chapter two
Draco woke up at five o'clock on the morning of September 1st and was way too nervous to fall back asleep. After tossing and turning around in bed for close to an hour, he finally gave up and decided to start off his day already. Draco puts on his jeans, not wanting to enter the station wearing wizard clothes – he still needed time to get used to them, so he would change clothes on the train. He checked the Hogwarts list again to make sure he had everything he needed, made sure Stella was securely locked in the cage, and then paced the room waiting for Regulus to get up.
He didn't want to wake him, because he knew Reg didn't have a very healthy sleeping schedule in the first place. He used to lock himself in a room in the house where Draco was not allowed to enter and spend hours doing Merlin knows what, only coming out during the early hours of the morning when the blonde was already asleep.
When Draco was younger, he used to put his ear against the door, trying to catch a hint of what his father was doing. He realized soon enough that there were silencing spells cast on the room and gave up.
Three and a half hours later, around nine in the morning, Regulus finally gets up to make Draco some breakfast and check if the boy's suitcase is packed. After confirming that everything was in place, the two leave Grimmauld Place and apparate to the King's Cross platform.
— Dad, there’s only platform nine and ten. — Draco commented, looking between the note in his hand that said platform nine three-quarters and the two platforms in front of them.
Regulus didn’t smile, but his gaze was amused as he looked down at the boy. — Okay, I forgot about that detail. Hold onto my hand and don't let go, okay?"
Draco frowned but nodded, squeezing the man's hand a little tighter.
— Run and don't stop. — Regulus said, and Draco's eyes widened as he was pulled along, but he let himself be guided towards the barrier between the platforms, closing his eyes just before hitting the wall, preparing himself for the impact. He heard his father chuckle seconds later. — You can open your eyes now, Draco.
A red steam locomotive stood on the crowded platform. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, 11 am. Draco looked back and saw a wrought iron arch where the ticket collector had stood, reading Platform Nine-Thirty.
The smoke from the locomotive dispersed over the heads of the people who were talking, while cats of all colors laid between their legs. Owls hooted at each other discontentedly, overcoming the commotion and the noise of heavy suitcases being dragged. The first cars were already full of students, some leaning out the windows to talk to their families, others fighting over seats.
— Draco. — Regulus called, and knelt down to come face to face with the boy.
Draco knew immediately that whatever he was going to say was important, so he paid all the attention in the world. Whenever his dad had this look on his face, Draco knew to pay attention.
— I know I told you this already, but I want you to understand, so I'll say it again. You're an important figure, okay? Very important. That means a lot of people are going to want to take advantage of you to get what they want.
— Like Dumbledore? — The boy murmured.
Regulus had once told him that one of the reasons he raised Draco alone was so that he wouldn't be exposed to people like Albus Dumbledore. Regulus explained that while Dumbledore is not on the Death Eaters' side, he was not above manipulating and using Draco to achieve his goals, and Regulus wanted Draco to grow up without being exposed to any of this.
— Like Dumbledore. — Regulus agrees. — But not just him, other people too. I'm not saying you can't have friends, you can and should. But you need to know how to differentiate between those who want to be around you for you and those who just want something from you. — He explained, and Draco nodded, understanding. — Once you find your real friends... These are like a chosen family, understand?
— Family like you and me? — The boy questioned, making Regulus smile.
— Exactly. So chose your friends carefully. — After saying so, Regulus runs his hand through Draco’s straight silvery hair. — Now get on the train, before you end up being late.
Draco sighed and wrapped his arms around Regulus tightly, who only hesitated for a few seconds before returning the gesture, embracing him just as closely.
For as long as Draco could remember himself, Regulus was all he had. Sure, he had the eventual acquaintance here and there, but Regulus had been his only constant. Not having him in his everyday routine anymore was going to be hard, and the only reason why Draco had hesitated before agreeing to go to Hogwarts. He wanted a life of his own, with friends and classes to attend… Still, he’d miss Regulus a lot.
— Don't forget to send letters, okay? I want to know what's happening to you. — Regulus doesn’t say so, but the chocked up tone of his voice tells Draco he’ll also be missed.
Draco nodded and looked at Regulus for a few more seconds before walking to the train, feeling his heart sink. He looked back over his shoulder and smiled at his father, waving. Regulus, through the glamour that hid his identity, smiled back.
He walked through the crowd until he found an empty compartment at the end of the train. First he put Stella inside and started pushing the suitcase towards the train door. When he managed to get it inside, he let out a relieved sigh and threw himself onto one of the seats.
