to be the best at each subject, but his mother got him the subscription to the magazine. He'd griped about wanting one absentmindedly while plaiting her hair, and he supposed she'd taken it into her own impulsive hands. She had an odd habit of getting Draco gifts behind both his and Lucius' backs.

"Wasn't last week's edition great?" Michael asked, smiling.

"My favourite pages were about the Amortentia cases!"

"I know! The crazy stuff people get up to! Gives a guy ideas." Michael bounced his eyebrows at Anthony, who pretended to swoon into his arms.

"Boys! Don't you have to go to Potions! Apparently it's in the dungeons." Hermione rounded their collective shenanigans up and set them back on track. As they left the library, she and Neville took a different turn. "We've got to get to Herbology. I'll see you in lunch!" The group of Ravenclaw boys waved to the Gryffindors until they turned round a corner.

"Well we better hurry. We only have 2 minutes." Michael said, hurrying them along.

"My brother's said that Professor Snape is terrible, and that he's always upset and very dramatic. My sister's said that he's fine, but my brothers say that's just because of Slytherin favouritism. Christopher's in Gryffindor and says that Snape HATES Gryffindor with a burning passion. Don't know why though." Terry added as they jogged to the dungeons.

They made it to the classroom just as Snape got out the register. He eyed them with annoyance, his pitch black eyes going over each of them. Draco saw those dark eyes widen slightly as the sight of himself and wanted to hide.

"If you Ravenclaws were to sit down then maybe I could get on with the lesson." Professor Snape said in an even but threatening tone. They quickly shuffled into four seats that were next to each other. Draco was between Michael and Terry, with Anthony on Michael's right.

After Snape was done with the register, he put it away and stood menacingly in front of the classroom, as if about to deliver a speech. Because of the apparent dramatics he possessed, Draco guessed he would.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he spoke in a quiet tone, pulling in the audience to hear. An effortless bid for control. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here," Draco saw Anthony scowl, "many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I can even teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Draco had to stop himself from snorting at sheer dramatics of the speech. He exchanged a look with Michael and saw he felt the same. He bit his lip.
"You will organise yourselves into pairs and will prepare a simple potion to cure boils; Mendaron. Please get out your textbooks and go to page 5. The instructions will also be written on the board." He explained. "The ingredients and tools are in the cupboard to the left. Do not spill anything or there will be consequences." And they all got to work.

Snape's presence was an unwelcome one opposed to Draco's lab at home. He was a threatening and slightly scary presence, overlooking everyone. It was quite clear he liked control in his classroom, and everyone had better obtain that or so help them.

Anthony and Michael had separated and were now working with Hufflepuffs, but Draco and Terry managed to stick together. Snape liked to add plenty of scrutiny and quips to those who were making their potions, but he'd had only positive things to say about Draco, even giving 5 points to Ravenclaw for the way he'd stewed the horned slugs. Draco felt uncomfortable with the attention, and kept his head down the entire time.

Halfway through the lesson, the cauldron began to make a sizzling noise as the horned slugs were added. Draco thought it quite nice, but apparently Terry disagreed.

"I hate that noise." He said matter of factly, taking a small step away from the potion. "It's really awful. Can you get it to stop?"

"No sorry." Said Draco apologetically. "It has to sizzle out before the next ingredient."

Terry started handflapping to ease the discomfort he felt. Draco cast a small containment charm around the cauldron so that it wouldn't spill anywhere, and to let Terry flap his hands more freely.

"What on Earth are you doing boy?" Snape went to the front of their table to ask Terry. Terry clenched his hands and put them behind his back.

"I was just - um - I was only, I was only handflapping Sir." Terry stumbled over his words.

"And why were you 'handflapping'?" Snape asked condescendingly. Draco saw Terry scratch at his arms.

"Well the potion - it was um, was um, - the potion sounded bad, so I just..."

"So you didn't like how the potions sounded and decided to act out like a toddler?" Snape spat out. Terry looked like he was going to cry from frustration. "Your idiotic hand motions could of spilt the half-made potion everywhere! It could have hurt someone! Did you take that into account?" Draco raised his hand hesitantly. "What is it Mr Malfoy?"

