New Dawn
Looking in the first, then second train compartments y/n, searches for the blond and his aforementioned friends. When the train begins moving, she finally hears his voice through compartment number 4. The door’s wheels squeaked as she slid it open, and four pairs of eyes darted towards her. A girl, y/n assumed she was Parkinson, patted at the seat nearest to her as an invitation to sit. y/n clumsily made her way past all the luggage and carried on bags, apologizing while stepping over stretched legs of the four comfortable passengers. The differences between Draco and his friends were stark, apparent even in their introductions.
First with, “Vincent Crabbe,” grumbled a very large boy, with an even larger flat face. Then the other with a robust yet dull, “I’m Gregory Goyle.” quickly responding after. And finally, “And I’m Pansy Parkinson. We all know who you are, Draco was worried you decided to sit somewhere else,” the only other girl, sarcastically rolling her eyes at Draco who looks away. “Hello everyone.” y/n responds tentatively, shifting towards Pansy who offers a pumpkin pasty in support which she readily accepts. Stuffing her face with the sugary pasty, y/n catches the eye of Draco, who asks her preferred house as a test, of sorts.
“Well, both of my siblings were in Ravenclaw, so I guess I’ll be one, too. But you never know. Imagine if I got sorted Hufflepuff!'' y/n giggles out offensively, but the group laughs along.
“Merlin, I’d rather spend the rest of my life in Azkaban! Do you think Hufflepuffs are embarrassed of themselves? Because I would be.” Draco huffs, speaking for the first-time y/n had entered the compartment, in a half joking manner. Goyle chuckles lightly, “Is it safe to say none of us will be Gryffindor?" The rest of the train ride was full of sarcastic, yet lighthearted banter and soon y/n knows these will be her close friends at Hogwarts.
As quickly as the train started, it jittered to a stop, and all 5 of them casually grabbed their belongings and followed the crowd of students pooling out the Hogwarts Express. The first years got rounded up, by a giant of a man, clad in a mole-skin overcoat. “First years this way!” shouted the large, bearded man named Hagrid, as he led the young wizards on a path towards the great lake which housed tiny row boats specifically for incoming first years. The great lake, also commonly called the black lake because of the water's mysterious darkness, was a large lake that sat at the south edge of Hogwarts filled with all sorts of creatures, such as a giant squid, or what Hagrid called it, the kraken. “Up to three on a boat!” explained Hagrid and y/n shifted nervously toward Draco, the first person she connected to, who quickly realized the cause of her discomfort. They are a group of five; two people would be left behind. Laying his arm on her shoulders, Draco simply explained to his friends, “I’m going to sit with y/n. One of you all join us. I really don't care who, rock paper scissors or something” y/n’s face flushed with embarrassment at the kind yet offhand gesture, and cautiously stepped into the boat with Draco, and finally Goyle. The boats slowly glide their way across the opaque waters that shine with the reflection of the night sky and the dim golden lanterns on the head of every boat.
“By Merlin's beard! You can see the entirety of the Hogwarts castle up there!” y/n exclaims in awe, unknowingly grabbing Draco's arm and pointing towards the astronomy tower. “But I bet the view from there is way more magical than anything I’ve ever seen." Draco and Crabbe apart from the occasional word, mostly stayed quiet, taking in the dark scenery, misty waters and the chilled autumn breeze. Closing her eyes and breathing in, for the first time, y/n felt the reality of her new life at Hogwarts.
A new beginning.
Slowing to a stop, the first years stood from their seats and made their way into the great hall, leaving their belongings in the boats— they will be levitated in so as to not burden the students with carrying the loads of luggage into the castle. Draco briefly left y/n to try to befriend a boy by the name of Harry Potter, the only person to have lived after being hit with the killing curse, however after returning, y/n could tell the conversation was other than pleasant. His scrunched face and sour tone made it clear that he was properly upset, so she didn't mention it. When Pansy and Goyle caught up with the other three, they were sitting at one of the 4 student tables in the great hall. Finding a seat next to y/n, Pansy began shaking her leg in anticipation of the start of the sorting ceremony. y/n’s heart began to hollow, if she gets sorted into a Ravenclaw, wouldn't she be separated from her friends. Her frown contrasted the joyous faces of all her peers, and Draco could tell she was in her head.
An older woman with sharp square glasses and an even sharper bun, stood up from the teachers table and made her way delicately down wide steps to the students, followed by a stool and an old dirty brown wizard's hat. y/n followed the mass of first years to meet these women, standing in front of the students' tables, with her newfound friends trailing behind.
“I am Professor McGonagall.” She clearly and sternly recited. “When your name is called, you will come forth and I will place this sorting hat upon your head.” She paused and gestured to the sorting hat to her left, then continued her speech, “Only then, will you be sorted into your Hogwarts houses. Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.” The crowd of students roared in applause at the official start to the sorting ceremony, even the y/n who was previously worried about her future house couldn't help but feel the swell of excitement in her chest.