The Drarry Files

THE SORCERER'S STONE (American Edition)

Right off the bat, we HAVE to talk about the meeting at Madam Malkin’s robe shop. I mean c’mon it’s pretty iconic so lets goo

“Hello,” said the boy, “Hogwarts, too?”
“Yes,” said Harry.
“My father’s next door buying my books and Mother’s up the street looking at wands,” said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice.
“Then I’m going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don’t see why first years can’t have their own. I think I’ll bully Father into getting me one and I’ll smuggle it in somehow.”

During their first meeting at the shop, Draco is actually quite polite to Harry at first. He even cracks a joke, which, I thought was typicaldraco™
Also, this is even before draco knew that the boy he was talking to is harry potter. He has no “benefit” to befriending him at the moment, lucius didn’t ask him to or anything. He's just being polite (while also showing off bc draco is so xtra)
This could also be interpreted as draco trying to impress harry right off the bat and possibly make a new friendship.
Also note that JKR made draco the 1st person harry meets from hogwarts (hmm wonder why ??)
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“— imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?”
“Mmm,” said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.
oKAy i know i should stop ranting about the madam malkins meeting but !!!
Look who’s trying to impress who now??
If harry truly didn't like draco as soon as they met then why would he want to keep talking to him?
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Okay enough of that now let's move to the scene on the train where draco offers out his hand in friendship

“Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: It was the pale boy from Madam Malkin’s robe shop.”

Harry recognized draco at once, also managing to describe his appearance as well. I know this is kind of a minor detail but I need to take a dramatic pause before the next line:

“He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he’d shown back in Diagon Alley.”
He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he’d shown back in Diagon Alley

Okay I know draco just found out that the boy he met at the robes  shop was harry potter himself, so this could be interpreted as him wanting to get to know harry because he’s famous. But, i find it curious specifically how JKR worded it here..
I don’t know, this one is open for interpretation but that’s just my personal opinion
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And then of course there’s the handshake scene which i HAD to include because it is basically the start of their rivalry at hogwarts:

‘He held out his hand to shake Harry’s, but Harry didn’t take it.’
“I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,” he said coolly.
‘Draco Malfoy didn’t go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.’

This. This scene right here. I believe this shows a lot of things. For starters, let's talk about how draco so willingly stuck out his hand for harry. Draco, who has never had a friend that his father hadn’t chosen for him in his whole life. Draco, whose only friends are his “bodyguards” Crabbe and Goyle. Whether or not draco wanted to befriend harry because of his fame, this is still a really big step for him, as he has probably never opened himself up to someone like this.
Also, Draco is, even from the beginning, described as rather emotionless. The fact that even in 1st year, harry was the only one able to bring out such extreme reactions from draco says a lot about their relationship.
Would anyone be able to make Draco Malfoy blush except Harry? I think not.
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Okay this next quote is a small detail, but it’s not something one would usually think about an enemy..
‘Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday — and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.’
“Typical,” said Harry darkly.
“Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy.”

Hmm..I don’t know about you but I typically don’t think these things about any enemy or rival. But when I mess things up in front of a crush I’m like fuck fuck fuck they can’t see me like this
My crush would be the absolute last person I’d want to see me mess up (nervous much, potty?)
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Also, harry describes how he can hear malfoy talking about how good he is at quidditch often. He also mentions other people bragging as well such as Seamus and Ron and Dean, but it doesn’t really compare to the detail he puts into draco’s conversations
‘Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the House Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.’

How often did harry listen in on these “long, boastful stories” so much that he even knew the end to most of them? I don’t typically listen to what people i dislike are saying that often. And why was draco loudly complaining hmm? Was he trying to impress everyone or just someone in particular?
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Then during breakfast with letters..
“Harry hadn’t had a single letter since Hagrid’s note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course.”
Okay, I know draco uses this as an opportunity to brag about how many sweets he was getting from home, etc. But why was draco staring at the gryffindor table so much?? (specifically potter) that he would notice this detail? I don’t typically stare at my enemies idk about you. This is not the first nor last of the seemingly endless staring contest between harry and draco
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Oh and let’s not forget the first broom lesson when harry and draco have this mini duel over neville’s remember-all and it's fucking amazing

‘He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.’
“Give it here,” Harry called, “or I’ll knock you off that broom!”
“Oh, yeah?” said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

Draco looks visibly stunned by Harry’s natural broom stick abilities. Stunned.
And then the way JKR describes him as trying to put on a facade of his usual sneer but instead being intimidated is brilliant. He realizes how good harry is and cant put forward his usual malfoysneer™
Because harrys the only one who can break the wall draco puts up
A lot of these are minor details, since it is only first year, but are interesting to think about nonetheless.
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Okay, I CAN'T finish this without bringing up the forbidden forest scene.
You’d think harry and draco would argue the whole time their paired together during detention with hagrid right?? No.
The whole scene is actually rlly peaceful and they don’t argue at all. Well, before CreepyQuirrell comes and ruins everything..
And this is a long ass quote so bear with me:

‘So Harry set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Harry thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Harry could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.’
“Look —” he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.’
‘Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.’

They were walking together in peaceful silence for almost half an hour. They were both probably a little scared because they were lost but also in awe with the forest around them..
I just love this scene so much
Like the way harry just whispers look and puts his arm in front of draco?
And then they both walk forward together to see whatever caught Harry’s eye (a dead unicorn which harry describes as sad but beautiful before p-professor q-quirrell ruins everything)
But i’d like to think what was going to happen before draco screamed at the horrid sight and ran away, if quirrell wasn’t there..