It had been almost a week since the two eleven-year-old boys had found out the truth. It still felt like it had all been a dream, for nothing had really changed. The moment Hagrid had dropped them back off at Number 4 Privit Drive, Vernon had taken their trunks and locked them in the cupboard under the stairs as well as confiscated anything that related to their "freakiness" and then laughed at their tickets for they were to depart on "Platform 9 & 3/4" on September the 1st at 11am. But he agreed to take them, stating they were going into London on that day anyway and then set the boys about their usual chores.
Although the Dursleys were more distant and less demanding than usual, things had fallen back into the usual pattern. Well, except for one thing...
"I can't believe this!" Harry grinned as they stepped into Dudley's refurnished second bedroom which was now their own room. There was only one bed, just wide enough to fit them both, a single desk but with two chairs and a wardrobe to place the little amount of clothes that they had. A small window was also in the room with flyscreen and curtains, which the boys liked to open and let the breeze in.
They'd been allowed to keep their owls in their bedroom and could now get out of bed without nearly getting a concussion or kicking their knees due to the cramped space that had been their cupboard.
But it had now been one week since they knew they were to escape the Dursleys for at least a good length of time, knowing they had to come back each summer but that was nothing compared to the fact that they would be spending seven years at Hogwarts.
"I hope we make some friends" Harry was saying as they lay outside in the sun, having just finished their chores for the day.
"Who needs friends? We have each other" Draco said.
"Yeah but...it would be nice" Harry sighed. "Without Dudley being there to chase them away and then beat them up if they didn't stay away from us."
"I suppose" Draco shrugged but was being more conversational rather than actually agreeing as he sat upright and got to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"Upstairs, I wanna be alone" Draco said and for the first time since they had been placed on the doorstep ten years ago...the boys seperated.
Harry was worried that maybe Draco didn't like him anymore or that he'd said something wrong but decided it was best to leave him alone for now.
They shared a room anyway so he was sure to see him again later and then they could talk.
Draco closed the bedroom door behind himself and snuck a small bag he'd bought at Diagon Alley out from under a floorboard he and Harry had discovered and used to hide food or their owl treats. He reached into the magic bag and pulled out a book for the bag was able to have so much space inside whilst the outside just looked small and unimportant.
"Hogwarts: A history" Draco whispered as he drifted his hand over the title of the book and opened it to where he'd left of since he read it late at nights when everyone (including Harry) had gone to sleep.
He didn't know why he kept this from Harry since they trusted each other with everything but Draco was getting a bit tired of sharing everything; he wanted something that was his and his alone. But he despised keeping secrets. Maybe he'll tell Harry once he was done reading?
The magical school of Hogwarts has 142 staircases leading to classrooms, house common rooms, offices, corridors and various other locations that not even the well-educated and talented witches or wizards have been able to find.Secret passageways lie hidden throughout and while some have been found by lost students, troublemakers and explorers, not every one of them has been discovered.
The castle holds much mystery to all. For no matter how many years you spent within the walls...no one will ever know all the secrets of Hogwarts" He read to himself softly, his excitement increasing as he daydreamed of wandering the castle and searching for hidden rooms or tunnels that lead him to new places that no one else had ever seen. Maybe he would find treasure or some hidden danger where he could win an honorable battle? He had never been much of a thrillseeker previously or someone who wanted to venture out into the unknown, but ever since he found out about magic...his imagination and curiosity enhanced.
Draco was tired of being bullied and pushed around, he wanted to stand up and do something more useful than cleaning dishes or sweeping floors. He wanted to be brave, he wanted to do things that changed the world like his parents had. And somehow Draco felt that Hogwarts was the place to do that.
The journey for each student is different, no matter if he or she comes from a muggle family, a pureblood family or one in between.Each child at the age of eleven will ride the Hogwarts Express, travel across the lake and then in turn step into the grand castle itself. A thousand years or so this tradition as taken place within the walls, for each lesson learnt and punishment given will help form every student into who they are meant to be and the paths he or she will take in later life.
Draco turned the page and kepy reading eagerly, wanting to know more about Hogwarts and the new life that he and Harry would be stepping into in less than three weeks.
