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Harry had to choose a seat until the Sorting was over. That part was nerve wracking. He was going to be in Gryffindor so it might be best to sit with his own house. But he wanted Slytherin to be part of the whole so maybe he should give them some sort of public approval now. And he had never been particularly close to Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Maybe he should work on changing that this time around?
Once glance at the High Table, specifically at Snape's sneer and glittering black eyes, made up Harry's mind for him. Snape had already decided that he was James Potter version two. While that was useful in dealing with Sirius or Remus, it would only cut him off from his mother's best friend.
Slytherin it was.
"Budge over" he ordered Malfoy.
Draco looked surprised but moved as asked which left Harry sitting between Draco and Daphne Greengrass and across from Theodore Nott.
"Harry Potter" Harry offered Nott his hand across the table.
"Theodore Nott." He looked nervous and vaguely weedy even at eleven. His handshake was limp.
Harry nodded and settled back to watch the Sorting. Hagrid grinned and gave Harry the thumbs up. There was a lot less chatter at the Slytherin table then Harry remembered there being at the Gryffindor table on the first night. That might have been partly due to the silent and vaguely gruesome presence of the Bloody Baron. When he joined their table he settled himself more or less between Harry and Draco. Everyone at this table was quite certain that Professor Dumbledore was mad. They were less certain that this was a good thing.
Dumbledore was conducting the twins' funeral procession when, with an almighty wrench and a shower of black sparks, the Elder Wand freed itself from Dumbledore's grasp. It flew across the room, a sizzling black comet accompanied by little surprised sounds of hundreds of children. Harry's right hand shot up into the air, his fingers curling around the middle of the burning length of the wand. Thunder crackled through the room as children shrieked and flinched around him. The wand stopped glowing black. Instead gold and silver sparks burst from the wand's tip. Harry automatically slipped his hand down the length of the rod until he could hold it properly. With a flick and a swish Harry made the end of year banners drop from the ceiling – one pair of banners for each house – amid a shower of red and green and blue and yellow sparks. At the back of Harry's mind the Elder Wand's song joined with his own wand's song, a beautiful duet filled with happiness and self-satisfaction.
It was official: the wands remembered everything that had happened in the previous timeline. And they were not going to pretend otherwise.
Harry gazed around the Great Hall. The other students were staring at him with a dizzying mix of awe and fear and excitement. Snape's eyes were narrowed and smoldering. The other professors looked indignant (especially McGonagall) and speculative (especially Flitwick). And Dumbledore… Harry shivered. Not a good way to start his first school year.
Around him, hundreds of students – all of the children from every house – shouted and laughed and cheered. At least he seemed to be popular this time around.
Draco wished that the other Slytherins would hurry. Harry was in trouble!
Not that he cared about Harry. Because he didn't. Harry just didn't have anyone else to look out for him. And his mother had told him – no, asked him to look out for his cousin. If Harry had his own parents, Draco would expect them to look after him. But they were long dead and if things were different, his mum would expect Harry's parents to look after him. That was all.
He definitely didn't like Harry or anything.
It's just that everyone looked so grim – even Professor Snape! –and the Headmaster looked scary. Like he was planning to duel with Harry or something. Which was stupid.
Merlin! Why couldn't these people walk faster?
It was ten whole minutes before they got to the common room. Draco ignored the welcoming speech and headed straight for the fire.
No floo powder!
"Crabbe! Go get your emergency floo powder!"
"I don't have –"
"Stop lying and go get it!"
Crabbe lumbered after a helpful second year. Draco memorized the face. He or Harry owed that second year a favor later.
"I don't see why you care" Zabini drawled.
"He's only in trouble because he sat with us" Daphne Greengrass insisted. "Dumbledore would have laughed at that prank if Harry Potter had been sitting at the Gryffindor table."
Crabbe lumbered back with a small wooden box. Draco snatched a pinch and threw it into the fireplace
"Malfoy Manor, father's study!"
Draco stuck his head into the fireplace. Even as his father's study spun into focus, Draco started shouting "Father! Father"
His eyes lit on a familiar figure. "You! Dobby! Go get my father!"
Crack!
A few moments later Draco's father apparated into the room.
"Draco!"
"Harry's in trouble!" Draco blurted, interrupting his father. It was done rarely and even more rarely forgiven. But this was an emergency! His father stilled. "The Sorting Hat wouldn't Sort him! And then Professor Dumbledore's wand decided to be Harry's wand instead of Dumbledore's! And then the Heads of Houses marched Harry to the Headmaster's office! And Daphne says that no one would care about the wand if Harry hadn't chosen to sit with Slytherin House until the adults could figure out what to do with him. And –"
"And why are you coming to me with this?"
Draco gaped. "Father… Mother said that I was supposed to look after Harry. But I can't fix this!"
"Go back to your common room Draco."
Draco's face fell. "Yes Father."
Draco backed out of the common room fire. Harry was doomed. And worse, everyone had seen his father deny him! How was he going to make anyone –
The fire flared green. Lucius Malfoy then Narcissa Malfoy stepped through.
Draco beamed.
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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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