Perfection

Chapter One

Chapter One
Starting Anew

Harry's P.O.V
"It will be good to go back" Ron said through a mouthful of chocolate frogs. Hermione looked up from her book. "Honestly Ron, after this long you still can't eat politely?" Ron gave a shrug and opened up another frog. I glanced out the window at the passing scenery. I felt a hand rest on my arm and I turned to see Hermione looking at me. "You'll be fine Harry, you'll see." Ron swallowed the chocolate and nodded.
"Yeah, I mean, what could go wrong?"
As if on cue the compartment door slid open and a familiar figure appeared.
"Well, if it isn't Potter and his friends." Malfoy said, but it didn't seem as threatening as it used to. Ron however, sounded twice as threatening as he usually did.
"Shut it Malfoy, we don't need to hear your garbage." Malfoy gave him a half-hearted sneer before closing the door and walking off.
"Gee, I thought it'd take more than that." Ron mused, reaching for the bag of Bertie Bots all flavour beans. Hermione quickly snatched it from his reach. "Your going to be sick if you keep eating like that," She scolded. "You can wait 'till we're at school to get these." Ron huffed indignantly and turned to the window.
"I wonder what was up with Malfoy?" I asked, both my friends gave me odd looks.
"Why should we care?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, usually it'd take a lot more to get him out of the carriage. Plus he usually addresses you two as Weasel and Mudblood. He only addressed me." Hermione closed her book and sat for a minute. "It might be because he still has to come back even though his father's in prison." She offered. Ron and I nodded in agreement. Ron looked down at his wrist watch and grabbed out his robes. "We should be there soon," he explained. "We should get our robes on." Hermione nodded, grabbed her robes and hurried out of the compartment.
"Do you really think this year is going to be any better?" I asked Ron, pulling my robes over my head and making my glasses sit askew.
"It's gotta be Harry, only Malfoy could mess it up." The ginger grinned. I nodded, and added to myself mentally that Malfoy couldn't possibly screw up my year.
The train came to a halt and Ron and I eagerly scrambled out of the train. We caught up with Hermione as the Thestral drawn carriages arrived to take the older witches and wizards to the great hall. I climbed on with Ron and Hermione next to me. Ginny, Dean and Seamus climb in across from us. Ginny gave me a bright smile and I return it. I hadn't seen her since I'd left the the newly rebuilt burrow to get my school supplies. "This year is going to be the best!" She chittered, still smiling at me.
"You've still got another year after this, Gin." Ron reminded her.
"Yeah, but then Harry leaves and he has to wait 'till I'm finished." Ron rolled his eyes at her as the carriage started to move. I looked in wonder as Hogwarts was lit up with all manners of light. I looked across as the boats drifted towards the entry at a slower pace, carrying first years. The Thestrals huffed as they finished it's journey up to the entrance to the great hall. Everyone exited the carriages and excitedly entered the great hall, taking their seats. The school didn't even look like it had been affected by the war the way I knew it did. The roof still glimmered like the real sky and the hearths still burned warm. The hall doors opened and the nervous first years crowded in. Professor McGonagall stood forwards and placed the sorting hat onto the stool. I looked at the confused faces of the first years and smiled at the memory of when I too had first seen the sorting hat. The seam that it used as it's mouth once again split open and it sang the song as dutifully as it had every year.

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see.
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me!
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall.
For I'm the Hogwarts sorting hat,
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The sorting hat can't see.
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be;
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart.
Their daring nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart.
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal.
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil.
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw
If you've a steady mind.
Where those of wit and learning
Will always find their kind.
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends.
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on, don't be afraid,
And don't get in a flap.
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a thinking cap!

The hall burst into applause as the hat took a bow and assumed it's regular position. I drifted into a day dream like state as the eleven-year-olds got sorted into each of the houses. I thought about my first year, how I had met Ron and Hermione. 'And Malfoy' some part of my mind reminded me. I remembered when he had held out his hand to me, offering friendship and guidance. I've never managed to remember why I'd said no, but I had. The hall started to grow into a din as I snapped back to reality as I realised that everyone was singing the Hogwarts song. Food soon appeared on the table and I filled up my plate. "Excuse me?" A small tug on my arm drew my attention to a first year sitting next to me. "Yes?" I responded. He looked side-to-side as if looking for something.
"Is this the house that Harry Potter's in?" He asked. I grinned to myself and decided to play along with the kid.
"Yeah, it is. Have you heard of him?" The boy's eyes lit up.
"Oh yes, I heard all about how he defeated You-know-who. And that he's the best seeker ever!"
"I'll tell you a secret then." I said, the boy scooted closer. "He's sitting next to you." I lifted my hair away from my scar and watched the boy gasp in surprise. The rest of the feast went by uneventfully, except for the boy whispering to his friends how he had met Harry Potter.
I followed Ron and Hermione out of the great hall, laughing and mucking around. A person pushed past me and knocked me. "Hey," I said. The person turned around to reveal it was Malfoy. He stared in shock for a second before turning around and continuing off in a hurry. Ginny suddenly appeared and attached herself to my arm. We got to the common room and the first years went to their rooms. All the boys sat on our beds and talk for a while before one by one falling asleep, except me. I lay on my bed for a while before getting up and sneaking out of the room. Although Voldemort was dead and gone, he bothered me. Whenever I fall asleep, I relive the moment he disintegrated away. I shook my head to try and remove the memory. I walked along the halls for a while before something caught my eye, I glanced down into one of the corridors to see a pile of clothes in the middle of the floor. I slowly walked towards it, cautious about what could happen. I was about to touch the clothes before they rustled and moved. I fell backwards and landed on my butt as it continued to move, a small face eventually peering out. I looked at the child for a while before asking who they were and what had happened, but my voice was hoarse from shock and all that came out was "what happened to you?" The small child looked at me.
" Dunno, but my dad will know 'bout it." He said. I rolled my eyes, I knew exactly who the boy was know but it was easier to ask than to freak him out at the fact I knew his name. "What's your name?" I asked. He looked at me for a while before responding. "Draco, who you?"
"My name's Harry, what are you doing here?"
Malfoy, or Draco since he's a lot younger, sniffled. "I dunno, I wanna be home. Where am I?"
"Your at Hogwarts, I'm sorry but you can't go home at the moment." Draco nodded and tried to lift his arms, failing at it as well since his sleeves were far too large. "Come on, I'll have to take you to see McGonagall." I said. He lifted his arms towards me, indicating that I would have to carry him. I picked him up awkwardly and stood, walking out of the corridor and navigating the hallways to get to the headmistress's office. Draco had found a fascination in my glasses and was having fun trying to slide them in different directions while I was trying to hold him and my glasses. I knocked on Professor McGonagall's door and waited. The door opened slowly and the professor peeked out. Seemingly shocked at the infant in my arms that was playing with my glasses she opened the door fully and led me inside. "What happened Mr Potter?" she asked, sitting down and offering me a seat. I sat down and Draco leant back, his head resting on my shoulder. "I'm not sure professor, I was walking around to clear my head and I found him like this." She nodded and rose. "I will return momentarily, please wait here." She said, and with that she whisked around ad disappeared from my view. "Whatsa Potter?" Draco asked. I chuckled to myself.
"It's my last name, do you have one?" I asked, trying to treat him like a kid and not as the Malfoy I was used to. He looked up at me, his silvery eyes glistening. "I dunno, I can't 'member." I frowned a little, why couldn't he remember his last name. He wrapped his little arms around me, his tears seeping through my robes. "Could you take care of me?"