Author's Note
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed or added this story to your favourites, and thanks to Trowa no Miko for beta-reading this chapter and helping me improve it.
Harry Potter: The Last Avatar
Book 1: Water
Chapter 2: Hogwarts
"Hermione! Harry! There's plenty of room in here!"
They turned to see, smiling in the door of a compartment they had already passed, Ron Weasley. Harry met Hermione's eye and wondered if the surprise was as evident on his face as it was on hers. The train lurched into motion, and they all took a moment to shift their weight, Harry and Hermione holding onto their trunks. Harry raised his eyebrows at her, and Hermione shrugged before moving towards Ron Weasley's compartment.
"Thank you, Ronald," she said curtly as she went inside.
Ron's eyes dipped down to Hermione's behind as she passed, much to Harry's annoyance. Ron looked up, saw Harry watching him, and mouthed a 'wow'. Harry forced something like a smile.
Ron's claim that there was 'plenty of room' turned out to be less than true. Squeezed into the compartment already were Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Katie Bell, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, and Neville Longbottom. In other words: The social elite of Gryffindor Tower... and Neville Longbottom.
Hermione was looking rather overwhelmed by the crowded compartment. She turned, not knowing where to sit. Lavender and Parvati were giving her particularly poisonous looks.
"Um," Hermione said, turning to Ron, who smiled.
"Neville!" he said, and Neville stood up.
"Hi Harry, Hermione. I'll see you at the feast!" He took his trunk and shuffled out of the compartment.
"Neville," Hermione started, "you don't have to-"
"That's okay," Neville said, smiling, "I was just sitting down in case the seat wasn't needed." And he shut the door, barring any attempt at escape.
Hermione somehow ended up between Parvati, who had the window-seat, and Ron, who had a fuming Lavender on his other side, while Harry got a square-inch or so to sit on at the edge of the other seat, next to Katie and Seamus who were entangled in one another and had little attention for anyone else. Ron, meanwhile, had all his attention on Hermione, asking what she'd done over the summer. He seemed impressed that she had gone all the way to Omashu, and asked all manner of questions about her trip.
Harry had to hand it to Ron - Hermione could be shy, but get her going and she was in her own little world. Her face became animated as she spoke of her trip south into the Earth Kingdom, all while the train rolled out of Central City Station and made its way out of the city. Ron's attention, however, was not entirely directed at her face, but kept dipping down to the neckline of her sloppily buttoned uniform shirt, and when Hermione mentioned stopping to have a swim in a waterfall lagoon they had found along the way Ron said appreciatively that he "would have liked to see that", a comment that was entirely lost on Hermione, who had gone on to describe the brilliant postal system in Omashu.
Harry was getting more and more annoyed as the train started snaking its way north between the mountains surrounding Republic City. Had Weasley completely forgotten their first year? Forgotten calling her names and nearly making her cry in front of everyone?
Ron had taken the role of leader in their year, simply by showing that he wasn't afraid to push people down, and his targets of choice had been Neville and Hermione. He'd been less of a prick since second year, electing to ignore Harry and Hermione while Neville hovered at the edge of Ron's group, content to be a tag-along whenever it was allowed. Harry no longer felt the need to punch Ron in the nose - usually he didn't, anyway - and he was all for forgiving... But forgetting? That was another matter.
"Harry!" Lavender Brown suddenly exclaimed from her seat opposite to Harry. "How was your summer?"
Harry looked at her in surprise. "It was fine," he said.
Lavender laughed, quite inexplicably, and reached out to touch his arm. "Did you get any practice in?" she asked, and it took Harry a second to understand what she meant. "Think you might compete?"
Hermione, who had kept her lecture up until this point, stopped and turned to listen. So did Ron.
"Um, no," Harry said.
"Your dad's an Auror, isn't he?" Lavender continued, leaning in conspiratorially. "I'm sure he's taught you all sorts of moves that no one at school knows."
"Not really," Harry said, not meeting her eye. The compartment had gone very quiet.
"But you have to compete," Lavender said. "It just hasn't been the same since you stopped. No imagination! I think they've gone stale."
There was a flash of heat and light, and Ron laughed loudly, a flame dancing in his hand for a second. "Oh stop badgering him, Lav, he knows when he's beaten!" Ron flexed his arms in an exaggerated manner, sparks of fire shooting from him with every muscle compression. Everyone laughed, apart from Harry and Lavender - even Hermione sniggered at his antics.
That was half-joke, half-threat.