"I-I cast a c-containm-ment charm ar-round the p-potion so that it w-wouldn't s-spill." He explained, inching away from Snape's angered face. Terry looked at him with relief.

"Well then, you didn't think to-" The Professor was interrupted by a sudden howl. Draco looked over to see a Hufflepuff girl shaking violently in pain next to an extremely concerned Michael.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow I feel like I'm on f-fire!" The girl sobbed out. "It hurts, it hurts a l-o-ot! Agh!" The girl's brown skin began turning a shade of awful red.
Snape's eyebrows rose. "You must have not crushed the snake fangs enough," he said without a hint of remorse. "10 points from Hufflepuff." Michael's eyes widened in shock at his Professor's ruthlessness. Draco saw Michael think.

"But sir, it was me who had that job. I didn't do it well enough. I'll take her to the nurse." He lied to Snape's face.

"10 points from Ravenclaw. Get her out of my classroom and tell Madame Pomfrey it's a venom burn." Snape directed harshly. Michael nodded and escorted the crying girl out of the classroom. He turned back to Draco and Terry. "5 more points from Ravenclaw for your ridiculousness. Next lesson I will not see you handflapping or anything of the sort." Terry nodded miserably. Snape looked to the rest of the class. "Get on with your potions or it's 5 points away from each student!" Everyone got back to work immediately.

"C'mon Terry, the cauldron's stopped sizzling." Draco tried to comfort the forlorn boy. Terry nodded along and they both got back to work.

==============

At lunch they met up with Michael once again at the Ravenclaw table.

"She would not stop crying and crying, it must have really hurt. She was almost completely red by the time Madame Pomfrey put on the burn salve. She's going to have to rest there until tomorrow morning. I told her I'll visit her with some victoria sponge cake during dinner and keep her company." Michael told them as he piled his plate with sandwiches.

"Why did you take the blame for it? I know you wouldn't have made that mistake, so why subject yourself to Snape's wrath?" Draco asked him, Anthony and Terry nodding to this.

"I feel like she'd already suffered enough, why add on Professor Snape and her classmate's wrath for losing housepoints? Besides, it's only 10 points from Ravenclaw, we can make those numbers back up." Said Michael.

"Actually it's 15." Draco added sheepishly.

"What?"

"Snape took 5 points from Terry for handflapping." Terry began to look sad. "Which isn't your fault! I cast a containment charm around the potion and you were quite far away from it. It's not your fault that Professor Snape is a grump. You can handflap anytime you'd like." Terry grinned brightly at Draco for this. "But, maybe not in Potions class. Next time the potion sounds annoying, we'll get you some earplugs." Terry nodded with this.

"Ugh! Snape is such a jerk!" Anthony yelled out, slamming his hands on the table. The usually calm and sensible boy was looking as angry as he did during his fight with Hermione. "He's over dramatic, grumpy, leans over your shoulder when you try to focus, takes points off injured students, and yells at students for handflapping of all things! You should allowed to be yourself Terry!" He told the smaller boy, whose face lit up even more at Anthony's pronouncement.

"Yeah! Screw Snape! But uh, quick question; what is handflapping?" Michael added, quite unhelpfully.

"It's a stim." Terry began. "It's a thing I do that helps me centered. It makes me feel happier when I hear, touch, smell or feel something that overwhelms me a bit. Or I have a sensory overload. I really like, um, bird noises and woolly jumpers. They make me feel safe." He explained promptly while fiddling with his cloak buttons.

"Why do you need a stim?" Michael asks.

Terry flushed slightly. "I think it's because I'm autistic."

"Huh. Cool." Michael responded simply. "Thanks for sharing buddy." He smiled. "So back to the evil greasy haired topic, Snape. Why must we call for his downfall Anthony?" His voiced raised in a dramatic fashion.

"Because he's a biased oppressor!" Anthony said, slamming a book down on the table to make more noise, calling them to the attention of more Ravenclaws
"And what else?"

"He hurt our friends!" Another slam on the table. Draco tried not to flinch with the familiar sound of a book slamming down, and dug his nails into his recovered arm.

"And what do we do with biased oppressors who hurt our friends?" It was really a wonder Snape himself hadn't hurt this uprising at this point.

