Summery: This is an AU story where Harry is a dragon-elf on his mother's side of the family, his parents are alive, Draco is his best friend of six years (so far), and he is in Slytherin.

A/N: I borrowed heavily from the book during the time where Harry is in King's Cross, page numbers are mentioned in the A/n at the end of the story if you whant to refresh you memory. I'll try to keep the original work within this story to a minimum.

Chapter 1: A different beginning

Maria placed the tiny bundle in her scrawny arms gently in his crib. Her master had sent her to the Potter's to care for their son while they had been called away to a meeting. The Potter's had left her specific instructions for the baby.

A loud band downstairs startled Maria and woke the baby who started screaming.

The sound of gentle footsteps came up the stairs.

The door to the nursery was flung off its hinges.

A tall, thin man with a snake-like face and red eyes stood their.

Maria stood trembling, trying to calm the wailing child.

Voldemort's face split in a madman's smirk. He raised his wand at the poor elf and helpless infant.

"Avada Kedavra."

The elf fell dead. Voldemort turned to Harry, "Avada Kedavra."

Voldemort fell dead as the spell rebounded.

10 years later

Harry bound downstairs, ears and tail twitching with excitement. His letter had finally come and they were going to get his stuff.

"Mum, are you ready," Harry came sliding into the kitchen, bouncing out of his skin.

"Happy birthday, Harry," Lily said laughing gently at her son's exuberance. "Relax, it's still early and your father isn't even up yet and you need to eat first," she reminded him.

Harry sat at the table as Lily placed a plate stacked with pancakes in front of him.

Half way through breakfast, James stumbled downstairs, some papers and books in his arms. Reports and documents he hadn't finished last night. Working in the Department of the Regulation and Control Of Magical Creatures took its toll sometimes.

"Is Sirius coming with us," Harry asked his father.

"Hm? Oh, not this time, I don't think so. He thinks he might have gotten a lead on where Wormtail is hiding. Maybe he can take you next year."

Lily cleared her throat quietly. James looked up at his wife curiously. She looked pointedly at Harry then back at him.

"Oh, um, happy birthday, Harry," he said a little awkwardly. "Excited about finally going to Hogwarts?"

"You bet," he replied, eyes shining. "Now that I'm eleven, can I get a broom for home," Harry asked his parents.

All his parent's friends would always say that his dad was one of the best Seekers Hogwarts had ever had. Never missing the Snitch and even won the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor once.

Since Harry was part Dragon elf, wasn't allowed to try out. But he could still have mini games with his dad.

"Why would you want a broom when you have wings," his mum asked.

"So that it's fare."

James snorted into his coffee, a smile pulling at his lips.

"Besides, nobody's supposed to know I have wings, right? So learning to ride a broom, even if it's only for show would be a good idea, right?"

His parents looked at him in amazement before they turned their attention to each other. Harry had a valid point, several valid points actually. Also, it was always a good idea to have more then one escape route if something were to happen. That night showed them that.

Coming to a silent agreement, they turned back to the world around them.

"Alright, you can have a later model," James told him.

"Yes!"

An hour later, the Potter family (Lily and Harry's glamours safely in place) was emerging from Flourish and Blots, Harry's new books and a few others his mother wanted, were packed away in Harry's new caldron along with his potion supplies.

They agreed to split up, Harry and Lily went to Madam Malkin's while James went to the Magical Menagerie.

In the robe shop, Harry spotted a crop of silver blonde hair and pal skin in the back.

"Malfoy."

Cool, ice-grey eyes swiveled to look at him.

"Potter."

"Still haven't changed you mind about Slytherin have you?"

"What do think? Besides, can you honestly say you can see me as a Gryffindor? Or a Hufflepuff? Ravenclaw? I don't think so. And if I do wind up in Hufflepuff, I will request a transfer."

"I agree that you and Hufflepuff would definitely be a bad joke, but come on Draco, you're intelligent, when you're not being a narcissistic, conceited, prat that is," Harry quipped, smirking good naturedly .

"If I'm a prat, what does that make you," Draco retorted, also smirking.

Harry just smiled broadly at the other boy.

"Anyway what about you," Draco asked. "You still planning on being a Gryffindor then?"

Harry's smile was replaced with a thoughtful look, "I'm not sure anymore to be honest. I mean, it would be grate to be in the same Hose my parents were. But like mom said, if I were to be Sorted into Slytherin, then maybe I could help with the bad image that that the House has gotten. Plus it would be nice to be in the same House as my best friend."

Draco blushed slightly at the look Harry had given him. Draco knew Harry hadn't meant anything by his comment, the boy was too innocent to have. Maybe that was why Draco could get a little protective of the young boy some times?

Getting back to the original topic, Draco had to admit that he would like to have been in the same House as Harry as well. Too bad it would never happen; Harry was just too nice, too caring, and too ready to stand up for the mistreated to be in Slytherin.

They'd eat him alive.

"What do your parents want?"

"Dad still thinks all Slytherins power grabbing, backstabbing, self-severing spawns of Satan."

Draco snorted, "he's not entirely wrong you know. What about your mum?"

"She says it doesn't matter, that it's just a House and that her own best friend came from Slytherin and she would be happy for me no matter what."

"That's you done, my dear." (pg.78-79)

"I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express," Harry called.

"See you."

Finally it was Aug.31.

Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't what to walk into the station in his wizard's robes - he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and paced the room, waiting for his parents to wake up and get ready.

James had been called away on an emergency, so Lily took Harry herself. They reached King's Cross at half past ten, when Lily had been paged as well. Apparently there was a bad explosion at some potions shop and three people were now in the Emergency Ward at St. Mungo's.

"I'm sorry, baby, I need to go, can you get on the train be yourself?"

"Yes, mum, I'll be fine, go."

"Alright, love you," she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing in the car and driving off.

"Love you too," Harry called as she turned to leave.

Harry walked into the station and right to the barrier that lead to platform nine and three-quarters. The platform was just as crowed with witches and wizards as the muggle side of the barrier was. Thankfully the cars were another matter, and Harry had no problem finding an empty one. The only problem that he encountered was trying to get his trunk in the train.

He put Hedwig inside first and then started to push heave his trunk towards the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice dropped it painfully on his foot.

"Want a hand?"

Harry looked up to see a red-haired boy smiling at him.

"Yes, please," Harry panted.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help."

Another boy with red-hair jogged over. Identical twins.

With the twins help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you -'"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm Harry Potter, it's nice to meet you."

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door. (pg.95)

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming mom."

With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry sat down next to the window.

Eventually most of the students boarded the train which was getting ready to pull out of the station. Kids and their parents were saying last minute goodbyes as they scrambled to finds places to sit as the train stared closing its doors and worked up more stream.

Soon the train chugged out, leaving platform nine and three-quarters and King's Cross behind.

The door to Harry's compartment slid open, "so this is where you've been hiding." a familiar drawl said.

"I have not been hiding."

Draco closed the door and sat down across from Harry, "of course not. You've just been sulking."

"Have not!"

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the blonde.

"Where were you parent?" Draco asked out of the blue.

"Dad had some kind of emergency to deal with in the DRCMC, and mum was called away just as we got here to deal with a really bad potions accident. I don't know the details, but three people were brought into the Unusual and Horrible Predicaments Section."

"What kind of potion?"

"Not sure, but I think I heard my mum mumble something about purple and green boils leaking puss, under her breath."

Draco shuddered. Suddenly he was not so curious anymore.

"So where are your cronies?" Harry asked.

"Crabbe and Goyle are blowing their entire allowance fore the year on the trolley; we'll be lucky to get anything by the time their done."

Harry grind at his friend. He had only met Draco's friends three times the last six years. Even when he was five, he thought the two were more walls-of-meat then actual living things. He had asked Draco why he hung out with them once, Draco told him that had to de with their parents and social standing. The Malfoys, Crabbes and Goyles had always closely associated with one another.

Draco had admitted that he often got annoyed with the two of them.

They fell into a comfortable silence for awhile after that, munching on the sweats they had bought when the trolley came by and talking about what kind of things they expected to happen at Hogwarts.

At one point a girl with bushy hair came in asking if they had seen a toad for some boy named Neville. Later another red-head came in and stated giving them a hard time which Draco quickly took care of.

Harry wasn't too sure what to make of this one. He to be the younger brother of the twins, but seamed so volatile. Harry decided to keep an eye on him.

The First Years entered the Great Hall and stood in front of the High Table, facing the student body.

McGonagall stood by a stool with the Sorting Hat perched on top, calling names. Each time a person was sorted, their table would clap and cheer.

The bushy haired girl turned out to be Hermione Granger, and she went to Gryffindor.

Soon Draco's name was called and as predicted, he went to Slytherin.

More names were called and sorted.

Then it was Harry's turn. He kept hearing what his parents had told him, replaying different conversations about Hogwarts and the Houses and what it meant to be part of those Houses and how people treated each other based on their Houses. His mum was right, it was stupid. Wormtail was Gryffindor and he turned out to be a disappointment along with many others.

That made him think that, what if Slytherins only joined Voldemort because they felt they had no choice. He was getting a headache now.

The Hat took it's time assessing him, pointing out his various qualities before shouting out "Slytherin!"

The hall was in a state of shocked semi-silence, no one cheered and the clapping was awkward and unsure. The only strong, truly welcoming clapping was Draco's. Harry made his way to the Slytherin table.

The sorting continued and the loud mouthed red-head, Ronald Weasley, was sorted into Gryffindor. Last was a boy named Blaise Zabini who was sorted into Slytherin and sat on Harry's other side.

"So, Slytherin has been deemed worthy enough to be graced with the famous Harry Potter as a House mate," Blaise said. "Nice. This should an interesting next seven years to say the least."

Dumbledore stood up and beamed at the students. "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we being our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you."

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"He's mad isn't he?" Harry asked rather rhetorically.

"Yes," Draco and Blaise answered in unison.

As the food appeared out of nowhere and everybody started eating, Harry reflected that, Blaise was right, this was going to be an interesting next seven years.

A/N: Good? Bad? Cute though, right?

Now many you may have noticed the paragraph right under Aug. 31st and a few other sentences towards the beginning of that section and the three of the last sentences at the end of this chapter, those are taken directly from the book. They are in no way my work. Those qoutes beong to J. You can find them on pages 78-79, 90, 94, 95, and 123. Thank-you.

A/N 2: Regarding future chapters, what would you guys like to see couple wise? A few of my favorite pairings are:

SS/LM

RL/SB

SS/RL

SB/LM

Any thoughts? Or should I make threesome groups? Write and tell me what you think.