Chapter 2, because why not. Hopefully I don't get bored with this little project, yeah? Enjoy my terriboo, short, Sorting Hat song. I hate rhymes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Regarding Albus
Chapter 2: The Sorting
"Come along young ones, it is your time to be sorted."
Professor Midgen had a smile on her face as she stepped out of the light of the hall beyond.
"There isn't much room, so please, get into line! Yes, just like that, now follow behind me. And don't be nervous!" Professor Midgen turned and re-entered the halls and Albus and the other first years trailed steadily behind her.
"Oh it's beautiful" Albus heard Lucy murmur, and he saw that her blue gaze had become focused on the night sky projected above them.
Candles floated freely just a dozen feet above their heads, and Albus watched as they easily shifted positions, making the lights and shadows of the Great Hall change seemingly at whim.
Students from every house were craning to get a look at them, curious as to where they would be sorted. Older siblings shouted encouragements to their nervous young brothers and sisters.
Joining in the light cheers was James, who Albus saw was shouting enthusiastically. Albus met his eyes and James gave him a thumbs up, whooping and almost jumping out of his seat in excitement. He was surrounded by other Gryffindor boy's, and just a few seats down from James he saw his older cousins Victoire and Louis. Victoire met his eyes and smiled encouragingly at him, and Albus caught sight of the shiny Head Girl badge pinned to her robes.
Slowly the line came to a stop, and the soon-to-be sorted students were able to spread out a bit into a group at the front of the hall. Albus could see a stool, and resting upon it, just like his father had said, was the famed sorting hat. The hat looked ancient, and Albus didn't know that a hat could manage to look frail yet this one had done it.
This is it; Albus thought to himself, it will be easy. He just had to put on the stupid old hat and then…
The hat began to sing.
To say Albus was shocked was an understatement. Rose and Lucy wore similar looks of surprise on their faces, and even Malfoy's mouth had fallen into a small "O" of surprise.
"Welcome to Hogwarts
Young minds ready to grow
Learning is a habit we very much endorse
So please do enjoy my show
And allow me just a minute, so my song may run its course.
Join Gryffindor they say,
Where lie those who are brave with style
Or to Hufflepuff you go
The powerful badger ever so reliable
But maybe Ravenclaw would be better
For strong minds, imagination agile
However consider Slytherin
If you are one of ambition and guile
Now my song has ended
However students do not fear
I will have a new one
For my next performance in a year."
The students and staff all clapped happily, and though Albus thought it would be polite to clap along, he couldn't bring himself to do so. The song had been enjoyable, but it had brought back the nervousness The Sorting provided. Despite what his cousins said, Albus wasn't the bravest. Sure he could BE brave, but just because you could be something didn't mean you were to go to a house meant for those with that characteristics surely? For James was loyal, and he had certainly surprised Albus with his intelligence more than once, yet he was a Gryffindor. What did that mean for Albus?
Albus glanced at Rose and Lucy. Rose had begun fidgeting with the sleeve of her robe again and Lucy was biting down rather roughly onto her bottom lip. It was good to know he wasn't the only one who was worried about the sorting.
Albus tried to reassure himself, thinking about his father and what he had said back at the platform. That he and mom wouldn't love him any less for being in Slytherin.
However it was hard to be positive as Professor Midgen, still bloody smiling, stood next to the stool, and unraveled a long roll of parchment.
"Now, when I call your name you shall simply place the hat atop your head, and sit down on the stool so you may be sorted." She looked down at the scroll in her hands, and called out the first name on the list of students.
"Avery, Victoria!"
A pale girl with dark hair in a rather fancy bun went forward, and the hat slid over her head falling just over her eyes,
Albus and the others watched with bated breath. Almost 30 seconds had passed when the hat once again opened its seam and shouted "SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherin table began to cheer, proud to have gotten the first student sorted. Avery took off the hat and rushed over to the table, where she was greeted enthusiastically.
Professor Midgen read out the next name,
"Bones, David" A ginger-haired boy stepped forward, and almost as soon as the hat laid on his head it let out a loud cry of "HUFFLEPUFF."
"Boot, Trevor" Another boy stepped forward, the hat was only on his head for a few moments longer than the last before it shouted "RAVENCLAW!"
Now there had been a student sorted into each house other than Gryffindor.
An Asian girl named Chang, Hailey was then sorted into Ravenclaw, and a black boy with a bright smile named Clarke, Jared joined Hufflepuff.
"CORNER, DONALD" Shouted Professor Midgen, and a boy with long pale brown hair walked forward and the hat cried "RAVENCLAW".
There was murmuring from the Gryffindor table, and it was obvious they were getting antsy, wondering when a new student would join their house. Their questions were answered with the next student to be sorted, as Creevey, Jennifer was the first student sorted into Gryffindor.
The shouts and cheers of the Gryffindor's were especially loud, and the girl blushed happily as she joined her new houses table. Albus could see James cheering as he and his friends bounced dramatically in their seats, obviously trying to cause a scene.
Darling, Wendy became a Hufflepuff, and Davies, Cheryl went to Ravenclaw. The next student was a girl named Doris, Michelle a small girl whose round cheeks were very red as she stumbled forward towards the hat. However the hat needed only a moment to declare "GRYFFINDOR!" Sending the students clad in red and gold into cheers once again.
"Entwhistle, Zelda" A taller girl moved forward, she sat on the stool and it took almost a whole minute before it shouted "HUFFLEPUFF"
Professor Midgen read off the next name,
"Fawcett, Brandon"
Albus had to move out of the way for this boy to step forward. He had a shock of bright blonde hair, and a nose that looked like it may have been broken once. He sat down on the stool and again the hat took it's time before loudly shouting "SLYTHERIN!"