The journey does not only begin with the train, lake or Entrance Hall but with the single, most-important event in all of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry history...the sorting ceremony. Each first year must step up to the stool and place on the hat that once belonged to one of the four founders, Godric Gryffindor, and then be sorted into their house.Each house holds different values and the placement will begin to shape each witch or wizard that is sorted within those walls. No student has ever been rejected, no child ever not sorted but also, the hat has never once been known to be wrong.
"Blimey, I didn't know we had to do that!" Draco said but his tone was still rather hushed and secretive even though he was alone in the room, apart from the resting owls.
"What are the houses?" He asked but the book, of course, gave no reply; it was up to him to keep reading on and that he did.
Godric Gryffindor founded the house of lions, dashing in gold and skarlet. The house of Gryffindor was the home to those that were brave, took pride in their honor and chivilry. A lot of heroes have been known to rise from such a house but arrogance and over-confidence was also something commonly seen.The second house was founded by Helga Hufflepuff and she was a kind lady, not too judgemental of those and was willing to accept people for who they were. The house of Hufflepuff rang true to those traits but they are probably best known for their loyalty and tolerance of others. They work hard and were certainly determined but also very reliant on company and friends. No loner with social issues or severe impatience would ever last long in such a house. The house colours were black and yellow, supporting a badger for their mascot and above all, this house was the one mostly likely to be underestimated.
Next there was Rowena Ravenclaw's house. She prized those with intelligence, wisdom and above all...a keen interest in their own education for the right reasons. Rowena herself was quite smart and prefered all her pupils to have the thirst for knowledge as she did. It wasn't the brains she wanted but the eagerness to do better, to learn more and to learn from any mistakes or failures. A raven was the animal she'd chosen for her mascot as she herself owned one and Rowena believed it helped her studies as it kept her company while her daughter slept. Blue and bronze were also the colours for this house, her reasoning behind such choices she has decided to keep to herself but some suspect it is linked to the blue skies that the ravens fly high in and the face that gold is worth money and silver gets attention but bronze is just as important and often more useful with the right information.
The final of the four houses was founded by the one that first caused the drift between the founders; Salazar Slytherin. He was constantly trying to teach only those he deemed worthy: those of the purest magical ancesory.
He was driven by his pride, ambition and the single belief that those born from muggles or with any muggle blood in them were unworthy to learn magic. But the other founders disagreed...turn to chapter 24 for more information reguarding this and its link to the breaking up of the founders as well as the existance of the sorting hat.
Slytherins often shared the same views as their founder...but in the eyes of others, they were the ones that were to be cast out. Their ambition and desires were often met by any means and that brought about the belief that all Slytherins could not be trusted. The house of snakes were the outcasts and so they bound together, vowing to watch out for one another if they were attacked as a whole but otherwise each of them stood alone in their colours of green and silver. They were cunning, sneaky and above all...ambitions. Many achieved great levels of power and influence while others meddled with the much darker kind of magic. Refer to chapter 28 for more information...
But Draco stopped there and stashed his book away as though it suddenly became painful be touch and see. He was done reading. His parents had been Death Eaters before they'd switched sides...had they "meddled in darker magic" as well? It sickened him to think that they had, to even ponder on the posibility that they had done such horrible things and caused pain to others. Draco was sure that regardless, they had most likely been in Slytherin. He had heard Hagrid mention something about Harry's parents and Gryffindor and that worried Draco even more. What if kids were meant to be in the same house as their parents? Would Slytherin and Gryffindor be that tore Harry and himself apart?
But they were apart right now and for the first time. Draco had caused that; he had turned away from his friend and kept secrets from him. They tried to talk about what happened to their parents but Draco skipped over the details that had been making his stomach twist for days now...his parents had been Death Eaters.
"DRACO MALFOY!" The roaring voice of Vernon carried up the stairs and through the door, effectively making the boy jump and hurry downstairs.
"Y-yes sir?" He gasped and gulped as the man looked furious. He looked around for Harry but found him nowhere in sight and panic settled in. He should never have seperated from his brother and he should never have ditched him for some stupid book!
"Where's Harry?" He aske while utterly forgetting who he was talking to and that he wasn't supposed to ever ask questions.
