Chapter 14
Harry’s first morning at Hogwarts began with someone screaming.
Not a terrified scream.
Not a painful scream.
An offended scream.
“There is a bird in my bed.”
Harry opened one eye.
Dean Thomas was standing beside his mattress.
Pointing dramatically.
At an owl.
The owl looked unimpressed.
Harry closed his eye again.
This seemed like a problem for someone else.
⸻
Unfortunately, someone else turned out to be Ron.
“That’s mine.”
Dean stared.
“Why is it in my bed?”
Ron considered this.
“Emotional reasons?”
Dean looked personally betrayed.
⸻
By breakfast, Harry had learned three things.
One:
The castle was somehow even bigger in daylight.
Two:
The staircases were actively malicious.
Three:
Ivy had already made friends.
Harry spotted her almost immediately at the Gryffindor table.
She was talking animatedly with two older girls.
One blonde.
One dark-haired.
Both laughing.
Harry narrowed his eyes.
“Traitor.”
Ivy looked up.
“Good morning to you too.”
“You abandoned me.”
“It’s called socializing.”
“You met them yesterday.”
“And?”
Harry hated when she had a point.
⸻
Breakfast was interrupted by schedules.
Hundreds of pieces of parchment appeared simultaneously.
Students reached for them.
Harry grabbed his.
Then frowned.
“What’s Double Potions?”
Ron groaned immediately.
Hermione looked excited.
Neither reaction was reassuring.
⸻
Their first class was Herbology.
Harry quickly discovered that plants were significantly more aggressive than he’d been led to believe.
A small green plant attempted to bite Seamus.
A larger one spat dirt at Neville.
And one particularly horrible specimen hissed at anyone who walked past.
“This feels unsafe.”
Hermione looked scandalized.
“It’s educational.”
Harry looked at the hissing plant.
The hissing plant looked back.
Harry disagreed.
⸻
After Herbology came Charms.
Which Harry liked considerably more.
Mostly because things exploded less.
Professor Flitwick demonstrated a charm that made feathers float.
The class spent twenty minutes attempting it.
Harry’s feather twitched.
Slightly.
Hermione’s shot into the air immediately.
Of course it did.
⸻
By lunch, Harry’s brain felt full.
Magic had apparently decided to become real all at once.
He collapsed onto a bench beside Ivy.
She immediately stole one of his chips.
Harry didn’t even react.
Years of experience.
“How’s your day?”
“A plant threatened me.”
She nodded.
“Mine tried to eat a Slytherin.”
Harry paused.
“…Successfully?”
“Unfortunately not.”
⸻
The afternoon brought another challenge.
Finding their classroom.
This should have been simple.
It wasn’t.
The castle had other ideas.
Harry turned one corner.
Then another.
Then another.
And somehow ended up entirely alone.
“Brilliant.”
He looked around.
Empty corridor.
No students.
No classroom.
No clue.
Fantastic.
Harry started walking.
Hopefully in the right direction.
Possibly not.
The castle seemed unconcerned either way.
He rounded another corner.
And immediately collided with someone.
Again.
Apparently this was becoming a habit.
“Oh—”
Harry stepped back.
The other person did the same.
Then both froze.
White hair.
Grey eyes.
The boy from the train.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then—
“You do realize this is the second time.”
Harry blinked.
“What?”
“You’ve run into me twice now.”
Harry stared.
Then looked around.
Then back at him.
“I got lost.”
The boy looked suspicious.
“That doesn’t actually answer what I said.”
Harry laughed.
A short, surprised sound.
The boy blinked.
Like he hadn’t expected that.
Neither had Harry.
A brief silence followed.
Not awkward.
Just strange.
Then the boy glanced at the parchment in Harry’s hand.
“You’re looking for Transfiguration.”
Harry frowned.
“How do you know?”
The boy pointed.
Harry looked down.
His schedule was upside down.
“Oh.”
The boy’s mouth twitched.
Again.
That almost-smile.
Harry was starting to think he imagined it.
“The classroom’s that way.”
He pointed down the corridor.
Harry followed the gesture.
Then looked back.
“Thanks.”
The boy shrugged.
Like it wasn’t important.
Harry hesitated.
Then—
“I’m Harry.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Immediately he felt stupid.
Of course he was Harry.
Everyone apparently knew who Harry Potter was.
The boy stared.
Then, surprisingly, laughed.
Actually laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough for Harry to hear.
“I know.”
Right.
Of course.
Harry rubbed the back of his neck.
Brilliant.
The boy shook his head.
Still looking amused.
“Malfoy.”
Harry blinked.
“What?”
“My name.”
A pause.
Then:
“Draco Malfoy.”
For some reason, hearing it felt important.
Harry wasn’t sure why.
Before he could think about it further, voices echoed from somewhere nearby.
Students.
Getting closer.
Draco stepped backward.
The moment seemed to break.
“I should go.”
Harry nodded.
“Yeah.”
Another pause.
Then Draco glanced at him.
Briefly.
“Try not to get lost again, Potter.”
Harry grinned despite himself.
“No promises.”
And for the first time—
The almost-smile became a real one.
Small.
Quick.
Gone a second later.
But real.
Then Draco turned and disappeared down the corridor.
Leaving Harry standing there.
Staring after him.
Until—
“Harry!”
Ivy’s voice echoed through the hallway.
Harry jumped.
A second later she appeared around the corner.
“You got lost.”
Harry pointed accusingly.
“Don’t start.”
“You got lost.”
“I know.”
“You got lost on your first day.”
Harry groaned.
Ivy looked delighted.
This was going to haunt him forever.