The next twenty minutes passed in a similarly aggravating manner. Ron continued to pay attentions to Hermione, and though she valiantly tried to include Harry in the conversation he was separated by the wall of human flesh that was Seamus and Katie, and isolated with only Lavender Brown for company. Lavender, in turn, began flirting loudly with Harry. It was all rather awkward.
And then Seamus and Katie started snogging up against Harry.
"I'm going to go see if I can find the trolley," Harry said, standing up.
"I'll come with you!" said Lavender, standing and moving much too close to Harry.
"Okay," Ron said, not turning around.
Hermione had stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and was giving Harry a look of something like apology. Harry shrugged and left the compartment.
Lavender clattered the door shut behind them and muttered something like "powder my nose" before walking off without a second look. Harry watched her march up the aisle and vanish.
Just in case I was stupid enough to think her interest was genuine.
Ron's explosive laughter rang through the door. Probably at something Hermione had said. Harry started walking up the train.
He found the lady with the trolley in the very next car. He also found that he wasn't at all hungry. But the old lady smiled at him, so he smiled back and handed over some coins, taking a box of those non-sugary chewing gums Hermione liked.
Now what? He didn't want to head back just yet, so he kept going up the train. Most of the cars had compartments, all of which were full, but there were a few cars with just single seats, so maybe he could find one and hide out there for a while.
He absently slipped a chewing gum into his mouth as he walked. Yup, they were still as boring as when she'd made him try one in first year.
"Did you know her parents are dentists?"
Harry gritted his teeth.
"Can she even bend? Has anyone actually seen her bend?"
Hermione was back there, swapping holiday stories with Ron Weasley. In first year Harry had searched half the castle and found her crying in a bathroom after that very same Ron Weasley had said some very mean things. Had everyone else forgotten that?
You should be glad Ron Weasley forgot how you repaid him.
He slammed open the door to the passage separating this car from the next, and was surprised to find someone already standing there, about to pass through.
Taking her in was something like a punch to the stomach. Jet black hair framed perfectly sculpted features centred around deep dark eyes. He had pulled the door open violently just as she was reaching for it, and two perfect eyebrows were raised in surprise. She wore a charcoal-grey jumper over a white shirt, her blue-and-bronze tie peeking through the v-neck. A tight black robe with blue lining covered up all too much of her, and a pleated grey skirt hid long legs in black tights... Harry might concede that, yes, every single girl in Hogwarts wore pretty much the same outfit - but they did not wear it like Cho Chang.
"Miss Chang!" Harry said, standing aside to let her pass and giving an automatic bow. "So sorry..."
Cho Chang laughed and stepped around Harry in the cramped space, sending a dizzying flowery scent up his nose. "Potter, isn't it?"
"Yes," he said, and then stood there like an idiot.
In the enclosed space it was painfully obvious that Hermione wasn't the only girl who'd done some growing over the summer. Harry tried desperately to keep his eyes from dipping down, but looking into her amused eyes for just a second made him feel queasy, so he dropped his gaze and his eyes were magnetically drawn to her chest. Luckily he noticed the "P" on her shiny new badge, and found an excuse for his wandering eyes.
"So you made prefect! Congratulations!"
"Thank you?" she said, smiling. "I'm sorry, but have we ever really been introduced? I can't remember."
"No, no, um, I just noticed." Harry gestured vaguely towards her badge. The train hit a bump, and he withdrew his hand very quickly. "Well, I'll just..." Harry started twisting around towards the doorway leading to the next car.
Cho snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! Didn't you win your year's championship a year ago? In your first year?"
Harry shrugged. "Three years ago."
"That's right! You're that kid who beat Draco Malfoy!" Cho grinned. "I remember thinking I had to thank you for that."
Harry smiled weakly.
There was a click and Harry jumped and turned as a door behind him slid open with a crash, revealing Lavender Brown coming out of a restroom. The girl looked surprised and unnerved to find Harry apparently waiting for her, but then noticed Cho and sent the older girl a calculating look.
"Harry!" Lavender said brightly, touching his arm. "Let's go back to the compartment!"
"Er, in a minute" Harry said, "I'll see you there."
Lavender huffed but walked off all the same, throwing curious looks over her shoulder at them. Harry turned back to Cho, and found the girl watching him with a raised eyebrow.
"Um," said Harry.
Get out of here before you say something stupid.
"You're welcome," he said, "for the Malfoy-thing." He opened the door to the noisy passage between cars and stepped into the passage. "And it was nice to finally meet you, Miss Chang, but I better..."