"You!" Vernon grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the kitchen, which caused Draco to make contact with the counter and he winced soundlessly as his left arm took the impact.
"Forget about that useless runt and make dinner, now!" Vernon barked loudly and Draco's eyes widened in fear.
Normally Harry was the strong one but he was nowhere around and Draco couldn't recall a time in recent years in which Vernon had been this mad about something, so he decided to do as he was told and remained quiet.
As the minutes ticked by on Petunia's new clock, Draco chopped vegetables while trying to keep his hands from shaking. He didn't know where Harry was but his irrational mind was thinking that he could be hurt or locked somewhere...or gone.
"No, focus" Draco muttered to himself and hurridly put the roast on before leaving the kitchen in search of his brother, friend and only company that actually cared for him.
"Harry?" He called cautiously as he checked upstairs, the bathroom, the front yard and anywhere else that he could think of.
But it was when he walked into the back yard that his heart dropped and he gulped back waves of guilt and other emotions he didn't want to feel.
Harry was sitting in a corner with the water hose in reach, positioned so that he was leaning against Vernon's tool shed and was cradling his right hand while shifting to feel his head as well. He had blood on his clothes, his face and the grass around him. His hand was bruised, his head was as well and his lip was split.
"Harry!" Draco ran over to him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to abandon you!" He said, his eyes trickling with tears but he ushered them away. "Where are you hurt? Can you move? Was this Dudley's work?"
"Ouch" Harry winced as Draco tried to move him. "Not Dudley" He murmered and used his brother for support into the shade. "Uncle Vernon, kicked me...hit me" He swallowed and sniffed.
"Why?" Draco asked but remembered the mood Vernon had been in...was still in.
"I..." Harry sighed. "Dudley was being a git and I told him to leave me alone, but then he tried to hit me" He explained.
"I couldn't get away and he just wouldn't stop. I don't know how I did it but the next thing I knew Dudley was flying off me and Uncle Vernon saw" He coughed softly but continued.
"He grabbed my hand, twisted it...threw me against the shed" He sighed. "It was one of his worst" He finished. "Looks like you got out of it okay."
"He grabbed me but I had no idea you..." Draco lowered his gaze, unable to see Harry like this. And it was all because he'd wanted to know more about Hogwarts and for some sign that his parents weren't as bad as Hagrid had said. "This is my fault, I'm sorry."
"Better one of us than both of us" Harry shrugged and bit back a winced. "Could you get me some clean clothes? Petunia will faint if I go inside like this and I don't want to be locked out again."
"Sure" Draco rushed off to get a clean shirt and they hid the bloody one while going back inside. "Go upstairs and rest, I'll finish dinner. If he hurt you, he won't want to see you...I'll be fine."
"Draco, no" Harry protested.
"Don't worry, I've learnt my lesson, Harry" Draco sighed. "I won't say anything unless I have to, I won't cause trouble or get in their way. I promise" He nodded and shoved his brother lightly towards the staircase. "Go, or we'll both get it."
Harry saw no other option as his head throbbed and his hand burned, so he left his brother and headed up the stairs, fearing that today was drifting them apart in reliance and protection but hoped that they would reunite later and things would be settled again.
"Where have you been, ruddy boy?" Vernon scowled as Draco came back into the kitchen, wiping his hands and then checked the roast.
"Nowhere, sir" Draco replied, keeping his head bend low and his eyes untrained on anything but the floor.
"Useless brat" Vernon said but turned back to the television that they now had in the kitchen for Dudley.
Draco said nothing and proceeded to check that everything was ready and then just hovered in the kitchen, staring at nothing in particular and remained quiet, distant and safe.
Harry looked up in alarm as Draco came into the room several hours later, his shirt a bit bulged and he was clearly hiding something there.
"Hey" Draco said quietly as the Dursleys were preparing for bed. He pulled out an old rag that had been dampened and Harry used it to wipe the blood off his face and hand. Draco then handed him a half-empty box of crackers and sat at the desk with a handful of bread slices he'd stolen for himself. They also each had a few vegetables and fruit that would go unnoticed and didn't leave behind cores that would go rotten and stink the place etc.
