Newww discussion! Maybe the last one for a while. There is still a lot of threads that are quite dormant at the moment, so y'all need to get discussing. [:

What would it have been like had Harry accepted Draco's offered friendship [not to say he rejects Ron's]? How would that have changed things? How would that have changed Draco? Do you think that would have led Harry to being in a different House? Would have have saved Draco a lot of grief during sixth and seventh year?

Discussion topic thought of by Aria.

Ultimately, Harry would still have been the chosen one. He might have gotten more support in his efforts to learn about Dark Arts and Voldemort if had been closer to the Slytherins (through Draco's friendship) and Professor Snape. But I don't know if they would have been that chummy? They really had opposite ideas about a lot of things. Chummy... no. Freindly-ish... more probable. At least enough that wouldn't get jinxed right and left for being a Gryffindor.

Unless Harry had accepted the Sorting Hat's appraisal and he had become a Slytherin. Not too sure we would have had such a clear fight between bad and good, which is the basis of the story. I guess I'd have to think more about the implications of it.

Well, when it comes to choosing friends between a Gryffindor, and a Slytherin (and you have no idea what the difference is between the two), you're going go for only one side. There's absolutely no way for you to be friendly towards both (At least not when you're 11 and you have certain ideas in your mind, whether you're knowledgeable or not about Hogwarts). So, I think he probably would be more inclined to go to the Slytherins, then, if he had decided to follow Draco, and be his friend.

But think about it: Draco probably only wanted him so that he could have some of the fame. If Draco and Harry became best friends, Draco would definitely have had some of the spotlight that Ron and Hermione had. But the thing is...Harry is indeed still going to be the chosen one. So, the question comes to whether or not Draco would stick with him through all (or any) of his adventures. Draco would then have to make his own decision in the future: Stay Harry's friend, or join the Voldemort against him. Then again, being the person that he is, and having the influences that he has...he might abandon Harry.

The beginning of Hogwarts both Draco and Harry can be predicted but as for their later years, it's a bit unclear as to what exactly would happen.

I completely agree with that.

Draco could have been different. He would still start out sneering at Gryffindors, looking down on muggle-borns and boasting about his father and his blood status, but later, he might change, or Harry and Draco would break apart. If Draco really wanted to stay friends with Harry, he would have changed, and became different. Being Draco, he would want some connection with The Boy Who Lived, and when that failed, he made Harry's life more difficult.

The chances of them staying friends would be slim, but if Harry had accepted Draco's offer, there would be the chance they could work it out and Draco could even possibly join Harry's side in books 6 and 7.

Draco is not the typical hero type, but he's smart, and he has a conscience, as showed when he couldn't bring himself to kill Dumbledore, so it could possibly work out.

I agree! You know, something came into my mind after I posted my thing earlier and it relates to Draco and his influences. I mean, if he befriended Harry in the beginning, obviously, Harry is going to be flat-out against Voldemort and his followers. So, look at Narcissa and Lucius, both whom are "former" Death Eaters. Surely Draco is going to be having a battle between friendship and his parents.

But like you said, Draco does have a conscience, and he has thought things out in my mind, I'm sure. Although, he has his parents' strong influence over him (not to mention his relatives, like Bellatrix, and their allies) he would most definitely have had the chance to side with Harry and possibly convince his parents to do the same. From what it looks like, Lucius and Narcissa don't exactly seem 100% evil or bad, either, considering their extreme care for their son and appreciation for those who look out for his well-being. Both of them are (as it seems by the 7th book) only afraid of Voldemort and what he might do to them. Had Harry and Draco been friends, Draco's parents might never have been in that situation. Draco doesn't have to be influenced by Voldemort's followers; he might have learned a lot from Harry, which would thus push him further to pull his own parents to the good side.

imo, harry potter would know whats up the first minute Draco would him.
Potter's sense or RADAR for good people is very Acute.
He would smell malfoy out the second he went sour.
Also, Draco was openly insulting Ron and others, and Harry Potter turned him down in the beginning becuz of his attitude...like i said. Harry Potter knows, man.;

Hollie: Heey, I think that was a bit of an inappropriate word, as it had connotations. So, I've just edited it out for you. Please refrain from using it again. ^-^

The only way Harry and Draco would have gotten along would have been if Harry had gone into Slytherin, as first suggested by the sorting hat. If that had happened, I have a feeling the story would have been a whole lot different.

