Authors' Note: (Skip if impatient. Don't worry, we'll still be here :)

As you've probably already guessed, this is another "Harry gets sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryiffindor" fic. However, unlike other fics of that nature, A Slytherin Tale was designed to be a perfect reflection of JK Rowling's original piece: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It was made for the purpose of being so canon, that it would seem as if the great Authoress herself had crafted it. Therefore, some passages include word-for-word text from the original story. Sometimes, it's only a sentence, other times it's whole pages. So we take a moment to say that we do not own any of JK Rowlings works or characters. (Boy that gets old doesn't it?)

OC Alert: (This is important.) There are OCs in this fic, however this fic is NOT about OCs (NO MARY-SUES). This is still Harry Potter's story. The OCs exist to complete the dynamic of the original story. In particular, there is an OC who will play a large role in that she basically takes the place of Hermione from the original text. We did this in order to keep the same "group of three friends" dynamic so that Harry didn't have too much time to mope around by himself. Therefore, in this fic: Draco will take the place of Ron and an OC will play Hermione's role. (We could have used Pansy, but she's such a drip! Plus, she's useful in later chapters.) Feel free, actually we encourage you, to criticize the OC in reviews. Tell us if she's too over the top or too under the bottom and we will try to adapt her accordingly so that she convincingly fits in with the cast.

In Regards to Publishing: You should know that this story is ENTIRELY COMPLETE. That means, all we have to do is click the publish button for each of the twelve chapters. This is your insurance that we will NOT flake out in this fic and leave it half-published and only work on it every two years. We will publish the completed chapter at our leisure (so probably two or three chaps a week or as it suits us). If you like this fic, we will be much obliged to work on a sequel as well.

Lastly: There would be no use in starting from the beginning, since the first ten chapters or so of the fic would be exactly the same as the first ten from the original work. Therefore, the story begins in the first place where our alterations begin to take place to change Harry's destiny forever: in this case, King's Cross

We are Sensei and Rhamiel, and we hope you enjoy our rendition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: A Slytherin Tale.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine – platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.

"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig.

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"-packed with Muggles, of course –"

Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him – and they had an owl.

Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boy's mother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go…"

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it – but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

The twins came next, both vanishing like their brother before. Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier – he was almost there – and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

Harry stepped forward to ask the plump woman for help, but in his hurry he tripped on the corner of his cart and fell ungraciously into someone else.

"Hey, watch it!" a voice protested. Both Harry and the victim scurried into standing positions. The boy Harry had practically trampled had a pale, pointed face which was, at the moment, twisted into a sneer.

"Sorry." Harry mumbled and wiped himself off. "I was just… I'm going to-"

"Hogwarts?" the boy asked. He was eyeing Harry carefully.

"Yes," said Harry. He remembered, at once, his dilemma in getting to platform nine and three-quarters and turned to see if the plump woman was still next to platform ten. To his dismay, the entire red-haired family had vanished.

"Draco, I expected you to have your things loaded onto the train by now." A couple strode up, obviously the boy's parents. The man had the same pointed face and fair hair, which was long and hung to his shoulders. He also walked with an ornate walking stick. The woman was tall and proper with her nose in the air, as if the smell of Muggles quite disgusted her.

"I got held up," Draco said in a drawl, casting an accusing glance at Harry.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized again, "I was just trying to find out how to get to-"

"Platform nine and three-quarters?" the man interrupted. "Show him how it's done, Draco."

The boy obeyed. He stepped in front of the wall between platforms nine and ten, took a deep breath, and pushed his cart through the wall.

"Go ahead now," the woman advised, placing a delicate hand on Harry's shoulder. "The train leaves in less than ten minutes."

He pushed the trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.

He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into the barrier and then he'd be in trouble – leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run – the barrier was coming nearer and nearer – he wouldn't be able to stop – the cart was out of control – he was a foot away – he closed his eyes, ready for the crash –

It didn't come. . . he kept on running . . . he opened his eyes.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o' clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought – iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. He had done it.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat.

He pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot. At last, his trunk was tucked away in the corner of the compartment.

He sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the people outside the train. He quickly caught sight of the boy he'd run into near the platforms. The boy's mother gently touched her son's face and smiled.

"My precious boy's first year of school," she said, pride in her voice.

"Mother…" the boy complained and pulled away from her. "I'm not your precious boy anymore!"

"Draco," the father spoke next. His face was sterner than the mother's, and far less excited for his son's departure. "There have been rumors that Harry Potter will be attending Hogwarts this year. It would be in your best interest, if the rumors are true, to try and make his acquaintance."

The boy gave an expression of irritation.

"All I ever hear about is Harry Potter!" he complained, "Not sure what the attraction is, personally."

Harry had been thinking the exact same thing. He wasn't used to all of this attention he'd been getting whenever he was in the wizarding world. He had quite hoped it might have worn off a bit in the last month since he'd been to Diagon Alley. Apparently, it had not.

"Oh, Lucius, let him be," the woman chided. "Today is Draco's day and it would be in your best interest to wish him luck before he's off."

The man regarded both his wife and his son for a long moment and then finally seemed to deflate a bit.

"Good luck, son," his voice was low, but somewhat softer, "We'll be waiting to hear if you've made it into Slytherin."

"Of course I'll be in Slytherin," the boy scoffed.

He suffered a kiss on the cheek from his mother and allowed his father to pat his shoulder before he clambered onto the train.

"Be safe, dear," his mother called.

The train began to move. Harry watched the faces of the mother and father disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to – but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.

The door of the compartment slid open and the pale boy came in, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"You again," he stated when he saw Harry. "That is," he sighed, "Is there anyone sitting here?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "The other compartments are full."

Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and looked, bored, out the window. Perhaps he was unimpressed with the scenery, for he quickly turned his focus back to Harry.

"Hello, I don't think we've been properly introduced," a light smile touched his lips, "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

"I'm Har-" before he could finish, the compartment doors slid open again this time to reveal two thickset boys who looked extremely mean. Harry started, immediately on edge. These looked like the kind of boys Dudley might order to pick on him. To his surprise, Draco glanced up and waved the boys off in annoyance.

"Crabbe, Goyle, what do you want?" he asked.

"We were just looking for you." The taller of the boys said.

"Wanted to say we're sorry that the compartment is full," the second said, "If you want, we could sit in here-"

"There's no need," the boy said, carelessly. Again he waved them off and this time they slid the door shut and left.

"You were saying?" he turned back to Harry. "Oh, those were Crabbe and Goyle, acquaintances of mine. Well, partly, I suppose. My father is friends with their fathers and I know them through association."

Harry couldn't help but think that they looked more like body guards than friends, but he chose not to mention this. Instead, he relaxed in his seat and wiped his forehead with his sleeve, feeling that he could relax with the bully-looking boys gone.

Draco gasped. Harry jerked at once.

"You're him, aren't you? You're Harry Potter."

Harry attempted to push his bangs back over his scar, knowing that it was too late. He nodded.

"And that scar… That's from when You-Know-Who-"

"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."

They sat in silence for a moment. Draco seemed to be seeing Harry for the first time. He regarded him carefully and with a guarded expression.

"You're famous, you know." Draco said.

"Yes, but I'm not exactly sure how surviving an attack when I was baby is enough to make me famous." Harry replied.

"My thoughts exactly," Draco muttered, but he seemed to relax a bit.

It may have seemed a little strange, but Harry was glad to have met someone who resented his fame as much as he did. So far, all anyone had to say about him was how amazing he was, when in truth, he didn't feel amazing at all.

The silence picked up again, with Draco still regarding Harry thoughtfully.

"Are all your family wizards?" Harry finally asked - eager to change the subject to something else.

Draco smirked at once and leaned comfortably in his seat.