"Thanks, but how did you get these?" Harry asked, refering to the food.
"Petunia was cleaning out things from the cupboard, those crackers and this bread were replaced with fresher ones so I grabbed them. And I also had to clean the fridge out, so yeah" He shrugged. "What does it matter anyway, do you still hurt?"
"Not really, just throbbing" Harry said but his hand was posessively close to his chest so Draco wasn't sure if it was the entire truth. "What were you doing all day anyway?"
"Nothing worth leaving you out there to be beaten up for" Draco said guiltily. "Forget it. I'm tired."
And without another word and after finishing their food, the boys lay down to sleep.
Harry was tired from his battle earlier and was asleep right away but Draco took a bit longer for he was still swallowed in guilt and annoyance.
But when he finally fell asleep, things were a lot worst. His nightmares plagued him, showing him his parents as evil monsters dressed entirely in dark clothing and laughing mechanically. Then there was Vernon grabbing Harry by the throat while Dudley chased Draco. Then a scene shoved into Draco's mind, making him recall something both he and Harry had shoved to the back of their minds days after its occurance many years ago...
--
Draco and Harry had been only around the ages of five at the time, sitting outside with a sandwich each that Petunia had so kindly made for them. Actually it was to keep them quiet and out of the way but no matter, the boys were starving and happily eating their little meal. Although Harry had been nervous about accepting the food at first because the previous night the boys had been trying to clean the bathroom for the first time and ended up spilling soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and various other items all over the place by accident when they'd slipped and tried to prevent further injuries.
Draco thought nothing of his brother's suspicion and hurridly ate his sandwhich but it wasn't until they noticed the storm clouds overhead that he got worried. They turned to open the back door but it was locked and with Dudley taunting them through a nearby window...realisation sunk in.
"Let us in!" Draco slapped his hand against the door as the rain began to pelt the ground and everything darkened around them. He was scared of storms; the violent clashes of lightning and grumbles of thunder always had him terrified but he had never been left outside during one before.
"Please!" Harry added, not too fond of storms himself and was concerned about Draco.
"This is your punishment for ruining our bathroom!" Petunia's voice came through the door, annoyed with the noise they were making.
"But..." Draco lifted his shirt sleeve to reveal a wound that Vernon had given him by hitting him with something when he'd walked in on their bathroom scene, although Draco had fallen too fast to see what the object had actually been, it had really hurt. He thought that had been punishment enough.
"H-harry...they're not really going to leave us out here, a-are they?" Draco gulped and snifled as he pulled his shirt tighter around himself and tried to get warm in the pouring rain but flinched visably as lightning flashed all to closely nearby.
"Come on" Harry said and was about to lead Draco over to the shed for shelter when the previously locked back door swung open and the boys paused. There was no one standing there so they wondered if it had been one of their "freaky accidents" but as the thunder rumbled again, Draco didn't care.
He ran inside and dripped water on the floor. He aimed for the cupboard but Dudley burst into view and Harry had already figured out who had opened the door for them...and why.
"MUM, DAD! THEY'RE DRIPPING WATER EVERYWHERE!" Dudley screamed as loud as he could and his parents came into view.
"You ruddy animals!" Vernon's tone was louder than the thunder outside and much more dangerous. He grabbed them both by their arms and wrenched them towards the cupboard but they hit the stairs beside it and Draco stumbled.
"No" Vernon said, changing his mind. "You" He pointed at Draco. "You used your freakiness to get inside!" He assumed as Draco had entered the house first.
"No!" Harry tried to defend his brother as Draco was hurled over Vernon's shoulder and carried upstairs while frantically trying to get free.
Draco couldn't see where he was being dragged until he saw Dudley pass in front of him and Vernon instructed something but he hadn't heard it over Harry's desperate pleading to let Draco go.
The sound of water made Draco's eyes widen and he fought even further but Vernon shoved him into a tub full of ice-cold water.
"That'll teach you to drip water everywhere!" He roared and kicked Harry away while Dudley taunted and Draco struggled, trying to gasp for air and get out of the liquid ice tomb that was closing in around him, agitating his wounded arm and his oxygen-lacking lungs.
