Of Wizards, Akuma, and Exorcists
One: The Ministry of Magic and the Black Order
Disclaimer: I do not own any D. Gray-Man or Harry Potter characters/settings. They rightfully belong to Mr. Hoshino (D. Gray-Man) and Ms. Rowling (Harry Potter). Also, some conversations between the Harry Potter characters are direct quotes from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and that also does not belong to me!
Exorcism was known as an ancient art of magic, lost in the flow of time. A magic that was washed away during The Flood, what was lost along with the end of the war between Exorcists and the Akuma. At least, that's what people said. It wasn't neccessarily true...
"Are ye gonna sleep forever down there?"
The gruff voice broke through the silence of Allen Walker's slumber, and the silver haired boy opened his eyes and looked up into the bright orange light of the lantern hanging above his head. In a slurred voice, he mumbled, "What?"
The giant man towered over him, being about twice as tall as the average man as well as three times as wide. He had a wild bush of frizzy dark hair around his face as well as a long beard. His beady eyes peered at him with a friendly gleam as he held out a hand the size of Allen's face and said, "There ye are. Yer finally awake. We're here." His other hand skillfully used an oar to stop the small boat from crashing into the rocky shore.
Allen took the man's hand and allowed him to help him ashore. Glancing around with his wide, gray eyes, Allen noticed a small group of people standing off to the side. "Ah, you all came before me?" he said to them, smiling.
A Chinese girl with long flowing black hair nodded with a cheerful smile. "Just ten minutes ago," she replied. "Kanda was too impatient to wait for Mr. Hagrid," she added.
"Aye, just call me Hagrid," said the large man as he tied the rope to the wooden dock. He grabbed the lantern off its stick and motioned to the stone staircase leading up. "Sorting ceremony's about to start, so we'd better hurry. Yer luggage'll be carried up, so no need ter worry 'bout that. Follow me."
Allen and the girl, followed by the rest of the group, fell into step behind Hagrid as he led them up the staircase. "So Lenalee," Allen whispered. "Why were we sent up here again?"
The girl, Lenalee Lee, shrugged back and looked one of the people behind them, a tall man with a white coat and matching hat, his wise looking (?) brown eyes hidden by a stylish pair of glasses. "Brother, care to answer?"
The man, apparently Lenalee's brother, was Komui Lee. He fingered the cross on his jacket- the emblem that symbolized membership of the Black Order- and said softly, "I do not know much either. After this...sorting ceremony is over, the headmaster of the school will summon us to his office. There, he will explain everything. At least, that's what he said to the Finder."
"Cheh," tsked a long haired Japanese, folding his arms and glaring at everything he could land his eyes on, especially Allen in particular, who glared back occasionally when the gaze stayed on him for over a second.
"Kanda- could you please stop looking at me?" he hissed.
Watching the two, Lenalee and Komui sighed inwardly. Hagrid's looming shadow came to a stop at the top of the staircase.
"We're here, folks," he grunted, pointing down a short corridor at another flight of stairs, although this one was brightly lit by a warm light that didn't reach into the corridor. "Now the first years are up at the top of them stairs, so we'll wait till they go in. After that, we'll follow and you kids'll be sorted into one of the houses. And be aware, there's a chance ye might be separated from yer friends, or put into the same group as yer enemy."
Allen and Kanda glanced at each other at that, and Lenalee looked at the rest of the group. There were four boys including Komui, and a girl, who, along with one of the boys, looked significantly older than the other, although they weren't actually that old. They were, especially the girl, Miranda Lotto, watching the other two boys with worried looks.
Hagrid mustn't have noticed the tension (or the sizzling irritation passing between Allen and Kanda), for he cheerfully turned to the smaller people and said, "They're goin' in. C'mon, you lot."
The giant man led the group up the stairs and to a pair of closed heavy-looking doors, which he opened without effort. He, with his booming voice, annouced to the sea of people inside the room, "I have brought in our guests of honor, Professor Dumbledore, sir!"All fell silent inside the room as Harid turned to the confused group and nodded at them. "Go on in, all of ye. I'll follow, and you just stand at the back of that group down there. Don't be scared. Them kids won't bite ye." He winked and pushed Allen's back.
Allen glanced at Lenalee. "Let's go, wherever to," he whispered, sounding braver than he felt. He looked up into the room, at the people (who seemed to be dressed all in black) and took a step inside. Behind him, he heard Kanda tsk once again; Miranda sigh dramatically; and the rest, Arystar Krory, Lavi, and Komui, shuffled before following him. As far as he knew, the only who followed him with any confidence was Lenalee.