I don't think that if Harry had accepted Draco's friend invitation, it would've played in to what house he was sorted into. From what he heard about what other people said about Slytherins, he still would've wanted to become a Gryffindor, but I believe he would be willing to believe that Draco was a different Slytherin.

And even if Harry starts off as friends with both Draco and Ron, he would most definitely have to choose between the two people. Draco and Ron were brought up completely different. The ways they were brought up: Draco was an only child in a rich family while Ron had five other siblings and lived in a considerably poorer family. And also their opinions towards Muggles. All of these would play in and then Harry would have to choose who he wanted to become friends with.

But yes, if Harry was sorted into Gryffindor, chances of he and Draco becoming friends are rather slim since it's a very rare friendship. But Saawariya... I don't necessarily believe that if the two were friends from the start, Harry would be on the Dark Side immediately. There was still Dumbledore and he would most likely have done anything in his power to convey to Harry how horrible and evil the Dark Side was. So if Harry did join, he would most likely join the 'good side' later on. Dumbledore's goodness can really affect you and how Harry was brought up has turned him into a more reasonable and merciful person, willing to listen to logic.

So... I'm not quite so sure I was saying there, but rejecting Draco's friend invitation was sort of a closed deal. If he had accepted, it might've been easier to convince Draco to go on their side rather than the Dark Side because they've at least had some 'goodish' history together and were friends. That tends to help.

But yeah... if Harry had indeed been sorted into Slytherin, the story would definitely be different but I don't think the outcome would be. Maybe a longer path and the return of the Dark Lord would be sooner, but I think that Harry would defeat Voldemort in the end.

If Harry accepted Draco's friendship, everything would have gone diffrently. There will be great chance that Harry would be sorted into Slytherin, and maybe, just maybe, Draco would be a Gryfinddor. But even with Harry in Gryffindor and Draco with Slytherin they could still be friends, and Harry would show to Draco that pride, money and pure blood are not everything in life. So Draco will come to the good side in the right time, and with his influence on the Slytherins they will become good too, and all the houses will be united!! It will spare Draco from a lot of grief and complications in his 6th and "7th" [they weren't in school, remember?] years.

I think that if Harry had accepted Dracos offer of friendship then it would affect Harry more in the short term and Draco in the long term. Harry kept the same personalit all the way through whereas Draco never had a consistant personality, you could tell by the end that a lot of it was an act. Harry could have helped Draco into becoming a better person.
But if Harry had had no misgivings about Draco in Madame Malkins then he probably wouldn't have had the same attitude towards Slytherin that he had when he got sorted. This might of meant him going along with the hats plan and going into Slytherin (I know most other people have already written this but I wanted to go over it in more details otherwise I'd end up losing my train of thought ans getting confused). The whole of his 1st year would have gone differently as he wouldn't have gone to dual Draco and wouldn't have found out about fluffy. Voldemort might of got hold of the philosiphers stone and come to power a lot sooner, before Harry was anywhere near ready to fight, or even know that he had to fight. Voldemort would have killed him and the wizarding world would be thrown into chaos.
I might be being overly dramatic. But that is one theory.

Well, I think Harry might have been in Slytherin. And Draco would still be sorted into Slytherin. They would have been best of friends no Crabbe no Goyle. Everything would have been different.

I think that Harry's friendship would have changed Draco to some extent. I mean, he wouldn't have been able to change Harry's views about purebloods and Voldemort's cause, but Harry could have helped in changing Draco's views in those things. Harry strongly believed in whatever he stood up for, whereas Draco only did what he did because that was what was expected of him. He could have been easily strayed from his family's beliefs.

As for Harry being in Slytherin, I don't think that would have happened. (Harry hated Voldemort from the moment he heard about him, and he learnt about the Slytherins going bad earlier on.)