"We get rid of them!" The largest slam of them all, the book shaking the table itself.

"Goddamit first years! I've been trying to drink from my goblet for the past two minutes! Stop slamming the table!" Meredith's voice carried down with a chorus of agreements.

"Sorry!" Anthony and Michael called back in unison as they grinned at each other. Draco exchanged a look with Terry. What can you do? Draco looked up from the table and saw Hermione waving at him. He smiled and waved back, and she gestured to the doors, a motion that meant 'can we talk a second?'

"I'm going to go with Hermione, probably to the library. I'll see you guys next lesson!" He got up and waved to them. All three of them had their mouths full, so they just nodded and waved back. He walked down the table to the doors, and saw Hermione mirror him from the Gryffindor table.

"How was Potions?" Hermione asked him once they were face to face.

"Um, eventful. I'll explain later, do you want to go to the library?" Draco asked.

"Sure. Oh, and Harry Potter will be coming with us."

"What? Why?" Draco asked bewildered.

"He came up to me during Herbology and asked if he could join our tutoring group. He wanted to work on his Wingardium Leviosa. He also mentioned that he didn't want to be kicked out if he wasn't good enough...can they do that? Will they kick you out of Hogwarts if you're not good enough?" Hermione asked him fearfully, her brown skin taking on a hint of green.

"No, I don't think they would. The school's way has always been to admit as many magical children as possible. I doubt they'd start throwing people out if your magic wasn't strong enough. Besides, it's not like you have anything to worry about." He nudged her shoulder teasingly. She smiled.

"Well that's good then. So...he can join the group?" She asked.

"Well..." She gave him a look. A motherly look, if he remembered one correctly. A look that made him feel small, an 'I'm right, you're wrong' look, a look you'd have to be made of solid steel to resist giving in.

And Draco was made of no such metal.

"Fine, Melindarea, he can join the group." He gave in exasperatedly. She cocked her head.

"Who's Melindarea?" He flushed pink.

"O-Oh, sorry, sh-she's just someone f-from a fairy tale." He was usually better at keeping in his internal comparisons of people to characters.
"Well, why did you call me her name?" Hermione prompted.

"It's j-just that in h-her s-story, she's re-really g-good at c-convincing and p-persuading p-people to do what sh-she wants, and c-can t-turn people into m-mice w-with j-just one lo-look." He mumbled, embarrassed. Hermione was quiet for a minute. Then she began laughing. Oh gods, oh gods, this is why you don't blabber, this is why you don't stutter, this is why you keep quiet this is why-

"Ha! I wish I could do that with one look! I'm glad you think I'm persuasive though, that's how I'll become Prime Minister," she laughed.

"Hm." Draco smiled back shyly, his heart rate calming down a bit.

"Let's go to the library, I told Harry to meet us there."

"Okay."

==============

"Hi Draco." Harry greeted him with a smile as they entered their corner of the library.

"Hi." Draco nodded to him formerly. "So I heard you wanted to work on Wingardium Leviosa?"

"Oh uh yeah, I haven't quite gotten the hang of it, and you seem to be really good at it." Pfft, hardly. Opposed to what everyone was saying, managing to lift a desk instead of a feather was a show of failing, not of power. He'd rectified his mistake and would practice it later that night in the dorms. "I also heard that you're a pretty good teacher."

Draco glanced at Hermione who smiled at him. He would've used the technique his charms teacher did, but she wasn't exactly the nurturing kind. He simply used the teaching advice from a book his substitute tutor had left out one week, The Many Good Ways To Teach A Child Magic. Draco had liked the substitute teacher, Mr Melbourne, he was kind, but Lucius had thought he went too easy on Draco and had gotten his old charms teacher back as soon as possible.

"I'm alright. B-but Hermione and Anthony did practically teach themselves." He gave credit to them. He sat down on the table next to Harry. "What are you having trouble with?" He asked.

"All of it," Harry said miserably, "the feather won't budge. Maybe I'm not magic..."

"Nonsense! I'm sure you are! First, let's check your pronounciation. Tell me the spell name." Draco go right down to business. On the other table, Hermione sat down and began practicing it herself on heavier items.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

"Try and stretch out the 'gar" a bit longer. Now use your wand while you do it. Levitate the feather."

