Optionless with Draco Malfoy

4. Early Years at Hogwarts

Juliette

Second Year

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I had gone through quite a bit last year, with the Philosopher's Stone.

There were five obstacles which we had to surpass: the first was getting past Fluffy, Hagrid's three-headed dog. Second, we had to pass through Devil's Snare. Third, was the search for a key, yet all of them were charmed. Fourth, we played Wizard's Chess, which was transfigured to be real and life-size. Fifth, from what Harry and Hermione told me, there was a potions riddle. I didn't move past the fourth obstacle because I insisted on staying behind to assist Ron and bringing him back to the Hospital Wing.

After everything we went through, the culprit was Professor Quirell, who we all thought was just a strange Professor at Hogwarts (not that there weren't few). It left us all confused since Professor Snape was the one attempting to rescue Harry. For the entire year, the four of us thought he was deemed to hate us. Even I, being in his house and all, was treated poorly.

The four of us were rewarded with points at the end of the school year and Harry thankfully had a smooth recovery from all the damage that had been done.

Our second year at Hogwarts. My roommates remained the same, as I did not talk to many people in the Slytherin common room. Something was strange this year. Harry told us that he heard voices in the corridors late at night. Then, there were many incidents where a student was petrified. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were determined that it was Malfoy who was behind the whole, Heir of Slytherin threats and petrifications.

Malfoy continuously got under my skin, he really was a bully to Ron, Harry, and Hermione. The odd thing was, he didn't treat me the same as my Gryffindor friends. I'm convinced that it was because I was a Slytherin, part of his house and our parents were friends, so I could easily rat him out. Besides, I was a pureblood so he almost had nothing on me, except for the fact that I was friends with Gryffindors.

Despite these factors, I assisted Hermione with the Polyjuice potion. Hermione said she had Millicent's hair, even though I insisted that I would get it for her, as Millicent was a roommate of mine. It ended up being a cat hair, screwing up her dose of the potion.

Harry and Ron were Crabbe and Goyle, meanwhile, I stayed as myself to make sure that Malfoy stayed out of his dorm.

Even though Malfoy and I had the occasion civilized and non-threatening conversations, it didn't mean that we were friends. He still insulted my friends and remained a prick to me. 

I completed the potion, and Harry and Ron drank the Polyjuice Potion to become Crabbe and Goyle. Besides Hermione's role of being Millicent, the plan was flawless. 

Hermione and I were in the library researching evidence of the Chamber of Secrets. On one of the days working in the library, we were both petrified. She looked into the mirror first and then it only took me a few seconds to realize that she was petrified, and I looked into it the mirror right after, not the smartest thing to do, right?

By the end of the year, both of us were cured by mandrakes, and the two boys managed to get down to the Chamber. Harry killed the basilisk and explained the entire thing to Hermione and I. It was definitely a year to be remembered.

After this experience, I learnt that the friendships that I made were real. I realized how much we all cared for one another, and Harry and Ron seemed to look after us day by day. I also gained more friends from Gryffindor, I became closer to Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan.

Third Year

Our third year passed very quickly. My friendship with Neville, Dean, and Seamus grew tremendously, but at the end of the day, I'd go to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. When I wasn't with them, I'd be with the Gryffindor boys who made me laugh until it hurt.