Harry turned to flee into the next car, but saw something that made him pause. Striding down the next aisle were two people. The one trailing behind was a small blond girl Harry didn't recognize, but he definitely recognized the one in front, with flaming red hair, who looked determinedly into every compartment she passed.
"Oh great," Harry muttered. He pushed his way back past Cho Chang, mumbling apologies, and stepped into the restroom. He locked the door and held his breath.
He heard the door between cars open and close, and then...
"Hello, Luna," he heard Cho Chang say. "How was your summer?"
"Hello Cho," said a dreamy voice that he could barely pick up over the rattling of the train. "It was quite nice, I think, but very lonely."
"That's a shame," Cho said. "I don't think we've-?"
"Hi", Ginny Weasley's voice interrupted. "Have you seen a boy with black hair and glasses? A fourth year?"
"You mean Harry?" Cho asked.
A slight pause.
"You know Harry Potter?" Ginny asked, incredulous.
Cho didn't reply, at least not vocally. A nod perhaps? Or a shrug?
"No, seriously," Ginny said, giving a small indignant laugh, "are you friends with Harry?"
"Maybe," Cho said, and Harry felt himself smile.
Ginny gave a 'hmm' as if to say she doubted it. "Well? Have you seen him?"
"I think he's in one of the last cars," Cho said, referring to the ones furthest away.
"Thanks," said Ginny, not sounding thankful at all, and he heard her stomp away.
"Goodbye, Cho" he could just make the dreamy voice drifting away after Ginny.
Harry waited a while until they were sure to be gone. Did Cho leave too? Harry wasn't sure. He waited a little longer, then opened the door...
And found Cho Chang smirking at him, her arms crossed.
"It's a long story," Harry mumbled.
"Oh, I bet it is!" Cho said, her smirk just growing in size. "Just a reminder: as a prefect I will be patrolling the school at nights, sticking my head into various broom cupboards, bathrooms, etcetera."
"Yes, I know. Why are you-?"
"Oh, just something to keep in mind. Wouldn't want to have to deduct any points on your account!" She winked.
Cho Chang just winked at you.
Harry could feel his face burning.
"It's not like that. I don't-"
"There you are!"
Harry jumped and half-hid behind Cho before realizing that the speaker was Hermione. She bustled up and grabbed Harry's forearm tight. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" she said, and then went on a brief diatribe, describing the elaborate excuse she had to make up to go look for him, and then running up and down half the train.
"You appear to be a much sought-after man, Harry Potter," Cho Chang said under her breath, with a mischievous smile on her lips.
"Oh," Hermione said, appearing to notice Cho for the first time. "Hello?"
"Hello," Cho replied with a brief smile to Hermione. "If you'll pardon me, some of us actually need to use these things for what they were built for," she said, giving Harry a pointed look before disappearing into the bathroom.
"I didn't-" Harry started, but before he could say a word he was swept up by Hurricane Hermione, and found himself pulled through the passage and into the next car, with Hermione dragging him up along up the train.
"Why did you leave me?" Hermione said, sounding really annoyed.
"What? I- You seemed to be enjoying yourself well enough..." Harry grumbled.
Hermione stopped and turned to face him. Harry was surprised to find that she looked almost hurt. She quickly covered it with anger though: "Oh yes, what could be more stimulating than their company."
"But you gave me a look that was like 'sorry about this – see you later'?"
"That's not what that look said!" Hermione exclaimed. "It said 'don't leave me with these creeps'!"
"I thought that was your 'I'm sorry' look?"
Hermione hit him hard on the arm.
"No, that was my 'don't leave me' look!"
I thought I knew all your looks.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Did you really think I wanted to be left alone with that sleaze-bag?"
"I'm sorry!" Harry said, and even though he meant it he couldn't prevent the smile that spread over his face. The stupid grin on his face earned him a couple of more punches over the next ten minutes.
They made their way up to a car with single seats and hid there for most of the rest of the day. He felt a bit uncomfortable leaving his trunk back in the compartment - he wouldn't put it past them to open it and go through his things - but if they didn't have to go back it was certainly worth the risk.
He was wrapped up tight, safe in a haze of warmth and sleepiness.
The door opened without a sound. That was wrong.
The sharp man looked down at him...
Barty Crouch.
...and smiled a crooked smile.
That's his name.
Then water.
He's real, Harry.
Water - water - sinking - sinking - burning - breathing - drowning - drinking.
He's coming for you...
His shoulder was damp...
