Chapter Text
Platform 9¾ was bustling with students and parents. Many parents were giving their kids goodbye hugs, but not yours. Your dad stood in front of you, looking down at you. His deep voice said the same words they had these past four years, “Remember, Y/N, you are a pureblood. Don’t disappoint us.” Never more, never less.
You nod, “Yes, Father.” His cold eyes bore into you for a couple of seconds longer, almost as if he were checking that you got the message. Then he turned away and walked back towards the barrier to exit the station. No hug, no good luck, not that you expected any of that anymore. Your father was a strict man, never one to show many emotions. The most you ever saw out of him was anger. You turned, making your way towards the Hogwarts Express. You had already brought your stuff onto the train and settled into a compartment with your friends. Of course, they were also Slytherin purebloods. When you entered the compartment, you found yourself face to face with Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. Draco smirks, “Well, look who has finally arrived.”
You smile back, “It’s good to see you, Draco.” You and Draco had been friends since your first year, bonding over your similar upbringings: wealthy, strict, and taught pureblood supremacy. Draco had always been a good friend to you, almost like a brother. Both your parents seemed to hint that you two would be good for each other. You doubt that they even bothered to see if you two would be good together, at least your parents wouldn’t. You knew it was them just wanting to continue pure bloodlines. You knew you’d never seen Draco in that light and never would. You sit down next to Draco, “So, how was your summer?”
Draco rolls his eyes, “Pretty boring as usual. Father did tell me something exciting is going to be happening at Hogwarts this year.”
You raise an eyebrow, “What’s going to be happening at Hogwarts this year?”
Draco smiles mischievously, knowing he’s got your attention now, “He’s told me the Triwizard Tournament is happening this year.”
“What’s the Triwizard Tournament?”
“2 other schools are coming to Hogwarts, and a champion will be chosen from each school. Then they’ll compete in challenges, and the one that wins will become the Triwizard champion.”
While Draco continues talking about the Tournament, you feel the train jerk forward, indicating it is leaving the station. Draco goes into detail about the other two schools that will be attending the tournament. Eventually, he gets bored with this and decides you guys should wander the train. You knew he didn’t want to just wander around; what he wanted to do was find students to pick on. It was Draco’s favorite pastime, which you were very aware of. You stood up and followed Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle out of the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle would follow you and Draco through the halls of the train while you would throw insults at the younger students. Some of the insults were on their clothes, their appearance; others on things like their blood status or family history. But finally Draco pointed into a compartment, pointing at the exact people you were looking for: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, plus Neville Longbottom. The petty rivalry had been going on since first year and you didn’t plan on ending it any time soon.
Draco opened the compartment door, announcing your arrival to them. Harry rolls his eyes and says coolly, “I don’t remember asking you to join us.”
You snap back, “I don’t remember asking for an invitation, Potter.”
Draco points at a set of robes hanging off of an owl cage in their compartment, his voice laced with mockery, “Are those yours, Weasley?”
It was pink and covered in ruffles. Some of the cuffs were decaying and moldy. Before Ron can grab it, you yank it off the owl cage, lifting it to show Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. You cackle and say, “Were you planning on wearing these? I don’t think even my grandma would be caught in something that unsightly!”
Draco smirks, taking them from you and saying, “These belong in a museum with how old they are! Really, are you that poor Weasley?”
Ron snatched them from Draco and shoved them into his trunk, his face even redder than the robes were. “You two are horrible people, you know that?!”
This statement only earns more laughs from the four of you. Draco continues, “Maybe you could get a bit more money if you entered the tournament. Bring a bit of glory to your family name.”
Ron looked confused but snapped back anyway, “What are you on about?”
“Are you entering the tournament?” You say a bit louder, “God, Weasley, do we need to add hard of hearing to your list of qualities?”
Hermione looks up from the copy of The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 4 that she’d been nose deep in, “Either explain what you are talking about or leave, L/N.”
Draco snickers, “Don’t tell me you don’t know! I thought Weasley had family at the Ministry, yet none of you know.”
You smirk, “His father isn’t important enough for them to talk about that stuff around him obviously!” Ron’s face turns an even brighter shade as you all flee the compartment laughing. You hear the glass shatter when he slams the compartment door, leading you all to laugh even more. The four of you laugh all the way back to your compartment. They let you get under their skin far too easily. Expect Granger, you’d noticed that over the years. She was the level-headed one of the bunch; you had to say something really personal to get the same reaction out of Weasley or Potter. The rest of the train ride is spent chatting more about the tournament and the upcoming school year.
After a couple of hours, the train finally comes to a stop, you pick up your owl’s cage and exit the train. It’s pouring as you, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle cross the platform to the horseless carriages. When you settle into the carriage, you look out the window, waiting to see the Hogwarts Castle. You always thought it was a beautiful sight, a comforting sight at the least. Hogwarts always seemed to feel more like home than with your parents back in the mansion. Your dad always held fancy dinners and balls over the summer with other pureblood families, and as your parents' only child, you were expected to show up to all of them. The balls weren't always that bad, though. Sometimes the Malfoys were invited, and you got to spend time with Draco.
When you pull up to the castle and walk into the entrance hall, soaking wet, Peeves is dropping water balloons on students while Professor McGonagall yells at him. You and Draco chuckle when one falls on Ron's head. Following the other students into the Great Hall, you and Draco take your seats at the Slytherin table. Everything after that goes as usual: First years get sorted into their houses, Dumbledore gives his speech, and then the feast. After the feast, he goes over the Triwizard Tournament, the rules, and the schools that will be attending it. Many students were outraged when he said that only people 17 or older could enter, but you didn't care. You weren't planning on entering the tournament either way, it wasn't the type of thing you would do.
When it was finally time to head back to the dorms for the night, you filed out of the Great Hall with all the other students. As you're walking out, you accidentally bump into another student and instinctively say, “Sorry!” And continue on your way. You were still coming off the summer, where you were expected to have perfect manners for absolutely everyone. What you didn't realize was that the student you bumped into had been a bushy-haired Gryffindor girl.