This story is a fan-created reimagining of the Harry Potter universe. The original world, characters, and concepts belong to J.K. Rowling and their respective rights holders. This work is shared solely for creative enjoyment and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the original creators. All original additions, interpretations, and canon-divergent story elements are my own.
Chapter 1
Malfoy Manor was already starting to feel colder and emptier to Narcissa Malfoy as her husband’s voice echoed through the west wing long before she reached the staircase. Even after all these years, she shuddered when he raised his voice. She climbed the winding staircase to the second floor, a single letter with emerald green ink and sealed with wax in hand.
“Draco, your Hogwarts letter has arrived.” Narcissa walked into the room of her eleven-year-old son with white hair and piercing grey eyes as he reread Advanced Magical Theory.
Barely acknowledging her entrance, he gave her a quick upward nod of his chin, not lifting his eyes from the book as he lay propped up on his bed.
“Well, don’t you want to open it?” She teasingly dangled the envelope in front of his face, obscuring the book.
Narrowing his eyes to glare at her, Draco earmarked his spot in the book and closed it on his lap. He glanced at the Hogwarts castle blueprint beside his bed, its edges softened from years of study.
“I already know what it says,” he shrugged and began reciting. “Dear Mr Malfoy, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Blah blah blah. You’ve already got my supplies and my robe fitting is tomorrow. What use is reading the letter?”
“I thought you’d be pleased to open it,” Narcissa frowned. “We ought to start a photobook to commemorate this journey you’re about to embark on so when you’re older you can look back to this very moment and remember where the adventure all started.”
Draco picked up Advanced Magical Theory again and opened to the bookmarked page, scanning to find where he left off. “Mother, it’s just school, not an adventure. Just send the owl telling them I’m coming.”
“Haven’t you read this one already?” Narcissa tapped the book down to uncover her son’s face.
“Father says a Malfoy never comes second and I can’t let a mudblood come in and outgrade me in my classes. Not even a Ravenclaw.”
Before Draco could protest, Narcissa plucked the book from his hands. “Do not say that word, Draco! If you are to uphold the Malfoy reputation, you will speak with respect.”
“Father says it.”
“Father says lots of things, but what he says within our home is not a reflection of how he conducts himself in public. That is the lead that you will follow while you are at Hogwarts.” Narcissa sat the letter and book down on Draco’s bedside table and turned off his oil lamp. “Now it’s time for bed. We will be going to Diagon Alley bright and early in the morning.” She leaned down to kiss Draco’s forehead and walked toward the door.
Still sitting upright in his bed, Draco called out to his mother before she shut his door. “Mother, will the other students fear me because I am a Malfoy?”
Narcissa stood thoughtfully in the doorway, squeezing the wooden doorknob, and thought for a long few seconds before answering. She frowned at the thought that he isn’t asking if he’ll make new friends. “You may be a Malfoy, but you may choose to be Draco when you are at school.”
Draco thought about what his mother said as he lay in bed, waiting for the sound of his mother’s footsteps to disappear before turning his lamp back on. He picked up the Hogwarts letter he had been waiting to receive for as long as he could remember and traced each of the four animals on the crest, lingering on the green serpent. Father always says Malfoys belong in Slytherin.
He climbed out of bed and faced himself in the mirror. He smoothed his hair back and pushed out his chest, imitating his father. He whispered, “I’m Draco. Lucius. Malfoy. And you are?”
He stuck out his tongue and blew hard, splashing spit droplets onto his reflection.
Wiping the spit from the mirror with his sleeve, he tried again. Still standing straight, he confidently flashed a smile, “Hi, I’m Draco Malfoy.” He continued staring at his reflection, still not satisfied, and his smile slowly faded.
Again. This time he half smiled, relaxed his shoulders, and gave his reflection a small wave, “Hey, I’m Draco.”
He sat on the floor with his legs crossed, rested his head in his hands, and stared at the boy in the mirror.
Choose to be Draco? What does that even mean? I’m a Malfoy. Of course everyone will already know my name. They’ll be begging to sit with me.
He imagined himself sitting before the High Table with the Great Hall stretched before him. Hundreds of pairs of eyes watched him in anticipation for the Sorting Hat’s verdict.
He squeezed his eyes shut tight and whispered, “Please…” before suddenly jumping up in the air while making his voice as deep and booming as he imagined the Sorting Hat would sound and shouted, “SLYTHERIN!”
Draco jumped onto his bed, bouncing up and down chanting “SLY-THER-IN, SLY-THER-IN, SLY-THER-IN!” The screech of his father’s door sent him plopping back down on the bed, scrambling to cover himself up and squeeze his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.
Much later, when Malfoy Manor had fallen silent and even the portraits on the wall stopped whispering, Narcissa checked on Draco and smiled to herself, watching him sound asleep with his opened letter from Hogwarts tucked inside Advanced Magical Theory, the envelope on the floor. She picked up the envelope and placed it into the cover of the book. After draping another blanket around her son, she crouched beside his bed.
She brushed a lock of white hair from his forehead. “Please…” she whispered. “Choose to be Draco, my sweet boy.”
