Chapter One

Four students sat on the hard wooden benches outside the headmaster's office. Two boys and two girls, each of them looked so completely different, there was only one discernible thing that they all had in common:

They were all in deep, deep trouble.

Well, that and freckles.

But mostly trouble.

On the far end, a girl with wild fiery hair leaned back against the wall behind her and blew out her breath, clearly frustrated, though mostly at herself for managing to get in trouble on the first day of school. Beside her, the second girl pulled her ankle length golden braid into her lap and stared shamefully at a small green lizard in her hands. Sitting next to her was a lanky boy whose brown hair fell to cover he tops of his ears. He twisted his hands in his lap and his left leg clanked against the stone floor as he fidgeted. On the far end was a boy with pure white hair who lounged on the bench in stark contrast to those around him. His right hand held a long wooden staff and snowflakes danced between the fingertips of his left as he flicked them into the air.

The large wooden door in front of them creaked open and a man poked his head out. He was old and thin, with coarse hair that stuck out from his head and an underbite. At his feet was a shaggy white cat that seemed to squint at them as much as the man did.

"The headmaster will see you now," he grumbled.

One by one, the kids shuffled into the spacious Headmaster's office. The doors thudded shut behind them.

A large wooden desk covered in various whirring instruments and a plaque that read "Professor Manfred Mune, Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wisardry"greeted them in the center of the room. Behind it was seated a short, round man with an equally-circular face. Looked up and motioned for them to sit in the chairs in front of his desk. They did, quietly.

The man picked up a pair of moon-shaped spectacles and a long sheet of parchment. He began to read, studying each of the students in turn as he did.

"Mister Jackson Overland Frost, Mister Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Miss Rapunzel Elouise Flowers, and Miss Merida Dunbrooch."

Each student deflated slightly as their name was read, gazes sliding to their feet. Professor Mune regarded them cooly over the tops of his glasses and turned his attention back to the paper.

"Wanted for being in possession of an unauthorized magical object-" a pointed glance up at the white-haired boy, then down to the paper, "transporting a fully grown dragon on the premises-"

"Technically the dragon transported himself," the brunette, Hiccup, interjected, but fell silent at a glance from the Headmaster.

"Carrying a personal animal which goes against school policy-" the chameleon, which was clearly not a cat, rat, owl or toad, shrank back in Rapunzel's lap,

"And finally," the man continued, looking at the redhead, "smuggling a muggle weapon onto school property."

"Et's just mah boo,-" Merida protested, "ahm not gonna hurt anyone with et..."

Professor Mune set the paper on the desk and removed his glasses. The students tensed under his gaze, Jack's grip on his staff tightening until his knuckles turned white.

"Toothless is domesticated, sir," Hiccup blurted, "he's not dangerous. He can't even fly on his own-"

"We will discuss this later, Mister Haddock."

Hiccup fell silent.

"For the time being, your dragon is being kept in Care of Magical Creatures. I can assure you he is in very good hands. Berk is... unique in its methods, though I'm sure we will be able to work out some sort of arrangement. In the future, I would appreciate some forewarning before a student brings a dragon to my school. Meet with me tonight once you're settled in. " There was a hint of mirth in the professor's eyes as he turned his attentions to the white-haired boy.

"As for you, Mister Frost, I am aware of the situation. I have had correspondence with one-" he glanced down at a paper on his desk, "Nicholas St. North. I must say it is the first time I have received a letter by tooth fairy." Professor Mune smiled. "As for your staff, I would advise you to see Professor Sanders about that as soon as possible."

Jack gaped at him. "So... I can keep it?"

Professor Mune quirked an eyebrow at him. "This is a school of wizardry. I should think you'll need a wand, don't you?" His tone sobered. "Rest assured though, that this is a special case. It would be unwise to deprive you of a conduit of power, but I will not permit misbehavior because of your... status."

Jack nodded. "Yessir."

"Mr. Filth?" The old man who had let them in peered out from behind the corner.

"Ah, I was just, er, tidying up. A bit. In the office."

