A/N The second chapter is here. This one focuses on Aang, and the next one will focus on Harry. I have not much else to say. I don't own anything, thank you for reading. Constructive criticism is welcomed. A/N

The Empty House

Aang emerged from the frightening recesses of the hat to a stunned school. His knees locked as he fell from the stool, and he stumbled a step before catching himself. No one laughed.

He tried to walk as fast as he could, but it wasn't fast enough. He was still passing the Earth table when every mouth in the Hall opened and began to talk at the top of their lungs. One boy at the Earth table jumped to his feet, making weird noises as he began to foam at the mouth before collapsing. By the way no one around him moved to help, though, this might just be normal for him. Trying not to listen, he couldn't help but catch pieces of the conversation.

"...must be a mistake-"

"Prank, to get our attention?"

"Demon! Nothing but a filthy liar!"

"Silence!"

The booming voice of the Headmaster did not need to be amplified by magic. Even without it, the word echoed in the corners and lingered with the last few students to comply. In the wake of the order, Aang planted himself on the dusty bench of the empty Air House table, and ducked his head. It was harder for them. He had known it was coming, and even he was shocked. There had been a part of him that was sure, when it finally came to it, that there had been some mistake, and he would be sorted into any of the other houses.

But no. That was not how destiny operated. He was the last Airbender. Just like his Master had said.

The Headmaster was standing now, and no one dared interrupt him as he opened his mouth. Albus Dumbledore wore his power easily, but it was not a force that any sane man questioned.

"The Sorting Hat cannot be possesed or coerced by magical means." He did not waste any time in getting to the point. "Now, let us all calm down, and we will continue with the Sorting. I know that I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the Start of Year feast." Scattered laughter. But a tall boy from the Earth table stood up.

"Professor, you can't expect us to believe that this little boy really is an Air wizard. They're extinct!"

Another figure stood up, this time from the Fire table. This one had their back to Aang, but their high voice marked them as a girl. "And everyone knows that table is just for show. No one even remembers where the Air Dormitories are!"

Professor Dumbledore just laughed at this. "That is no concern of yours, Miss Clearwater. I can assure you that this school has always catered to four Houses, and is set up as such. Also, Mister Tyro, it is very hard to prove that something is extinct. We have evidence on the contrary right in front of our eyes. Now," he dipped his head to McGonnagall, who returned the gesture in a jerking fashion, shock still obvious in her eyes. "Let's finish sorting these first years."

McGonnagall nodded, and looked back down at her list. "Thomas, Dean!"

Aang didn't rise his head again until the sorting had finally finished. After Zabini, Blaice had been sorted into the Fire House, the golden plates shimmered, and were suddenly filled with food. The Hall got noisy again, and Aang could almost feel the many stares burning into his back.

"Here we are, Mister Roku, sir."

Aang jumped, and turned around. A little bald man thing dressed in what looked like an old pillow case was standing behind him, holding a tray stacked high with food. "We apologize for the delay. The kitchen was not aware that anyone would be dining here tonight."

Aang smiled, and helped the house elf slide the heavy tray onto the table. It left a track in the dust, and Aang wondered who had been the last Air student to sit here. Did they know they were going to be the last one for a century?

"Thanks," was his quiet reply, and he began to fill his plate. The house elf bowed, and disappeared in a crack and a poof of smoke. He didn't let his eyes drift for the rest of the meal, or the speech afterwards. They would get used to him. Tomorrow would be easier. And the day after that, better still. This managed to bring a real smile to his face, and he began to eat with a true appetite.

After the Headmaster was done his beginning of year speech, the tables began to empty, as the students filed out and began to make their way to their various dormotories. Aang remained where he was, and fervently hoped that the Fire girl had been wrong when she had said that no one knew where the Air dorms were.

He was just about to get up and try to find the rooms on his own, when light footsteps approached him from behind. When he turned around, he was met with a surprise. He didn't think that Dumbledore was able to move that quietly.

The Professor smiled at him, and he returned the guesture weakly. "Do you mind if I sit, Mister Roku?"