Harry opened his eyes. The train was still moving - its gentle rocking had obviously lulled him to sleep - but the electric lamps lining the car had been lit and outside the window there was only darkness. He shifted a little and found that his arms and legs were very stiff and his forehead was clammy, but apart from that he was all right. He also found one Hermione Granger drooling on his shoulder.
She had fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder, and her body felt warm pressed up against him. Her scent was comforting, familiar, and Harry took a slow deep breath, trying to push the dream from his mind. Trying to forget about it like he had been trying to forget the events of his birthday...
Shut up - don't think about it! You're going to Hogwarts, and it's the safest place in the world, so just relax!
Harry spent the next ten minutes or so trying not to move so that he wouldn't wake Hermione, despite his limbs screaming to be stretched out. Then she shifted forward as the train lurched and slowed, and Harry grabbed her before she could fall into his lap. Hermione snorted and opened her eyes. She looked around in confusion, finding Harry smirking at her.
"You've been drooling all over me," he informed her.
"Sorry," she said, blushing lightly and rubbing at Harry's shoulder.
"Oh, I don't mind - in fact I rather enjoy it," he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
"What?" she asked, in confusion, and Harry realized that she was still half-asleep.
"Nothing," he said. "I think we'll be there soon."
Harry jumped onto the platform and took a deep breath of cool clear air. Even with the immobile train belching steam all around him this was still northern air, Hogwarts air, and Harry had spent the past three months inhaling the fumes of Republic City and missing this place.
A cry of "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" could be heard from the far end of the platform, but Harry could not make out Professor Hagrid, or much at all, through the steam.
"Come on," Hermione said, climbing out after him and tucking her robe tighter around herself in the chill. "Let's grab a carriage before the Weasley gang finds us."
"Sounds good," Harry said. He didn't mention that he was also keen on avoiding Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley and Cho Chang (his embarrassment quota was filled for the day).
Hm, I don't have any enemies in Hufflepuff yet. Probably just a matter of time.
They wove through the crowd and found themselves on the cobblestones of Hogsmeade, and the steam of the platform replaced with a heavy mist. "Where are the -?" Hermione started, but was interrupted by a sniffing sound.
She yelped as a round black nose the size of a tennis-ball came out of the mist and poked at her. It was followed by a huge shadow that became the hulking form of a badger-mole. Harry laughed at her reaction and patted the side of the big creature, and it gave a great rumbling purr in response.
"Did you know the Hogwarts clan is considered small compared to the badger-moles around Omashu?" Hermione said, still slightly shaken.
"Really?" said Harry, looking up at the creature. He could see the shapes of dozens of them moving slowly through the mist, and he did not blame the people of Hogsmeade for traditionally staying indoors on the first day of term. Half badger and half mole, the creatures were larger than any combination of those two animals had any right to be - about the size of a small hut.
Harry gave the creature a final pat and climbed up into the carriage latched to the badger-mole's back where he settled down while Hermione solicitously hauled in a couple of second years who were hesitating outside. Sensing that the carriage was full, the badger-mole began its climb up towards the school, taking great bounds and making them all to bounce around the carriage.
Harry noticed that one of the second year boys seemed nauseous already. "You're not gonna like the next part," he told the boy, closing the shutters on the carriage window. The only light now came from an oil lamp swinging back and forth precariously from the ceiling. There were no electric lights at Hogwarts, Harry remembered cheerfully.
The badger-mole took a leap into the air, and after being pushed down in their seats they were all weightless for a second. Then the carriage shot downwards and there was a great shaking boom, before the rattling and shaking increased many times over.
"What's going on?!" the calmer of the two boys asked. He was holding onto his blond head in a near panic, but had managed to remain upright while his dark-haired friend was bent double and retching. Thankfully the boy's stomach seemed empty.
"We're in the underworld," Harry told the blond kid, with a grin.
Hermione, who didn't particularly appreciate the bumpy ride, but who'd gotten used to it by now, gave the textbook answer. "There aren't any roads leading to Hogwarts - haven't been any since the Hundred Year War. You must have seen the inner wall, but there's actually a whole series of them between the school and Hogsmeade. So the school is only accessible by boat, like you did last year, or by tunnel, which is why-"
Harry clapped the nauseous boy on the back. "I'd focus on her voice if I were you. Better than thinking of how we're in an underground tunnel that's sealing itself as we move along." Hermione gave him a scolding expression, and he answered with an innocent smile before continuing: "Did you know badger-moles were the first earthbenders? So our trusty steed is actually sealing us in. I guess if it got a heart attack or something we'd be stuck here. But yeah, just focus on my friend's voice. I find it quite soothing at times. It's lulled me to sleep more than once."
