"potter, albus."
here goes nothing.
he still hadn't chosen, not for himself.
but please, not slytherin.
"not slytherin, eh?"
he shivers involuntarily.
"you could be great, you know."
he wants to glare at the hat.
as if he needed it to voice his innermost fears to the entire school.
"it's all here, in your head."
yes, yes, he knows.
the hat can see everything he's ever thought;
can't it see his fear?
"slytherin will help you on the way to greatness,
there's no doubt about that."
he sighs rather loudly.
can't one of the other houses help him?
maybe if he doesn't want to achieve greatness?
how about just mediocrity?
then can he be placed elsewhere?
"no? well, if you're sure—"
please, not slytherin, not slytherin—
"better be—gryffindor!"
he thinks he may cry.
thank you, he thinks,
and then the professor strips him of the hat
and gives him a push in the right direction.
and then his life begins.
…
a/n: for the "harry potter wallpaper challenge" at the hpfc. I was given the quote from ps, the one that you probably recognized as the hat's speech to harry. I thought it would be interesting if he repeated himself, just this once.