"Thank you, Mr. Filth. Will you excuse us please, and keep an eye on the arriving students?" Professor Mune said serenely.

"...Of course... sir. Come on, Toadstool." Filth pulled out of the doorway and slunk down the hall. The wooly cat remained and growled disdainfully at them before following after its master.

"What's his problem?" Jack asked.

"The school caretaker, Mr. Filth, seems to have a habit of eavesdropping. He also is inclined to be... harsher than I prefer." Professor Mune beamed at them all, then glanced down at the piece of parchment once again.

"Since these all seem to be trivial problems or matters of miscommunication, I should think they'll be easy to sort out. I shall remain in communication with each of you. Miss Flowers, Miss Dunbrooch, we will discuss matters later tonight." He stood, the wooden chair squeaking against the floor.

"Now, I believe we have a feast to get to."

Hiccup was immensely relieved. He hasn't been expelled, and Toothless hadn't been captured and sent off to the Ministry of Magic or whatever it was called. And, as far as he knew, the punishments light to nonexistent. Worse case, Astrid or someone else would have to take Toothless back to Berk.

Now he could focus on the rest of the evening and, the event that was on everyone's minds, the sorting.

He took a deep breath as they exited Professor Mune's office, feeling some of the worry lift off his shoulders. Rapunzel's chameleon climbed onto her shoulder and she scratched its head with a finger as they turned back to where Professor Mune was standing in the doorway of his office.

"Go down to the Great Hall," he said. "I'll be along shortly."

The moment they were out of earshot, Jack turned to Hiccup. "You have a DRAGON?"

"And ya rode et ta school?" Merida asked. The three stared in awe at him.

"Well... yeah. I live on an island. We don't exactly have a train station."

Rapunzel's green eyes widened in excitement. "What's it like? The dragon, I mean?"

"Oh, his name is Toothless. He actually does have teeth, they're just retractable like the claws on a cat. He's what we call a Night Fury. People used to say they were the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Turns out he's just a big, scaly, overprotective goofball."

"And you can actually ride the dragon? Like, in the sky?" Rapunzel asked.

"Well I prefer not to fly in the ocean if I can help it," Hiccup said.

Jack laughed. "You guys act like you've never flown before."

"Oh, and ah suppose you fly all the time then, eh?"

"Of course I do. Have you ever tried to spread winter on foot?"

"Ha ha mister Jack Frost," Rapunzel said.

Merida snickered. "Yer parents named ya after a legend?"

"Actually, I am the legend."

Hiccup snorted. "Yeah, and I'm Odin's ghost."

Jack shrugged. "Well if you think your dragon's overprotective, you should meet the tooth fairy. Every time I go anywhere she's checking my teeth to make sure I didn't chip anything. And don't even get me started on the sugar arguments she has with Santa and the Easter Bunny."

The other three kids couldn't help but laugh at that. The hall ended abruptly at a marble-railed landing. Below them, the floor dropped off dozens of feet in an enormous room full of-

"Moving staircases." Jack said.

"Great," Merida said. "How are we supposed to get there now? Do we even know what floor the Great Hall is on?"

Rapunzel tentatively leaned over the edge of the platform. "I can't even see the floor," she said. One of the staircases drifted over and aligned itself with their landing, stopping with a thud.

"Well," said Hiccup, "I guess let's go."

The piled onto the staircase and it grinded away from the wall and into the open air. Rapunzel yelped slightly and gripped the side if the staircase as it moved. Jack peered over the edge with interest and hopped onto the next platform before it has finished connecting with the landing.

Merida shuddered as her feet connected with solid ground. "Takes some gettin used to, that does. D'you think this is the right one?"

"Only one way to find out."

It wasn't the right one.

"Aaand we're lost," Hiccup said.

"What if we don't make it in time and they do the sorting without us?" Rapunzel worried, her braid almost brushing the floor as she looked around the hall.

Merida groaned. "Why does evere'thing have ta look the same in this school?"

"Of course we'll make it," Jack said. "I'm sure it's right around here somewhere."

