Heaven || D. Malfoy

Hippogriffs

Life at Hogwarts proved to be an adventure for Alice. When it was time to for their first journey to Hogwarts, Harry and Alice found themselves glued to each other's sides. Their eyes had widened when they learned have how to arrive at Platform 9 3/4, the way that the lovely family that had helped them ran through an entire barrier before they too ran through the very same bricks.

The son in the family that was their age introduced himself on the train as Ron Weasley. Ron and Harry seemed to get along swimmingly, Alice happy for Harry that she wouldn't be the only friend he had at Hogwarts. When a trolley of treats strolled by their compartment, Harry had bought the lot, Alice happily eating the pastries and sweets that he handed her.

Faces passed by the compartment, many glancing or fully staring at Harry. Alice wasn't quite sure what was taking place until Harry told her why he was garnering as much attention as he was. Other children stopped inside the compartment at different points throughout the ride, many gawking once they realized who was sitting in front of them.

Harry, Ron, and Alice had taken to a conversation about Quidditch. As it turned out, all they had to do was confess that they didn't know of any professional teams, and Ron was off and talking about the entire game. Alice and Harry found themselves looking at each other in amazement. Just as his descriptions of the game became more detailed, the door of the compartment had slid open to reveal Draco Malfoy, two boys just behind him.

Malfoy's eyes seemed to fall on Alice as he took in the occupants on the seats. His gaze turned to Harry, specifically on the lighting bolt scar. Alice watched the two, knowing that Harry had not liked Malfoy at all when they had met. Ron looked between each of them as he kept to himself.

"So it's true then," Malfoy finally said. "They're all saying down the train that Harry Potter is in this compartment. So, you're Harry Potter, aren't you?"

Harry didn't say a word. His eyes seemed to study Malfoy. His focused expression wasn't something that was new to Alice. She remembered many times when he would just watch and observe the other kids on the playground when they were young. His eyes slowly rose to the boys behind the pale boy. Malfoy introduced the two boys as Crabbe and Goyle, going on to formerly introducing himself to Harry.

Alice kept to herself as tensions grew in the room the moment Malfoy continued on to tell Harry of how he wouldn't want to make friends with the wrong sort. As the boys began to insult one another, Alice just hoped that Malfoy and his henchmen would leave as quickly as they had came. She looked away from the scene, instead looking down at her lap while she heard a muffled argument in the background. She only looked up when she heard the squawking sound of one of the boys. Looking up, she saw that the boy named Goyle had a rat stuck on his knuckle. It took her a moment to remember that the rat belonged to Ron.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle quickly left the compartment, Alice looking up to see Malfoy sneering at the three. Turning to Ron, she watched him lay his rat on the seat beside him. He was frowning, and beside her, Harry was glaring at the sight of the boys that were disappearing. She admitted to Harry that she wasn't so sure that Malfoy would leave them be. After all, she remembered what it was like to have to go to school with Dudley Dursley. She imagined life at the school that Draco Malfoy attended would be rather similar. And she was right.

That night, when the first years were sorted into their houses, Alice found herself brimming with nerves. Where would she be placed? Would she and Harry be in the same house? Would she somehow be cursed to be in the same house as Malfoy? She didn't say anything aloud, but when she saw the tattered old hat that was placed on the students' heads, she found herself ready to pinch herself once more. Each thing she saw seemed to trick her into thinking that she had been dreaming up the entire sorting ceremony.