Hermione hit him, hard, and the brunette boy seemed more panicked than ever, but Harry was pleased to see the blond boy smirking. Harry didn't know why he was being so silly, but going back to Hogwarts always put him in a giddy mood.
"Of course you can also get into the school by air," Harry said, eying the blue trimmings on the kids' robes. Traditionally blue would be the colour of the Water Tribes, while yellow might go along with Air Nomads and green with the Earth Kingdom, but of course Hogwarts just had to do things differently, he thought with a smile. "You guys are Ravenclaws, right?" he asked.
The blond kid nodded.
"Cool," Harry said. "Do you think you two could freshen up the air in here? It does get rather stale."
The blond kid eagerly spun his hands, conjuring a small gust of wind that ruffled all their hair. The fresh air seemed to help his friend, who joined in, demonstrating some pretty advanced airbending for a second year, as far as Harry could tell. They were properly distracted, and Harry wouldn't need to scrape any vomit off his robes before the feast.
A job well done.
They were underground for another few minutes, before another moment of weightlessness and a great bump. Harry opened the shutters and looked out. They'd just passed the inner wall and badger-moles were exploding to the surface all around them. Harry turned eagerly towards the castle.
It still took his breath away; an enormous black silhouette against the starlit sky, spotted with red windows hinting of the warmth within. The many towers stretched upwards like fingers grasping at the moon, and almost making it. Next to him Hermione let out a contented sigh, and Harry turned and smiled to see her drinking in the same sight.
"You're looking towards the library, aren't you?" he scolded her.
"Shush," she said.
There was a road leading up to the entrance, but badger-moles rarely did things by the book. Helga Hufflepuff had somehow convinced the local clan to wear carriages and transport students, but they still did it their own way, flocking up to the school in an disorganized mess and unceremoniously shaking students out their carriages before grumpily disappearing into the ground, presumably tunnelling into the Forbidden Forest.
Harry jumped out, and gave the beast an appreciative pat before it shook the carriage loose and jumped away, startling some Slytherin girls along the way.
The Ravenclaw boys who shared their carriage seemed very happy to put their feet back on solid ground.
"Give it a few years," Harry told them. "You'll grow to enjoy it."
"If you're insane, that is," Hermione added. She did look slightly green.
"You'll grow to love it," Harry said to the blond boy, who smiled in response.
They joined the flood of people making their way into the entrance hall, which was almost as cool as the outside air, and hurried on into the Great Hall. Going through the double doors was walking into a glorious wall of heat. The lights were blinding - thousands upon thousands of candles brought the hall to life. Harry looked up at the mural that covered the entire ceiling, depicting the night sky. The dancing candles below made the stars seem almost alive.
All around them there was excited chatter and laughter as people caught up with friends they'd missed on the train. Harry made sure to keep an eye out for anyone he didn't want to bump into, but he wasn't too worried. He was inside Hogwarts now, and if there was one place he could melt away and be nobody, it was here.
Home.
It had been years since they'd moved in from the country for James' job, but he'd never really felt at home in their cramped little city apartment, nor in the hustle and bustle of Republic City. Hogwarts was the only place Harry ever felt at home in a crowd.
The crowd around them separated into four streams heading to find good seats at the four long tables. Harry's feet led him of their own accord to their preferred spot at Gryffindor table, Hermione walking in step beside him. They sat near the end, backs against the wall, out of the way, yet with a view of the whole school. Harry looked up at the head table where old Professor Dumbledore sat in a throne-like chair, overlooking the entering masses.
Safe.
"Did you know this is the one teaching institution that the United Republic allows citizens to attend without having any control at all over the curriculum?"
"Hm?" Hermione had closed her eyes and was breathing in the atmosphere.
"All the schools in Republic City are strictly regulated, and it's technically illegal for a Republic citizen to attend school in one of the Nations."
"Hogwarts has always been independent from the Four Nations..." Hermione mumbled, apparently still sleepy from the train.
"Well, yeah," Harry said, "but so is the United Republic, and the Council has been pushing for Hogwarts and the Republic to be connected. Do you know what the only thing standing in their way is?"
Hermione said nothing, eyes still closed.
"Hey!" Harry snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Wake up."
Hermione slowly opened her eyes. "Did you just snap at me?"
"That old man," Harry said, pointing up at Dumbledore and smirking, "is the only thing standing in the Council's way. Turns out being the personal friend of the last Avatar gives you about as much swing room as the Fire Lord."