This time the Slytherin table burst into cheers, for they hadn't gotten another student since Avery, Victoria…
"Flint, Eden" was called forth, and Albus thought this might be the girl who had been trailing her fingers in the water as they crossed over the Black Lake. The hat took only a few seconds before shouting "SLYTHERIN" And she went and joined Fawcett and Avery.
Goldstein, Joshua went to Ravenclaw, and Grant, Elizabeth to Slytherin. Hooper, Bruno went to Gryffindor along with Jordan, Lucas and Kirke, Emily; who had been the girl sharing a boat with Albus and his cousins.
"Longbottom, Frank!"
Albus was friends with Frank, as they had played together a number of times throughout the years. And the Longbottom's had been known to come to their family celebrations. Albus was curious where his old friend would end up…
"HUFFLEPUFF"
Smiling, Frank went to the Hufflepuff table, joining his sister Alice who had been sorted there two years prior. Uncle Neville, or Professor Longbottom now, could be seen clapping from his spot at the front of the hall.
"Lopez, Daniel"
"SLYTHERIN"
Then Madley, Albert went to Hufflepuff and McLaggen, Edward went to Gryffindor.
Once the Gryffindor's cheers ended for their newest lion, Professor Midgen continued.
"Malfoy, Scorpius."
Albus could hear people start muttering, the name Malfoy spread like a bad rumor, rippling throughout the hall.
Malfoy though, walked straight up to the hat. Just as it had fallen over his gray eyes, the hat cried "SLYTHERIN"
The other houses muttered even more now, but Slytherin cheered and Scorpius seemed happy to join his new house. Rose sniffed in quiet disdain, but Albus had no reaction. Where Malfoy was sorted was no interest of his. He was more worried about his own...
Professor Midgen looked down at the parchment.
"Potter, Albus."
Again mutters, and what sounded like a half-shout of encouragement from James, most likely cut off when someone had clapped their hand over his mouth to get him to shut up.
Trying not make a fool of himself, Albus carefully stepped forward and sat on the stool. The last things he saw were Rose and Lucy's encouraging faces, before the hat slid over his eyes.
Then there was darkness.
"Hmmm" Said a little voice, that Albus could only assume came from inside the hat itself.
"Um, hi?" Albus thought, hoping the hat could hear him.
"You aren't nearly as difficult as your father was…he was wrong however."
Albus felt his heart begin to pound at that ambiguous statement.
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, yes the one being sorted has some say in the matter, however I will always put a student where they belong. Regardless of what THEY want." The hat seemed to grumbling now.
For a moment Albus panicked. The possibilities ran through his head, but the hat was silent. Albus struggled to calm himself as he thought about what the hat had said. Where he belonged…
"I have sorted the students of this school for hundreds of years. And I can assure you little Potter, I have NEVER made a mistake. Not once. I know where you will be great."
Where I will be great.
"Well I guess," Albus thought, only slightly despondently, "Being great sounds quite nice. And being where I belong sounds even better."
Albus hoped he wouldn't regret not fighting this more.
The sorting hat seemed to laugh, and then in a loud voice that Albus knew did not exist only in his head, it shouted
"SLYTHERIN"
Albus's heart stopped. The sorting hat was removed from his head. There were Rose and Lucy, their eyes wide, and one of Rose's hands had gone to cover her mouth in shock.
The hall was dead silent.
Albus didn't dare look over at the Gryffindor table. Instead, he aimed his gaze at the Slytherin's. Silence. No movement at all.
Then she stood up.
Dominique. Sporting her green and silver tie and robes, her long ginger waves tossed carelessly over her shoulder she smirked at Albus.
And she was clapping and cheering, and then ALL of Slytherin were clapping and cheering, chanting
"We got Potter! We got Potter!"
With relief coursing through his veins. Harry rushed to the Slytherin table, sitting beside Fawcett. Albus shook his hand and waved at Dominique, who was now sporting a huge grin and waving at him from farther down the table.
There were only four girls left, and Solomon, Sarah an orange haired girl immediately joined him in Slytherin. Albus clapped enthusiastically for her, trying to calm his beating heart and no matter what NOT look at the Gryffindor table…
"Summerby, Megan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Only Lucy and Rose were left. They stood in the middle of the room, holding each other's hands tightly. They were looking at him with worry, but unsure how to respond Albus just stared back and nodded.
"Weasley, Lucinda!"
"RAVENCLAW"
"Weasley, Rose"
"RAVENCLAW"
The Ravenclaw table cheered and Albus smiled at how readily his cousins had been accepted into the claws'. He still didn't dare look over at the Gryffindor's.
Professor Midgen rolled up the scroll, and moved the stool and hat to the side. She went and joined the other Professor's at the long table at the front of the hall. Once she and all the students had settled, Albus watched as Professor McGonagall stood.
"Welcome, as we begin another year here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Professor McGonagall's stern eyes swept over the students, and no one dared to make a sound. "I see no reason why we can't begin to enjoy our feast; any important announcement can wait until after our bellies are full."
A few light laughs rang from the student body, and Albus was surprised to find his own among them.
"Let us eat!"
Mass amounts of glorious food appeared on the table, but Albus barely paid attention as his new housemates let out gasps and squeals of delight at the magic presented to them.
Instead, Albus felt his heart drop as across the room, his eyes finally met James. His brother's brown eyes were glaring, and after a few moments Albus had no choice but to look away.
In all his life, he'd never seen James that angry.
Especially not at him.