"Yes, I come from a pureblood line of wizards. That really is the best type, but I'm sure you already know that. You'll find that some wizarding families are better than others. I'll help you with that." He held out a hand for Harry to shake. Harry considered this for a moment. He couldn't say he particularly liked Draco's superior attitude, but he seemed to be a more tolerable companion than one who might idolize Harry for his fame. He took Draco's hand and shook. Satisfied, Draco leaned back again.

"I heard you were raised by Muggles," said Draco. "I can't even imagine how horrible that must have been."

"Terrible – well, they're not all that bad. My aunt and uncle and cousin are though. Wish I'd been raised in a wizarding family."

"It certainly would beat what you had to live with. I'm an only child and my parents are always busy with important business. They invite other pureblood families to our manor for events, so I've seen loads of experienced witches and wizards. It can get boring, being shuttled around to parties all the time, but more often than not, I think it's an honor."

"I don't think I've been to a single party." Harry said - unless of course you count the one where he accidentally loosed a boa constrictor from the zoo on Dudley's birthday.

"Well then you must come to one of ours in the summer." Draco smiled widely. Harry was both pleased and alarmed by this invitation. He wasn't sure he'd be entirely comfortable at a large, and obviously wealthy, party. He put this from his mind for the time being.

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet and went into the corridor.

He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver, he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry – but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Draco stared as Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.

"Hungry?" Draco asked, bemused.

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty. "Why didn't you get anything?" he asked Draco who had resumed his bored stare out the window.

"I don't eat any of that vile waste." He crinkled his nose when he said this.

"Not even chocolate?" Harry asked while identifying a chocolate frog.

"I try to avoid it, if I can." – but when he said this, he eyed one of Harry's chocolate frogs, curiously.

"Here, one chocolate frog couldn't hurt, could it?" Harry asked, holding out one for him.

Draco narrowed his eyes.

"I suppose just one… but, I have to give you something in exchange."

"No you don't. One chocolate frog, free of charge."

"Just a little bit of magic to even the balance," Draco said with a smirk. He pulled a wand out of his pocket. Harry leaned forward eagerly.

"You know magic?" he asked.

"My mother taught me a thing or two," Draco answered. He held his palm open and pointed at it with the wand. He mumbled something which Harry didn't catch, and a chocolate flower had formed in his hand. He held it out to Harry with a proud grin.

"Right now I can only make flowers," he said, "but its complex magic for something so simple. I can also tie shoe laces and stun small animals." He said these like they were astonishing feats which only the truest of wizards could accomplish. Nonetheless, Harry was impressed.

Draco gave in and shared a bit of Harry's candy stock and Harry asked him to teach him a spell or two with his own wand. It felt nice, having someone to share things with.

"Know what house you'll be put in yet?" Draco asked after a while.

"House?" Harry asked.

"Yes, you know, the four Hogwarts houses?" Draco raised an eyebrow as if this knowledge was elementary.

Harry shrugged.

"Well, I suppose being raised by filthy Muggles, you wouldn't really know much, would you?" Draco said.

"There are four houses at Hogwarts – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. When the first-years get to school, they each get sorted into one of the houses. I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been – imagine being in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, I think I'd leave," he drawled.

"What's wrong with Hufflepuff and Gryffindor?" Harry asked.

"Hufflepuffs are useless and Gryffindors. . . Well they're the natural enemy of Slytherins. Think they know everything, they do. Arrogant lot, really. With far too much pep, if you ask me."

"What about Slytherin?" Harry asked, "What are they like?"

"Many of the wealthiest and most famed witches and wizards came from Slytherin," Draco grinned proudly, "Like my own parents. But most people, these days, don't like Slytherins at all." There was a tinge of venom in his voice.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Well because Slytherin is the house where You-Know-Who came from," Draco answered.

Harry could see how this might frighten people away from the Slytherin house. He'd only been a part of the wizarding world for a day and already, at the mention of You-Know-Who, he felt a bit of fear creep through him.

"It's all nonsense, really. Slytherins aren't all that bad. And anyone who wants to achieve anything in life would be better of there anyway." Draco clearly felt strongly about this.

