Outsider Chronicles: Screw Fate!
A lot of people believe that being reborn as your favorite character would be fun, but I wonder how many of you actually think about what that would mean? It wouldn't be cool, it'd be annoying and, quite possibly, lethal. Awe well, at least I finally get the chance to tell that manipulative old man to go fuck himself.
And here we go with some more bullshit. Enjoy!
Chapter 3
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform, shivering in the cold night air. I was more interested in surprising the urge to smack Ron over the head after he had stolen some of my few remaining Cauldron Cakes that I had become slightly addicted to. Fortunately, the arrival of Hagrid distracted me from my annoyance as a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads, his eyes scanning the gathering of shivering shrimps before him.
"C'mon, follow me," he said, "Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, we followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. Honestly, it wasn't to bad though, no worse than some of the paths around where I grew up the first time through. It was pitch black though, so that made keeping ones footing a tad hard. Nobody spoke much, being more interested in not slipping over. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!" and I can honestly admit that I was among them. Seeing Hogwarts for the first time in person was, pardon the pun, magical. It truly did look like the sort of place that magic was made. Hagrid gave us a couple of moments to take in the gorgeous sight before shepherding us into the boats at the waters edge. I ended up in one with Ron, Neville and Hermione. Once we reached the other side, Hagrid lead us up a long flight of stone steps to where Professor Mcgonagall was waiting for us.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid, indicating to us with a huge wave of a hand.
"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here," said the Transfiguration Teacher, before turning to us, "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.
The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.
The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose, before turning and vanishing into the Great Hall, leaving us to talk amongst ourselves. The inevitable topic was what exactly the Sorting Ceremony entailed, with theories ranging from tests to wrestling a troll. That comment drew a snort from me.
"What?" asked Ron.
"Sorry, it's just that I think your brothers might have been having you on," I said, "A troll could easily smush just about anyone in this school into paste with a single strike, with the possible exception of Hagrid. Oh, and I doubt it will be a test either since we haven't actually learnt anything yet."
That was for Hermione's benefit, who looked like she was about to start hyperventilating.
"So what do you think it'll be Harry?" asked Ron.
"Hmm, probably a simple test where you have to wear an enchanted item that reads your personality to determine where you'd best fit," I said, "Most likely a hat of some sort."
"Oh? And what makes you say that?" asked Hermione.
I shrugged.
"It makes the most sense," I said, "Not everyone is studious enough to have read everything like you and I and they wouldn't put us in danger. To me, the best way of sorting us based on personality traits is to perform a personality test and what better way than with an enchanted object?"
"A logical deduction."
I turned to the source of the voice and blinked a few times at the sight. Stood slightly apart from the group was a pair of girls that made me do an epic double take. One of them was unusually tall for an eleven year old, while the other was shorter than me, which was saying something as I was probably one of the shortest in the year. The tall one had long, ash blond hair, flat, green eyes and an equally flat face that seemed to show no emotion. The other girl also had long, blond hair, but hers was a golden blond and her eyes were blue and shining with amusement. She was smirking slightly, but it wasn't a particularly nice smirk.
"It seems I may have underestimated you Mr Potter," said the shorter girl, "I thought you'd be nothing more than another brainless sheep following the herd. I'm pleasantly surprised."
I blinked a few times as I tried to decide whether I should be insulted or not.
"And you are?" I asked.
The girl smirked.
"Daphne Greengrass," she said, "And this is Tracy Davis."
"A pleasure to meet you," said Tracy with a slight bow.
I blinked a few times then suppressed the urge to say something really stupid. No such luck from Ron unfortunately.
"No one asked you," he sneered, "Why don't you get lost. Harry doesn't want to talk to slimy snakes like you."
My eye twitched.
"I'd ask that you don't put words in my mouth," I growled.
"Wha..? But Harry mate, surely you don't want to talk to slimy snakes like these," said Ron.
"First of all, snakes aren't slimy," I said, "Second, I prefer to get to know people as individuals, not as labels given by someone else."
"But Harry…"
I fixed him with a glare and cracked my knuckles. Ron apparently had a few braincells to spare and shut his gob. Although that might have something to do with the ghosts that had just floated through the wall.
"Forgive and forget, I say," said one that looked like a fat little monk, "We ought to give him a second chance..."
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed us staring at them with expressions ranging from fear to interest. However, before anyone could answer, one of the ghosts spotted me and gave a little gasp.
"Oh my," she said as she drifted closer, "Aren't you an interesting one...Hmm, yes, very interesting indeed."
I blinked.
"Pardon me madam but, what's interesting?" I asked, "I'm just a normal 1st year."
The Ghost looked me up and down and raised a spectral eyebrow.
