Surprise Sorting
The thing about magic is that it's magic. Which means you can never quite predict what's going to happen next. After all, if sheets of fabric can make you invisible, sticks can turn pigs into desks and giant winged lizards can breathe fire, how can you call anything impossible with any kind of certainty?
Bearing all that in mind, it shouldn't have been such a surprise for seven children in bright coloured clothes to appear in the middle of the Great Hall at the conclusion of the Sorting.
One of the boys in a golden shirt scrambled to his feet first, while the others were still on the floor. His eyes scanned the hall, taking in the five tables all staring at them, before turning to his friends. The other children had got to their feet, and the two boys in blue shirts had produced boxy black things they were pointing everywhere.
Professor Dumbledore rose from his chair and swept around the staff table. He descended to the floor, walking over to the children. "Good evening," he said politely. "May I ask who you are?"
"James T Kirk," the first boy answered. He inclined his head as he identified his friends. "Spock, Leonard McCoy, Montgomery Scott, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov, Nyota Uhura. Where are we?"
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Dumbledore replied serenely. "Do you know how you got here?"
James glanced over at one of the boys in blue, Spock. "Earth, late twentieth century," Spock murmured.
James started slightly, and then turned back to Dumbledore. "No. We may have a theory given enough time, but not yet." James looked at Leonard, also in blue. "Status?" he asked.
Leonard waved something (not a wand; too small, and beeping) at James, and then himself. "No injuries. Good news and bad news, though. We're all perfectly healthy humans – 'cept Spock – but we're perfectly healthy eleven-year-olds."
James frowned, and pivoted round, glaring at Dumbledore. "What is this place?" he demanded.
"A school of magic," Dumbledore smiled. "May I assume that you are not usually children?"
"Not for some years," James confirmed.
"Well, you must be here for a reason," the headmaster mused. "You must be new students. Step up to the stool and be Sorted."
The children looked at James, who looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. McGonagall, still next to the Hat, was writing on a piece of parchment. "Chekov, Pavel," she called.
One of the boys in a gold shirt stepped forward, glanced back at James, and at his nod, proceeded forward. At McGonagall's instructions, he sat on the stool and let her put the Hat on his head. After a moment, the Hat yelled, "Hufflepuff!"
The Badgers burst into applause and Pavel was nudged in their direction. He took a seat at the end and turned back to his friends, ignoring the advances of his new housemates.
"Kirk, James."
James sat down and let the Hat cover his eyes. "Interesting," a voice whispered. "Bravery, oh my, yes, and more than a little intelligence. Wonderful Gryffindor or Ravenclaw material. But what's this? I see. These mean nothing to you, but how you use them for your crew. Good luck with your endeavours, Captain, in Hufflepuff!"
James stood, and joined his friend. Leonard was called up, and after a moment, was also sent to Hufflepuff. The same with Montgomery. Spock spent several minutes in silence before joining his friends.
"What did it tell you?" James asked in an undertone.
"Any House would suit me," Spock replied.
"Said I'd be a fair Ravenclaw," Leonard murmured.
"What tipped you to Hufflepuff?" James asked.
"My loyalty to you," Spock said simply.
"Same," McCoy answered gruffly.
"Mine to my crew," James muttered. More applause, as Hikaru also joined Hufflepuff.
"What does it mean that we're all going to the same House?" the new arrival asked quietly.
"We appear to share the same overriding characteristic that the House of destination rests upon," Spock deducted.
"Well, I told it I'd do practically anything for you, Captain," Hikaru shrugged.
"Uhura, Nyota."
"Hufflepuff!"
As the girl in her bright red dress sat with her friends, whispers broke out, discussing the chances that all seven wold go to the same House.
"Let me guess, that thing decided that your loyalty to Jim was more than anything else you've got in you," Leonard asked.
"I'd guess the same for all of you," Nyota retorted.
"Don't look at me," James protested. "My life is my ship and my crew. Simple as that."
"Yeah, but remember, we're as loyal to you as you are to us," Leonard drawled.
"Alright, people," James said. "Time to work out our next move."
AN: Of course, this story is more of a prelude than anything else. I might revisit it for a longer story later, and if so I'll flesh it out more. Yes, I know everything's moving very quickly, motives are unclear, etc etc. That's something that I'd sort out if I was doing more with this idea. Right now, I'm not. Sorry.
Katara