(Detective Conan)

Hakuba had no idea why he was here. It was illogical. It was impossible it didn't make any sense whatsoever. Yet here he was, standing next to Kuroba who was standing next to the irritating Osakan detective who was standing next to a now twelve year old Edogawa Conan. Hakuba didn't know the last person in their mismatched group, he had only seen her once before the night everything went to hell but she had introduced herself as Haibara Ai and she was obviously Edogawa's friend.

This was ridiculous. They were standing in front of a crowd of school kids who were all staring at them curiously. And not just your average school kids either, no, these were all wizards and witches. Hakuba still hadn't really accepted the existence of magic even after "the night everything went to hell" when KID had found what he was looking for and accidentally cursed them all with magic and eternal life. Actually, they hadn't confirmed that last one yet so it might have been just a rumour like they all hoped.

When all the little kids before them had went off to one of the colour coded tables the headmaster stood up again.

"This year I have the pleasure to announce that we will have guest here at Hogwarts. These guests were not born with magic and received it only recently. It's a new type of magic we have never encountered before and they have agreed to come here to figure out how to use it with the help of our library and our teachers. They will also sit in on some of the classes so they will have to be sorted into houses."

Hakuba almost snorted. It was obvious they were just getting "sorted" because the headmaster was curious.

The headmaster sat down and the deputy headmistress called out: "Edogawa Conan!"

Conan just didn't want to be here. He wasn't as sceptical about the unexplained as Hakuba probably was but he believed that there was an explanation to everything even if it wasn't available. These wizards seemed content to just say it was magic and drop it and that slightly irked him.

The sorting hat picked up on these thoughts. Well I know where you should go, you have an incredible mind. Conan tensed.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Conan was slightly unnerved by the many curious eyes, brimming with questions that met him when he sat down at his table.

"Haibara, Ai!"

She walked up to the raggedy old hat with a sceptical but otherwise emotionless expression on her face.

Ai carefully sat the hat down on her head. She had listened to the hat's song and she didn't like it one bit, she didn't want anyone looking through her head, but she didn't have much choice unless she wanted to cause an incident.

Oh, what a mind! You're exceptionally intelligent! You're rather cunning to and I see some ambition in here as well. Older than you look aren't you? A horrible past, I'm sorry for your loss. Ai growled. 'Stay out of my memories hat and I won't do something unpleasant to you. Now hurry up and sort me.'

"SLYTERIN!" Ai thought the hat sounded hurried and a little nervous. Most of the people at the green and silver table sneered at her, only a few of the younger students applauded and few of the older kids looked like they wanted to.

"Hakuba, Saguru!"

Like Ai, Hakuba didn't fancy some old hat looking around in his head but wanted to get it over with so he didn't say anything.

Just like the previous girl, you're very intelligent. It's more the logical type of intelligence though and not so much cunning. You used to have quite the ambition, catching Kaitou KID, but now he's retired.

Well, it better be, "RAVENCLAW!"

Hakuba took off the hat and sat down at the Ravenclaw table, relieved that it was over.

"Hattori, Heiji!"

Heiji threw the hat a suspicious glance before putting it on.

'If you tell anyone what you find in my head no one will find your remains', he thought as soon as the hat sunk down over his eyes. He figured if it could go through his head it would definitely hear that.

Of course not, I never reveal what I find in someones head. Heiji relaxed a bit, though he still didn't like it. You're brave and a little reckless ('Hey!'), you're just as smart as your friends but not always in the same way. I've decided.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Heiji and Hakuba simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief over not being in the same house. Shinichi was also relieved, Kaito was torn between relieved and disappointed (he kind of wanted to see the sparks fly), Ai didn't care.

And last but most definitely not least, "Kuroba, Kaito!"

And of course Kaito wasn't going to do it the normal way. He disappeared in a puff of smoke only to reappear sitting on the stool with the hat on. He could see Hakuba put his head in his hands and he smirked.

Hm, where to put you?

'Hey, hat-san how old are you?', Kaito interrupted the hat.

Oh, I've lost count but I'm somewhere in my one-thousands.

'Wow, you must be really wise. Well, I'm in your hands, please don't put me in the same house as Hakuba and Tantei-kun.'

Oh don't worry, you aren't really Ravenclaw material. You're intellect is used for more cunning tasks. You're ambitious too and Slytherin could use someone to liven things up a bit, besides I'm not putting you with the Weasley twins.

Good luck in, "SLYTHERIN!"

Kaito smirked as he went and sat beside the shrunken scientist, he was going to love convincing her to help him prank Hakuba, just imagine the possibilities. This was going to be fun.