Harry wondered which house his own parents came from. He wished he would have had this conversation with Hagrid, who might have been able to tell him.

"Play Quidditch at all?" Draco asked after a moment.

"What's Quidditch?" Harry asked.

"Merlin's beard! You really don't know anything, do you?" Draco said, shocked. Harry was offended by this.

"Not like I can help it," Harry said, hotly.

"I didn't mean to sound rude," Draco said, though Harry somehow doubted this. "I've just never met anyone my age that wasn't raised in the purest of wizarding families. It's strange to meet someone who doesn't even know about Quidditch."

Harry accepted this explanation and asked about the game.

"It's our sport. The wizard sport," Draco explained. "It's played on a broomstick - Have you ever ridden a broomstick?"

"No," said Harry.

"Well, I'm rather good at it – Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my House, and I must say, I agree. I'd be more than happy to teach you a bit about flying once we're in school."

Harry was excited about this and listened as Draco began to explain the rules of Quidditch. He had only just described the four types of balls, however, when something crawled in through the partially opened compartment door.

It was a black and white cat with long fur and a rather long tail to match. As soon as it had squeezed through the entryway, it leapt onto one of the seats and dropped a fat toad beside Draco. It then mewled happily and began to lick its paw.

"What's this -" Draco started, but before he could finish, the door was slid open completely and a girl stepped inside. She checked behind her, nervously, and then turned back to the cat.

"Good boy, Camo," she praised before snatching up the toad and slipping it into her pocket. "If anyone asks, neither of you have seen a toad," she said to Draco and Harry. She had a whispery sort of voice, yellow hair, and very brown eyes that somewhat resembled those of the cat in their shape. Before Harry or Draco could respond to her, she had scooped up the black and white cat and left the compartment.

"Who was she?" Harry asked, at once.

"If I'm not mistaken," Draco said, "She was a Melbarke. They're another pureblood wizarding family. They used to be incredibly popular, or so my father has told me, but now days you don't hear much about them. In fact, I heard they were traveling for the past few years out of country. Father didn't expect she'd come to Hogwarts at all. I'll have to owl him about this."

Harry was just about to ask another question when the compartment door slid open yet again. This time there was a boy and a girl. The boy looked like he was on the verge of tears and the girl looked immensely agitated. She had a head of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth.

"Have either of you seen a toad?" she asked. "Neville seems to have lost his."

Draco and Harry shared a look.

"No toad here," Draco said with narrowed eyes.

"Someone said that they saw a cat take it into this compartment. Are you sure you haven't seen it?" the girl prodded after Neville began to sob.

"Do you see a cat in here?" Draco snapped.

"Keep looking," Harry offered, politely. The girl narrowed her eyes and then dragged the boy out of the compartment with her.

Draco checked his watch and stood up.

"The train should be arriving soon. We should get changed into our robes."

Harry peered out the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

They were just taking off their jackets when the compartment door slid open yet again. Harry was beginning to get annoyed.

This time, there was another girl with a rather tight expression and brown hair. She smiled when she saw Draco.

"Pansy, get out of here!" Draco ordered, "Can't you see we're about to get changed?"

The girl's eyes widened at this and she shuffled her feet, shyly.

"I just wanted to check on you, Draco. And to tell you that we're almost to Hogwarts."

"Really?" Draco said, sarcastically, "I had no idea. Get out, Pansy - Unless you want to tell me how to button my clothes, too."

The girl seemed incredibly hurt by this. She sniffled and slammed the compartment shut on her way out.

"Pansy Parkinson," Draco said as they pulled on their long black robes. "I know I sounded harsh with her, but she's more of a drip than anyone I've ever met and she follows me around everywhere. I can only take so much, you know?"

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minute's time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Draco, he saw, looked slightly paler than normal.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer fis' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Ooooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, it windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Draco were followed into their boat by Pansy and Goyle.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then – FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff, they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there? Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Only a few feet away from him, the Melbarke girl snickered to herself and hoisted her cat closer to her chest. Then they all clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.