Where He Belongs

Harry Potter does not belong to me. Sadly.

This is my response to the Sorting Hat Challenge at HPFC. My character was Hugo Weasley to be sorted anywhere.

Tons of kids stood around him, waiting for their turn to be called. Thomas so and so… what's his name Finnigan… little Boot replica… they were all called. Even his cousin Lily came before him. The room was huge and kept his wonder going until he heard his own name being called. "Weasley, Hugo."

The name stuck in his head, watching as all the other kids looked at him. He was one of the last to go with the Whitby boy, the Wood twins, and the Zabini girl quickly following him. He looked at the four children who were to be his classmates and peers for the next seven years. "Mr. Weasley, are you ready?" Hugo looked back to where Headmistress McGonagall stood with the sorting hat in her hand.

"Y-yes, Ma'am." His skinny legs brought him forward and onto the dais where the Teacher's Table sat. As he sat on the chair, he looked over at Gryffindor house. He could see a sea of red framed in by black and strawberry blonde. That was his family from Victoire to Louis; from James to Lily. She had just been sorted into Gryffindor with her friends and family. His eyes then rested on his sister, Rosie. She gave him a big smile and he could hear her giggle out of everyone's when the hat dropped onto his head and covered his eyes from the world.

"So you've brought me another Weasley…" The Sorting Hat whispered into his ear. "You're different though… you don't show the courage your past kin has shown me…" The hat stopped as it seemed to be pondering where to put him. "You have your mother's intellect; that is for sure. But is Ravenclaw really the place to put you?"

"I-I don't know where I want to be." Hugo whispered to the hat, a dejected feeling overcoming him. "I'm not brave like James, and I'm not as cunning and ambitious like Al."

"I sense you are loving and loyal to your family. You show patience to your younger kin that many would not show. You could really do well in Hufflepuff." Hugo just sat there, listening to all the hat had to tell him. He wasn't brave enough for Gryffindor; he wasn't cunning enough for Slytherin. The two places where he had family he could talk to.

He knew he didn't want to go to Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw despite what the hat told him. He wanted to be close to his family. "You know, young Weasley… a wise man once said that we might sort our students too early. You do not know where you belong. You want to be with your family, but are you brave enough to face the dejected feelings of loved ones to be in a house entirely different to them?" Hugo furrowed his brows. What was the hat talking about? Was it saying that he should go somewhere that wasn't Gryffindor?

"I-I can face them. I know I can. They'll love me no matter what house I go to."

"Very smart, young Weasley. Perhaps, there's hope for you yet. Might as well be… RAVENCLAW!" The student body didn't cheer. They didn't clap. They didn't even breathe. A Weasley… not in Gryffindor. Sure, it was a surprise to them all when Albus Potter had been sorted into Slytherin, but he was also from Potter's background. No, the family that Hugo belonged to belonged in Gryffindor. The hat was lifted from his carrot coloured mop and he got to look around. His eyes first landed on Gryffindor where his family sat. Their eyes were bugged out. They must not have heard right.

"Go ahead, Mr. Weasley." Hugo looked up at McGonagall. She had a pretty smile on her wrinkled features that left Hugo feeling warm inside and smiled back. "Ravenclaw awaits you, Mr. Weasley." Hugo nodded and stepped off the podium and walked past his family to the Ravenclaw table.

Before he sat down, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw his sister, Rose. There was a smile on her face as well. "I'm proud of you, Hugo. You were telling Dad that you didn't know where you belonged. He may have told you Gryffindor, but I knew that wasn't true. You've always been too smart for your own good. Just like Mum." Rose hugged Hugo to which he returned.

"Thank you Rose. Thank you for acceptance."

Author's Note: Well, here it is. I like it. There may be a few mistakes here and there, but I think I got most of the nasty buggers. Anyhow, feel free to review to tell me what you liked about it or didn't like about it. Did I keep in character from what we learned in the books? Or did I make a huge flop (I hope I didn't. =) ) Beta'd by the lovely Innocent Guilt