Hermione was quiet for a moment, but at least her eyes were open, and she had a familiar thoughtful look about her. "Would your parents have sent you to Durmstrang if you'd stayed in the Fire Nation?" she finally asked.
Harry shrugged. "They both went to Hogwarts, so they were probably always gonna send me here. And we were barely in the Nation at all - out in the country, in the middle of nowhere."
"Sounds awful," Hermione said with a yawn.
"You're such a city girl," he said, shaking his head.
"And you're still a bumpkin," Hermione said, stretching. "Must have been a nightmare to get that Republic citizenship. Mom told me what her and dad went through to get in."
"Well," Harry said, "we moved because James got a job with the government, so it wasn't really an issue. And besides..." Harry trailed off awkwardly.
"Oh. Right..." Hermione said, despondently. She leaned on the table, spinning a finger and directing the flame off of the nearest candle, making it dance through the air and into her open palm. She watched the flame with something like disdain, and then pinched the air, snuffing the flame out. "I forgot that we're better than other people," she muttered.
"You mean 'cause we can both do this?" Harry asked, sticking out his tongue and rolling the edges up into a tube.
Hermione snorted a laugh.
Students were taking their seats all around them. A lot of them still seemed slightly disoriented, or even bruised, from the ride up to the castle. Harry honestly did like the badger-moles and the bumpy ride to school, but maybe it was just that he preferred it to the boat ride he'd had to endure his first year... No, being underground had never bothered him.
There was a hush as the double doors opened and a troupe of first years were led in by Professor McGonagall. Harry ducked his head to avoid catching McGonagall's eye, since the mere sight of him seemed to annoy the Professor. Instead he looked up the Gryffindor table, and found himself on the receiving end of a glare from Ginny Weasley. Harry decided that watching the floor for the rest of the night was probably a good idea.
As they passed Harry overheard one of the first years excitedly describing how he had fallen into the lake and been tossed back out by the Giant Squid. For some reason the kid seemed to have enjoyed it. Harry shuddered.
What a Slytherin...
The kids marched up the aisle between the two middle tables, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, lining up in front of the assembled school.
"When I call out your name," McGonagall intoned in her ceremonious voice, "you will put on the hat and sit on the stool."
The Sorting Hat had been placed on a three-legged stool by old Filch, who was wearing his sharpest suit and who was now busy setting four objects on pedestals, one at the head of each house table. After ceremoniously placing and filling the goblet before the Slytherin table, the wind-chimes at the Ravenclaw table, and the miniature rock-garden by the Hufflepuff table, Filch had some trouble lighting the brazier at the head of the Gryffindor table. He was unsuccessfully scratching match after match against the side of his matchbox, and there was some snickering until a helpful student near the end of the Gryffindor table waved his hand and flames appeared in the brazier. Filch didn't seem to appreciate the gesture, glaring the student down before shuffling off to his place at the end of the head table.
Harry heard someone nearby ask why non-benders were even allowed at Hogwarts, and there was a murmur of agreement.
"Who said that?" Hermione hissed at Harry, looking around. "Did you see who said that?"
"Just drop it, Hermione" Harry said wearily.
"Ackerly, Stewart!" called Professor McGonagall and a gangly thin-looking boy hurried over to the stool. He sat down and put on the hat, which slipped down to cover his eyes, and the hall grew deathly quiet. Every eye was moving eagerly between the brazier, rock garden, wind-chimes and goblet.
Fifteen seconds later there was a jingling sound, and everyone looked to the wind-chimes, now jangling peacefully in a small gust of wind coming from the direction of the boy on the stool.
"Ravenclaw!" Professor McGonagall proclaimed, and there was a great cheer from the table in question, along with polite applause from other houses. There was still a sense of festiveness whenever a student got into Ravenclaw, even though it had been decades since airbenders were considered particularly rare, and Ravenclaw house was almost as large as the others by now.
Stewart Ackerly, blushing furiously, removed the hat and ran to sit with his new housemates.
"It always fascinated me," Hermione said, "how the Hat can make you produce bending without moving your hands or anything. I've never heard of anyone being able to do that - not even Avatar Korra! How do you think it works?"
Harry shushed her. He had literally heard her say the same words every year since second.
"Baddock, Malcolm!" called Professor McGonagall. Another wait and then a stream of water floating into the air out of the Slytherin goblet proclaimed him to be a waterbender, and Slytherin house exploded in applause as Malcolm Baddock joined them.
