The sky had deepened into violet dusk when Draco glanced out the train window. Forests and mountains rolled past beneath the fading light as the Hogwarts Express began to slow.
"In five minutes, we'll arrive at Hogwarts! Leave your luggage on the train—it will be sent to the school," a voice announced through the corridor.
Draco's heart stirred with a mix of excitement and confusion. The train screeched to a stop, and students poured out, pushing toward the doors. The platform was small and shrouded in darkness. He inhaled sharply—the air outside was crisp and cold.
"First-years! First-years, this way! Watch your step!" boomed a huge man with a tangled beard.
Draco eyed him silently. So that's Hagrid. Guess the rumors about giant blood weren't wrong.
Following Hagrid, the new students stumbled down a steep path into darkness. Then Hagrid shouted, "Around this bend—Hogwarts for the first time!"
A collective gasp rose. Before them spread a vast, black lake. Across the water, under the glittering night sky, stood a towering castle whose spires seemed to pierce the heavens.
"This is Hogwarts," Draco whispered. Unlike the cold, elegant halls of Malfoy Manor, this ancient castle radiated history—its mossy stone and flickering windows spoke of centuries past.
"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a line of small boats on the shore.
Draco spotted Pansy Parkinson and called out, "Pansy!"
She turned, frowned, and boarded another boat without a word.
Draco sighed. What did I do this time?
He stepped into a nearby boat and watched the reflections ripple as they glided across the lake. The massive castle loomed closer, its shadow swallowing them whole.
"Heads down!" Hagrid shouted as they passed beneath a curtain of ivy, entering a tunnel carved into the cliff. The boats drifted through darkness until they reached an underground dock.
"Thank Merlin!" cried Neville Longbottom, clutching a squirming toad.
"You found your toad," Draco remarked dryly.
"Th-thank you," Neville stammered.
Under Hagrid's lantern light, the students climbed through damp rock tunnels until they emerged before a towering oak door. Hagrid knocked three times.
The door opened immediately. Professor McGonagall stood there—tall, severe, and dressed in emerald robes.
"Thank you, Hagrid," she said, ushering the students inside.
They crowded into a small antechamber, shoulder to shoulder.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall began. "The start-of-term banquet will begin soon, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. During your years here, your house will be your home. You'll attend classes together, share dormitories, and earn or lose points for your house."
She explained the four houses, the rules, and the importance of the House Cup.
Draco barely listened. His thoughts were on Pansy, who stood a few paces away, laughing with a group of girls.
He squeezed through the crowd. "Ladies, may I borrow Pansy for a moment?" he said politely, bowing.
"Ooh, your little boyfriend is so proper," one of the girls teased.
"I have nothing to say to him," Pansy huffed.
Her friends giggled and slipped away, leaving them alone.
"At least tell me what I did wrong," Draco said helplessly.
"You didn't come find me on the train," she accused, puffing her cheeks. "Do you know how bored I was?"
Draco blinked. That's it?
"You forgot about me!" she continued. "I even went looking for you!"
"I was helping Neville find his toad," Draco explained quickly. "My father said I should get along with other pure-bloods. The Longbottoms are—"
"That silly boy's toad is more important than me?" she interrupted.
Draco winced. "That's… hard to answer."
For a moment she glared—then burst out laughing.
"I knew it! You really didn't think that far ahead," she teased. "Your face just now was priceless."
Draco realized too late he'd been played.
"You always act like a perfect gentleman. It's fun to see another side of you." She suddenly stepped closer and whispered, "You were so calm when I threatened you last time. But today, you were actually flustered. That means I'm important to you."
Before Draco could react, she tiptoed up and kissed his forehead lightly.
Her friends squealed from the corner. Pansy's face turned pink. Draco sighed. I've definitely provoked a little witch.
"Quiet down, please!" McGonagall's sharp voice cut through the laughter.
Just then, several ghosts drifted through the wall. Pearly white and translucent, they glided above the students, chatting among themselves.
Draco, unlike the others who screamed, examined them calmly. "Non-physical, translucent, capable of speech… non-aggressive," he muttered. Typical characteristics of spiritual entities.
When the ghosts vanished, McGonagall returned. "Form a line. Follow me."
As Draco moved, Pansy tugged on his sleeve, pretending to be scared.
"Stop acting," Draco whispered. "You've seen ghosts at my manor plenty of times."
Pansy pouted. "You're no fun."
They followed the line into the Great Hall, a vast space illuminated by thousands of floating candles. Golden plates shimmered on long tables, and the ceiling mirrored the night sky, dotted with stars.
"How is that enchantment sustained?" Draco wondered aloud, studying the illusion.
McGonagall placed an old, patched hat on a stool. The hall fell silent. Then the hat twitched and began to sing—
(Sorting Hat's song omitted for brevity in this version)
When it finished, applause echoed. McGonagall unrolled her parchment.
"Hannah Abbott!"
One by one, students were called and sorted. Draco watched with mild interest until his name was called.
"Draco Malfoy."
As he stepped forward, a thought crossed his mind. If my soul isn't the same as before, will the result still be?
The hat slipped over his eyes and spoke softly. "Ravenclaw, without question. Such knowledge in one so young! You could nearly graduate already."
Then it paused. "But beneath that thirst for knowledge lies ambition—burning, hidden, powerful. Knowledge is only your means to an end."
"SLYTHERIN!" it finally declared.
Draco smirked faintly. So destiny doesn't change that easily.
He joined the Slytherin table beside Pansy. Across the hall, Hermione Granger glanced his way, conflicted.
He's a Slytherin, she thought. But that doesn't make him bad… does it?
Pansy leaned over. "Honestly, I thought you'd go to Ravenclaw."
"Then my parents would skin me alive," Draco joked.
Pansy giggled. "That might be fun to watch."
A roar erupted from the Gryffindor table. "We got Potter!" shouted the Weasley twins.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Our savior really knows how to draw attention."
"Lucky, not special," Pansy muttered, unimpressed.
After the last student—Zabini—was sorted into Slytherin, Dumbledore rose from his seat.
Draco studied him: long silvery hair, crooked nose, twinkling eyes. So this is the greatest wizard of the age.
"Welcome to Hogwarts!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Before we begin our feast, I'd like to say a few words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
The students burst into laughter and applause.
As food appeared, Draco poked at a dish suspiciously. "Who eats peppermints for dinner?" he muttered, dismayed at British cuisine.
After the feast, the school song echoed through the hall—each student singing in a different tune. The Weasley twins even sang in the rhythm of a funeral march, which Dumbledore gleefully conducted.
"Slytherin first-years, this way," called the prefect.
They followed him down several flights of stairs into the dungeons beneath the castle.
At last, they reached a bare stone wall decorated with a coiled serpent.
"Password?" hissed the snake carving.
"Pureblood," the prefect replied. "Remember it. I'd hate for anyone to sleep in the corridor. Not because you'd catch a cold—but because losing points would be worse."
"Yes, sir!" the first-years chorused.
Draco smiled faintly. Honor binds Slytherins more effectively than rules.
The wall slid open, revealing the Slytherin common room—a long, low chamber with green-glowing lamps and a roaring fireplace. The air was damp but warm.
Draco inspected the room, comparing it to his home. Hogwarts really needs more funding, he thought with amusement.
Soon after, he found his dormitory and unpacked his belongings. As he lay on the bed, the sounds of the lake outside lulled him into drowsiness.
"The real story begins tomorrow," he murmured, eyes closing.
And with that thought, Draco Malfoy fell asleep, ready to face the life awaiting him at Hogwarts.