The train started to move. The houses flashed past the window. Draco felt a mixture of nervousness, anxiety and excitement. He was leaving the only comfort he knew, and even when it was slightly lonely at times, living solely with Regulus - be it in France at their tiny cottage or at Grimmauld Place -, it was home. At the same time, however, he had heard great things about Hogwarts and was dying to become a student.
The cabin door opened and a red-haired boy with freckles walked in, offering a hesitant smile to Draco.
— Is this seat taken? The rest of the train is full.
Draco shook his head, signing no, and allowed the boy to sit with him. He looked at the window and let himself get lost in the landscape. His attention was called upon just a few minutes later, when the boy finally spoke.
— Are you really Draco Malfoy?!
Draco sighed. This fame thing had been slightly comical and exciting at first, but he hadn't been in the presence of people like that for more than a day and it was already getting slightly irritating. Besides… he had been warned by Regulus from day one that attention didn’t always mean good attention.
— I am. — He mumbled in a tone that he hoped would warn the boy off the subject.
It didn’t.
— Do you really have the... you know...
Draco raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
— The scar? — He murmured, and the redhead nodded. — I do.
He made no move to show it, and the boy only lasted a few more seconds before finally breaking down and asking, — Can I see?
— If I said no, I would be the rude one, right? — He grunted softly, but lifted the hair that fell onto his forehead to expose the scar for a few seconds.
— So that's when You-Know-Who...?
— Yes.
— Do you remember anything?
Draco swallowed the urge to ask the boy to stop asking questions. He wanted to be nice, even though it was getting harder and harder by the second. This was how you made friends, right? By being nice?
— I was a year old.
— Don't you remember anything? — Ron asked anxiously. He even seemed a little excited. Does he think my life is a theater or something?
— Nothing. — He concluded. He had dreams about a ray of green light sometimes, but he wouldn't share it with a stranger.
— Wow. — The boy looked slightly disappointed, and still stunned to be around Draco. The blonde tries to contain his irritation. He wanted me to remember my mother dying in front of me to save me?
He sat there for a few minutes looking at Draco, then, as if he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he quickly looked out the window again. Draco wasn't bothered by the silence and did the same, enjoying the scenery once again.
Long minutes passed before the cabin door opened once more. Draco didn't turn to look, but his attention was caught when he heard:
— Ah, hey, Ron!
— What's up, Harry?
Draco turned his head and let his gaze wander to the boy. He was standing at the door of the carriage, hair as messy as the last time you saw him, and a small smile on his face. It only takes a few more seconds for the boy's gaze to meet the blonde's.
— Malfoy. — He greeted, giving a slight crooked smile.
— Potter.
— Do you mind if I sit down? — He questioned, but didn't wait for an answer before taking the place next to Ron. — So, do you two know each other?"
— No, that was just the only empty car. What about you guys?
— We met in Diagon Alley while I was getting fitted for my robes. — Harry answered Ron's question. He looked at Draco. — So you actually showed up.
Draco raised an eyebrow. — Did you think I wouldn’t?
— I thought it might be a little too much pressure. — Retorted the brunette. — With the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing, everyone's going to be all over you.
Draco noticed Ron blush slightly, which was understandable since he was the first to fall into that category.
— I don't know why they're so excited, it's not like I did anything on purpose, I was a year old. — He mumbled.
— Well, you kind of disappeared. — Ron said, shrugging. — Right after saving the wizarding world. Where were you, by the way?
— With my adoptive father. — It's just what he said. It’d only take a glance at Regulus’ arm to tell he had once been a Death Eater, so it was too much of a risk to talk about him, so Draco wouldn't be mentioning anything too specific that could give away his father’s identity. — And I already said I didn't save anything. Voldemort just died.
Ron was stunned. Harry, on the other hand, looked a little amused.
— What? — Draco murmured.
— You said You-Know-Who's name! — exclaimed Ron.
Oh, right. Draco had forgotten about this slight problem. Regulus had never hesitated to say Voldemort’s name in front of Draco, so the boy didn't even know it was taboo until Reg mentioned it a while ago. Regulus said fearing the name would give Voldemort too much power over Draco. His father always called him Voldemort or Dark Lord, so the boy did the same.
Secretly, Draco thought Regulus feared the name almost as much as the wizard, but had learned to overcome that so it wouldn’t become Draco’s weakness as well.
— Oh, my bad. — Draco murmured. — I forgot.