Surprisingly, the Giant Squid Boy, "Creevey, Dennis!", turned out to be not a Slytherin, but rather the first Gryffindor of the batch, making the Gryffindor brazier flare up along with every candle close-by. Harry applauded along with the rest, watching Dennis Creevey sit down next to his brother, who proceeded to blind the poor kid with a flash from that camera he was always carrying around. Harry had dodged the blasted thing more than once - he didn't particularly like being in photographs, not even the few group shots Creevey had caught him in...
The sorting continued in the usual fashion, students split quite evenly between the four houses, until "Quirke, Orla," took her place on the stool. Harry felt something uncomfortable creeping up his spine the second he saw the uncertain frail little girl walk up to the Hat.
There's one every damn year...
When Orla Quirke had worn the hat for a whole minute the Great Hall was filling with whispers that turned into mutters that turned into laughter. After two minutes Professor McGonagall walked up to the girl and uncomfortably cleared her throat.
"Why would anyone send their kid here if they weren't completely sure they could bend?" Harry said, angrily.
"Well," said Hermione, "Having a bender in the family can mean a lot - it's certainly helped my parents with all sorts of permits for their practice, which is absurd, of course, since how good dentists they are hardly have anything to do with me... But not every bender has manifested at eleven, so I can almost understand sending a kid here on the off-chance."
"Is it worth that?" Harry asked, waving at the little girl still on the stool. She had removed the hat, and was sitting completely still even though tears were streaming down her face. McGonagall was talking to her, trying to get her to stand up, but the girl wouldn't move.
There was jeering and shouted insults, mostly from the Slytherin table. Harry glared at them.
"One of her parents might be a bender?" Hermione suggested.
Squib.
That's what they'd started calling children of benders that could not bend. A lot of new words had been springing up to describe non-benders...
Something moved just behind Harry, and he turned, startled, to see a man in Auror's uniform swiftly moving up the side of the hall.
Where did he come from?
Another Auror was moving up the other side of the hall. They converged by McGonagall and the girl, and one of them grabbed McGonagall's shoulder and moved her away while the other walked up to Orla and picked her up.
McGonagall looked furious, and for a second Harry thought they were going to see some fireworks, but the Professor did nothing except glare at the Headmaster. Harry followed her gaze and found that Dumbledore looked like he was tasting something sour, but he made no move to intervene as the child was briskly carried out of the room.
This is all wrong... There aren't any Aurors at Hogwarts.
The crowd was buzzing about the Aurors now, instead of the unfortunate girl.
"Why are they here?" Harry asked Hermione, but she just shook her head, frowning.
A few more children were sorted, and then Dumbledore stood up.
"Welcome!" he said, smiling out at them all. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I'm sure we're all ready and willing to dive headfirst into this feast, but there are a few boring things, and a few exciting things, we have to go through first.
"First off, the forest on the school grounds is called 'The Forbidden Forest' - interpret that as you will - and it's full of things that can kill you very easily." Dumbledore said this quite cheerfully. Harry liked Dumbledore. "So I advise you not to wander in there. Third off, there are numerous objects and activities that are prohibited in the hallways of Hogwarts, and Mister Filch has very helpfully compiled these into a highly comprehensive list, which is available for viewing upon request. Do not be fooled into thinking that common sense is a thing that can keep you out of trouble; Mister Filch has showed me the list and there is all manner of entertaining nonsense on there."
Dumbledore chuckled, as did a lot of the crowd, not including Mister Filch.
"Fifth off," Dumbledore continued, with little-to-no regard for the usual workings of mathematics, "I'd like us all to welcome your new teacher in Applied Defence, Professor Moody!"
Harry had noticed the gruff-looking man with the big moving fake-eye, and even assumed that he'd be teaching duelling, but he hadn't quite put two and two together.
"That's Mad-Eye Moody!" Harry said to Hermione, while clapping loudly along with everyone else in the hall. "He used to be high up in the Aurors before he was retired - he's the one who hired my father!"
"He sure looks like he can take a beating," Hermione said with an air of reverence. Mad-Eye Moody, who gave no indication that he heard their applause but simply glared out at the hall, did indeed look like he'd been to hell and back, with his numerous scars, burns and the peg-leg that Harry knew would be hiding under the head table.
If this was first year he'd be excited to have Mad-Eye teaching him, after hearing all kinds of war stories from his dad, but as it was he was wondering if staying in the background would be more of a problem with Mad-Eye than it had been with the incompetent Professor Lockhart.