Aang shook his head, not bothering to cover up the confused look on his face. "Of course."

Professor Dumbledore sat on the bench beside him, and Aang squirmed, wondering what the old man wanted.

"I don't need to know if you're a bender." This only succeeded in throwing the boy even more off balance. "We will find that out tomorrow. As for your schedule, I will have to go over it with your teachers. Most likely, you'll be slipped into one of the other House's first years. The Water House, maybe?" He paused, and Aang, realizing that he was waiting for a confirmation, nodded. "So that should all be easy. As for your dorms and such, it's true that I don't know exactly where the Air dormitories are. But I do know someone who does. They will show you to your rooms, and then we can all go to sleep."

He stood up, and Aang scrambled to follow. "Thank you, sir!" He ducked his head in a jerky sort of half bow, and Dumbledore smiled in return, before walking out and disappearing through a door hidden behind the staff table.

A tug at Aang's sleeve had him turn around. The little house elf was back, and it smiled widely at him. "Follow me, Mister Roku, sir. I will show you to your dorms." And with a bow, the house elf turned and walked out of the Great Hall, with Aang folloing close behind. Of course. The servants always knew more about the home than even the smartest master.

The elf led him up and up, manuvering the maze of moving staircases and disappearing halls as easily as anyone else would stroll down a street. Aang gave up on trying to remember the twists and turns. He would pay more attention in the morning, when going down for breakfast and the traditional first year trials. Anyway, no many how turns they made, they were only going one direction. They had to be in one of the towers by now. Which made sense. The Air dorms would be as close to the sky as it could be.

When the elf stopped suddenly, Aang almost ran right into it. "Sorry!"

THe elf just turned around and smiled. "No problem, Mister Roku."

Aang's cheeks were beginning to turn red. "And just Aang is fine. Are we there?" There was nothing around but the staircase we wer on, winding upwards, and the blank wall in front of them.

But the elf cackled. "Yes, we are here, Mister Aang." Pointing one long, knobby finger at the wall, he tapped at the stone. "No body remembers the password, but Knarl can Apparate you in."

Aang swallowed. Apparating did not sit well with his stomach. He stared at the wall, trying to see what made it different from all the other pieces of wall surrounding it.

"Wait!"

Knarl gave him an odd look, but he paid him no mind. Instead, he took a deep breath, and placed his fingers on the wall. Yes. There was a pattern there. Tight curls, flowing lines. And punctuated through the whole design were three small holes. Not ones you could see with the naked eye, obscured with a thin layer of poreous stone. But he could feel the air currents moving through, and beyond.

Testing something out, he pushed at the air in those small empty spaces. Then, taking a deep breath, he blew out sharply, letting the wind slip through the cracks, and rush through the passages into the space behind the wall.

There was a click, and the wall fell away. Knarl squeaked, as Aang poked his head through the opening.

Though coated with a thick layer of dust, the Chambers of Air were gorgeous. Aang walked in with his jaw slack as he took in the spacious Common Room, with two twisting staircases leading up to what he assumed were the two dormitories.

He already had one foot on the bottom of the closest staircase when he realized that Knarl wasn't beside him. No, Knarl was still standing at the entrance, his buggy eyes stretched even wider. His long fingers twitched, as his mouth struggled for a moment.

"Bender."

Aang turned back towards the elf, and grabbed for his arm. He looked shocked enough to bolt. At least if Aang was holding on to him, he'd be taken along for the ride.

"Wait!"

He didn't want this to get out so quickly. People were already shocked, already frightened. If they found out he could bend, too- actually airbend, the first airbender in almost one hundred years- he might attract enough attention to prove too dangerous. He didn't want to have to leave. Not again.

"Please don't tell."

The elf was giving him a strange look. But his eyes were shrinking back to normal size, and his breathing was less sporadic. "Would you like to have your things brought up now, Mister Roku?"

Aang let go of his arm, and took a deep breath. "Sure. Yes. Thank you." His crossed his fingers as he watched Knarl Apparate away. It was out of his control now. He turned back, beginning to explore his new home as he tried to put the troubles out of his mind. For a little while, at least.