Harry stared at him for a few more seconds before changing the subject, and Draco allowed himself to tune out the conversation as the train left London. The landscape changed from the city to large fields, with several cows and sheep. It made him miss France and his little village.
Around noon, a woman passed by with a cart of sweets, and Harry bought some to share, but Draco passed on it, the breakfast he ate with Regulus still keeping him full.
The fields that passed by the window were now becoming wilder. The plantations were gone. Now there were forests, meandering rivers and dark green hills. They heard a knock on the cabin door and a round-faced boy who looked tearful entered.
— Excuse me, but did you see a frog? — When the boys shook their heads, he cried. — I lost him! He's always running away from me! If you see him… — And he left.
— I don't know why he's so upset. — Ron said. — If I had brought a frog, I would want to lose it as quickly as I could. But I brought Scabbers, so I can't say anything.
A mouse that looked too old to be alive was napping on Ron's lap.
— He could be dead and no one would know the difference. — Ron said, disgusted. — I tried to change his color to yellow to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you. Look…
He rummaged through his bag and took out a very worn wand. It was chipped in places and there was something white shining on the tip.
—The unicorn's hair is almost out. In any case...
He had just raised his wand when the cabin door opened again. The boy without the frog was back, but this time there was a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.
— Anyone seen a frog? Neville lost his. — She had a bossy tone of voice, full brown hair, black skin and hazel brown eyes.
— We already told him we didn't see the frog. — Ron replied, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.
— Are you doing magic? I want to see. — She sat down. Ron looked disconcerted.
— Um... okay. — He cleared his throat. — Sun, daisies, ripe yellow...
— It won't work. — Draco murmured, attracting the others' attention. He sighed. — This coloring spell isn't like that and the wand movement is wrong. — Ron looked slightly irritated, but Draco didn't really care. — The spell to change the color of the target's hair, or fur, is Crinus Muto.
— Impressive! — Exclaimed the girl, as if she had found her newest best friend. He wasn't so sure about the same thing. — I'm going to have to study more to find this one! I tried some simple spells just to practice and they worked. Nobody in my family is a wizard, it was a huge surprise when I received the letter, but I was so happy, of course, I mean, it's the best wizarding school there is, they told me. I already know by heart all the books they told us to buy, of course, I just hope it's enough; by the way, I'm Hermione Granger, and who are you?
— Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy. — Answered Harry for all of them.
— Really? I've heard of you, of course. I have other recommended books, and you're in History of Modern Magic and Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Magical Events of the Twentieth Century.
— I know. — Draco murmured, and returned his attention to the window. The girl soon left, and he paid only vague attention as Ron and Harry talked about Quidditch and their future homes.
Draco moved only to change, then let his head wander until he felt the train slow down and finally stop. People pushed past each other to get to the door and down onto the small, dark platform. Draco shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp appeared swinging over the students' heads and Draco heard a voice call:
— First year students! First year here!
Slipping and stumbling, they followed a giant man who called himself Hagrid down a steep and narrow-looking path. It was so dark all around that Draco thought there must be big trees there.
Nobody said much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his frog, sniffed a couple of times.
— You'll get your first glimpse of Hogwarts in a second. — Hagrid shouted over his shoulder. — Just around this bend.
There was a very loud Aoooooh.
The narrow path had suddenly opened up to the shore of a large, dark lake. Perched high on a cliff on the opposite bank, windows twinkling in the starry sky, there was an immense castle with many towers and turrets.
"Only four in each boat!" Shouted Hagrid, pointing to a flotilla of little boats standing in the water next to the bank.
Draco headed to one of the first boats he found, and was soon followed by a pale-skinned girl with short black hair and bangs and two more boys who reminded him a bit of brutes.
The flotilla of little boats all let go at the same time, gliding across the lake that was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, their eyes fixed on the great castle above. The building grew larger as they approached the cliff on which it was located.
— Lower your heads! — shouted Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff.
Everyone lowered their heads and the little boats passed through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were driven through a dark tunnel, which seemed to take them underneath the castle, to a kind of underground pier, where they disembarked by climbing and stepping on stones and pebbles.
— Hey, you there! Is that your frog? — asked Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people disembarked.
— Clover! — Neville shouted happily, holding out his hands. The girl next to Draco, who had taken the little boat with him, let out a low giggle.
Then they climbed through a passage cut into the rock, following Hagrid's torch, and finally emerged on a soft, damp lawn in the shadow of the castle. They climbed a stone staircase and crowded around the huge oak door.
— Is everyone here? Are you still with your frog? — Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked on the castle door three times.