"Finally," Dumbledore continued when the applause died down, "this year we will be hosting a number of guests at our school. I will tell you a little more about that once our stomachs are a bit fuller, but since you have probably already noticed I can inform you that due to these coming guests, new security regulations have been put in place."
On cue parts of the wall started moving and shifting with a grinding stone-on-stone sound. Four doorways appeared at the four corners of the room, and a train of servants in livery entered, carrying the night's feast on an assortment of trays. This was all normal - what was not normal were the Aurors that followed each line of servants and then took up guard positions by the doors.
"The United Republic," Dumbledore said as the servants waited in line for him to finish before serving the feast, "has very graciously provided a security force to make sure that the events of this year go smoothly. They will not bother you as long as you do not bother them, so I encourage you to let them do their jobs in peace - if you have any questions or concerns you may take it up with a teacher."
Harry and Hermione exchanged a look.
"Oh, and really finally this time - " Dumbledore said, "so that you know him by sight, and know who particularly not to bother, this is the Captain of our little security force, Auror Crouch."
The world went cold and slow... A second ago there were hot-blooded firebenders all around him, but the ice under his feet had cracked, and he was falling through to the other side.
There was a man standing behind Dumbledore. A man with a shiny new captain's badge, and a sharp smile. Harry wanted to run. To run from the hall - to start running and to never stop.
You can't leave in the middle of the Headmaster's speech. It will just make him notice you. He'll find you and take you.
The man took a step forward and stood straight and proud before the hundreds and hundreds of students. Harry felt his head spin, and he looked away, terrified of meeting Barty Crouch's eye. Of being on the receiving end of that smile.
I was safe here.
He focused on the table in front of him. Wood. Ancient. Textured, but smooth.
"Young for a captain, isn't he?" That was Hermione's voice, somehow coming through the buzz that surrounded him.
I am going to die.
"I suppose he's got connections."
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
"Harry?"
Water - water - sinking - sinking - burning - breathing - drowning - drinking.
"Harry? Are you okay?"
Harry forced himself not to vomit, forced himself to look up, forced himself to smile.
"I'm fine."
I am going to die tonight.
Author's Note
Thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated.
Read on if you're interested in why I matched powers and houses the way I did. The only really obvious choice is Gryffindor - Fire. The others were up in the air for a time. I went with:
Gryffindor - Fire
Hufflepuff - Earth
Ravenclaw - Air
Slytherin - Water
I could have tried to match colours, and ended up with Ravenclaw - Water (blue), Slytherin - Earth (green) and Hufflepuff - Air (yellow, like Air Nomad robes). But I also took the teachers into consideration - Potionsmaster Snape is certainly closer to water than earth, and Sprout is clearly Earth. Flitwick can also be connected to Air through his infamous Wingardium-Leviosa-lesson. I was also thinking that the Ravenclaw common-room is in a tower (air), while both Hufflepuff and Slytherin are underground (Slytherin being closer to the lake). Beyond all this I was also taking my own perception of the "character" of each element into consideration.
I decided to make Slytherin water, largely to make it clash with Gryffindor (fire). Also, bloodbending is an extension of waterbending, which goes great with Slytherin - it's a perfect "translation" of both the Cruciatus and the Imperius so it would be a shame to give that power to any other house than Slytherin.
Deciding on Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff was a bit more difficult. Airbending around the Hufflepuff commonroom makes no sense, but making Ravenclaw airbenders means that their tower can be inaccessible except through airbending, which allows for interesting possibilities further on.
On a separate note: I'm not changing much, but one change I HAVE made to the Avatar canon is the amount of airbenders around. In Avatar: The Last Airbender our dear main character Aang was (obviously) the last airbender, and that is still the case in the canon of this parallel world. But in this world, while Aang was frozen in an iceberg people were being born here and there in the Nations with latent airbending talents (possibly distant descendants of Air Nomads that enjoyed their travelling a bit more than their scriptures would strictly allow).
However, they were never trained nor had any reason to suspect their gifts, and so these people spent their lives never using their talents. When Aang returned he started finding and training these people, and of course he re-opened Ravenclaw House at Hogwarts, which had stood empty during the war.
Hogwarts was a school long before the Hundred Year War, but it was shut down during large parts of the war, and during other parts it functioned as a safe haven for all kinds of refugees and benders, proclaiming itself as separate and neutral in the conflict, which was, in a way, a highly aggressive move. It was all rather complicated.
Don't know if this is of interest to anyone, I'm just showing my work, as they say.
Hope you liked this chapter, please do tell me in a review how YOU would match up the elements and houses!
- The Sorting Cat