The group Hagrid mentioned was a large group of children. They were all huddled together, looking threatened by others who were sitting at the surrounding long tables. Beyond the crowd was another table, at which sat wise looking adults with beautiful robes. In the center was an elderly man, who looked to be trying his hardest at ignoring the frog-like woman sitting beside him. Allen couldn't blame him; the woman had a sneeky, mean and annoying look about her that made him irritated at her without even knowing who she was. Between the table and the crowd was a strict looking woman with her hair in a tight bun and a tall witches' hat (Allen could only wonder why she wore such a hat!) She stood silently with her mouth in a thin line, a scroll of paper held tightly in her wrinkle hands. She stared hard at the sea of children before her, and nervously, they ceased in their fidgeting and stood still.
The woman coughed. "When I call your name," she said in a voice that sounded only a bit like a sniff, "you will please come up and sit on the stool," she motioned to a stool that Allen hadn't noticed until then; on it was a withered hat that looked a lot like junk, "and I will place the Sorting Hat atop your head. The hat will then sort you into your houses...There are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."
Allen felt something tug on his sleeve, and he turned his head slightly to look into the one visible green eye of his friend, red-headed Lavi. "What?" Allen whispered.
"What's a Sorting Hat?" Lavi asked.
Allen blanched. "How am I supposed to know? You're the junior Bookman," he responded.
The teacher with the stern glare had already began calling out names. Allen listened as the old hat spoke (Allen was quite freaked by that.) A Michelle Alderson was sorted into Ravenclaw, a Daniel Creens into Hufflepuff, a tiny boy named Lana Hoots was sorted into Gryffindor, and a snide looking girl named Angelica Ratcliffet was sorted into Slytherin. About ten minutes passed, and Allen, Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda, Krory, Miranda, and Komui were the only ones left. All of them tried not to squirm; everyone's eyes were on them.
The old man at the table stood up slowly, and soon all the eyes switched their gazes to him. He was tall, with long snow white hair and a matching beard with half moon spectacles that threatened to slide down his long crooked nose. He wore a bright purple robe that shimmered in the candlelight (the candles, Allen noted, were floating in midair, and the ceiling above looked like the heavens beyond). He held up his hands to ask for silence, although it was quite unneccesary. The whole room was deathly silent. Allen bit his lip, wondering what would happen next.
"Welcome," the man said in a calm, strong voice. "Students, I hope you will all will warmly welcome our guests into our hospitality. To our guests, my name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the headmaster of this school. I am somewhat friends with Mr. Komui Lee, so I will have him bring you all to my office later. Dear Professor McGonagall here will call up your names and sort you into your houses. Now, your houses will be like...your home while you stay here. I hope you will fit in with everyone here, and of course, you will be attending classes with your fellow students."
Allen heard Lavi groan, and Kanda tsked once more. Allen stared into the old man, wanting to ask a thousand questions.
Why did he make Komui bring all the Exorcists here? Here of all places when the world was slowly being destroyed by the Millenium Earl and his Akuma? There was a world to save, for God's sake!
But this was no time for questions. The woman, Professor McGonagall, was unscrolling another, shorter roll of parchment paper and studying the words witten there. "Lavi, it says here. No surname, I see. Come up here."
Lavi gave his friends a slightly scared look before gulping and walking up to the stool where he sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat atop his head, and the hat twisted and turned as it peered down at Lavi.
"You're a pretty intelligent mind, I see. Good memory...and a knowledge of the darkness in this world. More courage, much more than any child, even more than Harry Potter!" it said. The students at the tables gasped for a reason Allen couldn't guess. "You do have some impurity in you. Oh, yes. You could be a troublemaker. You should be placed in...GRYFFINDOR!"
The table right beside Miranda burst into cheers, making the woman cower in shock and fear. Lavi, once the hat was taken off his head, jumped down and walked cautiously over to the table, where a bunch of redheads dragged him down into a seat and patted his back. McGonagall, promptly ignoring the cheering, called out Kanda's name.
The Japanese Exorcist literally stomped to the stool and sat down, scowling. Allen felt like laughing at his quite immature irritation, but decided against it. The hat babbled about Kanda's intelligence and courage, and in the end, yelled out, "RAVENCLAW!"
One by one, the Exorcists were all sorted into each of the houses. Krory and Miranda into Hufflepuff; Komui following Kanda into Ravenclaw; Lenalee into Gryffindor with Lavi. Allen looked down at the Slytherin table and at the greasy faces of its occupants. He shivered, he did not want to go in there alone.
"Allen Walker," called McGonagall's clipped voice.
That's me, Allen thought. He looked at the other Exorcists, all looking back intently, then back into the calm looks of the teachers. He took a deep breathe, sighed, and walked up to the stool.
The Sorting Hat studied his face, glaring especially intently at his cursed eye. "You're an interesting one, yes, you are," it said.