A door in the corridor in front of them opened and a woman stepped out. She wore a set of light, flowing indigo-purple robes and her brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun with a long golden feather sticking out. She was young, probably in her twenties, and her skin was smooth and tan. The woman pushed her bangs, which were colored in strips of yellow, green, and blue, out of her face and noticed the students.

"Shouldn't you four be in the Great Hall?" She asked curiously.

Jack gave a sheepish grin. "We're kind of lost," he said.

"Very lost," added Merida.

The woman chuckled. "It is a big school. Come on, I'll take you there. We should be able to get there before the food is gone." She continued to speak as they set off down the hall. "My name is Iris Fae, head of Ravenclaw House. I teach the Transfiguration class here."

"You're a professor?"

Professor Fae looked back at them with an amused smile. "Surprised?"

"It's just I... Well we expected you to be..." Hiccup trailed off.

"Older? Boring? Less colorful?"

"Less awesome?" Merida suggested.

Professor Fae laughed and glanced back at them. "Have you guys been here before? You look a little old to be first-years. And the senior students don't normally get lost."

"Transfer student," Jack said, and the other three mumbled their agreement.

Professor Fae's face lit up. "So you're the four I've been hearing about! Very impressive. Your reputation precedes you." She frowned. "I'm sorry that no one showed you around. Getting lost on your first day is definitely not ideal."

Suddenly Professor Fae stopped and gestured at a set of enormous double doors. "Here we are! It looks like the headmaster's just finishing up his start of year speech. Hurry in and take your seats."

The four slipped into the hall and took their seats as deafening applause echoed off the stone walls. Professor Fae took her seat next to the other teachers and the cheers from the Ravenclaw tables increased. She beamed at her house before clasping her hands on the table in front of her and turning her attention to the headmaster.

Professor Mune smiled down at the students. "Now that the stragglers have settled in, it is with pleasure that I say... let the feast begin!"

And then there was food. Everywhere. The tables were suddenly laden with a vast array of cuisine that proved to be just as delicious as it was bizarre.

"I haven't seen this much food since last Snoggletog!" Hiccup said as he served himself.

"Snoggle-what?" Rapunzel asked.

"It's our holiday where I live." Hiccup glanced around the table as he bit into a piece of bread. "I'm definitely not going to miss the yak-nog."

Jack set his staff on the bench beside him and loaded his plate with everything in sight. Rapunzel stared at the food, overwhelmed by the variety. Usually she ate whatever she made for herself and the buffet-like spread before her was an unfamiliar concept. Jack nudged her lightly with his elbow.

"The roast is good," he said. "So are the cauldron cakes."

"Thanks," Rapunzel said, relieved at having a place to start.

"So, Hiccup," Jack said, "is that like a nickname, or..."

"No. It's my real name. It's not the worst, though. It's Viking tradition to give your kid a horrible name, it's supposed to scare away trolls."

"You're a Viking? Wow. Wouldn't have guessed that."

"Most people wouldn't. I left my axe at home anyway." Hiccup joked.

"Can't say the same," Merida said. "Ah brought mah boo. Probably wasn't mah best idea, but ah couldn't leave it, ya know?"

Rapunzel nodded. "That's why I brought Pascal. He goes everywhere with me."

"My staff has been with me forever." Jack said. "It's the most important thing I own. There's no way I'd ever leave it."

"And Toothless is my best friend," Hiccup said. "We protect each other. He would flip if something happened and he wasn't there."

"Well, here we are," Merida said, "us unapologetic troublemakers, givin' the teachers a run fer their money."

Rapunzel laughed and stroked her chameleon. "I guess we are." Pascal plucked a grape from her plate and munched on it, turning a shade of red-purple as he did.

The noise in the hall quieted to a dull buzz as the students finished eating and lapsed into contented lazy conversation. They hushed as Professor Mune stood and addressed them.

"I trust you are all sufficiently fed?" There was a murmur of affirmative from the audience of students. Professor Mune beamed again. "Excellent. Now for our new students, the time you have no doubt been waiting for has arrived! The Sorting!"