"Lemme out! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" Draco pleaded. through desperate sobs
"Please!" But his head was thrust under water aagain nd Harry's yelling along with Dudley's laughing was blocked out. He felt his mind going fuzzy and his vision blurred. But suddenly the pressure on his chest was gone and smaller hands grabbed at him.
"Draco!" Harry said, tears pouring down his own face just as the rain poured against the window pannels. He hugged his friend/brother close once he saw that Draco was indeed still breathing.
The two boys sat hugging and clinging thankfully to each other as they sat alone and wet on the bathroom floor...
--
"No! Argh!" Draco thrashed awake and his fist hit Harry in the chest, sending him sprawling off the bed in shock and pain.
'No..." Draco's eyes flew open and he saw a dark bedroom looming into view not a bathroom. It was quiet and there was no rain or thunder outside. It had been just a memory and a nightmare.
"Ow" Harry rubbed his chest. "Draco?" He got up and stared at him anxiously. "What was it?"
"The bathroom" Draco said in a barely audible tone but it caused Harry to swallow hard as he paled and sat on the bed beside his friend.
"Oh" Was all Harry could say before wrapping his arms around Draco, hugging him for he always seemed to know when he needed comfort and reassurance.
"I'm not a baby" Draco said but made no attempt whatsoever to shove him off.
"We're brothers" Harry said against his ear. "Hugging is allowed, silly."
"Sorry" Draco said uncharacteristically and hugged his friend, no brother, back. "I didn't mean to hit you" He added.
"Used to it" Harry replied and they moved back, proceeding to lay in bed again but closer this time as the memory washed over them both and all the events of that day along with a few hours ago caused a pit of fear and dread to resurface.
"Harry?" Draco asked softly a few minutes later.
"Yeah, Draco?"
"Promise we'll always be brothers. No matter that house we're sorted into, no matter how many friends we might make and no matter what happens here...we'll always be brothers, we'll always be there for each other."
"I promise" Harry replied, not even having to consider it (although he didn't understand the house sorting comment).
"You're my brother and I'll always be here, we're not that easy to get rid of, you know" Harry added a light joke and although he couldn't see it, he knew Draco had cracked a small smile but it was followed by a short sniffle.
"Why did he have to do that, Harry?" Draco sighed as he thought back to that horrible bathroom incident.
"I thought he was going to kill me, drown me and leave you to bury me in the backyard. Imagine that, dying on my birthday" He sniffed again. "I was so scared, I would have rather been trapped in that storm, cold and hungry as the lightning was right over our heads while we sat in the dark."
"Yeah" Harry said. "But um...think about it, we're going to Hogwarts in less than three weeks" He tried to lighten the mood, just as he always did...he was always the mentally stronger one. But Draco didn't mind, his strength laid physically and he'd show Dudley who was boss if he actually had enough courage to stand up to him and not have to endure the consenquences of it. He was also sneakier with food and improvising their way out of trouble. But no, comfort and reassureance was Harry's area and he did it well; they took care of each other.
"I can't wait to get out of here" Draco added.
"I know, and soon we'll be on a train to a whole new place" Harry grinned as he visulised it alongside Draco. "A castle of magic where we will learn to do all sorts of cool stuff and play Quidditch! We'll have friends, our own bed and warmth...just think about it. My prayer and wish were answered...we're going to be free."
Draco nodded as he stared up at the ceiling and imagined what lay ahead for them but while Harry could remain focused on Hogwarts, his mind drifted back to that horrible rainy day. He shivered as though he was still wet from the ice water and fround himself leaning closer to Harry, resting his head against his in an effort to feel some warmth, to feel something, anything...to know that he wasn't alone in a cold, dark place.
They looked after each other, but Draco would never admit that he was the weaker one...that Harry really looked after him a lot more than he realized. Draco was older, but sometimes it felt as though Harry was actually the big brother. Draco hated it because no matter how hard he tried, he always needed Harry more than he needed him, or so he thought as Harry moved closer as well.
"Soon we'll be free" Harry said again as the boys closed their eyes, resting side-by-side in each other's warmth and comfort. "A few more weeks and we'll be free, Draco...that's a promise."