"Wingardium Leviosa!" The boy tried to cast the spell.

"Now I see your problem; your swish and flick. It's too tense. The movement itself is meant to be loose, the two parts of it are meant to flow into each other. Like this. Wingardium Leviosa!" This time Draco managed to lift only the feather. It may have jerked up quite suddenly, but at least he'd managed to contain his magic more. He smiled at his own control. "Now you try it."

Harry cleared his throat and focused on the feather, his eyes darting to Draco nervously. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The feather moved slightly, but stayed still on the desk. Harry frowned deeply.

"Ah, now I know the real reason!" Draco said. "You're focusing too much the act of doing it, rather than actually doing it. Stop thinking about needing to do it desperately, and just think about lifting the feather. Your motivation is only to lift the feather. Try again." Harry nodded.

"Wingardium Leviosa." The feather shifted, and then began to float upwards. It reached a foot off the table before Harry dropped it. "I did it! How did you know?" He asked Draco excitedly, his face going close to Draco's.

"U-uh, w-w-well, um, a wizard's mental state is a big part of magic, like Occlumency. Motivation is important, and uh, yours was messed up." Draco explained.
"Thanks!" Harry hugged him. Draco was thrown off. He was hugged before, sure, by Hermione as well, but Harry's hug was the hug of someone who didn't really know how. As if he'd watched people hug and tried copying it for the first time. It was quite awkward, but only lasted 7 seconds before Draco was released from the other boy's grip.

"C-can I ask you something?" Draco said hesitantly.

"Sure."

"Why didn't you stick up for me against Weasley on the train?" Harry's face blanched. "I-I mean, n-not that you n-needed t-to, it's f-f-fine, but I was j-just wondering, um-"

"I'm sorry." Harry interrupted him. "I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you. I do know how hard it is when someone calls your parents terrible, or drunks. It just," he sighed, "Ron was so nice to me. And he talked to me for ages about who I was, and just wanted to be my friend, and when he insulted your parents, I didn't want to be on the other side of that again. And he seemed so nice, it came out of nowhere, and I didn't know how to react. And that stuff about supporting Voldemort got to my head and- I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not standing up for you sooner." He apologised to the surprised blonde.

"Well I'm sorry too." Draco began. "I'm sorry for just treating you like a source of knowledge when we first met. That was rude. You were just the first person who'd lived in the muggle world I'd ever met, and I got excited. I should of tried to get to know you." He stuck out his hand. "Friends?"

Harry took it. "Friends." The shook on it.

"Awww," a coo interrupted them. "So sweet. I'm glad you two have made up. At least now there's another person who knows about the 'muggle' world in our group. Neville doesn't even know what a microwave is!" Hermione said.

"What's a microwave?"

"Oh not you too Draco!" She said. Harry chuckled.

"Is it like a very small wave? A thing used as a greeting? Is it something to do with oceans? Are muggles able to control the tides by themselves now?" Draco asked, trying to make sense of the word.

"It's a small box that you use to reheat food. It uses electricity." Hermione explained.

"Oh yes, eel-ek-trik-sity. Muggles are so odd."

"Microwaves aside, we should probably go to Transfiguration." Hermione said, packing away the book she was practising with.

"Never thought I'd hear that sentence." Said Harry.

The put their feathers away and walked over to the Transfiguration classroom as a group.

This lesson was less eventful than the previous ones. After everyone was seated, Professor McGonagall gave them all a strict talking to, one with significantly less flair than Snape, but with no less fear and respect from the students. After her short but sweet introduction, she turned her desk into a pig. Unfortunately, none of the students would be doing any furniture-into-animal transitions anytime soon. They had to make numerous complex notes on the topic, most of which Draco could already cite off by heart, and were given a match to turn into a needle.

Those who were taught by Draco in either breaks had significantly more progress than the others, having a clearer mental state and motivation. Most of the group had managed to make a change in their matchstick, from turning it silver, to completing the transition. Terry's had turned silver and smooth, one of the best in the class, beaten only by Hermione, who's matchstick had turned silver and pointy, and Draco, who had only bested Hermione by giving his needle an eye. They were all treated to the rare smile from McGonagall. Which was ruined by Seamus Finnigan, who's matchstick had caught alight and was spreading to the wooden desks.