There was a stirring of excitement among the students, but it was quickly hushed as the headmaster held up a hand.

"Each student will be sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house is equally valued and each can produce brilliant witches and wizards, and while you are here it will be like your family.

"Gryffindor honors bravery, honor and chivalry, Ravenclaw esteems talent, wit and knowledge, Hufflepuff values loyalty, honesty, and hard work, and Slytherin represents ambition and resourcefulness.

"Students may earn or lose points for their house based on behavior and academic excellence. The house with the most points at the end of the year will be awarded the house cup."

"Do you think it's literally a cup, or is it just like a party or bragging rights or something?" Jack asked.

"Shh, it's starting!" Rapunzel said, swatting a him.

A tall, well-muscled man with black hair carried forward a stool and a well-worn brown hat. "As your name is read," he boomed in a slight accent, "please step forward and stand in single-file." He produced a roll of paper and began to read.

"Adams, Irene. Adder, Brennan. Aeler, Matthew. Allred, Genevieve. " A girl stepped forward tentatively as the names were called and walked down the middle aisle to stand in front of the hat. Several more students followed. The first girl slid onto the stool and the hat was placed on her head.

"Is it just me, or does the hat have a face?" Jack asked.

"I think-"

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat yelled, making the first-years jump and the older Ravenclaws applaud as Irene scampered to her new seat.

Hiccup, Merida, Rapunzel and Jack watched eagerly as more and more of the new students were sorted into their respective houses.

"Which house do you think you'll be in?" Rapunzel said to Jack.

"Well, I-"

"Dunbrooch, Merida!" The man called. Merida jumped to her feet.

"Ach! This's it! Wish me luck, you three!"

She half-ran to the stool and stuck her hands between her legs as the ragged hat was placed over her wild mane of red hair. She looked up at it with wide blue eyes, cheeks flushed in anticipation.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Yes!" Merida leapt up again and the other Gryffindors moved over to provide her with a place at their table.

"Wow, a Gryffindor," said someone next to them. "I don't think she's a first year. Do you think she'll be on the quiditch team? I've heard they need a beater."

Hiccup wished the man would read faster. He couldn't stand waiting for much longer. He supposed he should be glad his last name didn't start with a T or something.

"Ezera, Ethan!"

"Ooh, it's getting close!" Rapunzel said. "Do they have to do this publicly? What if I trip or something?" She ran her hands over her braid nervously.

"Flowers, Rapunzel!"

"Oh, dear..." Rapunzel took her seat on the stool and closed her eyes as the hat was set over her head.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Professor Fae joined in the applause as Rapunzel moved to her new seat with a relieved smile on her face.

"Frost, Jackson!"

"See you on the other side, Hic," Jack said, clapping Hiccup briefly on the shoulder. He took his place on the stool. The sorting hat paused, as if considering its options, and then pronounced, "SLYTHERIN!"

Well, not all Slytherins are jerks after all, Hiccup thought. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Grimes, Morgan!"

"Gulliver, Alexandra!"

"Haddock, Hiccup!"

Here we go.

You tame dragons, Hiccup! You can handle a talking hat! Hiccup slipped onto the chair and closed his eyes, opening them again as he felt something rest on his head. It was... moving slightly from side to side. It made a deep humming noise.

"Oh ho! Let's see here…. Quite a bit of bravery, no doubt about that, and a brilliant mind, too, but he doesn't apply himself... He seeks to prove himself, but somehow never believes he can... Aah, but what do we have here? Unbroken loyalty where it's earned, yes, yes, and no small amount of compassion either. One who has already achieved unprecedented greatness, yet remains always humble... How very interesting. Let's say...

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Hiccup guessed the table of wildly-cheering students dressed in yellow was his.

Sup guys! I'm having a lot of fun with this story! I was working on this in the notes on my ipod while my internet was down, so if there are any typos, I apologize. ALSO, bonus points to whoever correctly guesses the the teachers! Have fun, thanks for reading! ;)