Chapter Text
Harry Potter had to admit that his first year had been amazing, overwhelming at times, but amazing. While he had asked not to be sorted into Slytherin, the hat had ultimately told him it would be where he would thrive- and while some of his house looked at him like he was diseased, he had somehow managed to make a friend in Draco Malfoy, even if the blonde had some… ideas that made Harry uncomfortable.
The young Slytherin had somehow managed to stop their defense professor, who had been possessed by the man who had killed Harry’s parents, while also protecting the Philosopher's Stone and preventing him from resurrecting, which had been… terrifying if he was being honest. Even at eleven, he was aware he would be having nightmares for a while.
But it hadn’t been all bad!
Harry loved magic, honestly, he never wanted ot leave the wizarding world- and he had buried himself in his lessons this year to try and become better at it. Maybe he could become good enough that someone here would see he belonged here full-time, which might be a pathetic thought, but the idea of going back to the Dursleys all summer made Harry sick.
Honestly, the only thing in this castle he couldn’t quite figure out was a certain Ravenclaw who seemed bothered by his very existence.
Final exam scores were being handed out to the student body today, and Harry was very… very nervous. No one had told him what these might mean for his future, but the idea of not being able to come back next year was making his stomach do flips. He’d barely gotten to look at his results when they were snatched out of his hands. With a startled noise, Harry looked up to see a furious Ravenclaw staring at his results.
“How did you do better in the history of magic?” Demanded first year Hermione Granger
The anxious feeling in his gut disappeared, and a small but confident smile replaced the look of surprise. He shrugged, “I don’t know, Granger. I guess I’m just smart.” Without a word, he snatched her own exam scores in return and grinned, “My My. You missed a question in Transfiguration-” Hermione cut him off by snatching the exam results back and shoving them back at him.
“I still did better than you!” Hermione practically growled before stomping away, muttering something he couldn’t quite make out.
“Bloody mental.” Draco said just loud enough for Harry to hear, “Leave it to a muggleborn.”
“Knock it off.” Something about the way Draco viewed muggleborns made him uncomfortable- but the blonde was his only friend, and maybe he could eventually change how the other Slytherin thought. “Besides, it’s not all bad.” Harry shrugged, the smile on his face shifting into something harder to read.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I just…” Harry’s face went red, and he looked down at his feet. “I think she’s kinda brilliant, y’know?”