After more peaceful Transfiguration lesson, there was a couple of hours before dinner. All of the study group (except Harry who said that he'd have to go with Ron, much to Draco's chagrin) slipped their matchstick-needles into their pockets to practice with in the library. All against Hermione's better judgement and fear that they'd get in trouble for stealing. Draco rebutted that they'd already stolen the feathers, and what was a couple of little matchstick?

After an hour of practice and a simplified explanation of the theory between wood and metal from Draco, nearly everyone had managed to turn their matchstick into what could properly resemble a needle. This was far more difficult than charms, and had everyone tired with the effort. The only one to not manage it was Michael, who'd accidentally melted his matchstick in a move that Draco didn't even want to dwell on. This magic relied far more on control and concentration for only one thing, something that Michael lacked in buckets.

After tiring themselves out, they eased into chatting among themselves, trying to learn more about one another. Draco learnt that Michael was from a very conservative Halfblood family, and was constantly in the shadow of his younger brothers. Michael didn't seem to mind, because as a young boy the pressure had apparently been suffocating. Even though his family lived in Scotland, his parents were planning to send his younger brother's off to Durmstrang, leaving Michael at Hogwarts by himself. He seemed happy as he explained this, saying that his brothers were "nothing more than pompous twits that think the world revolves around them."

Although Draco already knew quite a bit about Terry's family, he didn't know that his family had the bad luck of having three squib children. His older brother Nelson, his younger sister Mauve (though there was still time) and his cousin, one of the triplets, Barry. Apparently this didn't cause a lot tension and only opened the Pureblood family up to the muggle world a lot more. His brother Nelson worked at a popular muggle law firm in London.

Anthony didn't have any siblings, and only lived with his father. His father was an Auror, and was a bit of a workaholic, but always made time for his son. His mother had left them when he was younger, so he never really knew her. "Good riddance!" Michael had said to this. Apparently Michael and Anthony had gone to the same wizarding primary school in Scotland and had known each other since they were 7.

At 5 o'clock Michael had said his goodbyes and said that he needed to get to the Great Hall so that he could take the Victoria sponge cake to the poor injured Hufflepuff. The Ravenclaw boys all waved them off.

"What happened to the Hufflepuff girl?" Neville asked them, a bit more sad after his Herbology buddy had gone. After Anthony explained the situation angrily, Neville turned white. "Professor Snape really took points away from her while she was in pain?"

"Yes." Terry nodded sadly.

"I don't know if I want to go to Potions anymore."

"Me neither. So this is why I've been concocting a revenge. You see, we have Potions tomorrow, so-" Anthony began laying out his revenge scheme wickedly. Hermione stepped in.

"You can't do that to a teacher! And if he's as bad as you're saying he is, he'd have you expelled!"

"Oh lighten up, that's the best part of the plan. We don't get caught."

"Do you approve of this Draco?" Hermione suddenly dragged the nervous blonde into him.

"Well Snape is kind of a jerk..." Hermione shot him her look. "But! But we shouldn't do anything rash until we've had more lessons with him. We can't properly judge a character based on two hours with them, it isn't a fair test. Maybe he just had a bad day?" Draco shrugged.

"Ugh, fiiiiiiine fine fine, I won't prank him. Let's go to dinner." Anthony gave in disappointedly.

"Let's go."

==============

After dinner and a slice of Victoria sponge that was subpar at best, the Ravenclaw boys decided to head up to the dormitories.

"What can you break, even if you never pick it up or touch it?" The eagle knocker asked.

"My heart!" Michael sank onto his knees dramatically in front of the door, clutching his chest.

"Not a strong enough answer. Wait for someone else to try."

Draco knew the answer. It was 'a promise'. But he didn't want to interrupt the fun just yet.

"A vase if you used a shattering charm?" Terry asked. The eagle grumbled a bit before opening up the door. "Thank you Bernie."

"I don't know about you three, but I'm beat," Michael yawned. "I think I'm going up and going to sleep."

"But it's only 8 o'clock." Terry pointed to the blue clock hanging under one of the lanterns.