"No, I don't think you are," she said, "There's something different about you. I'm not sure what it is, but there's an air about you I have not felt since I was alive…"
She eyed me for a moment longer, but before she could say anything else, Mcgonagall returned and shewed the ghosts away
"We're ready for you now," she said.
She lead us through the doors and into the Great Hall which, I have to admit, took my breath away, despite the fact I knew what to expect. As with the first view of Hogwarts, there was just something about the magnificent room that simply could not be replicated by Hollywood.
It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables where the rest of the students were sitting, tables laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting in front of the four massive hourglasses that served to count the house points. Professor McGonagall led us straight up towards the head of the hall, in full view of everyone else, hundreds of faces staring at us, shining like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, we reached the head of the room where the Sorting Hat sat on the four-legged stool, looking just as frayed and dirty as I was expecting. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song and bowed to each of the four tables and then became still again.
"Told you," I muttered, earning myself a glare from Ron.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. Their was a moment's pause, before...
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled offto sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them. The Sorting continued in this vein, with Daphne and Tracey ending up in Slytherin and Hermione going to Gryffindor, as expected, drawing a groan from Ron, before he went back to searching desperately for Holly. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted:
"GRYFFINDOR."
Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag." Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Then, at last...
"Potter, Harry!"
I stepped forward, ignoring the whispers that suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
The last thing I saw before the hat dropped over my eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at me. Next second I was looking at the black inside of the hat. For a moment there was silence. Then…
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
That was shouted out to the entire hall if the muttered reactions were anything to go by.
"Found something interesting?" I thought.
"I...what...how…?"
"Not a clue," I said, "But if you tell anyone…"
The hat shivered on my head as he picked up on what I had in mind for him.
"Oh don't worry Mr...Potter I suppose since thats who you are now, I am bound to keep any secrets I find in a student's mind. Hmm, this is fascinating and rather horrifying stuff. I assume you intend to do what you can to avert some of these disasters?"
I snorted.
"That'll depend entirely on the sheeple," I said, "If they annoy me to much I'll leave them to their fate and bugger off to Japan or something."
"Albus won't like that," said the Hat.
"He can suck a fat one," I said, "I could care less what that crusty old man wants. If he wants Riddle dealt with, he can damn well do it himself."
The Hat chuckled.
"I have a feeling that you're going to do a real number on the status quo," it said, "Now, lets get you sorted. Considering your attitude, Hufflepuff is right out. You're smart enough for Ravenclaw, although how much is actual intelligence and how much is from two runs through life is up for debate. You have the cunning and ambition for Slytherin, but I get the distinct impression that if I put you there you'll have killed Mr Malfoy before the weeks out. Plus, you're more likely to take any plans you have and use them as a battering ram to beat down whoever gets in your way...this mind actually reminds me a lot of a young woman who came through many years ago...Ah, but thats a story for another time. I think you'd be best suited for…"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
I ignored the cheers from the red table as I took of the Hat and headed over to join my table. I absently returned Percy's handshake as I sat down across from Hermione and glanced up at the Head table. As I did, I met Dumbledores eyes and immediately felt a slight pressure on my fledgling Occlumency shields. Before I could break eye contact, Dumbledore jerked slightly and looked away, rubbing his eyes. I blinked. I didn't have anything in place that could get that kind of reaction. I shrugged off the curiosity for now in favor of dinner. I could deal with Dumbledores apparent inability to read my mind later. Right now I was more interested in filling my belly.
Conversation was light as we ate and I made it a point to turn the conversation away whenever it looked like it was going to turn to me and made it a double point to avoid looking at Ron who's table manners were atrocious.
Eventually, the food faded away and Dumbledore stood to do his announcements. Don't go in the Forbidden Forest, no magic in the halls, certain death, etc, before having us sing the school song. I did to the tune of Still Alive. No idea why, it just seemed appropriate. With the torture to our eardrums done, we were sent off to bed like good little children. Still, my bed was warm and comfortable and the hangings had built in silencing charms to deal with Rons snoring, so I couldn't complain. Besides, tomorrow would begin my magical education. I can hardly wait!
And done. Man, that was a quick chapter. Then again, I did take chunks from the book and my past HP story, so maybe I can't take all the credit…
So, Harry's met Daphne and Tracy who have more than a little in common design wise with a certain vampire and robot duo. I'm going to be making a couple of jokes with that.
I know some people might be disappointed that I stuck Harry in Gryffindor, but considering what I have in mind for his personality, it fits.
Ron makes a fool of himself. Nothing new there.
And with that, I'm gonna sign out. Next time will include a blatantly obvious clue to what I have in mind in the future. This is gonna be fun! Until then, leave me a review!