"I'm pretty tired too, actually, so I think I'll be doing a Michael by going to sleep absurdly early." Anthony stretched his arms.

"I'll go with you then." Terry said. "Draco?"

"I'd like to check out the Ravenclaw library first, but I'll see you guys up there." They waved to each other as the three other three went up the stairs, and Draco went through the door that was in the middle of the niche of books.

On the other side was a library that could practically rival the school's. The room obviously had a lot of extension charms on it and extended forward. You'd go down a small set of stairs that led up to the door and would come face to face with a sign and a basket.

The sign read 'Please keep quiet while in the Ravenclaw library. If you are not Ravenclaw, please leave while you still can'. Underneath the vaguely threatening sign lay a basket with some books inside it. The basket was labelled 'For books that are no longer wanted.' Draco assumed this was the reason the library was so big. Because it could keep filling up.

Draco walked down the stairs and past the sign. Each shelf of books was labelled on the side of it, from Transfiguration to Dark Magic, it seemed to have everything. Draco continued scouring the shelves for what he wanted.

He enjoed Ravenclaw. He truly did. But he was in too deep for his father not to react. Especially since his only other friends outside of Ravenclaw were Gryffindors. He like his house, but his father would not. He heard the whispers that followed him around the hall. He needed to be resorted.

He scouted and hunted for a book that could have anything to do with the topic. He picked out Hogwarts Houses And Their Meaning, Maybe I'm In The Wrong House and The Sorting Ceremony's Sanctity as good places to start. He sat down on the carpeted floor and leant against a dusty bookshelf in an empty corner of the library. He began with reading Maybe I'm In The Wrong house.

As he got to the 20th page of the book he realised that he probably won't find anything to help his problem. It was an amateur book written by a group of students that only contained a lot of waffle about accepting yourself who you are and steroetypes and yadda yadda yadda. It was the furthest thing from helpful he could have found.

He chose Hogwarts Houses And Their Meaning to read next. It was rather compelling, and he got bit distracted from what he was looking for as he read over the Founders' lives, trials and tribulations, and how they chose their animals. After he'd gotten to the 79th page he realised there wasn't a whole lot on if the sorting hat were to make a mistake, and was more focused on the house trait origins instead of how someone is sorted. Another unfortunate dud. At this point it was getting rather late in the night but Draco powered on.

He opened up The Sorting Ceremony's Sanctity to the first page and began reading. It had a lot of repetition from the last book, on the origins and house traits and whatnot, but soon began to get onto the topic Draco needed. By the 44th page Draco had found what he was looking for, the sacred chapter on possible sorting hat mistakes. His eyelids were heavy but he still turned the page. He needed to get into Slytherin. Just one more page. Just one more...

==============

"Hey, wake up kid," Draco felt a shaking on his shoulder. Draco batted it away with tired limbs. "Wake up." He opened his eyes a slit to see Meredith looking at him.

"Gah!" He shrieked and bumped his head against the shelf. "Ow..."

"Come on, it's 2 in the morning, time to go up to bed." She held out a hand for him to take and pulled him onto his feet. In her free hand she held a candle which glow Draco was thankful for, as other than that the library stayed dark and unfamiliar. He grabbed onto The Sorting Ceremony's Sanctity and held it close to his chest. Meredith watched him but didn't comment.

"It's taken a while to find you. For some reason I was the only one who noticed the library's counter still said that there was a person inside." She mentioned as they walked.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I hardly sleep anyway. I just want you to get some rest in an actual bed before you mess up your back. The library isn't the most comfortable place to sleep, you should save yourself from when you really have to, like during O.W.L and N.E.W.T revision." They were next to the boy's dormitory steps. "Now try and make it all the way up to the top, don't fall asleep on the staircase, because I know for sure that some of those idiots won't check twice before they step on you." Draco grimaced and she chuckled. "Next time take the books up to your dormitory, okay? Get some sleep." She patted him on the head and shuffled him off.

He barely made it to his bed before he collapsed down on it. The mattress groaned but he didn't care. He was still in his robes, still holding onto the book as he slept.

It was his ticket to Slytherin.

It was his ticket to his father's love.